Seeing Stars
42: Riser
"I'm strong enough to hold you through the winter, mean enough to stare your demons down... I'm a riser... A get out aliver, of the fire, survivor..."
Given the circumstances, Lee looked all right. Cassidy had seen him stronger before, but with tumors sprouting throughout his body, he looked and acted okay. His illness didn’t affect his enthusiasm though as Cassidy showed him the rock on her finger. He even started to tear up the more they talked about the wedding.
“Jamie’s splitting time between Dallas and the road until Christmas. Figured I could come up now for a few days and then come back for the short break he has.”
Lee smiled and shook his head, taking a moment to cough. “Sure are keeping busy, Cass. Make sure you slow down once in awhile. Stop and look around at your life… don’t want to wear yourself out,”
Cassidy smiled, “the next few months are going to be crazy. I finish school in just over a week, graduate early January, and we’re shooting for a quick wedding. Sometime around early April, that way you should be healthy enough to attend and it’ll be done before playoffs roll around.”
“Gosh. It seems like yesterday your mother and I were holding you in our arms and teaching you to walk. Now you’re rushing to get married. Weren’t you just in diapers last week?” He smiled, but beneath that, there was a twinge of hurt. Like Lee didn’t want to believe that his only daughter was taking such a huge step into the next chapter of her life.
“Things were easier then, huh?”
“Baby, if life were easy everyone would be doing it,” he chuckled and leaned forward in his chair to squeeze Cassidy’s knee as she sat across from him. “Us country folk, we’re risers. We don’t let the circumstances get us down, but rather we rise to the occasion.”
That’s where the conversation ended. Of course they exchanged goodnight’s and see you tomorrow’s, and made a promise to go out for breakfast in the morning. The funny thing about moments is you never know when it’s the last one. The last chance to tell someone how you really feel, the final opportunity to say the things you’ve always wanted to say, but more than that, to make the last moment memorable; to make it mean something.
But of course, it’s hard to make a moment meaningful when you thought you’d have a million more moments just like it. It’s never clear that it’ll be the last. Never a neon yellow sign with flashing lights that says ‘get everything out now because you’ll never have the moment to say it later’.
It’s like the world revels on missed chances. Making fun and taunting a person for letting every opportunity pass by. Silly human, don’t you see it’s the last shot. And when the moment has passed, there’s regret at every turn. Things you would’ve said, things you could’ve said, things you should’ve said… People say to live life without regret, but they don’t tell you how to do it. Like there’s some sort of handbook you should’ve picked up from the used bookstore, and studied the notes in the margins of the people who read it before you.
Saying goodbye is the hardest moment to miss.
The paramedics wheeled him out the next morning. As they put it, he probably died in his sleep; unknowing and painless. Cassidy figured that was the best way to go. She had seen movies where cancer patients lay awake in their final moments in so much pain, that they hallucinated their deceased mother and called out for her. And they’d go to the grave, yelling out for a woman who wasn’t really there.
Painless sounded good to Cassidy. Such a gentle man like her father didn’t deserve to feel any pain. No hallucinations, no screams of terror and agony; just dreams, and the slowing of the heart like a bear in hibernation. With him out of the house, the in-home nurse was quick to pack the things she could carry, and left; onto the next house until that person died as well.
Soon Cassidy was alone, and the house felt that much colder. After tonight’s game in Dallas, Jamie would have a three-day break before heading into a three game road trip throughout Canada. And she knew that if she called to tell him the news, he’d rushed to Nashville the moment the game ended.
She wanted that badly. To have his arms around her, offering comfort and protection from the world. But Cassidy looked down at the engagement ring on her finger and made a decision. She wouldn’t call him. If he called to check in, she’d tell him, but then insist that he not take the time out of his schedule to get to Tennessee. His obligation was to the team first and foremost. Even though Jamie would fight that every step of the way, it was true. And now, with the short Christmas break approaching, the team needed him to lead them through the last stretch.
But now several things had to be done. Things that Cassidy had never even thought of before, let alone prepared for. She’d have to clear out the house and then probably sell it, call her dad’s attorney and see what sort of will he had, plan a funeral, and figure out whether her father had wished to be buried or cremated. For a twenty-one year old who had spent most of those years living a sheltered life, things probably couldn’t have gotten worse.
Cassidy walked into her father’s bedroom, feeling like she was entering a world she wasn’t supposed to see. On the old wooden desk across from his bed, a small notepad sat atop a mess of other papers and folders. Unbeknownst to her, her father must’ve been preparing for death, as the notepad consisted of different numbers. At the top of the list, was his attorney’s. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed the number, waiting to get through, and then be transferred to the lawyer.
“Miss Knox, what a surprise to hear from you,”
She felt numb at the sound of his voice, seemingly unable to produce any tears. In the past few weeks and months, she’d cried too much. “Mr. Anders, I’m surprised to be calling you… My dad passed away last night, and considering he and I never really spoke about what to do afterwards, I think I should talk to you,”
“I’m sorry to hear that Miss Knox. But of course, I think we should talk. I have to be in court this morning, but I can be by Lee’s house around three?”
“Alright Mr. Anders. I’ll see you then,”
Cassidy hung up the phone and looked around her father’s room. It was exactly the way she remembered it as a child. In fact, only one side of his bed was disturbed. The other side, where her mother had once slept, lay well made and untouched. And to think within the next few months, a new family would be living here, going on with their life without knowing about the life that had been lived here before them.
Her phone began to vibrate, and she looked down at Jamie’s name. She kept telling herself to let it go to voicemail; there were things to be packed and moved out. But still, her fingers moved to the screen and swiped right before holding her phone up to her ear.
“Hi Jame,” she murmured, trying to sound less depressed than she actually was.
“Hey baby, how’re you doin?” He was undoubtedly in the car on the way to the morning skate, as Cassidy could hear the slight roar of his engine.
“Okay… you?”
“Getting to the rink. How’s your dad?” Both ends of the line drew silent as Jamie waited for an answer, and Cassidy refused to give one. “Cassidy,” again silence, and this time Jamie understood, “I’m so sorry. I’ll be on a flight right after the game,”
“No,” she muttered, trying to keep herself composed. Hearing his voice was slowly making her come undone. “You have an obligation to the team. You have to stay there,”
“I have three days off,” he argued.
“I’m gonna be spending the next few days arranging things and clearing out the house. You don’t need to be here for that,” she paused and walked out of her father’s room, standing in the living room. “I’m meeting with his lawyer today and we’re going to talk about everything,”
“Alright, send me his information. I’ll have my lawyer get in touch with him too… keep him honest. If you need any help Cassidy, I’m just a phone call away,”
She smiled slightly, “I know; thank you.”
“I love you, baby. I’ll call after the skate,”
“I love you too,” she waited until he disconnected, before she pulled her phone away from her ear.
Oh, things couldn’t have gotten more uncomfortable, even if Cassidy tried. Not only had Jamie called up his lawyer to check up on Lee’s lawyer, but Jamie sent his lawyer to Nashville.
So when Cassidy went to the front door to greet her dad’s lawyer, she was shocked to see two men, standing side by side. Both introduced themselves as attorneys, one for Lee Knox, and the other for Jamie Benn. She invited both of them in, cursing Jamie under her breath for getting involved. She would’ve been fine on her own, and again, he was using his resources.
The three gathered around the circular dining room table, sitting in a triangular-like shape, staring at each other for a moment with glasses of water in front of them.
“Miss Knox, I was not aware you had other representation,” Brian Anders, Lee’s attorney, mentioned as he opened up his briefcase, pulling out documents.
Cassidy glanced at Jamie’s lawyer, “my fiancé must’ve sent his lawyer.”
“Ken Ladd,” Jamie’s attorney murmured, sliding his business card across the table and towards Brian. “Mr. Benn asked that I accompany Miss Knox,”
“Alright, then getting down to business…” Brian opened up a folder and handed copies to Cassidy, which she looked over and then handed to Ken. “Miss Knox, I’m afraid your father didn’t have much to leave you. He still has the mortgage on the property and just over fifteen thousand dollars in his savings account. And because you are his only next of kin, and he left everything he had to you, you are unfortunately now responsible for the finances he still owed, as well as an inheritance tax.”
Cassidy looked at Ken, who sucked in a deep breath and nodded silently at everything Brian was saying. “Other than the mortgage…”
“Hospital bills of the last few months as well as property taxes, and the last few car payments on his truck. Like I said, it’s unfortunate you have to inherit that as well, but if you sell the house and the truck, it will knock out many of those payments. After that, the inheritance tax will be under two thousand dollars,”
“For reference Miss Knox,” Ken spoke up, setting the paper down. “Should you forego selling the property and truck, the inheritance tax will be just over 150,000 dollars, which is just under one third of the total inheritance. And that amount doesn’t include mortgage and property taxes,”
Cassidy covered her eyes and shook her head, “okay, I’m gonna need some time to think about that one. And what about plans for my dad?”
“Yes, Lee requested that he be cremated, and his ashes spread in Nashville and wherever you end up calling home. He also insisted that a funeral not be held to commemorate him,”
Cassidy chuckled and shook her head. Even after death he was stubborn, “well Mr. Anders, you’ve given me a lot to think about. Is it alright if I get back to you within the next few days?”
Brian nodded and within minutes he was out the door, leaving behind copies of the documents she’d need. Meanwhile, Ken stayed put, finally taking a sip of the water that had been placed in front of him at the start of the meeting.
“Miss Knox, I’m sorry we had to meet under these conditions,” he murmured as she sat back down after having shown Brian his way out. “If you have any further questions about the documents shown to you today, I’m more than happy to answer them for you.”
“No Mr. Ladd, I think I just need time to go over them. Chances are this place will be up for sale pretty soon. I don’t have a hundred and fifty grand just lying around.”
“Again, I’m sorry Miss Knox.” He paused and flicked his eyes down to the diamond ring on her finger, “however congratulations on your engagement to Mr. Benn… That actually brings me to my next line of business. Rich Evans, Jamie’s agent, ask that I bring these to you,”
Ken reached into his own bag and pulled out a short stack of papers and set it in front of Cassidy. Upon looking down at them, she saw the bold black letters at the top of the first page that read: Prenuptial Agreement.
Cassidy couldn’t even hold back a sarcastic grin as she thumbed through the stack and saw two blank lines on the last page, with her name beneath one, and Jamie’s beneath the other, waiting to be signed. “Haven’t even started planning the wedding, and Rich is already concerned I’m gonna steal Jamie’s money,”
“I’m sure that’s not it, Miss Knox. It’s customary when a person who makes as much as Jamie makes gets married, that an agreement like this gets signed to protect both parties,”
She stood up from the table again, ready for Ken to leave. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to talk to Jamie about it before signing. And he and I will personally come to your office and sign at a later date.”
Ken nodded and gathered his belongings, clearing his throat before he made towards the front door and stepped out into the cool December, Tennessee evening. Cassidy groaned and shut the screen door behind her, padding her way back into the house.
Chances were after the game, Jamie would call her up and they’d either talk on the phone or Skype for a few hours before they both actually fell asleep. But it wouldn’t matter because Cassidy would have a few hours before that point would come. And most likely, she’d pass the time by watching the game online, cringing at every hit, and cheering at every Dallas goal.
It wasn’t even that Cassidy was mad about Ken confronting her with the pre-nup papers. On a certain level, she expected nothing less, and in fact maybe was even awaiting the moment she’d see the papers. But if anything, she expected Jamie to be the one to bring up the subject and hand the agreement forward, not Rich, and surely not Jamie’s lawyer.
When the game was finally over, a 4-3 win for the Stars, Cassidy received a text message from Jamie shortly after, simply stating that they’d Skype when he got in. And not even an hour later, her laptop was ringing with the song signifying that Jamie was calling her, and after pushing the little green button, she saw his face pop up on the screen. Even though the team had won, Jamie’s face was still somber as the news of Lee’s death was still fresh in his mind.
“How’re you doing,” he murmured quietly. Cassidy noticed there was a slight lag in the video.
“Okay. Today’s been eventful,”
“How’d the meeting with your dad’s attorney go?”
Cassidy stared at the screen as Jamie lifted a water bottle and took a long pull. “I don’t know how it could’ve gone wrong with you sending your lawyer to Nashville.” Before he could even respond, Cassidy spoke up again, “and after talking about inheritance taxes, and mortgages, and cremation, your lawyer hands me prenuptial agreements.”
Jamie’s face went blank and turned white, “he did what?”
“Rich Evans suggested they be signed sooner rather than later. You know, just incase I decide to suck you dry of money in order to plan an elaborate ceremony and reception,” Cassidy grimaced and picked a fuzz off her sweater, “can we not invite him to the wedding?”
“I’m afraid we have to,” Jamie chuckled and rubbed his eyes. “I’ll call Richie; and we can talk about the pre-nup some other time,”
“Jamie, I expected it. And I don’t mind signing if it protects you from some horrible, unforeseen event in our future. I’m not marrying you for your money anyway, so it doesn’t bother me if I don’t have it after a divorce,”
“Well I don’t plan on getting a divorce, so we should be good,” he smiled and paused. “We’ll talk about it more when you get back to Dallas. When do you think you’ll be done in Tennessee?”
“Before Christmas,” Cassidy sighed. “I’m gonna have the attorney get a real estate agent to put the house up for sale. I just have to clear everything out.”
“You don’t want to keep the house?”
“Of course I want to, but after going over the numbers, there’s no way I’d be able to pay everything off with the little amount of money my dad saved.” Cassidy stared at the screen as Jamie pushed one of his hands through his hair, “listen, I’m pretty tired so I’m gonna go. I’ll call you tomorrow,”
After closing her computer, Cassidy looked around the living room. She had never minded staying home alone, but now the house felt too quiet. She turned on the TV to nothing in particular, just thankful that the sound of voices was able to distract her from everything else going on.
Given the circumstances, Lee looked all right. Cassidy had seen him stronger before, but with tumors sprouting throughout his body, he looked and acted okay. His illness didn’t affect his enthusiasm though as Cassidy showed him the rock on her finger. He even started to tear up the more they talked about the wedding.
“Jamie’s splitting time between Dallas and the road until Christmas. Figured I could come up now for a few days and then come back for the short break he has.”
Lee smiled and shook his head, taking a moment to cough. “Sure are keeping busy, Cass. Make sure you slow down once in awhile. Stop and look around at your life… don’t want to wear yourself out,”
Cassidy smiled, “the next few months are going to be crazy. I finish school in just over a week, graduate early January, and we’re shooting for a quick wedding. Sometime around early April, that way you should be healthy enough to attend and it’ll be done before playoffs roll around.”
“Gosh. It seems like yesterday your mother and I were holding you in our arms and teaching you to walk. Now you’re rushing to get married. Weren’t you just in diapers last week?” He smiled, but beneath that, there was a twinge of hurt. Like Lee didn’t want to believe that his only daughter was taking such a huge step into the next chapter of her life.
“Things were easier then, huh?”
“Baby, if life were easy everyone would be doing it,” he chuckled and leaned forward in his chair to squeeze Cassidy’s knee as she sat across from him. “Us country folk, we’re risers. We don’t let the circumstances get us down, but rather we rise to the occasion.”
That’s where the conversation ended. Of course they exchanged goodnight’s and see you tomorrow’s, and made a promise to go out for breakfast in the morning. The funny thing about moments is you never know when it’s the last one. The last chance to tell someone how you really feel, the final opportunity to say the things you’ve always wanted to say, but more than that, to make the last moment memorable; to make it mean something.
But of course, it’s hard to make a moment meaningful when you thought you’d have a million more moments just like it. It’s never clear that it’ll be the last. Never a neon yellow sign with flashing lights that says ‘get everything out now because you’ll never have the moment to say it later’.
It’s like the world revels on missed chances. Making fun and taunting a person for letting every opportunity pass by. Silly human, don’t you see it’s the last shot. And when the moment has passed, there’s regret at every turn. Things you would’ve said, things you could’ve said, things you should’ve said… People say to live life without regret, but they don’t tell you how to do it. Like there’s some sort of handbook you should’ve picked up from the used bookstore, and studied the notes in the margins of the people who read it before you.
Saying goodbye is the hardest moment to miss.
The paramedics wheeled him out the next morning. As they put it, he probably died in his sleep; unknowing and painless. Cassidy figured that was the best way to go. She had seen movies where cancer patients lay awake in their final moments in so much pain, that they hallucinated their deceased mother and called out for her. And they’d go to the grave, yelling out for a woman who wasn’t really there.
Painless sounded good to Cassidy. Such a gentle man like her father didn’t deserve to feel any pain. No hallucinations, no screams of terror and agony; just dreams, and the slowing of the heart like a bear in hibernation. With him out of the house, the in-home nurse was quick to pack the things she could carry, and left; onto the next house until that person died as well.
Soon Cassidy was alone, and the house felt that much colder. After tonight’s game in Dallas, Jamie would have a three-day break before heading into a three game road trip throughout Canada. And she knew that if she called to tell him the news, he’d rushed to Nashville the moment the game ended.
She wanted that badly. To have his arms around her, offering comfort and protection from the world. But Cassidy looked down at the engagement ring on her finger and made a decision. She wouldn’t call him. If he called to check in, she’d tell him, but then insist that he not take the time out of his schedule to get to Tennessee. His obligation was to the team first and foremost. Even though Jamie would fight that every step of the way, it was true. And now, with the short Christmas break approaching, the team needed him to lead them through the last stretch.
But now several things had to be done. Things that Cassidy had never even thought of before, let alone prepared for. She’d have to clear out the house and then probably sell it, call her dad’s attorney and see what sort of will he had, plan a funeral, and figure out whether her father had wished to be buried or cremated. For a twenty-one year old who had spent most of those years living a sheltered life, things probably couldn’t have gotten worse.
Cassidy walked into her father’s bedroom, feeling like she was entering a world she wasn’t supposed to see. On the old wooden desk across from his bed, a small notepad sat atop a mess of other papers and folders. Unbeknownst to her, her father must’ve been preparing for death, as the notepad consisted of different numbers. At the top of the list, was his attorney’s. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed the number, waiting to get through, and then be transferred to the lawyer.
“Miss Knox, what a surprise to hear from you,”
She felt numb at the sound of his voice, seemingly unable to produce any tears. In the past few weeks and months, she’d cried too much. “Mr. Anders, I’m surprised to be calling you… My dad passed away last night, and considering he and I never really spoke about what to do afterwards, I think I should talk to you,”
“I’m sorry to hear that Miss Knox. But of course, I think we should talk. I have to be in court this morning, but I can be by Lee’s house around three?”
“Alright Mr. Anders. I’ll see you then,”
Cassidy hung up the phone and looked around her father’s room. It was exactly the way she remembered it as a child. In fact, only one side of his bed was disturbed. The other side, where her mother had once slept, lay well made and untouched. And to think within the next few months, a new family would be living here, going on with their life without knowing about the life that had been lived here before them.
Her phone began to vibrate, and she looked down at Jamie’s name. She kept telling herself to let it go to voicemail; there were things to be packed and moved out. But still, her fingers moved to the screen and swiped right before holding her phone up to her ear.
“Hi Jame,” she murmured, trying to sound less depressed than she actually was.
“Hey baby, how’re you doin?” He was undoubtedly in the car on the way to the morning skate, as Cassidy could hear the slight roar of his engine.
“Okay… you?”
“Getting to the rink. How’s your dad?” Both ends of the line drew silent as Jamie waited for an answer, and Cassidy refused to give one. “Cassidy,” again silence, and this time Jamie understood, “I’m so sorry. I’ll be on a flight right after the game,”
“No,” she muttered, trying to keep herself composed. Hearing his voice was slowly making her come undone. “You have an obligation to the team. You have to stay there,”
“I have three days off,” he argued.
“I’m gonna be spending the next few days arranging things and clearing out the house. You don’t need to be here for that,” she paused and walked out of her father’s room, standing in the living room. “I’m meeting with his lawyer today and we’re going to talk about everything,”
“Alright, send me his information. I’ll have my lawyer get in touch with him too… keep him honest. If you need any help Cassidy, I’m just a phone call away,”
She smiled slightly, “I know; thank you.”
“I love you, baby. I’ll call after the skate,”
“I love you too,” she waited until he disconnected, before she pulled her phone away from her ear.
Oh, things couldn’t have gotten more uncomfortable, even if Cassidy tried. Not only had Jamie called up his lawyer to check up on Lee’s lawyer, but Jamie sent his lawyer to Nashville.
So when Cassidy went to the front door to greet her dad’s lawyer, she was shocked to see two men, standing side by side. Both introduced themselves as attorneys, one for Lee Knox, and the other for Jamie Benn. She invited both of them in, cursing Jamie under her breath for getting involved. She would’ve been fine on her own, and again, he was using his resources.
The three gathered around the circular dining room table, sitting in a triangular-like shape, staring at each other for a moment with glasses of water in front of them.
“Miss Knox, I was not aware you had other representation,” Brian Anders, Lee’s attorney, mentioned as he opened up his briefcase, pulling out documents.
Cassidy glanced at Jamie’s lawyer, “my fiancé must’ve sent his lawyer.”
“Ken Ladd,” Jamie’s attorney murmured, sliding his business card across the table and towards Brian. “Mr. Benn asked that I accompany Miss Knox,”
“Alright, then getting down to business…” Brian opened up a folder and handed copies to Cassidy, which she looked over and then handed to Ken. “Miss Knox, I’m afraid your father didn’t have much to leave you. He still has the mortgage on the property and just over fifteen thousand dollars in his savings account. And because you are his only next of kin, and he left everything he had to you, you are unfortunately now responsible for the finances he still owed, as well as an inheritance tax.”
Cassidy looked at Ken, who sucked in a deep breath and nodded silently at everything Brian was saying. “Other than the mortgage…”
“Hospital bills of the last few months as well as property taxes, and the last few car payments on his truck. Like I said, it’s unfortunate you have to inherit that as well, but if you sell the house and the truck, it will knock out many of those payments. After that, the inheritance tax will be under two thousand dollars,”
“For reference Miss Knox,” Ken spoke up, setting the paper down. “Should you forego selling the property and truck, the inheritance tax will be just over 150,000 dollars, which is just under one third of the total inheritance. And that amount doesn’t include mortgage and property taxes,”
Cassidy covered her eyes and shook her head, “okay, I’m gonna need some time to think about that one. And what about plans for my dad?”
“Yes, Lee requested that he be cremated, and his ashes spread in Nashville and wherever you end up calling home. He also insisted that a funeral not be held to commemorate him,”
Cassidy chuckled and shook her head. Even after death he was stubborn, “well Mr. Anders, you’ve given me a lot to think about. Is it alright if I get back to you within the next few days?”
Brian nodded and within minutes he was out the door, leaving behind copies of the documents she’d need. Meanwhile, Ken stayed put, finally taking a sip of the water that had been placed in front of him at the start of the meeting.
“Miss Knox, I’m sorry we had to meet under these conditions,” he murmured as she sat back down after having shown Brian his way out. “If you have any further questions about the documents shown to you today, I’m more than happy to answer them for you.”
“No Mr. Ladd, I think I just need time to go over them. Chances are this place will be up for sale pretty soon. I don’t have a hundred and fifty grand just lying around.”
“Again, I’m sorry Miss Knox.” He paused and flicked his eyes down to the diamond ring on her finger, “however congratulations on your engagement to Mr. Benn… That actually brings me to my next line of business. Rich Evans, Jamie’s agent, ask that I bring these to you,”
Ken reached into his own bag and pulled out a short stack of papers and set it in front of Cassidy. Upon looking down at them, she saw the bold black letters at the top of the first page that read: Prenuptial Agreement.
Cassidy couldn’t even hold back a sarcastic grin as she thumbed through the stack and saw two blank lines on the last page, with her name beneath one, and Jamie’s beneath the other, waiting to be signed. “Haven’t even started planning the wedding, and Rich is already concerned I’m gonna steal Jamie’s money,”
“I’m sure that’s not it, Miss Knox. It’s customary when a person who makes as much as Jamie makes gets married, that an agreement like this gets signed to protect both parties,”
She stood up from the table again, ready for Ken to leave. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to talk to Jamie about it before signing. And he and I will personally come to your office and sign at a later date.”
Ken nodded and gathered his belongings, clearing his throat before he made towards the front door and stepped out into the cool December, Tennessee evening. Cassidy groaned and shut the screen door behind her, padding her way back into the house.
Chances were after the game, Jamie would call her up and they’d either talk on the phone or Skype for a few hours before they both actually fell asleep. But it wouldn’t matter because Cassidy would have a few hours before that point would come. And most likely, she’d pass the time by watching the game online, cringing at every hit, and cheering at every Dallas goal.
It wasn’t even that Cassidy was mad about Ken confronting her with the pre-nup papers. On a certain level, she expected nothing less, and in fact maybe was even awaiting the moment she’d see the papers. But if anything, she expected Jamie to be the one to bring up the subject and hand the agreement forward, not Rich, and surely not Jamie’s lawyer.
When the game was finally over, a 4-3 win for the Stars, Cassidy received a text message from Jamie shortly after, simply stating that they’d Skype when he got in. And not even an hour later, her laptop was ringing with the song signifying that Jamie was calling her, and after pushing the little green button, she saw his face pop up on the screen. Even though the team had won, Jamie’s face was still somber as the news of Lee’s death was still fresh in his mind.
“How’re you doing,” he murmured quietly. Cassidy noticed there was a slight lag in the video.
“Okay. Today’s been eventful,”
“How’d the meeting with your dad’s attorney go?”
Cassidy stared at the screen as Jamie lifted a water bottle and took a long pull. “I don’t know how it could’ve gone wrong with you sending your lawyer to Nashville.” Before he could even respond, Cassidy spoke up again, “and after talking about inheritance taxes, and mortgages, and cremation, your lawyer hands me prenuptial agreements.”
Jamie’s face went blank and turned white, “he did what?”
“Rich Evans suggested they be signed sooner rather than later. You know, just incase I decide to suck you dry of money in order to plan an elaborate ceremony and reception,” Cassidy grimaced and picked a fuzz off her sweater, “can we not invite him to the wedding?”
“I’m afraid we have to,” Jamie chuckled and rubbed his eyes. “I’ll call Richie; and we can talk about the pre-nup some other time,”
“Jamie, I expected it. And I don’t mind signing if it protects you from some horrible, unforeseen event in our future. I’m not marrying you for your money anyway, so it doesn’t bother me if I don’t have it after a divorce,”
“Well I don’t plan on getting a divorce, so we should be good,” he smiled and paused. “We’ll talk about it more when you get back to Dallas. When do you think you’ll be done in Tennessee?”
“Before Christmas,” Cassidy sighed. “I’m gonna have the attorney get a real estate agent to put the house up for sale. I just have to clear everything out.”
“You don’t want to keep the house?”
“Of course I want to, but after going over the numbers, there’s no way I’d be able to pay everything off with the little amount of money my dad saved.” Cassidy stared at the screen as Jamie pushed one of his hands through his hair, “listen, I’m pretty tired so I’m gonna go. I’ll call you tomorrow,”
After closing her computer, Cassidy looked around the living room. She had never minded staying home alone, but now the house felt too quiet. She turned on the TV to nothing in particular, just thankful that the sound of voices was able to distract her from everything else going on.
Notes
This chapter is titled after "Riser" by Dierks Bentley.
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5/2/16