Egdeli Addison
"I don't get it...." I was so confused.
"The late Edgar Jeffrey Addison never changed his will and Everard Jonas Addison left everything to Edgeli Jenessa Addison," Mr CW Pearson, Dad's lawyer, explained.
"So Edge owns 66% of the hotel?" EJ confirmed.
"Edgeli Jenessa Addison owns 66% of the hotel," Mr Pearson confirmed, "can I continue?" He asked us and we agreed.
"To Easton James, I leave the family home to raise his family in," Mr Pearson read and EJ hugged his son, and had clearly realised now that Ever hadn't been left anything. "To Everard Jonas, I leave any land vehicles registered to my name for his desire to travel the country, and to Edgeli Jenessa, I leave The Addy, for her love of the sea," he continued and I didn't need all that stuff. I'd potentially take the Addy back home but EJ and Ever would get more use out of it than I would being away at sea on bigger boats half the year.
"Any money to my name is to be divided equally amongst my three children," he finished and I needed a smoke.
"This is crazy," I muttered and I could see that EJ was pissed that our father didn't leave any property or money to his son but also relieved he got the house.
"Ev, why don't you go play in the garden for a bit?" EJ suggested to his son, helping him down from the table. The little Addison ran off outside.
"It doesn't make sense, how do I get more when Red's been dead for six years?" I asked him.
"Your father's will stipulated that the hotel was equally spilt between his children, and Everard had a video will that was considered legally binding," he explained and opened his laptop. He turned it around and there was a video queued up.
I pressed play after getting a nod from EJ, "Edge! I need you to shut up for like five minutes!" Red yelled. He looked about sixteen, which meant I was twelve or thirteen, and EJ was 20 away at college.
"I'm going out anyway!" Me out of the shot in the video yelled then thundered down the stairs and out the door to go hang out with some neighbourhood kids.
Red turned back to the camera. "My name is Everard Jonas Addison, my siblings call me Red, other people call me Jonnie," he told the camera, told us, "I don't really know why I'm doing this, I guess after mom dying when we were so little and all this stuff we've been studying in law class about wills and estates," he said and sighed, "I mean I leave it all to Edge, my little sister, because she'll need it more," he said and EJ took my hand. This was like Red saying his goodbye to me, to us. "Not that I don't love you too, East, but you won't leave this town and she is dying to," he said, "it'll make her come home to you, to be a family for my sake, what I'm leaving to you is her returning home," he told the camera. "I love you guys so much and I really hope you never see this," he said and shut off the video.
"I did come home," I agreed and wiped up the tears.
"You coming home is pretty good thing to be left in a will," EJ agreed.
"Can you set up a trust for me with some of the money?" I asked Mr Pearson.
"Of course I can," he agreed.
"I want to put Red's share of the money in trust for when Ever is older, for college, to travel, to do what he wants," I said and EJ hugged my shoulders.
"I'll sort it out when I get back to the office, I just need you both to sign some paperwork to confirm your inheritance," he explained and we did what he needed to get hold of the house, the hotel, the cars and the boat.
"So."
"So," I agreed with EJ as we watched Ever playing on the swing set out the kitchen window.
"You own the majority of the hotel, you can sell it," he said and I did, I could but I wasn't going to.
"We're going to renovate," I decided and he seemed surprised, "Our hotel used to be the jewel of the sea front in this town, and I think we can make it that again," I told him confidently.
"How?" He asked me.
"You know this town well but I know weekenders, I know how to give people what they want and make money from it," I said and I did think we could do it, "but we both need to be all in on this," I added because I wasn't doing it without him.
"Deal," he agreed and we hugged, "thanks for looking out for Ever's future too," he said as we hugged.
"Red looked out for us, only right his share of the money goes to the next Everard," I said and pulled back, "I need to go call Skye, tell him I need to stick around a little longer, at least until we get renovations underway," I told him and gestured him out to the garden to go play with his son instead.
"So are you on the flight tomorrow or next week?" Skye asked before I could say anything.
"There's been a new development," I said awkwardly, "so I have to stick around a little longer because there's been some complications with the will," I informed him, leaning back against the sink. I wasn't sure I wanted to tell Skye exactly what I'd gotten until it had all sunk in.
"How long?" He asked me.
"I don't know yet, I have a lot of work to do whilst I'm here," I told him, "reconnecting with my brother the past week has been really good for me and it's what Red wanted for me, to come home and be a family, and since the season is over and I don't have a normal job right now, I'm going to stick around," I told him and I hoped he would support me.
"Guess I need to book a flight out to Cali then to come help you out for a few days," he said and that was really sweet of him.
"You don't have to do that babe, I'll be fine," I assured him, and I didn't know if EJ would let him in the house or if wanted him around Teo.
"EJ, we've gone from seeing each other all day everyday and now I haven't seen you in two weeks," He told me and I hadn't noticed it really. I quite liked the space I was having from him.
"I guess you can come out for a few days but I'm going to be busier than if we were on charter," I warned him.
"What's new there?" He asked me, "you're constantly working EJ, on land or at sea," he reminded me but it was because if I had nothing to do, I'd go a bit crazy.
"Idle hands and all that," I said and it really did get me. "Speaking of that, I'm due a run," I told him, pushing off the sink. "I'll call you tomorrow babe," I said and headed up to my room.
"Tomorrow," he agreed and hung up. I got changed quickly, left a note on the fridge and headed out to go run around marina. I got out the door then decided to back track. I picked up the keys for the Addy then went back out the house to run.
I got to the marina and headed for the slip. She'd not changed slips since we got her, always on Slip 5J because the Marina manager had a sense of humour by giving the family of EJ Addisons the slip that would translate to EJ. "Miss Addison," Owen said, tipping his hat as he walked up to me.
"It's been a while," I said and gave him a hug. Owen taught me a lot about boats and he was the one that suggested yachting as a job to me when it was clear I was looking to bolt.
"You got big," he commented and pulled back from the hug. "So you did become a yachty then?" He asked me.
"How can you tell?" I asked him.
"The way you stand, just like a stew," he explained, "surprised you didn't try to be a deckhand," he told me and I did think about it but I was more meant to be a steward.
"I look better in the skirt than shorts," I justified and I wanted to board the boat.
"She is your family boat, I doubt EJ would mine you boarding her," he told me, reading my mind. I held up the boat keys to him, my newest prize possession, as he helped me aboard then joined me.
"She's actually mine now," I said and he whistled. "So can I take her out?" I asked him as I let myself into the wheelhouse, wanting back onto the sea. I'd been on land too long already, really wanting to be out on the waves rather than running on land.
"Currents are good and there's no storms coming in but you ain't been in the wheelhouse for a while, Lil E," he told me, "but if you're looking for work whilst you're around town and want to be around the water, I could do with an off season deck hand," he offered me and I would have agreed in a heartbeat if I hadn't just got my brother agree to a full renovation of the hotel.
"You know normally I'd love that but the family business needs to come first," I said and put my hands back into my pockets after I locked up the wheelhouse.
"Still, you know I'd take you on deck at any point," he told me as we got off the Addy and I appreciated that he'd just hire me no questions, I appreciated that a lot.
"I'm sure you'll convince me to come out on deck at some point whilst I'm here, you know I had been land bound," I said and hugged Owen again. "See you later," I said and started running again to continue my loop.
I got back to the house as Lola was pulling up. "So EJ told you about my plans?" I asked her.
"And I'm here to help with budgeting," she told me and I appreciated how much she was helping out my family.
"Let me shower then we can start working it all out," I said and let her into the house. I headed up the stairs and had a text from Teo.
'T. Valdez: so what'd you win?'
'Me: More than anyone expected me to get'
I just put on pyjamas and joined them around the kitchen table. "So as the majority owner, how full scale a renovation are you thinking?" Lola asked me.
"Full scale full scale," I said tapping my fingers on the table, "that place hasn't been renovated in at least ten years, and it's overdue," I said, "but as the majority owner, I'm going to put up the majority funding for it," I added and I'd decided that it made sense for me to do that whilst I was on my run.
"I'm not letting you do that Edge," EJ argued, "I agree that the hotel needs renovating too," he said but I was majority shareholder.
"I also have a feeling I have a lot more in savings than you," I said and he didn't argue.
"Based on watching Below Deck, this girl has been making bank for the past half a decade," Lola said, siding with me, "also legally, you can't stop her doing that," she added helpfully.
"I hate you both right now," EJ said, "but I'm assuming you want modern and clean?" He asked me.
"Clean definitely but we're a beach front hotel, I think we should lean into," I told him and I had many plans developing and some favours to call in with some friends I'd made through the years.