“They were crappy parents at times, but I never went without. In fact, I had too much.” I can’t deny the privilege I was given. I might not have gotten goodnight kisses and I love yous, but the world of opportunity was there for me. The best schools, clothes, and anything really. I would only have to send an email to one of their assistants about what I needed, and boom it was there. I’m sure their assistants were on a standing order to just send whatever I asked for.

“They had too much,” he corrects. “Money doesn’t buy happiness, but it does buy freedom.” Damn, that’s so true.

“I suppose you’re right. They had no control after I got my degree. That had been the stipulation of my trust. That money did grant me freedom to choose another path. I knew I’d be a shit lawyer anyhow.”

“I very much doubt that.” Marco shakes his head. “Is there anything you put your mind to that you don’t accomplish?” He’s right. I can be a bit relentless. I’d beat a horse until it was glue. I might not have wanted to be a lawyer, but whatever that drive is my parents have in them it’s in me too. I only choose to channel it somewhere else. I want something else. A different life than what they had.

“I think at first I would be good, but in time—”

“You’d start to hate your life.”

“I was already starting to hate it.” The few law classes I’d taken made me question so many things in life. I might have raised myself, but I was also sheltered. “I was in one of my classes, and we were going over cases. When my mom married my father, she didn’t take his last name. She’d already been building her own, so sometimes people forget we’re connected. One of her first cases got brought up. A case that put her on the map.”

“I’m guessing you didn’t side with your mother.” I shake my head.

“That’s the fucked-up part. She’d been right. The district attorney fucked up, and she caught him. Got the case thrown out, setting a murderer free.”

“So you think he was guilty?”

“Yes,” I say without hesitation. “I know everyone should get their day in court, but I snuck into their office a few times at home. Drunk driver hit a man on a bike. He ended up dying. My mom got him off with nothing because of a technicality. I’m glad I didn’t have to see the faces of that man’s family. No justice.”

“I would say you could work for the district attorney, but I have a feeling I already know what you’ll say about that.” Both sides could be fucked up at times, and I didn’t want that in my life.

“It’s not a world for me.”

“What brought you here to Snow Hills? You thought this was a world you wanted?”

“I wanted something different. I saw a job listing for a mayor of a small town needing a right hand. I came down to poke around. It took me an hour to know I was going to take the job. There is something about Snow Hills. It’s special.”