Grace smiled, eyes sparkling with unshed tears. “Thank you. You are both a gift to us. I don’t know what we would’ve done without you two after everything happened. I feel deep in my heart that Graham sent you both to us, knowing the two of you would keep us from losing ourselves in all that grief.”

Ash looked down, his ribs cinching tight, guilt like a black beastly thing inside him. He could see Kincaid’s knuckles whiten as she gripped the edge of the couch cushion and took a deep breath.

“So here’s the second part of our news,” Grace went on. “When we sell it, we’re sharing the profit with the two of you. A third to each of you. The last third will be used to start a foundation in Graham’s name.”

Ash’s head snapped up. “What? Grace, Charlie, no, you don’t need to do that. This is your retirement money.”

“Your go-to-the-Bahamas money,” Kincaid agreed. “We could never accept something like that. You’ve earned that money. It’s yours to burn.”

“No,” Charlie said gruffly. “It’s ours to share with our family. We have enough savings to see us through retirement. We want to give this to you both.”

Ash’s throat was burning, an overwhelming sensation welling up in him and cutting off his breath. Family. He wanted so much for that to be true. He wanted to claim Grace and Charlie as his own, forget the people who’d raised him and cut him from their lives. But he couldn’t accept the gift of the Lowells’ family legacy, of their love. He didn’t deserve it.

“We couldn’t,” Ash said finally.

“You will,” said Grace. “I wasn’t giving you an option, young man.”

Kincaid scooted closer, presumably to plead with Grace, but her knee ended up bumping against Ash’s, she was so close. “Give it all to Graham’s foundation,” she said. “It was supposed to be his store. Let all of it go to his name.”

Grace arched a brow. “Missy, didn’t I hear at my lady’s business luncheon this week that a certain local real-estate agent bought that old farmhouse off Millcreek Road and was looking for investors for her new B and B? Didn’t I hear that she needed a significant amount of money to get the project off the ground, or she was going to be in trouble?”

Ash turned his head in surprise. “You bought a farmhouse?”

Kincaid bit her lip but then straightened her shoulders. “You know how gossipy those ladies can be. I wouldn’t believe a word of it.”

“Lying ain’t nice,” Charlie chided.

Kincaid closed her eyes briefly. “Yes, sir. I may have made an impulsive purchase.”

Grace nodded. “Well, stop being so hardheaded then. My boy loved you and wanted to give you the world. He’d sure as heck want you to use this money for something you’re passionate about. I’m sure he’s smiling up there right now at the thought.”

Kincaid let out a shaky breath, obviously trying not to cry.