By then, the coins and jewelry had been appraised. Some pieces James kept—the watch, the brooch, his mother’s bracelet. The rest he sold. He set the envelope on the kitchen table. Brian frowned. “What’s that?”
“Your share,” James said. Brian looked up. “I can’t take that.” “Yes, you can.” James nodded toward Cooper. “Without the two of you, all of this stays buried.” Brian opened the envelope. The amount inside was enough to clear his debts and leave him with something he had not had in a long time: room to breathe.