Ch 21: You mean it

She snatched her hand back and shot to her feet, "He what?" she shook her head, "He wouldn't! Why—what possessed him?" Owen stood up, "He was concerned about you Abigail.

He did it when he left overseas." She fell her face in her hands, "This doesn't make any sense."

He moved toward her and she lifted her head and took a step back. Although she admitted that she loved the way Owen has been comforting her over the past few days, she didn't want to be touched at that moment. She was too angry.

Joseph was still treating her like she was too young and irresponsible to look after herself, and he was dead.

"How could he? I'm not an invalid!" "We both knew that," Owen added softly. She was angry. For once in her life, it bothered her that Joseph seemed fit to decide without her knowledge.

It was true that he did his best on raising her, but she was an adult and to think that she couldn't look after herself at her age was an insult. "I'm not a child."

"No," he said, "You aren't. Abigail, this wasn't an easy decision for him. He was concerned for your future if something were to happen—" "My Lord, he didn't even discuss this with me!" she blurted out, trying to ignore the tears that threatened to fall.

"He thought that you might find it disturbing to discuss the possibility that he may die—" Tears started rolling down her cheeks, "That's horrible Owen. I'm not some unstable waif. I have a right to know about my future."

"I'm trying to explain that to you." He offered, "I agree and believe it or not, Joseph considered this. It wasn't an easy decision for him." "If it wasn't so easy, he should have talked to me." She accused stabbing a finger at her chest. "Abigail stop."

He said abruptly and held up his hand, "You knew Joseph as well as I did. He loved you and you should take that into account. As always he was worried about his baby sister."

"Stop defending him!" she shouted, "He left me! They all did!" His face softened at that display and despite her protests and her struggles, he embraced her.

"Hush cheetah, I won't leave you." "You will." She sobbed giving up her struggles, "Everyone does." "Not this man."

He kissed the top of her head just as his phone rang. He swore and ignored it, "Look, I'll sign everything back over to you if that's what you want."

She lifted her tear flushed face and looked up at him, "You would do that?" "If it's what you want, I will."

He said with a slight smile. "You mean it." She couldn't believe it. She must look like a crazy woman while declaring that she was perfectly sound.

Truthfully she felt completely overwhelmed and she reacted very sensitively to something that didn't warrant it. She was dealing with a lot more than she realized.

"Honestly I do." He said smiling wider just as his phone rang again causing it to disappear. "You'd better answer that."

His tight embrace began to make her tremble and she didn't want him to know it was because of his proximity.

He nodded and released her, "Give me a moment." He said as he pulled his mobile out of his pocket and flipped it open.