“Maybe Julian was just exploring options,” Morgan said, though she didn’t believe it.
“Exploring options doesn’t require representing that you authorized a sale,” Priya replied. “We’ll contact the title company and put them on notice that you haven’t consented to any transaction.”
They drafted the message together, then contacted the county recorder’s office to ask about available fraud alerts and monitoring. Priya made sure Morgan understood that a draft contract wasn’t proof of a completed crime, but it was a serious warning.
Morgan thought of the cottage porch, the wind off Lake Michigan, and her grandmother’s hands sorting cherries into blue bowls.
Clara had been a widow for nearly twenty years. She had taught Morgan how to prune the orchard, how to keep receipts in labeled envelopes, and how to say no without apologizing.
“People who love you,” Clara used to say, “don’t make your boundaries into a test of your loyalty.”
