Callum asked about the notary in Coldmare. He read the declaration, checked the certification information, and circled several names with a pencil. "The declaration is specific," he said.
"That's a strength. It also creates questions we need to answer before anyone can say what it proves. We should confirm the notary's records and try to locate the witnesses your father named. There may also be accounting documents that show what changed after the transfer."
"Will Harlon be told about all this immediately?" Willa asked.
"Not until the right steps are taken. But if we file a claim, he will know. He will get a chance to respond, and he should. The point of a court is not to protect one person from hearing the other side. It's to force both sides to answer the evidence instead of whichever version sounds more confident."
Reese watched Willa absorb that. She had lived for months with the fear that Harlon would discover what she possessed, and now the proposed path required putting the documents on record where he could see them. The difference, Callum explained, was that a proper filing created duties, deadlines, and a place outside West Haven where a judge could review the dispute. It did not make Willa invulnerable, but it made it harder for the story to be quietly rewritten in a private office.
They discussed costs next. Callum gave an estimate for the initial work, explained the possibility of recovering some costs if the claim succeeded, and made sure Willa knew which expenses would be hers regardless of the outcome. Reese offered to cover the consultation and an initial retainer through a personal loan that would be documented separately from her employment. Willa protested at once, afraid that accepting money would turn the job into an obligation she could never repay.
"You're right to ask about the terms," Reese said. "Let's put them in writing. I won't own a piece of your father's shop. I won't be making decisions for you. If you want to borrow enough to get the case started, we can set a repayment plan you can afford. Or you can say no and keep your job."
Callum agreed to put the arrangement through a separate written agreement if they chose to proceed. Willa read every line before signing. For the first time in months, paperwork did not arrive as something somebody wanted her to accept without looking. It arrived as a record of choices she was allowed to make.
They stopped for lunch on the way home. Willa ordered soup and half a sandwich, then surprised herself by eating both without hurrying. Reese spoke about the garage's upcoming winter service schedule and asked whether she could help reorganize the inventory before the spring riding season. He did not ask whether she was frightened, and she did not have to tell him that she was. The ordinary conversation made the drive back easier.
"What happens if Harlon comes to Coldmare?" she asked when they were forty minutes from home.