A Wild Ride (Jessica Brodie Diaries #3)(14)

“Elaine! Mind your manners,” Denise interjected.

Lump slowed, tense. Her protective instincts were starting to kick in.

“I’m not, no. In fact, I put myself through college, so I had very little money for the duration. Always enough, but not much extra.”

“Then how did you afford that bull?” she persisted.

“Elaine, now that’s enough. Her monetary funds are no concern of yours,” Denise said more firmly.

Elaine’s eyes never wavered.

I shrugged. It wasn’t a big secret to me, and if it helped her get over this idea that I was with William for the money, I’d write it down for her.

“It’s okay, Denise,” I said, drying a crystal glass. “I don’t have anything to hide. Lump and Adam know this. No reason why Elaine shouldn’t. Although, Elaine, I must please ask that you don’t share this with William. He wouldn’t be thrilled to hear it.”

Elaine lifted her chin slightly, registering that she might be overstepping her boundaries. Not that she would admit it, being her mother’s daughter.

“Uh, well, I had four thousand I could easily turn into cash, plus I could move some things around to get a bit more. I was hoping the cash would do it--”

“But Willie said he offered five, isn’t that right?” Elaine asked her mom. Denise nodded.

“Right, he did. And I had to pretend to dislike the Davies in general to get him to consider a lower amount. Sorry about that.”

Denise just nodded her head, wanting me to go on but not wanting to say so.

“Anyway, so then the negotiations began. I had the four grand cash, cash being a huge bargaining chip, and I had the dumb, weepy girl routine that Lu—Betz helped with exponentially, so I got him down to thirty-five hundred in the end.”

Elaine’s eyes widened in surprise, the first emotion I’d seen her make outside of her interrogation mode. But she wasn’t through yet. “What would you have done if it was more?”

“Well...that part I am not proud of. I could have gone up to six—I’ve saved, but beyond that I was going to have to borrow from Gladis or Betz. I already planned to pay interest on whatever I had to borrow.”

“Gladis wouldn’t have accepted interest,” Denise said in good humor.

“No, she certainly wouldn’t want to. She wouldn’t have a choice, though. Luckily it all worked out. William is happy with the mean little thing, so...”

“You would have dropped everything you had on that bull?” Elaine asked skeptically.

Lump leaned forward, dish and towel now resting on the counter. Her face was flat.

“You sound like Adam,” I said quickly, mostly to keep Lump’s mouth shut. “I’ve been able to save so much in so short a time because William won’t let me pay for anything—unless I get sneaky, that is. Adam was letting me borrow his car, so no car payment, and regardless of how many times I say no, Gladis has my house cleaned and refrigerator stocked regularly. My bills are manageable and I don’t have any debt besides the school loans, so…” I shrugged.

“But you would have lost everything.” Elaine persisted, dishes and wine forgotten.

Denise ducked her head, slightly uncomfortable, but still listening. She’d never gotten over the suspicion I was in it for the money.

Lump’s eyebrows looked like thunderclouds.

“It was a present,” I said evenly, wanting this to sink in. “It wasn’t gambling—it’s not like I would lose my money. It was what William wanted. Like I told Adam; easy come, easy go. I have been working all my life. Money comes in and money goes out, but as long as I keep achieving and saving, with enough to pay my bills, I’ll end up okay.”

Elaine paused in the questioning, unsure how to go on, but wanting to find something to grab onto. She was way worse than her mother! I’m glad I got through Denise first.

Finally she said, “Where did you keep it? The bull, I mean. What did you do with it?”

“Adam’s place. He helped with the whole thing.”

“That’s right,” Elaine said, nodding, already knowing that answer but wanting to see if I would trip up in the story. “Who fed and watered the bull?”

Lump leaned against the counter, her fingers clutching granite.

“I did. I went out four times a week to feed and water it. That was the worst part of the whole encounter. I plan to make William do my chores around the house for a week to make up for it!

“Why do you call him William instead of Willie?”

Lump lowered her head, taking large breaths in through her nose, and slowly releasing through her mouth. She was trying not to tear Elaine a new one, it being William's sister and all, but she wouldn’t last much longer.

“That is how he introduced himself,” I answered, walking toward the island, ready to leave the kitchen and take Lump with me. “I asked him if he wanted me to call him Willie, but he said he preferred William, so...”

Elaine’s head swiveled to her mother, where she received a nod. Hazel eyes back to me with the next dig at the ready.

It was here, as I reached for my wine glass, that Adam entered. He was in time to hear Elaine’s next question.

“When did you find out Willie was part owner of the company you were employed with?”