A Wild Ride (Jessica Brodie Diaries #3)(78)

“You were—well, actually, we were given this together—I am to help you along since I have some…experience in these matters. She was planning on giving this to you by yourself, but when she found out I was planning to marry you anyway, she decided it would work out better this way. I will sign it all over to you, though, if—“

“Just, get on with it.”

“Well, aside from the three million for each of her step-children, and Lady’s small fortune, you get it all. Or we do. No stipulations, no promises, no nothing. You are now sitting on a large fortune, already in your name. What was already parceled out was about 35% of the total estate. You don’t have to, but Gladis asked that you keep her favorite charities on your charity list. But that is up to you.”

I felt dizzy. My whole world was swirling around me in lights and signs, all of which I didn’t understand. None of this made sense.

“I don’t… I… I’m going to throw up,” I said as bile rose in the back of my throat.

William ushered me outside quickly, Lady following behind, where I heaved in the bushes. I stood up, thought about it, then heaved again.

William got me to a bench when it looked like I was going to stop trying to throw up.

“Why me?” I asked William shakily.

“I don’t know, Jess. She probably couldn’t bear to give it to those money grubbing step-children of hers, didn’t want to leave it to the state, and lost her daughter. She probably thought her legacy was safer with you then anyone she knew. Well, with help.”

“But, William, I don’t want all that. I don’t want any of it. What am I going to do with it all? I have plenty. I already have the dream. I mean, I have a good job, I have a great man, I have great friends… I have it all, William. What do I need with more? I’m afraid any more will tip karma and kick me in the ass. Can I decline?”

“No, baby. But you can give it all away if you want.”

“But Gladis wouldn’t want me to.”

“No, I think she wanted to leave it with someone that would pass it down to her kids. Our kids, if you’re willing.”

“But…you’re still richer than me.” I was grasping at things to complain about.

William laughed and hugged me closer. “Yes, I guess I am. Until we get married that is. Then we’ll be equal. Finally.”

“No way, you have a long way to go to be equal to me,” I said, turning away, thinking about throwing up again.

“Jessica?” It was Lady’s quiet voice.

She looked lost.

“Yeah?”

“Can I have a job?”

“What? Didn’t…I thought Gladis…” I stammered.

“What do I need with all that? I took care of Gladis and her daughter. When her daughter died with fever I took care of Gladis. I would be honored if you will let me be in your employ. I have been working all my life. I have been useful all my life. It will be nice to save Gladis’s money for retirement, but until then, I best keep busy.”

William shook his head. “No one would ever believe it. No one would ever believe that a giant fortune landed on all your shoulders and every one of you would give it back if they could. I have never seen anything like it.”

Epilogue

William and I were married in Florence, Italy in the fall. We paid for the wedding ourselves and only invited close friends and family. We flew everyone out and paid for their hotel for a week. After that we took off traveling for a month. I hadn’t seen any of the world, and he hadn’t seen much of it, so without a plan we went here and there and took in the sights and sounds of foreign places.

We renovated Gladis’s house and moved in because it would be what Gladis wanted. The house was too big for just the two of us so we closed off a bunch of the rooms until times of parties, in which case we showed off the house in all its splendor. The old staff were told that their positions would be saved for them if they wanted, and all but a couple returned, Lady included. There wasn’t all that much for anyone to do because William and I were pretty self-sufficient, and we didn’t have kids—something Lady hoped would change sooner rather than later so she had something to do—but the staff was old and moved slowly, so it all worked out.

Adam proposed to Lump one evening when they were working on the ranch bailing hay. Adam curtly told Lump that she wasn’t bailing correctly and got down off the truck in a huff to show her. He grabbed her pitch fork and told her to “here, hold this!” and handed over a small box with Lump’s dream ring inside—we helped him remember what it looked like. Adam got a Texas hay ride for his troubles.

They didn’t mention it, but I knew for sure they had to quickly shower after their forays to get out all the scratchy hay particles from certain crevices that shall remain nameless.

As I predicted, Lump worked harder than ever trying to make her and Gladis’s dream come to. Lump currently had the market share of Texas, and was planning to spread out to other states within the year. Adam helped her every step of the way, and Lump helped Adam with his ranch and other schemes.

William’s pursuits were paying off as well. His breeding campaign was yielding fantastic bulls and an award winning line of Blue Healer. He still worked at the Davies’ business heading up the expansion team.

Speaking of the Davies’ business, I was now a Davies (I was strong armed into changing my name) and told in no uncertain terms by Thomas that I would be getting promoted whether I wanted it or not, and would be his advisor in an office next to his. I was to get my M.B.A. from an ivy league school and shut up about it.