Gold (All that Glitters #2)(113)

She smiled. “You changed mine, too.”

“The other thing is…I wasn’t a hundred percent honest.”

She stiffened. “About what?”

“What Audrey said about my trust fund is true.”

“You have a multimillion-dollar trust fund?” she asked in a whisper. It was strange to think she wasn’t even as eager as she once would have been. Her heart would have soared with her good fortune, but this was Eric. He could have had nothing, and she would still love him.

“Yeah.” He awkwardly looked away. “It’s weird to talk about. It’s not really me. But my family is big money oil. They have been for generations.”

“Oil,” she whispered.

“Yeah. There’s a good chunk of land in the middle of nowhere with my name on it.”

Bryna laughed. Once she started, she couldn’t stop.

Eric looked at her warily. “Why are you laughing?”

“I have no idea. It’s just…you have a trust fund?”

“Yeah?”

Bryna wiped her eyes where tears were forming. “I find that hysterical. After all this shit I’ve gone through, somehow, I ended up with someone wealthy.”

Eric stiffened. She realized how harsh her words sounded as soon as they had come out of her mouth. That wasn’t how she had meant them.

She reached out and grabbed his hand. “It was never about the money. I have money. Digging was about power and control. What I realized was that I didn’t need that at all. I needed an equal. I have no interest in your money. I love you. I loved you before. I love you now. I’d love you penniless.”

He raised his eyebrow. “Really?”

“Well, I’d give you a few pennies, but yes. This doesn’t change anything. You’re still you. I’m still me. We’re still us.”

He smiled. “I like that.”

“Me, too,” she said before kissing him.

The next morning, Bryna awoke with a wicked headache. Whatever had been in that Hunch Punch was something fierce. She swallowed down what felt like a bottle of Tylenol and a gallon of water. After a few extra hours of shut-eye, she felt mostly whole again.

Eric was downstairs, studying, when she resurfaced.

“What time is it?” she said.

He checked his watch. “Two.”

“Jesus.”

“Yeah. I was going to come wake you, but you seemed like you needed the sleep.”

“Thanks.” She took a seat next to him at the table.

“Margaritas?” he offered.

She laughed. “I know it’s Sunday, and I’m all for our margarita Sunday, but I think I’m going to have to pass.”

His eyes met hers across the table, and she saw fear reflected back to her.

“What?”

“I’m sorry about last night,” he said. “I know we’re good now, but Audrey shouldn’t have said those things, and I should have told you sooner about my parents.”

Bryna gave him a rueful smile. “How exactly would you have brought that up? ‘Oh, P.S., Bri, my parents own big oil in Texas.’”

“Uh…yeah, that’s about right.”

“You shouldn’t have to worry about talking money to me. I don’t need to know how much you’re worth because I already know your real worth. And Audrey was just jealous.”

“I’m glad you feel that way, but I’m still sorry.” He reached across the table and gave her a kiss.

“You can stop apologizing. You have no reason to apologize, and I don’t need an explanation from you. We’re on the same page.” She nodded her head, as if that was the end of the conversation. “I do, however, have something I want to talk to you about.”

“Should I be worried?” he joked.

“Horribly.”

He made a face at her.

“I think I know what I want to do with the money and jewelry that Hugh gave me while we were together, and I was wondering if you could help me. That relationship is totally over, and I don’t want that money and guilt hanging between us any longer. You know?”

“I know what you mean.” He arched an eyebrow, suddenly curious. “What do you want to do? I don’t think he’s going to take any of it back.”

Bryna shook her head. She didn’t think so either. Actually, she knew he wouldn’t. If he could toss a Harry Winston necklace over a balcony and return the check for the house without hesitation, she knew that he wouldn’t take the money back now.

“I don’t think so either.”

“Then, what?”

“I thought I would donate it to charity in his name. Does that sound dumb?”

Eric’s face lit up. “No. That sounds like a great idea.”

“I’ve thought about a few charities, but I really don’t know which one to pick.”

“Hmm.” Eric sat back and contemplated it for a minute. Then, something struck him, and he jolted forward. “Did you ever find out how his wife died?”

“Um…yeah. Breast cancer.”

Eric nodded at her as if that were her answer.

“Oh! That’s perfect. You’re right. I’ll donate the money through him in his wife’s honor. It won’t make what I did better,” she acknowledged, “but maybe it will show him that I did care and didn’t mean to hurt him like that.”