Hanging On (Jessica Brodie Diaries #2)(78)

“What’cha doin’ given all our rights to this ingrate?” Shauna said across the room. You would think she was raised in a trailer with no education instead of a mansion and an Ivy League school.

Her and Dezeray could have hooked up and combined forces. Turned out I had plenty of haters. This one, thankfully, had nothing to do with William.

Gladis just looked at her straight faced. It was obvious she was really pissed off. Lady came over and escorted an equally mad Shauna to Gladis. They were shuffled away.

“What was that all about?” I asked William. “Gladis never said anything to me about money or property or anything. Am I somehow interfering with her kids’ rights in rent or something? Am I not paying enough?”

William looked at Tom for a fraction of a second. I swore Tom shook his head. William looked around the room then back at me. “Gladis had a natural born daughter that didn’t make it. Those kids are step-children. Since their father died they are constantly fighting about money. Gladis’s husband was the sole provider, but Gladis came to the marriage with a giant dowry from an esteemed Southern family. She was left everything from the marriage, and everything from her parents. She is sitting on a giant fortune.

“The kids have their trust funds from the father, which is generous, but equivalent to what mine might be, say. They got another lump sum when their father passed, per his wishes. But with the giant pot Gladis is sitting on, the kids want more. I don’t know legalities from there.”

“Willie,” Tom said hastily. “I don’t think you need to give quite a giant scope.”

“She will know sooner or later,” William said with resignation.

Tom looked uncomfortable, but said nothing. Rich people had all the money, but seemed to never want to talk about it. Poor people didn’t have either of those issues. My friends and I were always comparing prices, rents and salaries. When you don’t have much, there isn’t much to tell. No secret when the next person is in the same boat as you.

“The kids,” William continued, “leave Gladis alone a lot of the time, except in dire situations. Then they take turns visiting. Like at the hospital. The youngest showed up eventually. But the party, the middle child. Next event, it will be the oldest. And so on.”

“Right, that makes sense,” I said thoughtfully. “But what does that have to do with me?”

William looked at Tom, who looked at Denise. It was Denise that answered.

“They all think you are here to take their fortune.”

I gave a bark of laughter. “Right. I am paying rent, but somehow I’m going to get left the fortune of my landlord. In what world does that make sense?” I laughed again and shook my head. “Don’t get me wrong, that would be awesome, but no, I’m not that lucky.”

Those kids must seriously have nothing to do all day but plot ways people are trying to screw them. Maybe not having to work wasn’t a great thing. They were probably like dragons sitting on their fortune! All guarding, no spending.

Denise looked at a still uncomfortable Tom with a small smile, who looked at William.

William tried to suppress his laughter. “Yes, that is what they think. Somehow you came from half a nation away with the intent of taking a giant fortune from an old ladies’ heirs. It doesn’t help that you are taking better care of the old lady than those kids...”

“William Joseph Davies!” Denise said half in rebuke, half in laughter.

“Well?” William said with a smile.

He was so handsome. He didn’t even have to try at it. His bliss at life, his movements, his subtle facial expressions; whenever he walked through a room every woman noticed. It was a blessing that I got to touch him and see him in his finest—his birthday suit and a smile.

Seriously, what had this sap I had become done with Jessica?

It got to a point in the late afternoon when the older people started to leave. The girls took that as a sign to start drinking more. Ami included. The music was turned up in the ballroom and people started to migrate in.

William and I took a turn around the room. I was being twirled and brought close, twirled and brought closer, then given a kiss. At the end of the dance I got a deep kiss that curled my toes and heated my face. William seemed to stop caring what people thought, and was just having fun with me.

Some old dude cut in, and we danced for a while. I noticed all the girls on the dance floor with old to older men that didn’t think they should have left with the other old timers. Adam was slowly taking Gladis around; William was dancing with his mother. We were having a great old time.

At nearly 10:00pm most of the party was ended. We were making plans to get into bathing suits and head to the pool when Lump asked, “Will you stand behind me for a second? Not too close, but kind of close?”

“What? Lump, what are you talking about?”

“I want to apologize to Adam. I owe it to him. I am just afraid he’ll piss me off and I’ll want to hit him again. I need you to run in if that happens. Stop me, you know?”

“Lump, when have you needed someone to stop you?”

“Since now I guess. Just...please?”

I sighed and nodded.

Adam was getting a beer from the bar. Lump walked straight across the dance floor and directly up to him. As he turned around, he saw her approach, and I could tell all his warning sirens went off. His defenses were water tight.