by Ali Parker
I looked at Hailey who looked as if she had seen a ghost before looking back at Jim. “We do,” I said without elaborating on what that was.
I had already seen Zach’s reaction, and I had a feeling Jim would have a similar one, especially after how hard he had to fight to get the money turned over to me. He would probably have a heart attack if he knew I was going to give it to charity after all.
We finished the paperwork and waited for Jim to put together our copy.
“That’s it?” I asked.
He nodded. “The money will be transferred today, and it should be in your account tomorrow. Do you want me to talk about your options for investments or setting up a trust?” he asked hopefully.
I shook my head. “That won’t be necessary.”
“Thanks for coming in, and congratulations to both of you. You look very happy,” he said, shaking each of our hands.
We left the office, and I felt like kicking my heels up and shouting at the sky. It was done. I could feel the weight lifted and was ready to celebrate. I turned to look at Hailey and all my excitement faded.
“Want to grab an early dinner?” I asked her, hoping to get her in a better mood.
“Sure,” she said with a forced smile.
We walked to my car, my arm around her as we moved down the sidewalk. “Hailey, what’s bothering you?”
She shook her head. “Nothing. I’m fine. I’m happy it’s all done. You must be very relieved to know your company is safe.”
“I am,” I said opening the passenger door for her.
I walked around to get in the car, feeling there was something between us. She had been acting strangely since yesterday. I wondered if Lance had been up to something. I quickly dismissed the thought. She would tell me if she was upset about something he said.
I drove to a nice Italian restaurant, and with the early hour, we were seated right away. I ordered us each a glass of wine. Once it had been served and we were left alone, I reached out to grab her hand, rubbing my thumb over her palm.
“Hailey, you can tell me anything. Is there something bothering you with your work?” I asked her gently.
“No. Really, everything is fine. It’s all so overwhelming I guess.”
“What is? The lawyer thing. I’m doing what you wanted.”
She nodded her head. “I know.”
A thought occurred, and I realized she may be having second thoughts about the money and giving it away. I knew she wasn’t marrying me for my money. She couldn’t be, because I wasn’t going to have all that money—unless she wanted me to keep it instead. I wouldn’t fault her for wanting to have a nice nest egg to fall back on. It was smart to have a healthy savings. Maybe she was thinking of our future and the family we would have and wanted to save some money for them.
“Hailey, nothing is done yet.”
She blinked several times, looking at me after being lost in thought for several minutes. “What?”
I took a deep breath. “If you’re having second thoughts about the money, there is still time to change your mind.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, an accusatory tone in her voice.
“I mean, I would not blame you for wanting to keep some or all of the money for our own future. I know you’re a genuine person. You don’t have to prove anything to me. It’s a lot of money to give away,” I said.
There was a skeptical look in her eye. “Are you saying that because you don’t want to give it away?”
I shrugged a shoulder. “I won’t lie that I haven’t thought about what I could do with that money. I could expand the company, set up trust funds for every one of the seven children we’re going to have,” I said with a wink trying to make her laugh.
“You don’t want to give the money to charity?” she asked.
“I’m not saying that at all.”
“But you’re regretting telling me you would?”
I shook my head. I could see the wheels turning in her head. She was jumping to conclusions and letting the thoughts run away. I could see the anger and hurt in her eyes and grabbed her hand again.
“Hailey, I regret nothing. I told you I would give it away if that was what you wanted. I will do anything to make you happy, and if that means giving it all away, I’ll do it. I was only asking you if you were sure. I sense something is bothering you. I wasn’t sure if that’s what it was or not. Forget I said anything.”
She nodded her head. “Okay. I don’t want you to regret doing this. If you do, you will only end up resenting me, and I couldn’t live with that. I love you too much to make you do anything. This has to be something you want to do. I was out of line asking you to do it in the first place.”
I shook my head, placing my other hand over the top of the one I was already holding. “Hailey, it’s the right thing to do. I shouldn’t get rich for marrying a woman I love. That is very medieval. I want to marry you for you, not for what it gets me. You have to know I’m speaking the truth.”
She nodded her head. “I do. I’m sorry for doubting you. I don’t think there is another human on the planet who could do what you’re going to do.”
“Not even you?” I said with a wink.
She shrugged a shoulder. “Honestly, I don’t know. I want to say I could, but then there are so many things I could think of to use that money for. You are a brave man, and I admire you.”
I smiled, feeling better after a day of watching her be tense. “Do you want to go with me tomorrow morning to do the deed?”
She grinned. “I would love to. Can I take pictures?” she teased.
I grimaced. “I don’t know if that’s a moment I want to remember.”
Her face fell.
“I’m kidding,” I said laughing.
She let out a long breath. “That wasn’t funny.”
“It was a little funny.”
She glared at me instead. “I’m starving. Don’t laugh at me, but I’m getting the spaghetti, and I’m probably going to end up wearing most of it. I will have sauce from my head to my boobs. It is just the way I eat spaghetti.”
“Maybe I should get you a bib. I’m sure they have them.”
Another playful glare. “No, thank you.”
“So, I made a move today, one I hope you’ll like.”
She looked at me. “I’m afraid to ask—what did you do?”
“The people that have the top floor apartment are moving at the end of the month. I put my name on the list to try and get it.”
Her mouth fell open. “You did what? Can we afford that?”
I rolled my eyes. “I have my company. I’m not a pauper.”
“Okay, okay. The entire top floor?”
I nodded. “It’s big and probably a little over-the-top, but it’s secure. No one is getting up there unless the doorman lets them in or they have the right key. I want to keep you safe. You’re going to be a big star.”
“Wow, it sounds huge, I’m curious to see what it looks like. Do you think we need that much space?”
I shrugged a shoulder. “With your stuff and my stuff, probably. I want us to be comfortable and not cramped.”
She was smiling and nodding. “I’m excited. When will you know if you can get it?”
“There will be a bidding war I’m sure. Before we bid, I want to check it out, both of us. If it’s not us, we look somewhere else. Maybe we can buy a house in Beverly Hills. We’ll have a big gate and a tall fence.”
“You’re really worried about my safety, aren’t you?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.
“I can’t let anything happen to you. Hailey, you are a beautiful woman. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe.”
She smiled and nodded. “I kind of like the idea of a house, with our own backyard. Maybe we can get a dog,” she said.
Once again, I could see the wheels turning and knew I had sparked a fire in her. I hadn’t thought about living outside of the city, but I could see the appeal.
“I’ll call a
realtor tomorrow and ask him to put together some properties for us to look at.”
She clapped her hands together. “Are we really going to buy a house together?”
“I think it’s part of the marriage thing. Marriage, house and maybe one day a family.”
She was practically glowing as she sipped her wine. I loved seeing her that happy and couldn’t wait to go house hunting with her. Life was getting better every day.
Chapter 66
Hailey
I wasn’t surprised to feel the bed empty beside me. We’d stayed at his house last night, as usual. We’d gone straight to bed, both of us tired after a long few days. Terran had tossed and turned all night. I had a feeling he was a lot more anxious about giving away the money than he was letting on. I had to assuage my own guilt. I walked into the living room to find him pacing the floor, his phone next to his ear as he talked about his schedule for the day.
When he hung up, I smiled at him. He smiled back, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes as it normally did.
“You didn’t sleep very well,” I said walking to him to kiss him good morning.
He shook his head. “No, I didn’t. I have a lot on my mind.”
I nodded my head in understanding. “Was that the office?”
“Yes. I was clearing my schedule for the day. I still need to do a conference call, but the rest can be taken care of from home. What about you?” he asked.
“I’m free. I mean I’m supposed to be learning my lines, but I don’t have to be anywhere.”
He was looking out the window of his apartment, staring off into space. I wasn’t sure he was even hearing me. The man wasn’t handling the money thing very well. An idea sprang to mind. I walked to him, resting my cheek against his bare back, my arms going around his waist.
“If you’re free, I’d like to take you somewhere before we do the bank thing,” I said in a soft voice.
He shrugged. “I’m free.”
It wasn’t exactly an enthusiastic response, but I would take it. “I’m going to get dressed. Wear something casual,” I warned him.
I went into his room, rummaging through the suitcase of clothes I had brought over yesterday. It was a real pain in the ass having to go back and forth. It was easier to keep a few changes of clothes at his house for those times we wanted to get up and go.
I put on a pair of jeans, wedges and a fitted T-shirt, heading back out to the living room to see if he was going to make a move to get dressed. He was sitting at the kitchen bar, working on his laptop. When he heard me, he closed it and turned to look at me.
“That was fast,” he said with a playful smile.
“I skipped the shower. I’ll shower later.”
“Well, hell, I guess I better get dressed then.”
When he was ready to go, we had to take his car, mine was at my place. I told him where to go. When we pulled in front of the orphanage, he gave me an odd look.
“This is where you wanted to take me?” he asked, a look of pure fear on his face.
I giggled, realizing what must be running through his head. “Yes, but not to adopt a child. This is where Mandy works. I spend a lot of my free time here. I’ve already cleared your visit with the director.”
“Okay,” he said, his voice not sounding overly excited.
“I think you’ll enjoy it.”
“I’ve never been around kids. Like ever. I really don’t know what to do with them.”
“I’ll be right beside you. Just be you.”
We walked inside, and I greeted the director, introducing Terran to the staff before heading down the hall to the rec room where Mandy spent a lot of her time.
He leaned down close to my ear. “Is this an old hospital?”
“It is. It isn’t in the best shape, but it keeps a roof over the heads of the children.”
I opened the door to the rec room, finding Mandy at one of the many shelves around the room, pulling out bins of crayons and markers.
“Hi!” I greeted her.
She spun around. “What are you doing here?” she gasped, looking from me to Terran.
“I wanted to show Terran what you do,” I said with a smile.
She gave me a funny look but quickly erased it and invited him in.
“We have the littles and the middles together today.”
He looked at me, fear on his face. “What does that mean?”
“It means two age groups are going to be in the rec room doing crafts today,” I said, walking to the shelf and grabbing a bin to put on one of the tables.
There was a commotion beyond the door, announcing the kids would be coming through the door at any minute.
“Are you ready?” Mandy asked, winking at Terran who was shaking his head.
“No, I don’t think I am.”
The kids burst through the door, more energetic than I had seen them before. When they saw me, it was the usual round of shouting my name and hugging while they all talked to me at once. Terran stepped away, watching from a safe distance.
Mandy stood in the center of the room and did her clap that signaled it was time to settle down. With all the kids sitting, she explained what they were going to be making for the day. Terran, Mandy and I moved around the room, helping the kids and encouraging them.
“Terran, I’d like you to meet Melissa,” I said, taking his hand and leading him to where Melissa was sitting with one other little girl.
“Hi,” he said with a friendly smile.
Melissa shyly looked at him, giving him a small smile. “Hi,” she said in a voice so soft it was difficult to hear.
We talked with each of the kids for a little while before it was time for them to have their outside time. When Mandy left to take the kids to the playground, Terran turned to look at me. “That was crazy.”
I laughed, picking up scattered crayons and scraps of paper. “It usually is.”
“They all know you. And love you,” he said with awe.
“I like to come by and help out. Mandy has a lot of kids to contend with, and with budget cuts, she doesn’t have a lot of help. I come in when I can. It lightens the load so the other aides and caregivers can focus on other stuff,” I explained.
He was nodding his head. “I see.”
“Terran, I brought you here because I wanted to show you why I’m so passionate about giving money to charities. This place is funded by the government, but that barely keeps the doors open and the lights on. They have to fight to get every dollar they can. I know it’s like that for a lot of other organizations.”
He nodded his head. “I’m not opposed to giving money to charity. Not at all.”
“I know I’m asking a lot of you. I don’t know that I even have the right to ask you to give up that money. I only did so because I wanted to make sure you loved me for me. I can’t be with a man who puts the value of money over everything else,” I said, looking into his eyes, hoping he understood.
“Hailey, I’m fine with giving away the money.”
I shook my head. “I can see how hard it is for you. You barely slept at all last night. Money doesn’t matter to me. People do. I love you for you. I would love you if you were living in a cardboard box. Your money did not make me fall in love with you. I want to be sure your incentive for marrying me wasn’t the promise of millions of dollars.”
He took a deep breath. “Hailey, I’ve said it time and again, I’m okay giving away the money.”
“Okay,” I said, going back to the cleanup.
“Is Melissa the one you gave that stuffed toy to?”
I nodded. “She is. She’s doing so much better. It makes me happy to see her talking with the other kids and having fun. There is something about her that makes her very special. I hope she finds a forever family soon.”
Mandy came back into the room. “Thank you for your help today. I was expecting to be pulling my hair out by now, but you guys made it so much better.”
“You’re welcome. How’s it been going?”
“Good. We have a new intake coming in tomorrow. An eight-year-old is coming in this week. We’re trying to shuffle things around to make room for him.”
“No news on more funding?” I asked her.
She shook her head. “No, but it’s okay. We’ll find a way. We always do.”
“You’re amazing. All of you are,” I told her giving her a hug.
“Thank you by the way,” she said, swatting my arm.
“For what?” I asked innocently.
“I know it was you.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Liar,” she said crossing her arms over her chest.
“What’d she do?” Terran asked.
Mandy pointed to one of the shelves loaded with new puzzles, games and a variety of educational toys. “That,” she muttered.
Terran looked at the shelf then her. “I don’t think I understand.”
“Ignore her, she’s crazy,” I said.
“He doesn’t know?” Mandy asked, her eyes wide.
“He doesn’t know what?” Terran asked, irritation in his voice.
Mandy looked at me, then him. “She bought all of those toys and games and had them delivered. She can pretend it wasn’t her, but I know better. She is the queen of Amazon Prime, and when the UPS driver showed up at the door with boxes and boxes of goodies from an anonymous donor, we all knew who it was. She does it every month. Half of what you see in here has been purchased by Hailey.”
Terran turned to look at me, surprise and pride on his face. “I’ve always wondered what she was doing on that tablet at night,” he said with a smile.
“Shopping. Always shopping. She single-handedly keeps Amazon afloat,” Mandy said dryly.
I shrugged a shoulder. “I can neither confirm nor deny your allegations,” I said in my most authoritative voice.
Mandy rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me that’s one of your lines?”
I burst into laughter. “How’d I do? Did I sound serious, lawyer-like?”
Terran was chuckling. “Very much so. Good job, babe. You’re going to nail that part.”
“Thanks. We should go,” I said to Mandy, giving her another hug.