“Thank you.”
“He needs someone like you, someone who won’t let him get away with anything. The two of you are good for each other.”
“Think so?”
“I know so.” He wagged a finger at her. “I always liked you.”
“Thank you.”
“It always perplexed me though why you wore matronly clothing and acted like a docile kitten.” He shrugged. “I figured that was your business.”
She grinned. “Saw through my disguise, did you?”
“Wasn’t hard. No offense. If Chase didn’t have his nose to the grindstone all the time, he might have noticed as well. You’re good for him. You don’t let him push you around.”
“I don’t let anybody push me around.”
Mr. Jacob chuckled. “No, ma’am. I heard about you taking on that little steamroller Billy married. Heard you won that round. That’s good. Gives me hope for the family.”
“The war with Poppy is over. I have more important things to focus on.”
“And that’s what brings me here today. First of all, I want to congratulate you on your baby. It is a blessing, and I hope Chase proves himself worthy of you and that child. He’s stubborn and a little slow on the uptake, but he’ll come around. You just give him time.”
Heat warmed her cheeks, and she silently prayed they weren’t as red as they felt. Mr. Jacob saw more than he let on at work. She didn’t want him to figure out she was totally in love with her husband. She also didn’t want to let on how worried she was that Chase felt trapped in a marriage he hadn’t really wanted.
Mr. Jacob added, “Secondly, I am here to sell you my stock.”
Her jaw dropped. “Excuse me?”
“I’m sure Chase told you the conditions of my stock. I have to sell it back to the family when I retire, which is what I intend to do. Lucky for us, it doesn’t say who I have to sell the stock to.”
“But Chase thinks you’re selling it to him.”
“I considered it, yes, but that would give him far too much power. He would have sixty percent of the stock. No one would be able to stop him if he had a bad idea, and between you and me, sometimes he has bad ideas.” Mr. Jacob shrugged. “Nobody is perfect.”
She didn’t know what to say. Should she tell Mr. Jacob that Poppy was right and their marriage was a sham? If she did that, she might have to admit she was ready for it to be real in every possible way. “Why would you want to sell your stock to me?”
“I believe I’ve already told you why.” He smiled, and his eyes twinkled. “You challenge Chase, and you stand up to him like no one has since his father died. And, I want you to be a powerful entity in your marriage and not just a pawn used at Chase’s will.” He pulled an envelope from an inside pocket. “This won’t give you as much stock as what Chase controls, but you’ll have thirty, just ten less than him, and I’m sure you can get Evelyn’s ten on your side whenever you need to.”
“Poppy is going to lose her mind when she hears about this.”
“Let me be there when you tell her.” His smile grew wider. “That’s all I ask. Oh, and you need to use your own money to buy the stock, not Chase’s money. I don’t want him to be able to get his hands on it through a loophole.”
“I have a little bit saved up from before I married him, but it’s not enough to acquire twenty shares of Grayson stock. Just one share is out of my price range.”
“You didn’t hear the price yet.” He chuckled again. “I’m selling my stock to you for one dollar.”
She protested, “But—”
His hand came up, cutting her off. “Trust me, I have plenty of money. Over the years, I’ve made some exceptional investments, and now I want to invest in your future. All I ask is that you keep me updated.” He stood. “And don’t forget to invite me to the baby’s christening.”
He held his hand out to her. She got up to get a dollar out of her purse, but he shook his head. When she looked at him in confusion, he added, “I need a check from your personal account... if you still have one. It has to have your name and only your name on it.”
“As a matter of fact, I do still have my own account, and I intend to keep it.”
“Good thinking. In my day, women relied on their husbands far too much. You should keep your financial independence, and this stock will help you do just that.”
Since her marriage would only last until after their child was born, she’d kept her stuff in her name and Chase had his stuff in his name. If he fell in love with her at some point, they could discuss sharing a bank account then.