She wrote out a check for one dollar, but she hesitated in handing it over to Mr. Jacob. “Are you sure about this? Chase isn’t going to like it, and the rest of them will probably want to hang us both.”
“That’s partly why I’m doing it.” He handed her the contract he’d been holding in the envelope. “I told the lawyer to keep it brief. This simply states that you cannot sell or give the stock to anyone else. You’ll have to make that clear to Chase.”
“What if we divorce? My other stock returns to his mother. What about this stock?”
He looked like he found the question odd. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. I believe you two belong together, even if Chase doesn’t see it yet. Don’t give up on him.”
“What if he divorces me? Does the stock return to you or does he get it by default?”
“I’ll be retired by then, so the stock would probably be divided evenly among the remaining board members.”
That sounded fair.
She walked Mr. Jacob to the door and engaged in small talk as they went. He talked about the pretty flowers in her yard, the weather, and the long drive back to the city. Most of his words sailed over her head. She was trying to figure out the best way to tell her husband that she had bought the stock he so desperately wanted.
♥♥♥
“I hope you had the good sense to get a pre-nup,” Poppy said.
Sitting at the head of the conference table, Chase’s eyes narrowed on his brother’s wife. The gold-digger was warninghimaboutKatie? The situation might have made him laugh out loud if she hadn’t already chewed on his last nerve. Before he had a chance to tell her to shut up, his mother did.
“You can have an opinion without expressing it, dear.” Evelyn glowered at the younger woman. “Now, does anyone know why Reginald called this meeting?”
“Not a clue,” Chase said.
He silently hoped Reginald was about to sell him his stock, but he didn’t want to voice that hope in case he was wrong. As soon as he got Reginald’s twenty, he would have the monopoly of shares at sixty. He wouldn’t have to answer to anyone, and his job would become a thousand times less stressful.
Poppy went on as if no one had spoken, “All I’m saying is, Chase has a lot at stake if he didn’t get her to sign a pre-nup. Am I the only one that sees she’s just after the Grayson name and money?”
Chase’s jaw tightened.
Poppy continued. “Seriously, she went from a lowly secretary living paycheck to paycheck to one of the richest women in town, and now that she has a baby on the way, she has leverage. She’ll get a divorce and take half of everything. This is California, you know?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Chase said. “As usual.”
The very idea of Katie being after his money was ludicrous. Better than a pre-nup, he had a business contract with her that spelled everything out. Poppy would be surprised to hear the contract had been Katie’s idea. Unlike Billy’s money-hungry wife, Katie valued things that cash simply could not buy.
And that was what he loved about her.
He cringed at the word even though it was his own mind that used it. Love? He still hadn’t gotten used to the idea, and he wasn’t even close to ready to say the words to Katie. What did he know about love? The marriages he’d seen while growing up had been cold, angry, and even verbally abusive at times.
Chase checked his watch. “Where is he?”
Right on cue, the door popped open and Reginald sauntered into the room wearing an expensive gray suit complete with a dark blue silk tie. Probably one of the last true gentlemen, he always told Chase and Billy they needed to present themselves to the world in the way they wanted the world to see them.
Instead of sitting at the other end of the table, Reginald stood behind his chair. “I know you’re wondering why we’re here.”
“Don’t keep us in suspense,” Evelyn said.
“Where is your beautiful wife, Chase?” Reginald asked. “I was hoping she’d be here.”
Chase leaned back in his chair. “Sorry. She’s been stressed and tired lately, so I didn’t notify her about the meeting.”
Reginald grimaced. “Well, I guess that can’t be helped then.” He extended his arms to them as if wanting a hug, and a smile softened his features. “My friends, I have called you here today because I have an announcement. It has been an honor and a pleasure working with you, but I am ready for retirement.”
“Who are you giving your stock to?” Poppy asked, interrupting Reginald’s speech with her usual rudeness.
He held a hand up, signaling everyone to be quiet for a moment. “Because I love this company so much, I gave it a great deal of thought, and I took into consideration what my dear departed friend, Theodore Grayson, would have wanted. I was by his side when he founded this business. It was important to him.”