Ethan, a golfer? It wasn’t a combination you saw much with bodybuilding. Or maybe it was Gavin who was the golfer.
“So, did Gavin act like a total jackass?” Meredith asked.
“Ah, well…”
“Don’t worry; I saw him talking to you and then get dragged outside by Ethan. For such a smart guy, Gavin can be a little obtuse at times. And blunt.” Meredith rolled her eyes. “Don’t let him get to you. Otherwise he’ll spoil all your fun.”
“Okay…thanks.”
“You’re welcome. I’m glad Ethan’s watching out for you. He’s always out there, trying to protect and provide for everyone, which is great for us, but can be tiring for him.” Meredith looked at her family and relatives. “What you did for TLD… Well, nobody welcomed the news, of course, but we’re all grateful you discovered the truth before things got any worse.”
This was different. Not everyone liked it when she did her job a little too well.
“I don’t want you to think that we’re upset or we blame you for the situation. That’s all on Jacob.” Meredith sighed, then her eyes grew hard. “A lot of us depend on the company.”
“So I’ve heard. But Ethan and Gavin are wealthy, and they can provide for the family until the company gets straightened out.”
“But it’s not their job. Dad and Grandpa started the company to make sure everyone would be provided for, no matter what. For that legacy to be in danger like this is difficult for all of us to accept. Frankly, it’s humiliating, which is why some of us are harping on the toys we’ll have to give up.” Meredith shook her head and smiled crookedly. “It sounds so awful to talk about yachts as though they’re necessities.”
“No, I understand. It’s not like you can sell a yacht or a private jet quickly. And every month they’re burning cash, what with all the maintenance and so on.” And that would hurt—having to spend the enormous amount of cash. From what Kerri had seen, Stella didn’t have a spending problem, but some of the others definitely did. She’d caught some whispers about new toys many had bought recently, counting on the dividends from the company. Their banks would work with them, of course, but bankers were patient only when they were certain you could pay them. She’d seen how one of her distant cousins had gone bankrupt and been ruined when Barron had cut her off for having married a man he despised. Financial hardship wasn’t such a big deal to her, but the humiliation had been tough.
“What Jacob did was irresponsible,” Meredith said.
“I’m sure he’ll be back to make things right.”
Meredith snorted. “I don’t know if I’d trust him to do it when we have you. If you hadn’t taken a look at the books…” She shuddered. “You have to be one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. I don’t know anybody who could’ve untangled everything so fast. Ethan and Gavin are capable, but they’re so busy with their own things, you know?”
“I imagine so.”
“I wish I was more like them so I could do my share to help.” Meredith sighed then smiled wistfully. “I never thought I’d have to be more than a socialite, going to parties and sponsoring charities and stuff with the money from the company.”
Kerri chose her words carefully. “Helping the less fortunate is just as important as running a company, if not more so.”
Meredith laughed. “Diplomatic, aren’t you?” Her gaze focused on the French doors. “There’s Ethan heading straight for us. Or more precisely you.” She gave Kerri a quick grin. “I gotta go get my son. Talk to you later.”
She disappeared by the time Ethan reached Kerri. “What were you guys talking about?” he asked.
“A secret plot to take over the world.”
The rest of the party went relatively smoothly. Ethan stayed by her side the entire time, while Gavin stayed away, ignoring both of them. The others in the family seemed to like her, or maybe it was due to Stella’s unspoken order. She oozed graciousness, and treated Kerri as if she were family.
At some point Kerri decided just not to worry about being among the Lloyds. It was only one afternoon, and she would smile and chat with everyone for Ethan, who obviously adored his mother.
When they had some relative privacy, Ethan presented Stella with a certificate for a two-week long, all-expense paid trip to Italy he’d arranged for her. His mother glowed at the gift. “Oh, Ethan. I haven’t been there in years!”
“I know. Thought it’d be good for you to get away and enjoy yourself for a while. Things have been stressful recently.” He hugged her, and Stella smiled fondly even as she was being crushed in his embrace.
“You’re the best son a mother could ask for.”
He chuckled. “You only say that because you get my jet for two weeks.”
A vise tightened around Kerri’s chest. How would things have turned out if her family had been the teeniest bit like this one? What if her father and brothers hadn’t died in the crash? If her mother had been able to overcome her grief for her loss? Would Kerri have grown up in a loving home? Would she still have left, turned her back on her family because she couldn’t bear the pain any longer?
For the first time in years, Kerri began to consciously resent the circumstances of her birth. That damned drunk driver! And her family’s attitude! As the Lloyds laughed and chatted, she felt like she was looking at them through an enormously thick window, always outside, always cold and hungry and alone. Ethan seemed so right in the midst of the group, while she stood apart, a dandelion that had somehow sprung up in one lonely corner of a garden full of roses.
I want this. No, I deserve this.
Somebody in my family should’ve been strong for me. For the helpless little girl who had no idea why her mother couldn’t love her the way she wanted to be loved.