The Windfall (8 page)

“Hi, Aunt Sophie,” I replied as she reached to give me a hug, the smell of her perfume assaulting my senses. “It’s good to see you.”

“But you’re so tall!” she replied as she pulled back to give me another long look. “And so handsome! Has it really been that long? Where has the time gone?”

I shrugged and she gave me a grin, releasing me to look at both of us together. “I am so pleased you came all the way out here to see me.” Her expression softened, and she clasped her hands in front of her. “But I know something is going on. What can I do to help?”

Mom looked at me sideways and then cleared her throat. She apparently had been expecting the question from her sister right off the bat. “Maybe we should go inside.”

“Of course!” Aunt Sophie replied, linking arms with Mom and directing her into the house. “I’m so not the good hostess, hitting you up with the hard questions immediately without a thought to all the traveling you have just done! I have some nice sweet tea and cookies ready for you. You two must be tired from that plane ride. I swear flying takes all of my energy!”

I allowed them to walk a little in front of me as I took in the sights of the house, marveling at the stucco walls that mimicked the exterior and the glistening panes of the colorful stained glass windows. This was something I would have designed myself if given some paper and some time to think. Maybe I would take advantage of this newfound freedom and go back to school now. It would give me something to focus on while completing a childhood dream of mine. It wasn’t frivolous spending; it was securing my future.

As I stepped over the threshold, I was blown away by the vaulted ceilings and travertine tile flooring. Not to mention the entire house smelled like the ocean, the crisp saltiness of the air drifting in through open windows. Aunt Sophie had done well for herself.

“I’m so glad it’s such a pretty day for you both to be here,” Aunt Sophie remarked as she showed us into the living room. I was instantly in awe of the ocean view. “We’ve had our share of ugly weather as of late. You should hear it when it rains, though. I still haven’t gotten used to being in this house when the rain hits. But enough about the weather. Come on, have a seat so we can talk.”

I made myself comfortable in a cream-colored plush chair, settling in with a sigh of contentment. It was so much better than the airplane seats. While we did fly coach, I had bought three seats in a row to allow for plenty of room for me and Mom. I had booked coach for a reason, though. If anyone were to look at my faded T-shirt and worn jeans, they would never see the billionaire underneath. That was the plan for the time being anyway. Blend in.

“Your house is lovely, Fifi,” my mom replied as she took a seat next to her sister. “You must be very proud of this place and all that you have accomplished.”

“I am, of course,” Aunt Sophie responded as she doled out the glasses of tea and some cookies before settling back on the couch that matched my chair, her keen eyes assessing us both. “It’s taken me quite a while to get here, but it’s all been worth it to be able to wake up to this view every morning.” She squinted at each of us curiously and puckered one side of her mouth. “So, what’s going on? Which one of you wants to start this story?”

“We’ve run into some trouble,” Mom started, just like we had rehearsed over and over on the plane ride. I had anticipated that Aunt Sophie wasn’t going to welcome us in with open arms without being a little suspicious that something was wrong. If she were anything like Mom, she would ask questions until she was satisfied that she knew what was going on. Mom continued, “The neighborhood has gotten far too dangerous for us to stay in, and we just needed to get away. We needed someplace to think things through and, since we hadn’t come out to visit you yet, it seemed like a logical choice. I hope you don’t mind us intruding on you and Bill like this.”

“Well, of course, it was the right choice,” Aunt Sophie declared, some of the curiosity disappearing from her gaze. I felt a hint of relief rush through me. I didn’t need any extra questions until I could figure out some things for myself. “And you did the right thing, Gillie. I have always worried about ya’ll living in that neighborhood. Coming to see Bill and me was the perfect idea. You are more than welcome to stay with us as long as you like. We have plenty of room.”

“I have some money, Aunt Sophie,” I interjected, hoping I didn’t sound too eager. It had been my idea to offer to pay, softening them to our desperation to stay. I fully intended on giving them a nice going away present when we left, after we had told them about the money. “I can pay our rent until we find somewhere else to stay.”

“Aren’t you sweet,” Aunt Sophie said with a smile, her eyes softening as she looked at her sister. “Such a good job raising this one, Gillie. You couldn’t have asked for a better son.”

“I know.” Mom smiled, patting my knee affectionately. “He has done so much for us back home, and I can’t tell you how pleased I am that we can finally get away from that life so that he can see another side of the world. He deserves it.” She then turned back to her sister. “Please, let us help out however we can, Sophie. There’s a chance we might move out here permanently, so our stay won’t be forever. Just until we can sort through everything and decide what we want to do going forward.”

Aunt Sophie clapped her hands and squealed. “Oh, that would be lovely! Having you so close would be like old times again.” She then looked at me, her expression a bit less jubilant. “Housing is not cheap around here, though, and can take forever to find the right place. I know some good realtors who can help you whenever you get ready to start looking, but don’t be surprised if what’s in your price range is nothing like this house here. But you two have to start somewhere, and I guarantee it has to be better than where you were living in Atlanta.” She then took on a serious look. “I don’t know what kind of assets you have, Cooper, but I hope it’s enough. I would love for ya’ll to stay out here with me permanently.”

I bit the inside of my mouth to keep from laughing, thinking I could buy the entire block if the mood really hit me. “I’ve got a nice nest egg saved up,” I said instead, shifting on the chair uncomfortably. What would she say when we told her? It didn’t seem like she and Uncle Bill were doing too bad for themselves, so I hoped she would be supportive and not get all weird like people back home had done. Mom would be devastated if her reaction ended up putting a wedge between them. “I think we’ll be fine, thank you. And I appreciate any help you can provide in pointing me in the right direction for finding a place. I just want Mom to be happy, and I think she will be here. You’re her family, and I know how much she’s wanted to be closer to you.”

“This is so exciting,” Aunt Sophie exclaimed, her expression warm once again. “And don’t you worry about Bill. He will be just fine with all of this.”

I nodded, hoping my uncle didn’t throw a fit for Mom’s sake. She had been so excited about the prospect of living near her sister that any animosity on Uncle Bill’s part might ruin that for both of them. They really did look happy to see each other again. “I will do whatever you need me to do to help out around here,” I added. “You just name it.”

My mom nodded encouragingly, the relief on her face evident. We had gotten out of the neighborhood and out of any immediate danger that likely would have continued had I stayed at the bar. I had every intention of keeping the place and eventually getting back out there to show them I wasn’t scared of whatever they were trying to do. Damn Felix, and damn my gut feeling that kept telling me he’d had a hand in that scare tactic. Had he needed the money for those thugs? If so, I was glad I hadn’t bent to their will and given it to any of them, including Felix. It was still hard to believe my closest friend had turned on me the second he’d heard about the money. Part of me hoped it was just because he was being forced to do it. Not that it would be too much of a surprise considering the lifestyle he was living.

“This will be so much fun,” my aunt was saying, a huge smile still on her face. “Having my family here. I can’t wait to show you all the sights and take you to the beach. California is such a fun place.”

“I can’t wait myself,” Mom echoed, happiness in her voice. I sat back and let the two sisters talk and catch up, glad that for once, something was working out. I just hoped it stayed that way.

* * * * *

The next day, I leaned against the railing on the back patio — complete with a pool and the most breathtaking view of the ocean for miles around — and took in the scenery as a bottle of beer dangled between my fingertips. I didn’t know what they had paid for a house with such an amazing view, but I was betting it hadn’t been cheap.

“So, Cooper, what have you been doing back home? What’s the major?”

I looked up from watching the waves roll over the shore to my Uncle Bill, who had come to stand beside me. “I’m a bartender.”

“Huh,” he said, twirling his bottle around. “Not a consistently lucrative career, son. What about college? A man can’t live on slinging drinks alone.”

“No, sir. He can’t. I’ve got bigger plans,” I said slowly, thinking how my plans had changed so much over the last few weeks since the lottery. Now I could go to college if I wanted without having to worry about if my mom was taken care of or not. I could start to live out my dreams if I wanted to. “I needed to be able to pay for college and so some priorities had to be taken care of first.”

“Did they entail a woman?” Uncle Bill asked with a wink.

I shook my head, knowing he didn’t mean my mom. “No, just some pressing needs. I think I just about have them all worked out.”

“Just know a college education will take you places,” he said, taking a sip of his beer. “I mean, look at your aunt and me. This house is just one of the many things we were able to acquire with a good college education and the jobs that followed. Don’t let life get in the way of your future.”

“No, sir. I don’t intend to,” I replied. I didn’t have to anymore. The only thing I had to do was stay alive and steer clear of any trouble that might come my way. That shouldn’t be such a hard feat. Especially now that I wasn’t living in the middle of all the gangs and violence. The thought of Felix floated through my mind and I shoved it away, my chest aching. He, on the other hand, was going to get himself into some kind of trouble. And, though I had the means to get him out of it, I wasn’t so sure if I really wanted to. He was an adult, free to make his decisions just like I was.

“So, just visiting, huh? How long is that going to be?”

I turned toward him then, giving him a shrug. “I really don’t know.” And I didn’t. Did I want it to be permanent? I wasn’t so sure about that either. I was fairly certain Mom wanted it to be, and I had no issues with that. Even if I didn’t stay permanently, Aunt Sophie would take very good care of her, much better than I had probably.

Uncle Bill sighed heavily and I knew that he wasn’t too keen on us being there, in his house. They had given us two rooms overlooking the ocean. Of course, I think every bedroom in the place overlooked the ocean. I had to admit, I enjoyed waking up to the beautiful, calming waters outside of my window. It was definitely a sight I could get used to.

“Listen, Cooper, a man has to make his own way out in life. You are the head of your family. Go out, make something of yourself. Don’t forget that.”

“Yes, sir,” I replied, finding it easier to go along with him than to try dancing around the truth. There was so much they didn’t know and I wasn’t so sure I wanted them to know either. While I was sure he and Aunt Sophie were trying to look out for our well-being, I had to make sure before I pulled the trigger and told them about the money. While I didn’t think there was anything to worry about from my aunt and uncle, what Harold had said to me still echoed through my mind. Trust is a hard thing to give freely once you’ve been burned. I didn’t want to have to worry about moving Mom far away from the only family she had left if I didn’t think this through first. More than anything, I wanted this to work out in the end. If it didn’t, well, we would be looking at another city, another neighborhood to move into where no one knew us. The more I thought about it, the more I thought maybe I should sell the bar and leave that life behind. Maybe closing that chapter of my life would be for the best.

I shifted my stance and looked out over the water. I wasn’t going to make any rash decisions just yet, but that was one plan to tuck away for the future. I knew my life in that neighborhood was probably ending, I guess I simply didn’t want to let go of it just yet.

* * * * *

Two days later, I walked into my temporary bedroom to find my aunt with her back to me, rummaging around by the nightstand.

“Aunt Sophie? What are you doing in here?” I tried not to sound too accusatory.

My aunt whirled around and clutched a small stack of papers to her chest, a relieved look replacing the startled one on her face. “My goodness, Cooper, you scared me to death.”

“Sorry, but this
is
where I sleep,” I reminded her, placing my beach towel and sunscreen on the dresser. “Can I ask why you are in here?”

She composed herself and held out the stack of papers to me. “I’m not one to pry into your life, Cooper, but I feel the need to help you out. I am so enjoying having your mom out here, and I don’t want you two to leave. So, here’s a paper for jobs, one for houses, and one for, well, the young ladies. You need to go out and enjoy yourself, Cooper. Find you a nice woman and take her out on a few dates.”

I eyed the papers she was holding out, crossing my arms over my chest. “So, I can assume that you were the reason there was an ad for singles’ bars taped to the bathroom mirror this morning?”

My aunt had the decency to at least look embarrassed as she laid the papers on the bed, giving me a little smile. “Sometimes you just need a little push. Only, don’t think of me as being pushy, I just want this to work out for you. I’ve enjoyed having ya’ll here, and I will be so sad to see you go if it doesn’t.”

“Thanks, Aunt Sophie,” I sighed as she gave me a hug. “I will look at all of them — well, almost all of them — and see if there is anything out there I am interested in as far as the housing and the jobs.” I then pulled away, giving her a wink. “But leave the women up to me, okay?”