“Ummm… come again?”
She swallows then sighs. She looks…afraid.
“Sweetheart, what is it? Just tell me.”
Her eyes flit away from mine and she chews on her bottom lip nervously. Her hands wring together. “I’m selling the annuity at a loss to a company that buys them. Then I’m going to give it all away.”
I narrow my eyes, totally bewildered. “Wow, okay.ThatI didn’t expect.” I laugh. “As if any of what’s happened today was something I expected.”
She looks back at me. “Are you mad?”
“Mad? No. Confused maybe. Why would you do that?”
“If I don’t have money, Cyrus will have no reason to come after me.” She touches my face. “Or you. Or your son. Because nobody around me is safe from Cyrus. Because I need to protect you just like you’ve protected me. I have no idea what lengths he’d go to to get his hands on the money. And if anythinghappened to you. Christian. Amelia.” Her eyes get glassy. “I’d never be able to forgive myself.”
“But I told you there are ways to take care of him.”
“If it’s not him, it’ll be someone else. There will always be someone after what I have. It was more than just Cyrus’s threats. Three other people—complete strangers—threatened to take or hurt Amelia if I didn’t give them money. The police arrested one. The other two were never found. She won’t be safe as long as I have the money. You won’t be either. It’s not worth the trouble. It’s just not.”
“But… Jesus, Kenna, you’re just going to give up twenty-eight million dollars?”
She frowns, her eyes becoming distant. “I knew it.” She begins to pull away. “I knew you’d try to talk me out of it. You think I’m crazy. And you want what everyone else wants. I mean, who wouldn’t?”
Tears flow freely as she extracts herself from my arms.
Oh, hell no. I pull her back against me. “Wait one goddamn minute. You thought I’d be mad? Is that why you looked so nervous just now?”
She nods and sniffs.
“Kenna, give the money away or don’t, I’m still going to love you.” I kiss her forehead, her cheek, her lips. “Whatever you decide to do, keep it or get rid of it, I’ll support you. It’s your decision.”
“Really?” Her voice is small. Unsure.
I laugh. “Yeah. Really. It’syourmoney.”
For the first time since this conversation started, she visibly relaxes. As if the weight of the world has been taken off her shoulders. More tears flow, however.
I wipe them away. “What’s wrong?”
Her head shakes over and over. “You’re the first man who hasn’t tried to control me or manipulate me or use me. How are you for real?”
I put a hand over her heart, then put it over mine. “This is what’s real. The way I feel about you. It’s more powerful than any business loan. Any lottery. Any threat from maniacal exes.”
She collapses against me and cries into my shoulder. “I knew you were the one.”
I gently rub her shoulders. “Oh, you did, did you?”
I feel her nod.
“When did you know?”
“Honestly?” She looks up at me. “I think it might have been that very first day we met. The way you interacted with Amelia. How you looked at your son like he was the best thing since sliced bread. The way you took in a complete stranger with zero expectations.” She slides away and tops off our wine glasses. “Phew,” she says, wiping away a few stray tears. “I’m just glad that conversation is over.”
“It’s not exactly over.” I take a sip. “There’s still a lot to be discussed. First and foremost, exactly how do you get rid of twenty-eight million dollars?”
“I’ve made some calls to a few places that buy annuities. Once I sell it, I’m going to donate the money. I was thinking to the Cerebral Palsy Foundation.”
Nowmyeyes are tearing up. “Woman, are you for real?”
