I look to Kenna. She smiles. “Itisgood wine.”
I laugh and hold out my glass to Asher. “Sounds like a plan.”
A half hour later, Allie and Asher rejoin us. Allie pulls Kenna in for a hug. “I’m so glad you’re safe now. I didn’t want to say anything when Amelia was around, but what you’ve been through with your horrible ex, it must have been a nightmare.”
“Thanks for not bringing it up around her. I’ve done my best to protect her from all this. I thank God she’s not old enough to realize why we’ve had to do the things we’ve done.”
“He really tried to kill someone?” Asher asks, shaking his head. “That’s all kinds of fucked up.”
“Yeah, but the timing couldn’t have been better.” I put my hand on Kenna’s. “Another week or so and she’d have been gone. And I’d have gone with her.”
This isn’t news to them. They knew my plans. Still, they look relieved.
“Oh.” Allie puts down her glass. “I’m so sorry I didn’t text you back yesterday, Kenna. I got busy with a tasting tour, and when I got home, the twins were being little terrors. I simply forgot. But to answer your question, yes, the receptionist position is still open. When do you want to start?”
Kenna scrunches her nose. “Thanks, Allie. But you should go ahead and fill the position.”
“You got another job?” Allie asks. “Sinceyesterday?”
“No. Uh… well…” Kenna looks at me, not quite knowing what to say.
“It’s okay. You can tell them. Look, the first thing you need to know about living in a small town? Everyone’s going to find out sooner or later. And who better to start with than these two?”
She knows what I mean by that. They have money. They won’t act like circus imbeciles when they find out she does too. They also won’t go blabbing about it to anyone. And who knows, they might even have some pretty damn good advice. Most importantly, Kenna could definitely use a friend who she’s sure won’t take advantage of her.
Asher cocks his head. “Everyone’s going to find out what?” His eyes flit to Kenna’s stomach. “Are you pregnant?”
Kenna snorts out an incredulous puff of air. “Not pregnant.” As if to punctuate the statement, she lifts her glass and takes a sip of wine.
Over the next few minutes, Kenna and I tell them everything about her winning the lottery as they both sit wide-eyed, hanging on our every word.
“That’s…” Allie stutters. “Jesus, that’s a lot to deal with.”
“Dad?”
The four of us turn to see Christian and Bug standing in the far doorway.
Aw, fuck. Did they hear?
“What is it, bud?”
If his slack jaw is any indication, they most definitely did.
He marches forward on his crutches, Bug at his side. “Are you serious?” He turns to Kenna. “Did you really win the lottery?”
“Son,” I scold. “It’s not nice to eavesdrop.”
“We were coming up to tell you Amelia fell asleep,” Bug said. “So sue us if hearing you guys talk about winning the lottery had us stopping to listen.”
“Darla,” Asher warns.
Kenna holds out her hand. “It’s okay. They’d have found out soon enough. Come. Sit. Ask me anything you’d like.”
“Ask anything,” I add. “But none of this goes beyond this room until Kenna says so. Got it?”
Bug and Christian nod. “Got it,” they say in unison.
After explaining to them what an annuity is and that Kenna won’t actually have all the money at once, that it will come in over a period of about thirty years, they don’t look half as excited. Especially not after explaining that while after all those years, Kenna will have more money than most people dream of having in a lifetime, these next few years she will only get about as much as a successful CEO, or maybe a heart surgeon.
