Once the reading was over and they were the only ones left in the room, the attorney lifted a thick envelope from the desk and came to her. He shook her hand and then presented her with the envelope.
“Congratulations, young lady. Tom spoke very highly of you.”
She took the envelope from him hesitantly. “I don’t understand.” That was the understatement of the century.
The attorney smiled kindly at her. “Tom told me you’d say that. Everything you need to know is on the enclosed disk. After you’ve watched it, if you have any questions, you just call me, dear.”
She followed him with Ben and Quinten out of the office, and he bid them farewell. Of all the outcomes to a meeting with this lawyer, this was the last thing she’d expected. She never would’ve known it, but Tom had been fabulously wealthy, evidently taking his own financial advice, and he’d left almost all of it to her. She was now a millionaire.
At the house, Ben took the disk from her, slipped it into the DVD player, and asked, “Do you want to be alone?”
Camilla shook her head negatively and thanked Quinten when he brought her a glass of iced tea and sat down beside her.
Tears burned in her eyes as Tom’s lovable, sun-weathered face appeared on the screen. “Hey, Camilla. I’ll bet you’re in shock right now. But it’s all going to be okay.” Tom paused for just a second before he swallowed and continued on.
“You’re the hardest-working little gal I’ve ever known. I like that about you. I know you’re wondering why you had to be at that meeting. I can imagine what it was like for you, but I had a good reason. I knew you’d want to know why I chose to leave it all to you.”
He looked off for a minute and grinned about something and then said, “I can imagine the reactions of all those vultures in Jerry’s office, waiting to find out what they’d inherited. I wanted you to see them, so you’d understand why I left it to you.
“My kids would run through it in a matter of a few years. My so-called wife would spend it with no thought for the future because she still has the looks to find another rich man to pick up where I left off. She was a mistake from the day I met her. Shelley and Mason didn’t turn out so hot, either. That’s my fault for not doing a better job as a father when they were younger. Shoulda known better.
“Brittany probably said something like, ‘We will see you in court!’ before she stormed out.” Tom chuckled and waved a hand dismissively. “She can bring it on. Jerry has all the information he needs about her to make it go away, but even if she does tie the will up in court, you’re okay. Just see Ethan, Ben, and Quinten about the arrangements I’ve made.”
He was the silent investor!
“I invested in your nightclub up front with instructions for y’all to use the money however you saw fit. Those vultures can’t touch that money because I’ve already given it as a gift.”
He heaved a deep sigh before continuing, “I want you to use this money in any way you see fit. Invest it in your business, buy some land, take a trip. I know you’ll take care of it. Oh, and remember to give to charities you believe in. If you ever meet someone who has a dream and a good work ethic, maybe help them too. I’m proud of what you’ve made of yourself and the success you’ve had with what you learned from this old man’s ramblings.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she chuckled. The small amount she’d earned from her investments was a pittance compared to what she’d inherited that day.
Tom continued on. “You’re probably still wondering why I trusted you with all this money.” He squinted at the camera and said, “She who is trustworthy with little will be trustworthy with much. You’ve been a blessing to me, shortcake, and I want to be a blessing to you.”
Tom nodded at someone off camera and smiled one last time. The screen went black, and Camilla felt like a knife had been jabbed in her chest. She burst into tears as Ben wrapped his arms around her and Quinten stroked her back. Her heart felt like it was on fire as she was overwhelmed by the depth of Tom’s generosity.
When her tears were all gone, she took a deep breath, and determination stole over her. Her business now had the best possible chance of succeeding. She’d make Tom proud of her.
Chapter Nineteen
Cody rapped his knuckles on Camilla’s office door and she looked up. Leaning against the wall, he gave her his trademark shy smile, which was such a contrast to his deep, gritty voice. “Ben just called me. He was worried about you. Said he called you earlier and you didn’t answer. And you never called him back.”