"But she said only call it in a 'mergency." Shane nodded seriously as he chewed a mouthful of cookie.
"That's good you know how to use her phone. In the cookie box is an envelope with a card for your mom. I gave her my number in case you ever need some help, or if you get scared sometime, you can call me." She smiled gently. "Can you make sure your mom gets the envelope from me?"
The kids both said yes and continued focusing on their biggest priority—stuffing their faces with as many chocolate-chip cookies as possible.
"In the envelope is something else for your mom."
"What is it?" Brenna asked.
"It's grown-up stuff for her, but it's really important that you don't lose it…or show it to anyone else but your mom."
Both kids listened, watching intently as she drew out a small blue envelope from the side of the cookie box. She pointed to the phone number written in black marker across the front. "That's my phone number, and we're going to play a number game with it in a minute, but first I want to see who has the best pockets."
She made a big show of looking them both over before deciding that Brenna had a button pocket in the skirt of her dress. "We're going to have Brenna carry this important envelope in her dress pocket where it will be safe until your mom comes to get you. When you are home, you can give it to her and tell her it's from me, but keep it in Brenna's pocket until you're home with your mom, okay?"
"We will," they both answered in unison.
She smiled at both of them and asked, "Who wants to play the phone number game? First one to learn my phone number by heart gets to be Snack Assistant for a week."
The next minutes were spent watching Winter work her magic, teaching two six-year-olds her phone number. Creatively. In less than fifteen minutes, both could recite it from memory perfectly. My God, Winter had some serious skills. She was a true kid-whisperer. I dearly hoped neither of them would ever need to call her for help, but it was comforting to know they had a way to find her if they needed to. Although, that almost put the fear of God in my heart, because if they did call…Winter would go to them.
After we left the youth center, it was a bit of a drive to Weston where my parents lived in a big fucking house that I tried to avoid as much as possible. Winter was quiet in the seat beside me, looking and smelling divine, but I sensed something was bothering her.
"Everything okay?"
"Yeeesss," she said slowly from where she was looking out of the window.
"Not very convincing, Win. You just told me a straight-up lie. Now you're going to tell me what's wrong."
She kept her eyes trained out the window at the autumn landscape as we flew along I-90 toward Weston.
"Winter?"
"I did something I wasn't supposed to do with Shane and Brenna." She sounded worried.
"What, giving out your phone number to a kid is a crime now?"
"No, giving them my phone number was fine."
"Then what was so wrong?"
She paused, her facial expression definitely etched with guilt and stress. "I gave them money. Inside the envelope was a gift card to Target and some money for their mom," she said in a small voice. "You know, so she could buy them some shoes that fit and don't have holes in the soles, and warm clothes…and new coats."
"Oh." On the surface it didn't seem like it was that big of an infraction, but in any business operating with government funds, the rules were hard and fast. "How much money did you put in the envelope?"
"All of the cash I had in my wallet."
"Which was how much, Win?" She didn't want to tell me...
She sighed heavily and then she answered. "Two hundred and some odd dollars."
"Shit."
"I know."
"And the gift card was for how much?" I asked.
She sighed heavily before answering. "Five."
"Please tell me you mean 'five' as in the number of fingers on one hand." I knew it wouldn't be as soon as the words left my mouth.
"Hundred." She wiped under her eye as if she might be brushing away a tear. "It's just…they need help so badly, and the rules make it next to impossible for me to do anything for them that might actually do some good. I have money, far more than one person could ever need, and I could put some of it to good use if my hands weren't tied working within the stupid system." She sighed heavily and threw her head back into the headrest of the seat. "I fucking hate it."
"So, if you had the opportunity to do your own thing, what would it be?" I asked the question, but I had a pretty good idea where this was going.
"I would start my own program for mothers and children—something like a private shelter where the decisions wouldn't be dictated by a governmental agency, but guided by a board of directors with the same vested interests as mine. Essentially, I'd be able to help whomever I wanted to help." Which she would.
"So, what do you need in order to start up something like that?"
"I'll be qualified with the state in a matter of months, and could therefore run the shelter, but the only thing I don't have is the money. I need my trust fund money, but I can't touch it for six more years."
I know how to get you your money. My heart started thumping hard in my chest as I connected the dots. "Have you spoken to Caleb about your idea?"
She shook her head. "I've thought about it, but I know he's really busy with running the bulk of everything, plus now he has Brooke. He's just been so happy for the first time in forever, so I've left him alone to enjoy it."
"I am sure he would be willing to help you get something started." Or I could.
"I know he would, but this is something I want to do on my own, you know? For once I'd like to be able to do some good without having to answer to some long list of policies and restrictions."
"You can get into your trust fund before you're thirty." I couldn't believe I was actually going there with her, but once I started speaking the words out loud, it was useless trying to rein them back in. "All you have to do is get married, preferably to someone who doesn't care about your fortune."
She scoffed as she looked over at me in annoyance. "That's a low blow, even for you, James."
"I'm not talking about someone like Shelton."
"Well, unfortunately I haven't found this hypothetical man who would marry me so I could tap into my hundred-million-dollar trust, but not want any of it for himself," she said sarcastically. "Like that guy even exists," she mumbled while shaking her head back and forth.
"Oh, he definitely exists, Win."
"And you know this how exactly?"
"Because that guy is me."
Chapter Ten
WINTER
There was no way he just said that to me.
Just. No. Way.
I stared at James, certain my hearing was off from the late night-trip to the ER, and possibly some kind of latent trauma response confusing me.
"I'm sorry, James, but it sounded like you just offered to marry me so I could access my trust fund." I waited for him to say something but he didn't. He kept his eyes firmly on the road. "But I know that can't possibly be what you said…because…that's just crazy."
"Is it really that crazy, though?" he asked without looking at me.
I continued to stare at him for a moment, trying to make sense of the disbelief bouncing around inside my head like a pinball game—complete with sounds. "Yeah, it is totally freaking batshit crazy, James."
"Okay, you're right, it is a little crazy, but I'd still do it." He finally turned in my direction, nailing me with his gorgeous eyes, appearing completely at ease with his idea. I'd known James a very long time—knew when he was teasing—but he was definitely sincere right now. I couldn't believe it.
I gulped. "But why would you?"
"Because there's nobody else in this whole world I want to help more than you." He didn't hesitate for even a second.
"Oh…" My heart gave me a jolt as I comprehended what he really meant. He wouldn't be doing it for any other reason than to help me get access to my money. "So just on paper for legal purposes," I said.