Chapter 26 #2
I made a look of disgust. “I don’t want his tainted money. Luke suggested we sell it, take the money, and put it into something good in the world to counteract all the bad mojo my grandfather and Felix have put out there.”
“I love that idea,” Rowan said.
“How do you prevent Felix from buying it?” Chloe asked.
I sat forward in alarm. “That’s a very important question. I don’t know the answer.”
“You should be able to approve any sale,” Presley said. “It’s your company.”
“Right,” I said, relaxing back again. “We’ll just have to screen anyone hard to make sure there’s no connection to that snake.”
“So what are you thinking you’ll do with the proceeds?” Rowan asked.
I shrugged. “I haven’t come up with anything yet.”
“It should be something pro-women,” Presley said, still clicking around on whatever website she’d looked up.
“Definitely,” I agreed. “I don’t really want to run a nonprofit myself, but I was thinking…
Something my mother and I have in common is that we got away from a controlling man, which meant starting over.
Which was really hard. I spent almost two years not knowing how I was going to rebuild my life. ”
“You did it step by step,” Chloe said.
“Thanks to Dotty,” I said. “She happened to find me when I had nowhere to live and no income to pay rent. The only half plan I had at that point was selling the two designer bags I’d brought with me.
So many women who get away from controlling men don’t have ridiculously expensive bags to sell or a good Samaritan finding them in their car the first day.
A lot of them don’t even have a car. I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done if Dotty hadn’t taken me in. ”
“What did your mom do?” Chloe asked.
“She went straight to another guy.”
“Because honestly, what do you do in that situation?” Presley said. “Unless you have a nest egg like I did.”
“Nobody has a nest egg like you did,” Chloe said.
“I had to start over, but my baggage didn’t have anything to do with a controlling asshole,” Rowan said. “It was hard enough, so when I think of what a woman must go through who’s been abused, either physically or emotionally, who has no money, who might be scared to death…”
“I’d think it takes a lot of courage just to get out of the situation,” Presley said.
I nodded. “I’m not proud to admit I had to be forced out of it.”
“But you got out of it and look at you,” Rowan said. “So what would help women in that position?”
“There are shelters they can go to,” I said. “Those are so important, but I don’t want to do the same thing. My most pressing problems were housing, income, and practical things like learning to cook and budget. I previously had never had to do any of that.”
“Just one of those could be enough to keep someone from leaving,” Chloe said.
“So what if there was a campus,” I said. “A place where women could live in their own apartment without worrying about rent at first. They get access to whatever they need. Job skills? They can learn them. Resume help? Check. Lessons in budgeting, financial goal-setting—”
“Counseling,” Presley said.
“Absolutely,” I said. “There could be work opportunities on the campus for those who just arrive, until they’re ready to spread their wings.”
“I’m loving this,” Rowan said. “It’s a big, formerly manipulated-by-assholes girls’ survival club.”
We spitballed for the rest of the evening, to the extent I made Rowan get me a notebook and pen after she put Lilah Rose to bed. I set aside my drink and took pages of notes, feeling optimistic and excited for the first time about my impending inheritance.
“Are you going to need your mom’s agreement on this?” Presley asked. “Or will you just split the proceeds, and you do what you want with your half?”
“I have no idea. She might actually go for this. The bigger problem is that I’m already way out of my element.
I don’t know the first thing about building this, never mind running it and keeping it going.
I don’t want to give up my event-planning business.
I’ve put blood, sweat, and tears into it, and I love it. ”
“You don’t have to run this,” Presley said. “I’d need to look up some nonprofit information, but you can hire people to run it, and you could be on the board of directors.”
“That’s a board of directors I’d like to be on,” Chloe said.
I looked at Presley, and she nodded.
“I’d love to be in on this too,” Presley said.
“Can my mom and I choose the board?” I asked.
“It’s your organization,” Presley said.
“I’m interested,” Rowan said. “Depending on how old Miss Lilah is and whether I’m getting sleep yet.”
“You guys would seriously be interested?” I asked.
“One hundred percent,” Chloe said. “There’s a need for it. I think it could be life-changing for the right women.”
“I’m absolutely interested,” Presley said.
“I’m about seventy-five percent,” Rowan said. “Ask me again when I’ve slept for more than two hours at a time.”
“Oh, girl,” Chloe said, her voice oozing with empathy. “We need to go so you can get ready for bed. Will Chance be home soon?”
“He texted five minutes ago that he and Luke were nearly done working for the night.”
“Ooh, almost time for Magnolia’s booty call too,” Presley said.
I laughed and maybe blushed a little, because that was my hope. “We’ll see how tired he is. He’s been working way too hard.”
“Well, if you’re here, you’re definitely not getting lucky,” Presley said, standing.
I stood too. “True, but Rowan needs chill time even more than I need sexy times.”
“Yes.” Chloe gathered glasses, and we forced Rowan to go upstairs and get ready for bed while we cleaned.
Twenty minutes later, Rowan came down in her pajamas with her daughter in her arms.
“She woke up already?” Chloe asked.
“Every two hours,” Rowan said, kissing the baby’s sweet head. “Oh, my God, you guys. My kitchen is spotless. Thank you.”
“Thank you for hosting us with a newborn,” Presley said.
“It was easier to have you guys here than go somewhere,” Rowan replied. “I needed a dose of girlfriends.”
“Who knew you’d get seventy-five percent snookered into being on the board of directors of a nonprofit organization?” I said, laughing. “I need to educate myself, and my mom and I will have to agree about everything, so I’ll keep you posted.”
“I’m going to research too,” Presley said. “I’m excited about this.”
“Thank you,” I said. “All of you. For being a sounding board and a support system, not to mention brilliant women.”
“Plus a three-woman cleaning crew,” Rowan added, “and the very best of friends.”
The four of us went in for a group hug.
“I feel the same,” Presley said. “Weird that three years ago, none of us lived here. Now we’re all here, making our new lives. I’m so fucking glad mine includes you girls.”
“Same,” I said.
“Amen,” Chloe added.
“We’re doing this again soon,” Presley said.
We all agreed, said good night, and took our leave.
I walked out thinking my night couldn’t have gone better. And then, as I climbed into my car, I got a text from Luke saying he was on his way to my place. Some nights were so good it was hard to believe this was my life now.