Page 53 of I'll Carry You

He shook his head.

“The truth is, Jason, I was angry with you. I gave up on you. Both of you. Until Kevin turned up on my doorstep. Then I knew. Kevin told me everything, you know.” Her hand shook as she lifted the cigarette to her lips. “And you need to understand something. You are not a bad person, Jason. And your dad’s death—”

“I don’t want to talk about that, Mildred.”

She chewed on the end of her cigarette, then gave a curt nod. “When you’re ready, I’ll be right here.” She set her elbows on the table. “Now let’s get back to Jen. That was pretty quick, don’t you think?”

Resisting the urge to face palm, Jason continued his breakfast. “I don’t even know how it happened.”

Mildred blew out a puff of air, her lips vibrating in a scoff. “Oh, come off it. If you don’t think I know how it happened, you’re out of your mind. I know exactly what happened. You took one look at her, and your penis took over.”

Jason blinked at her. For an old lady, she was surprisingly . . . candid. Perceptive. He choked on his guffaw. Then he stammered, “Maybe. But the problem is that the asshole the Powells hired to find out about Kevin is here in town now. He followed me. And he knows about you. It’s only a matter of time before he finds out about Jen and Colby.”

Mildred looked confused. “So if he knows about me, what are you doing here?”

“I need to figure out how to tell Jen about Kevin. And the inheritance.”

“You haven’t told her anything?” Mildred squinted at him.

“No.”

“Then it’s already too late. You’ve been lying to the girl. She’s never going to believe anything you have to say now.” Mildred shrugged.

He needed to tell her about the idea of asking Jen to marry him. And the paternity issue with Amanda. But their frail peace might not survive that last part. “Help me. She knows you’re Kevin’s grandmother, doesn’t she?”

Mildred nodded, flicking the ash from her cigarette into the ashtray. “We have dinner a couple of times a month. And I see her at church. I’d help with Colby more but my joints aren’t what they used to be.”

“She’s being evicted. I have to help her.” Jason finished the last bite of toast and scooted his chair back. He stood and crossed the kitchen. Grabbing a clean mug from the dish rack, he filled it with water. “And even if I do nothing and Powell’s guy catches on to the situation with Jen, my grandfather instructed that the CEO of Cavanaugh Metals would manage the trust for a minor heir that wasn’t my son. Colby probably would see next to nothing until he’s eighteen. Maybe even longer.”

“And you want to—”

“Marry her. Adopt Colby. Not for romantic reasons. Just as a financial and legal transaction.”

She didn’t react, her gaze analytical. “But wouldn’t the trustee still be the CEO fellow?”

Jason shook his head. “Not necessarily. My grandfather’s will stated that on the off chance I had a child, he or she would be the heir, but I would be free to manage their estate. The Powells would probably take it to court, but my lawyer thinks I have a solid argument.”

Mildred crushed out her cigarette. “Sounds like a hopeless mess. You shouldn’t have gotten involved with Jen.”

He shifted, gazing out the small kitchen window. His grandmother’s house backed up to the woods—woods that looked overgrown with brush and thorns. An ancient deck on the back of her house was covered with green mildew, the boards lifting. Did she have anyone to help her with this place?

“Noted.” He gave her a taut smile.

“I’m serious. And Jen...” Mildred shook her head. “I don’t know what that girl is thinking. She already went through enough with Kevin. You’d think she’d learned her lesson.” Mildred stood, then came to stand beside him. “The longer you wait to tell that girl the truth, the more she’s going to be convinced you only want her for the money. Which is true, isn’t it?”

The grimness of her words made him wince. “I want to help her. More so now than ever. If Kevin left because he loved her, she deserves a lot more than she’s been dealt.”

“That’s all very nice, Jason. But would you be offering to marry her if you didn’t want the money? If you didn’t have a vested interest in the whole thing?”

No. But this isn’t just about me.His grandfather was an ass, but there was a way to keep the integrity of what his family had built intact, especially for the employees who had dedicated their lives to it.And for me, too.And he hated the idea of the Powells winning.

“You want my advice? Walk away. Sure, she might end up struggling for some years. We’ll all pitch in to help, though. You stay, and you’re going to destroy her. She made a mistake and slept with you. Okay. She hasn’t gotten in too deep. But another broken heart?”

“And what if she’s okay with marrying me for money?” Jason narrowed his gaze at her. She’d given him nothing else to work with. Could he offer Jen such a cold transaction? He cared about her. But everything else that came along with marriage wasn’t really on the table for him.

Been there. Done that. Never again.

“She may be willing to. She may.” Mildred patted his hand. “But money doesn’t hold people together when the love you ache for is gone. I’d tell you to ask your mother, but we can’t, can we?” Mildred let his hand go and rubbed her bony knuckles. “I’ll tell you what. If the truth is what you want to tell her, I’ll help you find a way. But I’m going to have to think about it.”

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