looking thoughtful. “I have something for you.” He walked over to an antique desk in the corner of the room. He extracted a key ring from his pocket before fitting one of the small keys into the lock and pulling an envelope from the drawer. “When your grandmother died, you know we sold the family farm to a developer.”
“Yeah.” I hated that I couldn’t even go to my paternal grandmother’s funeral. We’d been close when I was growing up; I’d even spent some summers with her after my grandfather died. I knew she’d hoped I would take an interest in the family farm, but just like everyone else in my life, I’d disappointed her. “What about it?”
“Your grandmother’s will was very specific,” my father said, turning the envelope over in his hands.
My mother returned with a plate piled high with fresh veggie sticks and a sandwich on her homemade bread. Even though I was salivating, I was dying to know what my father was getting at. Sitting on the arm of the chair beside her husband, she placed a hand on his shoulder.
“You know how fond she was of you, Matthew. She never believed you could do the things they’d accused you of. She said you were a good boy, and they’d realize their mistake in time.” Placing a hand on his wife’s knee, he said, “Just like your mama, she was a woman of faith. She believed God would set you free, and apparently she was right.”
God or an inmate on death row with nothing left to lose? I had no desire to argue semantics.
“So her will stated the farm was to be sold and her assets divided among her only living relatives. That means me and your mama split everything with you.”
I couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard of this before. My grandmother had been dead for almost eight years. Her farm was on almost a thousand acres of prime land. “I don’t think I deserve—”
“It doesn’t matter what you think,” my father said firmly. “My job is to carry out my mama’s wishes, and that’s what I’ve done.” He handed me the envelope. “We invested the principle on your behalf. It’s grown to a considerable amount.” He smiled. “It was a considerable amount to begin with. God’s not making any more land. The developers know that.”
I looked around the old house. It looked the same as it had the last time I was there. The furniture was still old and scarred. The wallpaper was original. Hell, I even recognized the cars in the driveway. “Why didn’t you retire sooner?”
My father squared his shoulders. “Why would I? I worked damn hard for that pension. They weren’t going to cheat me out of it.”
I smiled. My father had always been a proud man, determined to provide for his family on his own terms. I turned the envelope over, almost afraid to look inside. I knew without even looking that it would be enough to chart my own course, and now that I was on the verge of starting my new life, I was apprehensive. I’d never been anyone other than Matt Cooper, and I was preparing to become someone else. Someone I didn’t know. Someone no one knew.
“Go on, look at it,” my father said, grinning. “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
Stunned was more like it. Two million, eight hundred, seventy-three thousand dollars and twenty-three cents. Yeah, definitely enough to start a new life. It was like the Universe was giving me the means to execute my plan. I’d never been the lucky one. Years in prison had proved that, but was the tide finally turning?
“I can’t believe this.”
“What are your plans now, honey?” my mother asked, beaming. “You can do anything you want with that money. Start a business maybe? How about a martial arts school? You could train young people.”
When I didn’t respond to her idea with enthusiasm, she and my father shared a look. I could tell they were concerned I might blow the fortune my grandparents had spent their lifetimes amassing. I knew exactly what I intended to do, but I couldn’t tell
“Yeah.” I hated that I couldn’t even go to my paternal grandmother’s funeral. We’d been close when I was growing up; I’d even spent some summers with her after my grandfather died. I knew she’d hoped I would take an interest in the family farm, but just like everyone else in my life, I’d disappointed her. “What about it?”
“Your grandmother’s will was very specific,” my father said, turning the envelope over in his hands.
My mother returned with a plate piled high with fresh veggie sticks and a sandwich on her homemade bread. Even though I was salivating, I was dying to know what my father was getting at. Sitting on the arm of the chair beside her husband, she placed a hand on his shoulder.
“You know how fond she was of you, Matthew. She never believed you could do the things they’d accused you of. She said you were a good boy, and they’d realize their mistake in time.” Placing a hand on his wife’s knee, he said, “Just like your mama, she was a woman of faith. She believed God would set you free, and apparently she was right.”
God or an inmate on death row with nothing left to lose? I had no desire to argue semantics.
“So her will stated the farm was to be sold and her assets divided among her only living relatives. That means me and your mama split everything with you.”
I couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard of this before. My grandmother had been dead for almost eight years. Her farm was on almost a thousand acres of prime land. “I don’t think I deserve—”
“It doesn’t matter what you think,” my father said firmly. “My job is to carry out my mama’s wishes, and that’s what I’ve done.” He handed me the envelope. “We invested the principle on your behalf. It’s grown to a considerable amount.” He smiled. “It was a considerable amount to begin with. God’s not making any more land. The developers know that.”
I looked around the old house. It looked the same as it had the last time I was there. The furniture was still old and scarred. The wallpaper was original. Hell, I even recognized the cars in the driveway. “Why didn’t you retire sooner?”
My father squared his shoulders. “Why would I? I worked damn hard for that pension. They weren’t going to cheat me out of it.”
I smiled. My father had always been a proud man, determined to provide for his family on his own terms. I turned the envelope over, almost afraid to look inside. I knew without even looking that it would be enough to chart my own course, and now that I was on the verge of starting my new life, I was apprehensive. I’d never been anyone other than Matt Cooper, and I was preparing to become someone else. Someone I didn’t know. Someone no one knew.
“Go on, look at it,” my father said, grinning. “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
Stunned was more like it. Two million, eight hundred, seventy-three thousand dollars and twenty-three cents. Yeah, definitely enough to start a new life. It was like the Universe was giving me the means to execute my plan. I’d never been the lucky one. Years in prison had proved that, but was the tide finally turning?
“I can’t believe this.”
“What are your plans now, honey?” my mother asked, beaming. “You can do anything you want with that money. Start a business maybe? How about a martial arts school? You could train young people.”
When I didn’t respond to her idea with enthusiasm, she and my father shared a look. I could tell they were concerned I might blow the fortune my grandparents had spent their lifetimes amassing. I knew exactly what I intended to do, but I couldn’t tell
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