and even with four children I had way too much time on my hands. I was tired of volunteering all the time, so about ten years ago I opened a boutique. It’s in Ojai. Seven years later I got tired of all the long hours. My oldest daughter runs it now. I decided I missed the volunteering, but I wanted to commit myself to one project and not just give a few hours here and a few hours there. So I came to work for the Grace Orphanage. Jeff had been on the board of directors for years. Actually, working here was his suggestion. For a while we thought the place wasn’t going to make it, then Cole applied to be the director and the rest is history.”
“I’m impressed,” Elissa said, wondering how on earth someone could raise four children and claim to have too much free time. Cole was right; Millie was a force of nature.
Millie smiled. “We’ve bonded. I’m so pleased. I knew the moment we met that we were going to be friends.” There was a squeal of laughter from outside. She glanced in that direction. “The children are really enjoying all that sports equipment.”
“I know. The jungle gym is great.”
Millie made a great show of glancing at her perfectly groomed nails. “It was a lovely donation. Practical in a fun way. Not just anyone would have thought of it.” She looked at Elissa. “Well done.”
Elissa froze. Should she deny the truth? She’d never been a very good liar and wasn’t positive she could bluff her way out of the situation. “I— When—?” She shook her head.
“It’s interesting that the donor didn’t want to be recognized. I wonder why that is.”
“Some people prefer to give without all the fanfare.”
“Maybe,” Millie said. “Or maybe the person is afraid. Not of the giving, but of what the money represents.”
“Some people don’t like money,” Elissa said, not sure what game she and Millie were playing.
“Do people who are afraid give it all away foolishly?”
“No. But it’s nice to make a difference in people’s lives.”
“Is that why you’re doing it?” Millie asked.
“Partly,” Elissa admitted, realizing whatever the game, she wasn’t going to win. “How did you guess?”
“It was easy. While our list of donors is long, only a few give in large amounts. I know most of them, so it was simple to eliminate names. The donor obviously had a connection with the children, which usually means they visit often or have lived here previously. I kept coming up blank. Then I remembered you and your television show. You didn’t grow up with money—Cole told me that. Yet I’m not unfamiliar with the industry. There was money to be made. Is it in a trust?”
“Yes. It was released on our twenty-fifth birthday. This past July.”
“Cole doesn’t know.”
It wasn’t a question. “No, and I don’t want him to. He’s always had a chip on his shoulder about certain things, and that’s one of them. Inheritances, I mean. I don’t want to make him angrier,” Elissa said, raising her hands and turning them palm up. “I just want to help.”
Millie smiled. “Good for you.” She made an X over her heart. “I promise I won’t be the one to tell your secret, although I think you’re wrong about Cole and the chip on his shoulder. Oh, he has one, but it’s not about money. I think if you told him the truth, he wouldn’t mind at all.”
Elissa didn’t believe her. If she told him the truth, it would give him an excuse to throw her out on her butt. As it was, they barely managed to speak without him getting angry at her. Even though he didn’t yell, she could see the anger in the coldness in his eyes. If he hated her so much, why had he stayed married to her all these years?
She exhaled slowly. She hadn’t found an answer to that one in all the time they’d been apart, nor had she found it in the two weeks she’d been here. Eventually the truth would come out—for both of them. Until then, she was content to wait.
“Do you have any more anonymous
“I’m impressed,” Elissa said, wondering how on earth someone could raise four children and claim to have too much free time. Cole was right; Millie was a force of nature.
Millie smiled. “We’ve bonded. I’m so pleased. I knew the moment we met that we were going to be friends.” There was a squeal of laughter from outside. She glanced in that direction. “The children are really enjoying all that sports equipment.”
“I know. The jungle gym is great.”
Millie made a great show of glancing at her perfectly groomed nails. “It was a lovely donation. Practical in a fun way. Not just anyone would have thought of it.” She looked at Elissa. “Well done.”
Elissa froze. Should she deny the truth? She’d never been a very good liar and wasn’t positive she could bluff her way out of the situation. “I— When—?” She shook her head.
“It’s interesting that the donor didn’t want to be recognized. I wonder why that is.”
“Some people prefer to give without all the fanfare.”
“Maybe,” Millie said. “Or maybe the person is afraid. Not of the giving, but of what the money represents.”
“Some people don’t like money,” Elissa said, not sure what game she and Millie were playing.
“Do people who are afraid give it all away foolishly?”
“No. But it’s nice to make a difference in people’s lives.”
“Is that why you’re doing it?” Millie asked.
“Partly,” Elissa admitted, realizing whatever the game, she wasn’t going to win. “How did you guess?”
“It was easy. While our list of donors is long, only a few give in large amounts. I know most of them, so it was simple to eliminate names. The donor obviously had a connection with the children, which usually means they visit often or have lived here previously. I kept coming up blank. Then I remembered you and your television show. You didn’t grow up with money—Cole told me that. Yet I’m not unfamiliar with the industry. There was money to be made. Is it in a trust?”
“Yes. It was released on our twenty-fifth birthday. This past July.”
“Cole doesn’t know.”
It wasn’t a question. “No, and I don’t want him to. He’s always had a chip on his shoulder about certain things, and that’s one of them. Inheritances, I mean. I don’t want to make him angrier,” Elissa said, raising her hands and turning them palm up. “I just want to help.”
Millie smiled. “Good for you.” She made an X over her heart. “I promise I won’t be the one to tell your secret, although I think you’re wrong about Cole and the chip on his shoulder. Oh, he has one, but it’s not about money. I think if you told him the truth, he wouldn’t mind at all.”
Elissa didn’t believe her. If she told him the truth, it would give him an excuse to throw her out on her butt. As it was, they barely managed to speak without him getting angry at her. Even though he didn’t yell, she could see the anger in the coldness in his eyes. If he hated her so much, why had he stayed married to her all these years?
She exhaled slowly. She hadn’t found an answer to that one in all the time they’d been apart, nor had she found it in the two weeks she’d been here. Eventually the truth would come out—for both of them. Until then, she was content to wait.
“Do you have any more anonymous
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