Nine Lives - Danielle Steel Page 0,17

never considered buying the business from him. This changes everything. We have to think about the future.” She wanted to say “What future?” but she didn’t. She had no future without her husband, and maybe the business didn’t either. That hadn’t occurred to her until now. She didn’t have a clear idea of their financial situation, and didn’t feel ready to yet. Phil had tried talking to her about it after the funeral, but she didn’t want to hear it. She knew he was in the process of evaluating Brad’s investments. Brad had been conservative and put back everything he earned into the business, then invested in the stock market himself.

“I have to think about it,” she said, she felt like she was letting Brad down if she sold, especially so soon after his death, but he was a smart businessman, and she wondered what he would have advised her to do in their present circumstances.

“The firm will certainly be viable for a long time, but keeping it won’t make much sense if Aden never comes to work here,” Phil said. She agreed with that, but how could she ask her son to make a decision about his future at seventeen? That wasn’t fair to him, to have to make such an important choice now, one that would impact them now and for a very long time.

“Do you think I need the money?” she asked him, and he shook his head and smiled at her.

“Brad wasn’t a rich man by today’s standards, but he was very comfortable, and wise about his investments. I’ve almost finished appraising the estate. We need it for probate anyway. I think he had close to a million dollars in his portfolio, including what he had saved.” Maggie looked shocked. She hadn’t expected that at all. Neither of them was extravagant, and he never talked to her about money. He just took care of everything and told her she didn’t need to worry. She assumed he’d always be there to run it all. She didn’t need to know about their finances while he was alive.

“A million?” She stared at Phil.

“Close enough.”

“I thought maybe a couple of hundred thousand.” And their house was worth something, though it was small. It wasn’t in the most expensive neighborhood, but they were happy with it. “What do you think the business is worth?” It would be worth a little less now, without Brad, Phil knew, but he would build it up again, as he stepped up to the front lines and made it his.

“I’m not sure. A little more than that. Ballpark, maybe a million two, or three, somewhere around there. Brad had picked up some very substantial clients, and was still developing it. He was always trying to make the business grow. He taught me a lot. To be honest, that would be a big bite for me. But I’ve already talked to the bank, I could get a loan. And if we sell the house, I’d give all of that to you. Julie is willing to move into an apartment now that the kids are gone. It’s a sacrifice we’re both willing to make, and the house has appreciated more than we expected.” They lived in a nicer house than she and Brad, and Phil had done a number of improvements on it himself over the years. They had added a pool when their kids were younger. “I think I can make it, Maggie. But it’s up to you. If you don’t want to sell to me, I understand. You don’t need to sell. Brad had life insurance too, and they’re anxious to speak to you.” She suddenly felt sick. She didn’t want to benefit financially from her husband dying. He had left her nearly a million in investments. He had left some of it to Aden, in trust for when he was older. But she had a roof over her head, and now Phil was offering her a lot of money for the business. With insurance money on top of it, she suddenly felt overwhelmed. She would have paid it all back just to have Brad alive again. She didn’t want money instead of Brad, but at least it sounded as though she could pay for Aden’s college education, even if he didn’t get a hockey scholarship. That was something at least.

“There’s no rush to decide,” Phil reminded her. “I just wanted to put it out there, in case you do want to sell the