to tickle the inside of my cheek. It was a secret, but I guess everyone knows now,” she said to Marti.
“I guess they do,” she replied.
“Let’s continue. Let’s see, fifty percent to Cameron, oh yes, here we are. Cameron, you will also receive the sum of fifty million dollars.”
Shelly gasped and covered her mouth.
Stunned, Cameron tried to wrap his head around everything. “Why would he do this?” He’d left Cameron more than he’d left his other two children. Why?
“The money is in other stocks, bonds, cash, and assets. In addition, you are to receive one half interest in this home and property. I’m told George already spoke to you of the promise you were to make about the house.”
Cameron nodded his agreement.
“Good. Miss Emma Shaw, you are to receive a share in the sum of fifty million dollars. Upon your eighteenth and twenty-first birthdays, you will receive portions of your share. The number of children Cameron produces will determine the shares. I understand there is one child on the way. At this time, Emma would receive half. If Cameron fathers another child, the shares will be split three ways, and so on.” He glanced at Marti, though she kept her face blank.
“This can’t be. The bulk of the estate goes to Cameron and his children.” Walter’s face turned red with outrage.
Claire remained silent, a soft content smile on her face. Cameron hadn’t spent a lot of time with her growing up, but he assumed the ten million plus what the shares were worth would last her through her lifetime and then some. She seemed happy to take what George left her and let Walter rant about the rest. Cameron remembered this same dynamic from when they were kids playing together. Walter always had to have his way and Claire let him.
Cameron was floored. He’d left it all to him and his children.
“Marti, you made a promise to George,” the attorney continued.
“Yes. Well, one promise and I told him I’d try on several other things.”
The lawyer smiled. “You don’t make promises lightly.”
“Nope,” she answered, ready to get this whole thing over and done.
“George left the contents of the house to you. You may wish to designate items to whomever you choose, such as Walter and Claire, if there are items of sentimental value to them. George indicated they took most of what they wanted when they moved out years ago. He told me to remind you the contents of the safe belong to you. Since you changed the combination with him, you are the only one who has access to the contents.”
Marti sat stunned. The safe. George had her change the combination and memorize it because his mind was failing him and he didn’t want to have the safe destroyed after his death in order to get it open. She hadn’t bought the story, not really. All he had to do was provide the safe combo to his lawyer. Now she knew. He wanted her to have what was in the safe. He knew she’d do the right thing. She thought of a particular story George had told her. She set Emma on her feet and stood.
“If you’ll all excuse me a moment. George would like something from the safe given now.” Marti left and overheard Walter protesting and calling her names. Cameron warned him in no uncertain terms to watch his mouth; there was a child in the room. Shelly told Cameron she couldn’t believe they’d gotten fifty million dollars.
She came back into the room several minutes later carrying a large velvet box. Emma sat on Cameron’s lap holding onto his arm. She kneeled in front of the little girl and showed her the box.
“When George asked me to do your room upstairs, he told me it was my job to remind you every chance I can that you are his princess. You will always be his princess. I know now he didn’t want me to just remind you with the room, but to make sure you always feel like a princess. What’s in this box holds a very special memory for you and I. I cherish this memory we share. I will take it with me wherever I go.”
“I don’t want you to go.”
“I know you don’t, Sugar Bug.” She leaned up and kissed the girl. Unshed tears shimmered in her eyes. Leaving this child would be the hardest thing she ever did.
“Knight gave this to his wife on their twentieth wedding anniversary with a note telling her he