Collection of Short Stories

by Carol Taylor

  ***

  The Reluctant Millionaire

  “Over 15 million dollars, Jean,” he told her and paused for effect.

  Jean let out a low whistle. “Oh my gosh!” she whispered, awestruck. “Are you sure?”

  Mike smiled, “I may not always know how much a jar of honey costs but when we’re talking serious money, I make it my business to know.” He knew she was going to have a hard time with this and had almost hated to tell her. Jean sat looking at her hands but said nothing more. “So,” Mike finally said carefully, “what do you want me to do with it?”

  “Oh, I don’t know…” Jean replied evasively, “I don’t care.”

  “Oh come now..” Mike started gently but Jean cut him off.

  “Just put it somewhere.. useful or something!” she said negligently. “I don’t want to talk about it!” and with that she got up and reached for her purse.

  “Alright, Jean, whatever you say. Would you like me to send you the statements?” he asked gently.

  “No!” Jean stated emphatically. “I’ll…deal with that later. I don’t want to be bothered with that stuff now.” Mike offered her his hand and looked at her sadly as she bade him goodbye.

  She could not stop herself from thinking back once again to the time when she and Charles had been so happy, building their home business, scrimping and saving for their future. How the business had prospered beyond their wildest dreams. And how somehow, as the money increased, so did their troubles. At first Jean couldn’t understand the problem. But Charles did. For the first time in his life he was important! He found that a flashy sports car and expensive suits made quite a difference to the way people treated him, especially women. He enjoyed the attention and was soon caught up in the seduction of younger women who had a ‘goal’.

  By the time Jean saw what was happening to her once humble husband she was powerless to reverse the situation. She cursed the money over and over again for changing him and hoped against hope that Charles would wake up.

  The heart attack had put an end to her hopes and though she naturally was left with the family fortune, Jean had left Mike—their accountant’s—office full of bitterness. Equating the money with the total destruction of her husband, her life and her happiness, she wanted nothing to do with it.

  And so Jean had begun a new life. She’d taken a job as a secretary with a construction firm and lived very modestly. She didn’t date because of the bitterness but as time went by, she began to feel the inevitable loneliness. So when Joe asked her out to dinner, she reluctantly said yes. Joe was a fine-looking man in his fifties, and she had liked his honesty and forthright way of speaking from the start. Plus he had an attribute that Jean, unlike most women, considered a definite asset—he didn’t have lots of money. Had he known about her little quirk, he would have been very amused but she kept it to herself and tried never to speak of money at all.

  When the dating turned into courting and Jean unbelievably found herself once more falling in love, she started showing a little more interest in his financial affairs. It seemed to Joe perfectly natural and he never suspected for a second that she was merely trying to find out his attitude towards money. She quizzed him about the future and hearing his plans for retirement in three years she smiled. ‘What will you do after retirement?’ she wanted to know.

  Joe had looked at her softly, “Jean, I didn’t know what I was going to do when I retired, until I met you. But now I know. You are the love of my life and there’s only one thing I want to do,” and he had taken both Jean’s hands in his. “I want to spend every precious waking moment with you,” and the love in his eyes was unmistakable. Before Jean could say a word, he added emphatically, “And I don’t care one fig what we do. Just say I can do it with you!” Jean had laid her head on his shoulder and cried for sheer joy. And Joe had been true to his word. They were married the following year and before long Joe had retired and had, of course, insisted that Jean retire too.

  Naturally Jean had told Joe all about Charles and his business. She had hinted at the wealth Charles had once had but had been vague when Joe asked about any inheritance. “Charles had a lot of relatives and an ex-wife...” she had explained lamely when asked about his will. “And the company had some debts I didn’t know about.” Yeah, the debts were for the last orders of sheet metal and other materials—some $100,000—only a drop in the bucket of his real fortune. But nothing on earth would wrest the truth from her. She couldn’t take the chance of money destroying anyone again!

  And so Joe and Jean acted like the honeymooners they were and her strange secret went unrevealed. Jean was deliriously happy and so was Joe. They lived in a modest little house in the suburbs of the city and bought furniture from the local warehouses. They vacationed in a rented RV and ate at the local coffee shops like everyone else from middle-class America. And they couldn’t have been happier.

  Then, two years into their marriage and off on another adventure, there was a fire. They got a telegram from a neighbor to hurry home. But ‘home’ was no more. Jean sobbed on Joe’s shoulder and they lived at the local motel for several weeks while they looked for a new home.

  The house had been insured but they had never felt they’d needed insurance for their furniture and possessions. Now they had to buy all new. It was a daunting task and expensive. Joe frowned and worried and worked on juggling finances late night after night. But somehow they managed. And Jean never said a word about the 15 million somewhere being ‘useful’.

  Six months later, tragedy struck again. This time it was Joe’s health. He needed surgery and his limited health insurance was certainly not going to cover it. “I may need to take a part-time job to get me through this,” he had told Jean gently. Her eyes had gotten wide with fright. She didn’t like him having surgery and she hated worse him going back to work. So, while he was recovering from surgery, she talked to him about a plan she had. How about starting a little mom and pop café out in Jackson near Yellowstone? They had loved it there and they could work together on it and…

  Joe liked the idea. If they sold their home, they would have the money to buy the little cafe with an apartment above. And so, husband and wife, lovers and best friends, they moved to Jacksonville and started a whole new life. And still Jean hardened her heart against the 15 million dollars

  But Jean had never been happier. It was hard work and long hours but they were together and proving every day that where there’s a will, there’s a way. There would be no vacations for them for some time. Nonetheless they were happy.

  Then one day, out of the blue, Mike the accountant, called Jean. “I just want to check with you before I move your money,” he’d said. Jean had tried to dismiss his worries but he wouldn’t be put off. “Jean, just listen to me for a few minutes. It won’t take long, but I feel responsible to you. OK?” Jean had sighed and given him the go ahead. And so it was decided to move Jean’s money into a new venture where, the now 17 million dollars would be better invested. Jean breathed a sigh of relief when she finally hung up the phone. She said nothing to Joe of course who was luckily working downstairs.

  About a month later, Joe called Jean from the kitchen. He was laughing raucously. “Jean!” he had called, “Come here and get the shock of your life! Oh, this is a good one!” Jean had found him in the kitchen grinning like a Cheshire cat and she couldn’t help smiling even though she wasn’t yet in on the joke.

  “What in heaven’s name is so funny about the mail?!” she asked, laughing.

  “Will you just look at this?!” he demanded with a grin, waving some papers in the air. “This company has written to tell us you have some seventeen million dollars in their market account! Whew, I’ve seen some pretty sensational typos, but this takes the cake! Seventeen million!!! You told me you put away some of the housekeeping money when you can, you never told me it was this much!” and Joe was off again in a par
oxysm of laughter. Thankfully he was so tickled he didn’t notice the shock on Jean’s face. When he finally stopped laughing he noticed Jean was not quite so amused as he had been.

  “What’s the matter, honey?” he asked. But before she could reply, thinking he’d understood her reaction, he added, “Look, don’t you worry. This is just a computer error. Happens all the time. I heard of one poor sucker that got a bill from the IRS telling him he owed the government twenty million dollars. He was a clerk at a shoe store making nine bucks an hour. This time the typo’s in our favor but they’ll catch it. Don’t you think it’s funny, though?” he asked still grinning. Jean smiled.

  “Yes,” she said slowly, trying hard to sound amused, “It is pretty funny.”

  “Now if it was really ours…” Joe continued, “…why, honey, what would you do if you had so much money?” he asked for fun.

  “Oh, Joe, I really don’t know. I….” She trailed off in silence. “What would you do with it, Joe,” she asked, suddenly interested in this little game.

  “Why,” Joe went off dreamily, “I’d help my parents get back the ranch they lost to the government six years ago. Then I’d put my Jimmy through law school instead of him having to work part time and take two extra years to do it. I’d make sure my little granddaughter, Ginny, had the best eye doctor in the world and I’d get us a house again,” he smiled with shining eyes, “Then, I’d take you on a cruise you’d never forget.” He looked up at her but she had turned towards the sink to hide her face.

  Feeling he’d caused her pain because he could only dream, he said, more soberly, “Heck, I’d best stop dreaming and get back to work!” and he left her to a flood of remorseful tears and tortured thoughts. Could money do so much good? She had hardened her heart towards it for so long, she hadn’t considered how much good it could do. She was in turmoil.

  Several days passed and Joe could not help noticing how distracted and jumpy Jean was. He wondered if the work was getting to her. “Honey,” he said finally, one evening. “I think it’s time you and I had a vacation.” He watched her carefully to see her reaction. She only raised her eyebrows at him expectantly. So he continued.

  “We’ve been working non-stop for eighteen months now. Let’s leave the café in the care of our capable chef and get away for awhile. What do you say?” and he was smiling broadly at her.

  “No,” she said unexpectedly.

  “No?” he asked surprised. “But why not? We can afford it and nobody’s indispensable and I want some time alone with you,” he pleaded.

  Jean smiled at him. “Sweetheart,” she said softly, “we should definitely get away for awhile and, certainly the chef can take over the running of the café but,…” and she paused to take a deep breath.

  “But…?” he asked perplexed.

  “We have a lot of work to do,” she finished.

  “We do??! he asked, more perplexed than ever.

  “Remember a few days ago when I asked what you would do with a fortune?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he said, not seeing any connection at all, “But..”

  She cut him off. “Those things you said you wanted to do?” she reminded him. “Well,” she ran on as he nodded uncomprehendingly, “We need to do them!” she stated emphatically. Joe just stared at her. Was she losing her marbles?

  “Honey…,” he soothed, but she didn’t let him say another word.

  “Joe,” she said quite sanely, quite seriously, “There’s something I never told you. I was afraid. I didn’t want to lose you or our love. I was stupid and bitter. I didn’t understand love or you or even me. Now I think I do.” Joe was looking completely bewildered. What was she talking about??!

  “Honey, please..,” he started but she held up her hand

  “Joe, let me finish,” she begged. “What I have to tell you had better not change a thing between us or I will never forgive you!” she said severely, but she was smiling. Joe remained silent and in turmoil. “Do you promise to forgive me for not telling you before?” she asked. Joe could only nod and wonder what in the world was going on. She paused looking down at her hands. Joe, disobeying her injunction to let her finish, jumped in.

  “Jean, I will love you forever no matter what,” he said emotionally. She kissed him impulsively with tears and deep love in her eyes.

  Then she pulled the money market statement out of her apron pocket and handed it to him as she asked, “Will you still love me if I tell you that this is no typo?!”