by Barbara Gee
Howard had already put in place detailed plans to sell his companies, doing his best to ensure that his people would be kept on by the new ownership. Once those transactions had been completed, all the proceeds would go into a foundation. Callie, and a board of directors agreed upon by herself, Harrison, Kirk and Gary, would then be in charge of donating funds to worthy causes. They could do it all at once, or spread it out over years or decades, however Callie saw fit.
“Giving is one of the greatest joys I’ve experienced, Callie,” Howard said in an emotional voice when Harrison had finished going over the specifics. “I want that for you. I know you don’t want to keep my companies, and I’m fine with letting them go. You’re my legacy, not my businesses. I want you to have the joy of giving, of seeing how financial gifts can make all the difference to people who are trying to make the world a better place. All I ask is that you think of me when you write a check and hand it to someone who deserves the help. I won’t be on this earth in a physical form much longer, but this way, I’ll live on in you, Callie. Jeremiah gave me a beautiful gift when he made sure you found out about me, and now I want to give you the best gift I know to give. You don’t have to keep a single penny for yourself, if you don’t want to, but I trust you to take what I’ve worked for and do good with it. I see great compassion and discernment in you. There’s no one I’d trust more than you, and also Vince, to carry out my wishes.”
“But you only met us three days ago,” Callie protested, her entire body trembling. “You can’t put that much trust in us after only three days.” The thought of such a vast responsibility terrified her. She wanted him to reconsider.
Howard’s eye shone with tears and he pressed his palm to his heart. “I know you, sweet girl. I know you. We share more than blood. You share my soul. I knew it when you were little, and it was confirmed within minutes of meeting you three days ago. Every hour we’ve spent together has only reinforced that knowledge. Please, at least consider doing this for me, Callie. Run the Lila Grace Foundation for me. For both of us.”
The Lila Grace Foundation. Until that moment, Callie hadn’t known that Tabby had kept her real middle name. She’d never thought to ask.
She concentrated on taking several long, deep breaths, trying to focus her wildly jumbled thoughts.
“I don’t know what to say,” she finally admitted. “I understand why you’re doing this and I appreciate the sentiment. But all I can think about is the responsibility it puts on me. You might think I’m capable of good discernment, but I’m not so sure. I’ve never tested it in the way you’re asking.”
“That’s why you’ll have a board of directors to help,” Howard said. “I don’t want it to be too much of a drain on your limited time, either. You can hire people to work for the foundation, people who can research organizations and keep track of donations, and also people to manage the investments of the funds that are waiting to be distributed. If you stretch this out over a long period of time, the pot will continue to grow.”
“It’s a rare opportunity,” Harrison added. “I suggest you consider it carefully. Overseeing a foundation that lasts for many, many years, perhaps even passing from you to your own children, could be a very fulfilling thing. An ongoing source of joy and a constant reminder of Howard’s gift to you. However, if you’re still opposed to the idea after taking the time to ponder it, we’ll forgo forming the foundation and you can simply disburse the funds however you see fit as soon as the estate is settled, and be done with it.”
Callie looked at her father, feeling so torn. His intentions were all good and she wanted to honor them. She just didn’t know if she could take on such a big project.
“It’s a lot,” she said. “Vince and I will need to discuss this. I don’t know how soon we’ll be able to come to a decision.”
“I understand,” Howard said. “I’ll also understand if you decide not to move forward with the foundation. I’ll be disappointed, sure, but I’ll understand.”
Callie fought back the tears burning her eyes. “I appreciate what you want to do.”
“Even so, your happiness is what’s most important to me,” Howard told her gruffly. “If you decide my idea for the Lila Grace Foundation will bring you more headaches than happiness, you need to turn it down. Don’t be afraid of hurting me.”
She nodded and looked at Gary and Kirk. “At some point I might want to talk with you two, to get your thoughts on how it would all work. But I’m going to need some time. It’s a huge decision and I want to do some research and talk to a few people I know about it. Would a month or two be too much to ask?”
The two men looked at Mr. Goudeau for an answer, and he patted the stack of folders twice before pushing to his feet. “I’m going to leave all this here. I’ve actually prepared the paperwork for both options, so once you decide, it’s just a matter of having Howard sign the appropriate pages. You two can take your time.”
Howard stood and walked over to shake Harrison’s hand. “Thanks for coming. I really do appreciate all you’ve done in such a short time.”
Harrison chuckled. “Oh, I’ll be handsomely compensated, I can assure you of that.”
The others laughed, then Harrison said his goodbyes, picked up his much lighter briefcase, and left.
Sophie brought in coffee and the five of them chatted for a while longer. Callie asked Howard which charitable causes were closest to his heart, and he talked about being on the board of several non-profits, including one that worked with helping veterans transition into the civilian world, and one that worked to rescue victims of human trafficking. He also expressed his interest in getting the bones of the foundation in place while he was still healthy enough to do so, which would make it that much easier for Callie to take over.
Gary and Kirk asked him lots of questions as well, and Callie decided that she could work very well with both of those men, should she decide to pursue the foundation.
Vince said very little, but Callie knew he was listening closely. When she realized Howard was tiring, she suggested they call it an evening. Kirk and Gary took their leave, neither of them putting any pressure on Callie to go with Howard’s plan. She got the impression that although they were willing to serve on the board, they would be fine with whatever she decided.
Howard tried to hide a yawn, making Callie smile.
“You need to get to bed. I have a feeling we’ve kept you up later than usual the last few nights.”
“I enjoyed every minute of it,” he assured her. “You two ready to turn in, too? The driver will be here to take you to the airport at nine tomorrow morning.”
Callie looked up at Vince and leaned into him, letting him decide.
“We’ll head up soon,” he answered. “We’ll see you at breakfast?”
“Yes, of course, and I suggest you come to the table hungry. Sophie will take full advantage of her last chance to cook for company.”
“Her last chance for now,” Callie said gently. “We’ll be back, you know.”
Howard’s lips compressed as he fought the emotion her words caused. “Thank you for that, Callie. Good night, you two.”
He turned and left the room, discreetly wiping his eyes as he turned the corner into the hall.
Callie turned to face Vince and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. “I think I love him,” she said against the fabric of his white button-down.
He chuckled. “I know you do. I might even love him a little myself, although I’m not sure what to think about this foundation deal.”
She propped her chin on his chest and looked up at him. “What are we gonna do?”
He smiled and took her head in his hands. “I appreciate you saying ‘we’, babe, but this has to be your decision. I’ll be your sounding board, and I’ll give you my opinions when you ask me to, but ultimately, Lila Grace has to make the decision about the Lila Grace Foundation. Just know I’m with you either way.”
“I was afraid you’d be all noble about this,” she
grumbled, hugging him tighter. “I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do. I admit I’m intrigued by his idea, but either way the money goes to worthy causes, right? It’s just whether it’s all at once, or over time.”
“Right, although a foundation would mean the funds could be invested and make more money over time, even though you’re regularly making gifts. If you hand it all out immediately, it’s done. But yes, either way a lot of people are going to benefit.”
“So, the foundation could actually be self-perpetuating, if we want to operate it that way,” she said, immediately seeing the advantages in that.
“Yeah. You have a lot of options.”
Callie’s gaze moved over his face, the thick-lashed blue eyes, the strong jaw, the irresistible masculine lips. “Is it selfish to want to choose whatever option works best for you and me?” she asked quietly. “I mean, I love Howard for what he’s trying to do for me, but if he truly wants me to be happy, that means having you. I can’t go with the foundation if it’s going to change things enough to ruin what we have.”
He bent his head and rubbed his nose along hers. “How many times do I need to tell you, sweetheart? Nothing’s going to come between us. We’ll always be able to figure things out. Together. Because the alternative’s not acceptable.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, her voice coming out smaller and more worried than she’d intended.
“Very sure. Look what we’ve already been through. Jeremiah’s death, the attack and your injury, and now meeting your father for the first time. I’d say we’re stronger because of all that, not weaker. Wouldn’t you?”
She nodded slowly, her heart running over. “I love you, Vince.”
“I love you.”
She sighed. “I don’t want to talk about the money anymore tonight. I just want to be close to you for a while.”
“Oh yeah?” he asked, his blue eyes warm. “You wanna know what I want?”
She tilted her head and raised her brows questioningly.
“I want to make up for going a whole day without kissing my girl,” he murmured. Before she could respond, he dropped his mouth to hers and within seconds, she was up on her toes, her arms around his neck, straining to get closer. More. All thoughts of the foundation fled her mind, replaced by Vince and the wonder of his touch. Their tongues tangled and his hands moved down her back, settling low on her waist.
There was nothing like the way he made her feel. Cherished and protected. Precious and desired. It was so good. Better than anything she’d ever known.
After a few minutes, he groaned and raised his head. “We’d better get to bed. We have a long day tomorrow.”
Callie nodded, gave him one more quick kiss, then took his hand, letting him lead her to the stairs, turning off lights as they went. When they got to her room, Vince put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him.
“You glad we came?” he asked.
“I’m so glad. I’m going to keep in close touch with Howard. I can’t come running down here every weekend or anything, but I’ll call and email. Make sure he knows I’m there for him. And maybe I can visit at least once a month.” She smiled. “When you have a week of away games or something.”
Vince smiled his approval. “Jeremiah would be real proud of you, baby,” he murmured. “The way you’ve opened your heart to Howard—he’d have wanted you to do that.”
A sob escaped her and she grabbed onto him, her face pressed into his shoulder. “I miss him, Vince,” she whispered. “I miss him so much.”
“I know you do.”
“Do you think he’d want me to do the foundation thing, too?” she asked.
“I think whatever you decide would be just fine with him.”
***
She looked up at him with the green eyes he could see forever in. He’d always seen it there, from that very first morning.
“I really do love you, Vince,” she said softly. “So much it almost hurts.”
His heart was so full of her he could no longer remember what had filled it before he met her. “I won’t hurt you.”
She smiled. “I know. It’s not that kind of hurt. It’s a good kind. Like my chest has to stretch to fit it all in, because my heart’s so much bigger now.”
He gave her a slow smile. “I like that. Keep on stretching—keep feeling the burn. ‘Cause I’m not going anywhere.”
CHAPTER 40
The news that little Lila Grace Tate was alive hit two days after Vince and Callie got back to Barlow. Less than twenty-four hours later, a dozen or more cars carrying reporters and photographers lined up on the road out by the Double Nickel’s lane.
Callie’s first inclination was to hole up and stay out of sight, but Vince and the others convinced her that would only prolong the agony. So, she did her best to ignore them and go about business as usual. Her first outing was to the hospital to get her worse-for-wear neon green cast removed. Brit went along, and it was no surprise to anyone that she actually enjoyed the media attention, and was thrilled when her photo showed up online.
As the days passed and the library of photos of Callie and Vince increased, the attention gradually began to wane, just as predicted. They continued with their plans for her to move to Minneapolis, and although Callie wasn’t exactly eager to leave the Double Nickel, she was surprisingly excited about moving to the city. Apparently, being with Vince trumped leaving all she knew and loved in Barlow.
Happily, Sam and Lance were completely pumped at the chance to take over the day-to-day running of the ranch. Callie spent a lot of time with them, discussing their vision for the place and how to keep the communication between the three of them clear and efficient. It would be a work in progress, but Callie was optimistic about it. She respected the two men and appreciated their loyalty, and she was confident Jeremiah would have agreed with her decision to put the ranch in their hands.
Vince’s realtor found several condos near his house for them to check out, so they spent a weekend in Minneapolis, two weeks before training camp started. All three of the places were nearly perfect as far as Callie was concerned, but she chose the one closest to Vince’s house. The realtor took care of the paperwork, and Callie signed a twelve-month lease. She secretly hoped she wouldn’t need her own place that long, but with everything going on in their lives, and hockey season about to start, she wouldn’t blame Vince if he wanted to take his time in making one more change.
Although things were beyond busy, Callie was excited about this next phase. Vince had given his time almost exclusively to her the past two and a half months, and now she would finally be in a position where she could start giving back. She knew he needed to focus on the upcoming season, and she wanted to support him.
***
Halfway through the pre-season schedule, Callie moved into her condo. Vince was doing well on the ice and she couldn’t wait to see him play, but he had asked her to wait until the real season started. He wanted her first professional hockey experience to be the real thing, the best it could possibly be—the season opener.
And because Callie could tell it was important to him, she agreed to wait.
Since she couldn’t go to the games, she’d decided to take the opportunity to go to New Orleans to spend a week with her father. She left her new home and lots of unpacked boxes and flew south. Although she’d missed Vince terribly while she was gone, she and Howard had had a wonderful time. They’d spent many hours talking about the foundation, and he’d even taken her to meet with two of his acquaintances who ran sizable foundations of their own.
Those visits had been enlightening, and Callie had admitted on one of her daily calls to Vince that she was leaning toward letting her father take the Lila Grace Foundation concept and run with it. She’d asked him again if he would be okay with that, and he’d laughed and told her he’d known for weeks that’s where her heart was going to take her. She not only had his full support, but also the confidence that their prayers and discussions had led them
both to that decision.
Howard had been overjoyed, weeping openly when they sat down with Harrison Goudeau and signed the papers.
***
Now Callie was back in Minneapolis, and the season opener was only days away. To make things even more exciting, Brittany, Kim and Rose had arrived in the city on Friday for a four-day weekend, planning to leave Tuesday morning after the game.
On Friday and Saturday, they gleefully helped Callie pick out furniture and decorate her new place, which so far sported only a chair, a desk, a mattress, and a few kitchen items. Callie hadn’t had a chance to do more before leaving for New Orleans, and she was glad for the girls’ help.
As they shopped, Callie tried hard to make thrifty choices, but furnishing a large, two-bedroom condo was so expensive. She refused to let Vince help, even though she had to dip further into her savings than she’d planned. Brit tried to get her to go a little crazy and get some designer pieces, but Callie resisted the temptation. She might be dating a professional athlete and have a father who was a billionaire, but she didn’t want that to change who she was. She was still an independent, single woman, and perfectly capable of maintaining a comfortable lifestyle without the help of either Vince or Howard.
On Sunday, they went to church, followed by lunch out, then they spent the rest of the day exploring Minneapolis and St. Paul. Vince couldn’t go along due to team commitments, but Jolene joined them and made sure they found a lot of fun places to visit.
On Monday, Callie left the girls at the condo to put the finishing touches on the place, including putting away all the things she’d bought for the kitchen, while she headed over to Vince’s house. He’d been at the rink almost the entire weekend, but after the morning skate today the coach had given the players a few hours to spend at home before they had to report back for the game. Vince had told Callie she was welcome to come hang out with him, if she needed a break from her girlfriends.
