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“Well, what do you want to do with it? You can sell it or you can name someone as president and only sit on the board as chairman. You’ll still get a salary draw every month as your father did, it’ll just be a lesser cut because the president’s salary will need to come out of it. That was what your father was going to do when he was diagnosed, but the time went by too quickly. Hell, Weston, he was still making decisions until he went into hospice care and began taking heavy pain meds.

“I stepped in and took over for him, and I’ve been doing double duty at the firm and the company ever since. I’m too old to work so many hours. When your Mom and Dad sat down with me to do their will, I told your father that I’d help whomever he chose as his successor, but I didn’t want the job. I’m fifty-seven, and I’d like to do some traveling before I die. I’d be available to you as often as you needed me, but I’m not interested in taking over Aames.” Edmond took a sip of his water and slyly checked his watch.

Weston sighed. “What’s Mom doing for money, Uncle Edmond?”

“She didn’t tell you?”

West glanced at me, and I kissed his temple, shaking my head at Edmond to confirm that May hadn’t told West jack shit.

“She had her own money coming into the marriage. When she worked for your father before they became involved, May had an inheritance from her grandmother. She just had it in a passbook savings account drawing piddly interest, so your father advised her where to invest it, and she just left it alone all these years. She has about five million of her own funds.”

Weston gasped. I was surprised too.

“Mom led me to believe we’d be surviving on beans and franks. She was going to get a job, Uncle Edmond. I got a job to help out.” Oh, my guy was pissed.

Edmond held up his finger for Weston to hold on for a minute. “Weston, when your father made the caveat in his will about your needing to prove yourself, it was with the mindset that you might be a spoiled rich kid who would sponge off his mother for the rest of her life.

“Your father and Daryl built Aames Investments from the ground up. Bridges didn’t want to go to work for the firm, and that was fine, but Claude’s dream was for you to take over the firm and step out of his shadow. Make Aames what you want it to be. It’s a living thing if you think about it, and you can grow it the way you see fit.”

Edmond checked his watch again. Obviously, he had plans for the night.

“I’m not going to tell you what to do, Weston, but I think your mother didn’t tell you about the money because she wants you to take control of your life. You’re twenty-five. You have an MBA. You know business. You’ve handled the planning of this ride, and it sounds as though you’ve made up your mind that you’re going to do this. Maybe don’t jump to the decision you don’t want to be a part of Aames right away. Really think about what you want to do with your life, okay? I hate to drop these bombs and run, but I’ve got a date.”

“I’ll walk you out, Edmond.”

I unwrapped Weston and walked Edmond down through the shop, stopping at the door. “Do you think May misled him on purpose?”

“Yes, I do. Claude was petrified that West was going to turn into CJ and Claudia. He and May had a lot of discussions about it when Claude was diagnosed, so I think she wanted to show Claude that Weston wasn’t like the older two. Elise made them what they are. May is nothing like her.”

I opened the front door where a car was waiting for him at the curb, and we said goodnight. I locked the downstairs and turned off the lights before going to see how Weston was fairing after the discussion with Edmond. He cleared some things up for Weston, which was good, but I hadn’t told my boyfriend that I would be the fifth vote on the board in the event of a tie. I prayed I didn’t have to break a tie because I never wanted West to think he only got the firm because of me. I believed that would undermine all the confidence he’d gained since the beginning of the process.

Weston had worked hard and he deserved to know he earned everything coming to him.

Chapter Twenty-five

Weston

May

When we arrived at the Aames Building on Friday morning, I was surprised to see Mom, Claudia, Alexis, Stephanie, Uncle Edmond, and a few people I didn’t know waiting for me. I walked up to hug Mom first and whispered in her ear, “We have a lot to discuss. Who are all these other people?”

Mom sniffed. “I’m sorry I wasn’t honest, Weston, but look where you are. These people saw the news report last night and wanted to come support you as you take off. WNYC put up the time and place where you were going to start the ride, and they came out. I love you, and I know you’ll succeed. Call me as often as you’d like, okay?”

I instantly forgave my mother. I’d made love to Bridges the night before and we’d talked about everything. He’d said, “Neither of us have been parents, so we don’t know how it feels to raise a child. My parents didn’t always do things I agreed with, but I suppose just trying to keep your kids healthy, safe, and raise them to be solid members of society brings tough decisions.”

It made sense. Aside from being the man I loved, Bridges was also a wonderful role model. He taught me stuff every day through example and kind guidance. He never belittled me, always offering options, but never telling me what to do. I knew that some days, I frustrated the hell out of him, but he was always patient. If we ever chose to have children, he would be a remarkable father.

I went around the group and met everyone in the modest crowd. Many were members of the LGBTQIA community and some were allies. I was grateful they bothered to come see me off, especially at the most ungodly hour of the day.

“Why don’t all of you stand behind West as he makes the inaugural video for YouTube,” Bridges suggested after talking to Alexis for a moment.

I was so nervous I thought I was going to puke.

“Okay, Weston. Speak from your heart like you did in the news interview,” Alexis said.

I swallowed. “Okay.” She held up three fingers and pointed the phone toward me. She dropped one, two, three fingers and pointed at me to speak.

“Hi, I’m Weston Aames, and I’m beginning my cross-country ride in front of the Aames Building in Manhattan, New York, and ending in front of the Rainbow Equality Alliance building in The Castro, San Francisco, California.