Western Waves (Compass 3)

The ex-wives broke out into a fit over the idea, and I felt as if I was trying to swallow the biggest lump in my throat.

He left all of his belongings to me?

And Damian Blackstone?

But why?

“That’s not all,” Joe said, raising his voice to try to recollect the power of the room. “In order for this to happen, it is of the utmost importance that Damian and Stella wed for six months’ time. Within those six months, the two must live within the same household, spending at least five days out of the week under the same roof. They cannot go more than forty-eight hours outside of the home together. No loopholes. This arrangement will start no later than a week from today.”

“There’s no way in hell,” Damian and I said in unison. What was with us speaking the same words at the same time?

“This isn’t fair!” Denise whined. “Why do they get the good stuff?”

“Denise, hush,” Grams said.

“What? It’s true. No offense, we don’t even know who this man is, and for some reason, we are supposed to think he deserves a cent of Kevin’s belongings? He has the least amount of rights to that money.”

“She’s right,” Catherine chimed in. “He has no right to a cent of that money.”

“As it turns out, Damian is Kevin’s son. Therefore, he does have a right to the money,” Joe added.

The women’s eyes fell on Damian, and the shock that hit them all was the same shock that hit me earlier that day when the realization set in.

He blankly stared and nodded toward them all. “Hello, stepmothers.”

“Whose kid is he?” Denise asked, looking around at the others.

“Don’t look at me,” Catherine remarked. “Does this body look like it bore a child?”

“Honey, a good California surgeon could work miracles on anyone. Just ask Rosalina and her nose,” Denise slyly remarked.

“I know you’re not talking, Ms. Booty from Dr. Kent,” Rosalina shot back. “Turns out, hips can lie.”

It was like watching a live-action viewing of The Real Ex-Housewives of Los Angeles.

Joe cleared his throat. “None of this matters, ladies. All that matters is, if Damian and Stella keep the deal, they get all the income. Along with one of the ex-wives receiving twenty million dollars based on who Damian and Stella decide is worthy of the gift.”

“Prize money?” Rosalina asked, sitting up straighter. “For the best wife?”

“Yes.” Joe pointed at the paper. “It says right here. Each wife should spend one evening with Damian within the six months’ time and showcase why they should receive the money. Since you all already spent time with Stella at a young age, Kevin believes it’s important for you to get to know Damian on his own.”

“This is insane,” I muttered.

“Which is why I’m not taking part in any of this,” Damian stated, turning to Joe. “No offense, Joe, but you can tell dead Kevin to shove his money up his ass. I don’t want it. That’s not why I came here.”

“What happens if Damian doesn’t want the money?” Denise eagerly asked. “If they refuse the deal or break the rules?”

“Well, it will be split between the three ex-wives,” Joe explained.

I swore their eyes lit up as if it were Christmas morning. “I think that’s for the best,” Rosalina mentioned.

“Go ahead,” Damian said. “Take it.”

He turned and walked out of the room, allowing the door to slam behind him.

“That’s the right thing to do.” Catherine smiled, feeling pleased. “We all deserve it after having to raise that kid of his. I deserve it the most, seeing how I raised her the longest.”

She spoke about me as if I wasn’t right here.

“All you care about is the money?” I asked, feeling as if my mind was in a washing machine and my thoughts were being forced to spin round and round at such an uneven pace. I couldn’t even piece together everything being said, let alone the idea that Kevin wanted me to wed Damian.

Why would he do that?

Knowing for a fact that I was in a long-term relationship, too.

“It doesn’t matter what we care about,” Denise said. “It matters that these were Kevin’s final wishes. And do you really want to go against them? He wanted the money to come to me.”

“Us,” Rosalina corrected.

I felt nauseous.

Grams turned to me and smiled. “You don’t owe this world a thing, sweetheart. Not even Kevin.”

The comfort she gave was kind, but I didn’t believe her words. In a way, I owed Kevin everything. He gave me a world when I had nothing left. I didn’t understand why he did it, but I knew he had to have a good enough reason.

“He wanted this, Grams,” I whispered in a shaky voice.

“Yes,” she agreed. “But what do you want?”

To make him proud.

Without much thought, I raced out of the office to find Damian with his hand on the front door of the home, ready to leave.