“The house was a gift from his father last year. The trust fund pays him one hundred thousand dollars a month. It made him quite the catch, as far as my own father was concerned. He hates Joseph now.”
“One hundred thousand a month, and that wasn’t enough to cover his gambling debt?” Cody whistles. “Do you have any idea who his bookie might be?”
“No, he kept that part of his life secret from me.”
“Do you think he might meet his bookie at the food bank?”
“The food bank? No. My uncle Vince runs that place. Remember him? He doesn’t agree with Joseph’s gambling, so he certainly wouldn’t allow it to happen there.”
Cody crosses his arms while staring at me intently.
It makes me uncomfortable, and I squirm in my seat. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
“Sorry.” He doesn’t stop staring. “How do you know Vince doesn’t agree?”
I can’t help the smile on my face; Vince has been there for me every time I need him. Really, he’s the only one in my family that has, if I’m being honest.
“Because he hates what Joseph did to me. If it weren’t for Vince, I would have been homeless after Joseph stole all our money.”
My smile falls as I remember the night I discovered how serious Joseph’s gambling problem was. I was at the university bookstore and my credit card was declined. I went home and looked up all my accounts online. He’d managed to spend all of his trust fund, all of our savings, and max out our joint credit card. I was left with nothing. And I had no way to pay for food or gasoline or what I really needed, a new place to stay. That had been the final straw in our marriage.
I was about to ask my dad for help when Vince showed up on my doorstep. Thank god for that. Owing my dad was not something I ever wanted to do.
A vein in Cody’s forehead bulges. “Joseph stole your money?”
“Yes. That was the end of our marriage. But Vince was great. He let me stay in one of his apartments for free until I was able to get back on my feet. Joseph must have felt bad about his part in it all, because he helped me get a job at the university.”
“I don’t understand. Your family has plenty of money. Why wouldn’t your dad give you an advance on your trust fund?”
I look away from Cody. Grabbing my stress ball, I give it a few squeezes. Might as well tell him. It isn’t a huge secret.
I purse my lips. “My dad revoked my trust fund when I was twenty-two. Now I refuse to ask him for help. He would hold it over me, and I couldn’t live that way.”
“Revoked it? What happened?”
“Let’s just say we had a falling out. I don’t want to talk about it.”
Diving into how my parents cut me off because I pursued my dream and not theirs will only make me more emotional. The fact they want a puppet more than a daughter is something I came to terms with long ago, even if I still don’t understand. If they want someone to always say yes, they should hire someone for that role.
Fortunately, Cody takes my hint and simply nods. “And that is why you didn’t want to keep the Gardiner name?”
“Yes.”
Please don’t ask anymore.
Cody is silent for a moment. As much as I hope he’ll leave the subject alone, I can’t say I’m saddened by his scowl. He used to be protective of me; it’s something I’ve missed.
Stop it. No, I can’t miss him. He’s here for a job, and then I’ll never see him again.
“Vince has apartments?” he asks.
I’m relieved at the change of topic. I could discuss Vince all day. He really saved me and is one of my favorite people.
“Yes, he owns several apartment buildings in town.”
“He’s a landlord?”
“Yes.”
