Page 148 of Rules to Love By

“I know him.”

Richards nodded. “Yes. Well. A man died. My son’s involvement is well documented, and while he wasn’t charged with murder, exactly, his stay behind bars will be a lengthy one. His health is not good. I expect, in the end, he will probably die there.”

“I’m sorry.”

“As am I. But a man can only change if he wants to, and your uncle…” Richards shrugged, and that, too, was sad. But he looked up at Marcus again, offering a resigned smile. “I don’t expect you to have any affection for an old man who didn’t step up when he should have. And that’s okay. I just wanted you to know that the money is free and clear for you to do what you want with it.”

“I’ll be setting up a trust through the Lucky’s Landing Foundation.”

Richards nodded. “Your friend. Lucky Denver. He’s doing good things.”

“And I intend to help him.”

“Good.”

“You don’t object to your family money being used to help homeless queer kids?”

“It is your family money too, Marcus. I have no grounds to object.”

“Meet my investment,” Marcus said impulsively.

Richards blinked at him.

“You can’t make up for not being there for me when I needed you, but you can help other people like me.”

“Some of those young people you want to help won’t be good investments.”

“But some of them will. None of them will have a chance without us, though.”

Richards watched him thoughtfully for a long time before finally nodding. “You have a lot of my sister’s spunk in you, Marcus.”

“She raised me, so…” He shrugged, then realized how similar that gesture was to Richards’s. “We’re family, right?”

“We are family.”

“So.”

“So.” Richards smoothed a finger over his moustache. “Lucky’s Landing Foundation.” He took another sip of his coffee, pushed the mug away, and stood. “I’ll have my people set something up.”

“Good.”

Eli moved to let Marcus out of the booth.

“I hope I will see you again someday.”

Marcus lifted one shoulder and waved at the booth. “We open July first. Your booth is always here. Doesn’t have to be a Thursday. In fact, show up opening day and you can meet my little sisters.” He smiled, because he couldn’t help it whenever he thought about Brittany and Anita, both newly minted university graduates, one in social work and one a preschool teacher. “You’ll really like them.”

“I fear I don’t do family well, Marcus. Maybe I never learned.”

“Never too old to learn, Grandfather.”

Richards’s snort lifted his moustache from his lip. “Nobody wants to die alone, eh?”

“That is entirely up to you. I’m not going anywhere.”

Richards nodded. “Iris did a good thing, taking you in. You turned out all right.”

Marcus didn’t have a reply for that, and Richards didn’t wait for one anyway. As the door swung shut behind him, he wondered if he would see the old man again. To his surprise, he hoped so.

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