Reva gasped. “What did you tell her?”
Charlie Grace barely missed a beat, flashing a dry smile. “Oh, you know, the usual—buy a yacht, fund a llama sanctuary, maybe build a gold-plated outhouse just to see if I can.”
They all shared a laugh.
“Good to see you’re not losing your sense of humor,” Lila noted.
“Truth is, the money is not all mine. We’re in the process of setting up a trust for Jewel, with protections that will keep Gibbs’ mitts off the money. Another third is Dad’s. He intends to pay off all the ranch loans and wants to purchase old man Johnson’s property to the west.” She folded her feet up under her on the sofa. “And get this—he wants to expand the guest ranch. Build new guest quarters. Put in a tennis court, a golf course, and a pool!”
Reva’s hand went to her chest. “No! Are you kidding? The man who fought the guest ranch concept because he didn’t want the cattle ranch he built to change?”
“No one is more surprised than I am,” Charlie Grace said, eyes twinkling. “Then Oma Griffith gave me some sage advice. She caught me in the grocery store aisle, leaned in—hand to her chest, mind you—and said, ‘Charlie Grace, dear, you must be careful. Wealthy women get targeted. People will want things.” She lowered her voice. “Men will want things.’”
Reva let out an exaggerated sigh and set her cup down on the table. “Well, in that case, we should retroactively invoice every man we’ve ever dated.”
Capri laughed. “Yet I don’t think Oma was completely off in her advice. I’m not ultra-rich, but I have a little money. Believe me, you’ll become a magnet for all the gold diggers.”
Charlie Grace nodded and tapped her wine glass with an hors d’oeuvre spoon. “Ding, ding, ding. And then, as if summoned by the forces of pure irony, Gibbs Nichols walked into the store and had the audacity to say—and I quote—‘Hey, Charlie Grace, about your new windfall. We should grab dinner. Talk about some investment ideas I have.’”
Capri groaned. “Of course, he did.”
“Yes, he did,” Charlie Grace echoed. “And before I could shut him down, Oma turned right around and muttered, ‘See? Told you so.’”
The women erupted into laughter, Reva wiping a tear from her eye. “I swear, Gibbs could smell money from across state lines.”
“Oh, he’s not even pretending to be subtle,” Charlie Grace said. “I caught him cornering Clancy yesterday, asking if we were looking for an advisor to help ‘manage our affairs.’”
Lila blinked. “Gibbs? A financial advisor?”
Charlie Grace lifted her glass. “He couldn’t manage a checking account without over-drafting. He just wants another handout. Probably thinks I’ll finance his next failed business venture.”
More laughter spilled through the room as Charlie Grace shook her head. “But honestly, it’s not just Gibbs. My ranch hands all thought I was going to sell and retire. I walked into the barn, and they were literally taking bets on where I’d move. Jackson Hole, Montana, the South of France?—”
Reva’s eyebrows shot up. “The South of France?”
“I know, right?” Charlie Grace grinned. “Then Ford Keaton, the most practical of the bunch, goes, ‘Nah, she’s not going anywhere. She’s too stubborn.’”
“He’s not wrong,” Capri said.
“Nope,” Charlie Grace agreed. “So, then the next logical thing they start betting on? What’s the first thing I’ll spend money on. They all assumed I’d get some massive fancy horse trailer, a new truck, maybe even a big new house in Jackson.”
Charlie Grace sighed dramatically. “My actual money pit is Clancy Rivers. Dad sits at his computer all day, ordering every single thing he’s ever wanted but never let himself buy.”
Reva grinned. “Uh-oh. What’s he gotten so far?”
“Let’s see,” Charlie Grace said, ticking them off on her fingers. “Three different drone kits, a leather recliner that massages, high-thread-count silk bedsheets, and some ridiculous pairs of noise-canceling headphones?—”
“Plural?” Capri asked.
“Oh, multiple pairs,” Charlie Grace confirmed. “He says he needs a backup in case one malfunctions.”
Lila chuckled. “I take it the Amazon packages keep coming?”
“Like clockwork. My driveway looks like a fulfillment center. If I let this go on much longer, he’ll have the whole house looking like a Walmart.”
Reva smirked. “So, what was the first thing you bought?”
Charlie Grace shrugged. “A fancy espresso machine.”
