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It wasn’t a question but Jacob shook his head fiercely anyway. “No. The boy doesn’t care about money! He drives a two million dollar car like it’s a mini-van. You really think he’s caught up on money?”
Eve put a hand to her throat. She’d known his car was nice but… “Two million?” she said faintly.
Jacob chuckled. “That one-of-a-kind car should be in a climate-controlled showroom.” He shook his head. “My boy isn’t caught up on things or concerned with earthly value. He’s one in a million.”
Eve gave him a faint smile though she agreed. Beck had put a car seat that probably had Cheerios or fruit snacks stuck on it in a two-million-dollar car, multiple times. He’d handed the keys over to valets who could’ve taken that car on a joy ride. Obviously money didn’t mean much to him.
“He wouldn’t listen to me,” Papa continued. “I knew, just knew he had to get married and soon. My angels in heaven told me. So I gave him the ultimatum. He didn’t care. Said he had to put you first.” He raised an eyebrow and Eve’s heart thudded quicker and quicker. “I know he only wants my money so he can feed children throughout the world,” he rolled his eyes. “Boy’s got a bleeding heart like nothing I’ve ever seen.” His smile came again. “I’m proud of him, and I really don’t want to give my fortune to those ugly hyenas. But I will, I promise I will. My word is my bond.”
Eve’s own heart had been racing but now it felt like it slammed to a stop. “He wanted to put me before billions of dollars? He only wants the money to help children?” she repeated.
He nodded. “But he told me to give it to the stupid hyenas because he loves you and he wasn’t going to push you into marriage.”
Eve felt frozen yet full of more excitement than she’d felt in a while. “He said that?” She searched his blue eyes for any deception but saw only sincerity and a grandfather whose grandson was his entire world.
“Yes, he did. You mean more to him than helping millions of starving orphans.”
“That makes me feel awful,” she said, but she was laughing. This man didn’t beat around the bush, and somehow that reassured her that he was sincere.
“Not trying to guilt you into a quick wedding.” He winked.
“I can see that.”
They smiled at each other for a few seconds then he asked, “The question is, young lady. Do you love my grandson?”
“Yes.” There was no reason to hesitate or lie about it.
Jacob gave her a grin that reminded her of Beck. “Well, all right then. Your sister had some ideas that I think we might all want to talk about.”
“Rachel is full of ideas,” she said.
He took her hand and squeezed it. “I think Beck and I are going to like being part of your family.”
“Now you’re being a little presumptuous. I said I loved him, I didn’t say I’d marry him.”
He arched an eyebrow. “So you’d rather billions of dollars be fed to the hyenas, the disgusting villains in the classic Lion King, than the needy children?”
“Of course not.” She eyed him up and down. “You wouldn’t really do that.” She hoped to call his bluff. She loved Beck but marriage still terrified her and was nothing to rush into, even marriage to a man as appealing and good as Beck.
“Oh, yes I would. It would pain me, but I’m a man of my word, just like Beckett is.”
Eve bit at her lip. “So I marry Beck on Saturday or the hyenas get the money?”
“Yep. So what’s it going to be, Eve Jewel: are you going to choose love and happiness, rescuing children in the process, or loneliness and making the hyenas howl with happiness instead of you?”
Eve didn’t answer right away.
“The clock is ticking,” Jacob reminded her.
“Don’t rush me.”
He smiled. “I think we’re going to get along just fine.”
Eve liked him but she still didn’t want to be forced into marriage. No matter how much she loved Beck or how worthy of a cause it might be. She’d rushed the first time and it hadn’t turned out so well. She’d rushed things with Beck after he’d saved Paisley from Mark and everything had exploded shortly after. Her natural cautiousness wasn’t a bad thing. She wanted to talk a lot of things through with Beck, kiss him, and know if it was right.
Billions of dollars to the hyenas? Yikes. She needed to pray hard, talk things over with her family, and she needed to see Beck. Hopefully, Jacob’s angels who had inspired this crazy idea would give her some inspiration because right now all she had was confusion.
