STEPBROTHER: The Bride's Surprise (FMM Menage Stepbrother Romance) (Contemporary Women New Adult & College Menage Short Stories) (3 page)

“You’re the legalese girl, remember?” Livy said.

“Well you’ve got sugar ‘stache on your upper lip, so there.” Poppy and Livy rounded a corner near the Castle Agency to Doggy Hearts.

The building was near Donovan’s Agency and Livy had rented it to go into business for herself. She loved animals, and a dog walking biz was something she could put heart and soul into without wondering if it had purpose.

Donovan Lee had instructed Livy to follow her dreams; but Livy had given up on fairy tales. Finding Jacques in bed with not one supermodel, but two, had cured Livy about romantic fantasies.

Dog walking was a salve for all the hurt and pain Livy had to work through to get to where she was now; reasonably happy, relationship-free. Then there was her mother Julia and her mom’s paltry insurance. What was Julia Castle going to do if Julia inherited the family’s business?

Livy handed her leashes to Poppy. “I’ve got that meeting this morning. Can you hang with the pooches by yourself for a few more hours?”

Poppy smiled, elated. “You know it. We’re two 24 year olds living it up. I’m an independent woman, and I do what I want.”

Livy hugged her friend Poppy who was wearing an oversized pink sweater and purple leggings in the crisp June air. Gosh, what Livy wouldn’t do to live as free as Poppy did. “See you later this afternoon.”

“Okay, do your ‘thang’,” Poppy hoarded the dogs into Livy’s office space. Livy saw the Irish wolfhound was dragging her. “I got this.”

*****

Livy waited in the shade of the oak trees lining the industrial-sized building. Reeve’s and Associates was her grandfather Donovan’s communiqué for everything. Livy knew she didn’t grasp half of what the people in the upstairs offices told her, or what her granddad’s will said.

Livy stood waiting on the phone for someone or something in the receivables office at the Memorial hospice to answer. She had to phone now or she would never get through to the right people.

“Memorial receivables.”

“Yes, this is Livy Castle. My mother has an account with you I’d like to discuss.”

“Do you have the information available, such as an account number, or an address that is associated with it,” the female voice said.

“I don’t know my mom’s account number off the top of my head. You said an address?” Livy gave the info.

“I have the information. Can you please confirm your relationship in the form of the last four digits of the social that is matched with the power of attorney?”

Livy gave the info. “Yes, I have Julia Castle’s account. She has an outstanding balance of $295, 746.98.”

Livy stared at her phone. “I don’t have that,” Livy whispered loudly into the phone. “I own a dog walking business, not a multinational conglomerate.”

“This amount will be due at the end of the month.”

“The end of the month—? I thought it was sixty days? My mom has a rare disease with her lymphatic system, and other things. What am I supposed to do? Poof and flying money will fly out of my butt? This is unbelievable. Without the treatments at the hospice, she may relapse,” Livy explained.

“I understand,” said the receivables representative. “Let me connect you with someone who may be able to help you further. May I put you on hold for a minute, Miss Castle?”

Livy didn’t have time to wait for more horrific news. She asked for the contact number for the person. “Okay, thanks.”

“Thank you for choosing the Memorial hospice and I hope you have a wonderful day.”

Livy hung up her phone, staring into the street like a zombie; she remembered she had a meeting upstairs.

*****

“Did you have a chance to read everything,” the handler said to Livy.

Livy sat across her grand pappy’s lawyer, and she felt like her head had caved in…she replayed her conversation with the Reeves and Associates face man, gob smacked.

Livy thought she may as well have been struck by a ton of steel. She bet even four-eyed Clark Kent’s cousin Kara would have been hard pressed to deal, jeepers.

“Yes, but I don’t know if I really am getting what you told me?” Livy read the fine print of the legalese and signed where the handler instructed.

“The first page covers everything that you own.”

“Own?” Livy said, looking at Simon Sallow whom she’d nicknamed, her ‘handler’.

Livy had seen Simon dozens of times after her grand pappy died. What Simon didn’t have in looks, he made a lasting impression with in words. Livy replied she thought standing in for her grandfather was temporary. “You’re saying I really do own the Agency?”

“Yes. There are clauses about the redacted actions and responsibilities your grandfather Donovan instructed to have followed. There are in the final pages. Remember to familiarize yourself with them, as you are the sole heir to the Castle family fortune.”

Sole heir? What family fortune?
Livy scrunched her face as she glanced at Mr. Simon Sallow. “In English?”

“Miss Castle, your grandfather owned more than the Castle Ad Agency. He partnered with other agencies and organizations when he expanded the business.” Livy watched Simon click his fountain pen point to a page in the legal papers.

“You not only own and are responsible for maintaining the Castle Ad Agency. You also have shares in additional companies, listed here, and here,” Simon flipped a page, “here, here, and here.”

Livy gawked at Simon Sallow.

“You mean to tell me that Donovan Lee owned multiple companies?”

“The Castle Agency is a business that is owned by the LLC, named the Castle Ad Agency. I thought your grandfather would have told you all of this.” Simon linked his fingers and he waited for Livy to read the clauses.

Livy sank into the chair opposite Simon Sallow. “Okay. So, grand pappy Donovan was rich.”

“Your grand pappy formed partnerships with several of the leading ad agencies along the coast. He was also a board member with two of this city’s largest modeling agencies.”

Livy touched her head, trying to let the words sink into her brain.

“I believe this was in part of the mailer you received.” Donovan showed Livy a spread sheet itemizing Donovan’s holdings. “Here is a duplicate.”

“Miss Castle, your grandfather Donovan Lee Castle was a billionaire.”

*****

Poppy stared at her friend Livy, open-mouthed. “No way.”

“Way,” Livy replied.

“Your grandfather was a wheeler-dealer, is that what Simon says?”

Livy spat her cola into her glass. She and Poppy had detoured from dog walking for a fast brunch.

It was Friday and the only thing Livy wanted to crawl into were the crisp sheets of her hotel room. Her flat was being fumigated, and she didn’t want any lovely bed buggies feasting on her pink toes like the hot dog she was trying to scarf.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to make a funny,” Poppy frowned between bites of her dog with ketchup and relish.

“No, it’s perfect,” said Livy. What could be better than being told she had a fortune she couldn’t even touch?

“That’s not the best part. Guess how long I have to repay my mother’s bills?” Livy waited for Poppy to swallow before she lambed her good with the news.

“I give,” Poppy shrugged.

“A quarter of a million dollars.”

This time Poppy spat up her cola. “You have got to be shooting me—.” Livy loved when Poppy cursed because she chose words that never sounded like the real thing.

“And change,” Livy said. “Oh, and I have to have it by the end of the month.”

“I thought it was sixty days,” replied Poppy.

“And the clincher? I have no idea whom grand pappy really worked with, or why he never told mom he was super rich.”

“Maybe he thought he was surrounded by gold diggers?” Poppy bit into her bratwurst.

“Get this. Granddaddy was paying for mom’s hospice bills and he didn’t want anybody to know. You should see all of grand pappy’s holdings.” Livy cleaned a dab of mustard off her hand.

“Wow,” Poppy said.

“Now I have a meeting with a company I’ve only heard of by reputation.”

“If you need me to look into it, you know I will.”

“I’m going to see them at this place later today. It’s the Fox Agency, I think?” Livy said.

Poppy set down her cola. “The Foxtail Ad Group?” Poppy said.

“Yeah, that’s it,” said Livy. “You know about it?”

“Livy. The Foxtail Ad Group is the largest advertising agency this side of the country. If your grandfather was connected with them, he was one of the shrewdest businessmen around.”

“What do you mean?” Livy said.

“The Foxtail Ad Group handles most of the biggest music and entertainment beasts in the country. Your granddaddy Donovan worked with The Foxes? Then he partnered with the best of the worst—.” Poppy bit another chunk off her dog, nodding.

“Give me the dirt,” said Livy.

“Girl, The Foxtail Ad Group buys companies and sells them off, piece by piece. Granddaddy Donovan Lee Castle partnered with a virtual seabed of sharks.”

*****

Livy gave Poppy power of attorney over Doggy Hearts. She knew she was about to face her biggest challenge since finding out about her mom’s illness and breaking up with Jacques. The town continued to buzz about the two of them, now that the photo shoot had graced the pages of Haute Looks, and now W Magazine. Livy never expected the shoot would become a runaway success.

Livy realized she’d inherited a company and it was more than she bargained. She still didn’t have any funds to help her mother, and now she had to meet a pair of brothers who were apparently responsible for controlling most of the larger ad revenue in the city. There wasn’t much information about both brothers, only one. Livy hadn’t known Donovan had created The Castle Agency to be part of a larger company.

*****

The Leigh Crocs wedges Livy wore she decked out with white stockings, a navy blue mini, a white naval shirt with an ocean blue scarf, and a red purse. Hey, if she was going to be eaten by a shark, she could as least look the part.

Livy decided to leave her blonde tresses down so she didn’t look a completely cosplay. She thought her hose and her naval choice made her look snazzy.

Livy walked into The Foxtail Ad Group wary but cheerful. Maybe her grandfather had placed enough funds into her mother’s accounts for the future, and everything would be fine.

If Donovan hadn’t, Livy was going to have a time trying to figure out how to come up with a whopping 250K, for her mother’s bills and change.

Rhonda met Livy and instantly they clicked.

“I have an appointment to see Mr. Fox?” Livy said.

“Yes. Miss, Castle, is it?” Rhonda replied.

“Yes.”

“We’ve heard many great things about The Castle Agency. I’m sorry to hear about your grandfather. He treated the Foxtail Agency to a long-time partnership the company may not see again for a while.”

Rhonda leaned over her desk towards Livy.

“Is it true Donovan Lee liked whiskey with hot chocolate?” Rhonda whispered.