Ruby Red 3 - A Romance for All Time (Complete)

Chapter 24

Ali sat beside her mother in the row of three chairs opposite Spencer's desk. It was the furthest away from Jack she could get in the small office.

To say the situation was awkward was an understatement. When Sam had warned her of Jack's intentions to show up at the reading of her father's will, she was furious, followed by disappointment. Of course, Jack was in the will. He had his tentacles wound so tight around her family's personal and professional business it should not have been a surprise.

Sam seemed hesitant at first to mention his conversation with Jack at the funeral. When he'd found her at the reception the look of concern in those bottle-glass green eyes of his made her love Sam even more. If that was possible.

Nobody looked at her the way Sam did. Over the years, men regarded her as a commodity to be gained, to be conquered, to be lusted after. And women tended to see her as a rival. But not Sam. Ever since the first moment they met, he had this way of making her feel like she was the only person in the world.

These last few days, since returning to California, he had barely left her side. Ever the support. He had wanted to come today, willing to sit in the waiting room of Spencer's office while the will was read. Ali had managed to persuade him to stay at the Diamond Club, relax a little.

They both needed some downtime. Between arranging the funeral and trying to console her mother, Ali was exhausted. After today though she could get some rest. She hoped. There would still be so much to do. But she looked forward to life returning to some semblance of normal soon. She longed to get back to New York, back to her home with Sam.

Assuming she could return. Everything depended on her father's intentions with the family business. Ali suspected her mother would be named as the sole proprietor of Stinson Studios. The trouble was Lynn had no idea how to run the company. She was happy to spend the profits but had never taken any interest in helping determine how those profits came to be.

The way things were currently, her mother would most likely be content with having Jack continue running the business. Ali had to have a plan to stop her from keeping Jack around.

The man in question had sauntered into Spencer's office with an air of confidence completely unfitting for the reason they were all gathered. Attentive to Lynn once again, now the funeral was over, he had kissed her on the cheek by way of greeting. And her mother had lapped it up like a thirsty kitten. The scene caused Ali's stomach to roll.

Jack had the common sense to not try anything similar on Ali. He simply nodded in her direction with a "Morning Alexandria."

"Jack." Ali offered. She would have preferred to claw his eyes out, but civil seemed a more mature choice.

After offering them refreshments, Spencer suggested they get down to business. The lawyer opened a drawer off the side of his desk and pulled out a large burnt-brown folder held together with a black elastic. Placing the item in front of him, he carefully removed the band holding it together, unwound some string keeping the top flap in place and upon opening it he pulled out a small pile of crisp white papers.

Swinging his chair around, Spencer placed a hand on a small video camera set up on a stand behind him. "Do you mind if I record this?"

Jack smoothed his hair, Lynn adjusted her blouse and Ali simply shook her head.

"Thanks. I find it best to have... everything properly documented." After pressing a button on the machine, a red light came on and Spencer returned to facing them.

"Today we are gathered here to read the will and testament of the late Daniel Richard Stinson." Spencer looked up from the papers. "My name is Spencer Stellen. I was Mr. Stinson's attorney, both professionally and personally. It should be noted, I am also a member of the Board of Directors for Mr. Stinson's privately held company, Stinson Studios. Today in the room with me I have the three beneficiaries of the will. Would you please introduce yourselves and your relationship to the deceased for our records?"

Ali shifted in her seat as Spencer regarded her expectantly. "I... I'm Ali... Alexandria Florence Stinson, daughter and only child of Daniel Stinson."

"Lynn Elizabeth Stinson, wife of Daniel Stinson."

"Jack Blackhorne, former husband of Alexandria Stinson and business partner of Daniel Stinson."

It irked Ali that Jack had to mention their former marriage as if it was relevant to the situation. Not for the first time she regretted the fact this man was still in her life.

"Thank you. All beneficiaries are present and accounted for. If it is acceptable to the group, I will forgo the formal reading of the will, concentrating rather on the relevant portions."

"Works for me," piped up Jack.

"Yes, that's fine," agreed her mother.

Ali bit her lip, considering making Jack sit through all the legal content as a form of torture to the terminally impatient man, but quickly changed her mind. She wanted this over with and to get back to Sam. "Agreed."

"Excellent. With regards to Mr. Stinson's assets. The house and all it's contents go to my darling wife Lynn. Should Lynn pre-decease me, then these items go to my daughter Alexandria."

Her mother dabbed at her eyes with a kleenex. It wasn't a rare show of emotion, the woman had been crying non-stop since her father had passed away. Still, Ali had the notion these were tears not of sadness, but of relief. Lynn seemed to visibly relax at hearing ownership of her home and everything they owned would shift to her.

Instinctively Ali reached out and patted her mother's hand. Lynn swivelled in her direction and offered a weak smile.

Jack crossed his legs and tapped a forefinger on his knee. "And the business?" he demanded.

"Sole ownership of my company Stinson Studios," Spencer paused and Jack uncrossed his long legs, leaning forward in his seat, "goes to the husband of my only daughter Alexandria."

"Husband?" Ali blurted out. She stared at Spencer who gave the smallest of shoulder shrugs as if to say 'I'm just the messenger'.

Spencer adjusted his tie. "Yes. Your father was clear. If you were married at the time of his death, your husband would take control of the company."

She turned to her mother. "Did you know about this?"

Lynn refused to meet Ali's eye, instead studying the pattern of her skirt. "You know your father never discussed these things with me." The response made Ali's blood boil. How could her mother be so ignorant about the essence of this family? She would never understand this woman.

Giving up on any chance of support from her mother, Ali turned back to Spencer. "And if I'm not married?"

"Your father did account for such a situation." Spencer swallowed and then continued reading from the paper before him. "Should my daughter not be married at the time of my death, control of the company will go to Jack Blackhorne for a period of three months."

"Three months," exclaimed Jack. His casual demeanour all but gone at this point. The expression on his face was all too familiar to Ali, a scowl reserved for when Jack was not happy with the situation. Had Jack expected more? Had he expected permanent control over the company?

"If I may continue?" asked Spencer calmly.

Jack didn't bother looking contrite. "By all means, continue," he snarled.

"As I was saying, for three months. After which time, if Alexandria has married, the company goes to her new husband." Ali wasn't sure, but she thought she heard Jack growl. If he did, Spencer ignored it. "If she has not remarried, there will be a share-holders meeting to determine a permanent CEO every five years to manage Stinson Studios as," Spencer hesitated slightly, "he sees fit until Ali bears a son and said son turns 21 at which point, he will take over control of the enterprise."

"He?" Ali murmured.

"Yes... your father was quite clear with his instructions."

"Perfectly clear." Ali could not keep the hurt out of her voice.