"They aren't mine, they belonged to my half brother and his wife."
"You have a brother?" This learning phase of their relationship was turning out to be a fruitful afternoon.
"Sort of."
"Will you stop answering my questions with that phrase, you're driving me nuts." Jillian slapped her on the arm and smiled to soften the reprimand.
"Ok, here's the scoop. My mother died a long time ago and Avery, from my aunt's telling, had a hard time dealing with the loss so he handled it the only way he knew how."
"That being?"
"Well suffice to say there were a few bottles of Jack and more than a few barmaids involved. One of those women was smarter than the rest and figured out who Avery was, or more importantly what he owned. I was five at the time and by then the boom was on and daddy was rolling in cash. Around then he also bought Huntington House and poured a ton into restoring it, but the house and the money aren't what Avery is about. He loves to have a good time and he loved to bed women."
"Something you two have in common?" Junior smiled at Jillian because of her question and shook her head.
"I wouldn't have time to work if I tried to match my father's exploits. No, he will go down as the Baxter woman finding champion. Back to this woman, Madeline was her name. When Avery sobered up to find a new watering hole and his next batch of conquests, she was pregnant with one Quinton Baxter. She expected to move into Huntington with her new bundle of joy so Avery could groom him to be heir to the royal treasure trove."
"Only Avery already had an Avery Jr., is that it?"
"Sort of." Junior almost tipped them over when Jillian pinched her leg as hard as she could. "Sorry, I forgot. Avery wasn't interested in marrying her or anyone else. My mother was a one shot deal for him but he did offer to take care of them. Only problem was, nothing was good enough or just plain enough. She had him in court every three months wanting a raise for this or more for that, and in the end Avery ended up hating her more than he loved anything else. The one thing she never allowed was for us to see dear little Quinton. So I knew about him but I had never really met him. Until I went to college that is, then the lost prodigal son looked me up and started asking to borrow money. He had graduated from high school but wasn't interested in anything else since his mother had convinced him he was going to inherit half of Baxter Oil."
"What did you graduate in?" Jillian took hold of one of the hands that had been waving around as Junior told her story and held it in her lap. She had guessed that the story didn't have a happy ending and wanted to offer as much comfort as possible.
"Why is that important to the story?"
"It's not, I just want to know."
"I have a degree in Engineering."
Jillian rolled her eyes and laughed. "Figures. Go on with your story."
"Avery came by one day to visit me and ran into Quinton. After a long talk, Quinton was made more than aware that there would be no inheritance in his future and that Avery didn't want anything to do with him or his mother."
"How was he going to get around the inheritance issue?"
"He doesn't have to now. The law changed recently, but before then it was easy. When I was ready he gave me a really swell birthday present one year."
Jillian pinched her again when Junior stopped. "Tell me."
"I think I'm going to like having you around." They kissed one more time before the story continued. "He gave me Baxter Oil Company. As revenge Quinton took something from me, or should I say someone. I met a girl named Susan in college and for the first time in my life I was in love. And, Susan loved me not because I was Avery Baxter, but just because of me. She came from a strict religious family that lived not to far from here, but she was willing to go against all that and follow her heart. Don't get me wrong Susan was gay and wanted to be happy but I think she was more afraid of her father than anything else. In one afternoon Quinton managed to talk her not only into not wanting to see me again but eventually into marrying him."
"I'm sorry."
"Why? I'm not. I don't think things would have lasted between us if after one measly little talk she never wanted to see me again. What Susan and I had was something, but it wasn't love. When Maria told me she and Quinton had gotten into a car accident, as cold as it sounds, I didn't really feel anything. I'm afraid I have a bit of my father in me in that they both were dead to me a long time ago."
"When was the last time you saw them?" Jillian had put her head on Junior's shoulder glad that she had trusted her with this story.
"I settled with him for what he thought he had coming to him about eight years ago."
"But I thought you said you owned the company outright?
"I'm the major shareholder yes, but I didn't have time to hang around in court in a case I would eventually win. It was more about time economics more than anything else. Back then I was working in Venezuela developing a large track of leases. A big check made him go away with a promise not to come back."
"And that was the last time?"
"Until now. I guess I'll get stuck with burying the two of them and seeing about their kids."
"Where are they now?"
"They are staying with Maria for now. I asked if I could have until tomorrow to deal with it, after I talked with my father."
"Want me to come with you tomorrow?"
"No, you have a new job to deal with and the boss is a real bear. Though I don't expect to see you until you give the old job your two week notice."
They drove back to the city after promising both Avery and Minnie they would be back for a visit before the end of the month. The return trip was different in that they maintained some sort of physical contact all the way back. Junior left for her office armed with all of Jillian's numbers, promising to use them the next day as soon as her meeting was over.
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"Who is she exactly?"
"She's your aunt, and the person your mother wanted you to stay with if something happened to her." Maria sat in her living room talking to nine year old Bailey. In one of the spare bedrooms she had put Bailey's little brother and sister down for a nap. The attorney had gotten them from the babysitter Susan had left in charge the night she and Quinton went out. It was starting to worry her that Bailey hadn't cried once since finding out both her parents would not be coming back.
"Is she nice?"
"You are going to find that Junior is one of the sweetest people you will ever get to meet, so I think you, Emmett and Kristen will be fine."
"What's her name again?" The child had never once looked Maria in the eye since getting there and it was starting to unnerve her a little. Maria felt like she was being cross examined with the litany of questions the kid had, but understood why they were being brought up before Junior arrived.