It was the word secret that got their attention, and in that moment, Shirley suddenly realized what this was about.
“What’s the secret?” Aaron asked.
“The entire town of Jubilee is a very successful tourist attraction, owned by a company called PCG, Incorporated. All of the businesses in town lease the property locations and pay monthly rent to the corporation. The land is never for sale, nor is the mountain on which we live. It’s how we are protected from investors and outsiders wanting to clear it for their own gain. That’s how it’s been since my grandfather’s time. And this is how it will always be. But nobody except the families involved know that PCG stands for Pope, Cauley, and Glass.”
Shirley was smiling. “I’ve been gone from here so long I’d completely forgotten about all this.”
Aaron leaned forward. “What? What are you saying?”
Cameron glanced at Rusty, and then spoke.
“That we here on the mountain own Jubilee, and all of the members of those families on the mountain are stockholders. We all receive quarterly dividends from the company. Anyone up here automatically becomes eligible for dividends once they reach their eighteenth birthday. Each family is represented by a family member of their choosing to sit on the board. I am, at the present time, the CEO of PCG, Inc. I was the elected member of the Pope family, and the other members of the board selected me as the CEO.”
“What kind of money are we talking about?” Sean asked.
“We’re in the third generation of PCG’s existence. It is a multimillion-dollar company. The dividends are generous and issued quarterly, and the investments from the money grow the coffers, as well. By moving here and coming into Helen’s heritage, you will receive your first checks by the end of the month. There are less than two hundred and fifty people still living on Pope Mountain. The money arrives by direct deposit into your personal bank accounts, or into savings accounts per each family’s wishes. In the next three days or so, I’ll be needing your bank information so I can get it all to the lawyer in Frankfort who oversees the legal end of the corporation, and you will have assigned bank accounts in a bank in Frankfort. That keeps the people down below from finding out we’re their landlords. This is never up for discussion. Nobody outside the families ever knows unless they marry into it.”
Wiley was stunned.
Sean was grinning.
Aaron was in shock.
“Cool,” B.J. said, and served himself another piece of pie.
Shirley’s eyes welled. “Just one more gift from Mama,” she whispered. “All I had to do was come home to claim it. I didn’t remember, but she did.”
Cameron nodded. “And just so you know, if any of you ever have problems or want advice, everyone on this mountain is here for you. It’s never a burden. It’s our way. Now, since I’ve eaten your wonderful food and said what I came to say, I think Rusty and I better get home. Ghost doesn’t like to be left alone for too long.”
“Who’s Ghost?” B.J. asked.
“Our dog,” Cameron said.
Rusty smiled. “He’s Cameron’s dog, but he loves me, too, now.”
“Next time, bring him with you,” B.J. said. “I love dogs.”
“He’s yeti size,” Cameron said. “And a bull in a china shop.”
Rusty grabbed her phone from her purse and pulled up a photo of her and Ghost, standing out in the yard.
“See,” she said.
The shock on their faces was real.
“Holy shit. His head is above your waist,” B.J. said.
“Is he a hunting dog?” Aaron asked.
Cameron shook his head. “Not really, but he’s damn good at tracking and sniffing out bombs. I found him as a pup when I was still active duty in Iraq. When I came home, he came with me.”
“They’re quite the team,” Rusty said. “I won Ghost’s heart with treats and pets, but he and Cameron are a pack.”
“That’s amazing,” Sean said, eyeing Cameron and Rusty with new respect. A war veteran and an ex-FBI agent with a bomb-sniffing dog.
“I’ll see you to the door,” Shirley said as they got up from the table, then walked them out onto the porch.
The night birds were calling. A hound bayed from a hollow somewhere above them. The sky was cloudless and full of stars.
“Supper is on us next time,” Cameron said.
“Thank you for everything. I’ll reinforce the no-talking bit with the boys before I go to bed. Safe travels going home,” Shirley said, then stood on the porch and watched until they drove out of sight. She started to go back inside, then hesitated and glanced up at the stars. “Night, Mom. Thank you for still watching over us. Love you. Miss you.”
The screen door banged behind her as she went inside. She winced, thinking maybe the banging door wasn’t B.J.’s fault after all. Maybe the spring was too tight. But that was something to look at in the bright light of day.
Chapter 2
Aaron couldn’t sleep for thinking about what Cameron said about the job. He didn’t like feeling indecisive. He’d lost his wife to circumstances beyond his control. He’d lost his job the same way. He missed belonging to someone, but he’d chosen a woman without substance. He’d never do that again.
And he didn’t like the thought of giving up his career out of fear. By the time he was drifting off to sleep, he’d made up his mind to at least apply. The worst that could happen was being turned down.
* * *
Shirley was making breakfast when Aaron walked in. He had showered and shaved, and was wearing dark slacks and a light blue knit shirt that accentuated a very fit, muscular body. Family DNA was strong in all her boys. They had the height, the broad shoulders and long legs, even the high cheekbones and handsome faces. Looking back, she wondered if that was one of the reasons Clyde was so mean to her and the boys. Because he saw none of himself in any of them.
“You look nice,” she said.
Aaron smiled. “You always say that, even when I look like shit.”
She grinned. “Because I love you.”
“Much appreciated,” Aaron said. “I love you, too, and I’m going to the police department this morning to apply for a job.”
“Good for you! Want some breakfast before you go?”
“I think I’ll skip it this morning, Mom. This shouldn’t take too long. Do you have a grocery list or anything you want done before I come home?”
“It’s on the counter,” Shirley said.
Aaron gave her a kiss on the cheek and tore the list off the pad. “If you think of anything else, give me a call.”
“Okay,” she said, then watched the sway of his shoulders as he walked away, and whispered a quick prayer. “Lord, please let this work for him. He’s lost a career and a wife because of his father. It’s time something good came his way.”
* * *
Desk Sergeant Walter Winter was nursing his first cup of coffee of the day when the door opened and a tall dark-haired man entered the lobby.
At first glance, Walter thought it was Cameron Pope, and then he looked again and realized he was too young. The man walked with a long, steady stride as he approached the desk.