The account opened.
“Oh my God,” Jenna breathed. Three thousand Bitcoin, just like he’d said. Ninety million dollars, give or take on any given day.
Tears sprang to her eyes. She couldn’t keep it and wouldn’t keep it, no matter that possession was all it took. Under any other circumstances, the money could be returned to those who’d been defrauded. But there was no way of knowing who to return it to.
“Hey.”
She looked up through teary eyes to find Noah looking down at her.
“Noah. I did it.”
“Did what, baby?”
“The e-wallet. I’m in.”
His eyebrows climbed up his forehead. “Holy shit.”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
He sat beside her and looked at the balance. “That’s amazing.”
“We can’t keep it.”
“No, we can’t.”
“I don’t want to give it to the government and hope they do the right thing with it, either.”
“Agreed.” He took her hand. “There are a couple of guys on another team in HOT whose wives are wealthy. They have charitable organizations they run to help people. We can ask them for help if you want.”
“That would be great… You aren’t mad I don’t want to keep it?”
“Mad? No, why would I be?”
“It’s life-changing money. Like winning the lottery.”
“Except it was stolen, right? From criminals who probably stole it from decent hard-working people. And from the government, which means they stole it from all of us.”
“That’s pretty much what I was thinking. I know there are people who would call me crazy, but I can’t keep what is essentially stolen money. And I can’t not try to do some good with it.”
He put an arm around her and they snuggled into the couch, watching the blinking lights on the tree. “That’s why I love you, Jenna. You care about people, and you’re going to do great things for those who need it.”
“We’ll start with scholarships for orphans,” she mused. “And programs to help abused children.”
Noah took the computer from her lap and set it on the coffee table. Then he dragged her across his lap and kissed her senseless. He’d just unbuttoned the first two buttons of her Christmas pajamas when a little voice squealed, “Santa was here!”
“He certainly was,” Aunt Maggie said as Noah and Jenna scrambled upright and fixed their clothes. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at the two of them knowingly. “Well, who’s going to start handing out presents? This little girl needs something to open.”
It was a long while later, after presents had been opened and breakfast consumed, that Alice fell asleep beneath the tree.
“I’ll watch her,” Aunt Maggie said from her chair. She was busy knitting a blanket, and both Titus and Cornelius were trying to attack the thread. “You two go upstairs and get your showers.”
The way she said it told Jenna that her aunt wasn’t fooled in the least about what they were going to do when they were alone.
“You’re one in a million, Aunt Maggie,” Noah said.
“I know, dear boy. Now scram, both of you.”
They scrammed.
Bonus Epilogue
Six months later…
Today was his wedding day.
Correction, today was his let’s have a big ceremony wearing his Army dress uniform while Jenna wears a white dress wedding day. They’d been married for a year, but Noah had always felt bad about not having the big day with pictures and cake.
They’d gone to the courthouse and said their vows with Aunt Maggie and a couple of friends, but it wasn’t quite the same. Not that he cared, and Jenna said she didn’t, but he had a burning desire to have the photos for his children someday.
They’d found the perfect white church set in the woods, complete with a red door, and as soon as the minister said yes, they’d started planning. The church was halfway between Annapolis and Dunkirk, so that meant everyone could drive to it in under two hours.
It was summer, a warm breeze blew, and Noah was sweltering in his dress blues. So were his teammates, but they’d all agreed it was worth it.
The church was packed with friends and family who’d made the trek. The women were beautiful in their colorful dresses, some with matching hats, and the men who weren’t in the military wore their Sunday best. Old Mr. Pruitt was there, and Mrs. Hanley. Allison had surprisingly RSVPed that she was coming. And there she sat, looking as if she’d sucked a lemon.
Vicki dabbed at her eyes, and the ceremony hadn’t even begun. A few other of Jenna’s old coworkers were there, too. Even Tami, who’d been threatened on pain of death not to bring weed, had squeezed herself into a red dress that looked like a second skin. She was making eyes at the soldiers and SEALs, and it was fricking hilarious.
Noah had asked Jenna if she was sure she wanted to invite Tami. She’d said yes. Her reasoning was that it would be unkind not to, plus it might provide some comic relief. Jenna wasn’t one to worry about her big day being overshadowed by barnyard sounds coming from the restroom, should the occasion arise.
Besides, she’d said, all the guys she knew in HOT had better sense than that.
He wasn’t so sure, but whatever.
“You gonna make it?” Gem asked. Gem was by his side as they stood at the back of the church, just outside the sanctuary.
“I’m already married. I’ll make it. What about you?”
Gem shrugged. “My wedding isn’t for another month. I’m looking at this like a dress rehearsal. Except for the part where I don’t actually say vows.”
Noah had asked Gem to be his best man because they’d always been tight. And now that Gem was about to get married, it seemed like the thing to do. Noah would have been happy with any of his teammates as his wingman, but Gem was the one who’d come to mind immediately.
Jenna had asked Bliss Bennett-Kelley to be her maid of honor. The two had grown close over the past year. Jenna was close to all the women, but Bliss was her bestie. It had seemed an odd pairing in a way. Bliss was always impeccably groomed in designer clothing, and her hair and makeup were always perfect. Jenna wore her hair in a messy bun much of the time, and her clothing often consisted of jeans or yoga pants with T-shirts. In summer, it was cutoffs and T-shirts.
But the two of them were close, and that made Noah happy.
Aunt Maggie was in the front pew, dressed in her finest pink floral dress, and she’d brought several members of the Ladies’ Auxiliary with her. The ladies had taken over the reception preparations, which was happening in a tent on the church lawn after the ceremony, and Noah knew he was in for a treat when he got to eat the things they’d prepared. There was nothing like good food made by women who’d gotten the recipes from their grandmothers and great-grandmothers. He supposed that was true of men, too, but there were no men in the Ladies Auxiliary.
Though Reverend Smith and his wife were there, too, and the reverend was reputed to make a very fine pound cake. Maybe it’d be on the dessert table when this was over.
When the signal was given, Noah and Gem went into the church and stood on the dais at the front. The organist played something soft and sweet as Alice appeared at the rear of the aisle with Brooke Rodgers. Brooke’s baby bump was prominent, and the look she gave her husband was filled with happiness as she walked behind Alice.