so happy.”
Liam sat in a comfortable wing chair and thought about the prime rib he’d signed up for. Though he wasn’t friends with any of the Foster daughters, and didn’t socialize with Dr. Martin Foster, he’d driven down from Cleveland to accompany his own father to the wedding. He figured the prime rib would be the best part of the afternoon and he didn’t want to miss it.
At first Liam didn’t know why his father had insisted he come. Dad had lots of friends among this crowd. Liam was an outsider to Dr. Foster. He recalled only one brief meeting at a restaurant with Martin’s youngest daughter, Carrie. But when his dad mentioned that Dr. Foster might need his services, he donned his best suit and showed up. Liam was good at what he did, and if Dr. Foster needed financial advice, Liam didn’t mind charging for his expertise.
Martin took a seat next to Liam. “Did you know I asked your father to bring you today?” he said.
“Yes, he told me something about your concerns when I got here today. I don’t know a lot, and frankly I was confused because I don’t know Alex, and I’m not part of the medical crowd.”
“This isn’t about Alex. Your father tells me you can do more with a dollar than most people can do with a hundred,” Martin said. “Is that so?”
Liam smiled. “I’m not a magician, sir. A dollar can only go so far today, and there’s not much any of us can do to stretch it. But I like to think I know a bit about managing money.”
“Of course you do! A person doesn’t graduate with honors from the Wharton Business School without having a great deal of economic savvy.”
So Dr. Foster knew something of Liam’s background. “Is that what this is about, Dr. Foster? Do you need some financial guidance?” Liam knew that Dr. Foster was taking care of his ailing wife. Perhaps his insurance was running out and funds had become limited. He took out his wallet and fished out a business card. “You’re welcome to call my office anytime, and we can set up a meeting.”
Martin absently took the card and slipped it in his shirt pocket. “I won’t be coming to your office, Liam. And I don’t need help with my finances per se. But someone in my family certainly does.”
“Oh?”
“Do you remember my daughter Jude?”
“No, sir, I don’t believe we’ve met.”
“Well, you have, but it was twenty years ago. You don’t remember a young blonde with her hair in pigtails?”
Liam could almost picture a rangy preadolescent in braids, but he wasn’t sure.
“She doesn’t look much different today,” Martin said. “Still has the pigtails. She’s the sister in the middle up on the dais. The one who looks as though she’d like nothing better than to get that dress off and get into a pair of jeans.”
“I’ll be sure to notice her when we go back inside. Does this meeting have something to do with Jude, then?”
“It does, and I should warn you. Jude can be headstrong, stubborn. I can count the times she’s taken my advice on the fingers of one hand.”
“I don’t follow, sir. I don’t know about children, since I don’t have any.”
Martin gave a wise nod. “Count your blessings for now, son. Here’s the thing. I want you to take her in hand, Liam. She’s the CEO of a private charitable foundation, and every year the foundation’s bottom line gets worse. Jude is penny-wise and pound-foolish if you get my drift. If I let things go on as they have been for the last few years, working to keep her afloat, I might be facing bankruptcy.”
“Bankruptcy?”
“Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration.”
Liam knew Dr. Foster’s reputation. He was the best cardiologist in the Cleveland district, and patients came from the tristate area to seek his advice. Bankruptcy? Liam didn’t think so. “Foundations are supposed to exist on donations and grants. Are you telling me your personal finances are mixed up in this particular charity?”
“I funded it when Jude set it up. I gave her a considerable amount and a credit line to use while she was getting started.”
Naturally any creditors would be happy to accept Martin Foster’s IOU. “And you’re still backing Jude up when she needs it,” Liam said.
“Nothing I can’t handle yet, but you know how it is, Liam. This wedding cost a pretty penny. I have expenses because of my wife’s illness. I was hoping to retire soon, but until Jude’s project is under control, I can’t.”
“What do you think I can do, Dr. Foster?”
“Teach her how to manage money.”
He said it like he was asking Liam to teach her the multiplication tables.
“It’s not like she spends it on shoes or purses or any of the fineries other women get so excited about,” Martin said. “She barely spends a dime on herself. But she’s quick enough to spend hundreds, even thousands on other things, all the dang projects and causes she’s supporting.”
“What kind of causes?”
“It’s hard to keep up. There’s stray animals, wounded vets, physically challenged children. She’s even supporting a local radio station that she claims is vital to the rural farming community around Fox Creek. And the bills that keep all these charities running end up in Jude’s mailbox, or mine, and often require large chunks of money from my personal account to pay them. The worst is the animal upkeep. I’ve paid for more hay, animal feed and vet services than I care to think about.”
Liam knew the answer to his next question before he even asked it. “Why doesn’t she pay the bills out of the foundation’s funds? Doesn’t she get donations?”
“Oh, she does. Some. But that’s where you come in, Liam. I don’t know the true answer except to say when bills come due, there is often no money.” Martin shook his head. “She’s a wonderful girl, don’t get me wrong, but she doesn’t have a head for numbers and accounting.”
And Liam had no desire to get himself in the middle of what was obviously a Foster problem. “Excuse me for saying so, Dr. Foster, but this seems like a family matter to me. Have you tried talking to your daughter?”
Martin sighed. “You don’t know how difficult that is for me. You see, Jude lost her husband over five years ago. He was killed in the Middle East fighting for his country. Since then, she’s been kind of like a lost soul, always running from one needy cause to another. Besides her son—and she’s a good mother—all those good works have become her life. It’s not easy for me to get in the middle of all that suffering and try to change things.”
“That’s tough, I’ll agree,” Liam said. “But I still don’t see what I can do. What makes you think she’ll listen to my financial advice if she doesn’t listen to yours?”
“I’m trying to tell you...I haven’t given her any!”
“Maybe if you sat her down...”
“I don’t have the heart, Liam. She’s my baby. I love her.
