Jenna Bradshaw sat quietly as she listened to the soft drone of the jet engines.  She kept going over in her mind what the barrister had told her quite off handedly a little less than two weeks ago.  "Miss Bradshaw,  you are a wealthy woman.  In fact, if I may say so, you are an extremely wealthy woman."  And Jenna had sat in the office with the walnut paneling and leather chairs, her mouth partially open, stunned, not knowing what to say, and finally murmuring, "But how?  I don’t understand."

The barrister had sighed, and as if talking to a school girl had explained. "Your father was quite the prolific inventor, but he was certainly no businessman.  He was careless about protecting his discoveries and as a result, others took his ideas and got rich.  However, he was very fortunate in having a close friend who happened to be a member of the bar. He made it his business to pursue those who sought to profit illegally from your father ’s creative abilities.  Though this friend’s efforts your father’s estate has been preserved, waiting for the rightful heir to claim it.  And as far as we can tell, you, Miss Bradshaw are the sole heir to this quite sizable fortune.  Again I must tell you, you are an extremely wealthy woman."

Jenna had felt faint.  Her heart had pounded in her chest so loudly that she thought the man sitting across from her would hear it. She asked meekly, "You mean it’s all mine?"  The man had smiled and replied,  "Yes my dear it’ s all yours.  There’s no one else involved.  Your father’s fortune, which he was unaware of during his lifetime, is now yours, free and clear."

The plane hit some light turbulence and Jenna straightened up in her seat. She looked at her watch and saw there was less than two hours before the plane would be landing in Springfield.  Buzz would be waiting.  With the boys. Little Coop and three month old Van, named after her dearest friend Vanessa Reardon.  She was both excited and nervous about this homecoming. Buzz knew nothing of her new found wealth and she didn’t quite know how to break it to him.

Jenna Bradshaw was a perceptive woman who understood human nature fairly well.  She knew, for instance, that her relationship with Buzz, besides being extremely physical, was also based on the fact Buzz was forever rescuing her from herself.  He truly was her knight in shinning armor who appeared whenever she was in dire need of help. Well, now that she was rich, she was in a position where no help was needed, and she thought to herself, "how will Buzz accept this?"

Buzz, she knew, wanted to be in control, and up to now he had been.  The diner was his rock, his reason for being, and as much as he groused about it, he loved it with all his heart.  How would her wealth affect what Buzz would now do with the diner?  Her preference would be that he open a proper restaurant, an upscale restaurant they could both be proud of.  She would, of course, finance it. But she realized Buzz would not take kindly to such a suggestion. Buzz was, if nothing else, his own man.  He wanted to be the bread winner. But now with all this money, there was no need of a bread winner.  There was just money.  Lots of money.

And the money was hers.

Buzz Cooper had not been this excited and nervous since the afternoonhe had sung "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" to the woman he loved most in theworld. He had proposed and she had accepted with a giant leap across the table, and, in that moment of joy,  he was the happiest he had ever been in his life. Now he was bustling around the diner putting things away andtidying up.  He had a few more minutes to wait and then he and the boys wouldhead for the airport to greet Jenna on her return from England.

As he walked behind the counter, he heard the front door open and Abigail Blume walked in with a blond woman he had never seen before.  "Abby", he shouted, "you picked a bad time.  I’m about to leave for the airport tomeet the love of my life so I can’t give you my usual deluxe service." Abigail smiled and the blond woman laughed out loud.  "That’s okay Buzz.  I just want to talk to you for a minute".

"Well, talk fast because I’m a man with a mission", responded Buzz witha
wide smile.  Abigail grabbed the blond woman’s arm and they walked up to Buzz.  "Buzz I want you to meet my very good friend, Selena Davis.  She literally saved my life when I was in jail."  Buzz stuck out his handand nodded, "Glad to meet you Selena. Any friend of Abby’s is a friend ofmine. I’m Buzz Cooper the owner of this emporium, and if I had more time I would treat  you to the best chili you’ve ever tasted."  Selena grabbed Buzz’s hand and laughed as she said,  "You’re just a bundle of energy, aren’t you?" Buzz smiled and replied, "I’ve been called worse."  Buzz looked at Abby and asked, "So what can I do for you?"

Abby moved closer to Buzz.  "As I said Selena is my very good friendand she needs a job, and I thought you might need some help in the diner, so……"  Buzz interjected,  "So you thought I might hire her, right?"

"Right.  She’s had experience as a waitress and you have to admit she would certainly brighten up the place."  Buzz stepped back and eyed Seleena and  then said, "You certainly have a point there."  Selena blushed.   Buzz looked down and mumbled, "Well I guess I should ask, when can you start?"   Abby hugged Buzz and said, "Oh Buzz thank you so much.  You’ll never regret  this."  Now it was Buzz’s turn to blush.  "It’s my pleasure Abby.  If you vouch for her that’s good enough for me.  So, Selena, when can youstart?"  Selena eyes were moist as she said, "You two are so nice.  I’m not use to being treated this way."  And for a moment Buzz and Abby thought Selena was going to start crying, so Buzz quickly said, "Aw come on, as the owner I’ve got a right to know when you can start to work."   Selena brushed away at her eyes and replied,  "Whenever you say, Mr. Cooper.  My schedule is pretty empty.  Tonight, maybe?"

Buzz grinned and said, "Call me Buzz and yes you can start tonight. I’ll tell Eleni, that’s my daughter-in-law, to expect you.  She’ll show you the ropes.  I’m sure you’ll pick it up in no time at all."  Selena smiled and said, "Thank you Buzz.  I won’t let you down."   Buzz patted her on the shoulder. "I know you won’t. Well I’m off to Mrs. Popov’s to pick up the boys.  And speak of the devil, or rather the devil’s mistress, here’s Eleni now."  And with that Buzz headed for the door, stopping for a few seconds to tell Eleni about their new hire, and then he was gone.

Selena looked wistfully at Buzz as he hurried out the door and thought, "what a nice man."

As Buzz wrapped his arms around Jenna, she realized how much she hadmissed  him, and how safe she felt when she was with him.  The baby and Coop looked fine.  Buzz was a wonderful father who truly doted over his two boys. The  feelings of family and being loved overwhelmed her and she started to cry. "Hey Petula, I hope those are tears of joy.  We don’t want any other kind." Jenna brushed away at her eyes and laughed.  "It just seems so long since I’ve seen my three boys."  Buzz hugged her and said, "Lets go home. The firehouse is waiting, especially that couch located in the center of the room."  Jenna smiled, "Well lets go then."

Later as they were speeding home in the car, Jenna looked in the backseat and a feeling of pride came over her as she watched both of her boys sleeping soundly. "So what did you accomplish in England?" Buzz asked. Jenna turned her head and replied,  "Quite a lot, actually."  There wasa pause and Buzz said, "Are you going to keep it a secret? Tell me what happened." Jenna took a deep breath and swallowed. "Buzz, I have some very goodnews."  There was another pause. "Well?" Buzz interjected. Jenna sighed.  "Buzz I am a rich woman.  My father left me a fortune."  The car swerved slightly as Buzz jerked at the wheel.  "Huh!" he said.  "Is that the best you can do?" asked Jenna with a smile.

Buzz looked at Jenna. "You mean you’re rich?"  Jenna grinned and said, "No Buzz.  We’re rich. You, me, Coop and Van.  The money belongs to all of us. The four of us are bloody wealthy!"

She watched Buzz’s face very carefully as all this sunk in.  Buzz bithis
lower lip and said, "Does this mean, I mean, does this mean you’re a woman of independent means?"  It was said in a jocular tone but there was an underlying tension behind the question.  Jenna tried to carry off the jocular tone in her answer. "Yes it does.  But I would rather put it in the plural, and say we are now a family of independent means."  The carswerved slightly again.

"Petula don’t get me wrong.  I love money, I just have to digest that the woman I love and intend to marry is now an, an, heiress!"  Jenna laughed softly.  "Yes Mr. Cooper, your wife to be is now a rich heiress who still loves you very much."  The car swerved once again.

 "Buzz whatever are you doing with that steering wheel?"Buzz grunted, "Nothing!"  Jenna frowned and said, "Well every time we mention money and wealth you jerk the wheel and we almost go off the road.  Remember there are little ones in the back seat."

Buzz straightened up and concentrated on the road.  They rode on for a few more moments in silence.  Finally Jenna said, "Buzz, I’m the same Jenna.  I’m not any different.  Money isn’t going to make any difference in theway I feel about you, and it shouldn’t make any difference in the way you feel about me. "Buzz tightened his hands on the steering wheel and replied, "Maybe the money won’t have any effect right away.  But money has a tendency to gum things up.  I can hear you a few months from now telling me the diner ought to be upgraded, or I should open some kind of upscale restaurant."  Jenna’s cheeks flushed a bright red as Buzz said this. Buzz noticed.  "I hit a nervedidn’t I?"  Jenna frowned, "Oh Buzz let’s stop this conversation right now. I’m tired after a long trip and I just want to get home and relax with you."   Buzz reached over and squeezed her hand.  "We’re almost there."

Jenna settled back in her seat and closed her eyes.  It has already started, she thought. I’ll just have to move slowly until Buzz understands what all of this really means.  I’m sure I can handle him.  And with that she dozed off into an uneasy sleep.