My office staff grinned. "I told you it was going to happen. It's time to turn your lawyers loose and talk to some of the big boys that have been sniffing around. You don't need to sell it. Just make a licensing agreement to protect yourself." Gail laughed.
"Mom's right. Want me to call Jack?" "Yeah." I replied. 9 Months later we had a deal worked out where I got a pretty hefty percentage off everyone manufactured. We covered our asses, marking every box with a warning, "Intended for home and agricultural use only." It was a really detailed disclaimer, in print large enough to read easily. Production took off as the interest grew, and now you can find it in every home improvement store, hardware store, and online.
The company that leased the rights asked us to keep the small factory as an experimental shop. The people we'd hired were happy to keep their jobs, as well as the office staff. Now that I had money, I looked around and found a bigger house on 60 acres, with barns, shops, pastures, and woods. The house had four bedrooms, really big bedrooms, and came with a three-car garage that had an apartment over it. It took 8 months and a ring, but Gail moved in with me, and then spent some money sprucing up the apartment.
I was on board with moving Mom in. She was getting older, and we really didn't like the idea of her living by herself. Our baby's cries woke me. I was in a cold sweat, dreaming about Angie. I never told anyone, especially Gail and Mom.
That secret would go to my grave. Gail just mumbled while I got up and changed our son, feeding him, burping him, and rocking him back to sleep, smiling the whole time. Gail had told me earlier that he was going to get a little sister in about 7 months, which made me very happy. I couldn't help thinking they would have been Angie's if she hadn't got tangled up with the. I'd searched my brain for years trying to see if I'd missed any clues, but I had been completely blindsided.
We'd made love the night before I left, twice. It occurred to me it was probably a goodbye to ease her conscience. I was awake now, so I set the coffee maker and turned on the computer. I'd sold my old business and about as far as I traveled now was the 3 miles to our shop, although I had to attend bi-yearly meetings with the company that held my licenses.
Gail always went with me until the baby came and now she split it between her and Mom. Mom was pretty sharp and more trained in business and she caught things I would have missed totally. Then the coffee maker beeped and I poured a couple of cups while Gail stumbled out of the bedroom in a ragged tee and panties, her baby bump just beginning to show. She never looked more beautiful.