Sweet Fortune

a lot for this family, Elizabeth, but I would not marry someone just to keep everyone happy.”
    “Aunt Glenna says sometimes people do weird stuff just to please relatives.”
    “I wouldn't do anything that weird,” Jessie assured her. “Don't worry about me, kid. I'm not doing this for you or David or the moms. I'm doing it for me.”
    The sun sparkled on the lenses of Elizabeth's glasses as she looked up. Her small face was screwed into an expression of serious concern. “You're sure?”
    “I'm sure.”
    “What changed your mind about Hatch? You told me you couldn't ever marry him.”
    “That was before I got to know him better.”
    Elizabeth nodded. “You mean you've decided he's not like Dad after all?”
    Jessie smiled to herself. “No. Whatever else he is, he is definitely not like any other man I've ever met.”
    “Well, if you're sure you know what you're doing, I guess it's okay.” Elizabeth stepped back from the railing. “You want to go through the aquarium now?”
    “Sure.”
    “You ever miss your old job there?”
    Jessie made a face. “Not in the least. Something about cutting up plain ordinary fish to feed to fancy exotic fish just didn't appeal to me. Seemed a little unfair, somehow.”
    Elizabeth grinned. “They let you go because you kept wanting to rescue the plain ordinary fish, didn't they?”
    “Aquarium work was obviously not a good career path for me.”
    “You think working for Mrs. Valentine is a good career for you? The moms say they hope you'll settle down and find a real job after you marry Hatch.”
    Jessie recalled the argument she and Hatch had had on that subject. Not another word had been spoken concerning her career at Valentine Consultations since they had all returned from the San Juans yesterday afternoon. But she knew Hatch better than to think he was going to let the matter drop.
    “I don't know why everyone's complaining about my working for Mrs. V,” Jessie muttered. “It's obvious I'm at last in an upwardly mobile position. Business is going to boom in a few days when word gets out about the Attwood case.”
    “Have you finished your report for Mrs. Valentine?”
    “Not yet. I'm still working on it. I want it to be really impressive. This case is going to totally revitalize Valentine Consultations and I want to be sure she appreciates the brilliance of the way I handled it as well as the new marketing potential of the firm.”
    Elizabeth giggled and then was silent for a moment as she glanced down over the railing once more. “You know, I wonder what Elliott Bay was like before people started throwing garbage into it.”
    “Spectacular.” Jessie looked out toward the majestic Olympics. When one viewed it from a distance, the sound was as beautiful as it must have been two or three hundred years ago. “It still is spectacular. It just needs to be cleaned up, and that's going to take some hard work and a lot of money. There aren't any easy answers and there's still so much we don't know about ecology and the environment.”
    “I can sort of see why people got excited about what Edwin Bright was selling.”
    “So can I,” Jessie said. “Too bad it wasn't for real.”

    Later that afternoon Jessie bounded up the sidewalk and into the downstairs hall of her office building. As usual there was a green glow emanating from Alex's office. She poked her head inside and smiled at the sight of Susan Attwood and Alex huddled together in front of the computer.
    “What are you two working on?” Jessie asked.
    “Hi, Jessie.” Susan smiled shyly.
    Alex glanced over his shoulder, squinting against the glare from the hall. “Oh, hi, Jessie. Susan and I are going through some more of the DEL files for the authorities. You've got a visitor upstairs.”
    “Wow. A new client? Already? Word travels fast.”
    “Don't get excited. It's your Aunt Glenna.”
    Jessie wrinkled her nose. “Come to ask me if I really understand the full ramifications of what I'm doing by getting myself engaged to Hatch. I suppose I'd better reassure her. At least she didn't summon me to her office to interrogate me this time.”
    Alex shrugged and turned back to the computer screen. “Let Hatch handle her if she gives you a hard time. He's good at handling things.”
    Susan nodded soberly. “Yes. Why don't you do that?”
    “I can handle my own family, thank you very much.” Jessie made a face at the back of Alex's head and closed the door.
    It struck her as she stalked up the