Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 81285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
18
PRESLEY
“What’s this?”
“It’s your money.” I placed the envelope on his desk and slid it toward him. “It’s all there. The loan and what you let me borrow.”
“Already?” His brown eyes were wide with curiosity as he opened the envelope and glanced inside. “How’d you manage that?”
“We decided not to do the remodel on the salon.”
“Um-hmm.”
“I just don’t need it anymore.”
“You sure about that?”
“Yes. I’m positive.” I met his stare as I said, “I appreciate your help. I really do, but I’m good. I want you to have this back, and let’s try to pretend that none of this happened.”
He opened his mouth like he was going to argue but then thought better of it. The room fell quiet for a moment, so I took the chance to say, “I didn’t get a chance to ask you the other day, but how are things going? Are you seeing anyone?”
“Oh, uh…” He stammered, like I’d caught him off guard. “Uh, yeah. I mean, no. Well. Sort of. Maybe... It’s complicated.”
That told me all I needed to know.
“As long as you are happy.”
“I am.” He looked up, and his expression softened. “I want the same for you. Always have.”
He stood and pulled me in for a hug. It was brief but sincere. “If you ever need anything, all you have to do is call. Doesn’t matter what it is. I’ll always be there for you.”
“I appreciate that, Gary.”
And just like that, it felt like a chapter closing, even more so than it did when we divorced, and I walked out of his office without carrying the past with me.
When I got back out to the van, Lila Kate was still in the passenger seat, waiting for me, and it was clear from her bright smile that she was excited about something. I barely got in and closed the door before she’d shoved her phone in my face and announced, “I think I found a car. It’s a little more than I wanted to spend, but the miles are good. And it has a clean title.”
“Okay.” I glanced at the screen and nodded. “We can go check it out after we pick up mine.”
“That’s what I was thinking.” Excitement filled her eyes. “I can’t believe we’re really getting our life back.”
“We got lucky. Very, very lucky.” I raised my brow. “I hope you learned your lesson with all this.”
“Oh, I did,” she answered quickly. “You don’t have to worry about that, but it hasn’t been ALL bad. You and Luke would’ve never crossed paths again without me.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“Oh, I do,” she giggled. “You’re way too much of a stick in the mud to ever give a man like him a second look.”
“That’s not true.”
“Pfft, yes, it is. Old Presley would’ve avoided him like the plague.”
“That’s not fair. I was just trying to play it smart,” I argued, feeling heat creep up my cheeks. “And for the record, I’ve learned my lesson about all that. No more judging books by the covers and all that.”
“Oh?”
“Um-hmm. I’m going to be more open-minded about people and possibilities. I’m turning a new leaf.”
“That’s awesome, Pres.” Her smile softened, moving from teasing to pride. “I like this new version of you.”
“I like it, too.”
I drove straight to the car dealership, and like they’d promised, they had the paperwork waiting for me. I signed on the dotted line, and a half an hour later, I was sitting behind the wheel of my new car.
It wasn’t anything special. Just something that would get me from point A to point B, but it was mine and I was proud to have it. With a smile on my face, I left the van at the dealership and drove over to check out the car Lila Kate had found.
We pulled into the smaller used lot on the edge of town, and Lila Kate’s eyes lit up as she pointed to the off-white Rogue parked out front. It was freshly washed and practically gleaming. I’d barely killed the engine when she opened the door and rushed over to it.
When I walked up, she smiled and said, “It’s so pretty.”
She was right. It was pretty, and the price couldn’t have been better. It seemed to be perfect. Almost too perfect. Suspiciously so. I walked around it, checking for anything that might catch my eye, and I couldn’t deny that it looked pretty good.
The tires looked to be in good shape, and the paint seemed to be in good shape. I was checking out the rear when the salesman walked up. He looked like he was in his late forties, and his hair was slicked back like it hadn’t moved since the early 2000s.
He was all smiles as he greeted us, “Hello there, ladies. I’m Daniel.”
“Hey, Daniel. I think I spoke with you earlier,” Lila Kate replied. “I’m Lila, and this is my sister, Presley.”