Page 60 of Worth the Fall

There’s her smile. “Must have been donut torture.”

“Yep. It was. Waterboarding and the smell of donuts are right up there together.” I lean back in the booth and take a long sip of my drink before pushing the bowl of pretzels and nuts across the table toward her. “A call we had today got to me.”

“Want to share?”

“Can’t . . . I just can’t,” I explain, when what I need is to talk about it. But not now. Not with her while I keep seeing her face in Keely’s. Not until I can separate the facts from the past. “What about you?”

“You know what, let’s not and say we did.” She laughs and takes a sip, averting her eyes from mine. It’s a gesture that only serves to remind me of Keely again.

“Nah. I’m not biting. What’s going on, Em?”

She sighs and concentrates on picking through the bowl to steal all the cashews from it. I give her the time and smile at the prick who’s glaring at me from across the way because she’s talking to me and not him.

Maybe I’m taunting him because I’m in the mood for a fight. Maybe I’m just being an asshole. Then again, maybe I just want to kiss Emerson and know this is bad timing to be thinking about it.

“I told you I’m trying to buy Blue Skies, right?” I nod. “Well, trying is the operative word. In fact, my loan officer is a total prick.”

“Is he not responding?”

Her laugh has my back up instantly. “He’s responding, all right. I think the only reason he’s responding and considering me for the loan is because he thinks he can get in my pants.”

I don’t like the fucker already. “Who is it?” I demand.

She eyes me and twists her lips. “He’s a loan officer.” She deadpans. “I can handle it myself.”

Bullshit.

“Then go to a different bank.” Simple.

“I wish,” she says in a way that makes me want to move to her side of the booth and slide an arm around her. I’m not quite sure we’re at that stage yet. “But they were the only bank even willing to consider my application. When my mom got sick, money was tight, so we used her credit, my credit, anything we could to pay for treatments. I’ve worked my ass off to pay it all back, took odd jobs everywhere I traveled to, and have sold off everything I own to do so.”

“So, you have no collateral.”

“Nope.” She sighs, and I hate seeing the sadness in her eyes. “It’s all paid off, but that doesn’t mean my credit score has recovered. I just need a fresh start, and Blue Skies is my chance.”

“Everyone needs a fresh start now and again. Besides, I find what you did—paying off the debt instead of declaring bankruptcy—very admirable.”

“It is what it is.” She rolls her neck.

“So, who’s the prick?”

“I told you, none of your business. I’ve dealt with a lot worse than a handsy loan officer, Malone.”

“Handsy?”

“Chill out. I’m a big girl.”