Page 43 of Made for You

“I’ll get the six thousand. Just give me the paperwork so I can go talk to the bank.” I lean back in my chair and rub my handsover my face.

Why is this happening? We were finally turning a profit, out of the red. We were finally able to save some money, and really put a dent in the rehab fund Emma started.

“You need to tell Emma, Pops. She needs to know there’s a massive hole in the accounts.” I brace my hands on the table, feeling that familiar feeling of wanting to crawl out of my skin again, only this time, I can’t slam a hammer down to feel better.

“I can’t. I can’t let my baby girl look at me like I’m any less than the man who hung the moon for her. I just can’t. Please just take the offer.” He slides a business card with a number on the back of it across the table, “That number there is their offer.”

Damn that’s a lot of zeroes. Images of what I could do with that money and time flash through my mind. The freedom to finally do whatever I want. But the stark reality is that I’m doing what I want. I want this inn. Even if I feel tethered to it at times.

“No. I won’t.” I pass the card to Wyatt and his eyes widen at the number. But he pushes it back to Pops in solidarity with me. I appreciate that gesture more than he’ll ever know.

Pops pushes his chair back and gets up from the table. “Think about it, would ya? I’ll keep this safe.”

He tucks the card back in his pocket and walks out of the inn, back to his car.

Once the front door clicks shut, Wyatt lets out a breath I didn’t realize he’d been holding.

“Fuck man, what are we going to do?”

“We? It’s my name on all this shit. If we go under, I have nothing. You still have your house, and your job. It’s me andEmma who are fucked. Except she’s got her whole career ahead of her when she graduates. What the hell am I supposed to do?”

“Listen, I know I’ve been a shitty brother, but you’re not in this alone. We’re here to help you, even if that’s financially instead of with labor. Don’t shut us out again, please?” He gets up and goes to the kitchen, leaving me at the table alone with my thoughts.

How the hell did no one in this tiny ass town who gossips and knows everyone’s damn business, not think to tell me that my goddamn inn was about to be in foreclosure? I’m in that bank every week, no one ever thought to pull me aside and tell me about this secret mortgage, we, I wasn’t paying?

“That smoke is about to come out your ears, Lee. You need to go cool down. Take a minute. Let’s rally the troops and we’ll worry about it then when we have everyone. No sense in stressing out now.” Wyatt tries to calm me down as he sits back down with a plate overflowing with pastries.

“Where the hell does all that go?” I nod toward his plate of calories.

“I work out a lot. Lots of cardio,” he winks.

“Yeah, we all get stuck with the aftermath of your cardio sessions.” I shudder at the thought of another sit down with Tiff at Rebels.

“Sounds like you need some cardio, oh Viol-—” I smack his forehead and steal a muffin. “Hey!” he protests.

“Fuck you. I’m outta here. Are you hanging around for Emma or going home?”

“Home. I’m beat after last night. I can’t wait to not be the newbie so I can be on day shift.” He yawns as ifreminded that he was tired before coming to steal the food that we might not be able to pay for anymore.

“Great. Text me later when you get a date everyone can meet.”

“Love you too, Lee!” He yells at my retreating form.

I toss him the middle finger in response. It’s our love language.

The meeting I saw between Wyatt and Liam yesterday seemed way more intense than the usual breakfast shared between father and sons. I’m only a little ashamed to admit that I stood with my ear to the door listening.

A pang of hurt for Liam ran through me as I listened to the conversation about how his father has a secret mortgage out on the inn and he might lose the inn because of it. That has to feel like a knife right in his back.

I almost broke my self imposed rule of not talking to Liam to comfort him. But I stood strong when Wyatt came and defended him. Now that he knows too, the Keaton siblings will rally around Liam. I’m glad that he’ll have support. I get thefeeling that if Wyatt didn’t walk in, Liam would have struggled in silence.

It’s been over a day of following my own rule, and I hate it already. But after Liam’s display of alpha male claiming me as his own, I know I need to stick to it. I have spent too much time in my life being used by my mother and Larry as a pawn in the political game. I will not let Liam use me in his love game. If he wants me, he wants me all the time, not just when someone else is showing interest. And he needs to show me that before I cave.

Since Emma didn’t come home this weekend, Liam has been in and around the inn more than usual.

He’s been so busy this morning checking people in and out that I doubt he’s eaten a thing all morning. I plate a fresh muffin from the oven for him. Just because I’m not talking to him doesn’t mean I can’t feed him. Or so I tell myself.

I walk out just as Alexander walks in the front door. Shit. Liam is going to think I timed this to see Alexander, but he’s looking at me now, and I can’t go hide in the kitchen at this point.

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