Page 4 of Easton

Madison’s bright green eyes widen as she takes a big bite of her panini.

After holding up her finger for me to wait a sec, then wiping her mouth with a cloth napkin, she says, “Wow, no way. That’ll be a nice commission.”

“It sure will be,” I agree as I spear an olive in my Greek salad. I then add softly, “God knows I sure can use the money.”

“Right?” my friend says on a long sigh. “I hear you on that one.”

Even though she was just devouring her sandwich, she pushes her plate of half-eaten panini away.

I understand why.

My appetite just went down the drain too.

We both sell real estate, and though we’ve had a number of good years, even winning multiple awards for highest sales, the market as of late has skidded to an almost stop.

Nobody is buying.

Well, they are, but not that much and not enough.

With my twenty-seventh birthday coming up, the only thing I can think about lately is how I sure could use that freaking trust fund money. I’m dangerously close to losing my small house north of Camelback Mountain.

And then there’s my poor mom. She’s been struggling for a while now too. She still lives in the same house we moved into when I was twelve, and though it’s not huge, it’s really too big for her now.

She’d be better off in a house the size of mine.

Hell, I could give her my freaking home if I had that stupid money.

Ugh!

The good I could do with that cash. And not just for myself and my mother. I’d help out others, too, including Madison. She’s been having a rough time lately as well. She rents a nice, roomy carriage house, but she’s been talking about possibly having to downsize to a one-bedroom apartment in order to save money.

Damn it, see!

I need that freaking trust fund!

But I won’t be able to access it this year. Not only am I not married, as per my dad’s ridiculous stipulation and requirement, I don’t even have a boyfriend.

There’s nobody in the running either.

As of late, I’ve been out on a string of lousy one-off dates.

That’s why I’ve pretty much given up at this point.

No man, no money, a faltering career.

Yeah, life is just peachy these days.

I wish my onetime best friend, Easton, had been serious about marrying me when I turn twenty-seven. That night, so long ago in the park on that warm desert evening, Lord knowsIwasn’t kidding around.

I had the biggest crush on that kid back then. Funny how he never knew how gorgeous I thought he was.

But I did think that.

Yeah, I was constantly swooning over his chiseled facial features, dark blond hair, cool blue eyes, and hot muscular build.

But that was really only the tip of the iceberg.

Easton was a freaking hockey stud. He was the best player on our high school team, and because of him, we went undefeated our senior year.

---