Page 140 of Reckless Harmony

“No,” Lucas said. “If Rayna isn’t returning your calls, then obviously, she doesn’t want you in her business.”

Feeling like his heart might explode from unfamiliar panic, Stark said, “I love her, Lucas.”

Lucas paused with his cup of coffee near his mouth. “What?”

“I love Rayna. I fucked up, okay? I know I fucked up, and I did that thing I always do, which is push people away when they hurt me. I shouldn’t have done that, and I regret it immensely, but I am also freaking the fuck out that something terrible has happened to the woman I love. But because I fucked up so bad, she won’t talk to me, and I don’t blame her for that, but Lucas, I am losing my mind with worry for her. Please tell me what’s happening,” Stark said.

“Holy shit. I think that’s the most you’ve ever said to me at once,” Lucas said. “And all of it was personal as fuck.”

Stark stared at him, his chest tight and that panic still fluttering in his stomach.

“You really do love her, don’t you?” Lucas said.

“Lucas, I am about five seconds away from taking a wrench to the gym shower and then demanding Sneaky Leaks send Rayna to fix it so that she can’t keep avoiding me.”

A grin crossed Lucas’s face. “She’d probably get here and throw that wrench at your head.”

“Probably,” Stark agreed. “I’m still going to do it, though.”

He stood, and Lucas shook his head. “Holy shit, sit down. I’ll tell you what happened, so leave the gym showers alone. They’re innocent.”

He couldn’t even manage a chuckle at Lucas’s joke. Not when every fiber of his being was worried for Rayna.

He returned to his seat, giving Lucas an expectant look. Lucas sighed and said, “So, it turns out that the rescue’s accountant, Mack, is a dirtbag piece of shit…”

CHAPTER 47

“Hey, kid.” Doug sat next to her in the staff room at the Sneaky Leaks office.

Rayna forced herself to smile at him, to pretend everything was fine even though she had just lost her house, her rescue, and the man she loved. “Hi, Doug. What’s up?”

“You look like shit,” he said bluntly.

She made a face at him. “Keep talking that way, and I’ll put in an HR complaint, Douglas.”

He didn’t laugh at her joke like he usually did. His face solemn, he put a warm hand on her forearm and squeezed. “Judy told me what happened, kiddo. I’m real sorry about the rescue and the house. I know how much both meant to you.”

Oh great, now she was going to freaking cry in front of her boss. Could this day get any worse?

Her eyes watering like crazy, she blinked hard and looked away. “Thanks, Doug.” Her throat tight, she said, “I signed the papers for the sale of the house and dropped them at the real estate agency before I started work this morning. That was… hard.”

He gave her a sympathetic look. “You find Mack yet?”

“I didn’t tell anyone in the rescue what Mack did. How do you know about it?” she asked sharply.

“Judy overheard a few people talking about it at the coffee shop this morning.”

She sighed. “God, this fucking town. Nothing ever stays a secret, does it?”

“It sure doesn’t.” Doug squeezed her arm again. “Go home, kiddo. In fact, take the week off.”

She shook her head. “I just took some vacation.”

“You’ve got plenty left over,” he said.

“I do, but that’s not the point,” she said. “I have two calls this afternoon and a full schedule this week.”

“We’ve got it covered,” he said. “Ranjit will cover your jobs today, and Judy and I will figure out the rest of the week.”

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