Page 134 of Reckless Harmony

“You’re not stupid,” Emma said firmly. “You trusted someone who took advantage of that.”

“They won’t care about the reason,” Lucas said. “You do so much for the community, and you provide a valuable service. People will be happy to donate.”

“Even if I could raise seventy-five thousand in two weeks, I still have to pay off the other seventy-five grand. I can’t keep the rescue running under that kind of debt. There’s just no way we would get enough regular donations to help the animals and make monthly debt payments.”

“Fuck,” Lucas said. “Any chance we can find Mack and force him to pay the money back?”

“He’s gone,” Rayna said dully. “Emma and I went to his apartment after we left the bank, and the building manager said he had moved out last week. His cell number is no longer in service. It doesn’t matter anyway. Even if I could find him, I have no way of making him repay any of the money. What he did wasn’t illegal, remember?”

“If we can prove that what he spent the money on wasn’t for the rescue, then maybe we could, I don’t know, sue him or something,” Lucas said.

“I have no money to pay for a lawyer,” Rayna said.

“There must be something we can do,” Lucas repeated.

“There is,” Rayna said as dread settled in her stomach. “I can sell my property to Isaac Stark.”

“No,” Emma said. “We’ll come up with a different solution.”

“There isn’t one,” Rayna said. “You know I’m right, Em. Stark was willing to pay eight hundred grand for my property. I doubt he’ll pay that now, but I can offer the property to him for five hundred. That will give me enough money to pay off what I owe on the house and the rescue’s debt and leave me with enough cash to keep the rescue operational.”

Emma took her hand, squeezing it tightly. “Honey, you love this place, and you worked so hard to buy it.”

She shrugged, blinking back the hot tears with effort. “I do, but I have no choice, Em. The rescue is more important than a house. Besides, we both know this damn place is falling apart around me. Even if this hadn’t happened, fixing up the house was always a bit of a pipe dream.”

“Oh, Rayna.” Now, Emma looked like she was going to cry, and she took Lucas’s hand when he held it out to her. “I think you should take some time to think on this before -”

“I don’t have that luxury,” Rayna said. “If I want to save the rescue, this is my only option.”

Tears slid down Emma’s cheeks, and Rayna gave her a faint smile. “Don’t cry, Em. It’ll be okay.”

Emma shook her head before reaching out and hugging Rayna. “Stop comforting me. I’m supposed to be comforting you.”

Rayna buried her face in Emma’s shoulder. “I love you, Emmy.”

“I love you too, honey.”

CHAPTER 45

“You look terrible, dearest,” his mother said. Even his phone’s small screen couldn't hide the worry on her face. “Please talk to her.”

“I told you during our last call that I won’t discuss Ms. Abrams anymore,” Stark said.

He winced inwardly at the harshness of his tone, waiting for his mother’s deserved anger.

Instead of scolding him, Angela gave him a sympathetic look. “I know you miss her, my boy. Talk to her. What happened between you can be fixed.”

“No, it can’t,” he snapped. “She doesn’t trust me. She doesn’t believe that I care about her and thinks I’m only being nice to her so I can get her damn house.”

“To be fair, that was your original motive,” Angela said.

He scowled at her. “You’re not helping, and I said I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

“I know you’re angry, sweetheart, and I understand why you are, but is holding on to that anger worth losing her?” his mother asked.

“I’m not angry,” Stark said. “Ms. Abrams did me a favour, actually. She reminded me of what happens when you’re weak, when you let your feelings dictate your actions. It was a valuable lesson and one I won’t forget.”

“Isaac, being kind is not a weakness, and if you just speak with Rayna again, tell her how you feel about her. I’m sure she would -”

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