Page 32 of Coffee Shop Girl
“Thanks,” I said to Kin, managing a smile. “I appreciate the help.”
“What do you think you’ll do?”
“I don’t know, but this at least helps me figure out what it could look like. I felt totally blind before.”
After small talk about his practice and well-wishes for his mom, we finished our meal. The anticlimactic meeting ended with little excitement. Kin gave me a hug before he offered to walk me to my car. He smelled like fading cologne.
“I need to stay and talk to someone,” I said, “but thank you again.”
I busied myself with my purse until Kin disappeared outside. Once he was for sure gone, I buried my face in my hands and leaned against the table.
Tonight, I had to make a decision.
Either way.
There was a wild chance Jim would never look for the girls. That he’d simply let them fade away and disappear. But evenIknew that wasn’t likely. He’d know where to look once he exhausted all the local areas. In fact, barring a stroke of luck that had him drink himself to death one night, I knew he’d be here. In fact, I felt some surprise that he wasn’t here already.
I had to be prepared.
Although I deeply didn’t want to admit it, I couldn’t deny it anymore. Maverick had been right. The shop was an utter disaster. Mounting debt. Missed mortgage payments. Old machines that didn’t function correctly, and electrical circuitry that wasn’t all that safe. Creating an operations manual was theleastof what needed to be done.
Tears filled my eyes as I thought of Dad. An ache for him lived within me constantly, floating in the rage that he’d died in the first place. The disorienting feeling often crashed over me in waves. Tonight, I swam in deep waters.
I let out a long, whooshing breath.
Control what you can,Dad would have said.Let the rest go.
The girls needed me. Keeping them was the right thing to do, and I wanted to do it.
But could I?
10
Maverick
When two minutes had passed after Bethany’s date left, I had waited long enough. Whatever was said clearly hadn’t been good. The guy didn’t even walk her to her car.
Mallory was right. Chivalry was dead.
Bethany didn’t even shift when I slid into the booth across from her, a thousand thoughts whirling through my mind. Who had that scrawny guy been? Why was she eating with him? Who orders fettuccine at this time of the week, anyway?
Realizing how irrational my thoughts sounded, I said, “You look like you could use a friend.”
When she peeked through her fingers, the low lighting threw shadows on her face. Her skin was pale beneath blotchy, apple-red cheeks. Her eyes sparkled, clearly on the verge of tears. I worked to keep a neutral expression, though I couldn’t help an irrational flood of anger.
Did that jerk proposition her?
“Could you really save my business?” she whispered.
Startled, I blinked. Her business? When she didn’t back down from my scrutiny, I swallowed and said, “Yes.”
Her eyes showed such soulful concern I couldn’t even feel elated at my win. This wasn’t how I had predicted her acquiescence. In fact, I’d figured another disaster morning at the shop would eventually push her over the edge. But my speculation was wrong.
Whatever had pushed her to this, I could see the weight of it on her. My fingers itched to get started.
“I meanreallysave it?” She straightened. “Dad left me so much debt. I can’t sell it because then I’ll literally have nothing. No house, only a crappy car, a motorcycle, an unfinished college degree, and a dream of real estate. I can’t buy food with any of that.”
I leaned back. “Really save it.”
