Page 88 of Hit the Ground
He gave me what I imagined he thought was a congenial smile, but it mostly gave me the creeps.
“This won’t take long, and I appreciate you taking the time to listen,” he started. “I’m sure you know I’ve been having trouble finding a job.”
“I don’t keep track of your employment status.”
He chuckled, but it didn’t quite ring true to my ears. Maybe it was the sweat beading his forehead or the way he kept tugging at the collar of his plaid button-down. Seemed to me Kent was nervous.
“All right. Of course. My point is, with Shelby and me unable to move to Denver for work—”
“No one’s stopping you from moving,” I reminded him.
“Well, I can’t leave Shelby…and Jesse. I get where you’re coming from, not letting us take him. You don’t want to be without him, and that’s completely understandable.” He shot me another tight smile. “I’ve got some things in the pipeline around here. It’s looking good. The thing is, I have some bills coming due, and I’m not sure I’ll be employed in time to pay them. Shelby’s helped me as much as she can, but I need a little more to see me through.”
My jaw rippled as I clenched it tight. I could not believe this man was about to ask me for money. There was no way…was there?
I didn’t give him any help getting to his point, just stared him down as he floundered.
He sighed. “I’m here asking for a loan. I’d need a month, two max, then I can pay you back. It’s not a lot, not for a man who has all this.” He gestured broadly. “Like I said, I’ll be working by the end of the summer, but I have some bills that need to be paid back immediately. I’m in a bind here. I’m hoping you can find it in your heart to help me out.”
I raised my brows. “How much?” I had no intention of lending him a dime, but I was curious what he’d come here seeking.
Hesitating, he gripped the rail on either side of him. “Five—no, ten thousand would do it. That would alleviate a lot of stress and give me some breathing room to find the right job. And of course, I would pay you back by the end of summer. You’d definitely have your money before Halloween.”
I couldn’t stop myself from guffawing.Ten thousand dollars? He wanted me to loan him ten grand? He had to be truly desperate and out of his mind.
“Since when is Halloween the end of summer?”
He didn’t blink for a beat then he broke into a high-pitched laugh. “Who remembers when summer ends? I’m not a calendar.” His grin was wide and strained. “The date isn’t important. Let’s discuss the loan.”
I shook my head, my humor gone as fast as it had come. “I have to give it to you. You’ve got a lot of nerve, Kent. Marching onto my porch, asking me for ten thousand dollars like I owe you something. What reason do I have to want to help you out? I’m racking my brain and can’t think of a single one.”
His grin faltered, and his shoulders hunched like he was trying to make himself smaller. “Caleb, come on, man. Please consider rethinking your position here. I’m not asking for charity, just a hand up. You know I’m here for Jesse. I care about him too.”
My blood instantly heated, and my arms came down from my chest, fists curling at my sides. “Using Jesse to try to get to me is not a smart move. You’ve got nothing to do with my boy’s well-being, and dragging his name into this to grease the wheels? That’s about as low as you can get.”
Kent flinched, then recovered with another shaky laugh, his eyes darting toward the road like he wished he hadn’t shown up here.
That was when Alice’s little car turned down my drive, kicking up dust as she pulled to a stop. She climbed out, sunlight catching her hair, and my whole body eased before I remembered my unwelcome visitor. Kent’s sharp inhale told me he recognized her.
“Well, look at this.” He turned back to me, his head tilted. “I know her. I wasn’t aware librarians made house calls,” he said, laughing at his own joke.
I stepped off the porch, putting myself square between him and Alice, my voice low and sharp. “You’ve overstayed your welcome. Get off my property and don’t come back.”
Alice, catching the tail end of things, slowed her steps, her eyes flicking between us. But I didn’t look away from Kent until he pushed off my railing and slunk down the steps, muttering under his breath.
I watched him the whole way to his car, ready to step in if needed, but all he did was nod at Alice before climbing in and driving away.
As soon as the dust from his tires settled, I turned back to Alice. She stood there with her keys in her hand, her brow furrowed, uncertainty clouding those pretty green eyes. I closed the space between us, sliding my hands around her waist and pulling her in until her cheek pressed against my chest.
“Hello, you,” I murmured into her hair. “That was Kent. Shelby’s boyfriend.”
She tipped her head back to look at me, her gaze sweeping over me with concern. “You don’t look like you had a good visit.”
“It wasn’t.” My jaw worked as I tried to keep the bitterness out of my tone, though I wasn’t sure I succeeded. “From what I understand, he’s been living off Shelby for a while, racking up debt, and now he’s got it in his head I should float him too. We’ve barely exchanged pleasantries, but he came here asking for ten grand, like that was ever going to happen.”
Alice’s nose wrinkled, her distaste plain as day. “Ten thousand? Caleb…”
“I know. I give him credit for his nerve, but that’s it.” I shook my head. “Something tells me this isn’t the last time he’ll try to stick his hand out.”
