Page 122 of To Belong Together
If Erin had been using him for money this whole time, she’d gotten exactly what she’d wanted, but a family shouldn’t lose their home on the heels of losing their loved one. As Awestruck’s drummer, he was in a position to stop that from happening.
Tim put the car in drive. “Can we get back to work now?”
John nodded. He had nothing else to do.
If only Erinhad been available to answer when Mom called. She would’ve asked Mom to wait before putting the lump sum of that huge gift toward the mortgage and associated costs.
Sure, someone other than John might have had that kind of money, but he was the most likely explanation. Mom knew about the breakup and had already expressed guilt that they couldn’t repay him for all he’d spent to find Dad. If she’d considered John could be the source, Erin suspected she would’ve refused the money to avoid adding to what they owed him. The thought must not have crossed her mind, because Mom had accepted the gift at face value and rushed to the bank. She’d called Erin from the parking lot and left a hurried message. By the time Erin had returned the call, the funds had been applied to the mortgage.
Erin hadn’t dared trample Mom’s grateful relief with her suspicions or her anger.
If the donor was John—really, who else would’ve made such a big assumption that they didn’t have this handled?—he would’ve only given the money if he were completely convinced she’d only wanted money from him.
Right?
She ordered her lunch at the taco place down the street from Hirsh Auto, once again running through the facts.
Others might have more resources than she knew about, but they would’ve had to have felt quite the powerful nudge from on high to surrender such a sum. And even if God had moved someone to such generosity, wouldn’t they have given the money directly to Mom instead of hiding behind the church?
It had to have been John.
Erin paid for her food and took her cup to the beverage counter.
Given his history with his sisters and his ex, Erin understood his tragic assumption that money had motivated her in their relationship. Sort of.
If he thought her so incapable of providing for herself and her mother, and so greedy, he probably didn’t ache for her company the way she ached for his.
Way to add insult to injury.
Sure, she fell short in plenty of ways, but not when it came to money, and she’d prove it.
Instead of taking the check from the sale of her house to the bank, she’d deliver the funds to John, returning most of what he’d given.
Would that restore their relationship?
Did she even want it to?
Despite the way his gift had offended her, yes. She missed his thoughtfulness and the way his humor caught her by surprise. She missed the way he used to give her his full attention, picking up on the details of everything she said.
“Erin.” The cashier read her name off the receipt as he slid a tray onto the counter.
Erin collected her food, a napkin, and a fork. As she settled back in her seat, Sam and Roy shuffled in. Both seemed to notice her, but instead of joining her, they sat in a booth halfway across the dining area.
Her cousins had been tolerable since Dad’s death—to the point that Erin wondered if Uncle Nick had talked with them about how they treated her.
Sam had given Erin a decent job that morning, saying she could complete it faster. Meanwhile, Roy had asked her to go on a test drive with someone—a task she would have normally resented, but he’d made a comment about how she could handle people better.
It seemed they were ready to act like they needed her at Hirsh Auto, even if they’d pulled up short of inviting her to eat with them.
Since she’d been eating alone for years, having to do so again shouldn’t bother her, but she’d been feeling lonely a lot lately.
Maybe she ought to go join her cousins.
Even the idea made her feel awkward.
Her phone chimed with a call from Nina, saving her from an immediate decision.
“Do you have a few minutes to chat?” the real estate agent asked.
