A Winter Wedding

“You don’t care.”

Maybe he would if he believed it was true. But with Noelle—who could say? Whenever she needed money, she came up with an excuse he’d be hard-pressed to decline—medical treatment, that she’d be evicted, that she wouldn’t have electricity or food.

“Look, I paid for the procedure,” he said. “That’s all that matters. I hope you’re feeling better. Now I’ve got to go. I have a lot to do here—”

“Wait! What about my water heater?”

“What about it?” he asked in exasperation.

“You seriously won’t give me a small loan? Then will you let me stay in the farmhouse until I can get it fixed on my own?”

No way was she coming anywhere near his property. She would never live there. “Absolutely not. I’ve got the farmhouse cleaned up and ready to lease.”

“But it’s been ready to lease for two months, and it’s sat empty that whole time. Why not let me move in until I’m back on my feet? You’re not likely to get someone now.”

What was she talking about? “Why not?”

“The holidays. People are busy with shopping and wrapping and decorating.”

“Not everyone. Matter of fact, I have someone coming to see it tonight. He’s ninety percent sure he wants it. He just has to see it in person to confirm. Then he’ll sign.”

“Who is it?” she asked.

Kyle checked the information he’d jotted on his desk calendar. “Guy by the name of Meade.”

“Never heard of him...”

“He’s from Nashville. Only needs it for a few months, but he asked me to furnish it, so—”

“Furnish it with what?” she broke in. “It’s not like you have a furniture warehouse.”

“There are companies that rent furniture. I called a place in Sacramento, chose some items from their website, and they brought it all out. The place is move-in ready now. Looks great.”

“You went to that much trouble for someone who’s only staying for a few months? I thought you wanted a year’s lease. That’s what you told me when I asked about it.”

“He’s paying a premium—for the furniture, my time and trouble in acquiring it and the short term. Even if he decides he hates the house and I have to send the furniture back, he’s covering all of that. In any case, you didn’t lose out, because I wouldn’t let you move in, no matter what.” The past few months, she’d been trying her best to get back with him. The last thing he needed was to allow her to be that close—not to mention he’d never see a dime of rent.

“Even though I’d be willing to sign for a year?”

“Even if you’d be willing to sign for ten.”

“You can be so mean,” she said.

Mean? He thought he was being incredibly nice—considering that merely talking to her made him want to punch himself in the face. “We’ve talked about this before. I’ll take Meade’s deal, if I can get it, and try to find another tenant next summer, when school’s out.”

“That’s great for you, but what about me? Can’t I use it until he moves in?”

The childlike whine that entered her voice made his eye-twitch worse. Patience, he reminded himself. Breathe deeply and speak kindly. “He hasn’t said when that’ll be. But since he’s coming all the way from Tennessee to look at it, I’m guessing he could move in tonight.”

“In the middle of the storm that’s coming in?”

“Why not? He’ll just carry in his luggage. How hard can that be, whether there’s a storm or not?”

“So you’re going to leave me in the lurch—the woman who would’ve been the mother of your child if that child had survived?”

Before he could respond, Morgan knocked briskly and opened the door. “Don’t tell me you’re still on with her.”

He sent her a frown that told her to mind her own business, but she didn’t leave.

“I have a call from LA,” she said. “Some guy wants a special deal on a 10-megawatt order.”

Which was such a big order, no one at his company could provide the pricing but him. He changed the phone to his other ear. “Noelle, I’ve got to go.”

“I can’t believe you’re doing this!”

“What else am I supposed to do?”

“You have the contacts. You could get me a water heater and let me make payments, if you weren’t so stingy.”

“Kyle?” Morgan prompted, reminding him—as if he needed her to—of the far more important caller on the other line.

He almost told Noelle to go down to the hardware store and have the checker call him for his credit card information. He wanted to get rid of her, and they’d done that kind of remote purchase before, when someone threw a rock through her window (likely the girlfriend of someone she’d flirted with at Sexy Sadie’s). But the more he gave her, the more she’d keep coming back to him. He had to break the cycle...

Fortunately, he thought of a solution that should’ve been obvious to him from the start. “I’ve got a water heater here,” he said. “It’s the one I took out of Brandon’s neighbor’s house. If you’ll have someone pick it up and install it, I’ll give it to you.”

“You’re sure it works?”

Morgan propped her hands on her hips and scowled at him, refusing to leave until he took that business call.

“It did when my guys removed it. No reason that should’ve changed. She wanted solar mainly to be responsible to the environment.” He’d been planning to donate the water heater to a poor family who could use it. But Noelle fit the bill. She didn’t have much money, despite juggling two jobs. Working in retail part-time, and then as a barmaid nights and weekends, she didn’t make a whole lot. What she did earn, she spent on clothes and beauty aids.

“Okay. Thanks.” Noelle lowered her voice. “I’m happy to oblige if you’d like...something in return.”

“I don’t need anything,” he said.

“You sure about that?”

Where was she going with this? “Excuse me?”

“I remember the kinds of things you like...”

The suggestion in her voice made him uncomfortable. “I hope you’re not referring to—”

“It’s not like you’re getting laid anywhere else,” she interrupted. “A visit here and there could be our little secret, a temporary solution, so you don’t have to go without. I mean, what’s the big deal? It’s not like we haven’t slept together before.”

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear any of that,” he said and hung up.

Morgan, who’d changed her position to stand with her arms folded, fingers drumming her biceps, raised her eyebrows. “What’s she after now?”