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Blossom Street
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Год написания книги
2019
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Bethanne took a moment to collect herself. “Just by listening to me,” she whispered, unable to keep the emotion out of her voice. “I … I admire you so much and I’m so grateful I met you.”
“Me?” Elise blushed at the praise. All she’d ever done was encourage Bethanne. Elise had been a single mother herself, and knew the hardships that entailed.
“Oh, Elise, you’re such a good friend.”
Now it was her turn to tear up. Naturally, she’d had friends through the years, but she’d come to realize that those relationships were superficial. There was no real grief in leaving them behind. Somehow, it was different with the knitting group. Her reserve had slowly begun to dissolve; she even found herself talking about Maverick. Of course, she hadn’t shared the fact that they were sleeping together—that was far too intimate a detail—but she wouldn’t be surprised if her friends had guessed. Until this summer she’d hardly ever mentioned his name.
“I found out something wonderful about Lydia,” Bethanne said. “One time she told me she didn’t owe a single penny to anyone. She was proud of that. All the yarn in her store’s paid for and—until she got this loan—she was pretty well debt-free.”
Elise nodded; she approved of doing business on a pay-as-you-go basis. Far too many young people got caught in the credit trap. It was too easy to use a credit card and pay later. Except that the debt always grew so much faster than anyone seemed to expect. She’d seen it with her own daughter and son-in-law, warned them as gently as she could and then shut up.
“I didn’t want to ask Lydia why she needed a loan. But later Margaret pulled me aside and said Lydia had given the money to her.”
Elise couldn’t hide her surprise. Not at the fact that Lydia had given her sister money, but that Margaret would freely volunteer this information.
“I think she felt sorry for me and wanted to encourage me and I think—I think she wanted me to know what a wonderful sister she has,” Bethanne said.
“Margaret needed the money?”
Bethanne nodded. “She told me her husband’s been out of work for the last six months and they’d gotten behind on their house payments.”
“God bless Lydia,” Elise whispered.
“And she’s hurting so badly,” Bethanne added.
“And now her mother’s in a nursing home.”
“It’s come to that?” The last Elise heard, Margaret and Lydia were researching assisted living facilities.
“She shouldn’t be there more than a week or two,” Bethanne said, “but it’s expensive, even as an interim solution.”
“This doesn’t seem to be a good time economically for any of us, does it?”
“I just hope I can survive for the next few months.”
“You’re going to be fine,” Elise told her. “This business is just too promising to be ignored for long.”
“Do you really think so?”
“I know so.”
Bethanne stared down at the carpet, then sighed deeply. “I so badly want to believe you.”
“Did you get someone to help you with the bookkeeping?” Elise asked, moving on to practical matters.
The younger woman nodded. “Paul’s been going over everything with me.”
The doorbell sounded and before Elise could answer, Maverick strolled into the room, looking about as debonair as she’d ever seen him. Her heart skipped a beat. His gaze went from Elise to Bethanne and back again.
“I can come another time,” he said.
An automatic protest rose in her throat, but she needn’t have worried.
“No, please don’t. I should go,” Bethanne insisted. “I came because I had to talk to a friend. All I really needed was for Elise to tell me I’m not a failure.”
She stood and Elise led her to the front door. Before Bethanne left, they hugged. “Call me anytime, understand?”
Bethanne nodded. “Thank you so much for listening.”
“Anytime,” she repeated.
“I’ll see you Tuesday.” And then Bethanne was gone.
Elise turned to find Maverick standing in the foyer watching her.
“Is everything all right?” he asked.
“She’s been rejected for six bank loans and is about to give up.”
He frowned. “You’ve been very good to her.”
Elise dismissed his words. “She’s been wonderful to me.”
Maverick slowly advanced toward her. “You’re one hell of a woman, Elise Beaumont.” He slipped his arms around her waist and brought her close with a gentleness that melted her worries.
“Oh, Maverick …”
He kissed her and whispered promises that made her knees weak.
“Come home with me,” he pleaded. “You won’t be sorry.”
She refused with an adamant “No.”
“Elise, I need you with me.”
“I can’t.” The minute she was in his apartment he’d find a way to convince her to move in. She loved him. Despite his flaws and weakness, she loved him.
But she still wasn’t sure she could trust him.
33
CHAPTER
COURTNEY PULANSKI
The second-period bell rang, and the high school erupted into chaos as students poured out of their classrooms. Courtney thought she knew her way around the building. During the orientation session, she’d paid close attention to where her classes were scheduled, but now she felt hopelessly lost.
The one bright spot in the day, she hoped, would be Honors English, because she knew Andrew Hamlin was in the class. Not that she expected him to speak to her or anything. But at least he’d be a familiar face.
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Книга дельная. Без воды, приводятся реальные кейсы и способы их разрешения. Много практичных полезных советов и методик. Кое-что уже испробовала в дел...
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