Cowboy Casanova - Lorelei James [85]
“There’s fresh coffee and warm muffins inside.”
She was in a good mood, which boded well for him. “I didn’t stop over here expecting to be fed, but I ain’t gonna say no now that you offered.” He followed her into the kitchen.
“I don’t imagine you stopped over to talk to me anyway.” She pointed to the mugs. “Help yourself.”
“Is Gavin up?”
“He hopped into the shower as you pulled in.”
Ben sat at the counter, poured himself a cup of coffee and set two blueberry muffins on a plate. “I did want to talk to you about something.”
“Sounds serious.”
“It is. I wanted to bring it up in private.”
“Now you’re really scaring me.”
Ben looked Rielle in the eyes. “I won’t beat around the bush. How much financial trouble are you in?”
Rielle’s cheeks turned bright red and her hands squeezed her coffee mug. “I told you I’d pay you for the furniture. Are you here to repossess it?”
“God no. That’s pretty inconsequential, considering everything else you owe on, doncha think?”
She nodded.
“So tell me, Ree, how bad is it?”
“Bad,” she whispered.
The bitter taste in his mouth wasn’t from too strong coffee.
“Can I ask how you found out?” Rielle asked.
“Besides that I took you to the bank and know they turned you down for a loan?”
Her lips formed a sneer. “So is everyone in town aware of my financial predicament? Is everyone whispering that the hippie chick doesn’t have a clue how to manage money?”
“No. And if I ever heard anyone say shit like that about you, I’d bust them in the mouth.”
“I know you would. You’re a good friend, Ben. One of the few friends I have in this town, despite the fact I’ve lived here my whole life.” Rielle knocked back her coffee like it was whiskey. “So how did you find out?”
No reason to sugarcoat it. “Rory.”
Her eyes turned to chips of ice and she slammed her cup down. “My daughter called you?”
“No. Evidently she talked to Dalton when he was in Laramie, and Dalton came to me. He’s worried about her.”
Stunned silence.
Rielle made a wounded sound. “She can’t… It’s why I…” She covered her mouth and tears pooled in her hard eyes.
Christ. He hadn’t meant to make her cry. Ben went to her and pulled her into his arms. “Hey. Rory is a terrific kid, Ree. You’ve done a great job raising her into a thoughtful, responsible adult. This fucked up situation hurts both of you, but we’ll get something figured out, okay?”
It took a minute or so, but Rielle said, “Okay.”
“Good. ’Cause I’m too fuckin’ old to have new neighbors move in here.”
She laughed. And sobbed. And hugged him tighter. “Thanks.” She stepped back and wiped her cheeks. “I assume you wouldn’t have brought this up if you didn’t have a plan?”
He peeled the wrapper off the bottom of his muffin. “I’ve got a plan. But I’ll be honest. I don’t think you’re gonna like it much. You’re in arrears to the bank…eleven months on your loan?”
“Ten,” she corrected. “I’ve got about thirty days left before I default.”
“How much do you have to pay to get caught up in the next thirty days to keep them from foreclosing?”
“I have to pay the first six months and all the penalties. Then I have sixty days to pay the remainder to bring the account current.”
“How much we talkin’?”
Rielle closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “One hundred and twelve thousand dollars.”
Shit. That was way more than he’d anticipated. He didn’t have that kind of money. Could Dalton and Tell come up with that much cash? Plus more to put a down payment on the land once they’d kept her foreclosure at bay?
“So please tell me more about this plan of yours, because right now, I’d sign a deal with the devil rather than lose everything.”
He looked at her. “The McKays have been called agents of Satan and devil’s spawn before, by your own father, if I remember right.”
“Sounds like him, since he constantly referred to me as the Whore of Babylon.”
It really surprised Ben that Rielle’s father and Casper hadn’t gotten along better, they were both cut from the same mean cloth. “Here’s the deal. Me, Dalton and Tell would give you the funds to catch up to make the back payment.