“Make yourself at home,” Eric said, taking a bite of his food.
“She left me,” I grumbled.
“Yeah, I kinda figured that, seeing how rumpled you look.”
I glanced down at myself. My tie was loosened and my shirt was unbuttoned a little. My jacket was the same one I had been wearing for over twenty-four hours. I probably smelled a little too.
“She said we were too different.”
Joe snorted and ate some food. “Of course you are. Look at the two of you. Complete opposites. You’re all high and mighty and she’s all-“
“Don’t even say it,” I snapped.
He popped another piece of meat in his mouth and slowly chewed. “I was going to say down to earth. But I’m guessing you were thinking more about the money in your account versus the money in hers.”
“It has nothing to do with that.”
“Then why did you snap at me?”
I ran my hand through my hair and sighed. “I just thought we could work it out. She didn’t even give me a chance. We were supposed to spend the weekend getting to know each other.”
“Well, you screwed that up when you went into work and left her alone,” Eric grumbled. “Probably not your best effort at keeping her.”
I glanced at Kat, noticing she wasn’t saying anything. “What do you think?”
“Me? I don’t really know her. I couldn’t say.”
“If it were you-“
“It was me. I needed time.”
“See, I still disagree on that point,” Eric said, pointing a french fry at her. “I think I should have fought harder for you.”
“That’s totally what you should do,” Andrew said, eyes wide as he nodded his head. “Grand gesture and all. That’s what she needs.”
Will slapped him upside the head. “He can’t give her a grand gesture before he even gets back in her pants.”
“Mission accomplished,” I muttered. “So, now what?”
“Wait,” Joe interrupted. “You got back in her pants and you still couldn’t convince her to stay?” I glared at him and he snorted. “Sorry, not sorry. You lost her man.”
“What?” Kat exclaimed. “That’s not true. Don’t listen to them. She just needs to see a different side to you. She needs to see that you’re still the same man she once knew. You have to woo her.”
“Yes!” Will said, snapping his fingers. “You have to show her that you’re still the same man, just with more money. Show her what she’s missing.”
“No,” Eric shook his head. “Anna’s not like that. She doesn’t care about your fancy car or your apartment.”
“That’s because she hasn’t had money for so long. Duh,” Joe shook his head. “See, when you don’t have money, it’s hard to accept that you suddenly have it. What you need is a reason to keep her around. Not all the time, but enough that she can see the benefit of your money.”
“Wait, that’s like asking me to buy her.”
“No,” Andrew shook his head. “I’m with Joe. She likes money, but she doesn’t want to admit it. You have to slowly introduce her to your money. Subtle things. You can’t just ask her to stay with you and shower her with presents. You have to do little things.”
“Yeah, but buying a twelve year old car is not one of them,” Eric pointed out.
“You bought her a twelve year old car?” Kat asked, cringing slightly.
“I thought that she would appreciate that it was in her price range!” I said, throwing my hands in the air.
“Yeah, nothing says love like a twelve year old car,” Andrew muttered.
“Okay,” I said calmly. “So, I somehow convince her to spend time with me, to get to know me without showing her my penthouse.”
“I hope you mean penthouse and not penthouse,” Joe said slowly.
“I mean my apartment, you asshat.”
He held up his hands and shrugged. “Hey, I don’t know if you rich dudes have a special language.”
“You mean like you?” I shot back.
“Hey, my language was hip and cool.”
“Yeah, you really sound it now,” I snorted.
“Well, it was like reverse psychology. One minute I was saying Millennial shit and now I sound like a throwback to the nineties. It’s like I’ve had a brain transplant.”
“If someone gave you a brain transplant, they would have made you smarter,” Eric muttered.
“Watch it, or I’ll have your balls pierced the next time you come in the shop,” Joe growled.
“Okay, so I need to find a way to trick her into spending more time with me,” I said, rubbing my hands together.
“No,” Eric said sharply.
“Yes!” Joe said excitedly. “Sorry, you’re not getting her any other way.”
“Okay, so…what ways can I get her to spend time with me?”
“You could ask for her help with something,” Kat suggested.
Eric glared at her. “You’re helping him with this ridiculous plan?”
“What? I think it’s sweet. He wants her back and if he goes along with Ren and Stimpy, he’s definitely not getting her back.”
“Who?” Joe asked.
“Look, it’s simple. Women want to feel needed. You need to find some way to show her that you need her for her brain,” Kat said.
I cringed, hoping this didn’t sound too offensive. “She didn’t go to college. I have a degree and I’m a lawyer. In what world would I need her help?”
“Wow.” Kat clucked her tongue and stood, shoving her chair back. “So, there’s absolutely no reason that you could need her for something because she doesn’t have a fancy degree? I take it back. I’m not helping you, because you’re a jerk.”
Eric watched her go, his eyes never leaving her retreating form. “She’s totally right. You’re an asshole,” he said, leaning back in his chair as she walked up the stairs. “What kind of man says shit like that about the woman he likes?” When she was out of sight, he leaned in and motioned me forward. “Do not listen to her. If you ask Anna to help you and she fucks something up, you’re in even deeper shit than you are now.”
I leaned back and smirked. “What happened to me being an asshole?”
“I can’t disagree with Kat right in front of her. What kind of idiot do you think I am?”
“The kind that has to hide stuff from his fiancé so he doesn’t piss her off,” I laughed.
“Says the man that’s trying to find a way to trick the woman he likes into being with him.”
I gritted my teeth. “You may have a point.”
“Listen,” Eric whispered, glancing back at the stairs. “She may have a point about finding something Anna can help you with. Women want to feel needed, but you need to be careful that your work life and your private life don’t intersect. Anna is…she’s not delicate. She’s like a firestorm, and if anyone from your professional life meets her, she could fuck things up for you. You know I like Anna, but she is a tornado and she wrecks anything in her path when she’s upset.”
“What the hell am I supposed to ask her to help me with? She doesn’t even want to see me again!”
“Ask her to help you to redecorate your apartment,” Joe suggested. “Chicks love to decorate.”
“Decorate? That’s your big idea? She doesn’t want to see me, but she’ll agree to come to the city and help me decorate?”
“He has a point,” Andrew said. “Think about it, she starts to decorate your place and she puts in her own touches. Suddenly, it starts to feel like her place.”
“And she magically decides to stay,” Will said sarcastically.
“It’s gotta be something big, something important,” Eric stressed. “It has to be something that you really need her help with, that no one else can help you with.”
I stared at him, waiting for him to tell me more. “And? What would that be?”
He leaned back in his seat and frowned. “Hell, I don’t know. I can barely figure out my own woman.”
; I glanced around at my four brothers and sighed. “This is pathetic. Five men and none of us has a solution that works.”
“Ooh!” Joe grinned. “I’ve got it. Tell her that you need a fake fiancé for work.”
“And why would I need a fake fiancé? And why would she agree?”
Joe shrugged. “Tell her that your bosses won’t promote you unless you’re a family man. They want you to get married first. Then, you convince her that she knows you best and it would be the most believable.”
“Where do you come up with this shit?”
He wiggled his eyebrows at me. “I read it in a book. Yeah, I was with Shirley-“ He frowned, his eyes narrowing. “Or maybe it was Stacey…either way, I was with this chick and she had this girly book on her nightstand. I couldn’t sleep so I started reading it. And this was the exact thing that happened to this dude. And guess what, it all turned out right in the end. He got the girl and the most amazing sex any guy could hope for.” He held his hands wide and grinned again. “Am I a genius or what?”
“Or what.”
Anna
I rushed through my shower and swore as I stubbed my toe on the foot of my bed. I was so late. I had slept through my alarm and then my water heater had gone out and I had to take a cold shower. I was just getting ready to dry my hair when someone knocked on my door. I pulled on my sweater and rushed to the front door, wondering who the hell would be banging on my door at seven-thirty in the morning.
I flung the door open and came face to face with the sheriff. “Uh, hi, Jack. Is there something I can help you with?”
He smiled slightly and pulled out an envelope. “I’m here to give you these.”
I grabbed the envelope and slid my hand under the seal. “What is it?”
“I can’t say for sure, but I have a pretty good idea.”
I scanned the letter and my jaw dropped to the floor. “What…I don’t understand,” I said, shoving the paper at him.
He took it and sighed as he read it. “They’ve been talking about extending 394 and building a highway that would connect to I-65. I knew the plans had passed, but I didn’t know exactly where they were going to build.”
“I don’t understand what this means?”
“It means that they’re taking your property as part of the project.”
My brows furrowed. “They can do that? They can just come in and take away my property?” He nodded. “Jack, this is all I have. If they take this…”
“I’m sorry, Anna. You can fight it, but-“
“That’ll cost money I don’t have,” I sighed.
“And you most likely wouldn’t win. Not many people do.”
“Is this really legal?”
“It’s eminent domain, which means that as long as the government plans to use the property for public use, to raise tax revenues or better the community, they can legally buy your property from you.”
“How much?” I asked, chewing on my lip.
“It depends on how much land you have and the value of your house.”
I glanced back at my trailer and snorted. “That leaves the value of the land. Jack, I only have a half acre. They won’t give me much for this.”
“I know. Maybe you could talk to Robert about this.”
“He’s a divorce lawyer. What could he do?”
Jack shrugged lightly. “I don’t know. Maybe he knows someone who can help you negotiate the value of your property.”
I rubbed my hand over my forehead as my heart pounded in my chest just thinking about everything I was about to go through. Sure, I had money in savings, but that wasn’t enough to start over like I wanted. I would only be able to rent at this point, and that would waste money that I was currently saving.
“Jack, right now, I’m saving money living here because it’s paid off. If I go somewhere else, I’m going to lose all I’ve saved.”
“I know, but on the bright side, this could take a year or more to go through. I wish I could do something, but this is out of my hands. You need to talk to someone that knows how to negotiate this. Call Robert. He might be able to help.”
I nodded absently, but I had no intentions of calling Robert. I couldn’t ask him for help. I had just kicked him out of my life. Besides, I hadn’t relied on anyone for years, and I wasn’t about to start now. I would take care of this on my own.
“I have to get going. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”
“Thanks, Jack.”
I shut the door and shook my head. I had to get to work. Sitting around here worrying about this wouldn’t help me in any way. I grabbed my bag and stuffed the paper inside, then locked my door and ran out to my car. I was late getting into work, and Eric was already waiting for me with a scowl on his face.
“Don’t start with me,” I snapped. “I’ve had a shit morning.”
“Don’t we all, but I’m still here on time.”
“Hey, my alarm didn’t go off, my water heater went out, and then the sheriff stopped by-“
“Wait, why did the sheriff stop by?”
I tossed my purse on the desk, ignoring how all the contents went flying across the desk. I needed coffee. I walked over and poured myself a cup and gratefully took a drink. Only ten more swallows and I would feel like a normal person. When I turned around, Eric was looking at the paper on my desk. I snatched it away from him and shoved it back in my purse.
“So, you were saying about the sheriff?” he asked.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing I can’t handle.”
“Are you sure? Jack’s a good friend. I’m sure he would help.”
“I’m sure. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get to work.”
“Right, well, I’m heading out on the Destin job. Hey, did you get any weird vibes when you talked to his secretary the other day?”
I thought back to Friday and my phone conversation with her. “Um…Maybe a little. Like maybe she was hiding something?”
“That’s what I thought. I went through all the details over the weekend, but I didn’t see anything that seemed off. Do me a favor and go over all the account information this morning. Let me know if you find anything.”
“Sure. I’ll do that right after I go through the emails.”
He nodded and walked out while I got to work.
I hurried up and shut down my computer. If I was fast, I could get to the bank and speak with the loan manager before they closed. It was cutting it close, but I might be able to convince him to stay a little longer to speak with me. I closed up the office and drove over to the bank, jumping out of my car just as the loan manager was walking out.
“Mr. Groverton!” I shouted, waving my arms in the air like a lunatic. He smiled kindly at me and waited for me to rush over. “I’m so glad I caught you.”
“I was just on my way home.”
“I was hoping you might have a few minutes to discuss something with me.”
He checked his watch and nodded. “Sure,” he smiled. “I’ve got a few minutes.”
He walked back into the bank and I followed him back to his office.
“So, what can I help you with, Anna?”
I pulled out the piece of paper from my bag and handed it over. “The sheriff brought this by today.”
He read through it and sighed. “I’m sorry, Anna. That’s terrible.”
“Mr. Groverton, I know we talked about what I needed to acquire a home owner’s loan, but I may not have the time I need. I’ve been saving everything I can, but this is speeding up that timeline.”
“Anna, everything depends on when the government decides to seize your property. Now, if you were to take them to court, that could take twelve to eighteen months for this to go through. That would buy you some time.”
“I don’t have the money for a lawyer though.”
He nodded. “Well, you can always negotiate, but honestly, your land isn’t going to be valued the same as some of the other property around you. The land is considered
poor-quality, so you’re going to get a worse offer from them. I doubt you’ll be able to negotiate for more.”
“That’s why I’m here. I need to find a way to get that home owner’s loan. If I rent, it’s going to eat up my savings.”
“Well, let me look into this and I’ll let you know if I can find a way to get you a loan faster. But, Anna, I have to be honest with you, I don’t think I’m going to find anything.”
I smiled tightly, feeling completely dejected. “Thank you for trying.”
He smiled and I walked out of his office and back to my car. I didn’t know what I was going to do. I still had some time, but even with another six months to a year, I might not have enough saved and also meet all the qualifications needed for the loan. Everything I had worked so hard for would be washed down the drain.
Robert
My phone rang just as I was about to go into a meeting with Rebecca Morrison. It was Eric, and unless it was important, I didn’t have the time to talk right now.
“Now’s not a good time.”
“I have information for you. Very useful information.”
“That’s great. Can you tell me later?”
“Anna received a letter this morning that the government is exercising eminent domain to take her property.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose and exhaled. “And this helps me how?”
“She’s going to be kicked off her land. You have money, she doesn’t. Work your magic, Houdini.”
My boss waved at me through the glass to get my ass into the conference room. I held up my finger and nodded. “Look, as much as that sucks, you know she’s not going to take any money from me. And even if she did, that doesn’t mean she’s going to suddenly want to be with me.”
“This is your chance. Don’t blow it.”
“I have to go-“
“I just gave you the key to getting her back and you’re leaving?”
“I have a meeting.”
“You always have a meeting-“
I hung up and placed my phone on vibrate as I grabbed my paperwork, computer, and headed into the conference room.
Collateral Damage: A Small Town Romance Page 14