Winning Her Forever

by Harmony Evans

  He furrowed his brow. “Most of our customers are busy people who want move-in ready homes with top-of-the-line appliances and luxury interiors. Everything is brand-new. When they come home, they can just enjoy it, not tackle the next project on their list.”

  Sonya folded her arms. “I haven’t done so bad with this place, have I?”

  “You’ve done a fantastic job, and I’m proud of you. Most people would have just given up and bought new,” he responded. “Honestly, I thought you would have put a hold on your to-do list for the house, until you heard more about what was going to happen with it.”

  “I feel it’s important to live my life as if it’s not about to fall apart at any second.”

  He put his arm around her shoulders. “That’s why I’m offering you my home, because I don’t want you to worry. I want you to enjoy life.”

  She slid away and turned to him. “I won’t live in your home.”

  “Don’t you think you should have a fallback plan? If you move in with me, you can open your studio and concentrate on teaching dance. Isn’t that what you want?”

  She felt her heart tug at the concern in his voice, and she almost wished that her aunt had chosen to save the home instead of the jewelry store.

  “I’m not sure what I want anymore. All I know is that I want to stay here. This is my home. Things between us are happening so fast. Now you want me to move in with you.”

  “I’m not saying you need to move in right now. I just wanted to help.”

  Sonya stood and walked over to the mantel. “I appreciate the offer. I feel like I don’t even have time to think anymore. There’s too much pressure on me.”

  He went to her and placed his hands on her shoulders, and she rested her forehead against the mantel.

  “I can give you all the time you need.”

  She rubbed her thumb along the polished wood. “I think it’s best that we take a break.”

  “So I’ve finally got my answer.” He blew out a long breath. “For how long?”

  “I don’t know, Trent. Everything is up in the air. Where I’m going to live, when I’m going to open the studio. I’m not even sure I want to stay in Bay Point.”

  He turned her around to face him. “Why? What’s really going on here?”

  She debated confiding what she knew and asking him to help her. But what good would that do? She didn’t want to put him in the position of choosing his family’s business over his love for her. Her father had asked her to make a choice, and she’d ended up estranged from him.

  It was her hope that if she and Trent could no longer be lovers, at least they could be friends.

  “I can’t discuss it. All I will say is that your family is involved. Why don’t you ask them?”

  Trent swallowed hard. “I don’t understand. I know that my father got the wrong impression of you and our relationship, but I haven’t had a chance to set him straight.”

  Although she should have been happy, Sonya felt a flash of disappointment that he didn’t seem to know more. He’d always told her he didn’t get involved in business matters, but she’d found that hard to believe. Maybe he’d been telling the truth.

  “We had dinner with them over a week ago and you haven’t had a conversation with your father yet? I guess it just wasn’t that important to you.”

  “I was planning on talking to him after the staff meeting tomorrow, but now I’m wondering if it really matters.”

  “Has your patience run out?”

  “Not yet, but I can’t guarantee that it won’t.”

  Perhaps her father had been right all along. Maybe she really did deserve to live her life alone.

  “I’m sorry, Trent. I don’t know when I can see you again.”

  She was losing her home to the Watersons. The only thing she didn’t know was why Trent wouldn’t admit it.

  “I guess that’s it.” He dropped his hands to his sides and strode to the door. She thought he was going to walk out without saying anything, but he just stood there with his hand on the doorknob.

  “Just call me when you figure things out or don’t. It’s really up to you.”

  When he left, she closed her eyes. Her indecision had caused her to break Dewayne’s heart, and now Trent’s.

  * * *

  The sun streamed through the conference room windows, but Trent didn’t bother adjusting the blinds. He hoped the bright light would wake him up, because the coffee sure wasn’t.

  He’d been up before dawn. After spending the night tossing and turning, he’d decided to head to the office early. The receptionist wasn’t even there yet to unlock the main door. He used his own key for the first time in years.

  Ten minutes later, he’d figured out how to use the industrial coffeemaker, a task that should have taken ten seconds.

  Time was going in slow motion, ever since yesterday. His body couldn’t keep up, yet his heart was shattered. It still hadn’t sunk in that Sonya had broken up with him.

  The excitement of showing his home had quickly dissipated when she told him she wouldn’t live with him.

  It had been so unexpected that he hadn’t wanted to believe it. And every time he thought about believing it was over, his stomach hurt so bad that he’d thought about calling a doctor.

  We can’t be over. We’re so good together.

  He grabbed the carafe and poured himself another cup of coffee. He put it to his lips but didn’t drink. What had he done to make her turn against him?

  “Besides inviting her to dinner with my parents,” he muttered. He set the cup down with a clatter. That had been a mistake, at least where his father was concerned.

  He racked his brain, trying to think of what he could have done differently in the relationship. Perhaps he’d been too overbearing with all the gifts, but they’d been from his heart. Maybe he was too affectionate, but she was beautiful and the longer he was with her, the more he wanted her. They’d been dating over six months and though they were more comfortable with one another, there’d been no warning sign that she was bored or dissatisfied with the relationship.

  An hour later, his thoughts were interrupted by the voices of his mother, brother and father in the reception area, which was just outside the conference room. The excitement in their voices roused him from his chair.

  He went out to greet them. “Nice of you all to show up to work today.”

  “Hi, Trent,” his mother exclaimed. “What are you doing here so early?”

  “Yeah, what’s the special occasion?” his brother piped in.

  “Where’s Judy?” Lawrence bellowed, ignoring them all.

  He took off his pork pie hat and stowed it in the closet. “She’s supposed to be here by now.”

  “She has the day off,” Agnes soothed. “You’ll have to answer your own phones today.”

  “You’re lucky I’m in a good mood,” his father barked.

  “Just do like I do, Dad. Let them all go to voice mail,” Steve advised.

  He put his arm around Trent’s neck and squeezed it playfully. “You will be happy to learn that one of your expo leads came through. Signed the contract yesterday. Now you just have to reel in the other four.”

  “I told you we picked up some good leads, but you didn’t believe me,” Trent said.

  “We?” Lawrence enquired.

  Steve sat on the edge of the receptionist’s desk. “His girlfriend, Sonya, helped him at the booth.”

  “Because he was a no-show,” Trent said, pointing at his brother, who rolled his eyes. “It was a good thing she was there. The auditorium was packed and we had a lot of interest.”

  Agnes glanced over at her husband with a triumphant smile. “Didn’t I tell you she was the perfect woman for Trent? She’s already interested in the family business.”

  “Don’t tell him that, Mom. He’s alrea
dy accused Sonya of being a gold digger.”

  Agnes turned on her husband, who immediately looked away. “You did what?”

  “After the dinner, he accused Sonya of dating me just for my money.”

  His mother gave him a quick hug. “I’m so sorry. Did you tell her that your father is all bluster and no bones?”

  Trent ignored his dad’s exaggerated scowl. “I tried, but she wouldn’t listen. She has a lot on her mind.”

  “Focus on the business, Trent, and you’ll never have to worry about a broken heart,” Steve advised. “Hopefully, those other leads will come through soon.”

  “Thanks for the advice. You’re a real romantic,” Trent said in a wry tone.

  He leaned back in his chair. “It’s too bad we don’t have a location for the affordable housing project yet. That would have been a great event to promote it, but there’s always next year.”

  Lawrence cleared his throat. “Let’s go into the conference room. I want to make you aware of some recent developments with that project.”

  When they were all settled, Steve clapped his hands together. “Dad, let me explain it to him. We just came from a breakfast meeting with a landowner—Nelda Young.”

  “Sonya’s aunt.” Trent felt his stomach drop, and he slammed a fist down on the table. “Didn’t I tell you weeks ago not to approach her?”

  “Let your brother finish,” Lawrence admonished.

  “Poor woman,” Steve continued, “I know you told me not to talk to her, but she was in such dire straits that I couldn’t resist. I saw her at Carousel Park and told her that Sonya had told you that she was interested in selling. And Nelda did not disagree. She wanted to do a deal, so that’s what we did.”

  “We got her out of a bind, and she did the same for us.”

  “How much did we pay her?”

  Steve squeezed his fingers together. “A pinch over and above the appraised cost of the land. Enough to pay off the mortgage and give Nelda a nice nest egg for her remaining years.”

  “That’s touching, Steve. And what about the house?”

  His brother clapped his hands. “That’s the bonus. You get to do what you do best. Raze it!”

  Trent closed his eyes briefly. It pained him to think that he would have to bulldoze Sonya’s childhood home to the ground.

  “Nelda ran into financial trouble bailing her brother out of his debts, and ended up not being able to pay her mortgage. I’m surprised Sonya didn’t tell you.”

  Trent folded his arms and his expression turned grim. “Sonya did tell me. She also said she didn’t want her aunt to sell the house. I can’t believe you went behind both of our backs.”

  He realized with a sinking feeling that Nelda must have told Sonya about the deal. It was the only explanation for why she wanted a break in the relationship.

  “It wasn’t either of your decision to make,” Steve said.

  “True, but you didn’t have to help it along for our gain.” Trent scowled.

  His brother didn’t have a clue, nor did anyone in his family, how badly their actions had hurt his relationship with Sonya.

  “Not just our gain, but the entire Bay Point community,” Lawrence enthused. “I can’t wait until we announce it. I’ll bet we’ll be sold out before we even break ground!”

  Not if I can help it.

  “Can I see the contracts, Mom?”

  “Sure, honey. I’ve got it right here to scan into the system. Signed and countersigned.” Agnes reached into her bag and gave him a thick document.

  Trent took it from her and pretended to read. The price Steve had negotiated with Nelda was more than fair. There weren’t many people who made money out of an all-out mortgage buy-out, but Nelda would. Plus, by avoiding foreclosure, she would protect her credit score.

  “Wait until you see our profit margin on this deal,” Steve said, and the excitement in his voice bubbled into a huge smile.

  “I have no doubt that Waterson Builders will make a lot of money, even if the homes are supposed to be affordable,” Trent affirmed, holding back a smirk.

  “It’s a good thing you’re here,” Agnes remarked. “I was going to ask you to drop this off at Nelda’s apartment so we can save on postage. She said she didn’t want the contract emailed.”

  Trent stood up, document in hand. “I don’t think that will be necessary, Mother.”

  Before anyone could stop him, he savagely ripped the contract into pieces, starting with the signature page. With every tear, hope that he could mend things with Sonya became stronger in his heart.

  Amid the shrieks from his mother, the curses from his father and the murderous stares from Steve, he continued shredding the document until there was just a pile of large white flecks on the conference room table.

  He tossed the papers hither and yon around the table, and they floated down like confetti in a ticker-tape parade.

  “This is what happens when you try to screw around with the family of the woman I love.”

  “Do you realize what you just did?” Steve thundered.

  Lawrence shook his head. “I told you he wouldn’t like it.”

  Agnes clasped her hands to her chest. “Did you say love?”

  Trent ignored them all and put his palms flat on the table. “Starting right now, I’m officially taking over this affordable housing project, including the land acquisition. When we meet next week, I will provide an update.”

  His father folded his arms across his chest and didn’t say anything for a moment.

  “That’s fine, Trent. I’ve been waiting for a long time for you to help out in other areas of the business. This is the perfect chance for you to prove yourself.”

  Trent shook his head. “You don’t get it, Dad. This is a one-and-done. Once I fix this, I’m back to doing what I love to do. Building and construction.”

  “Doesn’t anybody care about the money we’re about to lose?” Steve complained.

  “Money isn’t what’s kept your father and I married all these years,” Agnes said. “When a man is in love, he will do anything to keep his woman, and keep her happy.”

  “Your mother is right,” Lawrence grumbled. “Do what you need to do. We trust that it’ll be right for you and your family.”

  Trent got a large envelope out of the credenza and scooped all of the torn papers into it, just in case Steve got the idea to try to tape all the pieces together. He smiled, tucked the envelope under his arm and walked out of the room.

  Chapter 12

  The curtains puffed into the open window as Sonya wrapped some treasured family photos in craft paper. Though her aunt had given her plenty of notice to pack up, the task was still difficult and time-consuming. She’d been preparing for this day mentally for several weeks and had a new place to live.

  Her apartment above the antique store was small, but it was within walking distance to the dance studio. The lease was month to month, so there was no long-term commitment. It would give her the time to think about what to do next.

  With the family home sold and her relationship with Trent now ended, she was trying to find a reason to stay in Bay Point.

  Tears rolled down Sonya’s face as she taped up her last box. She’d already packed up her father’s clothes to donate to charity. In an old coat, she’d found a letter of apology, written to her shortly before he died, where he stated how sorry he was that he hadn’t supported her dreams and that he wasn’t more involved in her life.

  She knew she would treasure her father’s letter more than anything else she owned. She didn’t have much more than clothes and personal mementos, having sold most of her furnishings when she’d left San Francisco.

  Her insides hurt whenever she thought about Trent. Though he probably didn’t realize it now, Sonya felt that breaking up had to be good for both of them. It was for the best. He was so c
onnected to Bay Point, and she simply wasn’t anymore.

  Sonya wandered outside and sat down on the swing. She planted her bare heels into the grass and began to rock back and forth. When the swing began to sway, her mood lightened a bit. She thought about her father’s letter, which had ended with him encouraging her to stay strong and follow her heart.

  As she swung, she imagined her father doing the same thing. Casting his cares away by the swing of his feet. Forgetting about his troubles, his debts, his late wife, her.

  If it were only that simple, she thought, remembering how she’d tried to forget her pain through endless hours of practice. Long after it was time to go home.

  Until her feet bled through her shoes.

  The sun had lowered, setting the sky ablaze in pinks and oranges. In the distance, the waves washed over the rocky shore in a violent kiss on endless repeat. If she listened hard enough, she could hear the ocean, just as she could hear her heart beating whenever Trent held her in his arms.

  Her chin quivered as tears threatened to spill down her cheeks again. This was the last night she would spend in the home where she’d spent her formidable years.

  Confused, alone.

  It was only her dreams that kept her alive at that time. Eventually, they came true—but not without sacrifice. At least she’d held on to herself and her belief that one day she’d feel whole again.

  A short time later, she was woken up from a short nap by a honk of a car.

  She yawned, stretched and walked down the steps to greet Nelda, who was already out of her vehicle. The two women hugged.

  “I just wanted to stop by and see if you were okay.”

  Sonya nodded. “I will spend one last night here and the movers will be here tomorrow morning.”

  The fact was that Nelda was her last remaining relative. Her mother had no sisters and her maternal grandparents had already passed away before she was born.

  “I’m sad, but I’ll live. I think I’ve made my peace with the memories of this house.”

  “What about your father?”