“I know that no amount of money would ever convince your family to sell out,” I tell her genuinely. “I think I realized that right off the bat.” I chuckle. “Ridge makes it pretty obvious how he feels.”
“He does. With every single thing in life really.” The corner of her lips turns up. “That boy sure loves his home and everything his family has built here.”
“I know,” I whisper. “And despite my … mixed feelings about your son, I admire the loyalty all of you have to something you clearly care so deeply about.” I stop, looking down. “Which is why I needed to come here. To warn you …”
When I glance back up again, she’s frowning. “What do you mean, warn me? What’s that supposed to mean?”
I grimace inside, knowing that whatever I say, she’ll still be wary of me because this entire thing is basically my fault. I know if I hadn’t taken this opportunity, he would have offered it to someone far more ruthless than me. But Katherine isn’t going to see it that way. In her eyes, I’ll be the woman who came in and disrupted the peace and put her family’s land at risk.
“Victor, my boss, is pretty convinced that with some digging, he’ll be able to find something your family is hiding.” I swallow sharply. “Something that’ll make it easier for this land to go up for sale.”
Confusion and shock are followed by anger, which covers every inch of her face, making her cheeks grow red.
“We have nothing to hide, I can assure you.” She speaks sharply now, going into protective mode. “So, you can run back to your boss and tell him that if he’s trying to scare us, it’s not going to work.”
She begins to slide toward the end of her seat to get up, but I reach for her hand.
“Katherine, wait,” I say quickly. “I promise, I didn’t think he’d do anything like this. If I did, I would have never come.”
“But you did,” she utters, looking at me with disgust. “Stay away from my family.”
I pull my hand back, and she hurries to get up. Before I can say anything else, she grabs her coat and quickly rushes to the door. I could run after her and apologize again for my involvement, but I don’t want to make it worse on her. Especially not when she’s already concerned about her son.
So, instead, I sit here in this booth, staring straight ahead. Realizing that Christmas, a holiday she seems to love so much, is in two days. And here I am, ruining it for her. Just giving me another reason to hate this season that much more.
“You’re shitting me,” I mumble, creating a puff of smoke in the air from my breath because this car is so fucking cold. I turn the key again, squeezing my eyes shut and hoping for the best. “Come on, you stupid car. Don’t take a giant shit on top of my already-shitty day.”
The car won’t start, and I inhale a deep breath, trying to calm myself before I have a full-on meltdown in this coffee shop parking lot and things get ugly. I don’t need this today. This morning, I stubbed my toe. And then I found out my favorite Netflix series had been canceled. Twenty minutes ago, Katherine gave me a death glare and then walked out of the café. Now, my car won’t start.
All of this shitty stuff, and it’s not even Christmas yet.
Pushing the door open, I start toward the café to find the sign now says it’s closed. “Amazing,” I grumble, taking my phone from my pocket.
I could call Ridge. After all, I have his number, but something tells me he’d probably tell me to fuck off. And I don’t know anyone else in the area—well, besides his family, and they sure as hell don’t want to hear from me either. So, I suppose I’ll call the closest garage and have it towed.
A loud exhaust startles me, and I look up to find a big white truck pulling into the parking lot, its windows so dark that I can’t even see inside it. It parks, and for a moment, no one gets out.
Creeped out, I start toward my car just as the driver’s door swings open and Riley steps out. He waves, flashing me thatpanty-dropping grin that I think is his signature smile before heading over.
“Hey, it’s Stella, right?” he drawls, stopping next to my car where I stand.
I nod, knowing that his mom probably hasn’t talked to him yet. If she had, he wouldn’t be smiling that big at me right now.
“Thought so.” He stops, his brow furrowing. “Everything all right? Why are you just standing outside your car? It’s fucking cold out.”
Despite the chill in the air, my cheeks heat up. Part of my issues from my shitty childhood that I carry with me is the inability to accept help. But right now, I’m not sure I really have a choice.
“Um, yes. I can’t get the engine to turn over, so I’m going to call a tow truck.” I shrug it off like it’s all fine and dandy. “Not sure what’s going on with the stupid thing.”
Pulling the door open, he climbs behind the wheel and attempts to start it, and just like I could have told him would happen, it doesn’t work.
“Well, it’s not a dead battery—that much I know,” he says thoughtfully, just as a gust of wind sweeps through the parking lot, sending some fallen snow spraying through the air.
I shiver, my lips trembling before I stuff my hands inside my pockets. Of course, Riley has to notice because, instantly, he waves toward his truck.
“My truck’s warm inside. Let’s go sit in there, and I’ll call my friend Alex.” He gets out of the car. “He owns a garage in town and has a tow truck. I’ll have him come and grab it.”
Guilt strikes me—because I know how angry his mom would be if she knew he was helping me out. Rightfully so too.
