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“Don’t tell me the Bank of Mom and Dad finally closed?” Her laugh held no humor.
“It’s not funny. These people mean business. They’ll break my kneecaps or something if I don’t pay up.”
She heard the desperation, but this time she wasn’t buying into it. She’d bailed him out enough over the past few years.
“Here’s a thought, and it’s out of left field, but go and get a job. Any job will do!”
“Ring my parents and ask then for money for Ritchie. They’ll pay if it’s for him, then you can give it to me.”
She actually lost the power of speech after those words.
“You have to do this for me. You owe me.”
“For what?”
“I gave you Ritchie. You had nothing before him.”
“You’re not serious?”
“I need you to do this, Autumn. It will be the last time, I promise.”
“No. No more helping you. No more listening to your lies. No more anything. Stay away from me and our son. I hope you can find a way to get your life together, Nick. But you’re not using me or Ritchie to do it.”
She dropped the phone back into her handbag. That conversation had just confirmed she’d made the right move coming here. Nick was toxic, and putting distance between them was for the best.
“You okay there, Autumn?”
She spun on her heel and found Ford Winter standing there. “Sure. Thanks.”
“You don’t sound it.” He moved closer.
She had to tilt her head back even in the wedge heels she wore.Big, brooding, and seriously hot.
“I’m good, thanks. I didn’t really say thank you like I wanted to in there, Ford. But thank you. I don’t get migraines all the time, but when I do, they’re debilitating.” Great, she was babbling now.
“Yeah, my mom’s the same, and no thanks are needed. The hug was enough.”
They fell silent then. Both just looking at each other. He had his hands in his pockets, and she had hers clasped in front of her for some reason. The air around them suddenly felt charged with something.
“I wondered about you. I mean wondered who you were. Not many people would have done what you did, and…”
“And?”
“And I remembered glimpses of that night but not all of it. I didn’t even know the name of the man who looked after me.”
“Ford Logan, last name Winters.” He held out a hand, and she took it.
He shook it gently. She remembered then what it had felt like to have him holding her hand while she lay there in pain, waiting for the meds to work.
“Where is your man?”
“Man?”
“Your son’s father.”
“We aren’t together.”
He closed his eyes briefly.
