My bakery was doing well. But ever since I started it, I invested everything I had back into the business. My salary was tiny, but enough to get me by each month.
“Surely, you can work something out,” Garret tried again.
Did he not listen to a word I just said? All that alcohol must have finally killed too many brain cells.
“How much do you owe?”
“Fifteen grand. Give or take a few.”
I stilled my stomping through the room to get a drink out of the minibar. “How do you not know exactly how much you owe him?”
“I don’t remember the last game. And we haven’t worked out how much interest I have to pay for every day I owe him. So it will most likely be more.”
Take a deep breath, Rayna. If you drive to Humptulips now to kick him where it hurts, you’ll get booted off the show. The drive is too long to make in one night, anyway.
That’s a good girl. Deep breath. Remember what Pema Chödrön says: “You are the sky. Everything else is just the weather.”
“I don’t have the money,” I repeated. “And no way to come up with that much. A couple grand, maybe. But not fifteen.”
“Great. Then give me a few grand and I’ll try to win back what I owe.”
And most likely get into more debt.I knew how Garret worked. As much as he loved poker, he shouldn’t be playing anymore because he was terrible at it.
“No way. No more gambling. Is there anything you can sell?”
“Nothing. Whatever I could get rid of is already gone.”
Of course he had. And he lived in a trailer, so he didn’t have much since he still needed somewhere to live.
But did he really?
“What about the trailer?”
He cleared his throat, and I narrowed my eyes.Time for that drink.
“I technically don’t own it anymore.”
You are the sky. You are the sky. You are the sky.
“How is that possible?” Well, I guess I knew how. I should have asked, “How are you so stupid?” instead.
“I had a little problem with the Russians.”
“The Russians?” I shrieked. “Are you insane?”
“It’s all taken care of. But it means I don’t own my trailer anymore.”
“So where are you staying?”
“With Des.”
Of course his brother would let him crash with him. He’d always been a blind fool when it came to Garret.
I downed the small bottle of whiskey I’d grabbed from the minibar and grimaced at the taste.
“I’m going to hang up now, Garret. And I pray for your daughter that you come up with the money.”
“But you need to—”
