“I know, but I guess with the whole”—he waves his hand, clearly meaning the foreclosure, and I can’t help but roll my eyes—“Sally had you cut off.”
Today just gets better and better.
Sally Ray owns the feedstore and Luke manages the bank. Together, those two are going to squeeze every drop of blood out of me.
“Fine. I’ll pay for it.” I open my purse and slap down my card. “Here.”
He runs the card and frowns.
“What?” My nerves are fried. I feel a migraine coming on. “What is it?”
“The card’s declined.”
“What?There’s money in the account.” Frustrated, I dig my fingernails into the top of my purse. “Try it again.”
Ron slips the card into the reader, and it beeps angrily at him. “Sorry, it’s still not working.”
“Try this one.”
He does and that card doesn’t work, either.
Two words hit me in the head: Luke. Preston.
“I’ll be right back,” I growl, yanking the card from Ron’s hand.
“I’m sorry, Rowe,” he says feebly.
“We’ll see who’s sorry,” I mutter.
I barge outside. Soon as I’m in the blistering sun, the Georgia humidity hits me like a wall. It’s so thick that it’s clinging to the air like yesterday’s panties on a hooker.
Drops of sweat sprout on my forehead and upper lip. I swipe them off with the back of my arm.
Even though it’s gonna be a hot fall, my town is adorable. It’s unicorn themed, so all the storefronts have charming scrollwork, and the names of the stores reflect the whimsical feel. There’s the Prancing Pony Café and Twilight Treats Ice Cream, among others.
There’s also a bridge where you can hang a lock after you place your and your lover’s name with the words4 evaon it. After snapping the lock on to the wire fencing that runs the length of the bridge, you toss the key into the river, where it will be swept away, ensuring that you and your partner will be together4 eva.
Yeah. Luke and I did that. You see how our relationship turned out.
And today, Luke is apparently the undesirable gift that keeps on giving, because Mystic Meadows Savings and Loan is directly across from the feedstore. Soon as I walk in, the tellers duck in their seats.
“We don’t want any trouble, Rowe,” one says.
Ha. So they already know why I’m here.
“Is he in?” I say, not bothering to wait as I head to Luke’s office.
“He’s busy,” replies another teller.
“Not anymore.” I throw open Luke’s door and stare him down.
He’s cleaned up since this morning—put on a suit and tie.
My ex shoots back in his rolling chair and pretends to look surprised. “Rowe. Two visits in one day. To what do I owe this pleasure?”
“Cut the crap, Luke.” I stomp over to his desk and drop my hands on it, leaning over as far as I can without falling on top of the slick surface. “Give me back my money.”
One side of his mouth ticks up in a smug smirk. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
