Big guy?
“But if it’s all the same to you, Mr. President and I think it will boost the ratings in the next episode.”
Davis hopped into his truck and proceeded to button up the top two buttons on his flannel very, very slowly. “It’s not all the same to me,” he said before slamming the door shut.
As he started the engine and pulled his truck away from the curb, he didn’t look back at Franklin. He didn’t have to. He was pretty sure the guy was still standing there, mouth agape, hands on his hips. Probably his mind was spinning out of control on how he was going to tell Mr. President and be sure his job wasn’t in jeopardy.
When Davis had agreed to the show, it was already obvious that one of the angles was that he and Garrett were not only brothers but twins. It would make it appealing to viewers—identical twin brothers who were carpenters and who were in business together. The advertising team had used their looks and their skills to promote the show. Both tall, dark blonde hair, lanky but toned, talented, with friendly and trustworthy smiles. Garrett brought the sex appeal; Davis brought the family appeal. That had been the show’s angle.
After two seasons, why change it now?
Whatever the reason—Davis didn’t care to find out.
CHAPTERNINE
KELSEY
If anyone could ever conveysuch intense pity with just one look, it would be Maria Valez. In high school she’d been the epitome of a younger J. Lo. Even still, she portrayed the beauty of the famously talented singer/actress. At the moment, she was about nine months pregnant but still managed to have flawless hair and makeup.
When Kelsey was pregnant with Charlotte, toting around Zach and June, she looked like a sloth who’d swallowed a watermelon. If anything, Kelsey hoped Maria would give her some grace and possibly use that pity to work some magic with her finances. Though based on the solemn look in Maria’s brown eyes, it wasn’t promising. Kelsey’s shoulders tensed.
With a slight shake of her head, Maria spoke softly when she said, “I’m so sorry, Kelsey. But with the second mortgage on your home, and the current housing market along with high interest rates, you wouldn’t make enough if you sold. Not even enough to break even.”
The dread hit her low in the belly with a dull thud. This wasn’t the news she’d been hoping for. First, her in-laws couldn’t help her, and now she’d just been informed that not only would she not be making enough money to pay off the business loans if she sold the house, but she would also be upside down. She’d been dealt one bad hand after another the past year. It felt like all the cards were stacked against her.
“What about another loan? A third loan?” Kelsey’s heart raced, her fingers trembling.
Maria folded her lips in between her teeth as she gave long, slow blinks. “I’ve ran all the numbers. Both the business and your personal, and again, I’m sorry, but it’s just not feasible.” She leaned across the desk as far as her rounding belly would allow, glancing around before saying, “Kelsey, they’re about to put a lien on your house.”
Her head spun and her chest hurt, acid burned in her throat.
This wasn’t her last resort, she knew. But convincing her mind to focus on that instead of on the defeat that thudded in her chest was useless. The feeling of losing control, of dropping all the balls she’d been juggling, came to the surface.
She stood on wobbly legs, the need to leave the bank before she released the pent-up anguish and tears was palpable. “Thank you for your time. And good luck with the delivery. I’ll be sure to send a gift over.”
Back to square one.
Kelsey pushed out the doors of the bank, gulping in the crisp air and forcing back the impending tears. She had too much to do to wallow in her circumstances. Instead, she headed straight for The Daily Grind, then she’d hit up Sweet Cakes Bakery. A pumpkin spice latte and a piece of her mama’s cinnamon apple cake would have to do the trick. At least for now.
* * *
A moundof clothes covered the entire space of Kelsey’s queen-sized bed. She and Isabella gazed at it, a glass of wine in each of their hands while “Sweater Weather” by The Neighbourhood played softly from the Bluetooth speaker. It wasn’tonlythe sheer amount of costume choices that overwhelmed Kelsey, it was also the fact that she was considering dressing up at all.
While all her friends and people attending the party dressed in couple costumes, she would be reminded, once again, that she was alone.
She gulped the remaining inch of her wine before setting her glass down and dropping onto the bed dramatically, instantly drowning in the clothing. Isabella distractedly rummaged through Kelsey’s closet and mumbled, “No, no, no.”
Isabella and Leo had their costumes picked out over a month ago. Baby and Johnny fromDirty Dancing. Even Norah, who hadn’t been out much since she and Landon split, was going to the party. She was dressing up as a female/sexy version of Danny Zuko and Maddie was going as Sandy Olsson fromGrease.
“What about this? You could go as Lilo and take June’s Stitch stuffed animal?” Isabella asked, holding up a red Hawaiian print dress Kelsey hadn’t seen in years.
The dress had been shoved in the back of her closet since a Luau themed party they’d hosted at the bar. It was Ricky’s idea. A way to bring morale after a summer forest fire burned nearly eight hundred square miles near the mountain. Ricky was always thinking of things like that.
“Well?” Isabella blinked at her.
“That’s just sad. Going as a couple costume with myself. I’d be better off choosing a solo costume, or not dressing up at all.”
Isabella tilted her head to the side. “I think it would be creative.”
