Page 45 of Love and Loathing

He stood, taking his plate to the sink, and set it inside. “There’s no girl.”

She threw her hands up. “Then why stay?”

He braced his hands on the sink and looked down. He’d never admit it, but he’d been asking himself the same thing the last week.

“It’s time you cut your losses, Alex. You lost this battle, but there’s still plenty more out there for you,” she said. “When you and Charlie started this business, you had so many ideas. So many good ideas. Don’t get stuck on the one that got away.”

“You’re right,” he said in a soft voice.

“And another thing—wait, what did you just say?”

He faced her and leaned against the counter. “I said you’re right.”

She sat a little taller and playfully tossed her hair over one shoulder. “I like the sound of that coming out of your mouth. Go on, say it again.”

He laughed, even as a pit opened up in his stomach. “I just need a few more days to get things tied off, and then I’ll go.”

She gave him a sympathetic smile. “You’re making the right decision.” She clapped her hands together. “Now, I’ve been seeing Fourth of July bulletins all over town, and it turns out because the holiday falls on Sunday, tomorrow, they’re doing fireworks tonight. So when you’re done doing whatever it is … that … you do, we’re going to watch the show. End your time here in Harvest Ranch on a bang, huh?”

He nodded at the same time there was a knock at the door.

“Are you expecting someone?” Roxy asked.

“Nope.” He headed for the door and found a bellhop there.

He handed an envelope to Alex. “This was just delivered to the front desk for you.”

Alex thanked and tipped the boy and closed the door behind him. He opened the envelope, and out dropped a thumb drive and a purple Post-it Note that fluttered to the floor. He picked it up.

Alex, your project was a good one.

And I know now that you wanted to do right by this town.

Please use this as you see fit. - Jessie

The flash drive dug into his palm as he inadvertently squeezed it too tight. His heart rate picked up speed, and he rushed to his room. He closed and locked his door behind him and went to his laptop. He put the flash drive in and clicked on the single file there—a video. Just as he was about to hit play, his phone rang. He jumped.

Jessie?

He fumbled his phone from his pocket, answering on the last ring without seeing who was calling. “Jessie?”

A male laugh sounded through the phone. “Nope, just Liam Nicholls.”

Alex pulled his phone away from his ear and looked at the caller ID as his brain tried to catch up. The ID said Collins and Brown Attorneys-at-Law. He put his phone back to his ear. “Sorry, I thought—”

“I was Jessie?”

Alex cleared his throat. “How can I help you?”

“Your offer has been accepted,” Liam said.

Alex dropped his phone, then kicked it under his desk. As he scrambled for his phone, Liam kept talking. Alex had to crawl under the desk to get it, and he immediately put it to his ear from his crouched position. “Did you say he accepted my offer?”

“I did.”

Joy rushed through him like he’d not felt since he’d been at Jessie’s house and they’d tripped over that chair and ended up in a tangle under the tablecloth on the floor. He sat up and slammed his head into the underside of the desk. He grabbed his head and let out a slew of curse words that would make any Southern granny blush and probably slap him over the head.

“Uh, everything okay over there?” Liam asked.

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