Page 39 of Believing in You

“I have the money to support myself, but it’s earmarked for buying Moody Days. I need to prove, mainly to myself, that I can afford to support myself while also buying and owning a business.”

Harrison leaned on the counter in front of her. “I see. Can you?”

“It’s going to be tight, especially since I don’t know if I’ll have enough saved by the time Gordon retires in a couple of months. Even though I hadn’t wanted to hear it, Cree was right. I need to get my priorities straight. I have to have a roof over my head and dependable transportation.”

Harrison wanted to suggest she move in with him, but that wouldn’t be helpful. Clearly, these changes were something she needed to prove to herself. Even if he’d love to have her under his roof every day for the rest of their lives.

“Would you consider an investor or a silent partner for Moody Days?”

“No,” she said quickly, a sting behind that one word. “I don’t want anyone telling me how to run a business that I’ve been managing for years. That’s exactly what would happen if they got involved.”

Her words were spoken with passion and maybe even a little anger. It was safe to say this was a sore subject.

“Why not?” he asked carefully. “Why wouldn’t you want to hear their opinions or suggestions?”

“Because I know what I’m doing!” she snapped, fire in her eyes. “Just because they all have college degrees doesn’t meanthey know better than I do. I know how to run that club. I don’t need them telling me what to do!”

Harrison lifted his hands. “Okay. Okay, I get it. You’ve already proven that you can run the club. Nobody—especially not me—is denying that. I’m sorry. I’m sure if they offered you money to help you achieve your dream of business ownership, it wasn’t because they didn’t believe in you.”

She blew out a breath and glanced away. “No, I’m the one who’s sorry. I keep letting my insecurities make me lash out. I know you mean well, but Harrison I have to do this myself.”

Their conversation the other night came to mind. He’d forgotten that she felt inferior to those with college degrees. If only she could see herself the way he saw her. Strong, smart, intuitive. He’d seen those qualities in her the first week she worked at Telecom. She handled every assignment given to her with ease and professionalism. There was no doubt that others saw those qualities in her too, and that’s what he told her.

Moving around the counter, he sat next to her. “You’re an amazing woman who can accomplish anything you set out to do. I’m sure I speak for me and your family when I say that.”

“Thank you.” She squeezed his arm. “I appreciate you saying that. I know my insecurities are in my head, but occasionally, they make an appearance when I least expect it.”

“That happens to all of us from time to time. I’m just glad you haven’t let that stop you from pursuing your dreams. Would you consider a silent investor?”

She narrowed her eyes at him, but when she opened her mouth to probably say no, he lifted his hands to silence her.

“Hear me out before you automatically shoot down my idea. After releasing me from prison, the state gave me fifty-thousand-dollars.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Seriously?”

He nodded. As far as he was concerned, they owed him a helluva lot more than that, but he kept that to himself.

“I lost a year of my life, and I guess that was their way of saying sorry, let us help you out. Anyway, I invested the money in stocks that have done extremely well. I haven’t touched the funds because I’ve been wanting to invest in a business. Why not Moody Days? Let me help you obtain your dream.”

Nyla started shaking her head before he could finish the last sentence, but he pushed on.

“I can have a contract drawn up that says that I’m only an investor. I won’t have any say in how you run the business. All decisions are your own unless you ask my opinion on something. You won’t have to pay interest or anything back for the first five years that you’re in business.”

“Harrison…”

“It’ll all be in writing. Whether you and I make it as a couple or not, and yes, we’re a couple,” he added quickly, “the money is yours for five years with three percent interest. After the five-year mark, you’ll start paying it back in monthly installments.”

“Harrison, I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You didn’t ask. I’m offering.”

She was still shaking her head. “That’s a horrible investment. You wouldn’t be receiving much of a return, especially with that low interest rate.”

“I’ve been planning to find a business to invest in, and I can’t think of a better one than Moody Days. If it makes you feel better, we can negotiate a deal. At any rate, my love for jazz and music is only part of the reason why I think this is a good idea. The other? Not only will I be investing in your business, but I’ll be investing in you.Baby,I believe in you. I know you can make the club even more successful than you already have.”

Tears filled her eyes, and his heart lurched. The last thing he wanted to do was make her cry, even if they were happy tears.

“If you cry, you might make me cry, and I did enough of that yesterday.”

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