Page 2 of Banking on Love

Hearing the sadness in Kimberly’s voice broke me. I kissed the top of her head again. My eyes filled with tears. I hated my sisters having to run to me for guidance and money. I wish my mom was still alive. Why did she have to leave us so soon? And, why did my dad have to be such a drunken ass?

Chapter Two

NICK

“Do you even know what you’re doing?” Jonas asked, laughing.

“Not a damn clue,” I groaned, stabbing the shovel into the ground. I faced Jonas. The sun beamed in my eyes blinding me. I squinted to see him.

“Here. This will help,” he walked over to me and put a hat on my head. “There ya go. Now you look like one of us,” he chuckled

If this was New York, there’d be no way in hell I’d accept a hat from someone I just met. Jonas was a stranger but he was also my new boss, who I had just officially met an hour ago.

He was an older man. Looked to be in his late sixties, judging by his wrinkles. He wore blue jeans, a button-up plaid shirt, work boots, and a red ball cap withCupid’s Plant Nursery.

“Appreciate it,” I replied, adjusting the hat.

“Never done landscaping before?”

“No, Sir. Not much grass in the city.”

“I imagine not,” he shook his head and chuckled. “Well, you got that big city park out there.”

“Central Park?”

“Yeah. That one,” he laughed. “I’m not much on names. I usually give everything and everyone a nickname. So don’t be surprised if I call you by a different name, Nick. It is Nick right?”

“Yes, Sir,” I chuckled.

“Good. I got it right.” He grabbed the handle of the shovel and lifted it out of the ground. “Now, let me show you how to dig a hole.”

* * *

Ten hours in the baking sun had taken their toll on me. Sweat had poured from every pore. Muscles I didn’t even know existed ached. I didn’t remember a time I had worked so hard.

Jonas made it look like child’s play. The man even hummed while he worked circles around me and the other two guys. He barely broke a sweat.

“You okay, there?” Xavier patted my shoulder. “Not as easy as you thought it’d be, huh?”

“Still trying to catch your breath, City Boy?” Cody chuckled.

“Yeah. Something like that,” I muttered, hopping off the back of the work truck’s tailgate. My whole body protested the sudden movement. I wanted to collapse back down to the truck but refused to sit around listening to Cody’s mouth for another damn second.

Throughout the day he had made snide remarks about me coming from the city. At lunch, he commented how my sandwich was probably made of rats. He told Xavier to keep an eye on his wallet because I might pickpocket him. And last but not least, he bluntly mentioned how city people were lazy, good for nothing, pieces of shit.

It had taken everything in me to not punch him in the face. I didn’t want to lose my job on the first day. My grandmother had pulled a few strings to get me the job with Jonas. She would beat me if I lost my job on the first day. And kill me if I ended up in the slammer.

“I’m out of here,” I said, grabbing my lunchbox and heading towards the sidewalk. I raised my hand but didn’t bother looking back. “See you Monday, Xavier.”

Chapter Three

KENSI

I parked my car then stared up at the flashing neon light that readOpen.My stomach knotted as my heart sank. Relentless emotions rocked through me, threatening to spill my dinner's contents.

It was like Groundhog's Day. I'd attempt to sleep through the night, only to have it interrupted by Jack, the local bartender, calling me. My dad was yet again skunk drunk and demanding that they all give him back his keys so he could drive home. Now, I was to come save the day… a.k.a. deal with his ass.

He was a grown man. They should handle him on their own. Hell, call the cops if he's being so belligerent. Stop putting the responsibility on me.

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