Page 20 of Definitely (Maybe) Dating
“It’s the house. The bank put a lien on it.”
“Under what authority?” Skye had paid off her house in the eighties.
“Under the authority of the United States government,” she whispered as if Homeland Security was about to kick down her door at any moment. “You know how I’m not good with numbers. Well, I accidentally overextended myself, and I’ve fallen behind a few years on my property taxes.”
“A fewyears?How is the possible? We set up a payment plan to avoid this exact situation.”
“I may have used that money to pay for college tuition.”
Not for herself. Nope, Skye had a big heart and a generous nature. Her business model centered around a “Give you the shirt off my back” business plan. While it was touching, it also landed her in financial trouble. Often.
Skye promised every girl who maintained above a 3.0 GPA while in her program a free first year of junior college. It was how Piper had been able to kickstart her journey into higher learning.
Piper had paid back her loan by her second year of art school. Other girls struggled to pay rent let alone pay Skye back. Skye didn’t care. For her, it was all about bringing balance to the Universe. And even though Skye didn’t have that kind of money, she never went back on her word to further educate her girls.
“You can’t help everyone,” Piper said quietly.
“I know, but a few of my girls were accepted into top-notch art schools. How could I say no?”
Piper’s heart did something rare—it rolled over and exposed its soft underbelly because there was no situation on earth where Skye would turn her back on someone in need. Especially a teenage girl. Helping those less fortunate was stamped into Skye’s genetic makeup.
“How many girls?”
“Three.” Okay, so that wasn’t so bad. She’d been expecting an outrageous, have to sell the house, kind of number. “I feel so stupid. I can’t lose this house.”
Skye’s house had been handed down from her mother, who had taken in single women looking to escape abusive relationships. She was one of the original safe houses in the underground railroad for abused women and children in the fifties. Skye had carried on her family’s tradition, focusing on runaway teen girls who were escaping unhealthy family situations.
“You’re not stupid, Skye. You’re a guardian angel to so many girls. Including me.”
Piper’s eyes stung, and her throat swelled with emotion. Skye hadn’t only been Piper’s guardian angel; she’d been the first person to show Piper what healthy loved looked like.
Piper still had a hard time believing in such things as unconditional, but she believed that Skye believed, and most days that was enough.
She took the stack of papers off the table and flipped through them. “We’re going to fix this, and I’m going to help.” Piper didn’t have a lot of money, but whatever she had she’d give to Skye, no questions asked. Had it not been for Skye, Piper would be in jail or dead by now. “How much are we talking?”
“Six times four years is . . .” Skye’s fingers moved at lightning speed as if working an abacus. “Twenty-four thousand dollars.”
Piper choked. That was a lot of photoshoots. “Okay, not what I was expecting, but not impossible.”
“I’m relieved to hear you say that because the auditor said that if I don’t pay my back taxes, the bank will foreclose.”
She patted Skye’s hand. “We’ll figure something out.” Piper might be cash poor, but she was rich in the get-shit-done currency. If she co-signed a loan, they could cover part of it, then figure out later how to pay off the balance. “How long do we have?”
“Till the end of the year.”
“That’s only four months! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I didn’t want to worry you.”
“Well, now I’m worried.”
“Then dear, we need to unworry you. The auditor said I could set up a payment plan. Does that make things better?”
“A little. But we need to find a way to get some cash now.”
Piper thought back to the upcoming charity event, and an idea began to form. “What about doing that art show we’ve always talked about?”
Piper volunteered at Urban Soul, a non-profit fine arts program for kids the system forgot about. It was a combination of art therapy and exposing kids to a creative outlet. Through art, girls were able to express themselves in a positive way and have a permanent reminder that they mattered. It was a charity that was near and dear to Piper’s heart. She’d gone from student to volunteer to teacher.
