Page 42 of Good as Gold
Cara is quiet for a moment. “Is money really that tight? Could we lose the business?”
Hell. I don’t want to lie to my old friend. She deserves the truth. “We won’t lose everything. We have assets, but not enough cash. Making lease payments and payroll after Sean’s death hurt us a lot without cash coming in. So if I can make fifty grand between the rental and the bartending, we start the new season in a good place.”
“Okay.” She sounds relieved. “We’ve had ups and downs before. I never realized we were one bad season away from trouble.”
“But it wasn’t an ordinary shitty season,” I say gently. “It was the worst possible thing.”
“Right.” She clears her throat. “Thank you for dealing with this. I know you’re making a sacrifice.”
“It’s fine,” I insist. “I’ve needed to come home for years. I just didn’t know it could be profitable, too.”
“Let me call my friend. I’ll do it today,” Cara says.
“Thank you, honey. Love you.”
“Love you, too, Matteo. I’ll text you when I know something.”
We say our goodbyes, and she hangs up. I drive another five miles out of town and pull into Otto’s farm. When I get out of the car, the first thing I hear is that damn rooster.
Seems like he and I might get a chance to know each other a little better.
CHAPTER15
FOURTEEN YEARS AGO
RORY AND MATTEO ARE 22, LEILA IS 21
Rory and Leila are supposed to be hanging the lights on the Christmas tree in the Giltmaker’s family room. But instead of helping, Rory keeps putting his hands on her hips and kissing the back of her neck.
“Now is not the time,” she whispers. “We’re going to get caught.”
“So?” he says, his hands lingering on her curves. He doesn’t see the problem.
Leila is partly amused, partly annoyed. It’s nice to be desired. Since they started up together, he wants her all the time.
But her parents don’t like Rory, and she’s trying to stay on their good side during Christmas break. It’s just easier that way.
These days, her father doesn’t likeanyone. Not even Leila. Not since she had the audacity to change her major from business to human development. And now—just like he predicted—she’s having trouble scaring up job prospects. Graduation is only a few months away, and she’s been a ball of anxiety all semester.
She vented to Rory about it over Thanksgiving break, when he came to fetch her from Burlington. He listened, which was all she really needed him to do. And when she was done, he stunned her with a very ambitious kiss.
They ended up making out right there in his rusty Dodge.
She never saw this plot twist coming. For the last month, Rory has been making weekend trips to Burlington, and the new thing between them has been a fun distraction at a fragile time.
Her family doesn’t know. But they will if Rory keeps nuzzling her ear while she’s trying to put lights on a Fraser fir. “Here,” she says, pushing the string into his hands. “Loop this around back. This should be a five-minute job, and we’ve been here half an hour.”
He gives her a smile that is not at all penitent, just as her phone beeps with a notification. The text is from her brother, who wants a ride to tonight’s pond party.
“Not you,” she grumbles, putting the phone away.
“What is it?” Rory asks.
“Nothing. I was hoping it was Matteo. He left me this weird message earlier—I have a surprise for you.But that’s all he said. No explanation.”
“Oh,” Rory says, appearing on the other side of the tree again and handing her the string of lights. “I might know what that’s about. He’s coming to town for three days. I think.”
Leila stares at him in shock. “Seriously? Why didn’t he tell me?”
