Page 49 of Stranded with the Billionaire
This was what Sterling missed about a small community. Everyone might know each others’ business, but they were also willing to help each other out as necessary.
Sterling was washing a window when there was a crash from beside her.
“Don’t worry!” Katie called out as she scrambled to pick up items from the broken box. “It was just cutlery.”
“Katie, you’ve cut yourself,” Sterling grabbed a clean rag and pressed it on Katie’s thumb.
“Oh,” Katie had a look at the cut sheepishly. “That’s not too bad. You should have seen what I did a couple months ago.”
“Still, it should be bandaged,” Sterling grabbed her crutches and the two went in search of the first aid kit which thankfully hadn’t been packed yet.
“I’m sorry about the factory,” Katie commented as Sterling wrapped her thumb in gauze. “It’s a blow to Pendle, even if we all knew it was coming.”
Sterling nodded. She didn’t much feel like talking about the losses the town was sustaining. “What about you? Anything new and exciting?”
Katie shrugged. “The daycare let me go today.”
“Katie,” Sterling looked at her in sympathy and feeling a little guilt. This would be a direct result of the factory closing. “Do you have another job lined up?”
“I’ve been offered something. I’m not sure if will pay my bills yet, but it’s a start,” Katie’s eyes followed a couple of the guys as they hefted an old dresser out the door.
Sterling lowered her voice and leaned toward Katie as she put tape over the gauze. “Still pining for Jackson?”
Katie jumped, jostling the scissors Sterling was holding, causing Sterling to juggle them a moment before getting a firm grasp. Katie blushed guiltily. “No. Not at all.”
“Don’t worry,” Sterling smiled, relieved neither of them had cut themselves on the scissors. Really, Katie did have the worst luck. “Your secret is safe with me.”
“If I could just stop mooning over him, it wouldn’t need to be a secret,” Katie sighed then forced a smile. “What about you? Did you meet anyone special in the city?”
“Not at all,” Sterling said. She’d met Jake on a plane so that didn’t really count. “We should get back to work before the rest of the town smells us gossiping.”
Katie pretended to shudder and agreed. “Then they’ll demand to know what we’re talking about.”
Sharing a grin, they went back to their assigned chores.
He couldn’t find her.
Jake was getting more frustrated as he searched. Online, Sterling Denver was only a tabloid writer. There was nothing about where she grew up, what schools she’d graduated from, or anything beyond ten years ago. Sure, he could see what awards she’d won over the course of her career but there was nothing else. Nothing of any substance. He couldn’t tell if she was married, had children, belonged to any clubs. She had her own fan page on Facebook but otherwise, belonged only to the website of Dubious.
Frustrated, Jake decided to try the other name that Sterling had given him. It was probably a lie like the rest of her. He couldn’t believe he was really going to try to contact her and ask for her assistance to try to clear Michael’s name.
He wondered just how much money it would take to buy her cooperation.
He wondered just how much humble pie he was going to have to eat. Jake was certain he was going to have to apologize for what he’d done to ruin Sterling’s career. He had gone too far, Jake acknowledged to himself. He had let his emotions rule him and crushed her because he was angry and hurt.
It was unlike him. Jake did have a temper, but usually he was able to contain it. He didn’t like to be crossed, however he’d always handled the situation a lot better than this. What he’d done was unworthy of him, unworthy of the Ramesly name.
Then again, the Ramesly name wasn’t what it used to be, he reflected.
He would have to restore her career. Not that he wanted her writing about his family again.
Jake sighed and scrolled through his computer.
SaraLee Hawkins, Pendle Ohio.
It was her. Jake stopped and stared at the screen, his breath hitching at her picture. She’d played field hockey in high school and won third place in state competition. Sara had won awards for speeches and journalism in state college. She worked at her parent’s factory Hawkins’ Fine Furniture Company in Pendle during the summers. Her brother Brant still worked at the factory.
Only now they didn’t. Jake frowned as he clicked on another article. The company had closed. The announcement was made today. There was a photo of the family as they told their employees. Sara was there with them. The furniture company had been in business for eighty-nine years with a Hawkins at the helm all those years. At its prime, the company had employed nearly six hundred people. Now two hundred were out of work. The bank had foreclosed on them.
What had Max said? That Sterling had declared that he’d destroyed an entire town?
A sinking feeling invaded Jake’s stomach. The town of Pendle was small. Only seven hundred and fifty people at last census. Losing a factory that size in a town that small meant the town was going to go under. It simply wouldn’t survive. All those people were going to need to find work somewhere else and would move away. As a result, all the smaller businesses like restaurants, gas stations, hardware stores, and more would lose their customers, causing a domino effect.
Had her income been tied to the company? Had she been supporting it and thus people’s livelihoods? Had he really destroyed an entire town?
Jake picked up his phone to make some calls. He needed to catch a flight as soon as possible.
