LITMIR.BIZ

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paying a premium—for the furniture, my time and trouble in acquiring it and the short term. Even if he decides he hates the house and I have to send the furniture back, he’s covering all of that. In any case, you didn’t lose out, because I wouldn’t let you move in, no matter what.” The past few months, she’d been trying her best to get back with him. The last thing he needed was to allow her to be that close—not to mention he’d never see a dime of rent.

      “Even though I’d be willing to sign for a year?”

      “Even if you’d be willing to sign for ten.”

      “You can be so mean,” she said.

      Mean? He thought he was being incredibly nice—considering that merely talking to her made him want to punch himself in the face. “We’ve talked about this before. I’ll take Meade’s deal, if I can get it, and try to find another tenant next summer, when school’s out.”

      “That’s great for you, but what about me? Can’t I use it until he moves in?”

      The childlike whine that entered her voice made his eye-twitch worse. Patience, he reminded himself. Breathe deeply and speak kindly. “He hasn’t said when that’ll be. But since he’s coming all the way from Tennessee to look at it, I’m guessing he could move in tonight.”

      “In the middle of the storm that’s coming in?”

      “Why not? He’ll just carry in his luggage. How hard can that be, whether there’s a storm or not?”

      “So you’re going to leave me in the lurch—the woman who would’ve been the mother of your child if that child had survived?”

      Before he could respond, Morgan knocked briskly and opened the door. “Don’t tell me you’re still on with her.”

      He sent her a frown that told her to mind her own business, but she didn’t leave.

      “I have a call from LA,” she said. “Some guy wants a special deal on a 10-megawatt order.”

      Which was such a big order, no one at his company could provide the pricing but him. He changed the phone to his other ear. “Noelle, I’ve got to go.”

      “I can’t believe you’re doing this!”

      “What else am I supposed to do?”

      “You have the contacts. You could get me a water heater and let me make payments, if you weren’t so stingy.”

      “Kyle?” Morgan prompted, reminding him—as if he needed her to—of the far more important caller on the other line.

      He almost told Noelle to go down to the hardware store and have the checker call him for his credit card information. He wanted to get rid of her, and they’d done that kind of remote purchase before, when someone threw a rock through her window (likely the girlfriend of someone she’d flirted with at Sexy Sadie’s). But the more he gave her, the more she’d keep coming back to him. He had to break the cycle...

      Fortunately, he thought of a solution that should’ve been obvious to him from the start. “I’ve got a water heater here,” he said. “It’s the one I took out of Brandon’s neighbor’s house. If you’ll have someone pick it up and install it, I’ll give it to you.”

      “You’re sure it works?”

      Morgan propped her hands on her hips and scowled at him, refusing to leave until he took that business call.

      “It did when my guys removed it. No reason that should’ve changed. She wanted solar mainly to be responsible to the environment.” He’d been planning to donate the water heater to a poor family who could use it. But Noelle fit the bill. She didn’t have much money, despite juggling two jobs. Working in retail part-time, and then as a barmaid nights and weekends, she didn’t make a whole lot. What she did earn, she spent on clothes and beauty aids.

      “Okay. Thanks.” Noelle lowered her voice. “I’m happy to oblige if you’d like...something in return.”

      “I don’t need anything,” he said.

      “You sure about that?”

      Where was she going with this? “Excuse me?”

      “I remember the kinds of things you like...”

      The suggestion in her voice made him uncomfortable. “I hope you’re not referring to—”

      “It’s not like you’re getting laid anywhere else,” she interrupted. “A visit here and there could be our little secret, a temporary solution, so you don’t have to go without. I mean, what’s the big deal? It’s not like we haven’t slept together before.”

      “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear any of that,” he said and hung up.

      Morgan, who’d changed her position to stand with her arms folded, fingers drumming her biceps, raised her eyebrows. “What’s she after now?”

      “Nothing.”

      “You look thoroughly disgusted,” she said and laughed at him when he growled at her to get out and shut the door.

      Kyle was wrapping up his conversation with the client from Los Angeles when Morgan came in again. This time she sat in the chair across from his desk while waiting for him to finish.

      “Don’t tell me Noelle’s already here,” he said when he’d disconnected.

      “No. I’m hoping to be gone by then. This is good news.”

      He sat up taller. After having his ex-wife, of all people, make an issue of his dismal love life, he could use some good news. “What is it?”

      “I received a call from that dude who wants to rent the farmhouse.”

      “I hope he’s not canceling,” Kyle said. “Noelle keeps asking if she can move in. I’ll be relieved when it’s occupied and she can’t bug me about it anymore.”

      “Can’t she just move out of town instead?” Morgan responded. “No one would miss her.”

      Yet another reason Kyle forced himself to be decent to her. Despite all the terrible things she’d done—especially to him—he felt sorry for her. She couldn’t seem to avoid screwing up her own life. “She’s trying to launch a modeling career. Maybe she’ll be discovered and relocate to New York or LA.”

      “She’s delusional if she thinks anyone’s going to pay her to model! She—”

      “What’s your news?”

      She scowled in apparent frustration. She was all revved up, and he’d removed her target. “Fine,” she said, shifting gears. “Meade’s no longer coming, but—” she held up a hand so he wouldn’t react too soon “—he wasn’t looking at the house for himself, anyway.”

      “Who’s it for?”

      “A client he manages.” She grinned. “Are you ready for this?”

      “You have my full attention,” he said drily. He liked his assistant, but she got on his nerves occasionally. After dealing with Noelle, he preferred to be left alone right now so he could get some work done. He didn’t want to stay late tonight. He didn’t live far, but he’d rather not get caught in the storm they were expecting. It was supposed to be the worst they’d had in twenty years.

      “Lourdes Bennett,” she announced.

      The way she’d said the name sounded like ta-da!

      “Bennett? Is she related to our police chief?”

      “No! There’s no connection. You don’t recognize the name Lourdes Bennett?”

      “Should I?”

      “She’s a country-western singer!”

      “Am I supposed to

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