my makeshift office.
“Oh yeah? No kids of your own?”
“No, I—” he cut himself off, and frowned for a moment before continuing. “Well, two of my brothers are expecting babies, so I’ll have some nieces and nephews at least.”
“Congrats. From the looks of it, you’ll make a good uncle.”
“I hope so,” he said, his voice a bit distant. His eyes met mine and he smiled, and I felt a pitter-patter in my heart.
“Well, I don’t want to waste any more of your time, so let’s get down to business,” I said. “What can I help you with?”
“I have this friend, a Vietnam vet, who had an emotional support dog in the past, and I’m looking into options to get him another one. He struggles with PTSD and has some mobility issues. Plus, I hate that he lives alone, and I think he could use the company.”
“Have you asked him if he’d like a dog?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Because while I appreciate good intentions, I want to make sure my dogs go to homes where they’re wanted.”
“Oh yeah, he would love it. He’s had dogs before, and he’s always been very close with them. And I’ll be around to help him, make sure the dog gets the care it needs.”
“Sounds like you’re a good friend.”
“Well, I hate to see people slipping through the cracks, and that’s what happened to him.”
I smiled at him. From the sound of it, this guy was a saint. Surely, though, no man could be this perfect.
“I’d love to help you, but—” Before I could finish what I was saying, my phone buzzed on the table. I frowned as the name Greg popped up on the screen. “Sorry, I have to take this. Just one second, okay?”
I picked up the phone and slipped out of the room and into the hallway. I could hear Skyler in her room, singing a made-up song about the two cats she was playing with. I smiled even though I knew as soon as I answered the call, that smile would be wiped right off my face.
I also knew I had to answer, or I’d pay for it later.
With a sigh, I took the call. “I’m in the middle of meeting with a client,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. “Please make this quick.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, am I being a burden to you? After everything I’ve done for you, you’re going to tell me to be quick.” My ex-husband scoffed from the other end of the phone. “In fact, I’ve clearly been too kind to you. I got another call from the bank, and they said you’re two months behind on the mortgage. As I told you, I didn’t sell the place as a favor to you, but you’re responsible for it now. I agreed to this in the divorce hearing even though it’s unconventional because I wanted to do what was best for our daughter, but if you don’t keep up with the mortgage, I will sell the place in a heartbeat to recoup my losses.”
“I only fell behind because the flood affected my business, Greg,” I replied, my irritation clear in my tone. “I’m still waiting on the insurance check to pay for the repairs and everything, but because of the number of claims in Liberty, it’s taking longer than usual for them to pay out. But rest assured, I’m taking care of it.”
“You better be,” he growled. “You know, you brought this all on yourself when you left me. We could have worked this out together.”
I closed my eyes, my eyelids pressing down hard. My jaw was clenched tightly as well. “Greg…”
“You know, there’s an easy way to solve all your problems.”
“No,” I snapped, my eyes opening. “Nope. There’s no way in hell I’d ever get back together with you.”
“Well then, be prepared to suffer the consequences. If you lose the place, Danielle, and from where I’m standing, it looks inevitable, you will be homeless. There’s no way a court of law wouldn’t see that as a problem when it comes to custody.”
“Stop using our daughter to threaten me,” I said, my back straightening. “Come after me, not Skyler. Don’t use her as a pawn in your games, Greg.”
“Pay your bills, Danielle,” Greg retorted smartly. “If you can’t keep a roof over our daughter’s head, then maybe she would be better off with me.”
My hand tightened on the phone, and I feared I might crush it with my grip - just what I wanted to do with