Page 17 of Earl

Earl stared at him with a frown. “What the hell do you mean?”

“It means I am on my way to bankruptcy.”

Earl stared at his friend in shock. He had heard faint rumors but had not given them credence. “How the hell did this happen?”

“Martha’s cancer wiped me out some and I made a few bad investments.” He shrugged again. “I was hoping you would take that business venture off my hands.”

“You know better than that. Now if you still have that prime piece of land in Texas…”

“I do.”

“Is there anything else I can do to help?”

“No.” He shook his head sadly. “I made my bed.”

Chapter 4

“How’s your man?”

Cathy rolled her eyes at him as she put the finishing touches to the designs she had been working on. She was strapped for time, with the demands of her job almost getting to her.

She was never so happy, to have the opportunity to talk to Earl every night or almost every night. It had been two weeks since they had been communicating and it felt like months, they never ran out of conversational topics and found joy and laughter with each other.

“He is not my man!” She denied it but could not help feel the exhilaration springing up at the sound of that. Justin was reclining on the sofa across from her, watching her with his intensely beautiful golden eyes. He had kicked off his coat and boots and had his feet propped up on some cushions.

“You have been talking to the guy for what? Two weeks? When are you going to meet him?”

“I am not ready.” Studiously avoiding his eyes, she stared at the design of a peasant style blouse critically.

“Why the hell not?”

“It’s been just two weeks.” She hedged. Earl had not mentioned them meeting again, but he had hinted at it. She had ignored the hints.

“And enough time to know whether or not you like each other enough to go out on an actual date. What is he waiting on?”

“He asked and I said no.”

The hissing of his breath had her looking up at him defiantly. “And you know why.”

“Of course, I know why.” He responded in exasperation. “You have this thing about disappointing the guy you are seeing.Whether it’s your look which is crazy by the way, because you happen to be an exceptionally beautiful woman – or your career.”

“Those have been deterrents in the past.” She argued.

“So, you are just going to allow what those assholes did to you, to stop you from having a life? I am disappointed in you, Cat.”

“I don’t care, and you cannot guilt me into changing my mind.” Putting away the design, she picked up her wine moodily. “And I don’t like white wine.”

He gave her a pained look that told her he knew exactly what she was about. “It is vintage and you damn well will not be changing the subject. What are you afraid of?”

Taking a sip of the really excellent wine, she mulled on the reasons.

“I like him too much.”

He stared at her as if she had taken leave of her senses. “Let me get this straight. You really like this guy and that’s the reason you don’t want to meet him. Am I missing something.”

“Don’t be such a jerk.”

“I am being a jerk?” Shaking his head, he reached for his own wineglass and, going against principles and habit, gulped a generous amount. “How long is he going to put up with you putting him off?”