I knew skating was an expensive sport, and that our family wasn’t wealthy. But my father never complained, never hinted at any money troubles. He just kept writing checks.
If Lee needed to drain my trust to cover our father’s debts, the least he could have done was discuss it with me first. Not that I’d made myself easy to reach over the last couple of years, but as far as I knew he hadn’t even tried to find me.
“If you’re so strapped for cash,” I said, “let’s sell the house.”
“We arenotselling the house,” Lee snapped, all the slur vanished from his voice.
“Why not?”
“Our ancestors built this house with their bare hands, Katie, it’s—”
“Stop calling me ‘Katie.’ ”
“Our parents are buried here.”
“And you’ve never even visited their graves,Leland.”
“What do you care?” he said. “You left. You left me here all alone.”
It was the closest my brother would ever come to saying he missed me.
The line went silent.
“Lee?” I dug my nails into the phone, scratching the satin finish. “Lee.”
He’d hung up on me.
With a frustrated scream, I snapped the phone shut.
“Everything all right?”
I looked up to find the locker room door open, and Garrett Lin on the threshold. Great.
Another thing I’d learned at the Lin Ice Academy: how to appear calm and composed when I was anything but. I took a deep breath, willing my pulse to slow. Gold medalists don’t scream, and they only cry pretty, photogenic tears.
“I’m fine,” I told him. “Just got some…bad news.”
Garrett’s brows knitted with concern. “I’m sorry. Anything I can help with?”
“No, no. It was more of a miscommunication. My older brother spent some money that was supposed to be for next month’s training fees.”
And last month’s, and every damn month from now until Nationals.
“I didn’t know you had a brother.” Garrett leaned against the doorframe. I could’ve sworn he was taller every time I saw him; he had almost a foot on Bella. “He lives in Illinois?”
I nodded. Despite the increasing amount of time I’d been spending with the Lins, we rarely talked about anything besides skating. No one at the Academy knew anything about my past life. The only part of it worth bringing with me was Heath.
“Well, I’d be happy to talk to my mom,” Garrett said. “I’m sure she’ll have no problem with you paying a little later.”
I didn’t want to tell him his mother had already allowed us several generous extensions. The Grand Prix money might be enough to get out of that hole, but without the inheritance, we’d fall right back into debt. There was little chance of repeating our victory at the next competition, where we’d be facing off against both the Lins and the Russians.
“That’s okay,” I said. “I’ll handle it.”
“Maybe I can help,” Garrett said.
“That’s really nice, Garrett.” If he’d pitied me, I could have hated him, but Garrett was so goddamn sweet and earnest. I wondered what it would have been like to have a brother like him, instead of the deadbeat I’d been stuck with. “But I can’t take money from you.”
“That’s not what I meant.” He stepped forward, letting the doorswing shut behind him. “What are you doing next Saturday? I might be able to hook you up with a job.”
