Page 97 of Apex of the Curve
Me: I wanted to see you tonight but I just had a private party book for a paint night and I could really use the money.
I tossed down my phone and sighed, leaning back in my desk chair in my little office.
“Amber!” I called out.
“Yeah?”
“Set out the glazes for a private party of three, they’re coming in at seven!”
“On it, boss lady!”
I put my head in my hands and fought not to cry. That was going to be the hardest part of losing my business, to be honest – letting Amber go.
She didn’t deserve it, and I seriously hated Charles for putting me in this position. I was beginning to hate my lawyer, too – for not returning calls and, for seemingly brushing me off to the side. I understood that my divorce wasn’t particularly lucrative for her, however, it felt like she was doing the absolute bare minimum here, and that just added to my stress and my heartache in several ways.
While it was good news that Charles couldn’t touch my inheritance from my mother, I needed to figure something out there, too.
With Copper gone, my sister-in-law, who was a stay-at-home mom, couldn’t keep their house. She was going to lose it, and I couldn’t let that happen. My mom’s house was paid for, and while I could sell it and give my sister-in-law half the money, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Besides, half the money from my mother’s house wouldn’t be enough to buy her and Silver a home of their own.
I needed to talk to her, but for a while, we might be roommates after a fashion, which was going to be tough on me. While I didn’t dislike my sister-in-law, she didn’t exactly like me. It wasn’t about me, though. It was about my nephew, Silver, and making sure he had a secure future.
The only thing I had going for me was that the clean-out of my mother’s house was going pretty well. We’d made a good dent on Monday, and I’d gotten a little further every night since the party, too.
I hadn’t gotten to see Fenris, and that was okay. I was making progress, and I knew he was busy at the farm. I honestly didn’t want to be around for the slaughter of the goats, and they were in the thick of it, apparently, so I had begged off seeing him over the weekend. Now, it was Wednesday. I hadn’t seen him in a week, and I knew he was starting to worry and things were starting to strain. I hated that it was all my fault but a private party.
The timing both sucked and was fortuitous. I really was hanging on by a thread, here.
I stared at my profit-and-loss statement and willed the numbers to move into a healthier position, but it wasn’t going to happen.
Not overnight.
Dammit.
“Decisions, decisions,” I muttered.
“You know, you don’t have to make any right now, right?” I jumped and yelled, pressing my hands over my heart.
Amber burst out in a fit of nervous giggles as I had scared her just as hard as she’d just scared the hell out of me!
“I’m sorry!” she cried, laughing, doubled over and looking at me with wide, sparkling eyes. “I thought you heard me.”
“No,” I said. “God, you scared the hell out of me!”
“Tis the season?” she asked meekly, and I rolled my eyes.
“Ha, ha!” I declared.
“Speaking of, we’re almost out of the greenware pumpkin tea set. I know it’s not ideal but do we have it in us to order some more or are we sunk?”
I looked back at the profit-and-loss statement and sighed.
“I wish we did, but no. I think we’re going to have to move to plan B for any further autumn-related sales.”
“Leaf plates and platters?” she asked.
I nodded. “Glazed in fall colors,” I agreed.
“They got some great maples lining the street on the other side of the soccer fields,” she said.
