Chapter 14

Brock

I knew it would happen eventually. Ashley was not an ignorant woman. She was a fighter, and she would do whatever it took to keep her family’s farm. To save the farm, she needed cash, and a lot of it. There was no way she could be doing that well up in New York and have that kind of money set aside, especially now that I knew she had been supporting a child on her sole income. That caused a twinge of guilt, but I quickly brushed it aside. It wasn’t my fault she was the sole supporter. She could have told me and I would have gladly sent a check every month. I would have loved to buy the kid toys and shoes and a real box for those rocks he loved so much.

“Thanks for letting me know,” I said, hanging up my phone.

Ashley had gone to the bank looking for information about her dad’s mortgage. She wanted details about what it would cost to make it all current. I smiled, imagining the look on her face when she realized just how in debt her dad was. It had floored me when I’d found out, but then it had made me very excited. He was in a deep hole, and there was no possible way he could dig himself out. The man didn’t have the income or the credit.

His kids didn’t seem interested, and I knew none of them were doing all that well. Hank and Leslie both had their hands full with their own families, and Anna was definitely in no position to help. That left Ashley. I felt like we were in a game of chess. It was her move. I hoped I had correctly predicted what she would do next, but it was hard to say for sure. She was full of surprises.

The memory of her suddenly mounting me brought a smile to my face. That had definitely been a surprise, a very welcome surprise.

I only had to fend off Ashley for three more weeks. The moment Tanner’s loan defaulted, I would be at the bank with a check, ready to buy. Twenty-one days and I could do that.

“Brock?” Helen said from the doorway.

“Yes?”

I looked up and could immediately see something was wrong.

“Helen?” I asked, standing and making my way to her.

“Do you have a minute?” she asked in a weak voice.

“Yes. Sit down,” I said, putting a hand on her elbow and guiding her to a chair. “What’s up?”

“I have cancer.”

The words hit me like a wrecking ball. I practically fell into my chair, feeling as if I’d had the wind knocked out of me.

“What?” I croaked out.

She looked at me, tears in her eyes. “I have cancer.”

I refused to hear the word. She must have said something else. The woman was in her forties. She couldn’t have cancer. That happened to old people, other people. Not Helen.

“I’m sorry,” I said, not sure what else to say.

She looked as if she was in shock. “Breast cancer. I suspected it, which is why I went to the doctor in the first place, but I assumed I was being paranoid. I never thought he would tell me I actually had cancer.”

I had no idea what to say to her. I was at a complete loss for words.

“I’m so sorry,” I repeated, and I truly was. I didn’t know what to say or what to think. I had known Helen since I was a boy. She used to babysit me and was like a mother to me in many ways, even if she was only fifteen years older than I was.

“I’m going to need some time off. The details are still being arranged, but I’m going to need surgery and then treatment,” she said, her voice monotone.

“Okay. Okay, yes. So that’s the plan, surgery and then the treatment, and once you get back on your feet, you’ll be back,” I said more to myself than to her. I needed her to be okay. Doctors would make her better.

“Thanks, Brock. Do you mind if I take the rest of the day off?”

“No. Please, take all the time you need. Your job will always be here.”

She stood, tears now flowing freely down her face. I walked around the desk and wrapped her in a big hug.

“Take care of yourself, Helen,” I whispered around the lump in my throat.

After a few awkward moments, she nodded and left the office. I stood there, standing in the empty office, staring at the door. With those few simple words, my life had been turned upside down. My mind raced as I thought about the implications of those words. Helen couldn’t die. I refused to accept that. I suddenly had a vague idea of what Tanner must have gone through when he found out he had cancer. Then I thought about what Ashley had experienced when she’d learned the news.

Suddenly, I felt like an ass, like I was trying to gain from their tragedy. Everything felt wrong and I couldn’t be in the office. It felt as if the walls were closing in on me and I had to get out. I quickly grabbed my laptop and shoved it in the bag. Scribbling out a quick note, I taped it to the front door and darted out of my office. I knew I was running away, but I didn’t care. Even though the business was mine and the office was mine, it felt wrong without Helen in it and I didn’t want to be there.

I knew I would have to hire someone to replace Helen for a time. I couldn’t run the office by myself. The thought made me ill though. Helen was irreplaceable. She knew my routine so well, and I rarely had to ask her to do anything. She just knew what to do and did it. When I was being an SOB, she would tell me. Helen had a way of keeping me on the straight and narrow. I was afraid of what life would be like without her in it.

Maybe Ashley needed a temporary job. I could only imagine the look on her face when I offered it. It was a secretary job so it didn’t pay the best, but hell, I knew she would be desperate for cash.

I quickly dashed the thought from my head. Working with Ashley would be counterproductive to making money. I would want to fuck her all day, and I had a sneaking suspicion she might just let me if I asked the right way.

I drove home, changed, and headed for the park where I would go for a run. It was a different trail, but one that I saved for moments like this. It was a winding, uphill trail that punished the body. That was exactly what I needed.

When I got to the park, I noticed Anna Parks sitting at one of the picnic tables. A man sat across from her, and they looked to be in a heated discussion. The whole town knew she was pregnant. I didn’t know anything about her boyfriend except that he was new in town. Anna was the typical small-town girl. She saw fresh meat and was immediately intrigued.

Seeing Anna gave me an idea. I knew she would need the money. The diner couldn’t pay great wages, and with Anna’s track record and surly attitude, she would probably quit or get fired soon anyway. She couldn’t be making much in the way of tips either. Babies were expensive. Not that I really knew since my baby mama had decide to bear the full brunt of that burden, but they had to cost a lot.

As I sauntered over, the boyfriend eyed me. I stared back, not threatened by the dirty look he shot me. After a brief stare down, he clearly decided I wasn’t worth it and looked away.

“Anna,” I said.

She looked at me with defiance. “What?”

I bit back a laugh. Surliness seemed to be a family trait with the Park girls.

“I was wondering if you were interested in working part time in the office for me. My secretary is going to be out for a while on a medical emergency, and I could really use the help,” I said. “It would only be about four hours a day.”

She looked at me, disbelief on her face. “You want me to work for you?”

I knew it was a strange request. I was trying to take her family farm, and by working for me, she would ultimately be aiding me in doing just that. I immediately regretted offering her the job. It had been a stupid idea.

She glanced at her boyfriend, who seemed to be eager for her to take the job, and then back at me. “Sure. I’m already the black sheep of the family anyway. I may as well cement my position by working for the enemy.”

I laughed. “I’m not the enemy; I promise. But if you think it’ll be a problem, I’d understand if you can’t do it.”

“I can. I will. When do I start?” she said, nodding her head vigorously, clearly happy about the opportunity.

“How about you come by tomorrow? I’ll give you the grand tour and show you what you will be doing. We’ll also need to fill out the paperwork. Does that work for you?”

She looked at the boyfriend and then back at me. “Yep. I’ll be there. I don’t have to dress all fancy, do I? I don’t do fancy very well.”

I laughed. “Well, not fancy, but I prefer no shorts. A nice pair of jeans works. Just keep it casual, but not too casual.”

What she was wearing now wouldn’t do. She wasn’t showing yet, which was obvious in the tiny tank top and itty-bitty shorts she was wearing. The woman was beautiful and liked to flaunt her figure. I didn’t need clients questioning what kind of business I was really running.

“So, not this?” she said with a wink.

“Um,” I said, feeling suddenly uncomfortable, “probably not.”

Her boyfriend looked at her. “You look gorgeous, baby. I like what you have on.”

I rolled my eyes. Of course he liked it. If Ashley or any other single woman was wearing that same outfit, I would like it as well.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said, waving before heading up the path that led to the trail. One of the great things about where we lived was the many trails into the mountains. You could never get bored. I did a few stretches and took off up the hill. The exercise would hopefully give me some clarity.

All I could think about was Helen. If this deal went through, I could afford to pay her some of her wages even while she was off and I was paying someone else. I had to take care of her. She had worked hard for me and I owed her. I would pay her insurance premium so she didn’t have to worry about that, too.

Now that I had an idea of how to help her, my mind shifted back to Ashley. It was always on Ashley. I wanted her all the time. Just when I’d thought I had finally rid myself of my addiction to her, she came blowing back into my life and, just like that, I was hooked again.