Undeniable: A Friends To Lovers Romance (Love Desired Book 4) by Cassie Verano

Author:Cassie Verano [Verano, Cassie]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Chelle Ramsey
Published: 2020-09-20T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17 – PEYTON

OVER-INUNDATED. IS that a word? According to Merriam-Webster, it’s not. But it should be.

Policy reviews, filling out insurance forms, follow-ups with the fire station for the report to send to the insurance company, the walk-through with my insurance adjuster, disputing the original estimate.

I’d received a phone call that my sister was expecting another baby and wanted to know if I could come down to help with her other three. Surprisingly, I had no problem saying, “no.” She was with her husband and in-laws, and I wasn’t sure why they couldn’t help.

It wasn’t that I didn’t love my sister or care about her, but I had my burdens.

All of that had me at wit's end.

With everything that happened over the last six weeks, the last thing I expected was for Jacob to show up at my store unannounced.

Initially, I’d rejected his request to see me when Anita announced his arrival. But he was persistent and refused to leave, and the only thing preventing Anita from, in her words, “breaking her size ten off in his ass,” was my decision to allow him back to my office.

“What can I do for you, Jacob?” I asked once I was safely behind my desk.

Despite my determination to appear aloof and unbothered by his presence, I was anything but that. My fingers rested in my lap hidden underneath the desk, nervously fidgeting with a pencil.

He perched on the edge of the chair on the opposite side of my desk.

“I just wanted to visit you, Peyton. To see how you were doing?”

“We don’t just visit, Jacob. You haven’t visited me in the last year and a half since our divorce. So, what’s up?” I asked, twisting and turning that pencil and squeezing it. I was surprised it didn’t break under pressure.

Shrugging, he combed his fingers through his long strands of golden blonde hair. Funny, I used to love running my fingers through his hair, but now I found myself comparing them to the textured, prickly feel of Bryce’s hair underneath my fingertips. The way his short strands curled around my fingers and still held a different texture at the very tips that tickled my finger. So different than Jacob’s nondescript texture.

“Honestly, I just found myself recalling the earlier times in our marriage. You know? When times were good,” he said, running his fingers across his beard as his eyes nervously flitted around my office.

Jacob was assessing and calculating. I knew now how his mind worked, and if I wasn’t mistaken, he was taking stock of everything I owned.

“Look, I have a business to run, and the last thing that I want to do is sit here and shoot the shit with you. So, please, tell me what it is? Is it your gambling or your drinking? Which one has run you to the poor house? Will your amount be something that I can afford, or will you ask me to approach my parents again for another loan? Which one, Jacob? Huh?”

Despite my determination to remain cool, I’d lost it in the few seconds he’d played with me.

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