Page 25 of Tricked in October
She was also already jittery enough. It was not only because of the caffeine. She was dreading the conversation she was about to have with her in laws. What if they’d only been nice to her because of Ricky? And now that he was gone, they didn’t have to pretend anymore?
Mr. and Mrs. O’Henry sat on high-back chairs in the formal living room where a giant grandfather clock took up an entire corner and fancy prints hung on the walls in expensive frames. Kelsey sat across from them, knees buckling together while she wiped her sweaty palms down her legs. She didn’t have time for beating around the bush. And she wasn’t the kind of person to walk on eggshells either. While she did attempt to have the best manners around her in-laws, she was still Kelsey.
“I’ve fallen behind in my loan payments,” she blurted.
“On the house?” Mr. O’Henry asked.
She shook her head. “On the bar.”
They looked at one another and Kelsey’s heart skidded. What did that shared look mean? There wasn’t time for reading people, for assumptions, she needed to know now.
“I couldn’t keep up with paying the vendors, then the bills, so I took out a second loan against the business, then I couldn’t keep up with those payments. Now, not only are they past due, but in just over a month, the bank is going to close the business. And possibly put a lien against the house,” she rambled.
Mrs. O’Henry tucked her hair behind her ear, and she pushed her lips out before speaking. “Oh, Kelsey, I wish you would’ve come to us sooner.”
Her heartbeat picked up speed. The air in the room felt thin and she struggled for breath. While her in-law’s expressions appeared worrisome, their reactions were passive, making them difficult to read.
“We’d like to help, in any way that we possibly can,” Mr. O’Henry said.
Kelsey’s eyes flicked to him. His red hair lighter now than it had been ten years ago, but his green eyes the same. Similar to the ones she’d gazed into a million times. The ones she looked into when she confessed her never ending love to, made promises to, committed her life to.
“But we sold the business to you and Ricky for a reason,” he continued.
“Business is good. We’re always busy,” Kelsey insisted.
“It’s not about business. We just have a lot of funds tied up elsewhere,” Mr. O’Henry explained.
“We’ll see what we can do,” Mrs. O’Henry said, leaning forward and placing a hand on top of hers that was rested in her lap. “But don’t worry, we won’t let you lose the house.”
Kelsey flinched and eyed them desperately. “And the bar? What about the bar?”
“The house is most important, don’t you think?” Mrs. O’Henry asked.
“If I have to, I’ll sell the house and use the money to pay the loans off for the bar,” Kelsey replied.
“My grandchildren are not going to live in a bar,” Mrs. O’Henry said, straightening.
She was right, of course. Kelsey was sounding crazy. But she was desperate. She could feel the bar slipping through her fingers and she couldn’t let that happen. She wouldn’t.
“That’s not what I meant. We could rent something.”
Mr. O’Henry held up his palms. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, all right? Let me talk to a friend of mine, he’s an attorney in Denver. There’s gotta be a death loophole of sorts. Let’s find out if this is even legal.”
The unpaid loan bills piling up, the past-due notices, the bank phone calls—it felt legal to her. She’d borrowed money that she was unable to pay back. Seemed straightforward to her. And yet maybe Mr. O’Henry was onto something. With Ricky dying, maybe she could get an extension of some sorts.
“Thank you, I’d really appreciate that,” she said, though she’d be lying to herself if she didn’t admit she’d been hoping for a quicker fix. The last thing she wanted to do was ask them to help her financially, but at the same time, now she was stuck waiting.
“I can’t make any promises, but I’ll put a call in to him and let you know.”
Crossing her legs, Mrs. O’Henry leaned forward. “Sweetie, maybe letting the bar go isn’t such a terrible idea.”
That she was even suggesting that caused Kelsey’s skin to tingle in anger. After all the work the two of them and Ricky had put into the bar, Kelsey was shocked. All she could do was stare at Mrs. O’Henry blankly while she continued.
“You’ve already cut back on employees, which suddenly makes sense now, but it’s causing you to work yourself to death. You can’t afford to take any more short-cuts.”
With her heart thrumming, Kelsey scooted to the end of the chair, tucking her hair behind her ears. “But I don’t mind the work. To me, it’s worth it. Saving the bar, I mean.”
Mrs. O’Henry sighed as if she were exhausted and looked at Mr. O’Henry.
