Page 6 of First Bride to Fall

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She pressed send, and her phone whooshed. “It’s already done!” She turned her phone around and showed them her text.

Heard about the deal. We’re in!

Will let you know who in 30 days.

50-50 share after five years.

No fringe benefits.

Misty, Charlotte, and Nell

Nell gulped. “He’s going to think we’re money-hungry just like the women he’s avoiding online.”

“No,” Charlotte said. “He’s going to see this as an opportunity for him to do the right thing, just like his mom promised ours.”

Misty’s cell dinged, and she stared down at it.

Nell’s heart hammered.

“Well?” Charlotte asked.

“We have our answer.” Misty shot them a cockeyed grin.

Brilliant. Yes and yes.

Charlotte blinked. “Wait. Thirty days? That won’t be soon enough. Not in time to get Mom and Dad that loan payment by October first.”

“It will be if we can get Aidan to wire some of the money,” Misty suggested.

“Right,” Nell said. “Like a bridge loan until the actual merger? There’s usually a grace period for loan payments. So if he’s able to send the money quickly, Mom and Dad could still avoid default.”

Charlotte thought on this. “Yeah, but he’d have to agree.”

Misty was already typing. “I’ll ask him.”

A couple of minutes later, he answered.

Just say how much and when.

Nell and her sisters gawked at each other, the seriousness of their situation sinking in.

OMG. We’re really going to do this.

Nell broke a sweat.

One of us is going to marry Aidan Strong.

And it’s not going to be me.

The storeroom door popped open, and dark-haired, gray-eyed Lucas Reyes appeared taken aback. Their nice-looking café manager had started working at Bearberry Brews as a teen and was almost like a part of their family.

“Uh. Hello, ladies? Just coming in to grab some…filters.”

“Hey, Lucas,” Charlotte said.

Misty shared a little wave and scooted along behind Charlotte. “Morning!”

Lucas met Nell’s eyes. “Everything okay in here?”

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