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He interrupted her "I know your mother told you about our financial issues I also knohat she asked you to do We had quite an arguaze found hers "I don’t want you to marry someone you don’t love I’d never ask that of you Never"
Hayden sed heavily, unable to tell hi Stuart Afraid of his reaction to her selfish choice "I know that I know you wouldn’t ask Mother, however…" She got the desired laugh "Not quite so acco his hands into his pockets "Look, your mother doesn’t have much faith ineverything I can to resolve this without taking such…extreme measures"
She appealed to hi you to please use thehis head "Never Look, sweetheart I’ on it Okay?"
Hiding her uncertainty, she squeezed his ar to work out fine, one way or another" He s just beyond her shoulder caught his attention Tentatively, he raised his hand to wave at an approaching man in a suit Hayden turned to him "Who is that?"
Her father cleared his throat "A Realtor He’s just here to appraise the house No big deal" He looked away "Just in case we can’t find someone else to cover the loan in time"
"Is there zero chance Stuart will pay it?" She sed the knot in her throat "Even withouthim?"
"He already paid it," her fatherman He seemed to realize his slip then and scrambled to cover it "That is to say, he paid it, then took it back It was just one of those thin--"
"When?" She felt a rushing in her ears, as the coan to foraze dropped to the sidewalk "Wednesdayafter she’d flaunted another man in his face
"Why?" Hayden whispered the question, even though the ansas devastatingly obvious Stuart had bailed out her father, but she’d screwed theuided act of rebellion
"Your ht have ie, so he paid the loan as a show of faith" He lifted a hand and let it drop limply to his side "I’ripped her shoulder "Listen, just try to trustwhat I broke"
Hayden stood frozen on the sidewalk, watching her father disappear into the house with the s a Bluetooth, his shoulders ht of the world rested on his shoulders He’d had that burden eased when Stuart paid off the loan, but her actions had thrust it back onto him In that moment, she saw the harsh reality of her unorthodox family’s situation Before, it had only been a far-off possibility in her mind, but as she’d just witnessed, the end was far ht Her dear father, for all his good intentions, wouldn’t be able to stop the inevitable Thethey could ask for, would lose the horown up in All of a sudden, herthe house would only be the tip of the iceberg What about everything inside? Their lives would change drastically And she could prevent it
No, she would prevent it
This was her chance To finally repay her father for everything To prove her worth Brent had called her selfish Perhaps he was right Wouldn’t it be selfish to let her family suffer when she had the iven to her If she stood by and watched her father be stripped of possessions he’d graciously shared with her, she’d never forgive herself