“You have a house that still has a renovation loan attached to it. As for your business, while you’re doing fiscally well, the month to month income is inconsistent.” He held up Lance’s bank statements. “On paper you make a decent living, Mr. Black, but your bank account says otherwise. It’s too much of a risk for us to approve a loan for the amount you’re requesting when your debt to income ratio is so high.”
His debt to income ratio was so fucking high because of the amount he was paying the McNealys each month. God, he couldn’t fucking believe owing the McNealys would be the reason he’d be denied this loan.
All he needed was sixty thousand dollars. He was good for the money. More than good. What he’d owe the bank a month would be hundreds less than what he was paying the cousins right now.
“Again, I’m sorry.” The man put all Lance’s paperwork in a folder then held it out to him from behind the desk—a clear dismissal.
“Yeah, sure you are.” He snatched the folder from him and stormed out of the bank. After he climbed inside his Jeep and slammed the door, he hit the steering wheel with his palm. Fuck.
Nothing about this was fair. This all began because he’d been desperate to get Skylar the treatment she needed. Now the McNealys were being complete douchebags. And he was fucking sick of it. He’d tried to go about this the legal way, and that hadn’t worked.
If he was going to have to fight his way out of this goddamn debt, then he was going to go balls to the wall with it.
The McNealys had an offer coming they wouldn’t be able to refuse.
Chapter Seven
Though the atmosphere was fun and festive, Ella was having a hard time getting into a cheerful spirit as she walked down the main strip of the Annual Cheney Fair with Amber. Her crappy mood was the main reason she’d agreed to come in the first place. She’d hoped some rides, games, and cotton candy would help her feel better. So far, it hadn’t.
“What’s up with you?” Amber asked. “You’ve been acting weird all week.”
Other than the fact she hadn’t seen or heard from Lance in almost five days?
“Just have a lot on my mind.”
Truth was, she was freaking hurt. When she’d gone downstairs the morning after his rejection, he and Skylar had already left. Then she showed up at Coolier for their training session to only find out that Lance had arranged for Billy to train with her all week.
“You know, if you want to talk about anything, I’m here to listen.”
She studied the woman beside her. Despite witnessing Ella’s reaction after the accident, Amber hadn’t shied away from her. She always talked to her at the gym, invited her to go out, just trying to be a friend. What would it hurt to open up? She really couldn’t talk to Brooke or her mother about anything going on.
“Lance isn’t talking to me.”
“Yeah, I noticed. In fact, I haven’t seen him at the gym all week.”
That made her feel slightly better. Since Amber was training for her first amateur fight, she spent a lot more time at Coolier than Ella. She’d worried that Lance had been sneaking in after she left. Not that he’d have to sneak—he was free to come and go as he pleased—but still, she couldn’t read his current behavior as anything other than avoidance.
“You two have a fight or something?”
“Or something,” Ella muttered, but not low enough, since Amber stopped walking and stared at her.
“Oh. My. God. I knew there was something going on between the two of you. Sparks fly when you guys train.”
“There’s nothing going on between us.”
“Spill it and don’t leave out anything juicy. I’m going to live vicariously through your boy-drama, because I sure as hell don’t have any of my own.”
“Boy-drama is overrated.”
“Says the woman who has some. Seriously, now—give me the deets.”
Ella filled her in on everything that had happened the other night, leaving out the McNealys’ and Lance’s impromptu fight, keeping it focused on the fun they’d had with his daughter, the kiss on the couch, then his rejection.
Amber scrunched her nose. “Keep things the way they are? Well, that just sucks.”
“I haven’t heard from him since.”
The crappiest thing about it was, she missed the jerk. Missed training with him, talking to him, just spending time with him. Had she known this would be the outcome of her bold suggestion, she would’ve just kept her mouth shut, because now Lance didn’t even want to be friends.
The other woman’s gaze travelled over Ella’s shoulder, and an impish expression crossed her face. “Well, you’re about to.” She waved her arm over her head. “Hey, Lance.”
Oh. God. Her heart slammed against her breast. Amber was messing with her. She had to be. Slowly, she twisted to glance behind her.
About twenty feet away, Lance was standing beside Mac, who was throwing a baseball at three stacked pins. Ella whipped her head back around. “Amber,” she hissed.
“What?” she said, without a hint of remorse in her voice. “You want to know what’s going on—now you can find out.” She scowled in annoyance. “Damn it, he didn’t hear me. Lance,” she yelled, louder this time.
“Would you stop—”
“Good. He’s waving.” She frowned. “Though hesitantly.”