Real Good Man (Real Duet #1)

“Thank you for taking a few minutes out of your busy schedule to see your only daughter. I appreciate it.”

An unavoidable edge of bitterness creeps into my tone, even though I try to keep it out. But at the end of the day, I am bitter. They spend more time worrying about the mice that live in the lab than they do about me.

“We only have fifteen minutes before the next set of results needs to be recorded, so you’ll have to excuse us if this seems brief.” My mother might as well be talking to a stranger, for all the friendliness in her voice.

“I’ll make it quick then,” I say, thankful for the warmth of the Scotch pooling in my belly. “I need to borrow some money.”

My parents’ eyes meet before either responds.

“Absolutely out of the question,” my mother replies.

“You have your own money, as you so frequently like to remind us,” my father adds.

“I just need to have it in my bank account. I won’t even spend it. If I don’t have it, I’m going to get evicted.”

My father’s salt-and-pepper brows draw together. “Evicted? For what reason?”

Deep breath, Banner. “I lost my job, and apparently there’s a clause in my lease that says you have to be employed or have an income from other means to continue to lease an apartment.”

“You lost another job?”

I would like to say my mother sounds surprised, but she really doesn’t. My employment history isn’t exactly studded with employee-of-the-month plaques, which is why I know my future is being my own boss.

But I can’t tell my parents about the business I’m working on. Not only will they disapprove, they’ll tear my ideas to shreds. Scientific method, my ass.

“Yes, I got fired. Again.”

My mother sends my father a look that says I have no idea where we went wrong, do you? His silent response agrees that this is not their fault.

“Never mind,” I say, holding up a hand. “I should have known better than to think my parents would care that their only child is going to be evicted from her apartment with minimal notice.”

“You need to learn to manage your trust fund better. What kind of parents would we be if we didn’t allow you to face the consequences of your own actions?”

I want more than anything to scream the kind that care, but there’s no point in emotional displays when you’re dealing with Jansen and Jane Regent.

Hello, homelessness. We’re going to become well acquainted.

I straighten my spine and give both of them a nod. “I don’t want to keep you. I’ll let you know where I end up eventually.”

“This kind of self-pity isn’t constructive, Banner. I hope you learn something from this experience to apply to future situations,” my mother says.

Life is just one big science experiment to them.

The disapproving look on my mother’s face deepens her crow’s-feet, and I have another concrete reason to strive to be her opposite. Wrinkles from being a judgmental cow require Botox, and I’m terrified of botulism.

“Thanks for the tip, Mom. I’ll get right on that.”





Chapter 19


Banner


I told myself I wouldn’t lay this on her doorstep because it’s not her problem, but my first call is to Greer.

She gets straight to the point when she answers. “What did your parents say?”

“About what you’d expect. They’re not going to help. Such a shocker, and not in a good way like when a guy decides to surprise you with a finger in your ass.”

Greer chokes out a laugh, but cuts it off just as quickly. “Crash at my place. It’s fine.”

I shake my head, even though she can’t see it. “I can’t. Don’t freak out, but I actually put together a rough budget on the Uber ride to my folks’, and I need to cut all my expenses to the bone if I want to buy myself some time. I think I have to leave Manhattan.”

A few moments of silence stretches between us before she replies. “I know you told me it didn’t end well, but . . . I have an idea.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Logan.”

“What?” Shock forces the word out at about twenty decibels louder.

“Jesus, no need to yell. Just hear me out. Do you want to see him again?”

I could kick myself for how fast the word yes pops out of my mouth.

“I think I might have a solution for you. I started thinking about it earlier, but I wasn’t sure you’d go for it. Now, though, if you’re thinking you need to leave the city anyway, it could be kind of perfect.”

“What are you talking about?” I’m not following her.

“I’d have to talk to my brother first, but Holly still has her gran’s house in Kentucky, and from what I could tell, it’s a pretty inexpensive area. She doesn’t need to be worrying about it with the baby, so if you don’t have an issue seeing Logan again . . . I was thinking you could work out a deal to housesit for Holly to make sure the place stays in good shape.”

The wheels start turning in my brain immediately.

Kentucky?

BFE?

Logan?

A cheap place to live. A break from the rat race.

A fresh start.

I can work from anywhere as long as I’m only going to be working for myself. All my communications are online, and as long as the factory can ship to me . . . this might actually work.

“Are you for real? You think they’d let me? I’d pay rent, though. I don’t want anything for free.”

Even if the rent is a quarter of what I’m paying in New York, I can swing it.

“Let me make a call and I’ll get back to you. But if I know both of them, I’d say it’s time to start packing your stuff.”

“I have to do that anyway, so I might as well get on it.”

“You want me to come help?”

I know Greer doesn’t have time to spare with everything going on in her life right now, but she’s the kind of friend who would drop it all to help me anyway.

“No, I can take care of all of this. Just let me know what they say.”

“I’ll call you back as soon as I know something.”

“Love you, Greer.”

“Love you, B.”

When I hang up the phone, I focus on not getting my hopes up. There could be a million reasons why this won’t work. I lift my feet onto the couch and wrap my arms around my knees to hug them close to my chest.

But what if it does work?

I think of how Logan stormed out of my apartment without looking back.

Am I ready to face him?

Every time I’ve thought about never seeing him again, this funny tightness would pinch in my chest, making me wonder if I was too young to have a heart attack, because it couldn’t possibly be feelings causing it. Then I’d tell myself it was for the best.

But now that the opportunity might be right in front of me . . . I can’t pass up the chance.

This probably deserves some kind of red alert. I’m not ready to be done with a guy after one night.

Logan Brantley is unlike any man I’ve ever met before, so why am I surprised that he’s the one to throw me completely off my game?

I let a scene play out in my head. What would happen if I showed up in Gold Haven, Kentucky, and walked into his repair shop? I can just picture the look on his face. Shock. But maybe excitement too?