A Fortune In Love

y front door. My heart raced as I glanced at the c

Open up! We know

k Thornton, the debt collector who'd been hounding me for weeks. I pulled t

agged myself out of bed, my bare feet hitting the cold hardwood floor. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mir

suse. I threw on a ratty bathrobe and shuffled t

lace. Jack Thornton's bulldog face glared at me

growled, "you've

e been busy. Look, I tol

d. "Your husband left quite a mess

f him. He'd been gone for six months, but the pain was stil

n in my voice. "I'm trying to sell the ho

piped up. "We've heard that before. Either y

anic. "You can't do

Mrs. Jenkins. Your husband borrowed from some... let's say,

rom my face. What had Da

" I stammered. "Can you give

"You've got until 5 PM. Not a minute later. And if yo

the floor as soon as the lock clicked into place.

tears streaming down my cheeks. But only a

hen. The house felt cavernous and empty without David. Every co

hink. Who could I turn to? My friends had their own financial struggles, and I'd already borrowed

d made it clear at the funeral that they blamed me for Da

my thoughts. I poured a cup, the warmth see

s on the mantel. David and I on our wedding day, both of

ter. My in-laws had never approved of me, the struggl

hem. The humiliation

is mess. I could sell my car, but that wouldn't even make a dent in

jump, coffee sloshing over the rim of

n picked up the

It's E

ce sent a wave of anxiety th

keep my voice steady. "It's..

all. Robert and I need to speak with you. It's u

had less than ten hours to come u

ke it," I hedged. "I have some

eanor's tone was sharp. "Sarah, this

phone in disbelief. What could be so urgent? And ho

ed in my chest. Maybe, just maybe, they'd heard about my fin

hot, but what c

e myself presentable and find a way to get across town to the Reid estate.

e vibrant woman I'd once been. Dark circles shadowed my eyes, and stress had etched fine lines

t diamond had once represented so much hope and love. Now it fe

ut it might be enough for bus fare and a decent outfit from the thrift stor

small velvet pouch. One last piece of my old

se with a small stain on the cuff. I tried to style my hair, but gave up and pulled i

ye. A black car was parked across the street, its tinted windows concealin

t the car suddenly roared to life and sped aw

pocket felt like an anchor, dragging me down with every step. But I forced myself to keep

myself from financ

n lose, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. I glan

ly morning sunlight. It was a beautiful day, the kind Da

own and toward an uncertain future. Whatever Eleanor and Robert wante

day, my life would