“Have you reached out to that real estate agent regarding the office space on Main Street yet?” Dustin asked, as though reading the direction of Wes’s thoughts.

Wes shook his head as he took a gulp of his beer. “Not yet.”

“Look, man, you need to start taking risks. Come into the bank and let’s look at some options,” Dustin said.

Borrowing from the bank to secure the space didn’t appeal to him. What if business continued to be slow and he defaulted on the loan? Every opportunity he’d ever taken had been calculated on low risk. Starting the company had been using his savings from his football career. That money was gone, and he needed to make sure Marissa’s future was taken care of. “I don’t know…”

Dustin nodded but gave him a look. “So you’re going to let your daughter put herself out there and take risks, but you’re not willing to?”

Dustin had a point. He wouldn’t be a great role model for Marissa if he was too afraid to take the necessary chances for a better future. In business and with his heart, too, for that matter…

He swallowed another gulp of the warm beer. “Buy the app, support your niece, wise guy.” He paused. “And schedule me in for an appointment next week.”

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

This was how she was going to die. Which, given her current situation, might be a welcome respite.

Sarah’s lungs hurt as she gasped for air the next morning, following far behind Lia down Main Street in what the other woman had called a “leisurely” jogging pace. The last time Sarah had jogged was…so long ago, it had been blocked from memory.

Lia stopped in front of Delicious Delicacies and waved at her to hurry up.

Sarah resisted the urge to offer her own less friendly hand gesture as she came up next to her. Lia’s surprise arrival would have been annoying at any time, but last night’s timing wasn’t ideal. After the call with her boss, Sarah hadn’t exactly been in a great mood to catch up and start planning the reunion with her former high school frenemy. She’d had the proposal to submit to Gail and in truth, she hadn’t really thought she’d have to help Lia plan the event. Just offer the venue. But apparently, the other woman was expecting her to be involved.

Sarah placed her hands on her knees and bent at the waist, wincing at the pain radiating through her rib cage.

“I take it you’re not a jogger?” Lia said, not even the slightest bit out of breath.

“I prefer…being able to…breathe,” Sarah said. Her legs were jelly and her mouth was a desert. She needed water. Lots of water.