Outrage made her face burn. “So that must make it true? Because some asshole with money said it happened that way?”

Roger sighed. “For what it’s worth, I believe you. But even if the incident was after the fact, your behavior was highly unprofessional. What if the sellers had seen you two out together? Don’t you think they would’ve felt duped? Do you think they would’ve told others that our agents can’t be trusted to be ethical? Sleeping with a client from either side of the table is not acceptable behavior at this agency. If there was an attraction there, you should’ve had someone else take over the sale.”

Kincaid gripped the arms of the chair. “I’m sorry, Roger. It was a mistake. On a number of levels. But I promise I’ve never done anything like that before or since. I will never cross that line again.”

“You’re right,” he said, tone resigned. “Because I have to let you go.”

A loud buzzing started up in her ears as he went on.

“There are certain company policies I don’t flex on, and this is one of them. This is a small town, and our professional reputation is everything. You compromised that.”

“You want me to leave the brokerage?” The words came out flat, shell-shocked.

“I’m sorry. You’ve left me with no choice. And frankly, if I don’t take action, I bet Sam will file a complaint with the Real Estate Commission. He could get your license suspended, and then you won’t be able to sell anywhere.” He set the legal pad down and truly did look regretful. “Please pack up your desk by the end of the day. All your current listings will be transferred to other agents. We’ll inform those clients for you.”

Kincaid sat there, too stunned to move. She’d lost her job. Sam fucking Caldone had gotten her fired. No. Fucking Sam Caldone had gotten her fired. She closed her eyes. Inhaled. Exhaled.

When she opened her eyes again, she kept her face expressionless. She would walk out of this damn office with dignity. “I understand. I’m sorry that things have turned out like this.”

“As am I,” Roger said.

Kincaid stood on shaky legs. “I’ll have my stuff out within the hour.”

She turned to go.

“Kincaid.”

She looked back. Roger’s expression was pensive. “I heard you’re looking to turn that farmhouse you bought into a bed-and-breakfast.”

Great. He was going to dig into another way she’d acted unprofessionally. “I am.”

He nodded. “You have a good eye. That’s a great property.”

“Thanks.” A property she now had no job to support.

He turned back to his computer. “Let me know when it’s taking reservations. I’ll be first in line. The wife loves a good B and B.”

The request caught her off guard, and her lips parted. Roger clearly didn’t want to talk anymore. However, the simple statement had done more than he probably imagined. In his own way, he was telling her that he believed she could pull it off. Yes, he’d just let her go from the agency, but he believed the bed-and-breakfast could happen. For some reason, that made her want to cry more than getting let go. She sucked back the tears that wanted to escape and walked out.