“I manufacture photovoltaic panels, Noelle. They run air conditioners and other electrical appliances. Anything that requires gas is a whole separate thing.” They’d been married, for God’s sake, and she still didn’t understand what he did for a living?
“You have connections for hot water systems, too. You put one in for Brandon and Olivia’s neighbor.”
Why had they told her he’d done that? “Mrs. Stein is nearly eighty and she lost her husband a year ago. I saw that she got a deal. That’s all.”
“You bought it from the manufacturer at wholesale and let her have it at cost. And your photovoltaic installers put it in for her.”
“Because she could use the break. Brandon asked me to help her out. Occasionally, I do favors like that for my brother.”
“Come on. You didn’t do it for Brandon’s sake.”
Irritation clawed deeper, causing his eye to twitch. “Of course I did. We’ve been getting along great,” he said, and that was true. He and Brandon had once been rivals. They hadn’t met until they were in high school, when Brandon’s mother married Kyle’s father. Two large-and-in-charge boys so close in age would understandably have a difficult period of adjustment. But the dynamic was different these days. In spite of everything that’d happened back then, and with Noelle and Olivia since, Kyle cared about Brandon. He got the impression Brandon cared, too. At least, he heard from his stepbrother quite a bit. He also saw Brandon and Olivia every Friday at Black Gold Coffee. They’d joined the close-knit group of friends Kyle had grown up with.
“Quit lying to yourself,” she spat. “You’d do anything for Olivia. The way you stare after her when she leaves a room—or you avoid looking at her if you’re in the same room—makes it so obvious. They’d see it themselves, except they don’t want to see it.”
His blood pressure shot a little higher. “Fine,” he said. “You want a solar hot water system? I’ll offer you the same deal I gave Brandon and Olivia’s neighbor.”
She seemed startled that he’d capitulated so suddenly. But there wasn’t any point in refusing. She’d never be able to afford it. Besides, he didn’t want to talk about Olivia. What Noelle said was true. Olivia was her sister—which was a big part of the reason Noelle had gone after him in the first place—but Olivia had been, and still was, the one great love of his life. She’d been with him before she’d ever been with Brandon.
“That’s better,” Noelle said. “So...how much will it cost? I have nearly $250 in my account.”
She stated that amount proudly. She wasn’t good at saving money, so this did signify quite a feat. But, as usual, she was completely clueless—or, more likely, calculatedly clueless. “That’s what I thought,” he said.
“What?”
“You don’t have enough to buy even a traditional water heater.”
“I don’t?” She sounded dismayed. “How much are they?”
“A decent one will run you eight hundred or more.”
“And how much is solar?”
“Nearly three grand.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” she cried. “How do you expect me to pay that?”
“I don’t expect you to pay it. You need to drive over to the hardware store and see what’s in your price range.”
“In other words, you don’t give a shit whether I’m in a bind.”
His head was beginning to pound... “I’m sorry your water heater died, but it’s not my problem.”
“You can’t help me?”
Morgan tapped the glass between her workstation and his office and made a face at him.
He waved her away. “What do you expect me to do?”
“A solar hot water system can’t cost you that much,” she replied.
“It can and it does. Check the retail price and you’ll see it’s around six grand. Wholesale would be about half of that.”
“Then maybe you can put one in and let me make payments.”
“We’re divorced! And you’re only renting. Call your landlord.”
“Harry won’t do anything. He’s letting me stay here for a lot less than he’d charge someone else. Why do you think he gave me such a good deal?”
“Because he’s your cousin?”
“Because in order to get that deal, I have to take care of all maintenance and repairs.”
“Then it’s on you.”
“If you can’t get me solar, can you at least help me pay for a regular water heater? From what you just told me, I only need another $550. What’re a few hundred bucks to you? You make so much more than I do!”
“That doesn’t mean I’m obligated to pay for it. You got extra money out of me last month. And the month before.”
“Because I needed a D&C, Kyle. I’ve been having female trouble ever since I lost the baby. Remember?”
As usual, she’d chosen something he had to be careful not to question. That didn’t stop him from wondering, however. Had she really needed a D&C? Or were the documents she’d shown him forged? It could be that he’d paid for another boob job, after all. He wasn’t even sure she’d lost the baby that had supposedly created the need for a D&C. Had she even had a “miscarriage” five and a half years ago? Maybe she’d aborted it. He’d always suspected her of lying, suspected that after she got him to marry her, she’d purposely terminated the pregnancy. At that point, she wouldn’t see any reason to risk damaging her figure, which she protected above all else.
“I remember,” he said through gritted teeth. He didn’t want to talk about that, either. It was easier to bury the doubt and the suspicion and try to forget the past.
“You don’t care.”
Maybe he would if he believed it was true. But with Noelle—who could say? Whenever she needed money, she came up with an excuse he’d be hard-pressed to decline—medical treatment, that she’d be evicted, that she wouldn’t have electricity or food.
“Look, I paid for the procedure,” he said. “That’s all that matters. I hope you’re feeling better. Now I’ve got to go. I have a lot to do here—”
“Wait! What about my water heater?”
“What about it?” he asked in exasperation.
“You seriously won’t give me a small loan? Then will you let me stay in the farmhouse until I can get it fixed on my own?”
No way was she coming anywhere near his property. She would never live there. “Absolutely not. I’ve got the farmhouse cleaned up and ready to lease.”
“But it’s been ready to lease for two months, and it’s sat empty that whole time. Why not let me move in until I’m back on my feet? You’re not likely to get someone now.”
What was she talking about? “Why not?”
“The holidays. People are busy with shopping and wrapping and decorating.”
“Not everyone. Matter of fact, I have someone coming to see it tonight. He’s ninety percent sure he wants it. He just has to see it in person to confirm. Then he’ll sign.”
“Who is it?” she asked.
Kyle checked the information he’d jotted on his desk