Regency Romance: An Intriguing Invitation (Historical Billionaire Military Romance) (19th Century Victorian Romance) by Sarah Thorn Page B
Authors: Sarah Thorn
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mascara and blotchy skin. She tried to put a brave face on it, but another wave of emotion enveloped her, and she burst into tears again. He put his arm around her. He smelled lovely and on any other occasion it would have turned her on. ''Tell me, what's the matter?''
''It's my mom. She's got cancer again.''
''Has the breast cancer come back?''
''Yes.''
''Well don't despair, Dr. Andersen is a good doctor. Your mom's in the best hands. She's been having regular checks, so I assume they've caught this in time.''
''I suppose. But it's not only that,'' she said. She looked across the parking lot and saw Jonnie. A fat lot of good his prediction had been. ''It's money. She's already got medical expenses of sixty thousand dollars. She can't work, and all my money goes on household expenses . We can't afford it.''
''Come and talk to me tomorrow,'' he said. ''We'll see what we can do.''
Tonya wondered what he meant. Perhaps he was going to offer her a raise, but it would have to be significant to pay off the mounting debt.
*****
Tonya found her mom in the backyard. They lived together in a quiet residential street just outside the center of town. Her mom enjoyed gardening, and they had the best-maintained borders in the street. The house was comfortable without being luxurious, but they still had a mortgage, and it was draining Tonya's finances. The last thing she wanted to do was sell the house she'd been born in .
''Mom. You shouldn't be lifting such heavy things,'' she said when she saw her carrying a large bag of compost.
''It's okay. I 'm fine. ''
''I wish dad were here,'' Tonya said as they walked back to the house. ''I miss him every day.''
''You and me both honey. I really miss him.''
Tonya's father had died in a car accident three years earlier. He'd been driving alone, minding his own business when a man swerved across the road and collided with him. The man had been drinking and taking drugs, and of course, he was uninsured which meant Tonya's mom got no compensation at all. Her dad wasn't the sharpest pencil in the box when it came to financing, and he'd failed to take out any life insurance. Tonya was still cross with him for neglecting his financial duty to his wife and daughter. But it was too late things were what they were.
''How was work love?'' her mom asked.
''Okay until you called and told me your news.'' Tonya ran the tap and filled the kettle. ''I had to go out and cry.''
''Oh, honey. Maybe I shouldn't have rung you.''
Tonya looked at her mom. She looked tired and drained. In her youth, she 'd been Miss Sandpoint and a regular in local fashion shows. She had the same golden hair as Tonya, but she'd put on a bit of weight and no longer looked her best. Tonya blamed the steroids she'd had to take the first time she had cancer.
''Dr. Crosby saw me and asked me what the matter was.''
''Oh, I like him.''
''You and all the other women in the town. But he's a womanizer, and he 's a very demanding man.''
''I wouldn't mind being demanded by him.''
''Mom. Jeez. What a thought for your daughter to have. Her mom with her boss.''
''What did he say to you?''
Tonya put two cups down on the kitchen table and opened the fridge. ''He told me to go and she him tomorrow.''
''What for?''
''I told him about our financial situation.''
''You what? You did what? Tonya, I asked you never to tell anybody about our finances. Its' nobody's business but ours.''
Tonya cringed. She knew how her mother hated what she'd done. But she'd wanted to get it off her chest. ''Sorry mom. But I sometimes need someone to talk to.''
''You can talk to me. What do you think he wants?''
''I have no idea. I'll see tomorrow.''
The next morning Tonya wasn't late, she was ten minutes early. She was anxious to speak to Dr. Crosby. She hung her jacket over her chair and went through the waiting room to a corridor off which the doctors each had their own consulting room. She knocked on Dr. Crosby's door.
''Come in,'' he shouted.
''It's my mom. She's got cancer again.''
''Has the breast cancer come back?''
''Yes.''
''Well don't despair, Dr. Andersen is a good doctor. Your mom's in the best hands. She's been having regular checks, so I assume they've caught this in time.''
''I suppose. But it's not only that,'' she said. She looked across the parking lot and saw Jonnie. A fat lot of good his prediction had been. ''It's money. She's already got medical expenses of sixty thousand dollars. She can't work, and all my money goes on household expenses . We can't afford it.''
''Come and talk to me tomorrow,'' he said. ''We'll see what we can do.''
Tonya wondered what he meant. Perhaps he was going to offer her a raise, but it would have to be significant to pay off the mounting debt.
*****
Tonya found her mom in the backyard. They lived together in a quiet residential street just outside the center of town. Her mom enjoyed gardening, and they had the best-maintained borders in the street. The house was comfortable without being luxurious, but they still had a mortgage, and it was draining Tonya's finances. The last thing she wanted to do was sell the house she'd been born in .
''Mom. You shouldn't be lifting such heavy things,'' she said when she saw her carrying a large bag of compost.
''It's okay. I 'm fine. ''
''I wish dad were here,'' Tonya said as they walked back to the house. ''I miss him every day.''
''You and me both honey. I really miss him.''
Tonya's father had died in a car accident three years earlier. He'd been driving alone, minding his own business when a man swerved across the road and collided with him. The man had been drinking and taking drugs, and of course, he was uninsured which meant Tonya's mom got no compensation at all. Her dad wasn't the sharpest pencil in the box when it came to financing, and he'd failed to take out any life insurance. Tonya was still cross with him for neglecting his financial duty to his wife and daughter. But it was too late things were what they were.
''How was work love?'' her mom asked.
''Okay until you called and told me your news.'' Tonya ran the tap and filled the kettle. ''I had to go out and cry.''
''Oh, honey. Maybe I shouldn't have rung you.''
Tonya looked at her mom. She looked tired and drained. In her youth, she 'd been Miss Sandpoint and a regular in local fashion shows. She had the same golden hair as Tonya, but she'd put on a bit of weight and no longer looked her best. Tonya blamed the steroids she'd had to take the first time she had cancer.
''Dr. Crosby saw me and asked me what the matter was.''
''Oh, I like him.''
''You and all the other women in the town. But he's a womanizer, and he 's a very demanding man.''
''I wouldn't mind being demanded by him.''
''Mom. Jeez. What a thought for your daughter to have. Her mom with her boss.''
''What did he say to you?''
Tonya put two cups down on the kitchen table and opened the fridge. ''He told me to go and she him tomorrow.''
''What for?''
''I told him about our financial situation.''
''You what? You did what? Tonya, I asked you never to tell anybody about our finances. Its' nobody's business but ours.''
Tonya cringed. She knew how her mother hated what she'd done. But she'd wanted to get it off her chest. ''Sorry mom. But I sometimes need someone to talk to.''
''You can talk to me. What do you think he wants?''
''I have no idea. I'll see tomorrow.''
The next morning Tonya wasn't late, she was ten minutes early. She was anxious to speak to Dr. Crosby. She hung her jacket over her chair and went through the waiting room to a corridor off which the doctors each had their own consulting room. She knocked on Dr. Crosby's door.
''Come in,'' he shouted.
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