lips. “He’s staying with me for a few—” Hours? Days? Months? Another wave of nausea surged through her. “For a little while.”
“Really?” Andy seemed surprised. “I got the impression you were a total loner who hates company.”
She forced a smile. That was his impression of her? Very accurate, actually. Uncomplimentary, but accurate. “For family it’s different, of course.”
Darrak snorted at that. “Sorry. I know… sis… likes her privacy, but she’s been very accommodating so far. If you ignore the screaming. Ha. Just kidding, of course. Mostly.”
“Good to meet you, Darrak. Any brother of Eden’s is… well, you know.” Andy stood up from his desk and thrust out his hand.
Darrak eyed it for a moment before tentatively shaking it. He looked at Eden with a half grin. “Having a body sure is hard to get used to, isn’t it?”
She forced the smile to remain plastered on her lips. “It sure is.”
Andy was looking at her strangely. “What does he mean by that?”
She coughed nervously. “Don’t mind Darrak. He’s a little… well”—she lowered her voice—“ slow is a good word. He’s not used to being out and about from the, uh… special home he normally lives in down south.”
To say the least.
“Oh.” Andy nodded. “I think I understand. I have a cousin like that, too.” He punched Darrak playfully in the shoulder. “You have a very nice sister to let you stay with her and hang out at her job. It’s fun being on vacation, isn’t it, sport?”
Darrak looked at Eden dryly. “I just hope I don’t hurt myself with my enthusiasm.”
Eden pressed her lips together. The day had not started well.
“Andy, I need to ask a favor,” she said.
He looked at her skeptically. “I don’t have any money for a loan right now.”
“You immediately assume I want money?”
He sat down in his chair, leaned back, and rubbed his temples. “Look, Eden, I have some bad news. I may as well tell you now and get it over with.”
Her mouth went dry. More bad news? “What is it?”
“Triple-A is going out of business. I’m declaring bankruptcy.” His voice broke and his face crumpled. “I’m such a pathetic failure.”
“What are you talking about?” This was the first news she’d heard of this.
“I’m broke.” He looked at Darrak. “That means that I have no money. Having no money makes it hard to be happy, chum.”
“ Chum ?” Darrak repeated.
“Andy,” Eden said. “It can’t be that bad.”
“Trust me, it is. The bills have been piling up for months now. I’ve been going to the racetrack to try to make some quick cash, but that’s only sunk me in deeper. I haven’t had a new client in forever. I’ve been keeping you busy just so you wouldn’t figure out how much of a loser I am.”
She let out a long breath. “We can figure this out.”
He shook his head. “I’ve tried. Nothing has worked.”
She didn’t like seeing him so upset, but a fresh burst of annoyance filled her. “Well, you can’t just make this decision by yourself. I own half this business.”
“Actually, you own 49 percent of it. Check your papers. Which makes me the deciding partner. And I’ve decided to cut my losses.” He looked over at a framed picture of a bikini-clad babe on a beautiful beach on the wall next to the bookcase. “And I’m moving to Hawaii. Even though I’m not really welcome in the U.S. anymore for reasons I’d rather not get into right now, I’ll figure out a way to get to the glorious fiftieth state.”
“Andy—”
“And I’ll have to get rid of Rhonda,” he said sadly.
“Who’s Rhonda?”
He looked up and his face paled. “That’s what I call my Porsche. I’m going to miss her so much.” He exhaled shakily. “My beautiful Rhonda.”
Eden had counted on Andy helping her find the witch. If he was busy feeling sorry for himself while getting a suntan in Hawaii, that wouldn’t exactly help, would it?
Andy blinked slowly, rubbed at
“Really?” Andy seemed surprised. “I got the impression you were a total loner who hates company.”
She forced a smile. That was his impression of her? Very accurate, actually. Uncomplimentary, but accurate. “For family it’s different, of course.”
Darrak snorted at that. “Sorry. I know… sis… likes her privacy, but she’s been very accommodating so far. If you ignore the screaming. Ha. Just kidding, of course. Mostly.”
“Good to meet you, Darrak. Any brother of Eden’s is… well, you know.” Andy stood up from his desk and thrust out his hand.
Darrak eyed it for a moment before tentatively shaking it. He looked at Eden with a half grin. “Having a body sure is hard to get used to, isn’t it?”
She forced the smile to remain plastered on her lips. “It sure is.”
Andy was looking at her strangely. “What does he mean by that?”
She coughed nervously. “Don’t mind Darrak. He’s a little… well”—she lowered her voice—“ slow is a good word. He’s not used to being out and about from the, uh… special home he normally lives in down south.”
To say the least.
“Oh.” Andy nodded. “I think I understand. I have a cousin like that, too.” He punched Darrak playfully in the shoulder. “You have a very nice sister to let you stay with her and hang out at her job. It’s fun being on vacation, isn’t it, sport?”
Darrak looked at Eden dryly. “I just hope I don’t hurt myself with my enthusiasm.”
Eden pressed her lips together. The day had not started well.
“Andy, I need to ask a favor,” she said.
He looked at her skeptically. “I don’t have any money for a loan right now.”
“You immediately assume I want money?”
He sat down in his chair, leaned back, and rubbed his temples. “Look, Eden, I have some bad news. I may as well tell you now and get it over with.”
Her mouth went dry. More bad news? “What is it?”
“Triple-A is going out of business. I’m declaring bankruptcy.” His voice broke and his face crumpled. “I’m such a pathetic failure.”
“What are you talking about?” This was the first news she’d heard of this.
“I’m broke.” He looked at Darrak. “That means that I have no money. Having no money makes it hard to be happy, chum.”
“ Chum ?” Darrak repeated.
“Andy,” Eden said. “It can’t be that bad.”
“Trust me, it is. The bills have been piling up for months now. I’ve been going to the racetrack to try to make some quick cash, but that’s only sunk me in deeper. I haven’t had a new client in forever. I’ve been keeping you busy just so you wouldn’t figure out how much of a loser I am.”
She let out a long breath. “We can figure this out.”
He shook his head. “I’ve tried. Nothing has worked.”
She didn’t like seeing him so upset, but a fresh burst of annoyance filled her. “Well, you can’t just make this decision by yourself. I own half this business.”
“Actually, you own 49 percent of it. Check your papers. Which makes me the deciding partner. And I’ve decided to cut my losses.” He looked over at a framed picture of a bikini-clad babe on a beautiful beach on the wall next to the bookcase. “And I’m moving to Hawaii. Even though I’m not really welcome in the U.S. anymore for reasons I’d rather not get into right now, I’ll figure out a way to get to the glorious fiftieth state.”
“Andy—”
“And I’ll have to get rid of Rhonda,” he said sadly.
“Who’s Rhonda?”
He looked up and his face paled. “That’s what I call my Porsche. I’m going to miss her so much.” He exhaled shakily. “My beautiful Rhonda.”
Eden had counted on Andy helping her find the witch. If he was busy feeling sorry for himself while getting a suntan in Hawaii, that wouldn’t exactly help, would it?
Andy blinked slowly, rubbed at
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