Free The Christmas Piano Tree: What's Christmas without a tree? (A Kissing Creek novel Book 1) by Jina Bacarr Page B

Scott’s,” the sergeant answered before Kristen could say a word. God bless him. “We served on the front lines together in Afghanistan.”
    Minute by minute she was getting in deeper with her lie, but Kristen was grateful Jared picked up the story for her. Made it easier somehow. As if it was true.
    “I’ll have your money as soon as I get another job, Mr. Carey,” she said, and then explained how she’d been laid off.   Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jared give her a surprised look that turned to anger. Disbelief, then anguish. She knew his concern for her couldn’t be personal, but the look on his face had her wondering. No, she’d imagined it. He was upset because she was a soldier’s wife and military families looked out for each other.
    “Why are you no longer employed at the school?” the banker wanted to know, curious.
    “It’s just for the holiday season,” she lied, something that was getting easier for her. That didn’t make it right, though. She didn’t dare give him the real explanation. “I’m starting my own business, selling my baked goods at the general store.
    “I can’t wait,” he said firmly. “I want my money now,”
    “I understand, Mr. Carey, but I need more time,” Kristen begged. “ Please . My Aunt Gertrude always made her payments early each month in cash—”
    Kristen stopped. Why did she feel like she had to explain anything to this man? He knew her aunt received her husband’s pension check every month, cashed it, and then paid her bills. What she hadn’t known until she returned to Kissing Creek was that Aunt Gertrude had refinanced the cottage.
    Mr. Carey snubbed her with a wave of his hand. “I understand you’ve got troubles, Mrs. Delaney, but business is business. I can’t let folks not pay their mortgage because they’re dead.” He handed her a piece of paper. “I had a feeling you wouldn’t pay up. This is for you, made out all legal and proper-like.”
    With her heart racing, Kristen scanned the paper. It was worse than she could have ever imagined. Downright soul-crushing. It was a demand letter based on the due-on-sale clause in her aunt’s refinancing contract. A pitfall the woman probably didn’t see or was conned into signing without fully understanding what it meant.
    She read the paper again and again, hoping it wasn’t, couldn’t be true. But it was. The Carey Bank was calling the mortgage due because the property had been transferred to her and she hadn’t kept up the payments. Kristen didn’t meet the exemption requirements because she wasn’t real kin.
    She crumpled up the letter. Closed her eyes for a moment and prayed for strength. She couldn’t take another setback. Not now. But she couldn’t give up. She had to make her case, for Rachel’s sake.
    “Mr. Carey, I assure you, I’ll make the payments as soon as I can,” she began, biting back what she really wanted to say to him. That he could take his mortgage and shove it. Instead, she finished with: “I know I can make money with my cookies and cakes. If you’ll just give me a chance—”
    “I can’t deposit chocolate chip cookies in the vault,” the banker said, his voice hard and cold. “I want cash and this is the only way I can get it, all signed and legal.”
    “Mr. Carey, please—”
    “No.”
    “I’d listen to the lady if I were you,” Jared said, taking long strides toward the man, forcing him to jump back like a frightened squirrel. He’d been silent up to now, listening, taking it all in before making a move. Kristen had the feeling he was just itching to put the banker in his place.
    “Tell this man to back off or I’ll call Sheriff Hogan,” Mr. Carey threatened, his fingers ready to dial the number on his cell phone.
    Kristen panicked. “Better do as he says, Jared.” She shot him a look that said he didn’t need any trouble with the sheriff.
    But the sergeant stood his ground, contemplating his next move, when—
    “Mommy, I’m