Free Katia's Promise by Catherine Lanigan

silent.
    Fine. You want to play hardball, Austin McCreary? Then, you’re in for the fight of your life.
    Jack clicked his ballpoint pen. It was a nervous habit that Katia had noticed years ago. He seemed both anxious and excited. She smiled broadly.
    “It went extremely well,” she told her boss before he had a chance to ask. She tapped her phone screen. “I took dozens of shots of the office space I think will be ideal for us.”
    Jack took the phone and glanced at the photos. “Attractive. Love the walls of windows. Quaint view. How much?”
    “Less than a third of what you’re paying here.”
    “What’s the catch? Do I have to sign for ten years? A double security fee? Four months’ rent in advance?” Jack braced for the particulars.
    “Two-year contract. Security deposit is one month’s rent and the first and last months’ rent in advance. The parking is limited, but we’re not selling retail clothing. I’ll have a car, but except in bad weather, I’ll be walking to work.”
    “From where?”
    “I’ve already rented a very nice apartment for myself,” she said proudly. “A converted ballroom, to be exact. Nearly eighteen hundred square feet. You know how tiny my apartment is. This is just fabulous. I love it. And I adore the landlady. She’s an old acquaintance, actually.”
    “That was fast. I’m impressed. Did you find a condo for me?”
    Katia couldn’t stifle her laugh. “Sorry, Jack. This is a small town, and there aren’t even any apartment buildings, much less condos.”
    “This is a joke. Where do people live, then?”
    “Houses. There are lots of old mansions that have been turned into apartments. I hired a Realtor to work with you. Her name is Cate Sullivan, and she’s already sent me some listings. I’ll forward them to you.”
    “So basically, we have a place to work, but I have no place to live.” He groaned.
    Katia pulled up the first emails from Cate and handed her phone back to him.
    “Hey, I love this lake! Can’t I find a condo on the lake?”
    “Actually, you’re in luck. Cate said there are some small older condos available. They’re not going to be what you’re used to in Chicago—”
    “I could go fishing!” He grinned at her, but Katia simply stared back at him, straight-faced. “Okay. So I’ve never been fishing. But I could learn.”
    “Sure.” Katia pulled a business card out of her skirt pocket. “Give Cate a call. She said the condos always go up for rent this time of year. I figured if you spent the winter on the lake, by spring you’d have a better idea of what you’d like.”
    Jack interrupted, “And by then we should know if we’re going to be staying.”
    “Jack, the office is a two-year lease. Are we going to do this or not?”
    Suddenly, Katia felt the earth shifting again. She’d already called the movers; they were coming in the morning, and she’d given notice to her landlord, who had a new tenant lined up in less than six hours. Katia had never been the kind of person to sit on fences. Once she made a decision, she plunged forward. She’d paid her deposit to Mrs. Beabots. She’d made a call to one of Maddie’s friends who owned a car dealership and she had an appointment to look at cars as soon as she arrived in Indian Lake. A more prudent person would have waited for the green light from her boss. Katia realized she was more desperate to save her job than she’d thought. She had a lot riding on her decisions.
    She continued to stare at Jack.
    Jack’s handsome face was set with determination. “We’re doing this. Period. We have no choice. How soon will you be up and running for me to transition over?”
    “A month, maybe?”
    “Six weeks. That takes me through Thanksgiving, and I promised Ava and Barry I’d be here at least for the holiday. Barry says we can close down this office in three weeks. Our lease is up, so no problem there. I’ll need to come to Indian Lake and check out that condo. You’re in charge of