Winning Love by Abby Niles Read Free Book Online Page B

time. We have a loan agreement, just like I would with a bank. I pay a set amount each month, about the price of a really nice home. As long as I pay, we’ve got no problems. Except…” He sighed. “I’ve been doing this for two years…and I’m getting tired. But there’s no end in sight.”
    Mac would never have believed he’d ever hear those words come out of Lance’s mouth. Mac surveyed his friend’s face, really studied it. The other day, he’d been too caught up in himself to notice anything except surface things. Upon closer appraisal, dark circles and bags aged his friend’s eyes. Deep grooves bracketed his mouth. Lance did look tired…exhausted actually.
    “I can write a check right now, Lance. Help you out.”
    “No.” Lance shook his head sharply. “Absolutely not.”
    “This isn’t the time for pride.”
    “I pay my own way, Mac. I always have. I always will.”
    “If it’s that big of a deal, we’ll set up an arrangement like you have with these guys. Just a lower interest and stretch out the life of the loan for a few more years.”
    “No. We both know how fast shit can happen. If you ended up needing the money you let me borrow, I’d never forgive myself. All I want you to do is help me train so I can win this fight and hopefully get a shot in the CMC. Things would be a lot easier if that dream came true.”
    “Why don’t I just talk to Ethan Porter? I might be able to get you a fight without all of this.”
    Lance’s jaw tightened. “No. I do this my way or no way. Got it? I don’t want to be known as the fighter who got into CMC because of a favor. I want to get in because I earned it. If I’m not good enough, I’m not good enough. All right?”
    Inhaling, Mac nodded. Although at this particular moment he didn’t agree with his friend, he understood his need to prove himself and take care of his own. “Okay. We’ll train our asses off, then. How about we start right after you feed Skylar?”
    A grimace contorted the other man’s face. “Got to go, bro. I have a repo out in Wichita. Big job.”
    “How are we going to train if you’ve always got to drop everything for a job?”
    A look of helpless determination gleamed out of Lance’s eyes. “Pipedream, right? It’s what I want, but real life has to come first. We’ll train. I was hoping to have my bills squared away before you got here, but it was slow at the beginning of the month, which put me behind. So I’m cramming in everything I can to make my bills. I’ve almost got it all. Once I do, we’ll get busy. Just give me a few more days, okay?”
    “All right. If there’s anything—”
    “Just be here when I’ve got everything squared away.”
    “I can do that.”
    Lance turned, lifted the two plates, and walked over to the kitchen table. “Skylar! Breakfast!” he yelled, then went to the refrigerator and grabbed out a carton of OJ “How did things go with Gayle yesterday? I was surprised she stayed over here. I thought she’d take Skylar back to her place.”
    Mac shook his head. “You were right. She doesn’t have a filter. And she knows how to goad the hell out of me.”
    “What do you mean?” The caution in his friend’s voice was unmistakable. Damn. Lance still wasn’t certain how Mac would react to stress. A pang thumped him hard in his chest.
    “She’s able to throw challenges at me I can’t resist.” He watched Lance pour two glasses of orange juice. “She got me to play Twister, of all things.”
    Lance blinked as he slowly lowered the carton to the counter, then guffawed. “No shit! I would’ve paid good money to see that.”
    “I bet you would.”
    “She’s good people. She has this way with life. She just goes with it. Doesn’t sweat things. It’s rare.” Lance inhaled then yelled, “Skylar! Break . Fast!”
    “I’m. Coming !” came the child’s voice from upstairs.
    “Gayle most likely never had any reason to sweat anything,” Mac said, once Lance stopped chuckling