Four Money (Ever and Always Book 1)

  Four Money

  Ever and Always Duet, Book 1

  Jayne Rylon

  Happy Endings Publishing

  Copyright © 2020 by Jayne Rylon

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or shared in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means—including email, file-sharing groups, and peer-to-peer programs—without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  If you have purchased a copy of this ebook, thank you. I greatly appreciate knowing you would never illegally share your copy of this book. This is the polite way of me saying don’t be a thieving asshole, please and thank you!

  If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Refer to the don’t-be-a-thieving-asshole section above for clarification. :)

  V1

  eBook ISBN: 978-1-947093-13-3

  Print ISBN: 978-1-947093-14-0

  Cover Design by Jayne Rylon

  Editing by Mackenzie Walton

  Proofreading by Fedora Chen

  Formatting by Jayne Rylon

  Contents

  About The Book

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Other Books in This World

  Discounted Boxset - Hot Rods

  Claim A $5 Gift Certificate

  What Was Your Favorite Part?

  Jayne’s Shop

  Listen Up!

  About the Author

  Also by Jayne Rylon

  About The Book

  Would it be the worst thing in the world to accept an obscene amount of money in exchange for living with a guy and a couple of his best friends for three months?

  Seems like a no brainer. But what if it means sharing their beds, too?

  Let’s be honest, Holly would probably do that for free considering how hot, successful, and fun to be around they are.

  Besides, if she helps Trent cash in on his inheritance—with a few naughty strings attached—she could pay for the life-saving surgery her mother’s insurance company has denied.

  The one thing she can’t afford is falling in love when the man she’s obsessed with plans to ditch her after their ninety days are over.

  Four Money is book one of the Ever & Always duet. Holly, Trent, Lorenzo, and Owen’s story will conclude in Four Love.

  Additional Information

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  A complete list of Jayne’s books can be found at www.jaynerylon.com/books

  1

  A knock on the door had Holly Hendricks on her feet and lunging toward it before the sound quit ricocheting through her tissue box of a living room. The place was spotless, even more so than usual since she’d been expecting guests for the first time ever.

  As Holly bounded past, her mother mustered a wan smile from the thrift store recliner she practically lived in these days. The injustice of it made Holly yank the door open harder than she’d intended. Her messy ponytail brushed her shoulder blades as it swung back in forth in response.

  “Holly!” Her best friend from college, Andi, rushed her, threatening to knock them both on their asses with her overenthusiastic embrace.

  They twirled around off-balance for a spin or two as they hugged out all the time and miles they’d spent apart. Their lives had diverged so drastically, it would have been easy to lose contact. Yet, somehow, they had grown even closer as a result of their near constant texting, which also included…

  “Kari!” Holly shook one arm free of Andi’s clutch to include the other woman in their circle. Kari had started out as Andi’s friend, but now the three of them were a unit. They’d each been through a lot in the past few years, and having the pair of them as a sounding board was probably the only thing keeping Holly sane given the pressures she was under dealing with her mother’s medical crisis.

  Andi looked up, her eyes bright. “This place is so…”

  “I know.” Holly grimaced, trying not to fidget as she imagined how dismal it must be compared to the apartment Andi shared with her three lovers, each of them well on their way to establishing themselves in their chosen professions. She didn’t even allow herself to imagine the penthouse Kari occupied with her trio of hotshot lawyer boyfriends. Probably couldn’t, to be honest. She’d never been around that kind of true wealth.

  “…cute!” Andi finished. Though she was eternally optimistic, only Andi would see the bright side of this dump. It wasn’t even as big as the apartment Holly had shared with some friends, above Andi, Cooper, Reed, and Simon’s apartment while they’d been in college.

  And afterward, when her friends had been climbing the corporate ladder, she’d been sliding down a slippery chute toward poverty and never attaining her goals. Student loan debt for a degree she couldn’t use was a monthly reminder of how she’d wasted her time and effort just so she could wind up right where she started, except with more obstacles than before.

  That wasn’t fair.

  Holly glanced at her mom and smiled. She damn well knew any time they got to spend together was more precious than building a career or accumulating material possessions or meeting a guy…or three, in both Andi’s and Kari’s cases.

  “Holly has done such a great job with it, hasn’t she?” Her mother beamed, her quiet pride easy to hear in the intimate space. “The colors make it seem like it’s brighter than it really is.”

  “She has.” Andi broke from their circle to approach Holly’s mom, Catherine. She must be nearly unrecognizable from the woman who had helped Holly move in and out only a few short years ago. Unlike some people, Andi didn’t let Mom’s illness put her off. “How are you, Momma C?”

  “A pain in the ass, as always.” Mom patted Andi’s hand. “Don’t listen to what Holly tells you. I’m not going anywhere just yet.”

  “Good to know.” Andi smiled, then straightened.

  “It’s so nice to meet you.” Kari was right there to take her place, leaning down to hug Mom. “Technically to meet you both, though from the group chat we’re exchanging messages in a million times a day, I feel like I’ve known Holly forever.”

  If the other two women noticed the wheeze that accompanied Mom’s laugh, they politely ignored it. “I bet. I hear her phone buzzing constantly and she’s always tapping on her phone while we’re watching TV.”

  “Sorry, Mom.” Holly winced.

  “That’s not how I meant it.” She turned serious then. “I’m glad you have these girls to vent to. I’ve put too much stress on your shoulders for any one person, especially a daughter.”

  “It’s fine. You know I don’t mind.” Holly didn’t. Really. But it was a lot to deal with.

  The medical bills. The doctor appointments they couldn’t afford. The terror that one day she’d wake up and her mom would be too still in the recliner because she couldn’t pay for the treatment she needed to fully recover.

  “That’s because you’re world’s bes
t daughter. And that’s also why I want you to go have fun with your friends while they’re in town.” Her mother sat up a little straighter, as if prepared to argue. “Take a mini vacation, Holly. You deserve it. You need it.”

  “What? Mom, you know I can’t leave you here alone—”

  “You go have fun.” Her mother’s insistence might have been a little harder to dismiss if she could vigorously fan her hand between them and the door instead of limply mimicking the gesture. “You told me they invited you to the get-together they’re holding at one of the fancy hotels on the strip. It sounds great. Don’t miss it because of me.”

  “Parties aren’t my thing.” Holly shook her head.

  “They used to be.” Andi might look sweet, but she was more tenacious than a pit bull dismembering a squeaky toy. “And this is going to be a hell of a lot better than getting drunk off cheap liquor at the frat house next door. I mean, not that we ever did that, Momma C.”

  “What I don’t know…” Her mother grinned, but it dimmed quickly. “You haven’t had time to cut loose in forever. Go, Holly. Ms. Edison next door said she’d come sit with me if you want some time to yourself. Take tonight off from me and from the misery I’ve put you through. Hell, take the whole weekend.”

  “Mom…”

  “Don’t mom me, Holly.” Her mother’s eyes grew steely, and Holly remembered where she’d gotten her grit and determination from. What she possessed was only a fraction of what her mother had herself. How else could she have outlasted the prognosis of every specialist they’d seen?

  “Seriously, Holly,” Kari added, “you don’t want to miss out. My boyfriends are doing it up right. They rented the entire top floor, hired a team of chefs to cook a private meal, and they invited a bunch of their closest friends. They even told me that if you’d allow it, they’d send a home health aide to take care of Momma C.”

  “They would really do that?” Why were they going to such extremes? And why would they be so generous with her? Was that just the kind of people they were? Lavish and excessive?

  Holly tried not to judge, but when she sometimes had to schedule their payments down to the last penny, she couldn’t imagine having the wiggle room to drop that kind of cash on strangers.

  “Yes, they would,” Andi reassured her. “They’re great guys and they can afford it. If they offered, let them. We’d love to spend time with you.”

  Maybe they were right. Maybe just this once, she deserved a treat.

  Hopefully seeing how the other half lived wouldn’t make her realize how much she was missing out on. She glanced at the rickety table that doubled as a desk. It was piled with statements from the doctors and medical facilities they owed, including the estimate for her mother’s needed surgery.

  At the rate she was able to put a couple bucks here or there into savings for the transplant… Well, it was going to take her a hell of a lot longer to save the amount she needed to show before they’d give final approval for the procedure than her mom had left. Disappointment threatened to crush her chest, as it had so many sleepless nights lately.

  Yes, she needed a break before she lost it completely. If her friends were willing to give her that priceless gift and her mom was okay with it, she was going to accept it.

  When Mom reached out to squeeze Holly’s hand, she realized there was nothing worth more in the world. After a little bit of time to refresh and get her head on straight, she’d be able to share more quality time with her mother, while they could.

  She looked down and said, “Swear you’ll call me if you so much as get a hangnail. I’ll be right downtown and can come home at any moment. Okay?”

  “Promise. Now let them spoil you like I wish I could.” Her mom let go.

  Guilt washed over Holly, but she smothered it as best she could. It was only for the weekend, not forever. “I’ll go pack a bag, but I don’t think I have much that’s appropriate for hobnobbing with fancy people.”

  “Oh, please. That’s what shopping is for,” Kari laughed, and Andi perked up.

  Holly held up her hands, backing away from the pair toward the single bedroom in their home, which she used since her mother had decided she was most comfortable in the living room. “I’ll make do with what I’ve got. I probably have a black dress somewhere that might be passable.”

  “No, seriously,” Kari begged. “Andi helped me make a good impression when I was in a similar situation last year. Let me pay it forward. We’ll go to the spa, relax, get makeovers, then buy sparkly Vegas-worthy outfits that will drive our guys wild at the party they’re throwing. Who knows, maybe you’ll even hit it off with one of their handsome friends.”

  That sounded as farfetched as a fairy tale to Holly. But she couldn’t deny that for just a couple days, it might be nice to pretend happy endings were possible again.

  “Listen to them, honey.” Her mother would have shoved her out the door if climbing out of the recliner wasn’t such a chore.

  What the hell? Holly relented. “I guess there’s no use in trying to fight the three of you. You’re as stubborn as I am.”

  “And then some.” Andi beamed.

  “I’ll call Ford and let him know you’re keeping the aide.” Kari high-fived Andi, as if they’d planned this all along.

  “Keeping?” Holly narrowed her eyes.

  “Oh, yeah. Her name is Beth and she’s outside.” Kari grinned. “Our limo is waiting by the curb too.”

  “Limo?”

  Kari shrugged. “You’ll get used to it.”

  “I doubt that.” Holly shook her head, then leaned in to hug her mother. “I love you, Mom.”

  “I love you, too.” Her mom pressed lightly on her shoulders. “Now go. Enjoy every minute.”

  She intended too. Because both of them knew what her mother left unsaid.

  Enjoy it while you can.

  While she was young and healthy, and while her friends’ generosity made it possible for her to have a reprieve, and while her mom was stable enough to even consider leaving behind temporarily. Come Monday, Holly would be back to reality. Their problems would still be there to worry about then.

  2

  Slot machines chimed and colored lights flashed, but none of the casino sights or sounds prevented Trent from picking out a familiar voice that came from behind him. “There you are.”

  He raked the chips from his most recent win toward him on the green felt-covered table, stacking them neatly into piles so he could count them all. It was always good to end on a high note.

  “Looks like I’m done,” he said to the dealer with a grin before swiveling on the stool to face Reed and the other guys with him.

  “Don’t tell me you haven’t crashed yet.” Reed chuckled, looking more mature and put together than Trent remembered from their college days, even though it had only been about two years since they’d graduated. Where Reed wore crisp dark denim and a sport coat, Trent slumped lower in his faded jeans—probably the same pair he’d had back when they were neighbors—and hunched his shoulders in his well-loved hoodie. “You stay out all night, every night?”

  “It’s my job.” He tried not to get defensive. It might look like he was pissing away time or money, but he was dead serious about his goals, and this was one of the fastest ways to reach them.

  “Damn. Most days we’re in bed before the ten o’clock news,” Simon said with his usual good humor. The guys weren’t judging Trent. They never did. Hell, they didn’t exactly live a traditional life either.

  “Can’t help it if you got old and boring,” Trent teased.

  “I didn’t say we were sleeping. Spending time with Andi is never dull.” Cooper nodded at Reed’s innuendo. Behind Cooper, another three guys muttered their agreement. If his old college buddies had spiffed up a bit, that trio was next-level entirely. Trent tried not to be intimidated by the presence of the friends of his friends. After all, he’d been like them once. “When are you going to find someone special and settle down?”

  “Those ki
nds of luxuries aren’t a part of my plan.” Hell, it had been so long since he’d contemplated having an actual girlfriend, the concept seemed foreign to him. He was focused on the future and only allowed himself a periodic hookup as what amounted to a living sex toy used to delight one of the women his roommates Owen and Lorenzo brought home, if the opportunity presented itself. Trent stepped aside so Reed, Simon, Cooper and the three other men they’d brought with them could take stock of his winnings. “Have to do what I can to get ahead, you know?”

  Cooper whistled. “Not a bad night’s work.”

  “I always knew you rocked at math, but damn, it looks like those statistics classes are really paying off now,” Simon added. “I take back all the shit I talked when you were hitting the books and I wanted to party instead.”

  “I’d much rather be using my business classes, but…all in due time.” He pocketed his chips and stood, clutching Reed in a one-armed hug while Simon and Cooper slapped his back.

  When they’d finished greeting each other and talking some mild shit, Reed introduced him to the guys watching them with wide grins. “Trent, I’d like you to meet some of our other friends, who also happen to be Cooper’s bosses at the law firm. This is Ford, Brady, and Josh.”

  They wore jeans too, but with button down shirts, as if they didn’t own T-shirts, and their leather shoes were definitely a cut above his own scuffed sneakers. When Ford stuck his hand out to shake, a sleek gold watch winked in the halogen lights.