Keeping Her Love Read Online Free Page B

Instead, Rhett got to hear an earful from the infamous Karma Worldpeace about how the morning was and how he felt about where his mind was in the context of the mood of the universe. Karma was a keen businessman, often able to target what it was his customers were craving while also being fair and reliable for his employees, but he certainly didn’t look the part. He often wore Birkenstocks to work, a worn-out tie-dye T-shirt, and shorts that were a bit too short by Rhett’s standards. Karma’s white hair was also often flying all over the place, probably seeming quite hospitable to the neighborhood birds.
    Rhett had to keep himself from breathing a sigh of relief when he saw Tula round the corner while taking her white apron off.
    “So where are the two heartthrobs off to this weekend?” Karma asked as Tula pulled Rhett in for a hug.
    “Not far,” said Tula with a smile. “Just up the highway. Rhett and I have been wanting to check out the rose garden at the capitol for some time.”
    “Oh, the rose garden! Yes, very nice. Very tranquil and centering.” Karma reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and handed Tula two hundred dollar bills.  
    “What’s this?” Tula asked, her eyes wide.
    “For the great job you’ve been doing. You mean a lot to me, kiddo, and something just told me that it was a good time to show my appreciation. Take it—you deserve it for your kind nature.”
    Rhett and Tula shared a brief look.  
    “Well, thank you, Karma!” Tula made a small leap for her boss, wrapping her arms tightly for a brief hug.
    “It’s no problem at all! I hope your trip is filled with generosity and kindness. Have fun, you two!”
    When Tula and Rhett buckled into the car, they shared curious smiles with one another.
    “What was that all about?” Rhett asked.  
    Tula shrugged. “I have no idea. I guess Karma is just in a good mood today. The important executive brunch was a big success, despite everything that happened. Karma just got a bunch of new clients because of it, and like you saw, the cafe is booming with business. We’ve been busy like this for four consecutive months. It’s been nuts.”
    Rhett smiled knowingly as he drove them out of the parking lot. “It’s because of you, Tula. You’re the grease to the wheels of that place. There’s no doubt in my mind.”
    Tula took a moment to observe the hundred dollar bills before slipping them back into her pocket. “That’s what makes it worse. When I leave, what is good ol’ Karma going to do? He really relies on me, and I’m going to pull the rug right out from under him. I feel even worse thinking about the fact that I might even be competing with him. He has no idea, either! Ugh, I just feel like I’ve been holding onto some big, dirty secret. And here I am taking money from him. I would have given it back, but I don’t want to hurt his feelings or raise his suspicions.”
    “Hey, don’t even worry about it. I know you feel guilty, but just think of it this way: you’ve been a real gift to Karma, and nothing lasts forever. You have to be thankful for the good things that come to you, and not bitter that they left. I think that if anyone would understand something like that, it’d be Karma. I mean, he was talking my ear off about cosmic consciousness for a good ten minutes before you finished work.”
    Tula let out a little laugh. “That sounds like him. It’s still beyond me on how his head is screwed on enough to have business sense, but there you go. I guess life is weird like that.”
    “Right. And hey, there’s two hundred more dollars to go to your fund. How much have you saved so far, anyway?”
    She counted in her head for a moment. “Roughly thirty-five thousand. That’s not counting the cash that my parents have promised me, though, so probably more like forty-eight or fifty.”
    “How much do you need at this point?”
    “Well, I need to scope out some places and figure out where I am concerning a loan.