Hayden Owens is just a typical graduate student working his way through school as a barista for the Owens Coffee Company -- no relation. But he keeps the "no relation" part to himself when he meets dashing, older Neal Kirchner, a successful architect from an old-money family. Hayden doesn't exactly lie, but he figures it can't hurt for Neal to believe he's a rich kid. After all, Hayden doesn't want Neal thinking he's a gold digger.<br><br>Neal Kirchner is Asian Indian and British decent. His parents became Christians, shoving their heritage to the side. Neal has returned to the customs and religion his grandmother cherished. On top of being a very successful architect he's heir to the Indian Rose Tea Company, a business that's been in his family for generations.<br><br>Neal's passion is high performance cars and he meets Hayden at a fundraiser for the automotive engineering department of Clemson University. They are immediately smitten with each other. The closer they become, the harder it gets for Hayden to come clean. Something always seems to get in the way. When a company bankruptcy and a jilted, vindictive woman threaten to expose his charade, Hayden thinks it's all gone down the drain. Luckily Neal is ready with some innocent trickery of his own, but will their relationship survive?

High Test

No matter how hard he tried, all Hayden could focus on was Maeve’s accusations, her spiteful face, and Neal’s rejection.


The next morning, Hayden rode with Rick to the university. During the drive he rehearsed to Rick what he would say to Neal and wrote it down. As they pulled into a parking space, Hayden got a call from the financial aid department.


“What did they want?” Rick asked after Hayden ended the call.


“One of my grants was apparently funded by the Owens Coffee Company. It gets paid quarterly and is part of the reason I didn’t have to get such large loans. I really worked hard finding ways to pay for my degree here without having a ton of debt when I graduate.” He dropped his hand, still clutching his phone, into his lap. “Lot of good all that planning did me.”


“Hayden, dude, get a grip. It hasn’t even been a week. You’ll find another job, and the school will help you get the money. There are still loans and other sources.”


Chapter 43