26. Lake
26
LAKE
“ Y ou’re gonna do great,” I murmur to Pen, squeezing her hand as I take my seat at the conference room table in the lodge a week later. It’s a room we almost never use, but this is important, and we need the space.
When Pen told my father she’d drafted a formal proposal for the sanctuary, he’d all but hired her on the spot. Still, she held firm, instead asking for a chance to prove she’d be an asset to the project.
He agreed.
Now, standing in the front of the room, her posture is relaxed—confident—as my siblings file in, followed by Reid and Harlan and my parents.
“All right, Pen, show us what you’ve got,” my father says once everyone is settled, and I send up a silent prayer—not that she needs it.
Pen smiles radiantly as she maps out what she believes will be the most successful plan for the sanctuary over the next five years. She explained some of this to me at the house, but watching her animatedly lay everything out there is something else entirely.
Harlan asks questions as she talks, focusing on other successful sanctuaries in the state and where our efforts would be best spent for immediate action in rescuing horses. Pen has an answer for everything, and I watch my father’s smile grow as he leans back in his chair and listens.
I know he has questions of his own, but for now he’s trusting the process and the two people who will effectively run the sanctuary—a passion project he’d been wanting to put into action.
He just needed the right people.
And undoubtedly, he’s found them.
We toasted to Pen and Harlan at the lodge before my parents excused themselves and the rest of us headed into town to the Range Bar and Grill for a celebratory dinner and drinks. Harlan and Pen had stopped talking long enough to order a beer before returning to their conversation again.
“I didn’t know he could talk that much,” Jesse says as he nods at Beau. The remark earns a laugh from the rest of us and a scowl from Reid. Harlan subtly flips us off which earns another round of laughter.
“To Pen and her kick-ass presentation, and to the dynamic duo that she and Harlan will be making the Sterling Horse Sanctuary a reality,” Wren exclaims, holding up her beer and downing half of it after everyone clinks glasses.
“Rough day?” Beau asks and she nods.
“My boss is an ass, and I hope someone breaks into his house and steals only the spoons.”
Jesse squints at her. “What?” he asks before looking around. “Did anyone understand that?”
“She wants him to be annoyed forever by the inconvenience,” Pen replies and Wren nods.
“That. Seriously, how pissed would you be if you went to eat cereal and didn’t have a spoon?”
“Remind me to take your key back,” Jesse mutters and then yelps when she pinches the backside of his arm.
“Oh holy shit,” Wren says, waving her phone at us. “You’re never going to believe who’s in Wintervale.”
“Is it Carter?” Beau says, his gaze trained on the door as the douchebag himself scans the room, his gaze eventually locking on mine before moving to Pen.
Sauntering over with a swagger he absolutely cannot pull off, I brace myself for the inevitable fight.
“I see she’s already passed you up for someone else, Lake,” Carter says with a sneer as he glares at Harlan.
“Can I beat him up now?” Beau murmurs quietly.
“No,” I tell him.
Not yet at least.
Reid snorts before leaning over and shoving his tongue in Harlan’s mouth. Carter gapes and Pen snickers.
“That’s Reid’s boyfriend,” she says sweetly, and it takes everything inside me not to shove this guy out the door so he can go back to where he came from. “Why are you even here?”
“Closing a business deal if you must know,” he declares haughtily.
“No, you’re not,” Wren snarks, her eyes glued to her phone as she types out a message before looking up at him. “He turned you down flat. Guess you’ll have to run home to your mommy and daddy empty-handed.”
“That is not what happened.”
“Where’s Giselle?” Pen asks, and I see there’s only amusement in her expression as she waits for him to answer.
“Home, waiting for me like a woman should.”
Wren gasps as Beau leans toward me. “Now?”
“Not yet.”
“So, you thought you’d harass your ex-fiancée before hitting the road?” Pen says, getting up and moving around the table to sit on my lap.
Carter’s nostrils flare, the confirmation that she’d moved on from him with me the obvious reason for this little detour.
“So it’s true,” he says with a snarl. “You gave up our life for this?” Carter waves his hand around. “No job, slumming it with this guy in some bullshit tourist town, and?—”
“Now?” Beau pleads and I nod. “Fucking finally. Time to go, asshole, and if you ever come into my town and insult my family again, I will?—”
The words are cut off as Beau pushes Carter through the restaurant and out into the street.
“Should someone help him?” Harlan asks, his gaze bouncing between us.
“Nah.” Jesse smirks. “He’s still got a lot of pent-up frustration at not getting to fight you. He’ll be fine.”
“You guys are ridiculous,” Reid mumbles as Harlan lifts one shoulder and lets it drop.
“I would have deserved it.”
Returning a minute later, Beau shakes out his hand before dropping back into his seat, a huge smile plastered on his face.
“You really beat him up?” Pen asks, a little startled.
“Nah, he swung first and so I got my shot in.” My brother shrugs. “My shot was better.”
“You’re the unsung hero, Beau,” Jesse says, the words heavy with sarcasm.
“I know. Someday I’ll meet a worthy adversary.” Grabbing his beer, he downs it before motioning for a refill and turning back to us. “Until then I’m stuck with you fuckers.”
“The horror.” My sister laughs and Beau shoots her a wink as I bury my face in Pen’s hair and breathe her in.
Evermore.
“How long before I can take you home?” I ask, making her wriggle on my lap as I suppress a groan.
“Soon.”
“Promise?” I ask, and she chuckles, kissing my cheek and settling back against me.
“Promise.”