Chapter 1
BOSSY IN LOVE—Green Valley Falls Book Four
CHAPTER ONE
Tess Walker squirmed in her seat. She didn’t like the view from this side of the manager’s desk.
“He said, and I quote, ‘She was real mean and yelled at me.’” Donald Moody—owner of the outdoor supply store Tess had managed for years—sat in her chair, behind her desk. He took off his glasses and stared at her, waiting for an explanation.
“If I raised my voice, it was because he was still sleeping at ten o’clock.” Tess rubbed her forehead, striving for patience. “It was the last day of camp. Everyone else was packed up and ready to head back. Should I have left him asleep on the mountain?”
Don raised an eyebrow. “I’ve heard rumors you make them cry.”
“Not all of ’em,” Tess mumbled in self-defense.
One of Tess’s duties was to lead “Weekend Warrior” campouts.
Big-city businessmen—and sometimes women—paid a small fortune to “rough it” for a couple of days in the wilderness.
Most who signed up were accustomed to luxury living, and going from a penthouse to a nylon tent wasn’t always an easy adjustment. Sometimes there were tears.
“I know you didn’t come to town just to dress me down over a bad review,” Tess said. “Why are you really here?”
Don lived in Chicago, and though they spoke frequently, he hardly ever came to Green Valley Falls. He owned The Outdoor Outpost, but Tess had been running it for years. They had a tacit agreement—she made him money, and he stayed a thousand miles away.
“Well, you’re right about that.” He laughed, dropping all pretense of caring about the review. “I don’t care about fat cat tears. I’m getting married again,” he said. “Attorneys are writing up the prenup and thought it’d be a good opportunity to do inventory and maybe streamline some stuff.”
“You know what they say, fourth time’s the charm.” Tess smiled. “Good for you, getting back on that horse.”
“You wanna come?” He ignored the dig. “I’m sure I can get you an invite.”
Tess waved a hand. “I’ll catch the next one.”
“Touché,” he said, unaffected by the insinuation. “Look, I’ll be honest. I’m downsizing. I’ve put together a portfolio of businesses and plan to sell them off.”
“You’re selling the store?” Tess exclaimed. “Why?”
“I’m getting old, Tess.”
“What? No, you’re not.” He was sixty at most. Hardly old.
“The future Mrs. Moody thought it’d be a good idea to liquidate all the smaller businesses and consolidate into something bigger.”
Tess rolled her eyes. “Didn’t you buy the store in the first place on a prior Mrs. Moody’s recommendation?” For a high-powered businessman, he sure made a lot of deals based on the whims of women.
“Hmm. Now that you mention it…” He scratched his head.
“The store is profitable,” Tess said, sensing vulnerability. Maybe a good argument could keep it off the chopping block. “And it’s got to be one of the most hands-off businesses you own. I do all the work!”
“That’s true,” Don conceded. “You’ve done a helluva job actually. Better than I ever could have hoped for in such a tiny market. The Weekend Warrior idea was genius.”
“I have other ideas. In fact, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about them.”
He held up a hand. “Save it for the next owner.”
Tess was rarely speechless, but this news had come from left field and was as shocking as it was potentially devastating.
What if the new owner wanted to hire their own manager? Or run the place himself? Or worse. “Is there any scenario where the store gets turned into something other than The Outdoor Outpost? What does this mean for my job?”
A chagrined look spread across his face. Clearly, he hadn’t thought of this from Tess’s point of view and was just now realizing the potential consequences for her.
“It’s possible,” he said gently. “But doubtful. You’ve made it so successful, it would be stupid to change the business model or get rid of you.”
“Is it too late to talk you out of this?” she asked.
“I’m afraid so. I’m just here to get a few files for the lawyers and take some pictures. Plus, I wanted to tell you in person.”
“How soon?” Tess’s shoulders slumped.
“Tess. You know this isn’t personal, right? It’s just business.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“I can’t say for sure,” he said. “But probably by the end of summer.”
Tess stood. This had obviously moved past the point of input. He’d made up his mind, so she saw nothing left to say.
“I’m sorry, Tess. I’ll let the new owner know how awesome you are and do everything I can to protect your job.”
Tess nodded, shoving away the frustration. It felt personal, but she knew it wasn’t. Don had hired her right out of college and given her the freedom to spread her entrepreneurial wings. It had been five years. Maybe it was time to fly on her own.
“Whatever happens,” she said. “You took a chance on me. I appreciate the opportunities and the loose reins you gave me to run the place. I’ve learned a lot.”
“You’re tough, Tess, and that’s important in the business world. I know you’ll land on your feet.”
Before leaving, she went around the desk and hugged “old” Mr. Moody. As irritated as she was, this was a bridge she didn’t want to burn.
Later that night, she was at dinner with her friends.
Drinks had arrived, and they were discussing the events of the last several days.
For years, they’d gotten together almost every night, but now that two of them were “taken”—Faith, married, and Alex, engaged—they’d cut back to only a few times a week.
“Guess who came to town today?” Tess asked. Before anyone could answer, she continued. “Mr. Moody.”
“Wow,” Faith said. “What’s it been, like a year since you’ve seen him?”
Tess held up two fingers.
“What’d he want?” Alex asked.
“To rip me a new one over a bad review and invite me to his next wedding,” Tess said. “Oh, and to announce he’s selling the store.”
“What?” they all blurted in unison.
“What does that mean for you?” Juliet asked.
Tess shrugged. “No idea.”
“You should buy it,” Alex said.
“The thought crossed my mind,” Tess admitted. “But he’s already put it in with a bunch of other businesses and plans to sell them as a lot. Even if I could scrape together a down payment and get financing, I don’t know if it’s even an option.”
“Did you tell him your new ideas?” Juliet asked.
“He told me to save them for the new owner.”
“Ouch,” Faith said. “What’d you say when he told you? Nick’s not gonna have to arrest you for assault, is he?”
Nick was the town sheriff. And Tess’s brother. And Faith’s husband. People wore many hats in a town as small as Green Valley Falls.
“I’d like to see him try.” Tess huffed out a laugh. “No. I kept my cool. I actually feel like I owe Moody a lot. Hiring me right out of college to run his business was pretty risky. Plus, I thought for sure I’d have to leave GVF to find a decent job, so he made staying possible.”
“Maybe he’ll work with you then,” Alex said. “Did you tell him you want it?”
“I don’t know for sure that I do.” Tess shook her head. “Maybe it’s time to move on.”
“You have talked about starting your own business,” Juliet said. “Something about prepping?”
“Emergency preparedness,” Tess said. “Yes, that was one idea I wanted to try at The Outpost. Not sure I’ll get the chance now.”
“Did Moody give you a timeline?” Alex asked.
“Couple of months.”
“So you still have to do the campouts all summer?” Juliet said.
Tess nodded. “It’s possible the new owner will keep me on, so I don’t want to piss anyone off. Plus, I get paid extra for those. And if I’m gonna be unemployed, I better start saving.”
The subject changed to Alex’s upcoming wedding, and they spent the rest of the meal debating cake flavors and wedding favors.
Tess drove home, mulling over her options. Starting her own business had always been the dream, but she’d put that on hold after landing the Outpost manager gig.
It sounded like she had the summer to figure things out. And the only thing Tess loved more than a challenge was crafting and organizing a plan to meet that challenge.
Thanks again for reading!