Chapter 22 Mary
MARY
And to think, not only five minutes ago, I’d been happy about the Wi-Fi working again.
The router had been out of commission for three days, and I nearly cried in relief when my emails actually loaded this morning. That smile is all gone now. I’m still in bed, staring in shock at my laptop as I read through the email from my supervisor for the fifth time.
It’s dated from yesterday afternoon, so it’s not unreasonable that I haven’t responded to it yet. The problem is that I now have to respond to it much sooner than I’d prefer to.
Mary,
I hope your stay at Black Spruce Ranch is treating you well so far. I’m reaching out due to a recent acquisition.
Luxe Retreats has signed on with the agency, and, after reviewing the profiles of our marketing team, have requested to work with you! I have advised them of your current responsibilities, but they are looking for an immediate start to this project.
I understand that this would mean abandoning your current project, but this is a real opportunity for career advancement, and it comes with a large bonus.
We’ll need an answer within the next few days, but I’ve told them you’re likely to accept.
Reach out with any questions.
I have absolutely no clue what to say.
I’m so far past stunned that I don’t have words to describe how I feel.
Feelings of shock and excitement and guilt are all warring for domination of my gut.
What am I supposed to do when everything I’ve ever worked for is being handed to me on a silver platter?
Throw it all away just because the timing is inopportune?
Ignore my responsibilities here so I can continue to climb the corporate ladder?
I don’t know how I could face Everett to tell him I’m leaving to take this contract.
Things only just started looking up again. I barely managed to make it through those several tense days with my sanity intact, and now I’m expected to throw it all away?
Can I do that to Everett? To Jenny?
It wasn’t that long ago that I was telling Jenny I cared about her dad. I’ll look like a huge asshole if I follow up that statement by walking away from all of this. Hell, I’ll be a huge asshole if I do.
That’s never bothered me before. I’ve never let emotions cloud my head when it comes to my job, and it’s what makes me so good at what I do.
I know how to pull at people’s heartstrings, make them sympathetic, get them attached.
I just always thought that I was immune to having conflicting desires like this.
For the first time in my career, I’m second-guessing my motivations.
The biggest carrot in the world is being dangled right in front of me, and I’m debating if the stick has more sentimental value to me.
For fuck’s sake.
I exit my email and toss my phone off to the side.
I slump back against my pillows, slinging my arm across my eyes to block out the sunlight.
I’m up much earlier than usual today, and I can smell warm syrup and sugar wafting from the kitchen.
Everett’s voice rumbles quietly through the halls, and I smile sadly at the sound.
I can’t make out what he’s saying, or what Jenny says in return, but it’s nice to know they’re having breakfast together.
Maybe they’re starting to patch things up between them.
Any other morning, I’d jump at the chance to have breakfast together, but the thought of looking either of them in the eye makes me shrink back against the pillows uneasily. I feel transparent, like the offer from Mr. Jameson is written right across my forehead for the whole world to see.
All I want to do is pretend like I didn’t see the email, but I know avoidance will only work for so long.
Besides, I’ve already wasted enough time. I’ll need to respond to him by tomorrow at the latest.
I jolt up at the sound of shouting. Suddenly, both Everett’s and Jenny’s voices are overlapping and not in a friendly way.
I shove my way out of bed and yank on whatever clothes are closest, not paying attention to whether they match or not.
All that matters is getting to the kitchen and stopping this argument in its tracks.
They’ve both been trying so hard, and I don’t want to see their progress go down the drain.
Not when I’m probably going to be disappearing from their lives soon.
When I hear the front door slam, I decide to skip shoes and dash for the kitchen
Jenny’s head whips up, her eyes wide and wet with tears, and I immediately start toward her. The fury in her eyes stops me in my tracks, but it doesn’t stop my heart from aching when I see tears on her cheeks.
“Well?” Her voice is tight with frustration, and she tosses her hands up in the air, obviously exasperated. “You got some amazing plan ready yet, or are you here to tell me Dad’s right?”
I wince at the whiplike sarcasm in her tone, the anger on her face doing a poor job of hiding how hurt she is. It seemed like we were all on the same page after the incident with Mr. Mallory, and I don’t know how they ended up at each other’s throats so quickly.
“I’m working on a plan,” I say, keeping my voice soft as I slowly make my way over toward the table. “Did something happen? I heard you two shouting.”
Jenny’s shoulders stiffen, but she doesn’t flinch away from me when I take the seat beside her. Her lip wobbles, and she turns her head away from me as she sucks in several sharp, steadying breaths.
“Same old shit,” she says, laughing humorlessly. “Dad’s set in his fucking ways and won’t listen to a thing I say.”
I don’t know what to say, so I stay quiet.
I know plenty well that Everett can be a stubborn shit, but he seemed so concerned about making things work between all of us.
Every time he talked about Jenny, it was with the kind of fond exasperation only a father can have.
He so obviously wants to have a relationship with her again, and it seemed like they were both ready to try.
“I just…” Jenny trails off, shaking her head with a frown. “ It’s always the same. Dad gets final say and I get to clean up his mess. Whatever I do, it doesn’t matter.”
I hesitate before reaching out, not wanting to upset Jenny further. She looks down at my hand when I drape it over hers, my grip loose enough for her to pull away without any effort.
“It matters to me,” I say.
Her face flickers between hope and scorn, and she settles on scoffing at me. However, she doesn’t pull her hand away. That’s something.
“What, you trying to be my fucking mom, now?”
“I’m trying to be your friend,” I correct her. “I’m supposed to be here to help, right? I want to help.”
She scowls at me. Now she does pull her hand free, but it’s so she can grab a napkin and dab the tears off her cheeks.
“You’re supposed to be saving the ranch,” she tells me. “Listening to me cry isn’t part of your job description.”
I chuckle softly as I pass her another napkin. Most of what I’ve been doing here isn’t part of my job description, but that hasn’t stopped me. “Let me help, Jenny,” I say softly. “Just tell me what’s going on. Maybe an outside perspective will help you figure something out.”
She tenses up, wadding the napkin into a ball before sighing. An exhausted laugh falls from her lips, and she leans back in her chair, looking at me with red-rimmed, desolate eyes.
“I don’t know what to do anymore,” she confesses.
“Dad is so exhausted and overwhelmed, but he won’t let anyone actually help him.
He won’t even tell us what he needs help with, because he doesn’t want to look weak in front of anyone.
He keeps talking about selling, but this place is all I have left of my mom.
” Her breath hitches as her eyes trail to one of the pictures sitting on the mantle in the living room.
“I already lost her. I don’t want to lose the place she helped build. ”
My chest tightens in sympathy, my brows creasing in a frown. I can’t imagine having gone through so much as young as she did. I don’t think I’d still be standing.
She shakes her head, meeting my eyes again.
“Dad doesn’t realize it, but the ranch is the only thing keeping him going, too,” she says. “He needs this just as much as I do, and if he sells, he’s never going to forgive himself. He’s so scared of doing the wrong thing that he’s running right toward his fears.”
Is that what I’m doing, too? If it is, what am I running toward? I’m approaching the crossroads so quickly that I don’t even know what direction I’m veering toward.
I’m responsible for my own actions, and at the end of the day, so is Everett.
I may have no idea what decision I should make, but I know Everett well enough to know that Jenny’s right. While I can’t stop him from selling, I can do my best to drill it through his thick skull that he’s making the wrong decision.
“Listen, I know I’ve been shitty to you,” Jenny says, reaching out to grab my hand again, “but I’m asking for your help.”
I nod immediately, wrapping my fingers around hers and smiling. There’s the tiniest amount of hope on her face, and I decide here and now to do anything I can to make sure it’s not misplaced.
“Whatever you need,” I promise.
“In school, I remember you could talk anyone into anything,” she says. “There was a joke that you could sell solar energy to the sun.”
I chuckle at the reminder. In college, I almost only ever used that skill to convince professors to push a test back or curve grades, but it’s served me well over the years. I’ve managed to get so far in my career because I’m good at finding the right angle to talk to people.
If that’s all Jenny needs, I’ll do it in a heartbeat.
“Convince my dad not to sell.” Her voice trembles, desperation and hope bright in her eyes. “Convince him not to sell, and we’ll figure everything else out from there, okay?”
I squeeze Jenny’s fingers soothingly, a more honest smile spreading across my face. I may not know what to do about my own situation, but this I can handle.
“You got it,” I say, nodding firmly. “I’ll go talk to him. We’ll have everything sorted by dinnertime.”
Jenny laughs, raising her brows in surprise.
“Isn’t that a bit unrealistic?”
“I’ve always worked better on a deadline,” I say with a teasing chuckle.
Jenny squeezes my fingers back before releasing my hand. She dabs at the last few tears clinging to her lashes as I push up from my seat, and I feel something warm blossom in my chest.
I can’t leave this behind. Any of it. I can’t leave the ranch, or Jenny. I can’t leave Everett.
Passing up on the hotel contract may be something I regret, but I’m perfectly happy with my life the way it is.
I make enough money to live comfortably, and I like my job.
I won’t walk away from the only thing that I’ve ever cared about like this just for a career opportunity.
Something else will come my way, and I’ll take it when it does.
I don’t know where any of this will go. I don’t know if I’ll be able to salvage something with Everett, or if Jenny and I can remain friends after this.
All I know is that I won’t give up, and I’m not going to let Everett give up, either. If all I walk away with is the knowledge that I helped save the ranch he and his wife built, that’ll be plenty for me. I want him and Jenny to be happy.
I want to see this through, regardless of the cost.
“Mary?” Jenny says, looking up at me. “I’m trusting you.”
I smile, feeling more sure of myself than I have in a long damn time.
“I won’t let you down.”