Chapter 6 #2
I turned my full attention to the game as Madalyn’s eyes came to where we were still standing, and the sight of that full-blown megawatt smile on her face.
Worth standing here.
Definitely.
The girls had stomped the boys’ asses.
As she ran over to us, we all cheered, and a few boys bowed, and it was Brodie who said, “Damn smalls. Wanna play with us?”
She looked at me and giggled.
Then I hugged Cole and nodded at his team as they took the field.
And since my feet were starting to hurt, I told Bronson and Madalyn that I needed to sit down.
They moved with me.
And as we passed where the bitch sat, I wrapped my arm around Madalyn’s waist and held tightly. “She’s not even here.”
Madalyn nodded but smiled.
I called that a win.
We both missed the death glare that Bronson aimed at her.
And yes.... even though Cole and his team pulled back because they were playing against the girls, they still won.
Guess that was why they were on the road to be state champs for the fourth year in a row.
And apparently, it was the twentieth time I had yawned, because Bronson winked at me and told me to head on home.
Oh, those winks of his.
Did he realize how much damage a single wink could do?
It was almost as bad as seeing a man in grey sweatpants.
Kill me now.
Because he wasn’t mine.
I sighed inwardly at that thought as I stood up after saying goodbye to Cole, Madalyn, and Bronson.
I was almost to the end of the last set of bleachers when I heard it.
“Surely he wouldn’t let trailer trash near his kids,” I heard a woman sneer at my side.
Don’t react, Lila Rae.
“You think you have them all fooled? But how you could think that blows my mind? Neither of them could pass as yours. You're not pretty enough.”
You don’t want to cause a scene for Cole or Madalyn.
They have both had enough of the women in their lives letting them down.
And it was that thought.
That single thought alone had me stopping and growling, “Unlike her, I’m not afraid to show up for mine.”
I tilted my head at the bitch and walked away.
All the while, I could feel proverbial ice daggers landing in my back.
***
I had just walked through the front door of my cottage when my alarm blared on my phone.
Perfect timing.
I walked to my kitchen, took my weekly organizer of pills, opened the one that said Thursday PM on it, shook them out, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, and took them.
Then I went to my room, changed into an oversized shirt, crawled underneath the covers, and fell asleep.
***
At work the next day, I had just signed off on another contract that my team and I had completed when my boss, Caleb, knocked on my door.
I worked for SB Marketing.
I was the youngest person in the company's history to lead my own team.
And I had earned that through nothing but hard work.
I smiled at Caleb and said, “Fortum’s is done.”
He winked, “Perfect.”
Then he set a file folder on my desk and said, “Tell me what you think.”
I nodded as I opened the folder and scanned the contents.
The company, Mason Hardware, was in bad shape.
They were so far in the red that it was a wonder the banks hadn’t taken everything they had from them.
That was when I took in the last page in the folder.
The one that was personal.... I realized why they were so far in the red.
I looked up at Caleb, “Give my team and me till the middle of next week. I’ll come up with a plan.”
He winked, “If anyone could do it. It’s you.”
I nodded.
After he left my office, I read even more on that page.
The reason the company was so far in the red was that the owner, Luke Mason, had a daughter and a wife who were both battling cancer.
Holy. Fuck.
I couldn’t imagine being in that position.
My heart broke for the man.
Then, thinking if there was more that could be done, I smiled.
I pulled out my phone, scrolled to my group chat with the girls, and started typing.
Badass Chicks Text Thread
Me – I need y’all’s help. Along with y’all’s men.
Talia – Name it.
Everly – Okay.
Cassie – Lay it on me, sister.
Harlee – Name it.
Tatum – Ready and waiting.
Then I told them about Luke Mason and what he was going through, and that we had been enlisted to help his failing company.
And when the clock struck five pm, the girls had already made all the rounds.
This weekend, every single person we knew was going to Mason Hardware to stock up on anything and everything they needed.
What I didn’t know was that after Talia told Dominik, he then told Bronson, who also put the word out.
And Caleb walked into my office just then with a smile on his face, “Thought you were going to have a plan in place by the middle of next week.”
I shrugged, “Had a spur-of-the-moment thought.”
“Well...” he chuckled, “Whatever you did, worked.”
“I just got off the phone with him. Someone covered his daughter’s bills as well as his wife’s. Also, someone covered the debt owed to the bank.”
I felt my jaw drop.
“Are you serious?” I asked.
He winked, “As a heart attack.”
He was quiet for a moment, then he said, “How much longer is your contract?”
I thought about it, “Three more years, I think.”
He nodded, “I’ll be seeing what I can do and make it longer. Just hope you’ll accept.”
And because of the group of friends I had, I drove home with a smile on my face.
***
An even bigger smile lit my face after I got off the phone with Caleb and Luke Mason from a three-way call.
Then I scrolled to the girl’s text thread and said thank you.
Then I texted Bronson.
Because I knew.
I just knew.