Chapter 20
JINX
Imay work weekends, but Friday is still my favorite day of the week. Maybe it’s knowing that there won’t be anyone around to bother me. Kinda like that feeling of freedom that comes when the boss is away. When the atmosphere is more relaxed, yet more gets done.Or maybe it’s because I still believe that one of these Fridays, I’ll actually shut down at five o’clock and take a full two days to myself.
Fucking idiot.I laugh and shake my head. I cut back during the week when football started, and now that the season is winding down, I’ve been slow to get back to the late nights. I don’t see myself reducing my hours any more than that.
“Hey, Jinx!”
I quickly finish tightening the strap on the last mower, then turn to Hayden, who’s standing at the back door of Enders Excavating. She shields her eyes from the morning sun as her long blond hair and skirt ripple in the breeze.
“Morning, gorgeous!” I call back to her from the mower trailer. “What’s up?”
“Can you come in for a few minutes before you head out for the day?”
“Anything for you!” I blow her a kiss, knowing full well Jesse is glaring at me from across the storage yard lot.
We still haven’t said more than a few words to each other since the blowup in the office a couple of weeks back, and that’s fine by me. I’ve been tweaking the business plan with Rachel’s help, and it’s only a matter of time before I lay my cards—and my heart—on the table. I have no idea how he’ll react, but maybe Hayden can help soften the blow.
“You called for me, Your Highness?” I flash a cheeky grin as I prop one shoulder against the doorframe of her office.
She laughs and spins the big chair my way. “I did, kind sir. Please enter.”
Chuckling, I take a seat in the guest chair. With her behind the desk, I don’t expect the envy that hits when I typically sit across from Jesse, but it’s still there. Still sitting heavy between us, just like that damn desk.
I clear my throat. “What’s up?”
“I wanted to show you the applications that have come in so you can tell me who you’d like to interview for the landscaping position.” She slides several sheets of paper across the desk.
Lips pressed together, I eye them, then her. “Did Jesse already look these over?”
“No.” She shakes her head. “I didn’t give him the option.”
I lift a brow. “Why not?”
“Because this is your area. You should decide who you work with, don’t you think?”
Yes, absolutely. But Jesse’s always vetted my preferences.
“You should consider hiring two people,” she adds, folding her hands on the desk in front of her. “Given all of the extra hours you’ve been working, it’s apparent we need to add more than one new person to the crew.”
“Can we afford that?”
She tips her head and shoots me an annoyed look. “Do you think I’d suggest it if we couldn’t? Of course, we can, Jinx. You guys are killing it out there.”
Hell yeah, we are.
“For what it’s worth, I think I know why you did it. All the overtime, I mean.”
My gaze lifts to hers in surprise. I expect to find sympathy or pity, but all I see is understanding and maybe a little challenge. I shouldn’t be surprised. Hayden has become like a big sister since she and Jesse got their shit straightened out and got back together.She won’t coddle me, but she will push when she thinks I need it.
“I just want him to stop seeing me as a kid, you know?” I haul myself to my feet and pace to a picture on the wall of my grandfather and the governor back in the early days of EE. “And maybe I regret my decision to not partner with him when he gave me the chance.”
“I didn’t know he’d considered that. When was that?” she asks, remaining seated.
Head bowed, I turn to face her. “Back when he first took over.”
“Wow.” She surveys the room, her expression thoughtful. “You were, what, nineteen?”
I dip my chin and stuff my hands into my pockets. “Yeah.”
“So, you said no because…?”
“Because I was a kid.” I make my way back to the desk, my boots heavy against the hardwood floor. “I had no idea what I was doing.”
“In turning down partner?”
“In life.” I laugh, dropping into the chair again. “I knew I wanted to be part of this company, but I didn’t have the business skills like Jesse. I only had a year of college under my belt. The only thing I was good at was drinking beer and raising hell.”
She smiles. “If I recall correctly, your brother was pretty good at that as well.”
I sit back, knees spread wide. “Yeah, but he had a head start on all the shit that matters, and I didn’t want to hold him back or disappoint him.”
“But you’ve worked for EE all this time.”
“Yep.”
“And you’ve grown the company alongside Jesse.”
An uncomfortable heat creeps up my neck, making me shift in my seat and run a hand over the burning skin. “My part of things hasn’t made even a fraction of the money his side of things has. But yes, I’ve grown my part, too.”
She sets another sheet of paper on top of the applications. “You certainly have.”
I lean forward and take a closer look. It’s an expense and revenue report that details the income our landscaping work has brought in over the last five years. The numbers align with those in my business plan, though her records are probably more accurate since I’ve been loosely keeping track for my own peace of mind.
“You’ve grown the landscaping business by nearly four hundred percent in the past five years, Jinx.” She points to one of the lines on the spreadsheet. “And since you’ve done all this with only one full-time employee beneath you, you’ve turned one heck of a profit.”
The number she points to next is one I’d already calculated, at least roughly, but it’s still staggering.
“We can afford help, Jinx. You don’t need to work yourself to death to prove you can handle the responsibility.” She smiles and laces her fingers on the desktop. “Because that’s what you’ve been doing, isn’t it?”
Deflating, I shrug. No point in denying it when she’s got the proof in front of her. “Maybe.”
She sits back in the big leather chair and gives a short laugh. “Good lord, you Enders men are stubborn.”
“Hate to tell ya,” I say, unable to stop the smile that takes over, “but you’re raising one, too.”
“Ugh.” She tips her head back dramatically. “Don’t I know it. But seriously. Hire two people. And for the love of god, take a damn vacation.”
“Yeah, I don’t know about that.”
“I do,” she argues. She arches her brows in challenge, making it clear there’s no point in arguing. “And sit down and have a heart-to-heart with your brother.” She raises her hand, readying herself for my rebuttal, but I’ve got nothing.
“I know, Hay. I’ve been planning on it for a while now.” I gesture to her numbers. “This reinforces that decision.”
“Good.” She sits up straighter. “Do you want me to schedule something so it’s official?”
My instinct is to tell her no, to pull Jesse aside when the moment feels right, but that would leave room for me to second-guess myself. So with a nod, I agree.
“Let’s do it.”
“Next week?”
“The sooner the better.”
She turns to her laptop, her fingers flying over the keys, and a moment later, my phone pings with a notification.
“Monday after staffing. I’ve given you two hours.”
At the sight of the message, my stomach turns to knots. Jesse Jinx - Landscaping Expansion Meeting.
Holy shit. This is really happening.
“Now,” she says, turning back to the applications still spread out before me. “Let’s pick some candidates, shall we?”