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“Yeah. Why doesn’t this ranch have a name?”
My computer lights up with the incoming video call from Arthur, but I ignore it.
“I haven’t decided what to call it yet. Maybe you and I can hammer that out.”
Jake’s eyes widen, and then he nods with excitement. “Yeah, I can totally help with that. I’ll think about it. Well, I’ll go do my thing,” he says. “Have a good day at work.”
“Thanks.” I grin at him and push out of my chair, still ignoring Arthur. Ruffling his hair, I pull Jake in for a quick hug, clap him on the back, and then pull away. He offers me his fist for a tap the way he always does after our breakfasts together, and I bump it with my own. “Have fun today. Call me if you need anything at all. I can pull out of a meeting in a heartbeat.”
He flashes that grin of his. “I know. I will. See you later.”
After his footsteps fade down the hall, I accept the video call from Arthur.
“Good morning,” I say to him. Arthur is about five years older than me, stick thin with the whitest teeth I’ve ever seen, and perfectly coifed salt-and-pepper hair. The man could probably have been a model if he’d wanted to go that route.
“Good morning, sir,” he replies. In all the years he’s worked for me, he’s never called me Ryan. It’s always sir or Mr. Wild. “First on the docket this morning is Zurich.”
My brain is buzzing but in the best way. I’m always energized after speaking with the individual branches and companies, listening to challenges and successes, and brainstorming the best moves for what comes next.
And I absolutely love it when they report that we’ve found new ways to not only make money but to reinvest that money into the communities of each branch.
With a day of successful check-ins behind me, I change out of the suit and into jeans and a T-shirt and drive over to the ranch to see the progress on Chase and Summer’s house, and maybe cast a line with Jake.
It’s a beautiful summer day, and I’m looking forward to hanging out with my family for a few hours. Maybe I’ll take Jake into town for dinner tonight. We can grab burgers or pizza or something.
My mind shifts to Polly, and I wonder if she’s remembered to eat today. Maybe I should invite her to join us for dinner. I’d love to see her and talk with her more.
If I’d known that she’d have been open to me calling her all those months ago, I would have that first morning after I found her gone.
I didn’t think she wanted to hear from me. So, hearing her say, with frustration heavy in her sweet voice, that I didn’t call her, irritated the hell out of me. We need to clear the air there for sure.
Jake sees me come around the corner, and he waves from his place on the dock where he has a line cast, and Summer’s sitting next to him, drinking a Coke.
I park in front of Chase’s finished shop and climb out of the truck, walking toward the job site that is a hive of activity. I can see that Jake’s right. It’s almost done. The outside of the single-story house is getting a paint job—white with black trim—and people bustle in and out of the house. I hear someone using a saw inside, so I skirt around the outside to the dock and walk out to join Jake and Summer.
“Hey there,” she says with a grin. “I’ve been kicked out of the house.”
“She’s a pain in their ass,” Jake adds with a shrug. “Those are Chase’s words. So, she came out to sit with me.”
“I just want to help,” she stresses. “I’m not allowed to help in my new shop either, because they’re finishing things up there, and I’m in the way. I’m in the way here. I can’t unpack or decorate or do any of the things I’m dying to do in either place. I did, however, help Polly out today, and that kept my mind occupied for a while.”
“How did that go?” I ask casually as I reach into the small cooler at Jake’s feet and pull out a Coke of my own.
This kid drinks too much sugar.
“It’s awesome in there,” Summer replies. “We unpacked all the new clothes, got them hung and pressed, and she was fussing with how she wanted things organized, so I left to come out here to help, but then I was kicked out.”
“The fact that you were kicked out is really bugging you.” I sit next to her and sip my Coke, enjoying the way the cold, bubbly liquid feels on my throat in the sunshine. “Let the professionals do their thing so you can do your part. Otherwise, you’ll just slow them down.”
“That’s what they all said,” she replies with a sigh. “Chase isn’t in the way.”
“He knows how to use the power tools and stuff,” Jake reminds her as he casts a new line. “Did you see the mirrors in the dressing rooms at Polly’s? Mac and I hung those.”
“Polly said that you and Ryan helped out yesterday,” Summer replies, smiling up at Jake. “You did great. And the furniture looks nice, too. It’ll be really bright and pretty for summer and easy to decorate for the holidays. It’s the facelift that the place needed.”
“And how are things going with your shop?” I ask, not wanting to bombard her with questions about Polly. “It looks great from the outside.”
“It’s so great,” she replies with a grin. “And I’m just relieved that I’ll be ready to go for the heart of wedding season. I’m missing the beginning of it, but that couldn’t be helped. We should be in full swing by mid-July, and I’m grateful. I was sure I wouldn’t be able to open until fall, and that would have been catastrophic. At least the nursery in town was able to make room for me to do weddings and supply the resort until I’m functional again. I’ve been able to make bouquets and such out of there.”
