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Me: You’re right, they look perfect here. Thank you again.
Miles: Look at you, taking my vision and bringing it to fruition, just like you’re going to do with Grazing. You’re very welcome, Daisy. I’m honored you kept them and put them where you’ll look at them. xx
The next day, Reed showed up at my door. It was enough to knock my socks off. Reed rarely left the house. I could have counted the times he’d visited my apartment on one hand. What almost put me on my ass, though? The big box he was carrying, stamped with the Andes, Inc. logo.
“This was just delivered for you.” His flat intonation caught my attention. Reed had never been a flat sort of guy, and lately, getting any reaction out of him was a challenge.
“Come in and help me open it.” He followed me inside, placing the box on my coffee table. I gave him a pair of shears, letting him do the honors of slicing it open.
He picked up an envelope. “There’s a note. See who it’s from.”
“I’m pretty sure I know who.”
“You have a hookup at Andes?”
“Um. Let me read the note first.”
Daisy,
Elise helped me pick out what she deemed “essentials” for you. If the sizes are wrong, you can exchange them at any Andes store. Included is a voucher for hiking boots.
I’d love to discuss ways to make Andes more accessible to a greater population. Maybe next hike?
Elise says hi, and she’ll be texting soon.
Best,
Weston Aldrich
“Holy shit.” Reed was standing behind me, reading over my shoulder. “That’s the CEO of Andes.”
“Yeah.” I slapped the card against my palm. “You know my friend, Miles? Weston is his brother. I met him and his fiancée Elise yesterday when I hiked with Miles. Weston was miffed about my lack of Andes gear.”
“You landed some rich friends, D.”
“Not on purpose.” I elbowed his side. “Would you believe none of them asked me about ghosts?”
“No. I don’t believe it.” He nodded toward the box. “Open it.”
“All right already.”
I ripped open the tissue paper, my stomach a bundle of nerves and excitement. This was a big freaking box, and it was filled all the way to the top.
There were several tops, long sleeve and short, all made of material to wick sweat, two vests, socks, hats, gloves. Three pairs of pants that looked like they’d fit just right, and a dark plum windbreaker with fleece lining I wanted to slip on. On the bottom, there were two thin puffer coats.
Reed eyed my piles of clothing and outdoor wear with envy, while I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount.
“I don’t need all this,” I stated. “It’s way too much.”
He picked up the black puffer coat, running his finger down the front. “You’re lucky. I’ve always wanted one of these.”
It struck me that Reed was…well, excited would have been too strong of a descriptor, but he was emoting. There was light on in his beautiful brown eyes, and he seemed interested enough not to be jonesing to get back to his room.
“Well, I have two—one more than I need. What about if we go to the Andes store and exchange that one for one in your size?”
His brow dipped. “But these are for you. I don’t have rich friends.”
“No, but you have a sister with rich acquaintances. Besides, I happen to know Weston Aldrich is all about sustainability. He would hate to see the clothing he gifted me going to waste. You’d be doing him a favor by taking that jacket.” I picked up a couple T-shirts and the boots voucher. “These too. I just got new boots. Since you’re growing at the speed of light, I’m sure you could use a new pair. Let’s go on a shopping spree, courtesy of Weston Aldrich.”
