Damn it, she was hot when she talked smart. Country forced his eyes off her face and tamped down the snow with his boot. “So I do the show and you help me with the VRBO.”
Jenna nodded, her chin rubbing against the loop of her scarf. “Do we have a deal?” Her eyes sparkled in the pale winter sun, and for a split second, he convinced himself they hadn’t lost any time at all.
He nodded, then turned toward the coop so she wouldn’t witness him working to keep his expression even. “You want to gather eggs or shovel chicken shit?”
Chapter Fifteen
The benefit of going through hell with Carson Hart was that Jenna knew how to function in a crisis. She kept herself so busy, she didn't have time to think about that moment with Country in the yard. Anytime the image of him standing in his thick coat next to the frozen pond with his breath billowing in a cloud around his face popped into her head, she dug in deeper with work.
Though it wasn’t the pond that was the problem. It was everything connected to it. Jenna had been physically standing there next to him on Monday, but she’d been sucked into that dark winter night streaked with truck headlights, murmured words, and Gentry’s hands on her body so fast, it had given her whiplash.
So she came home and answered every single after-hours email then dove into the week’s highlights with furor. She updated her insurance preferences, organized the staff schedule spreadsheet that had been grinding everyone’s gears for months, and helped Mary plan Christmas gifts for the staff. Country had forwarded his proposals for the ranch, and that had sent her down a whole new rabbit hole.
Problems to be solved prevented her from remembering slow fingers on her hips. Flashing screens erased the images of Gentry’s eyes tracking over her bare skin for the first time. With hockey commentary filling her ears, she couldn’t hear the echo of his voice whisper, “Teach me what feels good, Jens.”
____________________
Sender: Jenna McAllister
Recipient: Gentry Maddox
Subject: Re: Agri Plans
Hey, this is a great start. I found a couple other plans online you might want to look at. The first one includes plans for a loft, which I think would expand the space and allow you to charge more per night. Plus, the market research I did showed an expanded opportunity with families seeking lodging for 5+ people.
There aren’t as many options for larger groups, especially in the agritourism space. I also included a report for short-term rental opportunities. Homeschoolers, unschoolers, empty nesters—there’s a whole micro economy looking for what you have to offer.
Also included information on WOOFing. Not sure if you’re interested in trades, but once you get the second silo up (or if you wanted to utilize the extra bedroom in the basement of your parent’s place?) you could get good labour offering lodging. Doesn’t bring in immediate cash but could lower your overhead.
I think that’s it for now. Let me know if you have any questions.
J
____________________
Sender: Gentry Maddox
Recipient: Jenna McAllister
Subject: Re: Re: Agri Plans
This is impressive. Thank you. No strangers in my parents’ basement though. They were traumatized enough by the time you came up the stairs and ran into Dad in his boxers.
____________________
Sender: Jenna McAllister
Recipient: Gentry Maddox
Subject: Re: Re: Agri Plans
It was more traumatizing for me, I assure you.
____________________
All week Jenna glided along the surface while her feet were frantically churning beneath, and she didn’t know how to slow her motor. At the office, she attacked training John's nephew Owen like the kid was her own flesh and blood. By Friday, they'd tackled over 50 percent of her operational procedures, and he wasn’t competent at any of them. It was a win she refused to feel guilt over.
John would have to see that his nephew would need some culling. He wouldn't be able to offer him the job immediately, whereas Jenna was ready to slide in and take the reins. Thoughts of John's retirement and her place at GCBN produced enough anxiety to easily act as a replacement for any thoughts of Country.
