Jed gives me a look as I pass him his beer. He should’ve run when he had the chance.
I plonk down into the chair with a heavy sigh. “Formal interview? You already gave her the job, Iz. It seems like you’re makin’ all the decisions around here, but it’s on your head if she turns out to be a serial killer.”
“She came highly recommended by Bailey,” Iz replies, ignoring my jibe. “And if she were a serial killer, I highly doubt she’d be able to wear down the huge chip on your shoulder, let alone your head.”
We lock eyes, and she throws her hands in the air.
“Bailey Owens? The same girl who got you drunk on punch when you were a teenager,” Jed says.
“Wewere teenagers.” She scowls over at him.
Bailey and her folks have been coming here since she was a kid, and it was a natural progression for Bailey to move here and run the stables. I don’t dislike her, but she’s a wild one.
“I just have one question. How do you think a city girl is going to cope in Alpine Falls on a Christmas tree farm? She knows nothing about the wilderness,” I say.
“Apparently she grew up in Colorado,” Jed puts in helpfully. I shoot him astay out of thislook. I don’t need my right-hand man joining in.
“That’s right.” Iz smiles triumphantly. “So unless you have any better ideas, I’d be keeping my pie hole shut if I were you or you’ll be working alone this Christmas.”
“Actually, I do have a better idea. I’m about to put an advertisement in the local gazette. I should have done it sooner.”
“Dear brother, welcome to the new millennium,” Iz sings. “We usecomputersnow andthe internet.A community notice on the bulletin board down at The Dusty Spur won’t cut it. Plus, I already told her she had first dibs. She’s flying from New York! She was also lovely on the phone and has a cat called Mindy. I can’t just very well tell her my big ol’ grouch of a brother is having a tantrum and now she can’t come, can I?”
I shrug. “You could.”
“Trust your sister,” Jed says. “She’s never let you down before, right, Iz? You have a way with people.”
“Thank you, J,” Iz replies, smiling at him, then scowls at me when our eyes lock again. “At least you can see reason, unlike my pig-headed brother.”
“I’m just trying to find out some information about this woman you’ve hired that I know nothing about.”
“You would know all about her if you bothered to check your emails. I don’t even know why I bother,” she huffs. “I get no appreciation around here.”
“A city slicker could be just what we need around here,” Jed says, with an unhelpful shrug.
My eyes narrow at him over my beer. “How do you figure that?”
“City girls are used to fast-paced life, they’re street smart, sharp, and don’t take any crap. Which might be good around here.” He piques a brow, muttering that last part.
“What is that supposed to mean?” I grumble as I hear my sister laughing.
“Nothing,” he replies, smirking. Trust Jed to smooth things over, always the peacemaker.
I rub my chin, thinking about it for a moment. Wyoming is certainly a million miles away from New York. Jed could have a point, but just because she’s from the city, doesn’t mean she’s a good worker. I’m curious about Sadie, but I’m more concerned about her scaring off the customers.
“You make an excellent point, J.” Iz smiles triumphantly. “If only my brother was a little more agreeable with how I’m approaching this staff shortage situation. He should learn to trust my judgment.”
“I love how you talk about me like I’m not here,” I mumble. “I said I’d be here toformally interviewthe woman with you, didn’t I?”
“Sadie,” Iz reminds me. “She has a name, Sadie Summers.”
I roll my eyes. “Whatever.”
“And she’s had a ton of admin experience, so I don’t think a hard-headed interview is exactly necessary. It’s more of an onboarding. I want to show her around and see if she’d be happy to take the reins and jump right in.”
“Fine by me. If I have any issues, I’ll send her your way,” I say.
“Fine.” Iz folds her arms over her chest like it’s a challenge.
