“Me too.” I feel myself smiling. “And as for that, hoping to be friends? Me too on that one, too.”
CHAPTER 19
GINNY
“Oh, good, you’re all here,”I say, sweeping into the living room at my parents’ house.
It’s my dad, Graham, and Margot. Mom is still at the bakery. But she’s the least likely to be surprised by this. Or to have big feelings about it. She’s always supportive, always happy if we’re happy. And I’m also sure she already knows I’m in love with Everett. Mom is just like that. She always knows things before we think she should know them.
“Hey,” Graham says, grinning at me from the couch where he’s got his phone propped on the ankle resting on his opposite knee, and Margot tucked against his side. “Welcome back. How was it?”
“Awesome,” I tell him, stopping in the middle of the room and facing them. My dad is in his chair on the other side of the end table. He’s got his glasses on and a pile of folders in his lap, as usual, but he looks up. “They want to build four farms. They’re meeting with their banker tomorrow.”
Graham’s eyes go wide. “What? Really?”
“Yep. I’m great at my job.”
“Well… yeah,” Graham says.
“And Sofia did a fantastic job filling them in ahead of time.”
He nods. “That makes sense, too.” He looks at Margot. “I’m going to have to be doing fewer and fewer of these meetings.”
“So, yeah, they’re ready to sign contracts. And, I quit.”
There’s a beat of silence. The Graham straightens. “What did you say?”
“I quit. Athena Acres offered me a job, and I’m going to take it.”
I know my dad is always listening, even when it seems he’s not, but now he closes the file folder he has open in his lap and takes his glasses off, focusing on me.
Oh, this is a big deal.
“I won’t have to move. I can work remotely. So I’ll stay here in Sapphire Falls. There will be travel involved, of course. But I’m going to be amazing in that job.”
“You’re amazing at the job withIES,” Graham says. “We need you.”
I smile at him. “Thank you. And I know I’m amazing in this job. But actually, you don’t need me. Sofia is also amazing in this job, and she’s going to take over.”
Margot is watching me carefully. “Is this about Everett?”
Graham looks at her, then back to me. “Are youquittingbecause ofEverett?”
“I’ve given this a lot of thought. I think maybe at first I thought I was,” I say. “But no. I know I could keep working for IES and still be with Everett. The truth is, I love what you guys are doing, and I’ll always be here for you. We’re family. I’m going to help you, however I can. But I can also help Athena Acres do amazing things. And who knows who else.” I take a deep breath and look at all of them, feeling completely sure of myself and at ease for the first time in months. “Now we can talk about all of this more later, but I have to get on the road to Omaha. I have to catch a flight. I’m going to Denver to propose to Everett.”
“Propose?”
I whirl toward the voice behind me.
Everett and my mom are standing in the doorway from the kitchen.
“What are you doing here?” I ask him, my heart flipping at the sight of him.
“Waiting for you.” He glances at my mom. “Well, decorating cookies and getting some great advice, and waiting for you.”
“And bringing me on as his first consulting client,” my mom says.
“Wait,” I say. “Hiswhat?”
