Everything in me goes still.
She blinks, like she just heard herself.
I don’t know if I’m supposed to make a big deal out of it or pretend she didn’t just hand me my whole heart back in the woods while Jim calls me soft from the side-by-side.
So I do the only thing I can do.
I bend down and kiss her.
Chapter 26 Lily
Javonte’s face when he called that deer Bambi brings a smile to my face while I sit at my desk and go over today’s schedule. We spent the weekend at the ranch, doing ranch things minus the hunting, and it was still a great time.
I do my best to not judge others, but hunting isn’t my thing at all. Javonte sounded like he’d be into it, but it made my heart smile that he couldn’t do it. I always knew he had that softness inside of him. He shows it when we’re alone a lot, but seeing it literally out in the wild did something to me.
Hell, it made me tell him I love him.
I do, but I wasn’t really prepared to tell him that. It just came out. I don’t regret saying it. I’m happy. Everything feels right.
“Lily, I have some great news for you.” Jacquetta walks into my office without knocking.
“What’s that?” I ask, knowing Jacquetta never comes to any of us with something that’s actually good.
“You have been promoted.”
I slow-blink.
“You’re the newest employee relations manager. You’ll start shadowing me next week, and after that, most escalations will route through you first. It’s more visibility, more leadership, and exactly the kind of opportunity you said you wanted when you started here. “
I wasn’t the same person then. I absolutely don’t feel the same.
Jacquetta stares at me with her ever-present HR smile. I think that’s the only smile she owns. “Are you going to say anything?”
“I think I need some time off before I start the role. Would that be okay?”
I don’t know why I just said that. I don’t want the role even though the pay is better and the position offers more stability. It’s going to pull me further away from what I love. Every employee relations manager has worked longer hours. It’s a sacrifice of so much that is so important to me.
“If you have the PTO, you’re welcome to. You did it, Lily!” Jacquetta turns to leave, and I put my head down on my desk. I should be happy, but I can’t muster it.
“What happened?” Edie walks into my office.
“I am an elite employee.”
“Oh, damn...congrats?”
She sits in the chair across from my desk.
“Did you take it?”
“I wasn’t offered it. I was told. Who would turn it down?”
“Someone who doesn’t want the extra work and responsibility.”
I roll my eyes at her. She’s not helping.
“You have a lot going on. You did your weekend away, right? How was it?”
I put my head down on my desk again.
