Page 45 of When The Dust Settles

“Well, it’s like Mr. Joss said when I mentioned the same thing to him. I told him that no fancy Chicago lawyer would pick up his phone on the Lord’s Day for a restaurant manager from a town in Texas that he’s probably never heard of, but he pointed out that he’d sure as shit answer for the Red Diamond, no question.”

There was that.

“I guess that ranch is kind of a big deal, ya reckon?”

“I suspect so.”

“And Rand Holloway might be a good man to have on your side.”

That was true. “Well, whatever, at least we know we’re covered.”

“Exactly,” Kevin continued on, “and there’s more.”

“What?”

“Well, Mr. Joss wanted me to tell you that if we get booted, you should consider moving the restaurant out to the Red Diamond.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, he said that the restaurant could go halfway up the main drive and that they would build us a beautiful place and our parking could be tripled, and that way we could all work on the safety of the ranch.”

It was terrifying that Stef knew Rand’s mind so well, that he could speak to Rand’s intentions at any given moment. The level of communication they must have had between them at all times was staggering. I knew, of course, that Rand wanted me on the ranch, but I’d had no idea that Stef did too.

“And for the record, I love the idea of that,” Callie admitted. “Working on private land means that Rand Holloway could protect us and our personal property.”

“You’re still mad because someone stole your iPod out of your car.”

“Hell yes,” she said. “I mean, when we leave the restaurant at night, we have to walk together,” she reminded me. “If we were on the ranch, then A, we wouldn’t have to be open as late as we are now because we wouldn’t have to conform to other restaurant hours at the resort, and B, we’d be safe and so would our stuff because who would screw with the guys on the Red Diamond? Everyone knows the scariest guys in the county work for Rand Holloway.”

“So if we’re booted off, you’re all good relocating out to the ranch?”

“We all are,” Kevin affirmed, smiling at me. “We took a vote.”

Of course they had. They were proactive, my group. “Well, hopefully it won’t come to that,” I concurred. “But if it does, I could see us out there on the Red.”

Silence.

“What?”

“Really?” Kevin asked me. “You would consider that? Really, really?”

“What’re you, ten?”

“I’m just shocked, is all.”

“Well, yeah, I would consider it.”

“Ohmygod, that’s awesome,” Callie squeaked. “The only thing I was worried about in all of this was you not wanting to be on that ranch, but if you don’t care, if it’s fine, then I’m over the moon. I would never do anything to make you unhappy.”

“I know.”

She leaned over to hug me.

“Why’re we doing this?”

“Just hug.”

It was a brief clench where she kissed my cheek as she leaned back.