A good, if underwhelming start.
The past few days had been incredibly busy between research and packing for my trip, not to mention getting Carson Creek Online up and generating traffic before heading off to a potential civil war. I’d barely had any time to just sit and think. About leaving Stevie with her father for a week. About how Daddy was doing at the paper without me. About Levi, and getting naked with Levi, and being wrapped in his arms. About South America.
There were too many thoughts flying around my head to sit on one for any length of time, mostly because I was terrified of what came next. What if Venezuela was a flop? What if Carson Creek Online was a flop? For all my supposed courage and bravado, I was terrified that I wouldn’t be able to do it, at least not as well as Levi had for decades.
I had an idea how the story might go, but I refused to fence myself in to one particular narrative until I was able to talk to the people most affected by what has already happened, and what might happen next.
After three hours of staring at the screen and making small tweaks here, double checking facts there, I sat back and let out an exhausted breath. Researching this story was, somehow, even harder work than one full day at CCDJ.
“Dream big, they said. You’ll be rewarded, they said.” I was equally excited and anxious about Venezuela, mostly about my success or failure, because Levi had assured me that Carlton was a man he trusted with his life on dozens of occasions.
The doorbell rang and I frowned. It was the middle of a workday, so this was unexpected. On the other side of the door was Pippa looking fifty months pregnant, and my brother Ryan who glowered beside her. “Hey guys, what’s up?”
“What’s up,” Ryan growled, his face twisted into an angry scowl. “What’s up is that you quit on Daddy.”
“First of all, watch your tone. Second of all, I didn’t quit on our father, I quit a job on my boss who did not appreciate me or the work I put into help his business succeed.”
“His business? That’s the family business Lacey.”
“Yeah? Really? Because I don’t see any other family working there.” I shook my head in the face of my brother’s anger. “Look, if you care so much about the paper all of a sudden, you go work at Daddy’s side.”
That took some of the steam out of his sails. “You love working at the paper.”
I nodded. “I used to. It was my favorite thing in the world, but that’s the past, and if you can’t handle that, you can leave.”
“I’m not going anywhere, dammit.”
“Then I guess that means you can either be happy for me, or keep your mouth shut.” I loved my brothers, truly I did, but they drove me crazy at the same time.
“Be happy?” He looked around the freshly cleaned living room and shrugged. “That you’re out of work?”
“You think the only person who would hire me is my own father? Great to know what you think of me, Ryan.” I always suspected my brothers thought I stayed in Carson Creek because I couldn’t hack it out in the world, but now I knew for sure.
“Lacey, that’s not what I meant.” He raked a hand through his thick hair and blew out a frustrated breath, but I ignored him and turned to Pippa.
“How are you feeling, Pippa?”
Her smile brightened. “I’m great. Exhausted, and I have to pee all the time, but I can’t complain. Other than, you know, this fighting.” Her gaze traveled the same path around the living room as Ryan’s, but her response was dramatically different. “Going somewhere?”
“Yes, actually. Venezuela.” Even though I told myself that I didn’t care what anyone thought, I held my breath and waited for their reactions.
“Wow,” Pippa laughed. “Weird time to go on vacation, just after you left your job, but have a good time.”
I smiled, truly happy to have Pippa back in town, she had a straight forward way about her. “Thanks, but it’s not a vacation.”
“Well, what the hell is it, then?” Ryan practically roared the question at me.
I glared up at my brother who the world thought was the quiet, soulful one of the group. “What the hell it is Ryan, is none of your damn business.” I turned back to Pippa. “There’s been some political and civil unrest in the country, and it looks as if they’re heading for civil war. I’m going down there to cover the story for my new digital paper.” Saying it like that, out loud and full of pride, felt good. I felt accomplished. Worthy.
“Wow,” Pippa said again.
“It’s a big step, I know that, but I have to do this. This is my chance to see if I have what it takes to be a serious journalist. And I don’t care if you like it or not, Ryan. I’m doing it. This is my shot, and I’m taking it.”