Hell no.
A man had his pride. It was bad enough he’d had Miranda. Otter scrubbed at his eyes as if he could rub away the images that his imagination kept throwing at him with masochistic zeal.
It simply wasn’t fair.
He was the better man for Miranda.
He’d show her. Somehow she’d see that he was the man who would make her happy. Not Jeremiah. That guy was a one-way street to disappointment.
He’d make sure of it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
MIRANDA SAT IN her office, her thoughts in a jumbled mess as she went through the motions of doing her work. This was new territory for her. She’d never had to consider another person in her life or how they might fit into it, not that she was trying to figure out a way to fit Jeremiah into her life, but it did pose interesting questions about where she wanted the direction of her life to go.
Normally, she wasn’t an introspective type of person but it seemed as of late she had plenty of reason to question every decision that she made. The revelation that Talen was sad that he didn’t have a father had really caused Miranda to take a step back and reevaluate a lot of things in her life. She’d always felt she was doing the best for her son by shielding him from her romantic life but the fact that she’d made no attempts to be committed to any one person apparently hadn’t been the right choice after all. In a way, it smarted to know that she wasn’t enough for Talen. Intellectually, she knew Talen had the right to his feelings, but the knowledge that he wanted more stung just the same.
Mary walked into her office with a smile, holding a piece of paper in her hand. “Did you see this?” she asked, handing over the printout. “I think it’s perfect for you. You should apply.”
Miranda glanced at the job listing printed from the federal wire and read over the requirements for the job of Special Services Enforcement Officer. The flicker of excitement at the possibilities made Miranda’s heart race. It was her dream job. Higher pay grade, more focused attention on poaching and the opportunity to make a difference at the legislative level. But just as Miranda allowed her imagination to run away with her, reality came crashing down, a rude and unwelcome visitor. There was no way she’d get the job.
“Mary, you know Stuart Olly would never consider me for this job.” She handed the paper back. “But thanks for letting me know.”
Mary frowned. “You’re just as qualified as anyone else for that job. Stuart should put aside his personal feelings and consider your professional merits because that’s all that matters.”
Miranda loved Mary’s naive outlook. “You and I both know that that’s not how the world works. Frankly, if Stuart had been able to find a way to fire me before now he would’ve done it. He and I are never going to be friends. He’s already put in a few choice words to Jeremiah about me.”
Mary gasped, appalled. “Is that legal? That doesn’t seem legal. Aren’t there rules, laws protecting employees? Like some kind of confidentiality clause?”
Miranda shrugged. “Probably. But sometimes people feel okay bending the rules. Particularly when they’re at the top.”
In hindsight, Miranda never should’ve slept with Stuart’s son. But in all fairness, it was so long ago that she barely remembered the encounter and Stuart’s son, Isaac, had long since moved away and married a flight attendant. Why Stuart chose to hold the past against Miranda for this long, she had no idea. But the fact remained, Stuart did not like her and never would. Which meant if he had anything to say about her getting a better position within the department, it just wasn’t going to happen. Miranda tried to make the best of it. “I love my job here. Why would I want to leave?” she asked with a quick shrug.
But Mary saw through her false cheer. “Miranda, as much as I love having you around, you’ve outgrown this office and position. Making copies for mailers and doing permits for recreational hunters is frankly a waste of your talents. You need to be out there making a difference because not everyone shares your passion and we need people out there who are passionate about the things that matter.”
Miranda stared at Mary, surprised at her friend’s statement. She had always considered Mary as a little flighty, with a stereotypical blond personality. Miranda loved her but never really took her seriously. But clearly, she hadn’t given Mary enough credit. “Thank you, Mary,” she said with a smile. “I appreciate your confidence in me. I really do. And I would love to apply for this job...but to be honest, I’m afraid of getting my hopes up and being completely smashed by the rejection. There’s been a lot happening in my life in the last few weeks that have really knocked the wind out of my sails. I’m not sure I can take another beating.”