Best Friend's Ex Box Set

“Given what you’ve been through, I don’t blame you for that retort. I’m Michael Rollins. I work for Second Chances over in Clackamas County.”

“I’m familiar with it of course. It’s the biggest horse rescue ranch in the state,” I said.

“I’ve got a couple of friends from the surrounding counties around here that contacted me and said that depending on how this fundraiser went, that your horses might be in need of shelter and you might be in need of a job,” he said.

“Well, they aren’t wrong about that,” I said.

“I’d like to offer you a job, starting in February. My right-hand man is finally retiring, and I’ll need someone new and fresh to run the operations and manage the day-to-day activities with the horses all across the ranch. Your horses would have a place to go, and you’d have a job there, if you’d like.”

I was absolutely stunned. I couldn’t believe what the man had just told me. I went from having no backup plan to having a massive and guaranteed plan B, and all I wanted to do was throw my arms around his neck.

“You’d have many more horses to take care of, but there would be much better funding. You’d have medical benefits and a 401(k), and you could even stay on the premises until you found yourself a place to live in the area,” Mr. Rollins said.

“That is an incredible offer,” I said.

“Here’s my card. Just think about it. I wouldn’t need an answer until the New Year, so it’ll give you a chance to figure out things here. I’ve heard about your talents and expertise, and it’d be an honor to have you on the ranch.”

“Thank you so much for the opportunity,” I said.

The man tipped his hat and walked away, and the card he gave me was unsteady between my fingers. I looked around at the room that seemed to be filling with more people than I could’ve ever imagined, and then my eyes panned over to the kitchen. Colt’s gaze was hard on me while Tif and Michael swayed in the corner of my eye, and all at once my head started to spin. Even if this fundraiser helped out a bit, this was an opportunity that would provide for me what I could never provide for myself the way I was going now. I felt a dichotomous tug in the pit of my gut and realized I could use some fresh air.

I tucked the card away in my purse and stepped outside of the restaurant. The cold winter night seemed apathetic to what was happening just below it, and all at once tears began to stream down my face. This town had embraced me so completely, and everyone seemed to be on my side, and yet just a few counties away was the secure job every horse sanctuary owner prays for.

Could I really leave all this behind?

Chapter Thirty-Six

Colt

Cheyenne looked stunning tonight. She wore a simple light blue dress that dropped all the way to her feet. It hugged her curves in places I hadn’t put my hands on yet, and whenever I looked at her, the only thing I could think about was putting my hands there later. I could tell she was overwhelmed with the number of people that showed up at the venue. I was not surprised a bit, which was why I had already prepped the restaurant with the food and drink we would need when Tif switched the venue.

My sister and I had briefly talked about switching it on her anyway, but I thought it would be a really good visual lesson for her to see the amount of people I knew would turn out for this event. Many people sympathized with her and had clashed with Bill at one point or another, and—if anything—their anger over the situation would prompt them to be more generous with their pocketbooks.

However, when that man began talking to Cheyenne, I could tell something was wrong.

Her eyes were lighting up when he was talking, but her body language had become tense. She talked with him for a little while before he handed her a card, and then she left to go outside after he moved on. Whatever he told her was weighing heavily on her mind, but I decided to leave her be for now. I knew she would want to give a thank-you speech soon, and the last thing I wanted to do was distract or upset her by bombarding her with questions about something that clearly was troubling to her.

“Good evening, everyone,” she started. “I want to thank you all so much for coming out tonight. I know that all of you are at least somewhat familiar with everything that has taken place the past few weeks, and I just want you all to know how much it means to me that you turned out to support the sanctuary this evening.”

Small claps and hollers ricocheted across the room, but I couldn’t take my eyes off her on stage. I had finally convinced her to just let her hair be after she’d been fussing with it all night, and the way the candlelight played off the long strands of hair made me want to run my fingers through it. I was shocked when I learned that she had told my sister about us—and even more shocked that Tif hadn’t given me a ration of shit about it yet—making me wonder where we actually stood.

Was she comfortable telling people we were together? Was what we were doing more than casual? I was hoping it was, but I also wasn’t oblivious to the fact that she may have just needed me and what I could give her for stress relief during a terrible situation. I was prepared for either answer, but when she was talking to that man, a part of me hoped our relationship was strong enough for her to deny whatever it was he had offered her.

The silent auction we held across the restaurant had been a resounding success, and the food that had come out of the kitchen had been some of the best I’d ever tasted. I told my chef to get creative, and after the crowd really took to them, I told him we would add a couple of his dishes to the menu. I briefly spoke with him about having seasonal dishes he created himself to showcase his abilities, but our conversation was interrupted when it was time to close down the auction, and I began to speak.

“It looks as if all the items in the auction have been claimed in one way or another. Tiffany Smith is going around right now highlighting the highest bidder on each of the items, so if your name is highlighted, stick around! And again, thank you so much for coming out and supporting me. The love and overwhelming support you all—”

I watched tears well up in her eyes and, for a split second, I thought I might break down as well. Her body was trembling, and the microphone was shaking. At that moment, I realized all at once how truly overwhelmed she was tonight. I wanted to rush up and wrap my arms around her, to ground her to her place so she could finish her speech, but I knew she really had to do this on her own. I knew she had to come to terms with some things and make some decisions on her own terms, so I simply crossed my arms over my chest and kept my eyes trained on her.

“Just, thank you,” she said into the microphone, steadier now. “Thank you for everything you all have offered, given, and done for me.”

“We love you, Cheyenne!” someone shouted from the crowd.

People began to clap, and Cheyenne wiped away the tears now streaming down her face, and that’s when I officially opened the bar for business. I made drink specials specifically for tonight, so Cheyenne didn’t think she was making me lose out on any money by holding the fundraiser here, and people flocked to them. I got compliments on how good they were, and people wondered why they weren’t on the regular menu. At some point, I realized this fundraiser wasn’t only benefitting Cheyenne, but it was benefitting my business, too.

“So, I haven’t done a final tally yet, but I did some quick math on the silent auction numbers.”

I looked over and saw that Tif was standing beside me, and I slid some drinks over to some people before I slung the bar towel over my shoulder.