I shook my head, sighing. “It doesn’t matter. He’s my lawyer, and that’s it.”
“I still think you should try running,” she murmured, looking out the window like a kid who just got scolded.
“I’ll think about it, but that doesn’t really solve my whole needing a job problem.” I looked around the ranch at all the chaos surrounding us. Savannah’s court case against Levi’s family to determine if we could merge Circle M and Golden Bridle was in a few days, so we had already started construction with cautious optimism.
“It’d be nice if I could do something for the ranch. That way, I wouldn’t have to explain never having a steady job.” But even then, that felt too easy. It wouldn’t feel like I’d earned it and was instead a pity handout from my family, and I didn’t want that.
She gasped, sitting upright. “Oh my God!” She slapped her hands against the steering wheel. “You’re good at math!”
My brows furrowed. “So?”
“So, be our bookkeeper! You’d be so good at it. You’re so organized and tidy, and you have that crazy math brain.”
“I don’t even know what a bookkeeper does.”
“You’d keep track of all the money coming in and going out.” While it didn’t sound like particularly thrilling work, it would be a job.
Delilah slumped back in her seat. “Man, I really am a great therapist. I’ve helped you find a hobby, a job, and hyped you up about your man. I should raise my rates.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t you think we should talk to everyone else first before just declaring that this is my job?”
“Probably. But I’m sure they’ll be all for it. Claire’s bitched at me about organizing receipts like thirty times already now that we’ve started construction on the barn.”
“You think so?”
She pulled out her phone. “I’m gonna text her and Beau about it right now.”
I bit my lip, watching as she smiled at her phone and pulled out mine, drafting a text to Levi about running shoes with apprehensive fingers. My heart skipped a beat when his text bubble popped up right away. He’d even turned on his read receipts, so I knew when he looked at my texts.
Levi Hollis:I love my Hokas but we can go to the running store and get you fitted for shoes. They have a good return policy so if you don’t like them you can take them back.
I wonderedif Delilah might be right, if there was something reciprocated, and I just mistook it for him being a nice guy. Either way, I felt lucky to have someone who took time out of their day to talk to me like Levi was now.
Me:That’d be great
Levi Hollis: Sounds like a plan. We can bring Luke and hit the ice cream shop after? I’m curious about what kind of concoction he’ll come up with this time.
I giggled,replying that Luke would love that.
“What?” Delilah asked beside me.
“Levi is going to take me to get running shoes.” I bit back a smile, feeling giddy.
“Told you,” she singsonged, opening the truck door.
I stayed in the truck, grinning at my phone. For the first time since I’d been home, I finally felt the one thing I’d been desperate for: hope. I had a possible job lined up, a potential hobby, a therapy routine, and people who genuinely cared about me in my corner.
Delilah was right, there really was nowhere to go from here but up.
8
Levi
Present day…
I really needed to start learning how to say no.
But I hadn’t, so I was sitting at the country club, sipping on an overpriced sweet tea while I waited for my grandfather and brother to get here.
