Page 83 of Worth the Fall
Speaking of which…
I spun around, looking for the rest of the convoy. They were nowhere to be found. I popped the truck door open. “Colton, did we lose your family?”
He nodded, leaning back against the driver’s side window. “They’re gonnago get the camp set up and get the horses out.”
“Oh, good!” I shut the door again.
The popular gas station was packed with people, a classic tourist destination with its superstore interior and stupidly good food.
I held the phone to my ear and wandered around the truck, warm from the long drive. “Craig!” I said in surprise as hepicked up on the first ring.
“Allegra, what is going on?” he asked, his voice stern. “Is this your way of telling me you quit, because if so-”
“Oh no, sir! Definitely not!”
“Then what is it?” He demanded.
I should have clarified in my email, but I had written it so hastily while waiting for the rodeo to start the night Ellie sang. “Sir, I apologize. I should have given you more details. I, um, I’m…”
Now what?
My mind jumped back to the email I had sent him after I broke up with Harrison, and he threatened to call Mr. Sterling.
“Harrison got it in his mind that Colton Nash, the bareback bronc rider, and I had formed a relationship without his knowledge. I want to specify that Colton Nash and I are not in a relationship, nor have we been anything other than professional.”
Now what do I tell him?
Turns out he’s a really goodkisser, and now I’m riding cross-country with his family, so I can kiss him more!
“What is it, Miss Ford?”
A huge family ran past me to get to the goodies inside the Walmart-sized gas station.
I took a breath, remembering who I was and why I had this job. “Sir, I would like to apologize. After getting to know Dennis Nash and his family, they invited me to stay at their ranch in Oklahoma for the rodeo. They’ve been more than generous to me. To be honest, sir, they invited me to complete the circuit with their family, so I wouldn’t spend the rest of thetour alone.”
Was that enough?
Was I fired?
Mr. Sterling was quiet on the other end for a full minute, making me sweat. “Oh,” was all he said.
“I apologize, sir. If I’ve overstepped any lines, I-”
“No, Allegra, you haven’t overstepped any lines, I’m just surprised you’d want to do this,” he said with a small chuckle. “You won’t even use the fridge in the breakroom.”
I glanced at Colton, who had pulled out a notebook and was scribbling something down. “Believe me, sir, no one is more surprised than I am.”
“You took my advice well, Miss Ford.”
“Thank you, sir,” I let out a breath that was making my chest hurt. “I promise I won’t let this interfere with my work.”
“I know it won’t. Have a good time in Texas.”
“Thank you, you too,” I said as I hung up, cringing immediately. I smoothed my hair, which was already starting to frizzin the humid air. “Sorry about that,” I said as I climbed in.
“No worries!” Colton said happily, tucking his notebook in his lap. “How’d it go?”
“Really well.”
