Page 28 of Unbroken (Poplar Springs #2)

TWENTY-SIX

FIONA

I looked at my phone. It was close to six on Sunday night, and I’d need to have an answer to Edge the following morning. I was sitting on my bed with my fingers hovering over the laptop, trying to figure out why I was having such a tough time composing my answer.

At first the decision to go back to Denver had seemed so easy, so obvious.

My career had been everything to me. Now that this great opportunity had fallen into my lap, of course I was going to go back.

It was exactly where I wanted to be. But then the rhythms of ranch life had started to lull me again and remind me how much I enjoyed the slower pace.

How much I loved being back with my siblings on the land that had been in our family for generations.

And then there was Eli too.

Being around him had shifted from frustrating to enjoyable then to …

well, desirable. That kiss . But the way he’d acted at the fundraiser was like a switch had flipped.

I’d gone to the event thinking that it was the perfect opportunity to show the town that he was involved in a hot and heavy romance, but every time I’d tried to act like a real girlfriend, he backed away. He almost seemed embarrassed by me .

I wasn’t about to let the tiny spark that had flared up between us for an instant on that fateful rainy day derail my future. So why couldn’t I commit to going back to Denver? Why hadn’t I emailed them back immediately, thanking my lucky stars that someone wanted me?

The sound of loud cackling drifted down the hallway to my bedroom. Shannon was hanging out with her best friend, Zoe, sharing wine and laughs. Maybe a glass or six with them would help me make up my mind?

I walked into the kitchen as Shannon threw her head back and roared while Zoe held her hand over her mouth and giggled.

The sound of their fun brought me back to when I used to idolize the two of them.

The three-year age gap between us was just enough to make them seem unattainably cool to me when I was younger, and I’d always looked up to the horse girl and the goth girl who were besties.

I was happy we’d all grown into a mutual friendship but I still sometimes felt as if I didn’t quite fit.

Maybe it was because they were so happy and settled here while I kept wondering, what if?

“What’s so funny in here?”

Shannon recovered. “Zoe’s just telling me funny stories about Josh. He might be a tough guy around us, but holy crap, he’s a big lovesick doofus around her,” she said, pointing at Zoe. She spent so much time at the ranch that sometimes it felt like she still lived here. “Grab a glass and join us.”

“Yeah, and I’m trying to get her to ask that cute new vet out, but she says she’s too busy to date,” Zoe said. “Help me convince her.”

“Good luck with that,” I snorted as I poured my wine and sat down at the kitchen table. “She’s married to her job.”

“Oh, look who’s talking,” Shannon said. “You could never find the time to visit us back here in Hicksville once you moved to the big city. ”

I figured there was no better time to bring it up.

“Speaking of …” I said, then took a long sip of wine.

“Oh no,” Shannon said. “Big announcement, incoming.”

“Stop it, I’m being serious. I could actually use both of your help deciding something. I know I told Josh that I was going to be here for the whole season, but something just dropped into my lap and it’s an offer that’s too good to refuse.”

Both Shannon and Zoe stared at me, waiting for me to go on.

“My old company’s main competitor sent me an email out of the blue making me an offer.

They want to hire me—same type of position and salary that I had before, but with great benies including a stellar bonus program and faster potential to move up the ladder.

They said my screwup showed creativity, and it didn’t matter that it hadn’t panned out the way I’d hoped. They really liked my initiative.”

“You know, you never told us what happened,” Shannon said in an accusatory voice.

I waved my hand at her. “It’s water under the bridge now.

Basically, I did something without getting the proper sign offs from the higher-ups first. Initially, it made me a rock star, then it backfired, and it was my fault.

” I held up my hand. “Really. I can own that screwup. I was sure it would ruin my reputation for at least a few years, but this is a company of renegades, and they think I’m a total badass. ”

“You are a badass,” Zoe said, reaching out her glass to toast me. “We’re all so impressed by you.”

“Thanks,” I said, sheepish at the compliment.

“So what’s the issue?” Shannon asked. “You need me to run interference with Josh so he doesn’t get pissed that you’re leaving mid-season? ”

“No, the problem is that I’m not one hundred percent sure what I should do.”

Shannon did a double take. “What? You’re thinking about maybe turning it down? I thought your heart belonged to the city?”

I fiddled with the stem of my wineglass. “It does. Or it did. I don’t know. I should be jumping on this opportunity, but something’s holding me back.”

“I get it,” Zoe said. “I went through something similar when I got into grad school. I’d worked so hard to get into the program that was everything I thought I wanted, and when it finally happened, I thought I was going to be ecstatic.

Instead, I was like ‘meh.’ I thought I’d feel like grad school was where I’d finally feel like I belonged, but once I got there, I realized I already knew the place where I was happiest and most at home, and that was right here, with Josh.

So, I changed my mind. And you’re allowed to do the same thing. ”

It sounded so simple and obvious when Zoe said it.

“Whatever you decide to do, I’m behind you, know that,” Shannon said, locking eyes with me. “I want you to be happy.”

“Yeah, have you figured that part out yet?” Zoe asked in a teasing voice. “What makes you happy?”

“What makes me happy?” The words started flowing before I even realized what I was saying. “Sunrise over the Poplar Mountains. Slow rides by the river. Helping our guests discover their love of horses. Seeing our legacy come alive every day. Hanging with you guys.”

“You mean you don’t get the same endorphin rush from signing a big contract?” Shannon asked.

“I thought I did, back in the day.” I smiled. “But now I know it’s not even close. I didn’t realize it until I got here and got back into the thick of it. ”

“Are you sure the ranch is what’s making you happy?” Zoe asked. “Because Josh told me you and Eli have been very friendly lately. I know you’re doing a fake relationship thing, but he seems to think there’s something more going on.”

After careful consideration, Eli and I had told my siblings about our fake relationship plan. I had kind of wanted to keep it a secret and enjoy Shannon and Josh’s reactions, but Eli had insisted, not wanting to lie to Josh, and I had given in.

“Of course there isn’t!” Heat rushed to my face. “No, it’s all for show. A favor for him, that’s all, to shift the gossip mill away from seeing him as some sort of cuckold and over to the great guy he really is.”

“Mm-hmm,” Shannon said, taking a gulp of wine and rolling her eyes.

“Stop!” I reached out to smack my sister.

“Well, no matter what decision you make, if you follow your heart, it’ll be the right one,” Zoe said.

I drained the rest of my wine, set the glass down on the table, and stood up.

“Thanks for the advice, ladies. I have an email to send.”