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“I thought that was obvious.”
“Enlighten me, because I’m not seeing what you think is so easy to see.” I open the cooler and pick up my nonalcoholic beer, pop the top off, and turn back to staring out at the lake.
“You’re in love with her,” he blurts out.
I turn toward him. “You’re joking, right? Why would I punish myself like that? She’s not interested. She cares more about her career right now, and honestly, I don’t blame her. But I’m not going to let myself fall victim to that trap again.”
“Oh my god, Ryan, stow your baggage and open your fucking eyes.” Parker puts his hand on my shoulder. “I’m serious. Think. Hard.”
I lean back against the boat shed and then look over at the steering wheel.
“Come on,” I wave at him to gather up the fishing gear, “we’re going back.”
“All this work to get out here, to just pack it up and go back. Kinda like your relationship,” he mumbles.
I pick up my beer and pour it out over the edge. “Let’s go.”
As we make our way back to the truck to load it up at the boat ramp, a mischievous thought crosses my mind. Without hesitation, I act on the urge and give Parker a playful shove, sending him tumbling over the edge of the dock and into the water below.
Chapter 26
Julia
“Vanessa, I’ve been reading Ryan’s letter over and over. It’s tearing me up inside that I know it was my fault that somewhere along the last few months, I lost contact with him completely. I didn’t intentionally mean to. Work just got in the way. It has been insanely busy and, like, not one person that I pay a nice chunk of change to on a biweekly basis, has any answers or can do anything themselves without my input. Or did I make it that way?”
Am I so much of a hard dictator at the office where I have to micromanage every little thing that the very qualified people that I’ve hired to do the job question their abilities? I’m not an empowering boss. I’m a failure.
I’ve even read the fucking book that says your success is only that of those who succeed you. If I don’t have trust in them to handle shit, then that doesn’t make me successful at all. No matter the dollars in my bank account.
After a moment of silence, she gently speaks up, "It sounds like you're really struggling with your leadership style and the impact it's having on your team."
"I just don't know how to change things now. Ryan must think I don't care about him anymore." Tears well in my eyes and threaten to pour out.
"Maybe it's not too late to reach out to Ryan and explain how you've been feeling. It could be the first step towards repairing your relationship with him." Vanessa reaches out and places a reassuring hand on my shoulder, offering comfort in the midst of my turmoil.
"You're right... I need to make things right with him," I agree with a heavy sigh.
Vanessa walks out of my office as I’m already clicking a few numbers on my speaker phone.
“Charlie,” I say to the CFO of my company as he answers on the first ring. “You’ve got that promotion you’ve been hounding me about for a few years now. Well, actually since we graduated from college, and I started this company with only an idea. Congratulations, you’re the new CEO of Put Me to Work.”
“What?” he yells through the receiver.
“That’s correct. This goes into effect immediately. I’m going on a long vacation. Only bother me if the building burns down. Actually, just move to a new office building, so maybe don’t even call me then. I’ll do quarterly check ins, but other than that, I don’t want to be bothered.”
“Alrighty then, Julia. I’m not asking any questions. I’m just accepting the position and wishing you a great time off.” I hang up the receiver and call my mom next.
“Mom, do you think that you can book me that little AirBnB in Texas again?” I ask.
“Really?” I hear her clap on the other end of the phone. “Yes, I’ll get right to it, and I’ll make your travel accommodations as well.”
“Great because I have a lot of stuff to pack. Thanks. Just send me the flight itinerary in my email.” That's another thing I’ll have to do. Create a non-business email account because I don’t even want to have to open that up and see all the work stuff.
Within two hours, I’m on a flight to Dallas, and within the next four hours I’m knocking on a wooden door somewhere around one o’clock in the morning… again. It’s pitch black out here, but I’m not afraid in the slightest because I know there’s a big, strong man, and a large, hairy beast behind that door that will protect me at all costs. Yeah, he might push me away, but I’ll take that chance. He’s worth it. We’re worth it.
If he pushes me away, it’s going to hurt, but I’m going for it, anyway.
“What the hell are you doing here?” the burly voice says as the porch light flickers on and the door creaks open.
