“Yeah, they’re pants and T-shirts.”
“Really? It looks like you’re selling quite a few of them.”
“To be honest, I’m having a hard time keeping up with the demand. I have six women sewing for me. They’re making items as fast as they can, but I think I’m going to need more women like them.”
“Interesting. When did you start all of this?”
“Last month.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, why? Did I do something wrong?”
“No, not at all. You must be doing something right. I’m impressed. Now that I know what’s going on, there’s something I’d like you to do for me.”
“Sure, anything.”
“I’m coming to Portland. Did my brothers mention that we have a cousin who lives there?”
“No, this is the first I’m hearing about it.” Why wouldn’t Riggs have told me about that?
“I’m not surprised. Thran has been isolated in his own little world for some time now. He’s starting AI company and I’m coming there to see about investing in it. I think it’s going to be big.”
“An AI company, like ChatGPT?”
“Something like that, but better. Anyway, I understandSweetbriar Hollow is about an hour south. I’d like to come by for a visit.”
“Of course. Is that the favor?”
“No, I’d like to see the clothes you’re making and any other ideas you might have for a men’s clothing line, perhaps some samples and sketches of any ideas you’re working on. I’ll be there in two weeks. Is that enough time to have something for me to look at?”
“That’s plenty of time. I already have several ideas I’d love to show you, but if you don’t mind my asking, what would they be for?”
“I’ll tell you about that when I get there. I have another call I need to take. Good job on the business, Maddie. I can’t wait to meet you.”
She hangs up before I can say goodbye and I breathe a sigh of relief. She had me so worried there for a minute, and now I feel like I could float out of this chair. She wants to see my ideas? I have so many sketches, I don’t know where to start. I’ll need to narrow it down to about a dozen key items. And maybe I should look for more retail space, someplace we can rent as a clothing store, in case that’s what she’s interested in. It would be nice to show her I know how to plan ahead.
As excited as I am about all this, meeting her in person feels a little intimidating. I have to remind myself that she’s my age. I keep thinking of her as an older woman with decades of business experience, even though I’ve shamelessly googled her more times than I can count. It’s just that there are so many articles and pictures of her. In photos, she’s almost always with her dogs, Arlo and Odie. She looks to be about my height, and she’s beautiful. Every article talks about how she’s only twenty-eight, already a billionaire, and swears like asailor. Apparently, she’s not the least bit bashful about her salty language. Recently I read one interview where she asked, “If I were a f*ing man, would we even be talking about this sh**?” Of course they weren’t going to spell out every curse word, but I loved the point she was making. I can’t wait to meet her. I’m guessing she’ll bring the dogs with her. Should I get some dog treats or something? Probably.
I’m glad she’s coming but one thing about her upcoming visit haunts the back of my mind. She’s a connection to Riggs. If things had worked out, I would have become her sister-in-law. She would have been an aunt to my kids. Will she see it that way or am I just another one of her brother’s girlfriends that didn’t work out?
Is that what I am, just another girl Riggs dated? I shouldn’t care, but I do. I’m sure he’s completely over me by now. Why does that bother me so much? The whole reason we broke up was to forget about each other, or at least to get over each other. I can’t be upset if he’s fine now just because I’m not. But I am upset. I wanted to be more to him than just one more girl in a long line of girls who couldn’t handle him being away all the time. It makes me feel so trivial.
I wonder if Elsie knows why we ended things. Will she ask about it? God, I hope not. What do I say if she does? I loved your brother so much I had to break up with him, and now I wish I could take it all back, and I’d do anything for another chance to be with him? No. If she asks—and I don’t think she will—but if she does, I’ll tell her the truth, that it just wasn’t working out.
I’ll leave out the part about crying myself to sleep every night since.
CHAPTER 47
Riggs
“Tomorrow?”
After handing me a large mug of coffee at the back of the ATV that she and Top drove here, Rhonda asked why Elsie is meeting with Maddie tomorrow. She looks surprised that I’m surprised. “You didn’t know?”
“No.”
Ash and I have spent the past eight days on the trail, just the two of us. According to my calculations, we averaged a little over twenty-one miles a day. If we can keep this pace, we’ll finish the entire trek sooner than anyone expected. That should be good news for the network, and because the only crew assisting us is the producer and his apprentice, we’re offsetting a small portion of the network’s huge losses as well. They should be happy about that too.
