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"That's the wrong question. Of course I want it. But I already had two." He winked at Stella.
Stella's smile rivaled a young girl with a crush. "I don't think this piece will hurt your figure."
Blake pulled up a seat in the corner of the office. "I'll keep you company until my truck gets here."
Everly stashed the book she'd been reading under the desk and followed Ava toward the door. "I'll be back soon."
"Don't hurry back," Blake said. "I have some catching up to do with Stella."
No wonder Stella adored him. No wonder Everly adored him. Blake was everyone’s best friend, even if Stella was thirty years older than him and often made comments about the way his behind looked in his jeans.
Everly and Ava walked out of the office and toward the dining hall. The weather was warmer than last week, and lots of guests milled around outside. Spring was Everly's favorite time at the ranch. Families started arriving in droves, and the place came alive after a long sleep during the cold winter.
"How are things? You get moved into Ridge and Blake's place okay?" Ava asked.
"I did. It didn't take long with so many people helping."
"That's one thing I love about this place. You're never far from a friend," Ava said.
Everly opened the door to the dining hall and stepped aside so Ava could walk in first. Ava had come here without any friends, but she'd quickly found more than she could count. Not to mention the family she'd always wanted. Ava's grandpa, Mr. Chambers, owned the ranch, and her mom, Linda, was working to start up a wedding venue on site.
When Everly came to the ranch, she already had friends and family. She'd been looking for an escape, and she'd found it. The friends had been a welcome surprise.
They stepped up to the serving line and waved at the head cook, Vera, as she brought out trays of food and instructed a young woman where to put the stack of clean plates. Everly hadn't met the new employee yet, but she'd introduce herself later after the lunch rush was over.
When Ava and Everly had filled their plates and grabbed drinks and forks, Ava leaned close to Everly to be heard above the noise. "You want to eat on the back porch?"
"Sure." They were both wearing coats and the wind wasn't blowing much. It would be nice outside.
They settled into rocking chairs on the back porch of the main house. The view over the valley was beautiful. No wonder Mr. Chambers spent so much time out here.
"Let's bless the food," Ava said.
Everly bowed her head and smiled. Ava hadn't known Christ when she came to Wolf Creek, but it hadn't taken much talk of the Lord before Ava was searching for any speck of information about the Savior.
Now, Ava was a strong believer, and she diligently showed her faith in everything she did. Her grandpa was training her to run the ranch, and Everly couldn't ask for a better boss in either of them.
They ate in silence for a few minutes, taking in the midday sun and the energy of the guests that roamed the ranch.
They chatted about mundane things while they ate–the weather, the horses, and the upcoming busy season.
When they’d finished eating, Ava laid her fork on the side of her plate. "So, I wanted to talk to you about three things. First, how are you doing? Really?" Ava’s eyes crinkled slightly at the corners.
Everly took a deep breath before speaking. "I'm great. I wasn't at first, but I know now that I'm on a better path than I was when I was still with David. I guess I'm glad things fell apart, if that makes sense."
"It does. I thought I was where I was supposed to be when I was in Denver. I didn't think I had a choice in what came next. I was just stuck on the only path I knew."
"That feels familiar," Everly said. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad you ended up here.”
"Me too.” Ava looked at her plate as if unsure how to continue. “I'm not trying to pressure you, but what's the new plan?"
Everly lifted her shoulders. "I guess I don't have one yet."
"Then I'd like to offer you an option. When you were planning to marry David, you mentioned that you'd be leaving the ranch to travel with him."
Everly tried to hide the unease that settled in her gut. Had they considered that heads up her official notice? "Oh. I forgot about that. I did kind of give you a notice." Everly hadn't given a specific date she'd planned to leave the ranch, but she'd wanted her bosses to know they needed to start looking for a replacement for her. Had she lost her job, even if she wanted to keep it now?
"Does that mean you'll be staying now that you aren't getting married?" Ava asked.
