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As Peach looked at him, though, it was like a lightbulb was going off in her head. Not because she was attracted to him, although there definitely was something about him. He had that brainsandbrawn vibe going on that was undoubtedly intriguing. But more important than that was what he represented.
All those numbers. All that money. For so long, Peach had been afraid to let herself dream big. She’d tried to switch off the part of herself that wanted nice things and a nice life. She used to have so much ambition.
Over the years, though, she’d settled for rags over riches. She’d managed to convince herself that it was somehow virtuous to be poor. Back in Connecticut, she volunteered at a dog rescue place two days a week, and worked part-time at a dog-grooming parlor the rest of the time. She wasn’t allowed to groom the animals, though. Her job was sweeping up the clippings and washing down the tables after the dogs were treated. Her boss told her that she wasn’t good enough to touch the animals, even though she groomed her own dog’s hair, and he always looked marvelous.
She’s always wondered if part of the reason that she wouldn’t allow herself to dream big was because she was a Little. She’d always felt a bit of shame about that part of herself. It didn’t help that her parents had told her not to bother contacting them until she’d “grown up”. They told her that she was too childish, and needed to stop watching cartoons and wearing PAW Patrol onesies and get a proper job.
Being here — in a billion-dollar empire — where Littles were celebrated not hated — was inspiring.
“Look, Teddy,” she said, holding her dog up to look at Isaac and his spreadsheet. “Do you think that could be us one day?” she whispered into his floppy little ear. “Running our own business with a bazillion dollars in the bank. Whaddya reckon?”
Teddy licked his nose, oblivious to what she was asking him, but cute all the same.
Teddy had come from the rescue center that Peach volunteered at. He’d been there for months before she adopted him, but nobody wanted him. He was blind in one eye and when he barked it sounded a bit like nails scratching down a chalkboard. But he came into Peach’s life when she really needed him. Her anxiety was bad after her parents cut her out of their life. She had a stammer and hid indoors with agoraphobia some days. Teddy helped her with all that.
As Peach held Teddy up to the glass, she noticed Isaac’s head turning toward her. He looked at Peach with an expression of mild interest, then he looked at Teddy with an expression of strong disgust.
“Uh oh,” said Daisy. “We should probably keep moving. Isaac’s not the biggest fan of—“
Peach watched Isaac stride across the room toward her, then he opened the door, pointing a finger straight at Teddy.
“No animals!” he boomed.
“Sorry, sir,” said Daisy. “Montague said we were allowed to make an exception for—“
“Montague is a soft touch,” he said. “People could have allergies. The dog could make a mess. It could hurt someone.”
Peach lifted one of Teddy’s little paws and pulled a cute expression. “I won’t hurt anyone,” she said in a funny little voice, pretending to be Teddy. “I’m actually hypoallergenic becausetechnicallyShih Tzus have hair instead of fur—“
“Did I not make myself clear?” asked Isaac. “No. Animals.”
Peach sighed. Quietly, she said, “We’re all animals, you know.”
“Get the mutt outside,” Isaac instructed Peach. “And Daisy? Tell my PA to cancel my meetings on Saturday. I’m heading back to my ranch.”
“I didn’t know you had a ranch, sir,” said Daisy.
“I don’t,” replied Isaac. “Yet.” He went back into his office, slamming the door.
Peach looked at Daisy. “Do we really have to go?”
Daisy grimaced. “Yeah. Sorry. But don’t worry. Kiera and I will catch up with you later.”
“Wait,” said Peach. “You’re going to keep running the tour without me?”
“Just for an hour or so,” said Daisy. “It’ll fly by. Promise.”
And with that, both of Peach’s friends were gone.
Chapter Three
ISAAC
Isaacslammedonthebrakes of his Rolls-Royce SUV. This was the ranch, but it was not the ranch that he remembered.
For a start, the perimeter that his dad had worked so hard to build was falling down. Not that it really mattered, because there were only half a dozen cattle remaining on the land, and they all looked so scrawny and weak that they were clearly going nowhere in a hurry. He’d have liked to have gone to take a closer look at them, but unfortunately, his allergies would have played up. His allergies were never really an issue when he was a kid, but after all his years in the city, he could hardly go near anything with fur.
He looked over at the ranch house. Two of its windows were boarded up, it needed its guttering fixing, and there was a pile of trash on one side of the driveway that looked so old and so rusted it had clearly been there for years.
