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"Wait a minute, I'd prefer it to be put in direct deposit!" Clint emphatically declared.
"That's easy enough," I told him, then asked Courtney to draft up the paperwork for a direct deposit.
"Yes, sir, Mr. Stratford, I'll do it immediately."
"Courtney, I'll follow you to your desk if you don't mind. I never got your business card.... and you are always so efficient."
As Courtney confidently strolled to her desk, I was taken aback by Clint's request to tag along and didn’t want my assistant put in an uncomfortable situation. Slowly trailing behind them both, I followed the path to her office. I couldn't prevent myself from pondering why he seemed so intrigued with Courtney. Surely, he’s not planning to ask her out on a date — he’s twice her age. My suspicions materialized when we got close enough for me to see that Clint was gazing at her intently — as if he aimed to decipher every single one of her thoughts! Although it made me feel a tad uneasy, I stayed back, trusting Courtney could handle herself.
Her fingers flew across the keys, entering his information into our bank's web portal. Clint peppered her with incessant queries. His intensity was making me increasingly uncomfortable, so I stepped closer and gently asked, "Are you almost finished, Courtney? Is everything alright?"
"Yes, we're almost finished here."
Just as Clint was checking his bank app to see if the funds had been transferred, Courtney got a call from the receptionist. "Mr. Tyree, you have a call from Alejandro Cross!"
"Much appreciated, Courtney," Clint exclaimed as he hastily snatched up the receiver. His gaze widened, and his eyes locked with mine in disbelief. "Unexpected family emergency. I must leave for Seattle immediately — but don't worry, I'll check back soon."
As I rushed behind Clint, my heart raced, and my mind swelled with panic. What about the grant? The elevator doors slid shut with a heavy thud, and I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. My mouth went dry, and my hands shook with anxiety. What had just happened?
I raced back to Courtney’s desk, and the room was silent. Everyone was staring at me with a mix of shock and disbelief. I knew I had to take control of the situation, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Was Clint going to honor his promise, or had we just been ripped off?
"I don't like him, Mr. Stratford! He's weird!" Courtney spoke up, her voice trembling with fear.
I knew she was right. There was something off about Clint, something that made me uneasy, too. But we couldn't give up on the grant, not now, not after all we had done to get this far.
"Cancel the direct deposit!" I shouted; my voice filled with determination.
Courtney nodded, her hands shaking as she began to cancel the transfer. But before she could finish, I had an idea.
"Wait, not yet. Let me download the grant document file off the drive in case he erases what we got!" I said, racing to my office.
Everyone followed me, their eyes glued to my computer screen as I frantically searched for the file. And then, there it was, the grant document, still in our possession. "Quick, hit download!" I yelled at myself, my heart pounding with anticipation. Then, as the file appeared on my desktop, we all cheered with relief.
"It's all yours, Courtney. Cancel the damn draft!" I hissed.
"Now, we’re back to square one. We still need a grant writer,” Mitch reminded us.
"At least it's half finished.”
"Ariel's a writer. I'll talk to her tonight," Guy muttered.
Chapter Fourteen
Meagan
The invigorating smell of fresh hay wafted around me as I gracefully dismounted from Cookie. The calming rhythm of riding through the sprawling landscape brought me a sense of stability and solace. Rejuvenated by being close to nature and connected to something bigger than myself, I felt genuinely alive. Although I always felt relaxed while riding, I was never really alone. Marcus, my trusty security guard, remained close enough to keep an eye on me, following far enough behind that the noise from his four-wheeler wasn't annoying.
As I rounded the corner, my gaze landed on Ariel. She was carrying Jonathan, strolling along toward the stables. "What are you two doing?" It was definitely unexpected to see them here as they didn't usually come by to visit Cookie! Even though Ariel would never confess it, I suspected she was petrified of horses. As Jonathan got older, I hoped he could go horseback riding with me one day, and perhaps Ariel's fear would be assuaged.
To my surprise, Ariel stepped closer, and Jonathan's mouth dropped open in awe. She then delicately took his hand and placed it on Cookie's neck. His little fingertips instantly began to explore the white patch of hair, followed by the chocolate brown one. With each discovery, he squealed with delight! As I watched them, my heart leaped with joy. Ariel then looked at me with a twinkle in her eye before she said, "Maybe Jonathan will love horses as much as his Auntie Meagan one day."
I smiled, "He's got the perfect place here to learn to ride. So, what's going on? Or did you just bring Jonathan out to see Cookie?"
"We got news!" Ariel giggled, unable to conceal her excitement. "Meagan, you won't believe it! Marcie, my agent, just called. She landed another book contract for me!"
"Ariel, that is amazing! Congratulations!" I exclaimed from the bottom of my heart. "You told me a while back that you hoped to get back to writing sooner than later, but Jonathan was too little."
"It gets even better!" Ariel said eagerly, "My mom is coming from LA to take care of Jonathan while I write my newest cozy mystery."
