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“Alright then. Hey, Wren, how are you?”
“Hi, Jett. I’ve been better.” Her fingers tighten their grip on mine. “What’s this about you two talking?”
“Yeah. Your man called me today about supporting Bright Horizons. First off, I don’t give a damn about all those busybodies and the bullshit rumors, so we’re not going to spend another second talking about it. You hear me?”
“Uh-huh. Thank you.”
“Good. Now, I’d already mentioned the program and a few ideas to my brothers and sisters since seeing you at the bake sale. Then today, after Oliver and I talked, I went to them to vote on it.” He pauses and though he can’t see her, it proffers the desired effect. Wren holds her breath, only exhaling when he continues, “Unanimously, they agreed to sponsor the program.”
“What do you mean sponsor?” The corners of her lips tease an upward lift. Her happiness feels hesitant as if she dare not get ahead of herself.
“Canyon Spring Ranch wants to make a sizable donation in exchange for some kind of partnership. We’ll have to meet to figure out the details, and we can do it as soon as possible.”
“Can you tell me a little more about what you have in mind?” Wren worries her bottom lip.
“Sure thing. We’d like to create a summer program where students coming back to the area could get a job at the ranch. They’d have to apply and their grades would be a factor. We can work all that out. We’re always looking for seasonal workers, and in turn, this would give the students an income and experience. And it doesn’t only have to be ranch jobs. There could be one or two potential office positions if a student wants business and administration experience.”
“Jett, this is… I can’t believe this.” She beams. “I can’t thank you enough. I don’t want to sound ungrateful or confused, but can I ask why?”
“Why?” He sounds taken aback. “What kind of question is that? Why not?”
“No, don’t get me wrong. It’s a great program and we need business sponsors. I just… Canyon Spring doesn’t need this program, so why are you willing to support it?”
“Hey, I’m going to be blunt here. We’re a business and we get a tax break on donations and some sponsorships. Frankly, helping the community is great for our reputation. We’ve always said we want to give back, and this is putting our money where our mouths are. As for what we get out of it…” He trails off, and despite not being in the room, I’m guessing that he loves keeping up the suspense, and Wren’s hanging on his every word.
I’d been wrong about Jett Kincaide and yes, jealousy did cloud my judgement. He’s a decent guy and truly cares for Wren. He’s a good friend.
“Yes. Go on.” She’s a little more impatient, not quite sure if all is well.
He chuckles. “We believe this will be big and local politicians are going to be all over this. We want top billing as lead sponsor, and of course our donation will reflect that.”
“And that’s it?” Her fingers twitch in my grip.
“Yeah, but?—”
“No, I get it. You want visibility. It’ll bolster your reputation and community presence, I understand. It’s just that…” She presses her lips together and I figure she’s collecting her thoughts. And now the roles are reversed. Jett waits patiently for Wren to continue. “This is almost too easy. Too good to be true. There are any number of local programs you could support. Why this one? And especially now with all the negative stuff swirling around it?”
Jett clears his throat. “Wren, I know you. Respect and trust you. That kind of thing is priceless. Without a doubt, I know you’ll do the very best for those kids and for the community, and sadly, my brothers and sisters and I…we can’t say the same for some of the other programs. This is a good thing. I promise we don’t have an ulterior motive. You’ll get a call tomorrow from our lawyer to arrange a meeting. I may or may not be there. This part, all the behind the scenes stuff, isn’t my kind of thing. I’m good up front.” He laughs again and I join in.
She looks stunned, eyes glassy and far-off, and I use this opportunity to jump in. “Thanks a lot, Jett. Wren’s a little overwhelmed right now, in a good way.”
“Oh my God, yes. Thank you, Jett. So much.”
“All right, you two have a good night.”
She stares at me for what feels like the longest beat in history and then launches herself at me. I hold her tight, only loosening my grip when she starts to pull back.
“Oliver, this is amazing. Thank you. While I don’t know how much they’re willing to donate, this could take care of most, if not all, the first year tuition.” She claps her hands together. “And this is a great way to drown out some of the rumors. Canyon Spring’s support will help encourage other businesses to back the program.”
“I couldn’t agree more. This is definitely good news, and I figure we could use some of that about now.”
She swings her arms around me once more, and the nearness of her is enough to calm any of the lingering turmoil within. “Thank you. I had considered calling Jett, but with how everyone was treating me…” She breaks the hug and looks up at me, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. “I was afraid. I didn’t want to hear it from someone I considered a friend, you know?”
I nod. “I get it. But Jett could never think less of you. He’s proud to call you a friend, and I believe they truly want to help the kids.”
Nodding, she runs her fingers along the back of my hand, tentative. “Me too. This is good for the program. I don’t want to sound like Debbie Downer, but there’s still the whole paternity thing.”
The quiver in her voice, more a hesitation than anything else, nearly breaks me. The baby is still a big issue for her. It isn’t the same for me. I don’t need a test to prove anything. Dot can scream it from the rooftops, and shit, the entire town can think I’m no better than my father. It doesn’t matter to me. Only one thing does.
