AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Twenty percent!” Clay balked.
Zoe’s pulse ticked up, but she had full confidence in her value to him. She arched a brow. “You think you can find a new server who’s as good as meandwho can start doing your books for you?”
“She’s got a point, man,” Han agreed.
“This is a setup.” Clay looked around at everyone with suspicion in his gaze. There wasn’t any malice, though. The guy had been to war and ended up with a knee full of shrapnel and so many trust issues he might as well have gotten a subscription, but he knew he was among friends here.
“Of course it’s a setup,” Zoe’s mom agreed. She gazed at Zoe with a knowing curl to her lips. “But you’re not the one she’s setting up.”
Zoe’s heart pounded harder as she met her mother’s gaze.
Oblivious, Clay continued, gesturing at the screen. “She just gave herself a twenty percent raise.”
“That I’m going to earn,” she promised, still looking at her mom.
“You sure about this, Zhaohui?” her mother asked.
Clay sat back in his chair, arms crossed. “I’m not sure about it.”
“Yes, you are,” Zoe and her mom both said as one. “I guess that settles that,” Clay said.
June stepped forward to put her hands on his shoulders. She pressed her lips to his temple. “Accept when you’re beaten, dear.”
“Fine, fine.”
As they spoke, Zoe and her mom continued their silent staring contest. Zoe could hear all her mother’s doubts, and she expressed her confidence back to her, even as neither of them said anything at all.
This plan was going to work. She’d draw a low but respectable salary managing the day-to-day operations of Harvest Home. She’d augment it by continuing to work at the Junebug and taking over Clay’s accounting. She liked both jobs. Her work at Harvest Home fulfilled her, while waitressing at the bar was both lucrative and fun. Doing a little bookkeeping would maintain her skills and her résumé in case she ever changed her mind. Uncle Arthur would be less stressed, and if he ever decided to retire, she’d be ready to step up and slide right into his place. It was a win-win-win-win.
Finally, Zoe’s mother raised a brow. “Princess astronaut veterinarian ballerina?”
“Princess astronaut veterinarian ballerina.” Zoe let out a rough breath as lightness filled her chest.
“Well, then.” Her mother smiled. “I suppose I can’t argue with that.”
“Hey—James!”
At the sound of his last name, Devin looked up. Joe stood outside the trailer, waving him over.
“Got a sec before you head out?”
“Sure.” He finished the last couple of joins he’d been working on before nodding to the crew. It was a few minutes early, but they’d made good progress today.
He helped with cleanup, but once it was all in hand, he patted his buddy Terrell on the back and gestured at Joe’s office.
Terrell nodded. “See you in the morning, boss.”
Devin took off, a spring in his step.
It still amazed him how peaceful the entire site felt now that Bryce was gone. The guy had talked a big game about getting his father to retaliate, but it had been precisely that: talk. Sure, the mayor’s office had made a few overtures, hoping to get management to reverse his dismissal, but Joe had stood behind Devin’s decision. In the end, Bryce had been more of a liability than he’d been worth. Last Devin had heard, the guy was heading back to community college. Devin hoped he learned some things while he was there, but as long as he didn’t show up on Devin’s job site again, he honestly didn’t care.
Inside the trailer, Joe was perched behind his computer, same as always. He smiled when Devin knocked and let himself in, gesturing for him to have a seat.
Joe folded his big hands on top of the desk. “Just wanted to ask how things are going.”
“Good.” Devin pointed his thumb toward the door behind him. “We’re on schedule out there, maybe even a little ahead.”
“I know that. I meant with you.”
