other officers at the station involved in the investigation. Every single one of them vouched for the both of you, and we had no qualms about hiring you.”
“Thanks.”
“Again, I only said something because I didn’t want you to hear about it second hand. We’ll find another sponsor. I’m not worried about that.”
After the bias she’d faced when the daycare first closed, she wasn’t so sure. She tapped her pen on the list of businesses she’d been working her way down for the afternoon. Was Holden’s response the reason some of the people she’d spoken with were so noncommittal?
She explained some of the calls to Janelle, ending with, “Maybe it’s better if I focus solely on the organization of the festival and someone else handles the donation calls.”
She knew it was for the best, but it still hurt when Janelle reluctantly agreed. “I can take that on. I feel like I’ve been slacking anyway.”
Unable to meet her gaze anymore, Mallory swiveled her chair toward her laptop. “I’ll type up my notes from the calls today and then email you the spreadsheet.”
“Good. Oh, and can you edit Holden Prices off the brochure, too? I’ll get some new ones printed out to replace the ones we have around town. If you can send me that, and the list of where you dropped them off, I’ll handle the redistribution.”
She didn’t have the energy to argue. “Sure.”
Janelle stood, then paused by her chair. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” To prove it, she met her boss’s concerned expression with a forced a smile. “Really.”
Janelle surprised her by leaning down to give her a hug. “We want you here, Mallory. I know it’s only been a month, but we love the job you’re doing.”
Emotion clogged her throat. “Thank you.”
“I mean it,” she said as she straightened. “And, for some good news, Mark said the booths are all done. You should go check them out.”
“I will.”
Once she left, Mallory forced emotion out of the way. Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she updated the spreadsheet and brochure, and sent everything attached to an email as promised. Then she packed up her things and left the lodge.
Her gaze swung toward the barns. The thought of going over to see the work the guys had done made her cringe. They all—including her—were putting so much effort into this festival for a good cause, and one asshole had to come and ruin it with his judgmental, clueless suspicions.
Facing anyone at the moment, especially Mark, made her stomach turn. Janelle could claim it wasn’t her fault and that they didn’t blame her, but shame dogged her heels.
Being that she was still without a vehicle, she headed to her cabin on foot. The garage had come out to pick up her car after Shea’s boyfriend Keller had confirmed the alternator had drained her battery. He could’ve jumped it, but since the alternator needed to be working to charge the battery, she still wouldn’t have gotten very far.
Walking turned out to be a good thing. With each step she took, humiliation faded, and anger took its place.
Stupid small town . The reminder she needed as to why she wanted out had been delivered tenfold.
She strode across the porch and slammed the cabin door hard as she tossed her purse toward the island. Too late, she saw her mug full of cold coffee from the night before still sitting on the counter. When her purse hit it, the cup flew off the other side and shattered. She stalked over to see dark liquid dripping from the cupboards and pooling on the hardwood floor.
Splintered pieces of her favorite mug lay drowning in the mess. Might as well be her life. The weight of the past couple months pressed down. Years wasted with Doug. Losing her job. People looking at her as if she’d done something wrong. Her car. Her pathetic savings account.
So far, she’d managed to hold it all together with a smile. But now that smile was becoming too brittle to contain her swelling fury.
She spun around
“Thanks.”
“Again, I only said something because I didn’t want you to hear about it second hand. We’ll find another sponsor. I’m not worried about that.”
After the bias she’d faced when the daycare first closed, she wasn’t so sure. She tapped her pen on the list of businesses she’d been working her way down for the afternoon. Was Holden’s response the reason some of the people she’d spoken with were so noncommittal?
She explained some of the calls to Janelle, ending with, “Maybe it’s better if I focus solely on the organization of the festival and someone else handles the donation calls.”
She knew it was for the best, but it still hurt when Janelle reluctantly agreed. “I can take that on. I feel like I’ve been slacking anyway.”
Unable to meet her gaze anymore, Mallory swiveled her chair toward her laptop. “I’ll type up my notes from the calls today and then email you the spreadsheet.”
“Good. Oh, and can you edit Holden Prices off the brochure, too? I’ll get some new ones printed out to replace the ones we have around town. If you can send me that, and the list of where you dropped them off, I’ll handle the redistribution.”
She didn’t have the energy to argue. “Sure.”
Janelle stood, then paused by her chair. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” To prove it, she met her boss’s concerned expression with a forced a smile. “Really.”
Janelle surprised her by leaning down to give her a hug. “We want you here, Mallory. I know it’s only been a month, but we love the job you’re doing.”
Emotion clogged her throat. “Thank you.”
“I mean it,” she said as she straightened. “And, for some good news, Mark said the booths are all done. You should go check them out.”
“I will.”
Once she left, Mallory forced emotion out of the way. Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she updated the spreadsheet and brochure, and sent everything attached to an email as promised. Then she packed up her things and left the lodge.
Her gaze swung toward the barns. The thought of going over to see the work the guys had done made her cringe. They all—including her—were putting so much effort into this festival for a good cause, and one asshole had to come and ruin it with his judgmental, clueless suspicions.
Facing anyone at the moment, especially Mark, made her stomach turn. Janelle could claim it wasn’t her fault and that they didn’t blame her, but shame dogged her heels.
Being that she was still without a vehicle, she headed to her cabin on foot. The garage had come out to pick up her car after Shea’s boyfriend Keller had confirmed the alternator had drained her battery. He could’ve jumped it, but since the alternator needed to be working to charge the battery, she still wouldn’t have gotten very far.
Walking turned out to be a good thing. With each step she took, humiliation faded, and anger took its place.
Stupid small town . The reminder she needed as to why she wanted out had been delivered tenfold.
She strode across the porch and slammed the cabin door hard as she tossed her purse toward the island. Too late, she saw her mug full of cold coffee from the night before still sitting on the counter. When her purse hit it, the cup flew off the other side and shattered. She stalked over to see dark liquid dripping from the cupboards and pooling on the hardwood floor.
Splintered pieces of her favorite mug lay drowning in the mess. Might as well be her life. The weight of the past couple months pressed down. Years wasted with Doug. Losing her job. People looking at her as if she’d done something wrong. Her car. Her pathetic savings account.
So far, she’d managed to hold it all together with a smile. But now that smile was becoming too brittle to contain her swelling fury.
She spun around
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