my agony now that she was home.
When she reached the top step I stepped in her way, blocking the doorway. “No admittance until you tell me how it went.”
She screwed up her mouth. “Excuse me?”
“No entrance until you tell me if the boss liked your idea.”
She dropped her chin and let out a big sigh . . . and then glanced up to meet my gaze as she broke into a smile. “He loved it.”
“Woo hoo!” I wrapped my arms around her, spinning her and her giant bag in a circle while she clung to me.
“Boone! What are you doing?”
“Celebrating.” As much as I liked the feel of her in my arms, I finally set her back down.
“There’s more," she said. "Not exactly celebration worthy.”
“What?” I frowned, not liking the sound of that. And actually not liking her boss all that much right now either.
“The boss also loved Jerry’s idea.”
I scowled. “What idea? Something else he stole from you?”
“No. This was all his. He went back to his original idea about a family living on Mars in a space colony or something.”
I hated to admit it, but that sounded kind of cool. “Okay. Well, that’s fine. As long as the boss liked yours too.”
She shook her head. “One, it’s not fine because his family had the wife cooking and tending to the child while the husband was watching sports. This is supposed to be the future, so why does it look like the nineteen-fifties?”
“Okay, I see what you’re saying. But maybe when it actually comes time to film the commercial you can mix things up a bit with the casting.”
“Yeah, maybe, but that’s not the worst of it.”
“Okay . . .” I waited.
“The client only approved the budget to air one television commercial . . .”
My eyes widened. “And he chose the dickhead’s idea?”
“Yup.”
I let out a string of cusses that she waited silently through until I got it all out. “Sorry. I’ll throw a twenty in the cuss jar.”
“No, it’s fine. Stewie didn’t hear.”
I wasn’t sure Stewie hearing or not was the point of the swear jar but whatever. We had bigger issues on the table.
“I really am sorry about your boss. I guess I just don’t understand. If he loved your idea, why isn’t he using it?”
It was times like this I was happy to be working with my family, even if Stone and Cash might act like asses sometimes.
“He is using my idea. But only for the social media campaign.”
My eyes widened. “That’s even better. Nobody I know pays for cable TV anymore. Social is where it’s at.”
She smiled. “Spoken like a true Millennial.”
“It’s true. It’s a win for you. It really is. Let’s go and celebrate. I’m taking you out.”
Why did she look horrified at my invitation?
“We can’t." She shook her head. "Stewie—”
“We’ll bring him. Come on. Dinner is on me.”
“No. Boone. I can’t let you pay—”
“Sarah. I’m not taking you to the Otesaga. It’s just the Muddy River Inn. Wings, burgers, fries. Seriously, it’s so not a big deal, but it’ll be fun. You deserve to get out. And if we stay here, I know you. The minute you finish eating dinner you’ll be back to work—if not before.”
She drew in a breath then met my gaze. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
“That’s my girl.”
I hadn’t meant it to be a big deal, but I saw her react to the words. My girl. Her cheeks colored. She looked torn between a smile and shock.
I had definitely thrown her off balance, which made my new goal to keep her as happy—and as off balance—as she was right now.
“Ready to go now?” I asked.
“No.” She looked panicked. “Do I need to change first?”
“No. You can go just like that. Or you can change into something more comfortable, if you want. You’ll be fine either way. There are all kinds of people there. Suit. Jeans. Whatever.”
“Really?” she asked, looking skeptical.
“Really.”
It was the truth whether she believed me or not. Millionaires. Farmers. Locals. Out of towners. Young, old and in between. They all ate and drank at the MRI.
“Just stay like you are. I’ll grab Stewie. The car seat’s already in my truck.”
“So I guess we’re taking the truck.” She looked less than thrilled at that as she followed me into the house and dropped her bag on the table inside.
“Listen here, missy. Many a city girl has fallen in love in a pick-up truck.”
Her eyes flew wide.
“I meant fallen in love with a pick-up truck.” I shot her a grin