CHAPTER 30
In the end, the hacking cost the ranch a hundred grand. Although Brodie assured her that Cash and Weston were using all their sources to track the culprit, three weeks had passed and still no leads.
But surprisingly, the lawsuit against her and Royal Fountain had been dropped. And she hadn’t even had to talk to Jamey’s brother the lawyer. Then to her absolute shock, Kate had called her and promised to perform at the concert, telling her she’d go public with her appearance and use it to launch an EP with four new songs, giving all the proceeds to the ranch. Proceeds from those sales alone might recoup the lost funding from the donors she’d lost.
Emma sat listlessly scrolling job postings on LinkedIn. The lodge was quiet at the moment, but with guests arriving in a few hours for the poker tournament and concert the following day, Brodie and Jamey had asked her to move back to her room at the Big House. It wasn’t that she didn’t love the Big House. She adored Blake and Maddie and little Henry. Even her half-brother Simon, who lived at the ranch nearly full-time now. They were great. But they functioned like a family. She swallowed down the painful lump that lodged itself deep in her throat.
For a brief moment, she’d allowed herself to dream. To believe that a family like theirs might be in her future. But the fantasy had dissipated with a poof. She clicked on a job posting in New York City. She was qualified, and the salary was good. She had infinite connections in NYC, most of them from her time at Barnard, and removed from her celebrity as Kansas City’s newest porn star.
Alex had been a champ, hiring an assistant specifically to troll the internet for new video postings and then immediately sending out take-down notices. But the effort was more like whack-a-mole. Eventually the chatter would die down. But until then, she had no choice but to avoid all of the spring fundraisers and galas she’d attended in the past.
She closed the tab with a sigh and snapped the laptop shut. Who was she kidding? She loved visiting her friends in New York, loved visiting, but she didn’t want to live there. It was too far away from her family. She’d miss Henry’s first time on a pony by himself. Or when Blake started him in pee-wee soccer. Or sheep wrangling at the county fair.
Jamey breezed in from the kitchen, a determined expression on her face, holding a bottle of liquor. Behind her followed Lydia Grace and Emmaline carrying glasses, Luci Cruz carrying a plate of her famous tamales, and her sister-in-law Hope. Jamey set the bottle down in front of her with a thunk. “Time for you to stop mooning around the lodge like a lovesick puppy.”
Emma’s spine snapped straight. “I’m not a lovesick puppy.”
Jamey’s answering look said otherwise. “So you’ll admit to mooning then?”
Emma answered with a ghost of a smile. “Maybe a little.”
Jamey unscrewed the cap and began pouring. “Twelve-year Redbreast. Magic of the Leprechauns. Also known as the crisis bottle.” She passed the glasses of amber liquid to each of the women.
“We might not be able to help Sterling pull his head out of his ass, but I bet the men will take care of that.”
“But how do you? I don’t understand.”
Lydia scoffed. “Puhleeze, Emma. Anyone who saw the two of you even look at each other could tell something was up.”
“But we’re here today to talk about you. About your future. With or without Cowboy McDouchebag.”
“He’s not a douchebag,” Emma snapped.
“No?” Jamey’s eyes grew fierce. “Well, he’s going to have to work hard to get back into my good graces.”
“Mine too,” Hope added.
Emma raised a hand. “Whoa, whoa guys. Sterling has baggage, and until he works through that, he’s not good for anyone, least of all himself. I’m a big girl. I jumped in where maybe I shouldn’t have. But don’t be mean to him when you see him tomorrow. Please? Don’t make this any harder than it already is.”
Emmaline cleared her throat. “Can we get back to the more important discussion? How to help Em?”
“Right,” Jamey said, lifting her glass. “Cheers to you Em. You’ve helped all of us improve our businesses this spring.”
Emmaline nodded vigorously. “It never even occurred to me that people would want to come to me for my dress designs.” She looked at the other women. “Outside of Prairie, I mean. I have a waiting list for wedding dresses for this summer.”
Emma’s face flushed. “Really? That’s wonderful news.”
“That wouldn’t have happened without you, Emma. So, thanks.”
“Have you ever thought about starting your own agency?” asked Hope. “I mean, look at all of us. We’re all women, and all small business owners. We could use someone like you in our corner. Especially with your connections outside of Prairie.”
Lydia piped up. “I think we could all help each other. Emma and I both have connections in New York.”
“As do I, and in Paris and Chicago,” added Jamey. “If you helped us with marketing and publicity, together our connections could help so many others. I mean, have you tasted a tamale as good as this?” She gestured to the plate Luci had brought in.
Something sparked to life deep inside Emma. “When I first became an Athena Scholar, I knew I wanted to run my own business someday. I just didn’t know what. I don’t have the talent you women do. I’m not an artist.”
Lydia made a disbelieving noise in the back of her throat. “You don’t think marketing is an art? I beg to differ. I might make a sexy pair of boots, but what good is that if the world doesn’t know about them? Or get excited about them?”
The other women nodded their agreement.
“Main Street is reopening tomorrow,” Luci said. “And it’s more important than ever that those businesses thrive. You could help all of us.”
“But I can’t work at the kitchen table. I’d need an office.”
Jamey smirked. “Too bad you don’t have three older brothers to wrap around your finger and build you what you need on the property.”
“There are a couple of vacant bunkhouses on my family’s property,” Hope suggested. “I could talk to Dad and Gunn, I’m sure they’d let you use one while you get up and running.”
“I’m probably going to have to sell my condo now that I’m unemployed. But I could use the equity as seed money.” A thrill of excitement set her blood pumping. She could see herself doing this. “Maybe even rent an office on Main.”
Emmaline clapped her hands. “Ooh. What about the vacant space next to my dress shop? I don’t know that anything’s gone in there yet. And there’s an apartment above it.”
“Mom will know who owns that building,” Lydia said.
“Who has a napkin?” Emma asked, an idea popping into her head. Luci pushed a notebook and pen across to her with a smile. “I was hoping I’d hear you say that.”
Emma tapped the pen, then opened to a blank page and began to sketch. When she was finished, she turned the paper around.
Em+Power
“Em-Power Creative. Media solutions for the modern age.”
Lydia clapped her hands. “Love. It.”
“I’ll toast to that.” Jamey grinned, raising her glass.
“For now, I’ll focus my energy on women-owned companies.”
“You’ll have more business than you can handle,” crowed Luci. “I just know it.”
Confidence surged through Emma as she looked around the table. She did too.