Page 21 of Wilde Abandon
She read something in his face.“You wanted to stay there.”
“They were a close family, the five of them, going on six.I didn’t fit in.”
Her heart ached for him.“You do with me.Always.”
He kissed her on the side of the head.“Enough of the bad stuff.Let me tell you about all the kickass stuff that happened to me, because I don’t want you to see me as some poor, left-behind kid.Your dad was right.School was my ticket to success.”
She grinned and listened as he told her about the science competitions he won in high school and college.The scholarships and grants he’d received because her dad pushed him to get a degree.He graduated top of his class with a bunch of job offers but decided to take his business and expand it.
She’d never really thought about self-made people.The term sounded like they’d worked hard, took risks and opportunities, and believed in themselves.But of course they didn’t do it on their own.They had family, friends, colleagues, and mentors along the way.
Yes, Fox had help, but he’d been the driving force to get from nothing to a business with nearly a hundred employees that was profitable and thriving.So much so that Fox had been able to open the center there in Blackrock Falls.
“Why did you open it here and not in Boston?”
“There is one in Boston.It seemed fitting to open one here in Wyoming for kids who won’t find the opportunity I’m offering them anywhere here.I work with social services to identify those in need.There are a lot of them here.Everywhere.”
“Is that what you hope to do?Open one in every state?”
“Wouldn’t that be amazing?There are other foundations that do what we do in some way.There are career counseling centers, and stuff like that.But we train people to do specific jobs that will get them working fast and earn them a good salary, so they can provide for themselves, and then hopefully take those skills and build on them.”
“It’s amazing and necessary.”And she felt like she wasn’t doing enough for her community.Sure, they fed those who couldn’t afford a meal.But that was mostly Lyric’s endeavor.
“Tell me about you.It must be a lot of work to run the bar.”
“What do you mean?”Most people believed she was just a waitress.Though everyone knew she and her sisters and brother owned the bar together.They just thought Aria and Jax ran the bar while Lyric ran the kitchen and catering.Melody was just there.
“You manage all the waitstaff.You’re in charge of setup and cleanup at the bar.You take care of most of the bar’s marketing and social media.Not to mention your side gig.”
Her eyes went wide.“How do you know about that?”
“Your dad.You only talked about waitressing at the bar in our online chats, but you do so much more than just sling drinks.”
“I don’t like that you and he have this whole relationship that I never knew about.”
“I asked him not to tell you.I didn’t want you to worry about me.I didn’t have a lot of good stuff to tell you over the years.”He clenched his hand into a fist.“Every time your dad called, I thought maybe it would be the last time anyway.He didn’t have to do what he did for me.I thought…eventually he’d stop calling and checking up on me.”
“You thought he’d stop caring.You thought I did.”
“I pushed you away.But I knew one day I’d find you again and explain.Until then, you had everything I wanted and I knew you’d be okay.”
She squeezed his arm again.“Except I didn’t have you and that wasnotokay.”
“Your dad is so proud of the business you started.Why do you hide it?”
“I don’t.No one really cares about anything I do.They think I’m just a waitress.”
“You are so much more.The job doesn’t matter.Who you are does.And you have a lot to offer.I’d love it if you came to the center and taught a class on how to set up an Etsy shop and how you run it.I know you could give the students some valuable insight into owning, operating, and marketing a business.”
“What?”She couldn’t believe he wanted her help.
“What?”he asked back, confused.
“Why would you want me?You’ve done all those things with your business.”
“My business is very specific.Yours is creative and caters to a specific clientele, but can be applied to any sort of creative product.”He turned his body toward hers.“How did you get into making custom bridles?”
“My grandfather taught me.I liked hanging out with him in his shop.He’d give me a piece of leather, some tools and stamps, and let me make whatever I wanted.But I liked making the bridles and imagining them on the pretty horses I adored.”