Page 125 of Make Her Mine

“Well, I didn’t actually ask you here to talk about Graham,” Margot says. “I mean…well, it’s adjacent I guess.”

I frown and lean in further. “Are you pregnant?” I ask in a whisper.

She frowns and looks around quickly. “No. Harlow!”

“What? I’m trying to figure out what adjacent means.”

“If you can be patient for two minutes, I’ll tell you,” Margot says with an eye roll.

Just then, Lizzie, one of the teenagers who waitresses here part-time, comes to the table. “Hi! What can I get you?”

We both order our usuals and wait until she brings our drinks back. Then I say, “Okay, spill it.”

“I’m…getting a new job,” Margot says after a deep breath.

I straighten. “Really? I didn’t know you were looking for something else.”

The thing about small town Nebraska, as much as I love it and find it charming and cozy, is that the jobs are somewhat limited.

“What’s the job?”

“You know that new company that’s coming to town to partner with IAS?” she asks.

I nod. “I know a little about it.”

As much as anyone else in town who has read the city council’s meeting notes that are published on the Sapphire Falls website. IAS is Jefferson’s dad’s company, and they do a lot with agriculture. The new company is a green energy company. They are based in Colorado, but they’re partnering with IAS on a project and will have an office here.

“I’m going to be an executive assistant with them,” Margot says.

My eyes widen. “That’s amazing. Good for you!”

She smiles, clearly proud. “In Denver.”

Those two words take a little time to sink in. “Excuse me?”

She takes a deep breath, straightens, then leans in, resting her elbows on the table. She meets my gaze directly. “They actually offered me the job here in Sapphire Falls. But they also have a position open in Denver. And I started thinking, if they like me enough for the job here, maybe they’d give me the job in Denver. And they did.”

I stare at her. “If they gave you the job here, why do you want to go to Denver?” As soon as I say it out loud, I realize that’s a really dumb question. “Oh, Graham.”

But she shakes her head quickly. “Actually, I applied for the job and got it before I knew anything was going to happen with Graham. He’s kind of just a perk. The sprinkles on top. I wanted to see if maybe I could do something outside of Sapphire Falls. Just to…try something new.”

My stomach knots. This sounds so familiar. “I didn’t know you wanted to try something new.”

“I love Sapphire Falls,” she says. “You know that. But it’s a good feeling to know that someone somewhere else wants me too. And I just want to see what it’s like. To live somewhere bigger, different. It’s like a new pair of shoes. It doesn’t mean I don’t like my favorite pair and want to wear them again. But a new pair can be fun sometimes too.”

I swallow and nod. “And you can’t wear two pairs of shoes at the same time.”

She reaches across the table and. “I have no idea if I’ll like Denver. It might not work out. It might be terrible. The new shoes might pinch my feet or look terrible with all of my outfits. But it’s like Jefferson said, if I don’t try it, I’ll always wonder. And Sapphire Falls is a fabulous place to come home too. It’s always here. It’s always home.”

My throat feels thick. “Jefferson said that?”

She smiles. “Yeah. And he would know right?”

“Yeah.” My voice sounds funny. “He would know.”

Our food arrives and we eat while she tells me about the job. It’s Executive Assistant to the CEO of the company. It sounds incredible. She’ll be making a lot of money, even though living in Denver will cost a ton more than Sapphire Falls. They are going to help her find an apartment and get settled.

Apparently, I am only the second person she’s told. After Jefferson.

---