Page 67 of Deception and New Direction

“Look, there are a lot of tough choices you have to make in life.Decidingbetween queso and guacamole should not be one of them,”Ijustified.

Drinks and appetizers arrived, and we dug in like a pair of starved hyenas.

“So, how did the paperwork signing go a couple days ago?”Ellieasked.

Last weekIhad met up withRonaldto begin the process of donating all my inheritance money.Ellie,Cat, andValknew all about the money and everythingRonaldhad filled us in on.

I had decided to split it up between animal charities as well as charities for women and children in domestic violence situations that could help them move to a safer location and get themselves back on their feet in a new town.Ellie, having been in a domestic abuse situation herself, had helped me research a bunch of places for this and made sure we could help as many women and children as possible.

Cat andValhad both asked ifIwanted to maybe save a little for myself for a down payment on a house or something.Ihad thought about that, along with a few other things, butIrealizedIdidn’t need it.Afew months ago,Ihadn’t even realizedIwas getting this money.Ihad a great job, a nice apartment—not that it was being used at the moment—and realizedIhadn’t wanted for anything beforeIknew about the money.Itried offering some toArcherto expand the business.Itold him it was like an investment in the company, but he told me he didn’t need it and to do whateverIwanted with it instead.

I also hoped that ifIno longer had the money, my father andMalwould leave me alone.Iexplained all of that to her.

“It went well,”ItoldEllie. “Itwas a lot of paperwork.I’mnot kidding you whenItell youIthinkIsigned eighty pieces of paper.”

She laughed a little, nodding. “Oh,Ibelieve it.”

“ButI’mhappy it’s done,”Isaid. “Itfeels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and hopefully it will keep my dad andCreepyMcCreepfaceMalaway from me.”

“I’m happy for you,” she said, smiling at me. “Ialso can’t believeIever thought you were an introvert.”

I chuckled at her assessment of me when she first met me.Elliewas the first friendIhad made afterImoved toGeorgia.Priorto meeting her,Ihadn’t really opened myself up to making friends becauseIwasn’t even sure ifIwould stay here long-term.

“I remember whenIfirst met you at theRangerShieldoffice the first dayIcame to town.Youwere so shy and soft-spoken.”SheandIboth chuckled, thinking back on that memory.

“With everything that had happened inVegasright beforeImoved here,Iwas trying to lie low,”Iexplained to her. “Plus,Ididn’t wantArcherto regret giving me the job, soIjust dove into the career and put all my focus into doing a great job and not on making friends or really doing anything for myself.”

BecauseArcherandIoften rode to work together since we lived in the same apartment building, he had noticedIwas only ever going to and from work.Nothingelse.Hewas the one who got me into the self-defense classes.

I knew it was just to get me out of the house, butIalso really enjoyed them.Itgave me a little bit of my confidence back thatIhad lost afterMal’sarrest and the investigation into my family’s business.

Then, whenElliemoved here, we started taking those classes together.Notonly had we both needed those classes, but it also built up our friendship.

“Are you excited to be free of your boot soon?”Ellieasked me as she devoured her quesadilla.

“Yes,”Itold her honestly. “Itcan’t come soon enough.MostlyImiss going to the gym.”

“I do miss our hikes, and our self-defense classes, butIcan’t sayImiss anything else at the gym,”Ellieresponded and giggled a little at that admission.

“I do miss those, butIalso miss running on the treadmill while getting lost in an audiobook,”Iexplained. “It’smy favorite way to exercise.”

“My favorite exercise is a cross between a lunge and a crunch,”Ellieinformed me. “It’scalled lunch, and we’re doing it right now.”

We both laughed at her ridiculous joke and finished off our food and margaritas.

I’d sentJacka text a few minutes earlier letting him know we’d just gotten our food and would be ready in about thirty minutes.

After we ate, we paid the bill and decided to wait forJackon the bench in front of the restaurant.Wewere leaned back, soaking in the sun, and uncomfortably full of cheese.

We both waved lazily whenJackpulled up in front of the restaurant.

He rolled down the window. “Howmany margaritas did you two have?”

“Bro, you can’t ask that,”Elliescoffed, offended he would inquire. “That’slike asking a woman how old she is.That’spersonal information.”

Jack shook his head, butIsaw the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth as he got out and opened the passenger door for us. “Youtwo look like you had a good time.”

“We did,”Elliesaid solemnly. “Mexicanfood is good for the soul.”

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