Page 112 of Ours to Lose
The job in Colorado would give me a chance to do all that, just with my roots planted in Colorado instead of Philly.
A faint voice in my head warned that was still the better choice. Not for me, but for my family. That they were safer from me if I was a good distance away. Like Evan had said, at least this time it would be the same country.
Maybe that was the happy middle. I’d get to be closer but not too close. Get some of what I wanted but not all.
Not more than I deserved.
“When do you have to decide by?” Evan asked.
“Coach Dotson and I rescheduled our meeting for tomorrow.” He’d been super understanding about my dad being in the hospital and had enough business in the city to extend his trip a few days.
His reaction made the job look sweeter. A boss who cared about people as much as productivity wasn’t easy to find.
And still, I hesitated. Whether because I was convinced I didn’t deserve something good or just the opposite, I was no longer sure, but I was done trying to figure it out. For today, all I wanted was to be with our dad and not think about it.
Tomorrow would come soon enough.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Aubrey
I stoodalong the wall of windows in the hospital waiting room with my phone to my ear, as out of the way as I could get not to disturb others.
“I know that explanation might not be enough,” the soon-to-be bride said on the other end of the line, “but you’re our first catering choice, and I at least had to try.” It had been her engagement party the food blogger had written that negative review about. It turned out the food blogger was her cousin.
She’d invited him as family, not thinking he’d use the party for his blog. It was only after her maid of honor called her, furious at how he’d taken her comment about her grandmother out of context, that the bride had learned about the article at all.
Apparently, the maid of honor’s grandmother had been a professional chef who usually hated catered events because she found the food either bland, cold, overcooked, all of the above, or simply a variation of the same four dishes there seemed to be at every wedding. The blogger overheard her say the food was something her grandmother would love and, without knowing the full story, took it and ran.
Now the bride was mortified, especially since she and her fiancé had their hearts set on Arden Catering for the reception.
“My cousin willnotbe attending,” she assured me. Someone said something in the background, and she huffed. “Fine, but he’s not eating the food. He can have microwaved chicken nuggets at the kids’ table and blog about that.”
“I’ll have to double-check the calendar to confirm, but I don’t believe we have any other events scheduled for that week,” I told her. “We’d be happy to cater your wedding. I’m honestly thrilled you reached back out.”
I wouldn’t even care if her cousin blogged about it again. It’d be nice to have the chance to change his opinion. Maybe redeem myself and Arden Catering.
The bride let out an audible sigh. “Really? I can’t tell you how much that would mean to us.”
“Really.” Knowing how much they liked the food was satisfying enough. And now that I had Mack on the team, we’d be able to go all out to make it a truly special day. “Let me check the calendar, and I’ll confirm with you by the end of the week. After that, we can talk details.”
“Aubrey, thank you,” she said. “This is such a huge relief.”
Evan appeared at my side and leaned against the window.
“You’re welcome,” I said. “Talk soon.”
“Good news?” Evan asked as I hung up.
“Validation, mostly.” I told him about the blogger mix-up.
He rolled his eyes. “This is why I hate weddings.”
“Food bloggers?”
“A bunch of extended family doing ridiculous shit.”
I chuckled. “But they give you money.”
