Page 125 of Downpour

She let out a low growl and turned back to the schedule. “Anyway. Red blocks are for exclusive arena rental. You’ll need to time them far enough apart to clean the arena between riders and set up the obstacles that are requested. They’ll show up with their own coaches and trailers if we’re not boarding the animal for them. You just need to be present and check in occasionally, during the rental period. Green blocks are?—”

She snapped her head to Ray when he hunched over to peer at the screen. “Dear god,what?”

“Seriously, how much longer? It’s already a quarter till seven.”

Cassandra pinched the bridge of her nose. “You of all people should know that the ranch isn’t a nine-to-five. Didn’t you grow up here?”

He leaned back and laced his hands behind his head.

“Anyway,” she said with a huff. “The green blocks are for ranch-led individual lessons. For the time being, you need Christian or CJ with you until they’re ready to kick you out of the nest. So, make sure you ask them before you schedule lessons. Yellow blocks are for?—”

“Field trips,” I said, recalling what we had talked about earlier in the day. “No more than two a month, with a max capacity of thirty kids per field trip. And I need another ranch hand or Griffith present for crowd control.”

Cassandra blinked for a moment. She seemed a little surprised I had gotten that right. “That’s correct. You could even get Nate or Becks or Claire and Silas if they’re willing. Just an extra body.”

“What about?—”

“Silence,” Cassandra snapped at Ray.

He snickered and went back to playing on his phone.

“Phase one is handling reservations individually. Once the program is up and running and we have enough cash flow to warrant it, we’ll find some kind of online scheduling software so people can reserve time on their own.”

Cassandra clicked around and showed me how to add and edit reservations to the calendar and where to find them in the grand scheme of the ranch’s master calendar.

Seeing all those time blocks made my head spin, but I liked the challenge.

I let out a slow breath. “I hope I don’t mess it up.”

Cassandra was stern. “You will not fail.”

“But what if I accidentally?—”

She grabbed my shoulders and turned my rolling desk chair to face her. “You will not fail. Do you understand?”

Okay. My new boss was officially scarier than my old one.

“Yes, ma’am,” I squeaked.

Christian laughed as he strolled into the office. “She hates that. Just so you know.”

Cassandra nodded. “Don’t call me ma’am and I won’t fire you… Today.”

Ray chuckled, and I rolled my eyes. “You two are peas in a pod,” I muttered as I hunched forward to play around with the calendar.

“What are y’all still doing in here?” Christian said as he came up behind Cassandra. “It’s quarter till’ seven.”

“Anyone without boobs has to leave!” she shouted. “Out!”

“Oh cool. I can stay,” Bree said from the doorway. “When’s dinner? It’s almost seven.”

“That’s it,” Cassandra said as she slammed her hands on the desk. “You’re off the clock. Go home.”

Ray, Bree, and Christian shared conspiratorial grins. He wiggled his phone at me and winked.

That man...

“I’ll be here bright and early,” I promised Cassandra.

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