Page 164 of Love Me Reckless

Surpriseflashes to anger inside me. “Then what the hell was yesterday?”

“I can’t say. It makes no sense. A mix-up, likely.”

I stare him down. He’s not fucking with me, right? “So… I’m not fired?”

“Nay.” He shakes his head.

My knees feel rubbery, so I lower into the chair.

McTavish points a finger at me. “Plus ye’ve left a mess up in that engine room and one of the snowmaking station’s foamed into a frozen lump.”

“Uh, right. That’s on me.”

“See to it that it gets taken care of tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir.”

He offers his hand, and somehow I find my feet so I can stand up and shake it.

“I wasn’t gonna let yeh go without a fight, Reed.”

I lock eyes with him. “Thank you. That means a lot.”

When I step out of the office, the envelope stuffed in my back pocket, the garage is full of my crew. This is weird. Everyone should have left already.

Cheers and whistles erupt from my crew of Men in Black, creating a roar of sound that hurts my ears. I’m pulled into man hugs and slapped on the back.

Emotion lodges in my throat as a bright sense of belonging rips through me… Is this real?

Carson and Brody grab my arms and legs and with the help of the rest, lift me into the air. I’m laughing and terrified as they spin me around.

“Put me down before you hurt yourselves!” I cry over their noisy cheering.

Finally, I land on my feet. I get more hugs and high fives as we file into the hallway to the outside. The cold air is a shock, but the lowering sun carries a hint of warmth, like a promise.

Smiling like a fool, I offer to give Carson and Brody a lift to their vehicles in the employee lot below.

“I didn’t believe it for a second,” Carson says once we’re underway.

“Glad to have you back,” Brody adds, clapping me on the shoulder from the back seat.

“Who was that guy you met?” Carson asks.

“Jonah Burgess,” I say. “His daughter had that medical emergency.”

“No shit?” Carson says. “Whoa.”

“Wait, you know him?” I ask.

“Not personally.” He gives me a look. “You’ve never heard of Burgess Energy?”

“No,” I say.

“His family started the first byproduct recycling business, and it’s grown into a worldwide industry. They make biofuels, animal feed, building material… all kinds of stuff from agricultural byproducts. He’s probably worth billions.”

“He looks like he walked out of a Filson store.”

“Yeah, he’s a big fly fisherman too.”

---