Page 22 of The Seven Rings
“Yeah, I made it through that storm.” Reaching down, she gave Yoda a rub. “We did. Now I’ve got a lot of unexpected work to do. Good for me! Calls first, Clover. I need to get Trey’s mom and her camera on board.”
But she stayed as she was another moment, eyes closed. Because she could see it. See how she’d work the series.
In sports, in life, Ryder’s got you.
She pulled up her contacts and started making calls.
Halfway through, Yoda gave her The Look.
“Okay, I’ll let you out. I need another caffeine boost anyway.”
She let him out the front, then wound her way back to the kitchen.
A ball sat on the island, and made her laugh.
“Fine with me, Jack.”
She got a Coke, and after tossing the ball outside where she knew Jack and Yoda would play fetch until the dog was worn out, she went back up to work.
And sent a text to both Trey and Owen. It seemed smart not to phrase it as a request, but a fait accompli.
Ryder’s decided to expand on the visual campaign. More photos! Which Corrine will take. And she’ll work out the schedule to suit everyone. Meanwhile, I’ll need your sizes. Shoes, pants, shirts. I promise, it’ll be painless. And you get to keep the gear!
Setting her phone aside, she made the next contact by email.
Glanced at her phone when it signaled.
Owen’s response was:
Come on, man. Seriously?
She just smiled, wrote the email. And Trey’s came through.
Why are you doing this to me?
She sent the email, then answered both texts together.
Yes, my favorite cousin, seriously—free shoes! And you both did this to yourselves by being so handsome and photogenic. And to thank you, I’ll learn how to make another manly meal suitable for summer.
Owen came back fast.
Pulled pork sandwiches, hand-cut fries, roasted corn on the cob. Strawberry shortcake.
If you think I can be bought with a meal, Trey responded,you’re probably right.
Done. Saturday!
Without a clue what all that meant, she texted Cleo.
Can you see if your mom or grand-mère have recipes for pulled pork, hand-cut fries, roasted corn on the cob, and strawberry shortcake? If not, I’ll try Bree, my mom, or Mr. Google. Then can you pick up what we need for all of it? For four people. I’ll explain later.
They have recipes for everything. Pye and I just finished our lovely sail. I want to hear the explanation. Home in a couple hours.
Sonya acknowledged with a heart emoji, then went back to work.
Once she finished setting up the new Ryder project, she shifted back to other clients.
Who knew that less than a year since starting her own business, she’d have an actual client list? And work, a nice flow of it, that challenged and satisfied.
