At close to dinner time, her phone rang. Hope spurted inside her before she glanced at the screen. She tried not to let disappointment cloud her voice when she answered.
“Brody, how’s it hanging?”
Brody Roth was a top engineer at NASA, and the lead for her comet analysis project Avery would be working with when the Morgan Comet neared Earth.
“Hey gorgeous. I just got some of the latest calculations you sent my way, and they are fantastic. The team is already getting all the models put together, and I think you are going to love what we’ve gotten prepared so far.”
“Good. I’m glad they’ll work out,” she replied.
“One of these days, I will convince you to run away with me.”
“I’m sure your wife would love that. What can I do for you?”
“Besides crush my dreams? I have no idea where you are in the world right now, but if you had time for a quick visit to Houston, we could run some tests on the programs we created specially for the Morgan Comet, and that would be awesome. I’d need you here a day, maybe two, at most. You think you could carve out some time?”
“You’re in luck, my good man. I’m in Colorado for another ten days, then I have an event in Vegas I cannot avoid or change. However, once I get past that weekend in Vegas, I could make a stop in your neck of the woods. I’ll have to rearrange my arrival date for Bermuda, but it would be better to get it done before I head there for two months.”
“Fantastic. Email me the dates if you would, and I’ll make sure your credentials are waiting for you at security.”
“Will do. Give your wife a kiss for me.”
“Later, gorgeous.”
“Ciao.” She hung up, brought up the dates on her calendar, and shot Brody an email. There was a great hotel near NASA in Houston which she booked for a few days, adding two extra just in case there were any issues with the testing. Then she notified the Airbnb place she was renting in Bermuda to give them the change in her arrival date, and sent off an email to her pilots who flew the family jet to make sure they were aware of the changes—that way, they could get the departures and arrivals all cleared through the FAA.
The Morgan family had two private jets. Avery’s grandma had designated one for her exclusive use. It definitely made travelling more convenient. Although, she would have to leave her trusty SUV behind at the penthouse in Vegas.
She wondered if she could convince Colt to travel with her to Bermuda, even for just a week or two. He seemed ripe for adventure, like he was only searching for the right place and time to head off. And perhaps, even if he wasn’t looking for complications, they could continue to enjoy one another’s company for a while longer than her stay in Colorado.
Checking the time, she headed inside to fix some dinner before getting herself set up for another night of watching the stars.
She would love to have Colt come with her. All she had to do was figure out the right time to ask him.
8
On Tuesday morning, Colt sat at his desk across from his baby sister, Amber, in his office. The two of them glared at one another. He loved Amber. She was a decade his junior, smart as a whip, and full of life. They shared similar features: the shape of their eyes, the way they tilted their heads to the right a bit when they were studying a problem. But that was where the resemblance ended. She looked like a younger version of their mom, with her sable hair and eyes the color of smoke. And unlike the rest of the workers on the ranch, Amber wasn’t in jeans and a flannel, but wearing a pantsuit the color of eggshells, and bright red heels.
Amber gestured with the file in her hand. “I’m telling you, Colt, these changes will make the ranch run much smoother and faster. The computer systems we are currently working on are ancient, we’re talking dinosaurs bound for extinction old. We run the risk of the entire system crashing and, because it’s as old as it is, there won’t be any tech support to help get it back up and running. We could lose all our files.”
“I understand your concerns, Amber, but everyone knows the current system and how it works. Are you calculating the time needed to train the staff on the new system, or the downtime should any hiccups arise—which, when it comes to technology, always happens?”
She pegged him with a frosty glare. “Of course I have. Do you think I’m stupid? Look, I realize that you are mired in doing things the old fashioned way like the stubborn stick in the mud you are, but I’m telling you, I have researched the numbers backwards and forwards. In the long run, this new system will save both time and money. I have it all outlined in my prospectus with charts, graphs, and spreadsheets. I know I got the position of VP because I’m your sister and an Anderson. I understand that. But I’ve also gone to school to train to help you run things, to cover for you if need be. Not that it ever happens, because you never leave. I realize it’s been the tradition to pass the business on to the men in this family. And I say it’s outdated, sexist, and am willing to prove I can do just as good of a job running the company as you. In fact, I bet I could do it better.”
Colt studied his sister, and the fierce determination that emanated off her. She wasn’t wrong, on multiple accounts. It was tradition that the company was handed over to the men in the family. As much as he loved this place, it was also a chain around his neck, keeping him attached to the land and the ranch. Perhaps he was being short-sighted about the new technology and programs Amber wanted to have installed. If Colt wanted to lessen his load a bit, it was time he trusted his sister with more responsibility, even if that meant bucking tradition. Tradition didn’t mean squat if they were both unhappy with their roles.
Besides, meeting Avery had stirred up an unrelenting desire to visit and experience places beyond the borders of Silver Springs Ranch. And he wasn’t talking about a cattle drive, or trip into Denver for the Rodeo, or up to Montana.
He’d never seen the ocean. The ranch was a demanding mistress, with multiple working parts. And he was responsible for overseeing it all.
He hated to play devil’s advocate, but it had to be pointed out. “You’ve also not lived on the ranch for a few years, Amber. You don’t know all the ranch personnel any longer. And you are, in fact, a woman. It doesn’t bother me one bit, but some of the older ranch hands might buck at a woman supervising their jobs.”
“Well, they will have to get used to it. It’s the twenty-first century, and women are no longer barefoot and pregnant all the time as the only viable career path. I’ve been getting to know all the new workers. Are you going to be an asshole on this? Because if you are, I want to sell my shares so I can buy my own freaking place and compete with Silver Springs.”
“You would do that?”
“Why not? If you and Dad are going to keep me out of things, why should I stay? Family loyalty? That works both ways, bro. You’re not the only one who grew up on this ranch and knows it inside and out. I love this place as much as you do. The only difference between us is I’ve got girl parts. Here are all the numbers I put together.” She handed him a thick file. “Just promise me you will review what I put together before you write it off altogether. And then, if you don’t like what is laid out, turn my idea down.”