Fire and Ice: Rekindled (The Fire and Ice Series Book 2) by Kiara Delaney Read Free Book Online Page B

I've seen first hand what can happen when you
blindly put your trust into others.

 
    While Jim and I negotiated the aspects of my new ownership,
I took my last couple of months in Reno to polish my management skills. I knew
I'd have to up my game once I stepped into the role of owner, so I asked my
boss for more responsibility. I took over scheduling and overseeing the
employees, as well as putting in more hours. The added hours were nothing new
to me, but keeping a lid on my typical aggression when my co-workers fucked up
took some getting used to.

 
    Taking a queue from the owner, I learned I'd catch more
flies with honey. Jumping down their throats for every little mistake would
only give them cause to tell me to go fuck myself and walk out the door,
leaving me high and dry. There were more than a dozen other clubs they could
easily find themselves working in by the next day, so I knew the key to
approaching my newfound leadership would be to use finesse.

 
    Reeling in my temper took some effort, but I knew I couldn't
step in for Jim with a guns blazing attitude. As it stands now, based on my
does-not-play-well-with-others past, I'll be surprised if half of Jim's workers
stick around, and I have a pretty good idea of who'll be the first to go. In
fact, maybe it's for the best.

 
    ******

 
    Hailey

 
    The past couple of months haven't proven to be easy, but
I've gotten a lot of support from my friends and co-workers, and Michael always
seems to be there to step in on days that are particularly difficult. He has an
innate ability to sense when I'm at my breaking point, and has such an easy way
about him. Talking with him is like talking with an old friend. He's always
able to break down my defenses.

 
    I only have one semester left to complete in the fall until
I graduate with my degree in psychology, and if I've absorbed even half of what
I've learned from him, I believe I'll have a real shot at helping others the
way he has helped me. Sure, he's a great professor, but I can't help to think
of the way he connects with people in need, and how many could benefit from him
practicing, as opposed to teaching. I guess I should consider myself lucky;
I've learned from an amazing teacher, and have been at the receiving end of
some much needed pro bono therapy. Thanks to Michael, I have the best of both
worlds.

 
    Work has been...well, work. I do my best when I walk through
the doors to put on a happy face for the customers, but I know my crew can see
right through me. They still walk on eggshells around me, even though I've
assured them I'm ready to move on. I certainly can't just stay holed up in a
bubble, playing the grieving widow for the rest of my life, and the optimist in
me honestly believes there's somebody out there for me. Not that I'm about to
go and put an ad on Craigslist, but I'm open for possibilities...someday. My
adopted mantra from Michael is, 'You are exactly where you're supposed to be'.
If I learned anything from my short time with Jordan, it's that love happens
when you least expect it, and everything happens for a reason.

 
    ******

 
    Kellan

 
    Jim has been gracious enough to let me stay at his place,
rent free, for as long as I need to. Considering I'm not one to take charity,
and he's too pig-headed to let me pay him, I'll be looking for some new digs as
soon as I get settled in.

 
    I set out early yesterday, and made good time, arriving at
Jim's late in the afternoon. As I pulled into his driveway, I couldn't help but
feel a little out of place as I studied my surroundings. The place had a homey
feel, complete with the proverbial white picket fence, manicured lawn, and
perfectly cared for flowers and shrubs lining the perimeter of the small, one
story house. The wooden porch gracing the front of the home housed a neatly
hung porch swing, and I envisioned Jim and Gail gliding back and forth, as they
sipped tea in the late afternoons, doting over their daughter as she