Chapter 118 A Life-Altering Decision
Sierra stared at the glowing screen of her cell phone. The message and the photo had been a jolt of cold water to a body that had only just begun to warm itself again. Determined not to be intimidated, she clenched her jaw, lifted the handset, and punched in a number she knew by heart.
“Chloe? It’s Sierra.”
A faint laugh drifted across the Atlantic, bright and unburdened. “Hey, you! How are things going there?”
Sierra imagined the London office and Chloe’s cheerful glow from behind the desk that had been hers for about a month. “Other than clients asking for impossible deadlines, we’re keeping our heads above water. Jonathan says we’re crushing it. We’re getting a pretty solid foundation,” Chloe responded in a chipper tone.
“Nice!” Sierra’s voice crackled with pride. “Sounds like you’re finally getting the kind of traction you deserve. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
“You still having coffee every afternoon with your dreamboat?” Chloe teased.
“We’re just friends,” Sierra objects. She changed the subject quickly. “How about your own little thing with Jonathan?”
“Oh, we’re more than friends,” Chloe responds before giggling.
Sierra exhaled, a breath that seemed to push the dread a little further back. “Hey, I know you are busy and I have an enormous stack in my own inbox, but would you like to hop on a video call later tonight? I miss your friendly face.”
“Absolutely. Chin up, Si,” Chloe replied, the affection in her tone as warm as a blanket.
Just as it did every afternoon, the elevator doors slid open on the ground floor of Aetherium Tower. Sierra stepped out into the familiar hum of the lobby, her stilettos clicking on the marble floor as she crossed to the atrium and the Daily Grind. The smell of freshly ground beans and the soft murmur of other professionals created a cocoon of normalcy. Edwin was already at there corner table with her her mug of coffee sitting beside his. His dark hair was a little disheveled from the wind that had followed him in from the street, a half‑smile played on his lips.
“How’s your day going?” he asked.
“Surviving,” she responded, not wanting to talk about the turmoil inside.
He pushed her mug toward her. “Good time to unwind, then?”
She let the warm ceramic press against her palm, feeling the heat seep into her skin. “Perfect.”
They talked about her upcoming pitch for the boutique hotel chain, about how the new ad concepts were finally coalescing, and eventually wound up talking about the tiny absurdities of city life, like how the pigeons had started forming a little parade outside the subway entrance. Their conversation flowed like the espresso, smooth and bright, and when they finished, Sierra left the shop with a lightness in her step that surprised even her.
Back at her desk, she slipped into her typical rhythm, scanning reports, tweaking copy, and approving budget allocations. Her phone buzzed again, a crisp tone that cut through the low chatter of her work. The caller ID read “William Sterling.”
She connected the call.
“Hey, Sierra,” William’s voice croaked, a rasp that reminded her of the night they’d celebrated her promotion. He sounded older, his once resonant baritone now a thin thread of sound. “I left early today. I’m in the penthouse. Can you come over as soon as you’ve wrapped up for the day?”
Feeling like something big was looming on the horizon, Sierra finished early and hailed a cab for William’s building. The elevator ride felt longer than usual. When the doors opened to the sleek, dimly lit hallway of the Sterling penthouse, a faint smell of sandalwood lingered in the air. William greeted her at the entrance to his living room. She could hear Eleanor puttering about somewhere in the apartment, but she was not in sight.
He settled into a leather armchair that seemed too grand for his frail frame, a king on a throne of pain. The elegant floor lamp beside his chair cast a soft glow over his lined face.
“Sierra,” he croaked, the words coming out like a whisper caught on a cold wind. “The board meets next month. They want to talk about succession. I’ve told them it’s you. But they’re nervous. About Arizona.”
A cold knot tightened in her stomach. She hadn’t expected this… this crossroads, this sudden demand to choose. The image of the ranch’s porch swam in her mind. The lingering taste of cowboy coffee on her tongue.
She steadied her breath, feeling the cadence of her heartbeat in her throat. “Sage Ranch is stable. Cody is managing.”
William studied her, his eyes narrowing as though trying to read the subtext beneath her composed veneer. “You’ve been torn, but you’re going to have to make a choice this time. I hate that it has come to this.”
“I belong here,” she blurted, the words rushing out too quickly, a defensive reflex born of the pressure that had built since her ascent to senior partner. “In Manhattan.”
He smiled sadly, a faint crease forming at the corners of his mouth. “You belong where your heart is. And yours is still split wide open. Think on it clearly. There’s still some time, but you need to know what’s coming.”
The weight of his words settled like dust on her shoulders. “I’ll think about it,” she managed, her voice even, though inside the storm surged.
They exchanged a brief, tight handshake before she turned and left the penthouse. The city night outside was a blur of neon and rain. As she stepped out of the building, the wind kicked up, and for a moment she imagined the desert wind whipping across the sage‑covered expanse of Sage Ranch.
She caught another cab home, her mind a whirl of figures and feelings when she arrived at her building, rode the elevator up to her floor. She opened the door to her modest but stylish apartment, and the moment she stepped inside, her phone buzzed again.
A familiar name lit up the screen: Cody.
“Hey, Si,” his voice full of excitement, surged through the speaker. “We’ve got a new foal! Black as midnight. I’m going to name it Sierra.”
She laughed, the sound bright and free, echoing off the exposed brick wall of her living room. “Why Sierra?”
“‘Cause I think he’ll be a perfect fit for you,” Cody replied, a grin evident even through the audio. “He’s stubborn as a mule but has a heart of gold. You gotta see him for yourself.”
“Sounds amazing,” she said, feeling a swell of affection for her brother’s earnestness. “I’ll try to make it as soon as possible.”
“I’m going to send you a picture,” Cody told her. “Once you see her, you’ll be on the next flight out.”
She hung up, her heart a little fuller, especially after the image of the newborn foal on wobbly legs learning to nurse arrived. Cody was right. She had a sudden urge to catch the next flight home, but she resisted the urge.