Chapter 28

Azalea’s POV.

So it began, the entire process of moving and settling in yet again. When I told Lynn the news, she had been ecstatic. She truly couldn’t wait, and if anyone was taking the news well, it would be her.

While I was still a little torn about leaving this place, Lynn was already excited for her next adventure. She was worried about not seeing Ada as often, but the moment she heard Ada would be close to her other grandkids often, she was at ease. Lynn spent the entire week with Nerissa; that’s one person she’d definitely miss. Nerissa obviously wouldn’t be moving at all.

We had all the important things packed and shipped off already. Jakob had presented me with three small and different houses. I was free to pick whichever I wanted, and I picked the one with the best neighborhood for Lynn and a decent backyard. Lynn was excited. Despite the house being small, it was still bigger than the apartment we lived in.

Lynn was currently playing with Nerissa, and I snuck off to call Lucas. I had yet to tell him about my new job.

“Hello, Azzie, hold on,” Lucas said, and there was rustling in the background. “Yes, sorry I was busy fixing a door. How have you been?” He spoke clearer now.

“I’ve been doing great. Is everything okay with you?” I asked, starting to prepare lunch.

“Besides this door nearly collapsing on me? I’ve been doing a-okay,” Lucas joked, and I couldn’t help but smile a little.

“I’m glad to hear that,” I hummed.

“I’m happy to hear your voice again. You blew me off last week,” Lucas mentioned. He has been the greatest at keeping contact. “Hectic week?” he then asked, and I felt guilty for not telling him about my major changes in life.

“No, I was busy packing up and getting things in order,” I confessed.

“Are you moving?”

“I am,” I confirmed, and I could hear the hope in his voice, hope I’d shatter.

“Sunset Trails?” Lucas then asked after a moment of silence.

“No, silly, I’m moving to Dallas,” I said jokingly to lessen the pain of denying his wishes.

“Dallas? What does Dallas have?” Lucas asked with genuine confusion in his tone.

“A better job lined up,” I laughed.

“I understand, you must do what you must for your little girl,” Lucas replied simply, being so damn understanding. “How is she, by the way?” he asked about Lynn like he always does. It was a shame that the one man who accepted both me and my daughter was so many miles away and refusing to leave the Belt.

Lucas and I spoke for about an hour before I had to end the call. I went ahead and prepared the girls their lunches, then dropped them off at Ada’s since I had to go by the club to hand in the club-issued tablet Dante had given me.

I arrived at the club and instantly went to Dante’s office. I knocked on the door before being let in.

“Azalea, you came,” Dante said, leaning back in his chair. He seemed stressed out, his hair was a mess, and there were bags under his eyes.

“I still needed to hand this in,” I said, placing the tablet on his desk.

“I’m disappointed to see this. If there was a problem, you should’ve said so,” Dante said in a snarky manner.

“I did say so. I mentioned how I wanted that promotion for a while now, and you made empty promises,” I reminded him as gently as possible. “All is well, though. You found your dream employee, and I found something else,” I shrugged it off. It was a win-win situation.

“Something else? Don’t lie. You couldn’t have found something better,” Dante doubted with a disgusting smirk on his face.

“Excuse me?” I scoffed.

“You’ll come begging again, and this time, if you want a job, it will be with the pole and not behind the bar,” Dante replied.

“You’re such a fucking asshole. I can truly see why your life went to shambles all those years ago,” I said. I never once spoke rudely to him before. There’s a first for everything, I suppose. I knew it was wrong to remind him of the divorce that almost cost him everything, but it was worth it to see the pain flashing in his eyes at that moment.

With that, I stormed out. Dante had never been this way before. I knew he was a bit more passive-aggressive when he was stressed, and perhaps this was one of those moments. However, I had enough, and him passing me for the promotion was one thing, but to doubt that I wasn’t capable of more? That was another.

“Azalea, wait,” Callie caught up with me.

“What’s up?” I smiled.

“Do you have to go?” She pouted. She was actually sweet, and I would miss her.

“My daughter needs me. I have to put her first,” I admitted.

“I understand. Jennie is just a fucking mess,” Callie groaned. I could tell Jennie wasn’t doing her job properly because half the shelves were empty, the club would open in an hour, and nothing was done as it should be. Most importantly, I noticed everyone had a sour mood.

“She’s been here for less than a month, and she managed to make us lose two dancers and a handful of clients,” Callie whispered to me, and I could only shrug.

“I’m sorry, Callie, but you know this job wasn’t meant to be forever,” I reminded her.

“I know. Take care, and I can’t wait to finish college and leave this job,” Callie sighed and gave me a good hug before we parted ways.

With that, I went back home. Clara came over, and we got the girls ready at my place to send them over to Ada for a sleepover. In the meantime, Clara and I had some wine, and pizza, and watched a nice movie together. Clara, I’d certainly miss like Lynn would miss Nerissa.

The day finally came to leave. Lynn had never been on a plane before, much less a private jet. Jakob had made all the arrangements for us, and I wasn’t to complain about anything. Lynn didn’t like the flying too much and stayed curled up in my lap the entire time, but it was okay.

The moment we landed, she was out of that jet and headed outside for fresh air and enjoying the sun kissing her delicate skin. She was quite adorable.

Jakob was already there and had Roberts with him too. Roberts was the one to drive us to the house we’d be staying at. The pictures hadn’t done the home any justice. We had a lovely yard and a cute white picket fence, and beyond those fences lay the most beautiful home. It was a simple two-story house with a nice porch.

“These are the keys to your house,” Roberts handed over one set of keys. “These are for the car, and Jakob will make arrangements to sell the one back in Philadelphia,” he then handed me the ones to the car. The car was a typical sedan, perhaps the latest model but nothing too fancy. Jakob respected my wishes.

“Thank you so much,” I smiled. Nothing could tear this smile away, especially when I saw just how happy it made my girl.

“Enjoy this, Azalea. I know you must deserve it,” Roberts patted my back.

Lynn and I entered the house, and we were enamored right away. The mudroom was adorable with the wooden plank detailing, the stunning pale blue wood kitchen, and the cozy living room.

My room was plain, but I knew that once I’d unpack, it would feel more like home. As for Lynn’s room, Jakob must’ve decorated it because the walls were baby pink and blue, there were gifts of dolls and horses, plushies on the bed, country-themed curtains and bedding, and a cute horse rug. This room screamed Lynn.

“Mommy, I love this place already! Thank you for making us come here,” Lynn hugged me tightly. I had never seen my daughter as happy as I did just now, and that smile on her face assured me that I made the right move.

***

And it was indeed the right move. It’s been well over seven months since I started working with Jakob. He was honest about being my mentor, and I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor. I’ve learned so much more about business with him.

In the months that had passed, Ada had already come to visit, Lynn made some new friends, and she also made friends on the farms and would go horse riding every day. She was in a great private school here, courtesy of Jakob.

I was flourishing at my new position, and most importantly, I felt as if I were home on the farms. My skin was sun-kissed again, and my body was getting toned again. Despite having a management role, I was still involved in the day-to-day life on the farm.

As of right now, I was making my way into the office after a long business meeting led by me alone. I was excited to head back to work, then I’d catch up with Lynn on the track. This job had many perks, but as I rose up, there was a bit of a downside. There were many rumors spread around, especially when I’d spent time with Jakob. Some assumed I was his illegitimate daughter. That hurt him because he’d never cheat on his wife. For me, it was the rumors about me being his sugar baby that disgusted me, but luckily, that story died down quickly.

“Mr. Tattlington wants to see you in his office,” Andrew said with a smirk. He was an assistant and a mean one at that. He had

never once treated me with kindness since I came. I’m not sure what the man’s problem is, but I tried to ignore him most of the time.