Read Online Beginning of Forever (Heaven Hill #7) by Laramie Briscoe - Free Book Online
Authors: Laramie Briscoe
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cut off. After she’d said yes to Tyler about a mini-vacation for their family and he’d gotten it approved from Liam, she’d started doing things at CRISIS so she could take a few days off. They had decided they would leave after work on Thursday and head down to Gatlinburg that night. They’d have the whole day Friday, the whole day Saturday, and part of the day Sunday for making the trip back.
“Are you sure I’m not asking too much of you?” Meredith chewed on her bottom lip as she questioned Christine. There was no one she trusted more with this place than her friend. If Christine hadn’t loved doing hair so much, she’d ask her to leave the Curly Q and come manage CRISIS, but Meredith knew how much she loved doing hair. It calmed her in a way nothing else could.
“You aren’t, I promise. For the most part, this place runs itself with the two workers you have on payroll and all the volunteers. If you’re going to leave, now is the perfect time to do it, because all of the teenagers who got community service over the summer are gonna want to get it done before school starts. We will be fine,” Christine assured her.
Meredith knew all of this was true, but at the same time, she’d never left CRISIS since she’d started volunteering years ago. It felt weird; it felt like a part of her was giving up on some of the people who stayed there. She wasn’t sure why, but it felt like she was leaving them. Just as she opened her mouth to talk to Christine, one of her payroll workers, Jennifer, came into her office.
“Hey you two,” she greeted the two ladies and had a seat. “I need to talk to you about something, both of you actually since you’ll be gone the next few days.” Jennifer nodded at Meredith.
This was never good. Jennifer did room searches while the occupants were out and about for the day. They had to keep contraband out of the house in order to maintain order, and when someone checked in, the rule was on the paperwork they signed, it was as simple as that. If Jennifer was coming to talk about something, it was never good.
“What do you have?” Meredith asked her as she sat forward in her seat. Being alert always made her feel better about the situation.
Jennifer leaned over and placed a metal box on the desk. “I found drugs in Stephanie’s room.”
“Shit,” Meredith breathed, loudly. She’d felt off about the newest woman who’d come to stay at CRISIS. Something about her hadn’t sat well, and while she wasn’t sure what, she hadn’t wanted to bring attention to someone who didn’t deserve it.
“What do you want us to do?” Christine asked her.
“You know what protocol is. She needs to be taken for a drug test if she wants to stay here. If she fails, she’s either kicked out or offered rehab. We can’t make exceptions.”
“Then I will take care of this,” Christine told her. “You go home and pack. You’re leaving tomorrow; don’t come in, just enjoy yourself until you leave. You’ve worked hard and you deserve to have some time off. Let me do this for you.”
It wasn’t in Meredith’s DNA to let other people take care of messes, but she was so tired that she was tempted.
“Go.” Jennifer nodded. “Go pick up your daughter and have a good time with your family. When you get back, we’ll let you know what happened here. This place isn’t going to fall down around our ears because you aren’t here.”
It still felt weird, but she knew they were right. She was fighting burnout in a bad way. “I’m leaving now, before I can talk myself out of it,” she told them as she grabbed her purse and her car keys.
They didn’t try to stop her as she got up and walked out of the office. She got to her SUV and threw her purse into the passenger side before walking around to the driver’s side. When she got there, she saw Stephanie pulling into the drive. The other woman got out of her car and the two locked eyes. They held gazes for what felt like forever
“Are you sure I’m not asking too much of you?” Meredith chewed on her bottom lip as she questioned Christine. There was no one she trusted more with this place than her friend. If Christine hadn’t loved doing hair so much, she’d ask her to leave the Curly Q and come manage CRISIS, but Meredith knew how much she loved doing hair. It calmed her in a way nothing else could.
“You aren’t, I promise. For the most part, this place runs itself with the two workers you have on payroll and all the volunteers. If you’re going to leave, now is the perfect time to do it, because all of the teenagers who got community service over the summer are gonna want to get it done before school starts. We will be fine,” Christine assured her.
Meredith knew all of this was true, but at the same time, she’d never left CRISIS since she’d started volunteering years ago. It felt weird; it felt like a part of her was giving up on some of the people who stayed there. She wasn’t sure why, but it felt like she was leaving them. Just as she opened her mouth to talk to Christine, one of her payroll workers, Jennifer, came into her office.
“Hey you two,” she greeted the two ladies and had a seat. “I need to talk to you about something, both of you actually since you’ll be gone the next few days.” Jennifer nodded at Meredith.
This was never good. Jennifer did room searches while the occupants were out and about for the day. They had to keep contraband out of the house in order to maintain order, and when someone checked in, the rule was on the paperwork they signed, it was as simple as that. If Jennifer was coming to talk about something, it was never good.
“What do you have?” Meredith asked her as she sat forward in her seat. Being alert always made her feel better about the situation.
Jennifer leaned over and placed a metal box on the desk. “I found drugs in Stephanie’s room.”
“Shit,” Meredith breathed, loudly. She’d felt off about the newest woman who’d come to stay at CRISIS. Something about her hadn’t sat well, and while she wasn’t sure what, she hadn’t wanted to bring attention to someone who didn’t deserve it.
“What do you want us to do?” Christine asked her.
“You know what protocol is. She needs to be taken for a drug test if she wants to stay here. If she fails, she’s either kicked out or offered rehab. We can’t make exceptions.”
“Then I will take care of this,” Christine told her. “You go home and pack. You’re leaving tomorrow; don’t come in, just enjoy yourself until you leave. You’ve worked hard and you deserve to have some time off. Let me do this for you.”
It wasn’t in Meredith’s DNA to let other people take care of messes, but she was so tired that she was tempted.
“Go.” Jennifer nodded. “Go pick up your daughter and have a good time with your family. When you get back, we’ll let you know what happened here. This place isn’t going to fall down around our ears because you aren’t here.”
It still felt weird, but she knew they were right. She was fighting burnout in a bad way. “I’m leaving now, before I can talk myself out of it,” she told them as she grabbed her purse and her car keys.
They didn’t try to stop her as she got up and walked out of the office. She got to her SUV and threw her purse into the passenger side before walking around to the driver’s side. When she got there, she saw Stephanie pulling into the drive. The other woman got out of her car and the two locked eyes. They held gazes for what felt like forever
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