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Chapter 140: Roll the Dice
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2022-10-20 14:11:37Related chapters
The Rutherford Series Chapter 141: Roll the Dice
Jazz played in the background from a live band off in the corner as Jacqui wandered the border of the floor, shaking people's hands and smiling as much as she could. She hated fundraisers, even the ones she held. She just didn't like asking people to give money to a cause she felt should already have their donations. They should do it voluntarily, without the fancy schmoozing that seemed to be standard fare. They should not have to spend money to get people to donate money. Marc was much better at fundraising, seeing it as a necessary evil. He could charm the checks right out of people's hands while she stood by his side and laughed at all the proper moments. She was happy to step to the side and allow him the spotlight in that instance—in any instance, really. Fundraisers were his stage, not hers. Now, however, the choice was ripped from her and if she wanted the Maggie Karston Community Center to succeed, she had to be the equivalent of the snake oil salesman. At least, that's what i
Last Updated : 2022-10-20The Rutherford Series Chapter 142: Roll the Dice
The music wasn't bad, but Morgan would have preferred something with more of a country twang. He sipped his bourbon, thinking the background music was going to put people to sleep before they could sign their checks. Ah well, what did he know about business tactics and fundraising. He was a contractor. He knew nails and two-by-fours, not how to persuade people out of their money. Lily Anderson walked by on her way over to Jacqui and Morgan stopped lifting his glass to his lips as he watched her pass. I'm much better at talking women out of their skirts. I'll stick to what I know best."Give it up. She bats for the other team from what I hear."Morgan looked down at a graying man in a wheelchair, his smile now a frown. "Such a waste of a skirt."The man laughed. "Better not let her hear you. She'll put you in a skirt."Morgan watched as Lily disappeared into a knot of people. He arched an eyebrow. "Might be worth it."The older gentleman laughed even harder. "Not very politically correc
Last Updated : 2022-10-20The Rutherford Series Chapter 143: Roll the Dice
She was going to kill him. She wasn't sure when or how, but sooner or later, she was going to kill Morgan Brewer. Her father had only said, "Have fun," as she was dragged from his side onto the dance floor, her mortification reddening her face and neck. She wasn't sure what kind of point Morgan was trying to make, but she would make life hell for him for embarrassing her like this.Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Vince, leaning against the bar on the opposite side of the room, a bourbon in his hand as he watched them sway back and forth to the music. His forlorn expression put a knot in her gut, his pain quite visible. Pain she knew she had caused. Yet, she had given him no indication in the past year that would have even hinted that he could waltz back into her life and attempt to sweep her off her feet. He had just assumed, and he had assumed wrong. He popped into her field of vision again as she circled around and she could see the thickness of his arms. They were strong enoug
Last Updated : 2022-10-20The Rutherford Series Chapter 144: Roll the Dice
"What?" Morgan cut into her thoughts."Excuse me?""You're smiling and I know I didn't say anything funny. So, what were you thinking?" His green eyes sparkled as he seemed to take joy in her smile. It helped put her at ease."Just thinking of the last time I danced. It's been quite a while.""Must have been a good night. Your smile seemed to say it was, anyway.""It was." She found herself squeezing his shoulder as the memory took her breath away a little. If he noticed, he didn't say anything."Tell me about it." And by the expression on his face, she believed he truly wanted to know."Excuse me," Brent stepped up and touched her on her elbow. Saved by the bell, so to speak, she thought. "Jacqui, it's time for you to give your speech."She released Morgan's hands and gave him a small smile. "Sorry. Duty calls. Thank you for the dance, though." While the memories were still painful, it was nice to think back on a good time in her life.He gave a slight bow of his head. "It was my plea
Last Updated : 2022-10-20The Rutherford Series Chapter 145: Roll the Dice
Pulling into the parking lot of the new offices of Rutherford Construction, Morgan was pleased to see that some work was actually beginning on the remodeling. Vince was already there, guiding a crew in the framing of the interior the way they had drawn it up. It was a simple plan, mainly because Morgan knew Neal would move them to a bigger location, sooner or later. Morgan would have his own office as well as Vince, leaving Kari to share the front with whoever else was hired for the phones. For now, while the remodel was underway, Kari was set up in the small trailer off to the east of the parking lot.Morgan joined Vince beside a piece of plywood sitting atop two sawhorses as a makeshift desk, blueprints sprawled across the top along with a Thermos and a mug of coffee. As he saw Morgan approach, he gestured to his Thermos. "I hope you brought your own. That girl in there can't make coffee to save her life."Morgan chuckled as he held up his own travel mug. "I'm always prepared for the
Last Updated : 2022-10-20The Rutherford Series Chapter 146: Roll the Dice
Entering the small single-wide trailer, his senses were assaulted with the aroma of burnt coffee, making his eyes water. Kari had her red hair pulled forward around her shoulders and hiding her face more than framing it, her hair also hiding the phone that was in her hand. He wouldn't have even known she was on the phone except for the spiral cord leading up to her ear from the desk. By the snippets of conversation he was able to catch, it sounded as if she was talking to Barbie, Neal's personal assistant. He left her to her phone call and searched out the offending coffeemaker. He quickly flipped it off and poured the noxious liquid down the drain. She definitely needed a lesson in coffee making. As he began to make a fresh pot of coffee, he heard Kari hang up the phone. He was glad Barbie called Kari instead of him. The new girl needed to get used to dealing with the big wigs in the company if she was going to make it as his personal assistant, which was the position for which he wa
Last Updated : 2022-10-20The Rutherford Series Chapter 147: Roll the Dice
"With just last night's checks, so far we've pulled in over two hundred thousand with monthly pledges at sixty thousand. I'd say that's a great start." Brent flipped though his notes as he sat in the leather chair opposite of Jacqui. "Since it's a non-profit, we'll do a fundraiser every year and keep the center in front of people's minds. With your name attached to it, I'm sure it'll keep the money coming in."Jacqui nodded as she watched him. Brent always grew excited talking about numbers, any numbers, really, but especially financial figures. With the preliminary results from last night, he was practically giddy. She wished she felt his enthusiasm, though. Two hundred thousand was a decent start, but they needed more. Much more. "We'll need to think about how we can get people to donate throughout the year. I'll have Miss Anderson come up with some sort of marketing campaign we can send out quarterly."He nodded. "Just don't overdo it. Too hard of a push or too much spam mail coming
Last Updated : 2022-10-20The Rutherford Series Chapter 148: Roll the Dice
Morgan flipped open his calendar, a habit he did at the end of every day just to get a glimpse of what to expect the next day. This Hump Day had been quiet, so far. He really needed to fix that, or things were going to get boring soon. When things became boring is usually when he wound up in trouble. Two interviews tomorrow afternoon were added to his schedule in Kari's handwriting for more office help. He did a double take when he noticed one of the names was a male. He gave a shake of his head. Times are changing. Then he chuckled to himself. You really are one sexist bastard, Morgan Brewer.He stared out at the afternoon sky, thoughts of Vince chasing after Jacqui bouncing around in his head for the hundredth time that day. She had made it clear that she didn't want her former business partner. Of course, that hadn't stopped Vince from giving it the old college try. Still, Morgan doubted it was just Vince Jacqui was rejecting, but rather the whole male population. She exuded a tou
Last Updated : 2022-10-20
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The Rutherford Series Chapter 268: To Be Cherished
Dropping the arm holding the towel to his side, he walked over to where Cherish sat and joined her on the bed. He reached out, placing a hand on her leg and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "I'm sorry you're having to deal with this," he told her. He gave a weak shrug. "I guess we never know the full extent of our actions and their consequences until it's too late." He quickly held a hand up, stopping her from saying anything else. "That wasn't a judgment. Promise."She offered him a weak smile. "I didn't take it that way." She shrugged. "Besides, you're right. I didn't realize while I was...you know...how it would hurt you or Jordie, and I sure as hell didn't realize how it would follow me to another job. I was too caught up in what I was doing to even think of anything else." She reached out, placing her hand on top of his. "I'm sorry I was such a selfish bitch."Glen leaned over and kissed Cherish's forehead. When he pulled away, he grinned. "You're my selfish bitch, so it's all good.
The Rutherford Series Chapter 267: To Be Cherished
Cherish shoved her phone into her purse, closed the final file folder, and shoved herself away from her desk. This day was over, and she was more than happy to see it go. As she stood, however, she realized the day was not completely over. She stood at the edge of her desk, adjusting her purse on her shoulder, as Mary Overton stepped into her doorway, arms crossed over her chest, looking as if she had a corncob shoved deep up her ass. What Bernie saw in the woman, Cherish would never know. Cherish sucked in a deep breath as she paused, waiting to hear what had brought the grump of a woman to her door. "Is there something I can help you with?" Cherish asked.Mary glanced over the room, scowling as she took in the changes Cherish made to the small office. "I see you've rearranged. Making the place more to your liking." Cherish could have sworn the woman gave a disgusted sniff as she said it. "I thought the way Kim had it set up was quite efficient." She glanced around the room with a sn
The Rutherford Series Chapter 266: To Be Cherished
Glen soaked in her naked body, making no qualms about devouring her with his gaze. He had always thought Cherish was gorgeous and hated when she started to hide her body in baggy shirts and shorts. He wanted to see more of her flesh, more of her body tempting him under tight clothes or low-cut tops. He wanted her to be seductive, sultry, sexy. Hell, he even wanted her to dress slutty for him.Reaching out, Glen ran a hand over her freckle-covered shoulder, up her neck, and into her strawberry-blond hair. Gazing into her eyes, he sucked in a breath as he stared at her. "You, Cherish Lansky, are beautiful."He saw her cheeks redden with her blush, felt her squirm under his touch as his words embarrassed her, but he didn't care. While he thought the words often enough, he failed to say them out loud for her to hear. She needed to hear them. He needed to say them. They needed to get back to the spark that was them when they first ignited each other's passions. Looking at her right then, he
The Rutherford Series Chapter 265: To Be Cherished
Cherish took a deep breath, deciding to tackle the topic of Rutherford even if Glen hadn't brought it up. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Jed. It's been a pretty emotional week all around, and I swear, it just slipped my mind."Glen cocked an eyebrow at her. "A lot of things have slipped your mind lately. I should probably do something about that, eventually."She bowed her head. "Yes, sir," was all she said, but she couldn't deny the tingle between her legs at the thought of Glen punishing her again. She would never have thought the idea of him spanking her would have such an effect on her.He took a sip of his coffee as he studied her, and Cherish just stood there under his scrutiny. After a stretched-out moment, he said, "So, tell me about the conversation now. You said you weren't interested in returning. Is that the truth?"She shrugged. "I don't know, to be honest. And, in the way of full disclosure, it was sort of a mixture of him asking if I would want to return and me aski
The Rutherford Series Chapter 264: To Be Cherished
Cherish placed the last of the glasses back in the cabinet, her back screaming at her due to the lengthy day she just endured. Jordie was already sound asleep in his bed, his tired little body crashing as soon as everyone left, and the constant energy faded away. She could relate as exhaustion tugged at her as well. She had to admit, however, Glen's idea of having the party at their house opposed to her parents' was definitely a winner, minus the cleanup part afterward. Jordie loved every gift he opened, and he and the other kids made full use of the bounce house. Even a few of the adults climbed inside to get their inner youth on while they made the little ones stand outside the giant inflatable while they took over. The children, of course, were far from happy about not being permitted inside, but they laughed like crazy as they watched their parents bouncing around, trying to do flips, and falling on their asses.Valerie surprised Cherish with how she interacted with everyone else a
The Rutherford Series Chapter 263: To Be Cherished
Cherish felt the tears streaming down her cheeks, felt the anguish clutching at her heart as she sat there, staring at her mother, the woman crying openly now as she stared back at Cherish. How could her mother ever doubt Cherish's love for her? Because I did a shitty job of showing it. I pushed her with everything I did. Cherish reached out, taking her mother's hand in her own, squeezing it tight. "I've always loved you, Mom. You did nothing wrong. It was all me; I was the selfish bitch who never seemed satisfied and happy. I'm so sorry I ever made you feel that way." She squeezed her mother's hand again. "I should never have treated you that way."Her mother gave her a weak smile, squeezing her hand back before pulling it away. "I love you, too, and I'm sorry I ever made you feel as if you couldn't tell me you were pregnant." She shook her head. "Not a very good mother, huh?"Cherish settled back in her chair. "I think we both made mistakes, but that was then. This is now. I need to
The Rutherford Series Chapter 262: To Be Cherished
Cherish left the others and walked over to her mother, taking one of the remaining chairs beside the other woman. "Why don't you come join the rest of us? Has to be better than sitting over here all by yourself."Her mother didn't even look at her, keeping her gaze on the children. "Why is she here?" she asked, her back stiff, hands clasped in her lap."There are a lot of shes here," Cherish said, even though she knew to whom her mother referred. "You'll have to be a little more specific.""Your sister's new friend," her mother said, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Why did they have to bring her to a family event? It's rude."Cherish glanced over and watched as Tracey Williams laughed at something Arni said, her feet barely touching the ground from where she sat in the chair. "She's close to Selby and Faith," Cherish said with a shrug. "We permitted Brent to bring Bonnie; why wouldn't we allow Faith and Selby to bring Tracey? She seems to be getting along with everyone all right."
The Rutherford Series Chapter 261: To Be Cherished
Glen stepped back out into the yard, two camp chairs in his hands. Valerie Driscoll was accustomed to calling all the shots, and he knew she set up her area far away from his mother to try to force a division in the party, drawing the crowd to her, so she could show off. That was one of the reasons he wanted the party at his house, so she wouldn't be able to pull a stunt like this. Yet, she still wrecked division wherever she went.Glen moved to the middle of the yard, close to the bounce house, and set up the two chairs. He turned to find Cherish near her mother, two beers in her hand as she watched him, one eyebrow raised and a smirk turning up the corner of her lip."Excuse me," he heard her tell her mother. "I think I'll go join my husband." She then left her mother's side, Valerie's mouth ajar as she gawked at her daughter's retreating back. When Cherish reached him, she handed him his beer as she slid into her chair. "Your beer, sir," she said, smiling at him.He glanced over at
The Rutherford Series Chapter 260: To Be Cherished
Glen just needed a few minutes to calm his temper. He knew he had acted rude since returning home, and he didn't mean to snap at everyone, taking out his frustration with Cherish on everyone but her. He shoved his way inside the house and headed for the bedroom at the back of the house. Just a few minutes, that's all he needed.However, what he needed and what he received were two different things. As soon as he plopped down on the bed, his hands clasped together as he rested his elbows on his knees, doing his best to take deep breaths, Cherish walked into the room, shutting the door behind her. He didn't even turn to look at her. He couldn't right then. She had lied. Again. That's all she ever did lately.Cherish walked in front of him and dropped to her knees, sitting back on her heels, her hands on her thighs as she stared up at him. She said nothing. Just knelt there, waiting.Glen closed his eyes, taking another fortifying breath. Before opening them again and staring at his wife.
