Beau
“So, son, your mother and I are going to Seattle for a couple of weeks.”
I frowned. “Why?”
My dad looked at me with an inscrutable expression; I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. “That’s something I need to keep private at this time.”
“What?” It was my turn to look annoyed. “What do you mean? You’re not going to tell me?”
“At this point, I think it’s best that I don’t.”
“Is something wrong? What’s going on?”
“I just need to see about some business with your mother. I’ve spoken to the attorneys, and I’ve drawn up all the official paperwork, so you’re now legally in charge of Horseshoe Ranch, and you can make all the executive decisions while I’m gone.”
“What about everyone else?”
“What do you mean?”
“What about Austin? And Wyatt, and Chet, and Huck, and Knox, and Flint?”
“I’m glad you can remember the names of your brothers, son. That’s a good sign.”
“Very funny, Dad. They’re not going to be happy to know I’m—”
“I haven’t given you the entire business. I’ve just put the business into your name for now so that you can make executive decisions. You’re the oldest, and I trust you. You’re also the most responsible, and I know you will always do what’s right for the family and for the ranch.”
“Well, yeah. But I just don’t understand. I’ve been running the ranch for ages—”
“Son, it’s something I should have done a long time ago. If anything were to happen, it’s better for everything to be in your hands. You may speak to your brothers and get their opinions, of course, but you’re the final decision maker. Didn’t I ever tell you too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the broth?”
“Yeah, you’ve mentioned that, but I don’t cook and neither does anyone else, aside from Mom.”
“Come on now, Beau. You know what I’m talking about. Everyone’s going to have a different opinion, and if everyone’s opinion is catered to, nothing will get done. As the executive decision maker, you can ensure things get done. I know you’ll do what’s right for the ranch. And when I get back, you can tell me all the plans.”
“I don’t understand. Why Seattle?”
“I told you, I wanted to see about some things, and your mom and I need a break.”
“Right now? Austin and Lucy just got engaged. I thought Mom would’ve been over the moon, planning a wedding and everything—”
“The wedding isn’t going to happen right away, and your mom will still be involved in the plans. Lucy loves her like her second mother. That’s not going to be a problem.” He scratched on his earlobe, and I could tell he was worried that it actually would be a problem, even though he was saying it wouldn’t.
“You’re right,” I said, “Lucy loves Mom. She will definitely want her input.” I wasn’t sure why I was placating him, but I figured that whatever the reason was for him going to Seattle, it was important. Maybe he was worried about the ranch more than he’d let on. Maybe he was going to try to secure funding with some other people. Whatever it was, I knew he wouldn’t tell me anything else. I wasn’t happy about it, but I respected and honored my dad enough not to pry. He would tell me when he wanted to.
“So I’m thinking about going ahead with the eco-retreat,” I said, switching to business mode. “I think it could be a good idea, a real income generator.”
“If that’s what you think is best.” Dad nodded, his blue eyes wise and kind. “Where would we put it?”
“Initially, I was thinking near Rock Creek because it’s beautiful. But we have our cabin near the bridge where we go for privacy, so I don’t really want tourists there. I was thinking perhaps further along the creek, and then we could build another bridge, maybe a canopy bridge. People seem to love them. And then we’d build maybe ten to twelve units around that space, little luxury cabins. Actually,” I said, thinking out loud, “I was thinking that maybe Olivia could help us with the interior design.”
“Oh?” My dad continued looking at me. His expression didn’t change, but the tone of his voice told me he was curious why I’d mentioned Olivia.
“Yeah, she’s into interior design—”
“I thought she worked in a boutique?” He was rubbing his forehead now. “Did I get that wrong? Doesn’t she sell clothes, or is the boutique fancy furniture or something?”
“No, she does work in a boutique selling clothes, but it’s her dream to be an interior decorator. I figured, we have this project and she needs the work, so . . .”
“And she’ll be able to do that from New York?”
“I guess so. I mean, designs can be done from anywhere, right?”
“Won’t she need to see the space?”
“I’ve only briefly spoken to her about it, Dad. I was just running it past you before we get too much into it. But I was thinking it could be a possibility.”
“I see.” Dad smiled.
“Why are you smiling?”
“No reason. Can a man not smile?”
“This isn’t because I like Olivia or anything, and it’s not that I want to be with her, so don’t get that into your head. And please don’t say anything to Mom. I was just thinking, since she’s Lucy’s best friend—”
Dad laughed.
“What are you laughing at? I’m just saying.”
“You have an awful lot to say for someone that’s just doing his brother’s fiancée’s best friend a favor.”
“I’m a kind guy. You know that.”
“Yes. You’re very kind to beautiful young women.”
“It’s got nothing to do with the fact that she’s gorgeous—”
“I didn’t say she was gorgeous.” My dad grinned. “But yes, she is. So, you like this lady?”
“No, it’s nothing like that. I’m focused on the ranch—”
“Son, I put you in charge of the ranch because you are the best man for the job. You’re diligent and you’re hardworking, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a personal life. You need to also take care of yourself.”
“Right now, the ranch has a cash flow problem. Austin’s getting married. I’m sure he’s going to have kids coming soon. That’s a lot of expenses we have coming up. And, who knows, maybe Sadie and Wyatt will figure it out sooner rather than later, and that’s even more expensive.”
“We’re not poor!” Dad banged his hand down on the desk. “We have money.”
“Dad, we have money in trusts, and we have operational costs for the ranch. You know that we need to increase cash flow. We have a large property. We hire a lot of people. I don’t want to have to fire anyone. We keep a lot of people in their homes, and I want to make sure that we continue to do that while still making a decent profit.”
“You just want to keep your most eligible bachelor in Montana status, don’t you?”
“Not really.” I thought of Arya and her sister. “I’ve become too much of a target for women.”
“I would’ve thought you’d like that.” My dad grinned. “Seeing as you are a ladies’ man.”
“I’m not a ladies’ man. Yes, I’ve dated many beautiful women, and I’ve had fun, but my focus right now is the ranch.”
“And I’m glad to hear it, son, but please don’t forget that no man is an island. You cannot do it by yourself. I wouldn’t have gotten through everything without your mom. You need to take care of yourself, and you need a partner.”
“Please, you’re sounding like Mom. I don’t need two moms in my life.”
My father chuckled. “You know your mother means well. And by all means, see if Olivia’s interested in the project. Get her input. Maybe take her down to the spot where you’re thinking of building the lodges.”
“Yeah, I was thinking about doing that.” I nodded. “I also need to finalize exactly where Austin is building his house for him and Lucy.”
“Okay. And what about yours?”
“What do you mean?”
“I know you want your own space, son. I know you wanted to build your own house.”
I sighed. “Well, we all want our own space.”
“Don’t think about the money, son.”
“How can I not think about the money? It’s important. I don’t want us going into the red for this.”
“You’re a worrier. We have plenty of money.”
I couldn’t understand why he wasn’t getting it. “Yes, we have money in the bank. But by my calculations, if our income from the ranch remains stagnant, then we are going to run low on funds within the next five years.”
“Don’t worry. Everything is going to look up. I promise you.”
“It’s my job to worry. And it’s my job to plan ahead and look at all possible circumstances to ensure that no matter what happens, everyone at the ranch is protected. The family, our extended family, our workers, our friends. Horseshoe Ranch means something. It stands for something in the community.”
“I know.” My dad got up and put his arm around my shoulder. “You’re a good boy. I love you, you know that?”
“Yes.” I narrowed my eyes. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because it’s true. Your mom and me, we’re proud of you boys. We taught you right.”
“Yes, you did, Dad.”
“Thank you. Now you go and tell your girl—”
“What girl?”
“Sorry.” He grinned. “You go ask Olivia if she’s interested in helping you with the eco-retreat and maybe get started on that right away.”
“I’m trying to get a loan for it right now.”
He frowned. “What?”
“To pay for the construction. I don’t want—”
“Son, we don’t do loans.”
“Interest rates are so low right now. It would be crazy not to take advantage of them.”
My dad sighed. “Fine. I put you in charge for a reason, I guess. I trust you to do what you think is right.”
“Thank you.” I nodded. “And just so you know, the only reason I’m asking Olivia is so that she can put something on her resume so that when she goes back to New York and starts looking for interior design jobs, she’ll have an actual portfolio to show to people.”
“Well, aren’t you a kind one?” Dad grinned. “So thoughtful of you to look out for her and her future job endeavors in New York.”
“I know,” I growled. I knew he was making fun of me, but I wasn’t going to take it on. I was doing it to help her. I wanted her to be a success in New York and to live her dreams. It had nothing to do with the fact that her lips tasted like sweet strawberries on a summer day, or the fact that her body was soft and supple. I shook my head to stop thinking about it. I was going down a very dangerous path, and I didn’t have time for that. There was far too much going on in my family for me to worry about having any sort of relationship with anyone, even a woman as beautiful and as sexy as Olivia.