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Shuffling the documents, Jonah held up the summary. “As you can see, I’m recommending we add two cabins for the guest ranch operation. We’ve been booked to capacity so far this season, turning reservation requests down for most weeks. The numbers show four additional cabins could be supported, though I’m not sold on going that route. If the economy turns, so might reservations.”
Jonah continued to the cattle operation before moving to the training and sale of horses, recommending modest changes for each. When finished, he looked around the table. He didn’t notice dissent on their faces. A good sign. As usual, his father was the first to speak.
“I don’t like the idea of building more cabins. Not even two.”
Wyatt responded. “Two more and we’ll be at the number we projected when we first discussed the guest operations.”
Margie looked at her husband. “We all agreed to start slow, knowing we might have to turn people away. Additional cabins were included in the initial plan. I think two more makes sense.” She turned toward Jonah. “Do the numbers suggest two more will be all we’ll need?”
“The short answer is yes. Building more than that will require us to extend the electricity and water lines, which we won’t have to do with just the two additional cabins.”
Wyatt leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “So that could be the limit of what we’ll build?”
Jonah nodded. “The costs go up considerably by adding more than two. My thoughts are we should cap it at two more and work within the number of spots available.”
Gage set down his copies. “I agree with Jonah and Wyatt. The outdoor activities I run are close to but not yet at capacity. Two more cabins might not fill them, but it’s not going to hurt the adventure trips offered by the guest ranch.”
Anson grumbled without voicing his dissent. Most in the room knew he’d made up his mind before seeing Jonah’s numbers.
Wyatt looked at his closest friend. “What do you think, Virgil?”
“We always seem to keep the cabins full. Sometimes, they're full of guests. Other times with our extended family and friends. There are also instances of people calling at the last minute. If two more work into the numbers, I’d say we go ahead with them.”
It took several more minutes of discussion before a vote was taken. Anson said nothing when the majority sided with Jonah.
Compared to the addition of two cabins, the remainder of the meeting continued with few disagreements. Ninety minutes flew by before they dispersed to continue their duties around the ranch. Wyatt caught up with Jonah, flinging an arm over his brother’s shoulders.
“Great job, bro. When does construction start?” He dropped his arm to his side.
Jonah glanced over his shoulder, confirming their father was nowhere near them. “Don’t pass this around, but I already approved plans. The contractor and his crew will start the first of the week.”
“Way to speed things up. Anything I can do?”
“You have enough to do without taking on more work. Plus, I’ve already gotten most of the project in place.”
“Understood.” Wyatt clasped his brother’s shoulder. “If you need anything, let me know.”
“Thanks. I’ll keep you posted on progress.”
News about the addition of two more cabins spread fast. The ranch hands, and even some guests, applauded the expansion. One couple took the time to explain to Sam how they’d wanted to invite another couple, but the ranch was booked by then. They were already planning to make reservations for two cabins the following summer.
She’d passed the information along to Virgil, who told Wyatt, who sat down with Jonah to give his brother all the feedback he’d heard. No one thought to tell Anson.
“Sam!” Barrel jogged toward her, stopping a few feet away. “You have a phone call.”
“That’s odd. My phone didn’t ring.”
“It’s on the phone in the barn. He’s on hold.”
“Hold?”
“Yeah. It’s some guy. Wouldn’t tell me what it was about.”
A knot formed in her stomach. She didn’t move. It was as if her boots were planted in the ground.
“Uh, you gonna take the call?”
“Did he ask for me specifically?”
