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“Don’t you have a twin you could bother instead?”
“Caleb went out of town with Henry. They’re looking to get a few new horses.”
Mason’s brows shot up. “Can we afford that?”
Carter shrugged, pushing past Mason to take a seat beside him. “I don’t know, and I don’t care.”
“You should care. If we don’t have enough money to keep this place going, then we’re all out of a home and jobs. You won’t have enough money to move out and start a family. Isn’t that something you want?”
Carter gave his brother a flat look. “I’m nineteen. I don’t think I should be planning a wedding any time soon. Besides, I’d rather not be a cowboy for the rest of my life.”
Mason snorted. “Good luck with anything else.”
Carter’s blank expression darkened. “I just need a way out. Then I can make my own way.”
“What does that even mean? A way out?”
“Money.”
Mason glowered. “Money isn’t everything, Carter. The sooner you understand that, the better.”
“You’re wrong,” Carter snapped. “Money is the great equalizer. Money would allow me to travel somewhere else. Money would give me the chance to go to a university where I would be able to get a different job. Money is the answer to all our problems.”
“And the reason for all the biggest problems in the world,” Mason shot back. He’d never raised his voice to his brother like this before, and it showed with the shock written all over Carter’s face. Mason sighed, dragging a hand down his face. “Money causes problems, too. People who don’t know how to manage money can make mistakes right off the bat. Those who don’t make those mistakes become greedy and spend their whole lives searching for a way to get more.” Vern came to mind. He’d walked away from a fortune only to spend his whole life building up a different one and choosing to live his life alone.
“And you think that I would fall into those categories?” The accusation in Carter’s voice stung slightly.
Mason shook his head. “I don’t know what you would do for money. I don’t know if you’d let it poison you. Shoot, you could be the exception to the rule and end up being the one person who can think with a level head. But I do know one thing. Money in and of itself is not the one thing that fixes everything. You have to make an active decision to chase after what you want. We don’t get anything in life for free. You must make sacrifices for the things that are worth the most.”
He got to his feet with the intention of leaving, but Carter stopped him. “What happened?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Mason muttered.
“Yeah, right. Something happened. That’s why you’re not working. That’s why you’re here instead of over at the neighbor’s place. Did Abrams fire you?”
“No,” Mason ground out. “Abrams didn’t fire me.”
“Then why—”
Mason let out a growl. “When I said it’s none of your business, I meant it. Besides, you wouldn’t understand.”
“You don’t know that,” Carter snapped. “Just because I’m younger than you doesn’t mean that I’m not without my own experiences. If there’s anyone who’s an expert at dealing with misery, it’s me.”
“Yeah? What makes you think you could understand what I’m dealing with? Have you been put between a rock and a hard place? Where you have to choose between being with someone or taking money?”
Carter seemed to perk up. “Did you have to pick between someone and money?”
“No!” Mason spat. “I’m the other person. I’m the one who got brushed off because I wasn’t worth the loss of money.”
Carter’s brows creased with confusion.
“Harley’s only been here so she can earn her inheritance,” Mason said through gritted teeth. “I was naive enough to think that I was important to her. I thought that if I could give her a decent life by taking Abrams up on his offer, she’d be willing to stay here. Apparently, the kind of money I was slated to get wouldn’t be nearly enough.”
“What are you talking about?” his brother asked.
“I’m talking about being the one Abrams wanted to give his ranch to. I’m talking about the property, business, and accounts that could give me a future. But Harley wanted more. She didn’t think I had anything worthy of losing.”
“But you’re still getting the ranch, right?”
