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JT wiped his mouth and dropped his napkin on the table. He answered his brother with a curt shake of his head. "With the way beef prices have been fluctuating, it's too much of a risk to put any more money into the cattle business. Besides, we'd need better access to the creek."
Cort shook his head. "I disagree. With the rise in all these, paleo, primal, whatever diets, the demand for beef is only increasing. You could even designate some portion of the herd to raise here on the ranch, and market it as organic, free range, all that stuff our friends back in Boulder love." He winked at his wife. "And I think there's a pretty easy fix to the water issue," he said and gave his father a look.
JT knew what they were thinking, and knew it was nothing but an exercise in futility.
Again, JT shook his head. "The steps you have to go through to get certified as an organic rancher are really complicated." He knew, because he'd looked into the idea two years ago. "The vast majority of our income is from the hospitality side of the business. If we're going to invest anywhere, we need to invest there."
Cort sat back. "You know, I've been pretty successful at business."
JT barely restrained his eye roll at his brother's false modesty. Cort's early career as an investment banker had made him a millionaire by the time he was thirty. As a hedge fund manager, he was now worth several times that.
So what? Being able to charter a private plane and stay in the fanciest hotels in the world weren't the only measures of success.
"And I may not know ranching as well as you do, but I do know the markets. You may want to take my advice."
"Thanks for your input, but I think between my degrees in business and hospitality management, and Paulina's degree in marketing communications, we've got a good idea of how to bring the business into this century."
"Yeah, JT's already got some plans—"
JT shot Paulina a hard look across the table. He still needed to run the numbers one more time before he was ready to present the idea to the board. And even if he had been ready, he sure as hell didn't need his brother around, poking holes and shitting all over an idea that wasn't his. “The details of which I'm not going into right now," he said.
"Ooh, a secret project, sounds interesting."
JT clenched his fist against the table, fighting the urge to punch the smirk off his brother's face.
Jordie reached across the table for the salt, but his elbow didn't clear his milk glass and sent it tumbling. Right into JT's lap.
"Sorry, sorry!" Jordie said frantically as JT jumped out of his seat, mopping at his crotch with his napkin.
"It's okay, buddy, it was an accident," he said, even as Cort scolded his son for not being more careful.
Truth be told, he was happy for the excuse to leave the table. Even if it meant having to walk across the dining room looking like he'd pissed himself, it was better than dealing with his brother for one more second.
Chapter 12
JT was still wound up by the time he made his way to the cabin where Colleen was waiting. Even a hot shower after he got back from riding with Cort, Justine, Paulina and his niece and nephew didn't put much of a dent in his tension.
He gave the cabin door a quick tap and pushed it open.
"Hey," she said with a wide smile. And then there she was, soft and warm in his arms, her lips parting against his. He gave a deep sigh and felt a slight easing in his shoulders.
"How are you doing?" her fingers lightly kneaded his stiff muscles.
"Better now," he said and kissed her again.
"Rough evening?"
He sighed again and made his way over to the armchair in the corner. He sank down in it and pulled her into his lap. "He never changes. He always knows what's right, knows how I should be running the business. Even though he hasn't worked here since college—and even then, he only ever worked as a wrangler. Tonight over dinner I got to hear all about how we should expand our cattle business and start raising certified organic free-range beef."
"I take it you're not in favor of his idea?"
He shook his head and tried to relax the fingers that were splayed across her back. "The cattle business is tricky and runs on thin margins as it is. An operation like that would take a lot of time, effort—not to mention money—to get going. And it would be years before we saw a dime of profit.
"But once he decides he's right, he just goes on and on, like I'm going to suddenly magically agree with him. 'Oh yeah, Cort. Since you make millions moving other people's money around, I'm sure you're an expert on running a successful guest ranch.' And of course my dad always has to side with Cort. 'Son, just listen to what your brother has to say,'" he said in an exaggerated version of his father's deep voice.
"It's like, it doesn't matter that I went to school for this and work my ass off trying to grow the business so it will still be around for another hundred years. I'm just the middle son who got the job by default because, unlike Cort, I didn't have loftier aspirations."
"I'm sorry," she whispered. She stroked his chest through his T-shirt and pressed a soft kiss on his jaw.
