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“What is it?” he asked.
She shook her head, but he was tired of playing games. “Come on. You’ve always been straight with me. What’s bothering you?”
“You have your next bank appointment tomorrow morning, don’t you?”
He sighed. Why’d she have to kill the mood? “Yep.”
She bit her lip, and his impatience surged.
“What is it, Lexi?”
“I wondered if you might consider another way forward.”
“Like what?” he said. “Don’t you think I’ve been through this enough already? What alternative is there but extending our bank loan?”
She swallowed, then looked at him. “Cooper said he had some savings, and that Mitchell—”
“No. Nope. I’m not accepting their charity.”
“They’re your brothers, Jackson. They want to help.”
“Did Coop put you up to this?”
“He mentioned—”
“Great. So my brother goes to my girlfriend and tries to get her to twist my arm.”
Her mouth fell open at his use of “girlfriend”—yeah, he was as surprised as she to hear that word, but what else could they be after that kissing session the previous night?—then closed again. He knew he was being an idiot, but it didn’t seem to stop the idiocy spilling from his mouth.
“I don’t need to be told what to do.”
“Your pride will be your downfall,” she said, shifting away to face him more fully.
“So I get a bonus sermon as well. Thanks.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m not going to fight with you.”
“So don’t fight. But I’m gonna find Coop and let him know exactly what I think.”
And he did. And his plan to explain his point of view became a full-blown argument, where he questioned why Cooper insisted on sticking his nose into the ranch business, and Cooper countered by asking why Jackson had never shared the true state of the ranch finances.
“Because this is what I said I wanted to do,” he said, conscious his voice was higher and louder than normal. “The ranch is who I am. Just like you’re the tech whiz, and Mitchell is the hockey star, and Dermott is the gardening guru. I’m the ranch guy. I’m the one who knows what’s going on here, not you. I’m the one who put my hand up to take this on. I’m responsible, not you. So quit putting your nose in where it’s not wanted.”
“Dude, I—”
“And you can quit telling my girlfriend you think I’m a failure.”
Cooper held up his hands. “Whoa. I never said that.”
Sure he hadn’t.
Chest heaving with frustration, Jackson exited the room, only stopping briefly when Lexi called to him.
“What?” He tried to soften the irritation edging that word by gritting out a smile. “Sorry you had to hear that. Coop and I butt heads sometimes.”
“He never said you were a failure,” she said quietly, drawing closer.
Whatever. Cooper’s actions going behind his back said exactly what he thought.
