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Harris waggled a brow. “Being the oldest has its perks.”
Jax might use his charm to get the women, but Harris’s game was on a whole other level. Or it was, until he became a single dad and went from being the town’s biggest playboy to the neighborhood’s greatest playdate organizer.
“Your father and I have been reconsidering the sale of the lodge.”
Brynn’s face split into a smile. “You’re not going to sell.” She collapsed back into her chair and exhaled loudly. “Thank god! I knew that in the end you guys couldn’t go through with it.”
“We’re still retiring,” Kent said with finality.
Brynn threw up her hands in a fit. “But you just said you were reconsidering selling. I should have known when I saw the jelly-filled.”
“I said we were talking about the lodge, not that we’d changed our minds about retiring. Your dad and I are ready to enjoy our golden years. We want to travel and explore and wake up in the morning to the sound of waves crashing on the shoreline. But we also want to respect your feelings on the possibility of a sale.” Peggy and Kent shared a giddy smile that was full of secrets and excitement. “Which is why we’ve come up with an alternate option.”
Shit.
Jax knew what was coming and he wasn’t ready to take the hit. He hadn’t had a chance to talk to Lucas about his conversation with Peggy.
“We’ve been thinking about what you all said when we told you about the offer, and it breaks my heart,” Peggy said, her voice cracking. “We don’t want to disappoint you kids, but one by one you left the nest until it was empty. Now you’re all grown up and settled into your own lives.” Kent rested a supportive hand on Peggy’s shoulder. “It’s time your dad and I left the nest too.”
“Mom,” Nolan said, her voice rough. “Don’t cry. We get it. We don’t like it, but we get it. You gave up so much to give us the best childhood, and now it’s time to give yourself the best kind of retirement.”
“Which we intend to do,” Kent said. “But it was pointed out to me the other night that just because we’re ready to fly the coop, doesn’t mean that you all are ready. Your mom and I are excited for the next chapter, but that doesn’t mean that you kids should be forced to turn the page.”
Peggy pushed a button on the remote and a PowerPoint presentation flickered to life on the screen behind Kent. The title page read Sierra Vista Family Lodge is about family.
Maybe it was the look on Jax’s face or the fact that they were twins but Lucas knew he was behind the change of direction. Lucas shot Jax a look so furious it nearly fried his nuts. “I was going to tell—ow!”
Lucas knocked Jax’s knee with his own—hard. Jax knocked back.
“We have a proposition.” The next slide resembled the opening credits for The Brady Bunch with a photo of each of the kids and Peggy and Kent, the final space taken by Emma. “Instead of selling to Matrix Resorts, what if you kids took over?”
Surprised and stunned looks flashed around the table. It was like a game of Holy Shit Simon Says. Except for Jax’s face; his was feeling warm because Kent was looking right at him with those proud papa eyes and Jax could feel the disappointment and anger and betrayal rolling off his brother in waves.
“Mom,” Nolan said. “None of us can afford to buy you guys out. Not even gold medalist over there.”
“You wouldn’t have to buy us out. It would be more of a passing of the baton, where our generation hands over the reins to the new generation. Just like how your grandparents handed Sierra Vista down to us,” Kent said, and flipped to the next slide. It had the number of shares broken down equally between the seven of them.
“Are you happy?” Lucas snapped under his breath, but Jax was too stunned to speak.
He knew he had a board seat and maybe a few shares, but to own nearly one-seventh of the lodge was too much to take in. He didn’t deserve one-seventh of anything. The Carmichaels had already given him the world.
“Peggy,” Jax said. “When I mentioned letting us kids take over, I never meant to imply that I should receive an equal share. This isn’t my heritage, it’s theirs.” Jax pointed to his siblings around the table, including Lucas. Lucas might not be blood, but all the work he’d done meant he deserved everything coming his way.
Peggy reached across the table and laid her hand on Jax’s. “You are one of us, sweetie. And I’m going to keep reminding you until it sinks into that thick skull of yours.”
Kent continued, “Now, this is a big decision—”
“Whatever it is, I’m in,” Brynn said.
“Slow down, sweetie. This is a big decision and big thing for all of you to take on. Running this lodge will take all of you. And not just rallying when there’s an event, but helping manage the lodge year-round,” Peggy said.
“We don’t expect you to give up your careers for this, but it will take a lot of sacrifice on your part,” Kent added.
“I’m in,” Brynn repeated. “I’ve got a year left in the National Guard and then I’m going into the reserves. I can help with ski patrol and search and rescue. Plus, I’ve always dreamed that I’d run a helicopter sightseeing company that works out of the lodge.”
“My job isn’t as flexible,” Nolan said. “But I can moonlight at the lodge, overseeing security.”
“I can hire a good crew and top-notch general contractor to handle all the maintenance on the lodge,” Harris said.
