5. Shane
CHAPTER 5
SHANE
I'm on my way to the Mustang Mountain Riders’ clubhouse that is currently under construction. This will be the first time I've seen it. But from what Atlas told me the other day, all the damage has been repaired. Now they are just doing updates. Atlas asked me to come help him pack up his office because the offices are the next section to be worked on.
Once I arrive, I have to say I’m impressed with the job they have done to keep all the historical aspects of an old Wild West brothel. Yes, all the paint is new, but they matched the colors and trim from the parts of the building that were untouched in the fight with Savage Bones a few months ago.
"Hey Shane, are you here to see Atlas?" Viper greets me.
"Yeah. He roped me into helping out today," I joke.
"Through that door, down the hallway on the right. Then take a left at the last door on the left." Viper points the way.
Following his directions, I find Atlas in his office.
"I'm here to help." I walk in, ready to get to work.
"Shane! Thank you for coming," Atlas greets me.
"If you will help pack things up, I have a few of the guys loading stuff up to take it to my house to store. You’ll have to assemble those boxes over in the corner."
While he is working on his desk, I start on the bookshelves.
"How are things going on the ranch?" Atlas asks.
"Going well. Started working with some of Caitlin's ideas. She had some good ones that will save me money. Though I’ve been doing some thinking, and I have some ideas for what I‘d like to do. But I want to run them by you and see how you feel because I know the rest of the town would rather I just sell it and leave," I say.
"That's not true." He shakes his head.
"Have you heard the gossip down at the café? It's not an exaggeration." I level with him.
"Let's hear your ideas." He sighs.
"Well, in jail, I met a lot of good guys. Guys like me who were in a shit situation. They’re the ones I want to help. They need a safe place to get on their feet, and I need help on the ranch. Even if we don't bring in a single cent, I can offer room and board and float the ranch for a year. But the sooner I can get it up and running while making money, the better.”
"I know there are a few nonprofits that will help you out for taking them in and providing a place for them. Personally, I think it's a good idea," he says, shocking me.
I don't know what I was expecting. Even though Atlas is my best friend, I guess I was expecting some pushback from him.
"I have a few guys in mind. One would be here next month.”
"What are your plans to bring in money on the ranch?" he asks.
"I think I'm going to get back into providing rodeo stock, like my parents were doing. Maybe have some horse boarding and trail rides."
"Or you could lease out some of your land for cattle. Do it for a year to bring in the money you need now. That back acreage hasn't been touched. Since it probably has not been looked at for a long time, you'd probably need to get some eyes on it before you talk leases," Atlas says.
"That's a good idea. Will you help me talk to the farmers? They respect you more than they do me right now. I know I still have a lot to prove."
"Not to me you don't. Any way I can assist, I'm on board. I can spare some guys to help with the bunkhouse. I'll talk to whoever you need me to. It's the least I can do," he says, locking eyes with me.
I know what he means, and I know he feels guilty over what happened. But now isn't the time to talk about it, and to be honest I'm just not ready to open that discussion. So, giving him a nod, I turn back to packing.
We chat a bit, catching up with some of the people in town until there is a knock on the door.
I look up to find Caitlin standing in the doorway with a soft smile on her face.
"Hey, thanks for doing this," Atlas says as he walks over and hugs her.
"I asked her to come by and give me some ideas on the office remodels. No reason to keep them boring, especially with the history of this palace," Atlas says to me.
I don't get a chance to answer before his phone is going off.
"Shoot. Keep packing. I have to handle this. Caitlin, take a look around. Anyone here can give you a tour," he says before running off down the hallway, leaving us alone.
"So, I have a mockup of the bunkhouse if you want to see it," she says hesitantly.
"Yeah," I smile and walk over to where she is pulling out her phone.
She hands it to me, and I can see her face tighten with nervousness.
"Whatever you don't like. We can change. So be honest."
When I take a look at her ideas, I’m impressed. I don't know what program she used, but there is a 3D rendering of the entire bunkhouse.
"You did this?" I ask, in complete awe.
"It was nothing," she says, with a slight blush covering her face.
"Caitlin, this is amazing," I say as I take in the room. She moved the bunks to the other side of the room, allowing a space for the living area by the kitchen. There is a couch and a TV. With this layout, she got in four more beds, which is great for the ranch and the plans I have.
"If you don't want the extra beds, that corner would make a great little computer area, with some desks and a computer or game system. I know the ranch hands don't have a lot of downtime, but this would give them ways to de-stress which could help production," she says, shrugging.
I hadn't even mentioned that to anyone, but I had been thinking about it. Obviously, we’re on the same wavelength. It's going to make the design functional and we’ll mesh together well.
"I love the idea. Maybe doing bunk beds over the desks, so there are two more beds instead of four?" I suggest.
"Oh, that's a good idea!" She smiles enthusiastically. "I’ll set some mirrors around to bounce off light. Not the most masculine, but it is the easiest way to add natural light without adding a window."
She proceeds to point out a few more things like drawers under the bunks to save space, and extending the cabinets to the ceiling for storage.
As she talks, it’s obvious how much she loves what she does. Just knowing that she’ll be involved in this project for me has me falling even harder for her. I was in deep before, but I could still let her go and walk away. But I think I'm in danger now. There has to be an option or a way to keep her for good.