Chapter 3
On the driveback to my apartment in the city, my phone buzzed with incoming group text messages. Using the hands-free feature, my car read the messages to me from my siblings.
Junie
Hey guys, Dad just yelled at me for breathing too loudly when I came in from a run.
Normally, Dad was the one to champion my little sister and her desire to overcome her asthma by running. Mom was the overprotective and hovering one. But I’d never heard Dad criticize Junie about her breathing, or even raise his voice at her about anything. Ever.
Skye
Yeah. Something’s going on with him. I was telling him about the projects I was working on, and how excited I was about the new legislation we were pushing for environmental sustainability in housing. He said I should focus on my job and stop wasting so much time on stuff I couldn’t change.
Whoa. Dad was all about saving the environment. That was why he bought an organic farm in the first place.
I dictated my response.
Maybe we need to ask the alien inhabiting Dad’s body where we can find our father. This is obviously not him.
Storm
I told him I was offered partner at the law firm and wasn’t sure if I actually wanted it. He said I just needed to work harder. Like he hadn’t heard a word I said.
This was the opposite of how Dad usually responded. He grew up with a father who only cared about making money, keeping up appearances, and increasing his status. Grandfather tried to force Dad to become a lawyer and take over the family law firm, but dad defied him and bought this farm. While we were growing up, Dad did whatever he could to be supportive of whatever we wanted to do or be, vowing he’d never be like his father.
Something was definitely going on.
He’s been too busy to give me even 30 seconds to talk about my proposal. Now I don’t feel so bad.
Rowan
He’s been really short with me when I call to see how everything’s going. I’m worried about him. But every time I bring up the fact that he’s working too hard, he just shuts me down.
I’ve offered to help, too, but he won’t listen to me either.
Rowan
I told him you could take over the business end, Jasper, or at least help with it. But he said you were too busy.
He keeps saying that, but it’s not true. I make my own schedule and can work from anywhere now. I’ve actually been thinking of delegating some of my other projects to free up time for the restaurant I want to open. I could move home and be able to help Dad more, but he won’t even talk about it.
Junie
I’ve noticed he seems more tired and out of breath than usual. But he insists he’s fine.
Raven
Mom said she’s worried about him too. He’s stressed and exhausted, but feels like this is his farm and his problem to figure out.
Rowan
Maybe I need to move home. He wasn’t like this when I was there to manage the farm.
Storm
Don’t be ridiculous, Rowan. If he could let you manage it, why can’t he let someone else?
Skye
Didn’t he hire a farm manager to take your place, Rowan?
Rowan
Yes, Tara. She seemed very capable. But it doesn’t sound like he’s letting her have any control. He’s constantly micromanaging her. He’s basically doing her job for her and not leaving her any responsibility beyond that of a farmhand.
Junie
Then what can we do?
Raven
If he keeps this up, we might have to stage an intervention. And he certainly won’t be happy about that.
Rowan
Keep an eye on him. At some point, he’s going to have to accept help and listen to reason. I can be on the next plane if you need me.
Want me to kidnap him? I could take him and Mom out to Raven and Nash’s cabin and just leave them stranded there. With food, of course. Then the rest of us can run the farm.
Raven
I’ll stock the kitchen. ;)
Junie
I bet Tillie could make him a concoction to get him to slow down.
Or knock him out. That would make the abduction a whole lot easier.
Skye
I’m sure Tillie could come up with something. Getting him to take it will be another story.
Junie
I’ll talk to her and see if she has any suggestions.
Wouldn’t be that hard to slip something into his coffee…
Rowan
Did Mom have any ideas?
Raven
No, she’s just as concerned as we are, and doesn’t know how to get through to him. I’m with Jasper on the drugging and abducting idea. He’s too stubborn for anything more civilized.
Thanks Rave! (fist bump)
Raven
Maybe this weekend??
Might need a little more time to get everything arranged. I have a gala tomorrow night. But then I’ll be back on Friday or Saturday. Let’s get together when I’m home this weekend.
If I was going to take over running the farm business along with my other work, I would need time to get my ducks in a row. While I could work from anywhere, I still needed to get some things done and in place to make it happen. I’d call my assistant as soon as I got home. Olivia was magical when it came to organization.
Rowan
Make sure Mom is on board with whatever you plan. She’s the one who’ll have to deal with the fallout of whatever you do.
Skye
I’ll talk to Mom and see what she thinks. If nothing else, they could both use some time away. I’ll call it a surprise romantic getaway.
Raven
I guess that does sound better than kidnapping or abduction.
But not near as much fun.
Raven
Shows how long it’s been since you’ve had any romance in your life.
Who has time for all that nonsense?
Junie
And now we know why…
I go on plenty of dates. No problem in that department, I assure you.
Junie
Dates. Yes. Nothing beyond that.
Okay. Enough of that. The last thing I needed in my life was romance, and I sure didn’t need to debate that fact with my sisters. I turned my phone off and set it aside.
It wasn’t that I was anti-love, it just wasn’t very high on my priority list. I spent most of my time working, and when I wasn’t, I was chasing some kind of adventure. Bungee-jumping over a waterfall in New Zealand or mountain biking through the Costa Rican jungle. That’s what made life interesting for me. Not romance.
As I’d told my siblings, I’d been on plenty of dates. I just hadn’t met a woman who interested me enough to bother with more than a couple of casual outings. I had better things to do with my time.
My mind whirled with all that I needed to get done, including preparing a proposal to purchase the Moonstruck Steakhouse. Mr. Quince might not think he’s ready to sell. It was my job to show him that he was, and in such a way that he begs me to make a deal.
It might seem like an impossible feat. But this was where I shined. Winning over Mr. Quince would be easy. My father would be the harder sell. But with the rest of my family helping, we should be able to get him to come around.
I had a whole plan for revamping the farm business, making it more stream-lined and profitable. And that meant expansion. I already had the farm. I just needed the table.
This dream was so close, I could taste it.