CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR #2
“It has to be done, Colt, so I may as well spoil the mood. How much is all this going to cost us?”
“I’ve never had an offer on the place but I know it’s worth in excess of 10 million to developers.”
“Holy crap. I knew it was going to be out of our price range, but not by that much.” I look at Dallas, and I don’t think, even with her eight years of ranching, she expected that kind of figure.
“That’s what it is worth to developers. As a viable ranch in this day and age, I’d be lucky to get four million for it.
The business is still ongoing, as I told Dallas, but only to keep things ticking over.
On paper it doesn’t look great, but Dallas and I both know that within, say three years, this place could be a goldmine in the making.
It takes only hard work and determination, and this could be a secure future for generations to come.
” Colt looks at Dallas, and although she nods, I can see the pain in her eyes.
“All that being said, Colt, we can’t raise that kind of money. I’m sorry for wasting your time today. We’d better be on our way.” I want to get the hell out of here. I am gutted that we’ve even seen the place now that it is so far out of our reach.
“Now just hold your horses there, young man. Don’t be so quick to give up on Dallas’ dream.
I see how much she wants this for her future family.
I ain’t blind nor stupid.” He nods for me to sit back down.
“I’ve had all night to think about this.
I saw the way she looked at the ranch yesterday.
She was coming home. It was plain to see even to a blind man.
I’ve had all night to think on things, too.
I don’t need much sleep these days, so I gave the finances some serious pondering.
” Getting up, he grabs the coffee pot and refills all three mugs.
“You’re a member of a motorcycle gang, yeah?”
“No. I’m a member of the Raging Barons Motorcycle Club. We are not a gang.” Why does everyone automatically assume that more than two bikers make a gang?
“Poor choice of words on my part, son. You are a member of a motorcycle club. Am I correct in saying that the said club owns several businesses around town and the surrounding area? Including a couple of clubs, a garage, etc?”
“We do. I’m the manager of the wine shop that they own.”
“Ha! Barons Bordeaux! Tried that once. Turned my piss red. Thought I was bleeding internally when I first saw that. Scared me out of ten years of my life, that I can’t afford to lose.” Colt gives me a squinty-eyed scowl that Dallas obviously misses.
“Oh, Cork had a hand in making that stuff!” She throws out as though it were my proudest achievement in life.
“Oh, did he? In that case, the price is six million!” Colt laughs at Dallas’ stricken face.
“NO! He only made the first experimental batch. Not the stuff you can buy now,” Dallas desperately adds.
“Okay, it can stay at four million then. Back to being serious. Your club has several successful business enterprises. You are a successful manager at one of them. What if they went in as partners and helped buy the place?”
“The Raging Barons Motorcycle Club Horse Enterprise. It has a certain ring to it, not! I can see where you’re coming from, though. Pres might just go for that. It could turn out to be the club's biggest earner. Horses can be big bucks.”
“My horses are exceptional. I have breeding records from my first horse. You are welcome to have them checked out. I hadn’t finished though.” Colt looks at us both with not a little mischief, I might add.
“Supposing I only sold you fifty percent of the ranch and I retained the rest? We’d be partners, and you and the club wouldn’t have to find so much cash up front?
I could be an unpaid manager alongside you or maybe a consultant.
I could build a small cabin somewhere on the property to live out my years… ”
“Colt, you’re serious, aren’t you? You’re offering us the chance to work something out?” Dallas looks amazed that someone she’s only just met would do something like this.
“Dallas, what will happen to this place if I die next week? I have no heirs, no family. This way, I get to choose what happens to it. If your club decided to sell it a week after I passed, I wouldn’t know, so it wouldn’t matter.” Colt holds his hands out and shrugs.
“No, Colt. I wouldn’t let that happen.” Dallas chokes back a tear.
“Neither would I, Colt. We could have something put in the contract to stop that. Something that would give us the controlling vote in the business, maybe. We want this to be our home first and foremost. The business is secondary to that.” I can’t imagine that Pres would contemplate such a move as selling out from under us, but he may not be Pres forever. Shit happens.
“I know you guys will need time to talk to your club, but I don’t see anyone turning up with a wad of cash and buying the place any time soon.
Go have the conversations that you need to have.
Talk amongst yourselves. If you want to know anything or your club wants to come and look at the place, I’ll be here somewhere.
Dallas, leave me your full name, number and address so that if I need to contact you I have everything I need to find you.
I’m old school don’t forget.” Colt stands, and I take that as our cue to leave. We have been here for a long time.
Driving home, we’re both a bit shellshocked by the developments.
If I’m honest, I wasn’t expecting to buy the ranch.
It was all too good to be true. Listening to Colt’s thoughts though, I can see how it would benefit him.
He loves the place and doesn’t want to see it destroyed by greedy developers.
We could be the answer to keeping it as he built it.
I can’t wait to sell this idea to Pres. Yee Haw!