Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
KADE
“The fence along the back forty needs to be completely replaced if you want to keep these cows here,” Sam says.
“The entire fence? I was out there yesterday. It was fine. Only needed a few repairs.”
He winces. “Sorry, boss, but I don’t think you know what it takes to keep them in. We don’t want them getting out. Would defeat the purpose of utilizing the back part of the ranch to try and bring in income.”
“How much is it going to cost?”
“All of the reserves for the back barn and about an additional five thousand.”
“Fuck. Twenty thousand dollars to replace it?”
“It’s a lot of fence.” Sam nods. “If we don’t reinforce it, it’s not going to do any good. Especially in the winter when the storms blow through.”
“When can we get started on it?”
“I can have my guy out here tomorrow. Barring any setbacks, maybe two, three, weeks of work?”
“And how is that going to delay getting the cattle here?” I flip through the papers on my desk, trying to see when they’re due to arrive.
“About a month.”
“Seriously?” I groan, dropping my head to the table. “We can’t take many more setbacks.”
My brain is already working through where I can wrangle up the money to cover the fence. I didn’t want to have to take a loan out or to use everything I had in savings, but I might have to.
I still don’t know if I’m keeping this place. Why borrow from the bank if I can make it up later when I sell? But with the remodel taking longer in the guest rooms than I planned, I don’t know if I’ll have much of a choice.
“What do you want me to do?” Sam asks.
“Get started. I’ll figure something out.” My phone beeps at me. My two o’clock meeting. “I need to take this.”
“Right.” He stands, dropping his Stetson on his head. “Let me know if there is anything else I can do to help.”
“Thanks.”
Dragging my laptop toward me, I turn it on and click into the meeting. Kelly is waiting for me, her cheery face filling the screen.
“Hey, boss.”
“Hi, Kelly. How are things out there?”
I brace myself for the answer. Seeing how today is going here at the ranch, I’m holding my breath there isn’t a disaster in the making there.
“Great. We have the final paperwork for Raven to sign to become majority shareholder of the Seattle Eleven—”
“She’s really going through with that? A women’s soccer team?” I laugh to myself, interrupting her. “I didn’t think she could make it happen.”
“Never bet against her.” Kelly points a finger at me through the screen.
“Good. Send the paperwork over to me for one last look and I’ll forward it on. At this time next week, Raven will have herself a soccer team.”
“Done.” She taps away on her keyboard. “You have the initial review of Seattle Corp’s assets to review before Triton decides whether they want to buy them out to look over, and if all is well there, I can go ahead and set up a meeting for the executive team.”
“Sounds good.” I find the document and pull it up.
Seeing these numbers—assets, overhead, losses—these things make sense to me.
How to reinforce a fence to ensure cows stay in? Apparently I don’t have the first clue on how to manage that.
“Next week is the final paperwork to sign for the last of the acquisitions before you left, and I think that’s everything.”
“Damn. Do you even need me?”
“Jake has been helping me out. It’s made it a lot easier.” Kelly waves me off. “How’s the ranch looking?”
Rocking back in my chair, I take in the office around me. I haven’t done much in here besides a fresh coat of paint and cleaning everything up. That and a new desk, which I’m sorely regretting after all the new issues that are popping up.
“If it’s not one thing, it’s another.”
She’s still typing away on her keyboard. “Anything I can do to help? Do you need new contractors? It looks like there are some in Thistle Creek. Is that close?”
I shake my head. “Not all that far. It’s just a matter of cost at this point.”
“Remember what you always say when issues come up here?”
I nod. “Focus on one thing at a time.”
“That’s right. Don’t blow things out of proportion and it’ll be okay.”
“Easier said than done.”
A beep goes off on Kelly’s end of the screen. “I’ve got another call. I’ll get you the paperwork to review and set the meetings once you look everything over. And if you need help out there, let me know.”
“Thanks.”
The screen goes blank as the call ends, twisting my insides.
Focus on one thing at a time. Well, the one thing that I need to focus on so we can try and drum up some revenue is going to wipe me out.
When I decided to fix up the ranch—whether to keep or sell, I still don’t know—I didn’t think it’d be this much of a drain on me.
Verne wasn’t keeping up with things, and it seems the further I get into this project, the worse it’s turning out to be.
I can barely swing a hammer to save my life. Putting up wallpaper in guest rooms? I don’t have the eye to keep it straight, something that Reenie keeps telling me is important to make it aesthetically pleasing.
On top of that, we haven’t even worked in the cost of the furniture that has to be replaced.
Fuck.
The office walls start to close in around me. Grabbing my hat, I plop it on my head and walk outside. The cool breeze and sun are exactly what I need right now.
The pine trees rustle as a group of guests wander past. I tip my hat and smile as they go on their nature hike. There’s been an uptick in reservations, but with half the lodge under renovation, we’re still not making ends meet.
Between repairs, salaries, and everything else, it seems like it’d be easier to set money on fire.
Maybe I’m not cut out to own a ranch. I’m fighting tooth and nail to make things work here because I want to get to know my daughter. But my life is still in Seattle. The part of my life where things are easy.
Maybe Pinecrest and The Lost Spur—and Presley and Poppy—are better off without me.