Chapter 16 Mutuals
CASSIDY
“My boy, Daniels, is coming to visit.” Finch’s announcement surprised exactly no one. He had the longest military career of all of us and had built a lot of bonds with people over the years. Daniels was someone we had all met before and who Collette and I both had crushed on.
“Ohh!” Amberlee gushed. “Not Sgt. Major Daddy himself.” Her joke fell flat with Finch as he outwardly shivered at the moniker we’d given his friend.
The man had retired as a Master Sergeant, not a Sergeant Major, but it annoyed Finch that we gave his sexy buddy a promotion.
The “daddy” part was just because he was so much older than most of us.
At thirty-eight, Greg Daniels still had it going on.
“He’s only a year older than me,” Finch reminded us.
He was miffed that Greg gave off daddy vibes to us.
It was just because he had that authoritative bearing that came with the senior NCO rank he’d held before getting out of the Army.
Finch was thirty-seven, the oldest of our foursome, and he had only made it to Staff Sergeant before he retired.
I think it stung our friend that he hadn’t made it as far in his career as Greg had.
“Is he still sexier than Thor?” Collette asked.
“No. The minute he retired he turned into a troll who will make you gag on sight,” Finch joked.
“Aww, do I detect a hint of jealousy?” We all turned to see Greg Daniels in the doorway of our operation looking just as sexy as the last time we’d seen him. Two of us swooned, Amberlee giggled, and Finch groaned.
“If it isn’t Sgt. Major Daddy in the flesh,” Amberlee announced. The man blushed and looked away before his eyes tracked back to mine.
“So this is the place, huh?” he asked before glancing around at the restaurant’s dining space.
It still only held one table and four mismatched chairs.
That was something we would have to remedy sooner than later.
If we had anyone come to do samples or talk contracts, we needed a proper space to meet them that wouldn’t scare away their business.
“It is. We’re only using the kitchen for now,” I admitted since it looked like we needed to worry about someone breaking in to give us charity donations and not steal stuff.
“It takes time. I’m not judging.” His warm, brown eyes met mine and I knew he meant it without having to ask.
It was one of the reasons we all liked when Daniels - Greg - came around.
He was a genuinely nice person even if he did have an authoritarian vibe from time-to-time thanks to his stint as a drill sergeant.
“Do you want to take me to the house first?”
Again, his question was directed toward me. I supposed, since technically I was the owner, it made sense. But he was here on Finch’s invitation and I wondered how my friend would feel about being left out of the conversation from the very beginning.
“I’m sure we would all be more comfortable there while you and Finch catch up.
” He grinned as if he knew what I was doing, but when I turned to Finch, he wore the same smug look that said he also knew I was happier than a clam to be in Greg’s sights, even if I did feel bad for monopolizing a little of his time during his visit.
“Wouldn’t want anyone to be uncomfortable,” Finch teased as he walked out the door and the rest of us followed.
“What did I say?” I asked the girls. Neither of them gave me an answer but Amberlee reached over and swiped her finger over my chin.
“Just mopping up the drool before you drown us all.”
“Please tell me I’m not that obvious,” I whispered.
“Oh you are, but lucky for you, it seems like Daniels finds it endearing,” Collette whispered back. I was glad she was the one who answered because she was the only of my three closest friends who knew how to use a real whisper to keep from being overheard.
Once we all got comfortable at the house, we sat down and talked specs for the security that we needed him to set up. There had to be something at the house, the barns and out buildings, and the restaurant itself. Greg visibly winced when I named everything.
“Not sure how well your business is doing just yet, but if we set up security for all those things, it will cost a pretty penny, even with a friend discount.”
“I have some money set aside, my inheritance,” I explained.
“I’m going to hold your hand while I tell you this,” Amberlee said as she did just that, “but we can’t keep relying on the money your dad left for you.”
“I have to set up security on the house and property anyway because Tiffany is up to something with the sale of her property that got the club involved. If she’s willing to piss off the local MC, then I don’t want to take chances on what she might do to try to get her hands on my portion of the property, the house, or any of the ranch. ”
“Yeah, but you said Mitch wants to retire soon and you’ll have to hire new people. You said yourself that it’ll take three people to equal what Mitch handled all by himself. Until you’re producing enough animal whatever to cover that cost, it will come out of your savings. We can’t drain it, too.”
I smiled at Collette who was looking out for my best interest. It was a needless worry, but I appreciated it.
“The ranch is doing just fine and bringing in plenty of money to cover more employees, I promise. Those damn alpacas have done more to help the ranch recover and prosper again than anything. I really owe Mitch for adding them when my father was too ill to put up a fight over it. The ranch is in the black and flourishing. The house and land are paid for and the taxes are kept up easily enough. We have well water, our own septic system and the solar panels are more than enough to power everything with the storage banks we have that we never actually have to hook the power to the grid, if we don’t want to.
The ranch is self-sustaining and making money.
The catering and baking gigs are going well and we just signed that contract with the MC that will give us steady work there.
I would rather invest the money I have in security now than wish I had done it later if something were to happen. ”
“The lady makes a fair point. When you guys decide how much you want done and when, let me know and I’ll get a crew started on filling the orders for everything we’re going to need.”
Finch smirked. “Sounds like you think she’ll get her way.”
“Well, she just made a hell of a point and seems to have all her ducks in a row.”
“How about this, I can front the money for the security on the restaurant and we can split that cost up four ways with you three paying me back whatever you can, whenever it’s possible.
As for the house and ranch, as the owner, I have to get security set up on my own anyway because my stepmother is a shady bitch who can’t be trusted.
” I turned to Greg and smiled. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s all a go as soon as possible.
They can argue with me later, when we aren’t wasting your time about how feasible it is. ”
He winked at me and then turned back to Finch.
I tuned everyone out for a bit as I remembered my last trip to the clubhouse.
I’d met with Bigfoot when he called and asked me to come out there to discuss something with the contract.
I didn’t realize he meant a real estate deal that I had nothing to do with, but it was an enlightening experience.
Especially the part where I saw James - no, Knuckles, with a barely dressed woman writhing around on his lap.
“I’m going to head out for a bit and check on things with Mitch,” I said to everyone and no one before I got up and left them to their visit with Greg.
I spoke to Mitch briefly about logistics with orders for feed and a few other things, plus we needed to get the vet out to do their annual wellness check and let us know if there were any issues.
“What are you hiding from out here?” Mitch asked.
An anxious chuckle burst free of me before I shook it off. “I’m honestly not hiding, just needed a minute to clear my head and think about everything I have going on.”
“Running two businesses can’t be easy.”
I really laughed then. “We both know the only one running the show out here with the ranch is you. I don’t know what I’m going to do without you when you go.”
“About that,” he mumbled.
“Oh no! Tell me you’re not leaving sooner rather than later.”
“The opposite, if you’re okay with it.”
“What do you mean?”
“My old lady took off a week ago.” Red ribbons of embarrassment colored his cheeks as he took his hat off and swiped his brow with the back of his hand and sleeve of his shirt.
“Said she was tired of waiting for my ass to get off the pot and I wasn’t making enough money now to suit her, let alone once I retired. ”
“She didn’t know about…” I didn’t bother to say the rest aloud.
Mitch was a bit of a genius who happened to enjoy working with animals.
In his younger years, he played the stock market hot and heavy and won where many failed.
His bank account was not just flush but overflowing, especially since he lived a simple life as a ranch hand in the country.
I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to know all that, but I’d overheard my parents talking about his situation once.
“Nope, and for good reason. Don’t want a woman who sticks around just for the payday she thinks is coming.”
I could understand that. Everyone wanted to be loved for who they were and not what they had to offer in the bank.
“Considering Dottie is headed out on some grand adventure to cruise around Alaska and other parts of the world, I figured I could park my ass here and keep on keeping on, if you don’t mind. ”