Chapter 2
CHARLIE
“Pack it all in, boys.” I kept an eye on the nervous-looking cashiers.
They were shooting glances my way every few seconds between ringing through customer products and sloppily packing them in brown paper bags.
My attention moved back to my crew, who were diligently scouring labels in the grocery store.
“Everything that’s got the ranch’s name on it is out. Let’s go.”
As I strode along the refrigerated shelves, I stuck my arm out and swept everything that belonged to me to one side of the shelf. I didn’t have to do it. The boys would’ve gotten it all anyhow, but I needed to make a point.
A scene always seemed to get that done so much quicker.
Shoppers stopped and stared, withdrawing their hands if they’d been reaching for packaged meat and scattering to get out of my way. I tipped my hat to thank them for their good sense. If nobody got in my way we’d be out of there quicker.
“We’re sorry for the interruption, folks,” I announced.
“We’ll be on our way in just a few minutes, but I would urge each and every one of you to take your business elsewhere.
The owners of this place aren’t good to their people.
As a result, we’re severing all ties with them. I suggest you all do the same.”
Wide eyes stared back at me from at least a dozen faces. Some blanched. Some abandoned their carts and an unwise few just turned their backs and kept right on shopping. That was humanity for you these days, though.
Very few people cared about ethics anymore, and it was only getting worse with every passing generation. My family didn’t operate like that.
I didn’t operate like that.
A couple days ago, a little birdie had whispered in my ear about the unethical business practices employed by the owners of this store.
It’d claimed that they treated their employees like lesser beings, subjecting them to long hours with no breaks for wages much lower even than the minimum and that their stockrooms and warehouse were unsafe.
Among other violations of basic human dignity.
The birdie had shown me photographs of the dangerous conditions those people were expected to work in, and I’d gone and done a little digging myself. What I’d learned had shocked even me—and I didn’t shock easily.
Now I wasn’t some new-agey advocate for working an hour and getting four off to recover. I also wasn’t inclined to pay a CEO salary to the low man on the totem pole just because he believed he was entitled to it. But this wasn’t that kind of situation.
It had nothing to do with laziness, entitlement, or even just generational differences.
What was going on here was downright wrong, the workers being taken advantage of only because some suit in the fancy office back there thought they were better than the hardworking folks trying to earn a living out here.
As I kept stacking the meat we’d supplied to them into piles, I strode toward that fancy office, knowing that door was going to open up real soon. That was what I was waiting for.
If it didn’t happen, I’d go open it myself but I was confident they’d be coming to me before I had to go to them. Either way, the law was being laid down in this store today. The ranch would no longer be doing any business with these people.
Just as I’d expected, the door in the corner burst open and a scowling, gray-haired man came marching out of it. Mr. Desmond knew exactly who we were and what we stood for.
Should’ve known we’d find out about the shit they’re doing here.
“Charlie Anderson,” he said cautiously as he approached me, that scowl still settled deep on his features. “Just what on God’s green earth are you doing, son?”
“I’m not your son, and I’m here to let you know that the Andersons won’t be supplying you anymore. We’re taking back all our produce and putting word out to your other suppliers about what’s been happening over here.”
“Wha…” He trailed off, swallowing hard when he saw my men pushing carts and carts of Anderson products out of the store.
Most of his meat department was empty now. As were all the milk fridges and a few other shelves. He worked his jaw and finally brought his gaze back to mine. “You can’t do that.”
“Don’t care, Desmond. I’m doing it.” I tipped my hat at him, turned around, and strode out of the store after my guys without a backward glance.
Let him sue us if he wanted to. He wouldn’t get far.
When I walked back out into the early spring sunshine, I helped our workers load everything onto the trucks and then drove back to the ranch for lunch with the family—and for us, that included a lot of our employees who worked on the land.
These lunches were a daily occasion, held in our big open barn near the bunkhouse, and we usually ate BBQ and drank sweet tea to wash it down. Today was no different. William, a wrangler who just so happened to cook the best steaks in the county, had just taken the meat off the fire.
As we walked in, I grinned at my dad and gave him a curt nod. He inclined his chin at me and that was it. No words had to be exchanged, no questions asked. Dad knew I’d taken care of our unethical supplier and we’d never speak of it again.
Some of the boys worked on offloading the trucks and getting the food into cold rooms while the rest of us joined those already at the table. Our lunches doubled as casual meetings. It felt like a family meal while also being productive.
“Nathan Walker is going to be retiring soon,” Dad told me. I sat down across from him, grabbing a plate and piling it high from all the different dishes spread out in front of me. “His daughter is taking over this branch of their firm.”
My lips pursed, but Dad wasn’t done just yet. “We’ve got a meeting booked with them on Friday. They’ll be coming out here to see us. I’m going to need you with me.”
Tension wound through me as I processed the information. Working directly with a woman?
I wasn’t sure that was a good idea, and it wasn’t because I was some chauvinistic pig. If Nathan wanted his daughter to take over for him, then I was sure he had every confidence in her. As a Walker herself, I was also sure that she would do a fine job at it.
My issue lay with the fact that the last time I’d worked directly with a woman in marketing, it had ended with one-sided feelings, a money grab, and loads of hurt all around. It just hadn’t worked out well at all.
After that, we’d moved all our business to Walker Marketing, who had previously handled the majority of our business, but not all. Ever since, things had been smooth as churned butter.
Now, however, their firm was getting a shake-up, and while I understood that most men got to a point when they wanted to retire, I wasn’t fond of the idea of working with the daughter instead of the father. I liked things to be traditional and this was not that.
“Doesn’t he have any sons?” I asked, not caring who heard me.
The women who worked and lived on this ranch knew me well enough to know I treated everybody equally, and even if someone else was to overhear me, I wouldn’t care.
I had my reasons for wanting to know and they had nothing to do with anybody else. “I could be okay with that.”
Dad shook his head. “The man had three daughters. Olivia, his oldest, has just moved here to learn from the old man.”
“His oldest,” I mused out loud, my head cocking as I stared at my father. “How old is she?”
Dad frowned. “Late twenties, I think. Why?”
A string of curses shot through my head, but they didn’t make it out of my mouth. My father was friends with Nathan Walker and my mama had raised me to have respect for my elders. I nodded slowly, my features stoic as I stared at my father.
He looked back at me. “You look tense, son. Why does it matter how old she is?”
My jaw clenched, but he’d asked me directly. “All due respect to Nathan. I’m sure he knew what he was doing when he asked her to run this branch, but isn’t late twenties a little young to be managing an account like ours?”
Dad scoffed and picked up a smoked rib, bringing it to his mouth but not taking a bite just yet. “She is young, but I’ve been assured she’s got plenty of experience. Heck, son, you’re in your late thirties, and soon enough, you’re going to be taking over from me. I’m not going to live forever.”
My stomach churned at the mention of it. I knew my dad was a mortal man just like the rest of us, but unlike Nathan Walker, my father would never retire. He’d probably drop dead while conducting business for the ranch, just topple off his horse one day while moving the cows.
“She’s got plenty of experience?” I countered calmly. “How? She hasn’t even been a legal adult for a whole decade. How much experience can she really have?”
“Enough,” Dad said firmly. “She’s got enough, son. Enough for Nathan to trust her and that’s all we need to know. It’s going to be just fine. She’s going to do things just as her father always has. I’m sure of it. Now let it rest, Charlie.”
My gut told me trouble was brewing with this girl’s imminent takeover, but I did what my father had asked and let it rest. I stood up to Dad when I truly believed in something, but this wasn’t a mountain I wanted to die on.
I would meet her first—and then I’d decide if dying for this particular cause would be worth it.