Chapter Thirty-three #2
“I was thinking this. There is nothing saying that the charity has to be a nonprofit. You can run charities as a corporation. Look at all those racehorse rescues. They make a killing bringing in stock and reselling as riding horses. As long as you can prove you’re doing the work and can show capital expenditures, it’s all above board,” Peony stated, her eyes roving to each of them in turn.
“Peony, you’ve been busy! I hadn’t thought of that.” Frank chuckled. “I knew Brett married a smart woman. I’ll look into that, too, see what I can dig up.”
Peony laughed, leaning back into her chair, her eyes sparkling, and Jake unclenched his jaw. It wouldn’t be easy—the paperwork alone would bury them—and it seemed a little harebrained, but it might just work.
If everyone agreed to it.
“All right then. An interesting idea. Might just be the ticket to solve this mess and revert it back to Tanner, and Brady, too, of course?” Jake asked.
Brady sighed and leaned back, furrowing his forehead as his name was spoken.
No one had brought up who they thought his father was, but Jake had an inkling Peony and Liz knew and were staying mum. Eventually they would have to figure that dilemma out, but he was in no hurry to add new drama when things were just starting to settle.
Brady had sworn up and down that he didn’t want to be on the paperwork when the ranch was handed back over.
He and Tanner had yelled at one another for a while about that one.
But in the end, Brady had backed down from Tanner’s stubborn refusal to consider him any less of a West than before the paternity tests.
“Unless Brett had some other paperwork stashed away in his files or personal belongings, it would be more of a headache than it was worth. Has anyone looked?”
“We checked his personal study and found nothing. Maybe we’ll do another pass through the house just in case, but we’ve already been at this for weeks, it probably isn’t anything that would help even if we did find something,” Jake replied, and Frank hmmed on the other end of the phone.
“Fair enough. Let me know if you find anything, I can vet it to see, like life insurance policies or deeds. Otherwise, this is it. If this idea of Peony’s doesn’t work, there would have to be lawsuits brought against you and the ranch if you wanted to contest it, and that could get expensive.
You’ve all had enough stress, especially with the mess of those thieves you caught on top of all this.
I would advise against it. Could mire the ranch in liens and such for years,” Frank added.
“What do I have to do to do all this rescue bullshit?” Tanner blurted suddenly.
“Not sure. I’ll investigate that, of course,” Frank replied. “Don’t worry about it on your end yet. Decide first if this is in the best interest of the family, then we’ll dive into the details.”
Jake could sense his brother was struggling with that the entire notion. It would shutter the generational business, but it would keep the ranch in the hands of who was supposed to run it, which was Tanner. That Tanner had asked meant he was considering it despite his reluctance.
“We’ll figure it out, but let’s decide if that is the best thing first,” Jake replied, catching Tanner’s eye as he looked up. “We’ll make sure the ranch transfers back into the hands of a West.”
Tanner let out a big huff, shook his head and glared at Jake. “It already is,” he growled, and then paced out of the room, shoving his hat back on his head.
“Tan, hold on, you—” Brady shouted at his brother’s retreating back and then let out a resigned sigh. “He’s so fucking stubborn.”
“I take it you folks need some time to think this through,” Frank interrupted. “I’ll send you some of the reading I’ve done, Jake. Peony, can you share what you’ve found with me?”
“Of course, dear. You should come for a visit next time, you hear?” she replied.
Jake half heard the end of the conversation, turning away to look out the window at the back gardens. Late summer flowers were in full bloom. He could just see the heads of the tall dill plant starting to bud in bright yellow, and he sighed, running a hand over his head.
Liz handed him his phone and put her arms around his waist, looking out with him.
“Think he’ll do it?” she asked.
“Tanner deserves to be on the title, but he needs to want to change the way we operate on a fundamental level, so he’s gotta decide.” Jake sighed. “That is what all this is about, right? Making sure Brett’s legacy stays with his sons.”
Liz went quiet, and he turned as she detached herself from him and fiddled with the drape beside the window. She was frowning, her thinking face on, and he touched her shoulder on impulse. She looked upset. He could guess why.
“The thing is, Jake, Brett’s legacy is intact the way things are now,” she murmured as she pushed at the fabric impatiently.
“How? With me? It isn’t supposed to be me!” Jake replied. “I’m not—”
“Not what, Jake? A West? You damned well are! Not entitled to one blade of grass on this property? Bullshit. I . . . I—”
Liz exploded, her hands flying, tears filling her eyes, and she stomped past him in a flurry of mad, out the same way Tanner had gone a few minutes before. He stared after her, not quite sure what to say.
Peony put her hand on his arm as she passed him on her way to the kitchen and he looked at her imploringly. “Now what do I do?”
“She’s right, you know,” Peony remarked, and hummed at him, her eyebrows raised. “You fit here, young man. You fit with her too. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if this all stayed the way it was. But it’s your choice Jake, just as much as it is Tanner’s.”
Peony patted him gently on the arm and made her way past him, leaving him alone by the window.
“Oh my god, this family,” he muttered under his breath, before stretching his tense shoulders and following her in.