Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
How much time was a reasonable amount when it came to giving a girl space?
Tate didn’t have a clue.
He hadn’t gone through an argument with a girlfriend that didn’t result in a breakup.
Wait a minute. Did Rylee think they were broken up?
No. He hadn’t said as much. They were just at odds with each other. And when he thought enough time had passed, he’d go over to her house and tell her he was sorry.
He had time.
Right?
Tate shrugged the feeling off as he settled down behind his computer in his office.
The Williams research was still spread across the screen where he’d left it—the articles, the renderings, the towns that hadn’t survived the company’s attention.
He’d read all of it twice. It hadn’t done him a lick of good.
Days now, and he still hadn’t told a soul about the lodge.
What was there to tell? That he’d driven out there before dawn like a man with a plan and come home with nothing to show for it but a polite brush-off from the developer’s own daughter?
That the only thing he’d accomplished was proving Rylee’s point for her—not one day after fighting her over it?
He could hear exactly how it would sound.
Faith would stare at him. Jason would say something short and correct.
Rylee couldn’t find out. Not because the lodge had been a betrayal—it hadn’t, not the way she’d think. But explaining that morning meant confirming every word she’d thrown at him at the market, and he wasn’t ready to hand her that.
So he’d fix what he could fix. There were still people in town wavering on the resort question. If he couldn’t get to Williams, he could at least get to them.
The sound of boot steps tore Tate from his thoughts and he whirled around to find his twin standing in the doorway.
“Our afternoon session cancelled, not that you cared,” Jason muttered, and turned for the front door.
Tate shot out of his seat, his surprised focus landing on the clock on the wall. Shoot! He’d been so engrossed in his research he hadn’t been thinking about his job. Thankfully, he didn’t have anything else on before it. He charged after Jason. “Wait, you weren’t going to come get me?”
Jason either didn’t hear him or he didn’t care to answer as he continued toward the front door of their family home. He yanked open the door with more force than was necessary and hurried down the steps.
“Jason, wait!” Tate leaped over the last couple of steps and sprinted toward his brother. “What was that all about?” When Jason didn’t respond, Tate grabbed his arm to force him to stop. “What’s going on?”
Jason whirled to face his brother. “How about you tell me.”
Tate frowned. “What are you talking about?”
His brother looked away, his eyes darting this way and that before he settled on the ground.
“You talk about responsibilities.” His voice was sharp and bordered on accusatory.
“And yet you weren’t even out here getting ready for our session.
How am I supposed to go out on my own and start a business if you’re losing your hold on things?
” He lifted his eyes and the accusation Tate heard speared through him with that one look.
“I—” He cut himself off and shook his head. “I didn’t think you were serious about that. You kept saying it wasn’t important. But you keep bringing it up. Are you saying you already know what you want to do?”
“Of course I do,” Jason ground out. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot. For a long time, actually. I know what I want to do, I’m just not sure how to get it off the ground.” His voice lowered. “The start-up work was your part.”
Tate nodded. “So the meetings in town. That folder Brent keeps seeing you with. That’s been this?”
“Lease listings. Feed costs. Folks around the county who might pay for the service.” Jason lifted one shoulder. “I just call it homework.”
“Why keep it quiet?”
“Wasn’t ready to be talked out of it.”
Tate blinked. So, his brother was finally coming clean.
He was standing up for what he wanted. Tate couldn’t decide if he was proud of his brother or concerned for what the future would hold.
Not his future, but Jason’s. If he ventured out on his own, would he succeed or would he falter and need to be saved? “What’s your idea?”
Jason’s focus seemed to sharpen and his shoulders straightened, chest puffing out. “I’m good with horses.”
“I never said you weren’t.”
“I want to work with skittish animals. I think I could be good at that. Training them. Calming them down.”
Tate rubbed the back of his neck and shuffled his feet. “Like a horse whisperer?”
Jason gave him one curt nod.
“Well, I don’t think we have anything like that here in Rocky Ridge. There are a couple guys who train horses, but that’s more for working and starting them when they’re young.”
Another nod from his brother.
Tate continued. “I suppose the first step would be to get the community’s support.
We have a lot of ranchers and rodeo competitors who live around here.
And there is no shortage of horses that could need help.
Even in the surrounding towns. If you could get the folks around here to back you, then you’ll be at a good starting point.
Build that foundation of clients and word-of-mouth will get you to the next step. ”
They stared at each other for long moments. Then Tate offered his brother a smile and clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m proud of you, man.”
Jason’s brows lifted fractionally. “Really?”
“Yeah. It’s hard to go after something like this. Takes courage, you know?”
His brother nodded thoughtfully.
“And it’s a great idea—I can tell you’ve really thought this through.” Tate didn’t know if his praise would be enough but based on the surprise and slight smile spreading across Jason’s lips, he had to believe it was.
Something eased in Tate’s chest. Not even a morning’s worth of research on the developer and his company had managed to do that. He still didn’t know how he was going to convince the people of Rocky Ridge that they needed to run this Reginald guy out of town, but at least he had a place to start.
Then there was the issue with Rylee that he had to contend with.
As if Jason could sense his thoughts, he murmured, “How’s Rylee?”
Tate shook his head. “I haven’t talked to her in a few days…
not since that… argument.” He’d told his brother about it briefly.
Nothing too detailed because he didn’t need Jason making his own judgments about the whole situation—probably because Tate didn’t want to hear what a big mistake he’d made. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Aren’t you the one who always says to start with an apology?”
He winced. “Yeah, but I don’t know if that’s going to be enough.” Tate was all too aware of how difficult it was for Rylee to find a place she felt she belonged. Any improvements she’d made to that belief while here in Rocky Ridge had been damaged.
“That shouldn’t matter. It’s the thought that counts, right?”
Tate eyed his brother. “Since when are you so smart?”
“Since always.” Jason’s delivery was bone-dry. “You were usually talking.”
Tate barked a laugh. Fair enough.
He moved his weight from one foot to the other. “Can I ask you something?” Tate murmured.
Jason nodded.
“Do you think I sacrifice what I want—my own happiness—too much?”
Jason didn’t even pretend to think it over. “Yes.”
Tate barked out a self-deprecating laugh. “Ouch.”
Jason shrugged. “That’s how it’s always been. But I think you’re missing something. That part of your personality makes you happy, too. So, whatever you’re sacrificing… isn’t it a fair trade?”
Tate was stunned into silence, which didn’t happen often.
“It’s a good thing, right?” Jason tried again. “You’ve always seemed okay with it before.”
But that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Tate wasn’t sure he was happy. Lately he’d found more and more reasons to dislike the way his life had turned out.
He was stressed and overworked. He wanted to have what he’d seen his friends have.
He wanted a partnership—someone he could come home to at the end of a day.
And part of him wanted Rylee to fill that void in his life.
He met Jason’s eyes, frowning. “I’m not sure it does make me happy. At least not anymore.”
Jason’s frown mirrored his own. “Then why do you keep doing it?”
“That’s the question of the century, I suppose.” Tate sighed. “What about your happiness? Is that what this business idea is all about? You want to start out on your own and make something of yourself?”
“Partly,” Jason admitted, and left it there in that way he had—the way that made it clear the rest wasn’t up for discussion.
Then he changed the subject. “How important is it to have the community’s full support?”
“I don’t know. It’d just make it a heck of a lot easier,” Tate hedged. “Why?”
“Some folks might not love me striking out on my own. Leaving you short-handed.” Jason didn’t blink. “Would that make it impossible?”
“Not impossible, no. Just difficult.” Tate nearly told him that nobody in this town would ever hold ambition against a Dennison when Jason flashed him a smile.
“Thanks for the talk. But we should really start setting up for the next session. They’re going to be here in thirty minutes. ” And with that, he was dismissed.