Page 15 of Wild Highway (Runaway 2)

And goddamn it, that wasn’t Dad’s decision to make. Not anymore.

He’d agreed to let me handle the land. I had a degree in rangeland management and another in animal science. This pasture didn’t have enough grass for all the pregnant cows, and we’d end up hauling hay. But it would be the perfect pasture to let the yearlings graze before we sold them in a few weeks.

“Son of a bitch.”

“Don’t shoot the messenger.” Cash held up his hands. “I thought it was your idea.”

No, it was not. Which meant I’d have to have another lengthy discussion—argument—with Dad this week. “Let’s get to work.”

Jigsaw didn’t need any prompting to walk easily along the barbed wire fence. He sauntered slowly so I could inspect each of the five wires and make sure none were too loose or broken. When we reached a section where a post had begun to lean and tug the wires out of alignment, I dismounted and set it to rights before continuing down the line.

Damn it to hell.

I was pissed at Granddad for being himself. I was frustrated that Dad would never let go, like his father. And I was angry that ten seconds with Gemma had me so twisted up that when I passed a downed wire, Cash had to holler at me to stop.

“What’s up with you?” he asked, getting out of the truck.

“Just got some shit on my mind.”

“Let’s hear it.”

I looked at my brother as he crossed his arms and leaned on the grill of the truck. He wasn’t going anywhere until I unloaded.

“I’m tired.” I sighed. “Tired of not being heard.” Tired of not feeling like I had some control over my own destiny.

“It’s just habit, East. They aren’t doing it to run you off, they just don’t know any better. I mean, look how long it took Granddad to let Dad run the show. You were—what?—a senior when he retired? I was a sophomore.”

“Maybe I should have taken over the resort when Grandma asked me to.”

“Dealing with guests all day? Pampering them? You would have hated that job. Besides, Katherine is perfect for it.”

She was exactly the right person for that job and everyone knew it, including me. Which was why no one challenged Katherine. When she had an idea, everyone was all ears.

Maybe that was because the resort side of the business had always been Grandma’s passion. When she had announced that she wanted to start a resort and was using five million dollars to build the lodge, Granddad had stayed quiet and smiled as she’d written the first check.

That was when the resort had been a hobby. A side gig. I always thought Granddad had believed in Grandma, but he hadn’t expected it to take off. He certainly hadn’t imagined it would ever be as successful as it was today.

The resort was pulling in more and more income each year, and Katherine had more freedom to run the business than I’d ever had managing the ranch. And I’d lived here my entire life.

“They listen to her,” I said. “Completely. It’s hard not to get jealous.”

“And it’s hard not to get jealous when you weren’t even in the running to take over the resort or the ranch.”

Ah, hell. “Sorry.”

I didn’t mean to make Cash feel like a lesser contributor. I was tired of fighting with Dad and Granddad and I clearly forgot to keep my brother’s feelings in check, especially with how much I valued his opinions.

“It’s okay.” Cash shrugged. “Things are better this way. I love my job and what I’m doing here. As long as I have my horses, I’m a happy man.”

Soon he’d have more than just horses.

I hadn’t told him or anyone yet, but I’d put in an offer to buy a patch of land bordering us on the west. If it came together, I was going to build another stable and ask Cash to take over as manager for a top-of-the-line equine breeding and training facility.

Cash had a gift when it came to horses and assessing their nature. It was time to put it to use. His talents were wasted catering to guests.

I prayed the purchase didn’t fall through.

Or that my family found out and put a stop to something before I’d even gotten it started.