Page 11 of Embracing Hope

“Could it be the other way around? Maybe you recognized me and thought your charming allure could improve the situation in your favor.” He journeyed his gaze down her beautiful body.

Her eyes sparkled as she stared back at him in disbelief. “And why would I do that? You need Sagebrush Rose more than we need Marcum Livestock.”

“Lady, you should doyourdetective work.” he ground out through clenched teeth. “Sagebrush Rose is lucrative but has gone down in revenue by twenty percent. Marcum Livestock has doubled its revenue this year, making us the number one growing cattle business in the state of Texas.”

She tapped the toe of her boot as if she imagined it was his head between her and the floor. “Obviously, you have no clue what you’re talking about. We have more than doubled our livestock this last year.”

“You mean in horses, right? It can take years for that investment to turn a profit. You’ve probably spent at least a million on horses, and how much have you made back in the last six months? Let me guess. Zero. Cattle ranching earns an ROI almost immediately. Why is your cattle livestock down by a fourth?” He saw the uncertainty in her eyes. “You can’t answer that, can you? And this is why a smart person once said, don’t mix business with pleasure.”

“After the loss of two of our breeding horses, we did suffer a loss in profit, but our sires are widely reputable and turn a profit. To make money one must spend money. Have you heard that from a smart person too?”

He didn’t know whether he should be angry or amused. “I’m sensing you might be experiencing some regret after last night.” Unfortunately, he had not one iota of regret. He’d been thinking about her ever since she left him in the motel room. He needed to stop that right away and get his head back on straight.

“I don’t live in regret, cowboy. I learn from my mistakes and never repeat them.”

He chuckled. Despite her feistiness, he found her to be refreshing. The verbal sparring match sent a jolt of awareness below his belt that he couldn’t quite shake. He found her quite the challenge. However, he wasn’t the same man he had been before the military shaped him. Once upon a time, he would have risen to the challenge until she was begging and pleading for him to take her to bed. He’d never been into chasing women, especially one that could be described as hot and cold.

Returning home, it had taken him some time to adapt to a new way of living. He preferred being a loner than to be in the spotlight. Once upon a time, he craved the attention of women and the power and influence he had as a Marcum. Now, he couldn’t care less. He was satisfied with working hard. “Good for you. And you’re supposed to be the welcoming committee?”

“Not voluntarily,” she huffed.

“I can’t tell if you’re angrier because you enjoyed last night or know it can’t happen again.” He found her expression almost comical.

“I hopeyourealize it can’t happen again.” She turned and stomped down the hallway.

In agitation, he followed her. “So that you know, I don’t mix business and pleasure.”

“Oh? You broke that rule last night,” she said over her shoulder.

“I had no clue who you were, whether you believe me or not. I have nothing to prove.”

“Something tells me it wouldn’t have made a difference.” She flipped the ends of her hair over one shoulder.

He followed her through a mudroom and out a screen door. Outside, he squinted against the bright sunlight. “There’s nothing that says you must show me around. I’d prefer someone a little friendlier.”

She stopped to face him, her agitation glinting in her glare. “You don’t understand Daddy. Once he has his mind made up on something, there’s no changing it.”

“This should be as delightful as that time I got shot in the ass by a BB gun,” he mumbled under his breath.

“I heard that.” She turned her back and stepped off the porch into the grass. “According to those callused hands, you’re not afraid of hard work.”

Isaac’s lips twitched. “I’m not afraid of back-breaking work.”

“That's good because this isn’t one of those elite tours where you see the ranch and then get a seven-course meal and expensive bourbon afterward. I have work to do, and if I’m stuck babysitting you, then I’ll expect help with no complaints.”

Honestly, he found her attitude intriguing. As Marcums, he and his brother had always been popular with the fairer sex. He suspected it was due to their mother’s flawless genes that she’d handed down, but he realized their wealth played more of a significant role. After all, looks diminished over time, but a healthy bank account could create lasting opportunities—just like his father used to say.

He remembered the day he’d told his parents that he’d enlisted in the military. They’d both been disappointed, asking him to withdraw. They’d had plans for Isaac, which included him taking the lead over the family ranch and business to carry on the Marcum name properly. Although Isaac’s father had served in the Army, he’d said it wasn’t the life to live. They shoved guns into young men’s hands, and if they were lucky, they could retire in twenty.

What his parents didn’t understand then, and probably never would, is that he’d made an important decision regarding his life. Although Isaac suspected they knew he’d been a wild child, he doubted they understood the extent of his behavior—drinking too much and partying too hard.

One morning, he woke up and took a good hard look at himself in the mirror. He didn’t like what he saw. He took a long look into his future, and he didn’t like what he saw there either. He didn’t want to be like his father, a burned-out man who was so embedded in work that everything else came second.

And yet, wasn’t that the life Isaac had adopted?

Marcum Livestock owed its success to his father's incredible work ethic. Isaac and CJ grew up with opportunities their dad could hardly dream of as one of ten in a poor, struggling family. He made a bold decision early on to create a better life, and his dedication truly paid off. Russel's perseverance not only transformed their future but also instilled in them the values of hard work and determination.

As he strolled through the tall grass that slapped at his boots, he rolled his shoulders, shaking off the tension that the woman stirred within him. This experience brought a refreshing challenge into his life—a welcome change from the usual routine. After years of being what he dubbed a “warm robot,” rising with the sun and working tirelessly until nightfall, maybe it was high time he pushed himself out of his comfort zone. He’d never seen himself as a social butterfly or the best communicator, yet here he was, handling a situation that he didn’t much care about. What would Russel say about the merger if he were still alive?

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