Page 18 of Embracing Hope

“Sounds like you’ve skipped a few bases.”

“Several of your hands have been severely injured recently. The turnover rate is alarming. Training a new crew is expensive. What makes the hands want to jump ship?”

“Ranching accidents happen. Are you insinuating Marcum Livestock hasn’t had employees injured on the job?”

“In two years, we’ve had one accident, and that was because the hand came to work under the influence, and he was immediately let go. Sagebrush Rose is at three nearly fatal accidents in a year, and the turnover of hands is fifty percent higher than any other ranch in Wyoming. All these things point toward bad management. Or am I missing something, Miss Rose?”

The way he said her name made her body react.

She hated that her body betrayed her logic.

“Seeing that Sagebrush Rose is three times larger than most ranches, that statistic is useless. Our loss of employees might make you raise a brow, but we’ve hired workers who can handle back-breaking work and sweat their balls off. I’d bet my eye teeth on that fact.”

“Right. Maybe I’ll get to meet them.”

“I’m sure you will.”

“You understand that Marcum Livestock can’t just sign a piece of paper joining forces without certainty that it’ll go smoothly. If there’s something Sam is hiding, I’ll find out.”

She groaned. “Why do you keep suggesting my father is hiding something?”

“Where is he right now?”

Hope slowed the car so she could make eye contact with him. His rugged features were glowing in the dashboard lighting. His jaw was broad, partially covered by whiskers threaded with silver. “Handling business.”

“This is the business he should be handling. This merger is a big deal unless it isn’t, and then that changes the trajectory, at least for me.”

“You’re only half of Marcum Livestock. Where is your brother? If this deal is so important, why isn’t he here, making sure things run efficiently?”

He cleared his throat. “CJ and his wife just suffered a miscarriage. As business-focused as my brother can be, he’s always a family man first and foremost.”

She suddenly felt like an idiot. “I’m sorry. I had no clue.”

“You had no way of knowing. It isn’t something CJ would tell his business associates.” He shifted and looked through the side window.

“That’s why you’re the lucky one who is here managing things.”

“Yay for me,” he said unenthusiastically.

“If you came into this with your mind already made up, then why bother?”

He snorted. “Like you said, I’m only half of Marcum Livestock.”

“I don’t think that’s giving Sagebrush Rose a fair shake.”

When he didn’t answer, she braked hard and jerked the wheel, steering her car into a gravel pull-off along the edge of the dark back road.

“Now what?” He scanned the darkness.

She unfastened her seatbelt and turned in her seat. Irritation boiled through her. “What’s your story?”

Even in the dimly lit car, she could see the danger lurking in his gaze. “What do you mean?”

“It's exactly what it sounds like. One minute, you seem carefree and happy-go-lucky, and the next, you’re subdued and distant. Angry. You talk about Daddy hiding things, but the way I see it, so are you.”

Chapter Five

Annoying and confusing.

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