Page 2 of Whiskey and Wildfire

“And how the hell do I do that?”

“I don’t know, Logan. But whatever it is, it sure as hell ain’t sittin’ on this roof gettin’ piss drunk in the middle of the night.”

I let out a long, frustrated sigh. Caroline was right, as much as I hated to admit it. Drinking myself into oblivion every nightwasn’t solving anything. But the thought of facing my family, of trying to earn back their trust, felt overwhelming.

“I don’t even know where to start,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair that was slowly getting wild and out-of-control thanks to my lack of care.

Caroline was quiet for a moment, then said, “Well, why don’t you start by helpin’ me with my new business venture?”

I turned to look at her, surprised. “What business venture?”

She grinned, a hint of excitement in her eyes. “I’m startin’ up a rodeo training program. Gonna teach folks how to barrel race, rope calves, all that good stuff. Could use someone with your marketing skills to help get the word out.”

I blinked, considering her offer. It wasn’t exactly the job of the century, but it might be a place to start.

“I can’t pay you anythin’ to start,” she started.

“Yeah, I figured,” I muttered. “But the least I can do is help you get started, I guess.” Another sigh. “At least one of us should get our dreams.”

Caroline’s face lit up with a smile. “That’s the spirit, little brother. We’ll get you back on your feet in no time.”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “Yeah, sure. Whatever you say.”

She nudged me with her elbow. “Hey now, don’t you go gettin’ all mopey on me again. This could be good for both of us.”

I nodded, not entirely convinced but willing to give it a shot. What else did I have to lose at this point?

“So, what exactly do you need me to do?” I asked, trying to muster up some enthusiasm.

Caroline’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she launched into her plans. “Well, first things first. We need to get the word out. I was thinkin’ maybe some flyers around town, maybe a Facebook page. You know, all that fancy city marketing stuff you learned.”

“Flyers and a Facebook page is fancy? You could pay a twelve-year-old to do that.”

Caroline rolled her eyes. “Alright, smartass. If it’s so easy, why don’t you show me how it’s done? Make somethin’ that’ll really catch people’s attention.”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “Fine. I’ll come up with something. But don’t expect miracles. This isn’t exactly Madison Avenue we’re dealing with here.”

“I don’t need Madison Avenue,” Caroline retorted. “I just need my little brother to put that big city brain of his to use for somethin’ good for once.”

The words stung, but she was right. She usually was. We sat in silence for a moment, the cool night air rustling through the trees. Despite my reluctance, I could feel the gears in my head starting to turn. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. At least it was something to focus on besides my own misery.

“You know,” I said slowly, “we could probably do more than just flyers and social media.”

Caroline’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh? What did you have in mind?”

I leaned back, letting my mind wander. “Well, if we’re really trying to drum up interest, we could host some kind of event. A showcase, maybe. Get some of the local rodeo stars to do demonstrations, offer beginner lessons. Make it a whole day thing.”

Caroline’s eyes lit up. “Now that’s more like it! We could set up at the fairgrounds, maybe even get some of the local businesses involved. Make it a real community event.”

I nodded, warming to the idea. “Exactly. And we could use it as a launch for your training program. Get people excited, maybe even sign up a few students on the spot.”

“Logan Baker, I think you might be onto somethin’,” Caroline grinned, slapping me on the back. “See? This is why I need you.That big city brain of yours is good for more than just gettin’ into trouble.”

I couldn’t help but smile a little at her enthusiasm. It felt good to be useful, to have someone actually want my help for once. “Don’t get too excited. We still have to pull it off.”

“Oh, we will,” Caroline said with determination. “Between your marketing know-how and my connections in the rodeo world, we’ll make this happen. I bet Colt Dawson would be happy to ride a couple bulls for us!”

“I’m sure he would,” I said, shaking my head. Just what I needed, another person in my life more headstrong than my sister. “But we can’t start on it right away,” I added. “Not with the cattle drive coming up at the end of the week.”

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