Page 48 of Whiskey and Wildfire

Lucas and Beau both leaned in as I started telling them the story from top to bottom. I told them about the mess of papers inthe office, the bank, the empty accounts, and the call on the loan for the ranch. By the time I was done, both of them were nearly speechless. Beau especially looked disturbed. Out of everyone in the group, he knew what a generations-old ranch meant to a family and what losing it could mean.

Dakota cleared his throat, his deep voice cutting through the heavy silence. “We’ve been brainstormin’ ideas all mornin’, but we’re comin’ up empty. Figured more heads might help.”

Lucas nodded, his green eyes sharp with concentration. “How much time do we have before the bank forecloses?”

“Fourteen days,” I replied, my stomach churning at the thought. “Not nearly enough time to come up with that kind of money.”

Beau leaned back, his brow furrowed. “What about sellin’ off some of the cattle? Might not cover everythin’, but it could buy y’all some time.”

I shook my head. “Already thought of that. Problem is, most of the herd was purchased with a loan. We’d need to pay that back before we turned any profit. I doubt we’d break even on that loan in the first place.

“What about investors?” Lucas offered.

“That’s why we called you here,” I said, treading carefully. “I don’t want to overstep, but I know you and Beau were talking to people to help with turning your ranch into a tourist thing.” I glanced over at Dakota. “It’s not ideal, but if it saves the ranch, I’m open to trying it.”

Lucas’s eyes widened, and he exchanged a quick glance with Beau. “You’re right, we have been talking to some folks,” he said slowly. “But Logan, are you sure? I know how you feel about turning ranches into tourist traps. And that’s what these people want to do. We actually turned the first couple down because they wanted to make it too much of a sideshow.”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I’m not thrilled about it, but if it’s a choice between that and losing the ranch entirely... well, I guess I’d rather have tourists than nothing at all, sideshow or not. Hell, Caroline wants to do rodeo stuff anyway, so maybe that’s what we need is bleachers and an arena.”

Dakota shifted beside me, his presence a steady comfort. “We’ve been thinkin’ on it all morning,” he said, his voice low. “It might be our best shot.” He paused. “Well, our only shot.”

Beau leaned forward, his blue eyes intense. “I get it, Logan. It ain’t easy to change somethin’ that’s been in your family for generations. But sometimes, adaptin’ is the only way to survive. My dad warmed up to the idea and I know yours will too. Cattle ranchin’ just ain’t what it used to be. The world’s changed.”

I nodded slowly, letting Beau’s words sink in. As much as it pained me to admit it, he was right. The world had changed, and we needed to change with it if we wanted to keep the ranch alive. Being an ex-marketing assistant, I knew that all too well. If we didn’t keep up with the times, we’d be left behind.

“Alright,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “Let’s do it. Can you get in touch with those investors, Lucas?”

Lucas nodded, already pulling out his phone. “I’ll give them a call right now. They were pretty interested before, so I’m hoping they’ll still be on board for a different property.”

As Lucas stepped away to make the call, I felt Dakota’s hand slide into mine under the table. I squeezed it gratefully, drawing strength from his silent support.

Beau leaned in, his voice low. “Listen, Logan. I know this ain’t easy for you. But I promise, we’ll do everything we can to keep the spirit of the ranch alive. We won’t let it turn into some tacky tourist trap. I ain’t puttin’ up with that on my land, and I won’t let them do that to you either.”

I nodded, appreciating Beau’s words even if I wasn’t fully convinced. We were in too tight of a position to be picky. We needed money, and we needed it fast. “Thanks, Beau.”

Dakota spoke up, his voice quiet but firm. “We should start plannin’ what we want this place to look like. If we’re gonna do this, we should do it our way as much as possible. Besides, a good plan might get more people interested.”

“You’re right,” I agreed, feeling a small spark of determination. “We need to figure out how to balance authenticity with appeal for tourists. Maybe we can focus on educating people about real ranch life, instead of just giving them a watered-down experience.”

Beau’s eyes lit up. “That’s a great idea. We could do things like cattle drives, showin’ people how to rope and ride. Maybe even have some hands-on experiences with the day-to-day ranch work. People are always lookin’ for that authentic cowboy experience.”

“And we could incorporate Caroline’s rodeo training if she’s open to it,” I added, warming up to the idea. “Maybe have some small-scale exhibitions or lessons for visitors.”

Dakota nodded thoughtfully. “Could even set up some campsites or cabins for folks who want to stay overnight. Give ‘em a taste of sleepin’ under the stars.”

As we brainstormed, I felt a glimmer of hope start to grow. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all. We could preserve the heart of the ranch while adapting to survive. Beau already had a good idea how to start thanks to his experience at his own place and within a few minutes, I felt like we were starting to form a real solid plan.

Lucas returned, a cautious smile on his face. “Good news. They’re interested. They want to set up a meeting as soon as possible to see the place and discuss the details if they want to move forward.”

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. “Alright. Did you tell them about the deadline?”

“I did,” Lucas nodded. “And they don’t seem dissuaded. These were the people who wanted to move on our place so quickly. I guess they’ve got all their capital ready to go, but no place to put it. They sound desperate, which could work in our favor.”

I felt a mix of relief and anxiety wash over me. This was happening fast—maybe too fast—but we didn’t have the luxury of time.

“When do they want to meet?” I asked, my voice tight.

“Two days,” Lucas replied. “They’re flying out from New York first thing in the morning.”

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