Page 66 of Things Left Unsaid

The hiring process is going to be a nightmare.

“—as happy as I am about this development, you’re going to make him worse.”

Confused about the topic shift, I demand, “Who? Pops?”

“Yes,him. You cut him out, but he’s like Hydra. Another head will spawn.”

“That’s what I’m insane for?”

“Yes.” His expression turns knowing. “Still, at least you’re heading the company and not just the ranch. We can shift some of the herd to market.” He forks up a piece of bacon. “We probably need to sell a quarter even with access to the McAllister’s water rights.”

“I was thinking a third.” I snag a couple spoonfuls of scrambled eggs when Mrs. Abelman dumps the bowl on the table.

What she offers in rudeness, she makes up for in cooking.

And love.

You’d never think to look at her dour expression, but she’s singlehandedly kept us from falling apart since the divorce.

“We’d only have to buy them back when we get our situation regulated,” Callan points out.

“I’d prefer to keep the herd numbers low.”

“Why?”

“Chickens.”

“Chickens?”

“They cluck.”

“I have an IQ of 159, Colton. I know what a chicken is.”

“Such modesty,” I remark. “Chickens are more sustainable than cows.”

Callan hoots. “You want to turn us into a chicken farm?”

“No,” I grumble as I snag three slices of toast from the stack Mrs. Abelman drops in front of me. “But that land over on the border with the Frobishers—it’d be a good place to start. Even if we can only supply the town, it’s something. Proactive.”

Callan frowns at me. “There won’t be enough money in it. Not on a small scale.”

“Doesn’t need to be. Not everything’s about profits.” I wag my fork at him. “Sometimes, you have to preserve the land as well as your soul.

“I’m going to implement a ton of measures that Pops wouldn’t sign off on to help prevent wildfires and we’re going back to breeding horses. That’ll fund some of my ‘quirky’ ideas.”

“Oh.” His eyes brighten with excitement as he sits taller in his seat. “Really?”

“Yeah. Proof that Iaminsane. Cole’s going to give me nothing but shit for wanting to restart the breeding program.”

It’ll be worth it though.

“He’s still grieving,” Callan says calmly.

Calmly because he was on the brink of turning nine when the fire happened.

The aftermath is nothing but a distant memory for him after the trauma he experienced in his childhood. All the same, it triggered an inherent need to secure the ranch.

We have more closed-circuit cameras than North Korea.

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