Page 81 of You, Me, and Forever

Me: Keep this on the down low, but Samuel might be joining us sooner than we thought.

Connor: Fuck yeah. And that would mean you could work a little bit less if you had a partner.

Me: Stop thinking like a sappy bastard and think like a businessman. This means we can grow quicker than we planned.

Connor: Stop thinking like an asshole and start thinking like a human. Maybe you could actually have a life, which would mean I could have one. Samuel needs his own assistant. I can’t handle two St. James.

Me: We’ll work it out. I’m heading over to the inn now to check on the progress. Jackson said all the drawings were approved and permits are in place. We’re ready to roll.

Connor: Now go fix things with the girl. At least you can enjoy your last week with her there. You know you want to spend the last few days with her. Stop being a stubborn ass and go fix things with her.

Me: Thank you, Dr. Phil. Now get to work. We don’t have time for all the theatrics.

Connor: Myles?

Me: Yes.

Connor: Be the man Clifford thinks you are.

Me: Who the fuck is Clifford?

Connor: The town moose, dickhead.

Me: How the fuck do you know his name? And it’s Clifford Wellhung by the way.

Connor: Because Montana told me all about him. She’s a much better friend than you are. And if you two break up, I’m keeping her.

Me: We aren’t together, dickfuck. You can’t break up with someone you aren’t technically dating.

Connor: Keep telling yourself that, Moneybags.

I didn’t respond. Instead, I dropped my phone in my back pocket and made my way outside. Porky must have been out foraging, because he wasn’t on the porch. I made my way to the inn, where Charlie and the crew were hard at work.

“You guys got this down quicker than expected.”

“This is our best season to work,” he said. “It’s still light for a good portion of the day, and these guys like the overtime.”

“Were you able to salvage the things we discussed?”

“Yep. I’ll get everything transported when we start renovations at the Murphy Ranch soon.”

“Those shouldn’t take too long, huh?”

“Nah. It’ll be quick. Just waiting for you to give me the go-ahead over there.”

“Yeah. Montana will head up all the decisions on that site, but we’re still working out the details on the contract. So we can’t move forward until she signs it.”

He gave me a puzzled look. “You two are always together—I would have thought that would be the easy part.”

“Nah. She’s got an issue with the partnership. I offered her a great deal, and she’s arguing for less. I can’t fucking figure her out sometimes.”

He laughed. “She’s just a very proud person. Always has been. So you’ve got to make her feel like she earned that piece of the pie and it’s not a handout.”

“How the fuck do I do that?”

“You’re a resourceful dude, Myles. I’m guessing you can figure it out. She’s not someone you can throw money at. I’m sure you know that by now. So, try speaking her language instead of yours. But hey, feel free to throw all the money at me anytime you want.”

“Well, this was completely not helpful, but I’ll figure something out.”

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