Page 24 of Snowed In With the Mountain Man
“Then maybe he doesn’t deserve it,” Rose said, her gaze meeting Dahlia’s straight on—a dramatic feat given their history. “But maybe we do. Not everyone’s like you. We can’t just forget he ever existed.”
Dahlia swallowed down a wave of hurt she didn’t want to address. Was that really how Rose saw her? As someone with no emotions who could just forget that her father abandoned her with a mother who wasn’t fit to raise them?
Dahlia gritted her teeth and looked away from Rose before her little sister could see how much those words impacted her.
“What did he ever give us other than his DNA?” she finally spit out.
“Well… he left us this place,” Emma retorted softly.
“So he wouldn’t have to deal with it.” Dahlia threw up her hands. “Or maybe he was trying to make amends so he’d get into heaven. Who knows why he left it to us? That’s not the point.”
“Then whatisthe point?” Lizzy snapped.
They were all distracted as Nash wandered in, his towering presence making the room feel smaller. He tried to act like he was just heading in to get a glass of water, but the concern on his face and the way he was eyeing Dahlia with that suspicious look made his real motives abundantly clear.
She cleared her throat and kept going, refusing to be put off by the overly protective cowboy. “The point is I refuse to be forced into a family and a home that I want no part of.”
Nash gave Dahlia a sharp glare as her sisters fell quiet. As always, she was cast as the villain.
Frustration made the back of her eyes sting with unshed tears. Why couldn’t she ever word things in a way that made people understand? Her insides started to tremble as she clung to her control.
Emma licked her lips, obviously fighting tears. “If we can somehow figure out a way to stay… I’d really like that.” She looked up at Nash, who was standing right behind her, lightly squeezing her shoulder. “Can we afford to buy everybody out?”
He winced. “Not without my dad’s help, and I doubt he’d agree unless he could attach the Donahue name to this place.”
Emma slumped.
Crossing her arms, Dahlia glanced up at Nash. “What’s the ranch’s financial situation, anyway? Since I’ve arrived, you two have been very vague about what the profits and losses look like. I want to go over the figures.”
Nash shot her a skeptical frown.
What, did he think the financial statements would be too much for her? She clenched her jaw and gritted out, “I’m good with numbers.”
He frowned. “I thought you worked for a marketing firm.”
“I’m an executive assistant, and I could run circles around our finance department.” If only they’d ever give her the chance to. “I can handle looking at the ranch’s books.”
“Sheisgood with numbers,” Rose offered quietly.
Dahlia’s nostrils flared. She didn’t know whether she was grateful for Rose’s support or angry that she required it.
“It’s just…” He started spinning his hat in his hands. “It’s all ranch related. I didn’t think you knew about that stuff.”
“I’m sure I can learn. All I really want to know is what the turnover is each year and how sustainable this place is.”
“We do okay.”
She huffed in annoyance. Another vague answer. “Is there room to expand, grow, build profit?”
He nodded but seemed hesitant.
Dahlia sighed. His lack of confidence in his answers was far from inspiring. “As part owner in this ranch, I reserve the right to look over the books myself. But I still think selling is the best answer.”
“Only to you,” Lizzy snapped. “You’re not the only member of this family, and you’re not the boss of us! You can’t just come in here demanding the result you want.”
Dahlia hated how her voice shook. She hated it even more that it was the urge to cry and not a surge of anger that had her trembling. “I came in here trying to start a discussion so we could find a solution and wrap this thing up.”
“Which we can’t do until we contact every sister! So stop trying to control everything, you big dragon!” Lizzy huffed and slumped back in her seat.
