Page 51 of Wallflower
I frown and wait for my brain to catch up, but a few moments later, I’m still not sure what this is about.
“I don’t want to take Silver Leaf from you,” I reply. “I want to be part of it with you. I want to make a life here. I want to help you.”
She chokes back a bitter laugh. “Because I need your help? I’m doing such a lousy job as CEO that we need you to swoop in and save it?”
“No.” I push off the counter, taking a step closer as she takes a step back. “Because this is my home. This is where I want to be. And maybe if you weren’t carrying so much of the burden, the ranch could grow a little.”
She shakes her head and narrows her eyes. “I knew it.”
“Knew what? This ranch is too much for one person to manage alone. Mom and Dad couldn’t have done it without each other, and Dad couldn’t have done it without you after Mom died. It’s not a failure to admit that running a business this complex requires more than one person doing all the management stuff.”
“I’ve got Dylan—”
“Who runs the restaurant and the event catering. Not to mention, he’s raising a little girl all by himself. He does enough.”
Charlie blinks. She knows I’m right. She’s also not going to admit it. “Daisy just got back.”
“And I’m sure she’ll be a big help, but once we’ve got horses again, it’ll be a full-time job caring for them and running the trail rides. Assuming she sticks around, that is.”
“Finn’s not going anywhere.”
That’s news to me—good news—but not good enough to win Charlie the argument. Finn’s an asset to the ranch, but he’s not about to pitch in with inventory or account management or employee relations or business development. Finn isn’t a leader, and Charlie knows that as well as I do.
“And what’s he going to do?” I ask.
“I don’t know. I’ll find him something.”
“So why can’t you find something for me, too?”
Charlie throws up her hands. “Oh, my God, Chord. Are you serious? Fine. I need someone to pull weeds in the—”
“Charlotte.”
“What?”
I inhale deeply and release a loud, measured exhale. Charlie might be our CEO, and our siblings might maketheir own contributions to operations, but the ranch has a solid team behind it, and most of our employees have been with us long enough to remember Mom and Dad. Oscar—our lead winemaker. Lillian—who manages hospitality and accommodations. Bryan—head of the farm team and seasonal hires. Sonya—the tasting room manager.
On top of that, we run an organic operation. Weeds are taken care of by a flock of freaking sheep.
“I’m coming home, Charlie, whether you like it or not, but I’d rather do it with your blessing. Let me be someone you can rely on. Someone who can share the load.”
Charlie’s eyes flash with rage. “Where were you when Mom died, and Dad needed someone toshare the load?”
I can’t believe she’s asking me this. I thought she understood.
“That was ten years ago. I was at the top of my game in Tampa. I couldn’t just walk away.”
“And where were you two years later when Dad passed?”
“The trade with Calgary was too fresh. You know that.”
“And when Isobel was born, and I was here without you, without Finn, without Daisy, and almost without Dylan because he was struggling to figure out how to be a single father—where were you then?”
I grit my teeth. “I can’t just walk away from my life, Charlotte. I’ve worked as hard for my career as you have for yours. Sacrificed just as much. And I’ve tried to give you money over and over andoveragain, but you refuse to take it.”
She scoffs. “You want me to take your money to soothe your guilty conscience.”
I blink back the hurt. “That’s not fair.”
