Page 16 of Indescribable

Me:On my way. Got hung up at Lola’s bakery.

Cash:Got it. Starvin’ so get here, man.

Me:When aren’t you starving?

Cash:I’m a growing boy, dammit!

Chuckling, I toss my phone into the empty cupholder in my console and head to the office. During my drive, I think about what Wyatt said. The insinuation that I rode on my family’s coat tails to start the business and don’t put in the work myself to make our business successful.

I let the words settle for approximately five seconds before shaking them off.

Sure, Cash might have been the one who approached us about starting up the company, but that doesn’t mean we don’t all put in our fair share. It’s a family-owned business with all four of us having equal ownership and putting in equal work to keep it successful. Wyatt, the jealous little prick, works for his dad and I use the word work very loosely here. See, it wouldn’t be a big deal if he worked for his dad… if he actually did a damn bit of work but I know the truth.

The thing with small towns is that the business owners tend to know each other, talk, discuss how business is going and bounce ideas off each other. His dad, Dale, came to us not long ago, wondering how we made it work as a family. He’s wanting to retire and the plan was always to leave the business to his son. However, Dale doesn’t see how the business will even come close to staying in the black, let alone thriving, under Wyatt’s leadership.

My guess is, Wyatt has no interest in the company.

He works there because that was the plan.

If he wasn’t such a royal dick, I’d feel sorry for the guy. But then again, he’s a grown up and if he doesn’t want to work there and eventually own the store himself, he doesn’t have to.

Running a hardware store obviously isn’t his passion, even if the Newman Hardware Store has been in the family for years.

That’s what I told Dale. He agreed but didn’t know how to broach the subject. I didn’t have any advice there aside from to remind him that being honest with his son will allow his son to be honest with him.

By the conversation I had with Wyatt a few minutes ago, that conversation hasn’t happened yet. My guess — or rather my hope — is that when it does, the prick won’t be as much of a prick.

Once I arrive at the office, the annoyance I was feeling from Wyatt’s words vanish. Walking into the building my family owns, knowing that I was there from the beginning and helped build it to what it’s become, fills me with pride.

I bring the doughnuts directly to the conference room, where Cash is already sitting with his laptop open and a stack of files next to his laptop.

“Morning.”

His eyes barely leave the screen when he says, “’Bout time. I’m withering away to nothing here.”

“Right.”

“You get some of those sausage things?”

“Lola set them aside. For me,” I add the last, knowing it’ll piss him off. What are siblings for if not to get each other’s hackles up?

“And me. Our mom taught us to share, little brother.”

I chuckle at him bringing Mom into it. “Did you make coffee?”

“Yeah. I haven’t had a chance to bring drinks in for everyone yet, though.”

“I’ll grab them.” I shrug. “Boone and Cor ready?”

We always have a family meeting before the employees join us so we can discuss things only we need to know about.

Ten minutes later, the four of us are in our usual seats at the conference table, munching on doughnuts and drinking coffee. It takes all of thirty seconds before Boone pipes up.

“Divorce is final, I hear,” Boone says around a mouthful of cinnamon twist doughnut.

I cut my eyes to Corbin who shrugs.

“Yup.”

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