Redneck Romeo (Rough Riders #15)(81)

“Enough!” Keely shouted. “Hurling accusations isn’t helping.”


“Don’t see why the hell you’re even getting involved,” Cord snapped at Keely. “You don’t have a stake in the ranch and it ain’t gonna affect your life at all.”


Colby and Colt backed him. Then Quinn and Ben joined in and Cam had to break it up.


“Knock it the hell off! Jesus. I’da stayed home if I wanted to referee pointless bickering.”


“Then stay out of it, little brother. Because you don’t have a stake in the ranch anymore either,” Colt said hotly.


“Take a deep breath, Colt,” Kane said.


“The hell I will. And why are you and Kade sitting on the sidelines? This’ll affect you too.”


“It’s not like we could get a word in edgewise,” Kade said, “Which is par for the course lately. You, Colby and Cord just talk over the rest of us anyway, because your opinion is the only one that matters, right?”


Fuck. This was getting ugly and it was just the beginning.


Gavin stepped forward. “Let me speak.”


Dalton waited for someone to point out he didn’t have a stake in the ranch, and he wasn’t even technically a McKay. But no one chimed in.


That’s because they respect him.


“I’m not a rancher. But I do think you guys are getting all bent out of shape about something that might never happen. Dalton applied for the permit. That’s it. That doesn’t mean he’ll get it. So the time to hold the discussions about elk escaping and affecting grazing land and hay stores is not now.”


A few grumbles, but everyone quieted down.


But Quinn wouldn’t let it go. “So where do you stand, Gavin?”


It appeared Gavin would hedge and Dalton didn’t blame him. He didn’t want to get into it with his brothers either. So Gavin’s response shocked the shit out of him.


“If we’re making these lines or whatever purely on border issues, then this elk farm would affect almost my entire acreage. And to be honest, the land I own has been a point of contention in this family for a number of years. Everyone has approached me on how to improve it, how to make it cattle friendly. I listened. But no one actually stepped up and gave me a solid plan on why I ought to draw up an official lease agreement. Except for Dalton.”


Dalton felt all eyes on him while his remained on the floor.


“He drew up a workable, sustainable plan. Timetables for the clearing process, a growth chart of the number of head in the herd year by year, even when portions of it would remain fallow so it wouldn’t be overgrazed. He asked for a five-year lease, which would go into effect after the improvements were made on the land—improvements which were promised to be made on his dime.”


A moment of quiet. “Dalton. When did you do all that?” Brandt asked.


“Four years ago,” Gavin answered. “At the time Dalton was confident with the addition of Georgia and Jessie into the McKay workforce all the brush could be cleared and improvements made within six months.”


“Why didn’t we know any of this?” Ben asked.


“Because the contract was between me and Dalton, since technically he was the sole owner of the chunk of land that bordered mine.”


“Is that why you asked me if we had any plans for it?” Quinn asked.


“Yes. And you told me neither you nor Ben had the time nor the inclination to do what needed to be done to make that piece of land useable for your operation.” Gavin rubbed the skin between his eyes. “When a full year rolled around and no improvements had been made because Dalton couldn’t do it by himself and didn’t have the help he’d counted on, he approached me, requesting that we void the contract. He didn’t want me to be beholden to it and lose out on an opportunity to lease the land to someone else in case it came up.


“I’m sorry, that is not the action of a selfish man. Or a childish man. Or a vindictive man. Or a goddamned troublemaker. I don’t know who tossed out that accusation because that’s one thing Dalton isn’t. Maybe he was wild as a kid—I can’t say because I didn’t know him then. But I know him now, and in case you haven’t been paying attention, he’s not a kid anymore. He’s a man trying to make a living like all of you. Takes a lot of guts to show up here, after being gone from the family fold for a number of years, and share his plans. He didn’t have to. He did it out of courtesy and respect for all of you and you’ve shown him none in return. None.”



Maybe no one would notice if he dropped to the floor and crawled away.


“So if you’re truly asking me to pick a side?” His eyes met Ben’s and then Quinn’s. “I vote yes for the elk farm. I’d even re-up my lease agreement and give him a bigger acreage to work with because I know Dalton will make sure everything is done right.” Gavin set his hand on Dalton’s shoulder. Then he grabbed his coat and walked out.


To say the McKay family was stunned into silence was an understatement.


Before the arguing started again, Dalton snagged his coat and left.


Wasn’t until he was halfway home that he realized he’d left his poker winnings on the table.