Well, I’ll be hog-tied!
“Jackson Hole?” I snort. “Lady, folks out here ain’t looking for spas and sushi bars. They’re raisin’ cattle. Beef that ends up on your plate. What you call ‘untapped value’is the only reason this place still makes sense to live in.”
Madison leans in, undeterred. “And what if the beef money dries up? Prices swing. Droughts kill. Development brings stability. Security. Why work yourself into the ground when your land could be making ten times the return with half the effort?”
“Honey”—I use the word like a swear—“If we develop all ranch land, how on earth will you be able to order your hundred-dollar filet mignon at some overpriced restaurant in Aspen?”
Her eyes narrow, and I see temper flare in hereyes. She masks it, but not quick enough. It’s obvious that she’s pissed with my attitude.
Well, hell, join the club,honey!
I tug my tie loose this time. Fuck this shit. I remove it and stuff it unceremoniously into my coat pocket. It’s one of Landon’s. Violet insisted that I wear something Hermes.
“Don’t flatter yourself.” Her painted smile stays fixed, but I see irritation behind it. “You’re not the only cattle ranch in the country.”
I let out a short, sarcastic laugh. “I’m sure you say that to all the ranchers whose land you wanna trample over. You can look down your hoity-toity nose at us ranchers, but dirt and sweat’s the only thing that feeds families out here. Not your Goddamn golf course.”
Kaz chuckles low. “Told you he was stubborn.”
“Stubborn,” Madison purrs condescendingly, “or short-sighted?”
“Come on, Cade, don’t you think it would be fun to have a spa in Wildflower Canyon?” Noelle rubs her tits against my arm. “I won’t have to go all the way to Aspen to get buffed and polished.”
Kaz looks like he’s about to double over laughing. The bastard is enjoying this. I shoot him a flat, unimpressed look.
“Not interested in your buff and polish, darlin’.” I tuck my hands in my suit pants before I do something uncouth with them, like give Madison and Noelle a one-finger salute.
“Progress is coming whether you like it or not,” Madison assures me in a tone that is definitely a threat.
I plant my boots a little wider, meeting her gaze. “Call it whatever you want. Blue Rock is gonna stay cattle.”
After that, the evening gets worse.
I’m seated next to a woman with big tits. Celeste Jessup is the wife of Senator Otis Jessup. She’s wearing more bright rocks than even Violet.
She’s window dressing, I figure, because Otis Jessup is interested in talking to me, quite like MadisonWhatshername.
“Heard a lot about you, Cade.” He leans in, his eyes on me, as if I’m an important person. “You know, I nearly bought Wilder Ranch once. Came close, but….”
Yeah, we all know how close you came… And in the words my kid’s been singing all week, that don’t impress me much.
A surprise chuckle slips out. “Duke and Elena will never sell.”
Celeste laughs lightly, like I said something cute. “Everyone eventually sells.”
“Not them.”And not me.
“Of course, of course,” the senator says smoothly. “Still, such prime land. Always wondered what could’ve been.”
And that’s when it clicks. This isn’t a dinner. It’s a setup.
“Cade, a man like you could make a fortune.” Good old Otis figures he’s tightening the cinch that’llbring me in line. Instead, it’s the last damn straw. “Sell Blue Rock, take the cash, invest smart. You’d never have to lift another feed bucket in your life.”
I give him a sardonic look. “I like lifting feed buckets.”
Landon’s campaign manager, Reed Malloy, who is sitting across from us, slides into the conversation, slick as a snake-oil salesman. His teeth are shiny, his smile wide. It’s creepy as fuck.
“The Senator is right, Cade. That land is worth a fortune. With the right deal, your brother could have the funds to blow his opponent out of the water. Imagine the ads, the reach; he could lock in Congress and set his sights on the Senate.”
