CHAPTER TWELVE
“It’s about time we talked,” Xavier said as he sat back in his chair and crossed his hands thoughtfully in front of him on his desk. It was their Friday lunch hour, and Xavier had called an emergency meeting for the Stone brothers.
“We talk all the time,” Caleb said, unwrapping his turkey-bacon sandwich from the plastic wrap and taking a huge bite.
“But not about our mindset regarding Yukon Cider. We’ve been avoiding this discussion,” Landon said. He dug into his own lunch, two Caesar wrap sandwiches and a large bag of chips. For someone so lean, Caleb was noticing Landon could really pack it in.
“We’ve all been busy,” Caleb told them. He didn’t know why, but he felt a little defensive. Making a decision about whether or not to stay and run the company was getting more complicated by the day. In the beginning, their grandmother was just a fuzzy memory from their childhood. But after living and working with Hattie for the past months, she was now permanently tattooed on their hearts. It was hard to believe that she hadn’t always been a presence in their lives.
“This is important stuff, so we have to make time to discuss it,” Xavier said, sounding like the older brother that he was. This was Xavier’s sweet spot. Taking charge and leading the way. Now that he was engaged to True, Caleb was curious about his thoughts on the matter.
“You’re right,” Caleb conceded. “Time is ticking away.”
“So, where do you stand?” Landon asked, looking at Xavier.
“It’s tough because I’m engaged to True now and we’re going to be living in Moose Falls, at least for the foreseeable future. I can’t see True wanting to relocate, especially with Jaylen still in school.” He reached for his Coke and took a swig of it. “That being said, there’s still the question of whether or not I see myself running Yukon Cider, along with the two of you.”
“Honestly, that’s the enticing part,” Caleb admitted. “Working alongside you knuckleheads.” Neither of his brothers objected to his use of the K word, since they all knew it was meant as a term of endearment.
“It’s been nice being back together again and living under the same roof,” Landon acknowledged. “Working at the lab got lonely, especially when everything went south.”
It made Caleb angry just thinking about what Landon had been put through. He was the smartest brother and had always been dedicated to academic and scientific pursuits. His work at Abbott Laboratories had ended with his integrity as a scientist being questioned. He had been thrown out of the lab on his ear and accused of manufacturing data. All of his research had been confiscated.
All three of them had gone through rock-bottom moments in the last few years, with Xavier suffering through an injury that had ended his NFL career. He had also been dumped by his fiancée, Heather, who had been cheating on him with hisfriend and teammate. Thankfully, Xavier had met True, the love of his life, here in Moose Falls.
“It has been nice,” Caleb recognized, “but we all came here with goals in mind that we haven’t met. I just don’t want to lose sight of that.” He had come to Alaska with the express purpose of exploring Hattie’s inheritance and rediscovering his past in Moose Falls. On some level he had always figured that he and his brothers would sell Yukon Cider once they had met the requirement set by Hattie to work at the company for a year. His big dream was to carve out an acting career for himself in California. If he chose to stay and run the company, those dreams would go up in smoke.
“You’re right about that,” Landon said. “I’m more determined than ever to get my good name back in the scientific community. I was scapegoated by the laboratory, and I’m not letting them get away with that.”
“Good for both of you for holding on to those dreams,” Xavier said. “Before coming here I desperately wanted to get back in the NFL world, even though I knew my playing days were over. I couldn’t let go of that dream of football glory.”
“Until you met True,” Caleb said. Everything had changed for Xavier on that fateful day. She had turned his world upside down and broken down all of his walls.
“And the rest is history,” Landon said with a flourish. “Love. Engagement. All the feels in the world.”
Xavier nodded. “My situation is a little different because of my commitment to True, but the fact remains that we have to make a unanimous decision. If we don’t, it goes to charity.”
“While giving it all to charity would be honorable, this is our grandmother’s life’s work,” Landon said passionately. “Carryingon her company after her… passing would be upholding her legacy. I’m not going to lie. That would be pretty powerful.”
“I feel guilty about disappointing Hattie, even though she might not be around to see our decision,” Caleb said, feeling glum about their options. On one hand, he hated the idea of giving up on his dreams; while on the other hand, he didn’t want to feel like he had thrown away a family legacy. “Yukon Cider means something to the folks here. We mean something to them. They’ve welcomed us to town with nothing but goodwill.” He winced. “I hate even thinking about their reaction if we sell.”
“And Hattie’s,” Landon said, his eyes welling up. “She might haunt us from beyond like in one of those spooky movies.”
Caleb and Xavier tried to hold it in, but they both burst out laughing. In his mind’s eye all he could see was Hattie’s ghostlike figure reprimanding them in her harshest tone. Landon was always so dramatic with his words that it was hard to take his comment seriously.
Landon made atsking sound as they continued. “You two are the worst. Laughing at our grandmother’s demise is pretty low.” He stood up and grabbed his brown paper bag and crumpled it up.
The more Caleb tried to stop laughing, the harder he howled. Ditto with Xavier. There was no way in the world they were finding humor in Hattie’s terminal illness, but something about Landon’s referencing her as a ghost sent them into hysterics.
“I’m out of here,” Landon fumed. His face was flushed, and his movements were jerky. Caleb was used to the telltale signs that his younger brother was upset. Being the youngest had often left Landon feeling a little out of sorts. He was also more sensitive than Caleb and Xavier, often taking things to heart.
“Hey, Landon. Don’t leave. We were only letting off steam,” Caleb said, trying to explain their laughter. “We weren’t being cruel to Hattie.”
“We’re all under a lot of pressure whether we realize it or not,” Xavier said, gripping Landon’s arm to keep him from storming out. “There’s so much at stake here, and we’re all afraid to make a wrong move. Plus, knowing Hattie’s dying adds an extra layer, an emotional one. We’ve all grown close to her, and that factors into our decision.”
Xavier was saying all the things Caleb himself was thinking and feeling. His older brother had a knack for speaking eloquently from the heart. He could see Landon softening and lowering his defenses. They were all under a huge amount of stress, and it was healthy to offset it with laughter.
“I-I just didn’t think it was very funny,” Landon muttered. “We’re going to lose Hattie and, as a result, nothing will ever be the same again.”
