Bailey squeezes his bicep, concern etching her brow.
Hunter gentles his voice. “I know you work three jobs.” He peers at his notes. “Another option is that you can contribute work instead. So Silas, you could use your buyer’s commission toward your stake. Leo, Morgan, and Quinn, you could donate your labor. Kit, Jared, and Bailey . . . I’m not sure about you yet, but we can work on that.”
“But . . .” Leo scratches his head. “How is that paying the Schaefers?”
“It’s not. We’d have to figure that out. But hang on. I have more ideas.” He scrolls down on his phone. “We can hold a fundraiser. It could be beforehand, but I think after closing would be better, because then we could use the property and have the fundraiser onsite. People love meat raffles.”
He looks up at us, and we don’t say anything. He consults his phone again. “We could structure the lodge like a co-op.”
“What’s a co-op?” Leo asks.
“It’s like REI,” I say. But, just because I have a membership at the outdoor supply chain doesn’t mean I understand how it works.
Kit snaps his fingers. “Alex’s farm is part of a dairy co-op. But I don’t think it’s that great for him?”
“I’ve only done some cursory research,” Hunter says. “But there’s a few places we could use as examples. They are really popular with local grocery stores—there’s one in Albany—and, of course, REI. I’d have to consult with a lawyer, but it means people buy ownership of the lodge.”
“Who?” Leo asks.
“Anyone. We would incentivize it. A lifetime membership of . . . I don’t know . . . five hundred dollars? It gets you twenty-five percent off lift tickets for life, or invitations to owners-only events or something.”
“It’s a way to quickly raise cash, I guess,” I muse. As to raising my own up-front money, there is one thing I could do. I’ve been putting it off because it sucks, but . . .
“Yes!” Hunter grabs on to the positive thought. “I’m sure if we put our heads together we could come up with a solid plan and find the money. We could be partners. Plus!” He’s really gearing up now. “Think about it. This is an opportunity for us to shape the town. We’re the next generation of Herevians.” He drops his phone on the armchair and plants his hands on his chest, looking each of us in the eye. “Think of every time the town has done something we hated. Like when they vetoed that food truck festival Tuan planned. Or when the old-timers voted against Picture Main Street to make downtown prettier and more functional. And we could get the adventure park back open again, bringing more business into the town in the off-season.”
“How would we do all that?” This is from a completely bewildered Leo.
“I’m not saying that we’d instantly have the power to do it. But we would have influence in the town. We could hold events of our own, support the community in ways we haven’t even dreamed of because we simply haven’t thought of them yet. We could hold a Pride festival in June, expand the summer programs for kids, host the food trucks on our own property . . . Tuan, you’ve been wanting to get a food truck.”
Tuan twists his mouth to the side. “We’re always running on fumes in the fall before business picks up in the winter. And I can’t afford both a food truck and the lodge. I can’t even afford the food truck yet, and that’s less.”
“Okay,” Hunter continues, not deterred enough, IMHO. “The point is . . . we could do whatever we want.”
Kit laughs nervously. “Okay, someone’s getting power hungry already.”
“Why not? Why not?”
No one says anything for a few long moments.
“Let us think about it,” I hedge. “You’re asking a lot and I should look into some things.” Some things like a debt owed. But still, if I add what my brother owes me to my savings, I’m only halfway there. There’s no way we can get the money together.
“It’s not a no,” Silas says. “But it’s a big risk. I have to think about it.”
“That’s all I ask for now,” Hunter promises. “Just think it over.”
Morgan
* * *
Hunter’s proposal niggles my mind all the next day, which is ridiculous. What is there to think about? I don’t have the money. Even if I did somehow have the money, I doubt any of the rest of the guys are going to be able to dredge up enough.
Or at least, that’s what I thought. But Wednesday morning, a few hours before I meet my uncle for lunch, I get a text in the new group chat.
Save Sirens Valley Lodge
Silas
Bailey and I are in.
