A Secret Baby for the Grumpy Cowboy (Rolston Ranch Brothers Book 4) by Hanna Hart

Author:Hanna Hart [Hart, Hanna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-07-09T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 13

***TOPHER***

Dean stood on the front porch, refusing to sit down as he surveyed Topher’s ranch. “Tell me the numbers again,” he demanded.

Topher sighed and went through the sales again. Then he outlined the feeding costs, the crew salary, and the renovation costs he was still recuperating. Even he could tell that his budget did not sound balanced.

“No matter how you say it, you’re going to need another revenue stream,” Dean said.

“What do you expect me to do?” Topher asked. “Raise chickens behind the barn and sell the eggs?”

“Not enough,” Dean remarked, unamused.

Topher ground his teeth. “Just because I’m still recuperating the money I spent on repairs doesn’t mean my business won’t work.”

Dean nailed him with a steel-blue look. “It won’t work because it is supposed to be a partnership and you haven’t gotten your brother into town.”

“He’s your brother too,” Topher muttered.

“But not my problem,” Dean snapped. The only thing that made him lose his imperial attitude was his familial connection with August.

Topher was tempted to continue the conversation just to rile up his oldest brother, but he lost his energy. Then Dean changed the subject and further deflated his brother’s mischievous mood.

“Of course, you could let Jameson go,” Dean said. “Though Sophia seems fond of him.”

Again, Topher ground his teeth. Dean seemed to know everyone’s hot buttons and always leaned on them when he wanted to make a point. Topher couldn’t get rid of Jameson without looking bad in Sophia’s eyes. Besides, the man was a hard worker and the stables wouldn’t run right without him.

“Any suggestions for another revenue stream?” Topher bit out between his clenched jaws.

“You have undeveloped acres. Could always add a few hundred head of cattle,” Dean suggested.

Topher groaned. “Not every Rolston has to be a cattle rancher, Dean! And I’m not subjecting my high-rolling buyers to the smell of manure every time the wind changes.”

Dean gave him a dark look. “Cattle ranching is the reason you’re standing here at all.”

Topher knew his family fortune had been built on cattle and Dean was determined to carry on the tradition. He also knew that it didn’t fit his lifestyle and was one of the reasons he had needed to travel the world. Only when he realized there were different kinds of horses besides the ones cowboys rode, did Topher begin to dream of having his own ranch in Texas.

“It’ll work,” he swore to Dean.

Dean shrugged his bull-like shoulders. “Not without your brother.”

An hour later, when Topher saw another tunnel of dust following a car up his long drive, he laughed out loud. Dean refused to say August’s name out loud but somehow their conversation had summoned their wayward brother anyway.

“You just missed Dean,” Topher called to August in lieu of a greeting.

“Thank god, Mary, and Joseph,” August called back. He slammed the door of his rusty old compact car and sauntered up the front steps of the ranch house.

The two brothers eyeballed each other and then hugged.

“Your hair is way too long,” Topher told his older brother.

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