rescued Ryan from the maternal smothering. More back slapping and jokes ensued, but Mitch knew there were some tough conversations in their future.
They only made it halfway through the first helping of shepherd’s pie before Ryan turned serious. “Josh, why didn’t you tell us things were getting tough up here?”
“Why didn’t you ask?”
Mitch winced. Under the belligerent tone was a hard truth. They hadn’t asked. They’d lived their lives and run their businesses and just assumed Josh was holding down the fort. “We should have. And we should have come back more often and we didn’t, but we’re here now and—”
“Temporarily.”
“We’re here now and we’ll work together to get the place back on track.”
Josh snorted. “You’ve got some magic fix for the economy and the gas prices? Because that’s what it’s going to take.”
“We’re going to prioritize. Sink some time and money into what needs to be fixed first and slap some bandages on the rest. I was thinking I could ask Chelle, the woman who handles the website for Northern Star Demolition, about revamping the lodge’s site. Maybe boost it on the search engines and build a Facebook page. Get the name out there a little more.”
Ryan was nodding. “People don’t pick up pamphlets at restaurants or rest stops anymore. They pull up the information on their freakin’ phones.”
Mitch waited to see if Josh would contribute, but he was busy stuffing shepherd’s pie into his mouth. Instead of looking encouraged, their youngest brother looked even more sullen. “We’re going to step up, Josh.”
All that got him was a shrug, and Mitch took a big bite of mashed potatoes, hamburger and corn to keep from pushing at Josh. It wouldn’t get him anywhere, and he didn’t want to escalate dinner conversation into a shouting match when Rosie had gone to so much trouble to welcome Ryan home with a nice supper.
Tomorrow they’d start getting truly hands-on, and Josh would come around when he saw that his brothers truly intended to pull some of the weight for a while.
“Are you seeing anybody?” Rosie asked Ryan in an obvious bid to change the subject.
“Nope. I heard the woman that bought the diner is pretty hot, though.”
Mitch glared at him across the table, but he didn’t say anything because nothing he wanted to say could be said in front of Rosie.
“Stop pushing your brother’s buttons,” she chided Ryan, who just grinned at him.
He could grin all he wanted, but he wasn’t touching Paige. Paige was his. Maybe not quite yet and maybe not for very long, but it was enough to make her off-limits to his brother. But since she didn’t know that, the best thing to do was keep Ryan busy at the lodge until he went back to Massachusetts.
Then he’d start working a little harder on the whole Paige being his thing.
* * *
“Just write down ‘kerosene and a match’ and call it good.”
Mitch tossed the clipboard onto the tailgate of Ryan’s truck. “We’re supposed to be making a list of supplies to fix the place up.”
“Like I said—kerosene and a match.”
“You know what?” They were only a little more than halfway through the day, but he’d already had about enough of Ryan’s shit. “Go home.”
He started to walk away, but Ryan grabbed his elbow and would have spun him around, except Mitch yanked his arm free. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“You don’t want to be here. You don’t want to help. Fine. Go home.”
“I’m here and we’re supposed to be making a supply list.”
Mitch put his hands in his pocket to keep from swinging on his brother. “Kerosene and a match? You think that helps?”
Ryan blew out a breath and shook his head. “Sorry. I’m just in a shitty mood today.”
It wasn’t just today , though Mitch decided against saying so. Ryan tended to be in a shitty mood whenever he was forced to visit Whitford, and Mitch was pretty sure he knew why. Back when they were in
They only made it halfway through the first helping of shepherd’s pie before Ryan turned serious. “Josh, why didn’t you tell us things were getting tough up here?”
“Why didn’t you ask?”
Mitch winced. Under the belligerent tone was a hard truth. They hadn’t asked. They’d lived their lives and run their businesses and just assumed Josh was holding down the fort. “We should have. And we should have come back more often and we didn’t, but we’re here now and—”
“Temporarily.”
“We’re here now and we’ll work together to get the place back on track.”
Josh snorted. “You’ve got some magic fix for the economy and the gas prices? Because that’s what it’s going to take.”
“We’re going to prioritize. Sink some time and money into what needs to be fixed first and slap some bandages on the rest. I was thinking I could ask Chelle, the woman who handles the website for Northern Star Demolition, about revamping the lodge’s site. Maybe boost it on the search engines and build a Facebook page. Get the name out there a little more.”
Ryan was nodding. “People don’t pick up pamphlets at restaurants or rest stops anymore. They pull up the information on their freakin’ phones.”
Mitch waited to see if Josh would contribute, but he was busy stuffing shepherd’s pie into his mouth. Instead of looking encouraged, their youngest brother looked even more sullen. “We’re going to step up, Josh.”
All that got him was a shrug, and Mitch took a big bite of mashed potatoes, hamburger and corn to keep from pushing at Josh. It wouldn’t get him anywhere, and he didn’t want to escalate dinner conversation into a shouting match when Rosie had gone to so much trouble to welcome Ryan home with a nice supper.
Tomorrow they’d start getting truly hands-on, and Josh would come around when he saw that his brothers truly intended to pull some of the weight for a while.
“Are you seeing anybody?” Rosie asked Ryan in an obvious bid to change the subject.
“Nope. I heard the woman that bought the diner is pretty hot, though.”
Mitch glared at him across the table, but he didn’t say anything because nothing he wanted to say could be said in front of Rosie.
“Stop pushing your brother’s buttons,” she chided Ryan, who just grinned at him.
He could grin all he wanted, but he wasn’t touching Paige. Paige was his. Maybe not quite yet and maybe not for very long, but it was enough to make her off-limits to his brother. But since she didn’t know that, the best thing to do was keep Ryan busy at the lodge until he went back to Massachusetts.
Then he’d start working a little harder on the whole Paige being his thing.
* * *
“Just write down ‘kerosene and a match’ and call it good.”
Mitch tossed the clipboard onto the tailgate of Ryan’s truck. “We’re supposed to be making a list of supplies to fix the place up.”
“Like I said—kerosene and a match.”
“You know what?” They were only a little more than halfway through the day, but he’d already had about enough of Ryan’s shit. “Go home.”
He started to walk away, but Ryan grabbed his elbow and would have spun him around, except Mitch yanked his arm free. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“You don’t want to be here. You don’t want to help. Fine. Go home.”
“I’m here and we’re supposed to be making a supply list.”
Mitch put his hands in his pocket to keep from swinging on his brother. “Kerosene and a match? You think that helps?”
Ryan blew out a breath and shook his head. “Sorry. I’m just in a shitty mood today.”
It wasn’t just today , though Mitch decided against saying so. Ryan tended to be in a shitty mood whenever he was forced to visit Whitford, and Mitch was pretty sure he knew why. Back when they were in
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