Military Romance Collection: Contemporary Soldier Alpha Male Romance by Undisclosed Desires Editions Page B
Authors: Undisclosed Desires Editions
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how I’ve been covering grain and paying the vet,” Charlie explained.
“It’s hard to get a ranch going,” Wyatt agreed. “Aren’t you maybe better off selling the whole spread and washing your hands of it?”
“I thought about that,” Charlie lied. “But it’s the only family place our family’s got. My brother’s fixing on coming out here when he’s done with the army. And…”
“And what?” Wyatt prompted, after several seconds went by.
“And for the first time in my life when I came out here, I felt like I was coming home,” Charlie said. “We never spent any time here when we were kids – Army brats, you know? – but being here?” He shook his head. “If I belong anywhere, really, this is probably the place.”
Much to Charlie’s surprise, Wyatt nodded. “I can respect that.” He walked along the fence line, stopping in front of the corral Bad Ass shared with his favorite companion, a fat little pony named Horace. “When a man finds where he is supposed to be, he is willing to go to great lengths to stay there.”
Charlie nodded. “I know I can make this place work.” He sighed. “If I can manage to hold onto it, that is.”
“Well, let’s talk numbers,” Wyatt said. “I’m here to tell you some bad news. Most of your herd – well, it’s nice, but it’s not proven. If somebody bought those horses from you, they’d be buying based on potential. And the price on potential – well, let’s just say it goes down when people know you’re in a hurry.”
Charlie nodded slowly. “I can see that.”
“It’s nothing personal. It’s just business. You stay in ranching long enough, and you’re going to have opportunities to pick up stock for pennies on the dollar when folks hit hard times. That’s how things go.” Wyatt kept his gaze fixed on the horizon. “You can choose to take advantage of those opportunities, but doing so? Well, it says something about who you are.”
“I’ll remember that.”
“You’ve got one horse with real value, and that’s this one.” Wyatt said, nodding toward Bad Ass. “He’s got enough of a reputation that people are willing to pay your stud fees –which we set at the fairly high end of things.”
“I don’t think I’m going to be able to book enough dates for him in the next two weeks to raise sixty grand,” Charlie said.
“Too bad for Bad Ass,” Wyatt said with a laugh. “That’d be the best two weeks of his life, right there.”
Charlie laughed. “It would probably kill him.”
“It would definitely kill me,” Wyatt agreed. “But what a way to go!” He paused for a long moment, and then said, “I can offer you fifty grand for him. And I know you’re thinking it’s a bad idea to sell off the only horse I just told you has any value.”
“That had occurred to me, yes,” Charlie said, nodding.
“But it makes good business sense, and let me explain to you why.” Wyatt pointed out to the far corral, where the majority of Charlie’s herd was grazing. “How many of them are pregnant out there? Nine? Ten?”
“Eight,” Charlie said, “and I think MissyLou is getting ready to try.”
“So if you get rid of those eight – let’s say nine – horses, that’s eighteen you’re going to need to replace,” Wyatt said. “And it’s always more expensive to replace a horse than it is just to add another one to the herd.”
Wyatt looked directly at Charlie. “If you sell me Bad Ass, that’s one horse you’ve got to replace. One, instead of eighteen. You’re already seventeen horses ahead. And half of them are Bad Ass’s babies, which means they’re very likely to be good performers in the ring. That means steady cash for you, plus prize money, plus who knows? In five, six years, they might be standing stud just like their Daddy.”
Charlie thought about it. “Can you give me sixty grand for him?”
Wyatt shook his head. “I wish I could. But it’s a fair price. You can ask anyone, and if
“It’s hard to get a ranch going,” Wyatt agreed. “Aren’t you maybe better off selling the whole spread and washing your hands of it?”
“I thought about that,” Charlie lied. “But it’s the only family place our family’s got. My brother’s fixing on coming out here when he’s done with the army. And…”
“And what?” Wyatt prompted, after several seconds went by.
“And for the first time in my life when I came out here, I felt like I was coming home,” Charlie said. “We never spent any time here when we were kids – Army brats, you know? – but being here?” He shook his head. “If I belong anywhere, really, this is probably the place.”
Much to Charlie’s surprise, Wyatt nodded. “I can respect that.” He walked along the fence line, stopping in front of the corral Bad Ass shared with his favorite companion, a fat little pony named Horace. “When a man finds where he is supposed to be, he is willing to go to great lengths to stay there.”
Charlie nodded. “I know I can make this place work.” He sighed. “If I can manage to hold onto it, that is.”
“Well, let’s talk numbers,” Wyatt said. “I’m here to tell you some bad news. Most of your herd – well, it’s nice, but it’s not proven. If somebody bought those horses from you, they’d be buying based on potential. And the price on potential – well, let’s just say it goes down when people know you’re in a hurry.”
Charlie nodded slowly. “I can see that.”
“It’s nothing personal. It’s just business. You stay in ranching long enough, and you’re going to have opportunities to pick up stock for pennies on the dollar when folks hit hard times. That’s how things go.” Wyatt kept his gaze fixed on the horizon. “You can choose to take advantage of those opportunities, but doing so? Well, it says something about who you are.”
“I’ll remember that.”
“You’ve got one horse with real value, and that’s this one.” Wyatt said, nodding toward Bad Ass. “He’s got enough of a reputation that people are willing to pay your stud fees –which we set at the fairly high end of things.”
“I don’t think I’m going to be able to book enough dates for him in the next two weeks to raise sixty grand,” Charlie said.
“Too bad for Bad Ass,” Wyatt said with a laugh. “That’d be the best two weeks of his life, right there.”
Charlie laughed. “It would probably kill him.”
“It would definitely kill me,” Wyatt agreed. “But what a way to go!” He paused for a long moment, and then said, “I can offer you fifty grand for him. And I know you’re thinking it’s a bad idea to sell off the only horse I just told you has any value.”
“That had occurred to me, yes,” Charlie said, nodding.
“But it makes good business sense, and let me explain to you why.” Wyatt pointed out to the far corral, where the majority of Charlie’s herd was grazing. “How many of them are pregnant out there? Nine? Ten?”
“Eight,” Charlie said, “and I think MissyLou is getting ready to try.”
“So if you get rid of those eight – let’s say nine – horses, that’s eighteen you’re going to need to replace,” Wyatt said. “And it’s always more expensive to replace a horse than it is just to add another one to the herd.”
Wyatt looked directly at Charlie. “If you sell me Bad Ass, that’s one horse you’ve got to replace. One, instead of eighteen. You’re already seventeen horses ahead. And half of them are Bad Ass’s babies, which means they’re very likely to be good performers in the ring. That means steady cash for you, plus prize money, plus who knows? In five, six years, they might be standing stud just like their Daddy.”
Charlie thought about it. “Can you give me sixty grand for him?”
Wyatt shook his head. “I wish I could. But it’s a fair price. You can ask anyone, and if
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