Page 2 of A Hutch for Hoover

Unless—unless someone challenged me. And somebody would, leaving me dead and the leadership in the hands of another family. It would also put my entire family at risk. That was unless, my father did what needed to be done and made my brother do it.

I didn’t want Dirk in that position any more than he’d want to be there. I didn’t want him to need to even contemplate that choice. My accident had been hard enough on him as it was.

When we sat down at the water’s edge, he looked at me, tears in his eyes. “You’re leaving, aren’t you?”

“I have to, Dirk. I’m sorry. I know you don’t want to be alpha—you never wanted to be alpha, but that doesn’t change what has to be.”

He hugged me tight, and we just stayed like that for a long time. He pulled back so I could see his face. I supplemented what the hearing aids did with watching expressions and lips. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better than him speaking to me where the sound would go behind my back, like in the position we’d just been in.

“I want you to have a good life, Hoover. I want it to be here, with me. But I understand. Let me help you. I can give you my savings to get you started.”

“No.” I squeezed both his hands. “That’s your money. Because there might come a day when you, too, decide that it’s time to walk away. I don’t want you to ever feel trapped here.”

“It’s too late for that,” he cried even harder, for the loss of his brother, the loss of his autonomy, and the loss of the future he’d always wanted.

I’d have done anything to take it all back, to make it better for him. But there was no other way. Not for either of us.

Fate was a bitch like that.

Chapter Two

Grant

I started my business as a teen with a cart. A cart topped with a solar panel intended to operate the blender for my smoothies. All my friends teased me for my love of smoothies, but all I could see were the infinite possibilities. Fruits, veggies, dairy and nondairy options, various supplements and spices, herbs. Got a cold, drink a citrus-honey-ginger version. Hot weather…what could be better? Tummy troubles? Smoothies could help restore optimal gut bacteria.

But mostly, they just taste great.

And an environmentally-sound option like solar held great appeal. Unfortunately, it turned out that my math was off and the panel could do about three smoothies an hour. Not a very good way to earn a living, so I considered my options and finally discovered a way to accomplish my goals by using a blender that could be powered by pedaling.

Nearly a decade later, I could smile at the image of my younger self.

After a number of fits and starts, a whole lot of saving up, and a few years off for culinary school, I found an actual indoor location for my business in an outlet mall in the middle of the Arizona desert, not far from the Superstition Mountains. On my way to look at an open storefront in Phoenix, I stopped for lunch at a store advertising charcuterie, which sounded way better than the typical gas station burgers along the route.

Although it seemed so far from anywhere, the stores were bustling, lots of people carrying bags from the many outlets and dining in the various restaurants and cafés throughout the complex.

As I sat outside on a bench to eat my mini charcuterie lunch, the empty shop next door caught my eye. Out of curiosity, I called the number on the sign on the door and reached a management office asking me to leave a message. I hesitated, wondering where I’d even live if I opened a business out here and how practical it would be, but then thought, why not get the information? I finished off the last of the grapes and went to toss the wrappings, prepared to get back on the road when a woman in jeans, a fitted tee, and a blazer came clicking along the concrete pathway in high-heeled sandals. She held a tablet and was looking left and right until her gaze landed on me.

“Are you Grant? The one who just left me a message?”

“How did you guess?” I flashed her a grin; it was impossible not to. “Do I havepotential tenantwritten on my forehead?”

“Something like that.” She thrust out a hand and shook mine. “Now, what use did you have in mind for the shop? We try not to have more than one of the same thing here, so that’s a factor in accepting or rejecting your application.”

“I haven’t applied for anything yet.”

“Of course you haven’t, but you will. What did you say you had in mind to open?”

“A smoothie shop.”

She consulted her tablet. “This place has been growing so much, just let me make sure nobody else…no, we don’t have any in progress, so looks like it’s a go. Give me your email so I can send you the paperwork.”

“Wait, what?” I was in shock. “I just wanted basic information.”

“Of course you do, hun, and I’ll send it to you, along with the application, the rental agreement for your review, and everything.”

“I’m not sure whether this is the place for me, yet. Actually, I just stopped for lunch on my way to look at a vacancy in Phoenix.”

“Mm-hmm. Now, I can’t hold this long, no matter what Karma says. So, get it all filled out and back to me to process as soon as you can. Tonight preferably.”

---