Page 50 of Faux Beau

“Both of those vendors I met in Wyoming last weekend. I mentioned the Sierra Vista Cup to a group of buddies, whom I convinced to sign up by the way, and there happened to be the owner of a new snowboarding goggles company there. He wanted to talk about carrying them in our ski shop and I said we were looking for sponsors for the Cup.”

“You make it sound as if we don’t already have sponsors,” Lucas said.

“We do, but it’s the same people we’ve been working with since the event started. It’s grown and so should we.”

Lucas let out a tired sigh. “I hired a business development guy last year and six months in his wife left him and, well, things fell through the cracks,” Lucas admitted. “I was lucky I was able to get any donations for the swag bags.”

“That’s the thing, we shouldn’t be relying on donations. They should be paying us to feature their products and services.”

“You say it as if I don’t already know this. When the biz-dev guy quit, he left us in a lurch. The kind of connections you’re talking about rely on cultivating relationships—relationships I don’t have the time for right now. Which is another reason Mom and Dad want to sell.”

“You’re so stuck on selling this place that you can’t see another point of view,” Jax argued. “I’ve always admired your ability to laser focus on something and take it from an idea to a success, but sometimes it hinders your ability to see the bigger picture.” Lucas could be bullheaded sometimes, but he usually wasn’t so black and white. “You don’t have the time to cultivate relationships. I do. Plus, I’m shoulder to shoulder with those guys six months out of every year. What you do in the boardroom, I can do over a beer.”

He could see the wheels moving in his brother’s head. He could also see resignation and stubbornness waging a war, and Jax didn’t like either outcome.

“Maybe you aren’t just the bridesmaid,” Lucas teased, then pulled out the chair and took a seat across from Jax. “I appreciate everything you’re doing and, honestly, I like how the family has come together. I really do. It feels like the old days.”

It wasn’t a truce by any means, but a door had been cracked. All Jax had to do was step inside. Be the bigger man.

Jax was just opening his mouth to respond when Lucas said, in his brother knows best tone, “But the time for all of this was last year.” And there went being the bigger man—right out the window. Lucas sighed. “That was a shit thing to say. It’s just that with Mom and Dad taking a step back, these past twelve months have been brutal. I’m doing the best that I can, but I feel like I’m about to go under.”

The vulnerable honesty in his brother’s voice sucked the wind out of Jax’s chest. “When I implied that we could just replace you I was being an ass. You run this company and you’re doing a damn fine job. But if there’s a way to keep the lodge and get the house in Santa Barbara, isn’t it worth a try?”

“What do you mean?”

“When you got your panties in a bunch over me offering to give them the down payment for a house, I looked into what it would take to have the company purchase the house. And before you cite the financial state of the company, I’ve already thought of that.”

Lucas took a beat. “You went through the company’s financials?”

“I know. It surprised me too.”

“You paid me a hundred bucks to take all of your math tests in high school.”

“Just because I hate numbers doesn’t mean I don’t understand them. But I wanted all the information before I brought it to the family, so I met with our CPA yesterday and she walked me through things. I think between sponsors for the Cup and getting people to pay us to endorse their products, we can make enough additional money to help with the down payment. And maybe next year we can pay off the house. Peggy and Kent would have their dream retirement and the lodge stays in the family.”

Instead of Lucas vetoing the idea right away, he went quiet—Lucas’s MO for life. When faced with a problem, Jax used others as a sounding board, it was what made him such a competitive athlete. He knew when to seek outside expertise and didn’t have a difficult time asking for direction. Lucas was more introspective and tended to troubleshoot solo. It had always been that way. Even throughout school the difference between their approaches to life had been stark. Jax used every resource at his disposal, whereas Lucas would rather read an entire textbook by himself.

Jax knew why his brother was hesitant to let people inside his circle. It was hard to rely on others when they couldn’t even rely on their own mother. But, even as isolated as he made himself, Lucas had always trusted Jax—with everything. That was why the past year had gutted him. Lucas hadn’t just kept things, important things, from Jax; had he not been caught, Jax wondered whether he’d ever have learned of the meet-ups with their mom.

And when it came to his twin he never wanted to have to wonder.

“Be straight with me,” Jax said quietly. “What’s the real reason you want to sell?” Jax held up a hand, silencing Lucas. “And before you pin this all on Peggy and Kent, I know something else is going on.”

With a deep inhale, Lucas placed his elbows on his knees, making a platform to rest his forehead. He sat like that so long Jax was convinced he wasn’t going to get what he wanted—the truth. Then Lucas looked up and his uncertain expression was one of complete disillusionment.

“My heart isn’t in it anymore.”

The space between Jax’s ribs froze, causing his chest to seize. How the hell could his brother’s heart not be in this place? The lodge and the Carmichaels’ house had healed their hearts. Made them the men they were today.

“Even saying it makes me sound like a selfish asshole,” Lucas said. “But it’s how I feel. I’ve tried everything to get my head back into the lodge, but nothing seems to work. When Kent confided in me about considering an offer, all I felt was relief.” Lucas took a deep, pained breath and closed his eyes. “Relief. The Carmichaels invited us into their family, their home, trusted me with their legacy, and I couldn’t even muster up the words to tell Kent that they could walk away, that I’d handle everything, that I’ve got their back.”

“You’re just burned-out, bro,” Jax said. “After a week in your shoes—more like a lace of a single shoe—I’m exhausted. So I started delegating and relying on the team and that exhaustion turned into excitement.”

“Even if we hire someone to replace me, you know damn well that Kent will want to have his nose in everything. He won’t be able to help himself. He’ll have one foot in the business and the other in retirement. That spells disaster to all parties involved.”

“And if we sell the lodge, Peggy and Kent won’t be able to stomach coming back to Sierra Vista. I give it a couple of months before they sell the family home here.”

“They already have a Realtor.”

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