“He’s fast asleep upstairs.” Their parents had better not continue to harass Noel or he was going to have to give them a piece of his mind. He and Noel needed to decide what to do with the ranch sooner than later. At least once they made an official announcement, it might get their parents off their backs. Maybe.
Jace retrieved his food and collapsed onto the couch in the living room. He kicked his shoes off and rested his feet on the coffee table. Noel loved to formulate plans for everything—it was one way she was able to relieve some of her anxiety. “So what are your thoughts about the ranch?”
He imagined Noel sitting cross-legged, her planner open on her lap, and a notebook nearby. She’d have a list of ideas with details as to why each one was an option.
Noel didn’t hesitate. “I think you and Gunner should move to the ranch and you should run it yourself.”
Jace had taken a large bite of his food and nearly choked. “You’re kidding. I can’t run a ranch.”
“Why not?”
That was all Noel had to offer? She must not have had time to add bullet points to her idea. It wasn’t nearly enough for Jace. “You’re going to have to do a little more to convince me.” He took another bite of the sandwich.
“You were out there every summer helping Grandpa, and you loved every minute of it. Remember when you used to want to be a rancher just like him?”
Yeah, he did. Back when life was a little simpler than it was now. He tried to focus on Noel’s voice as she continued to speak.
“There would be a learning curve just like anything, but it would be perfect. You’re always complaining about your job and how much overtime it requires. Not to mention wearing a suit all the time.”
He hadn’t realized he’d complained about his job that much. It definitely did consume a lot of time—time that took him away from Gunner. He added that to the list of regrets that grew longer by the minute tonight.
But run his grandfather’s ranch? Not only would that be taking a huge pay cut, but there’s no way he could take care of everything around a ranch with Gunner in tow. He told Noel as much. “Unless, of course, you moved out there with me.” He was mostly joking because he couldn’t imagine Noel doing such a thing.
Her contemplative silence surprised him. She finally took a deep breath. “I can’t quit my job. I need it for the insurance.” She paused. “But getting away from town and out of my horrible apartment would be nice. I could help you with Gunner.”
Jace was so thrown by Noel’s response that it took several moments to form words. If Noel moved in, she could watch Gunner on the weekends when he needed to check on things around the ranch. But what about the weekdays? “I doubt Bonnie would be willing to drive out there every day.”
Noel’s answer came quickly. “She could take the apartment above the garage. We might have to clean it up some, but it’s beautiful out there. It’d only be for another few years until Gunner was in school.”
This was absolutely insane. To go from a high-paying job like the one he had now to running a sheep ranch?
It wasn't the money. He had a substantial savings account and the interest to live off of. It was more the responsibility of taking over the ranch his grandparents built from the ground up and loved for many years.
What if he failed to keep it running?
Noel’s voice interrupted his thoughts as it filtered through the phone. "The ranch is our responsibility now. I don't know about you, but I don't want to sell the land. Can we trust someone else to keep it running for us?"
Grandpa employed several men who lived and worked on the property to help him. But he always managed the ranch himself and kept a tight rein on anything that happened under his watch. No, Grandpa wouldn't have wanted a stranger to run it. In fact, Jace was certain his grandfather would prefer they sell the land as opposed to hiring someone else to work it.
He always did say working on the ranch built character, and that the world would be a better place if more people worked with their hands.
"No, he would’ve hated that." Which left them with little choice.
Which would Jace regret more? Selling his grandfather’s ranch or walking away from his life the way it was now to run it?
The answer was easy. He shook his head, hardly able to believe this was happening.
“We both need to be praying about it, Noel, but I’m not entirely opposed to your idea. We have a lot to address before we make a decision, though.”
He and Noel started throwing topics, roadblocks, and ideas out as they talked through the true logistics of it all.
Meanwhile, in the back of his mind, he wondered whether Bonnie would even consider moving into the apartment above the garage and continue to work as Gunner's nanny.
His mind went to the guy she was supposed to go out with tonight. Would her boyfriend like the idea of Bonnie moving onto a ranch?
He thought about the two of them cuddling on the couch as they talked about the option. A wave of jealousy crashed into him that he had no right to feel. If the roles were reversed, Jace knew he wouldn’t want his girlfriend going to live with some rancher he didn’t know just outside of town.
Still, she obviously loved working with Gunner. Jace couldn’t fathom hiring anyone else. On one hand, it would be a huge help to have Bonnie so close. On the other, living on the same property would blur some of those lines he’d worked hard to put in place.
