All Jacked Up (Rough Riders 8)

Not only was she f**king up her own project with her ignorance, but Jack’s, as well as those West Construction had committed to. Keely had the overwhelming urge to hide her face in shame.

Buck up. This is what big girls do. Own up to their mistakes and make amends.

“I appreciate you guys finally telling me. I hate to think how much longer this might’ve gone on if Jack hadn’t forced the issue.” She attempted a smile. “Since we’re being upfront with each other, I’ll need timesheets for you both for the last week so I can pay you for the teardown you’ve already done.”

Chet protested. “Keely. That’s not necessary.”

“It is. You work hard. I won’t screw you out of money because you’re too nice of guys. It ain’t your fault I’m just your clueless little cousin, okay? I can pay you.”

Another silent communication passed between the brothers. Remy said, “All right. We’ll have the paperwork filled out and here tomorrow.”

“Thank you. You guys know any companies I could hire to come in and finish the teardown? So you can get started on your end?”

“I know of one outfit from Meeteetsee, but last I heard they were starting a project in Livingston, Montana.”

“And they ain’t cheap,” Remy pointed out.

“How much money we talkin’?”

Chet shrugged. “I’m guessing…about fifty, sixty.”

“Fifty or sixty what?” Keely asked.

“Fifty or sixty thousand dollars. I believe that’s a low number, even for around these parts,” Jack inserted.

Keely’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head. Holy shit. That amount would eat a huge chunk of her budget for the first year. But if she didn’t get it done…the clinic couldn’t open. As it looked right now this dream of hers was nothing more than a pipedream. Her eyes burned hot with unshed tears.

Bawling wouldn’t solve a damn thing. She needed to think this through. Like she should’ve done from the beginning. It embarrassed her she’d gone off half-cocked, believing she had the construction portion of the project under control.

“We’ll help in whatever way we can, Keely, you know that,” Remy said quietly.

“I do know that.” She looked at her watch. “I also know I’m late for my babysitting gig with Colby and Channing’s hellions. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

Jack didn’t chase Keely down because she needed time to process her mistake. Later tonight they could discuss solutions like rational adults. He pointed to Chet’s cooler. “Got anything stronger than water?”

“Sure.” He pulled out a bottle of Coors Light. “Here.”

“Thanks.” Jack cracked the top, tempted to drain it in one swallow.

“So can me and Remy ask you something, Jack, without you getting all pissed off at us?”

“Give it a shot, but no guarantees.”

“How come you didn’t tell Keely she needed to budget separately for teardown? Especially since you were helping her figure out what it’d take to get this place up to snuff?”

“An oversight. We’ve all made them,” he lied. “I’m kicking myself same as you guys are.”

“She’s a fiery, independent woman. This oversight will drive her crazy. She’ll blame herself, lose confidence, close down…”

“And then she’ll pull up her bootstraps and do what needs done,” Remy added. “She ain’t the type to stand around, wringing her hands and waiting for someone to rescue her. Which is damn amazing when you think about it. She could’ve turned out so much differently.”

“Amen, bro.”

That startled him. “What do you mean?”

“We’ve—her brothers and cousins on both the McKay and West side—looked out for her. She wouldn’t have had to do nothin’ but stand around and look pretty and helpless. But that’s not what Keely is made of. That’s not who she is now, or who she was even when she was a girl. She don’t want nothin’ handed to her. She learned to do things for herself. If she didn’t know how to do something, she found folks to teach her. We admire the hell outta her for standing her ground when it’d be easier to give in.”

“To her family?

“Yeah. God love our McKay cousins, but they would’ve put the kibosh on her buying the building straight away. They would’ve accidentally made Keely feel stupid for trying to do something without their help.”

Jack scowled.

“Don’t get us wrong,” Chet said. “They ain’t cruel to her. And hell, I don’t even think they realize they’re doin’ it. But because they’re all older males, they don’t see Keely in an adult role. They treat her like a little girl. And they’d see purchasing this building as another one of Keely’s whims. We knew how much it meant to her, fulfilling this lifelong dream. We also know that if this clinic project falls through, her family will act like it’s no big deal, when it will crush her.”

“Which is also why if she don’t have the money to hire someone to do the teardown, she absolutely will not ask anyone in her family for financial help,” Remy pointed out. “Hell, she’ll be here with a crowbar and do the whole thing herself.”

They were lost in their separate thoughts until Jack felt Chet and Remy’s curious gazes on him.

“What?”

“Since you and Keely are gonna get married, if she finds a company that’ll do the teardown, would you be willing to pay for it?” Chet asked carefully.

Another tricky question. “I’ll do whatever it takes to help her. But we all know she won’t take money from me. It’s not because I can’t afford it, but it’ll be a matter of pride to her.”

“Yeah, she wasn’t none too happy to find out you owned the Sandstone Building, was she?” Remy mused.

“No. I’m living with her and she’s still paying me rent. So as much as you guys didn’t want to see her brothers crushing her dreams, I won’t play a part in making her feel beholden to me. She hired me. She’s paying me. In her mind when it comes to the building stuff I just work for her. Period.”

Remy and Chet exchanged a skeptical look.

“You saw how Keely acted. Did she fly in here and lay a sloppy kiss on me? No. Did she cry on my shoulder when she discovered she’d made a big mistake that would cost her a pile? No. She bucked up, offered to rectify things with you two and she treated me like she would’ve any other employee.”