Page 81 of Slow Hands Cowboy

Why? It wasn’t like he was proud of David Reynolds being his father.

But it makes you one degree more removed from Cody and Lila. It means that you don’t even have that connection to redeem you, and it did redeem them.

He was about to open his mouth and say something, about to stick up for Lila, when, to his surprise, Nolan spoke.

“I’ll kick money in,” he said. “I think that she’s right. I think that it’s a smart way to expand the business, and she and I can be partners in that expansion.”

Cody’s head turned so fast, Walker was afraid it would snap clean off his neck. “You agree with her? Enough to put your money behind it?”

“Yes. Because it’s a good idea. And if I think she has a good idea, that ought to tell you something.”

Lila snorted, crossing her arms. “Thanks,” though she didn’t sound all that thankful.

“I’ll also help get it up and running.”

“Well, I’ll invest, too,” Lila said. “It’s not like I don’t have money. I’ll chip in the other half.”

“Fools,” Walker said. “You don’t have enough to put in half, Lila. Not and keep on living.” He was happy to have a distraction from his own internal musings. “I’ll put some in.”

“Well, now you make me feel like an asshole,” Cody said.

“You are an asshole,” Lila said. “You know, except for the part where you self-sacrificially took care of us for all of our lives.”

“I’m just cautious,” he said. “That’s all. Businesses don’t grow smoothly, and they don’t expand forever.”

He could see Cody’s own poverty trauma popping up here. That scarcity feeling. And now, he had Marlowe to think of. He knew that must weigh on him. Marlowe’s life was tied up in the hotel. She was as enmeshed in all of this as they were.

And not just because of her relationship with Cody. Because it was her livelihood, too. She didn’t have anything else other than the resort. But Walker had himself.

He ignored the thought of Addison.

“You keep to your lane,” Walker said. “We’ll fund this. If we’re wrong, the three of us take a bath.”

“And if you’re right?”

“We split one hundred percent of the profits up until we’ve doubled what we invested. And then you’ll start getting some money.”

“Termites,” Cody said.

“Well. You’re of the opinion that the ranch is doing enough as it is,” Walker pointed out. “So why take a risk?”

“I’m not like you. I don’t go out gambling philosophically for fun.”

He couldn’t deny that he was a gambler. And he had a feeling that Cody was referencing the whole ruse with Addison.

Oh, well, he wasn’t open to talking about that right now. This wasn’t about that.

“If you want to invest at any point,” Walker said to Cody, “you can. And then you’ll be eligible to recoup the amount you invested. And twice that. Otherwise... this is what we’re going to do with our part ownership privileges.”

Lila grinned at him, then lifted her hand up for a high five. He kept eye contact with Cody while he gave his younger sister one, and then she turned to Nolan, made a face and declined to give him a high five.

“Even when I back you?”

“Thanks, bunches,” she said.

Nolan rolled his eyes.

“Present me with a business plan,” Cody said. “And then I’ll tell you whether or not I’m going to buy in. Otherwise, you guys can have your scheme.”