contact and he’s laser-focused on Blaine, not even moving his head. Gwen’s not here yet—and I don’t know if Sporn’s going to make it tonight. He’d be the best person to debrief about the zoning meeting and Wilson’s shenanigans.
Frankly, I’m not sure why I’m here other than to recap things from my perspective as an outsider. But he asked me to come and it’s habit to always say yes to him if he needs help. No matter what comes next for us, I can’t imagine that ever changing.
“You heard me. Seems you have a problem with your ears now as well as your crotch. Sporn is going to handle this and I’m going to assist. I talked to your fancy Twin Cities lawyer and the guy was a complete dolt. He tried to bombard me with paperwork right out of the gate when I’m trying to run a business. You think I’m going to leave my future to someone like that?”
Blaine’s toe starts tapping on the floor. “Hell, yes, that’s exactly what I expect. If we’re going to have him on retainer, you have to fill out the necessary paperwork, but I write the check. If it’s so hard for you, can’t you ask Gwen to fill it out? I don’t understand why you’re being so difficult about this. You’re the one who sent some ignorant moron to the meeting and mucked everything up. Don’t you understand this is an emergency and it’s time-sensitive?”
“You don’t even know the meaning of the word difficult. This is always on me. You just play your little game with your bros traveling around the countryside and just drop the family business in my lap. Mom and Dad drone on and on about their NHL superstar son and I get absolutely no credit for how hard I work and all the sacrifices I make. Do you think this is what I dreamed about as a little boy? Do you think this is how I wanted my life to look at thirty?”
Blaine scrubs a hand down his face, and while an outsider might think he’s okay, I know him better than most. I can’t believe that Chief is being so nasty about this and giving Blaine such a guilt trip. I know their folks as well as I know my own. Chief volunteered to run the farm because he had the big idea to turn it from hay to cannabis. If Jim and Miranda knew Chief wanted to become a lawyer that bad, they would have sold the farm for millions and used it to fund their retirement. But they didn’t. I highly doubt two people in their late fifties wanted to be starting a brand new business. But Chief did, so they supported him in his endeavors just like they supported Blaine in his.
“Do you want me to quit hockey? Is that what will make you happy? Because I’m sick and tired of you riding me about this. If you hate the farm so much and don’t want to be there, just let the eminent domain move through and the county will give you fair market value. You can go to law school and stop bitching.”
“Wouldn’t that be convenient for you. Then you wouldn’t have to be accountable for our family at all.”
“Jesus, Brian.” Blaine’s voice raises. “I’m getting whiplash from you and I’m not a damn mind reader. Just tell me what you want here.”
“I want you and Cora to stay the fuck out of my business!”
“You leave Cora out of this. She was trying to help.”
“She never should have been at the meeting sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong and creating drama. But then, she’s always done that, and you’ve never been able to keep her in line. I don’t want her around!”
An ache blossoms in my stomach. This animosity toward me seems to be coming out of nowhere. He’s always been a little standoffish toward me, but this?
“I thought you liked Cora?” Blaine asks, frowning.
“I do like Cora. I’ve always liked Cora, because she was my friend first. But then again, it’s futile for me to like anyone because you always take that person away. If I want something, you take it. It’s never been any different and it’s never gonna be any different.”
I hiss in a breath. Is Chief saying what I think he is? Is that why he’s always been so testy with me, because he actually wanted to like me as more than a friend, but he felt