was sitting there. As much as a hermit Brandon that had become, this couldn’t be the same brother that Justin had shared “one day” dreams with for hours. “You do realize what I’m talking about, right? Branching out and becoming a nationwide chain? We’ll be a household name.”
“I understand fine. What you’re not getting is that I don’t want it.”
Justin stared at him a little longer. He had a decent poker face, but not over this. Surely not over this. Right? “How could you not want it?”
No smile hinted he might be joking. “Too much work. Too much time away. It’s too much.”
Lifelong plans crumbled, and Justin grasped at anything he could to hold it all together. If his brother didn’t agree and wouldn’t sign…Justin refused to even think of that option. He and Brandon had grown into different people over the last few years, but he wouldn’t do this to him. He couldn’t do this to him. “I’ve been handling everything for several years now. It wouldn’t change anything for you. You can stay here, keep on like you want. Get your TV and don’t hire any help. Nothing changes for you. Except your bank balance.”
Finally Brandon took a moment to think. It didn’t last long before he pushed out a heavy breath. “You know what you said earlier? About meaning to get by here, but you don’t? If I sign this, then I’ll never see you.”
Ice ran through his blood and Justin sat forward. “Are you saying you won’t sign?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” Brandon crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not signing. I don’t think it’s in the best interest of everyone.”
Justin’s throat tightened, and he was tempted to grab the last of Brandon’s water. He couldn’t decide if he needed a drink it to clear his throat or break it over his brother’s head in hopes to knock sense into him. For that, he left the water alone. “But if you refuse, then this deal falls through. We’re fifty-fifty partners.”
“I know.” Brandon’s words were filled with so much calm.
Justin was about to come out of his skin. “I don’t think you understand. You have to agree.”
“I understand perfectly.” Brandon tapped the stack of sheets holding their future. “I don’t sign. This doesn’t happen. That’s how we started this restaurant. Either we both agree or it doesn’t happen. I don’t agree.”
Justin waited to try and gather words that didn’t involve shouting them. Shouting would get him nowhere. “I’ve worked hard. I want this.”
“I know you’ve worked hard.” Brandon nodded. “You’ve pored your life into it, and you’ve done a great job running it by yourself. I never doubted that you couldn’t. That’s why I’m not signing.”
“You’re not making any sense.” He admitted Justin was capable, and that’s why he wasn’t signing?
Brandon started to lean on the table, but stopped and pushed the papers out of the way as though they were disgusting. With the offending items out of his way, he leaned on the table and clasped his hands together. “All you’ve done is work. You don’t have anything to show for yourself besides work.”
“Oh you mean like having an ex-wife, like you?” Damn it. He regretted that the moment it popped out.
Brandon’s gaze narrowed, and he pushed from the table. “Is there anything else? I work hard too and I’m exhausted.”
Was there anything else? Yeah. There damn sure was a lot more. He was just at a loss on what to say as Brandon grabbed his glass and pushed his chair in. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Justin watched him as he headed for the door. “That’s it?”
“What?”
Justin lifted his papers. “I come to you with this, and all you say is no because I work too hard?”
“Yeah.”
“Maybe if you were holding up your end of the partnership, I wouldn’t have to work so hard.” He pushed out of his chair. Brandon was not walking away from this. He couldn’t. Not after
“I understand fine. What you’re not getting is that I don’t want it.”
Justin stared at him a little longer. He had a decent poker face, but not over this. Surely not over this. Right? “How could you not want it?”
No smile hinted he might be joking. “Too much work. Too much time away. It’s too much.”
Lifelong plans crumbled, and Justin grasped at anything he could to hold it all together. If his brother didn’t agree and wouldn’t sign…Justin refused to even think of that option. He and Brandon had grown into different people over the last few years, but he wouldn’t do this to him. He couldn’t do this to him. “I’ve been handling everything for several years now. It wouldn’t change anything for you. You can stay here, keep on like you want. Get your TV and don’t hire any help. Nothing changes for you. Except your bank balance.”
Finally Brandon took a moment to think. It didn’t last long before he pushed out a heavy breath. “You know what you said earlier? About meaning to get by here, but you don’t? If I sign this, then I’ll never see you.”
Ice ran through his blood and Justin sat forward. “Are you saying you won’t sign?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” Brandon crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not signing. I don’t think it’s in the best interest of everyone.”
Justin’s throat tightened, and he was tempted to grab the last of Brandon’s water. He couldn’t decide if he needed a drink it to clear his throat or break it over his brother’s head in hopes to knock sense into him. For that, he left the water alone. “But if you refuse, then this deal falls through. We’re fifty-fifty partners.”
“I know.” Brandon’s words were filled with so much calm.
Justin was about to come out of his skin. “I don’t think you understand. You have to agree.”
“I understand perfectly.” Brandon tapped the stack of sheets holding their future. “I don’t sign. This doesn’t happen. That’s how we started this restaurant. Either we both agree or it doesn’t happen. I don’t agree.”
Justin waited to try and gather words that didn’t involve shouting them. Shouting would get him nowhere. “I’ve worked hard. I want this.”
“I know you’ve worked hard.” Brandon nodded. “You’ve pored your life into it, and you’ve done a great job running it by yourself. I never doubted that you couldn’t. That’s why I’m not signing.”
“You’re not making any sense.” He admitted Justin was capable, and that’s why he wasn’t signing?
Brandon started to lean on the table, but stopped and pushed the papers out of the way as though they were disgusting. With the offending items out of his way, he leaned on the table and clasped his hands together. “All you’ve done is work. You don’t have anything to show for yourself besides work.”
“Oh you mean like having an ex-wife, like you?” Damn it. He regretted that the moment it popped out.
Brandon’s gaze narrowed, and he pushed from the table. “Is there anything else? I work hard too and I’m exhausted.”
Was there anything else? Yeah. There damn sure was a lot more. He was just at a loss on what to say as Brandon grabbed his glass and pushed his chair in. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Justin watched him as he headed for the door. “That’s it?”
“What?”
Justin lifted his papers. “I come to you with this, and all you say is no because I work too hard?”
“Yeah.”
“Maybe if you were holding up your end of the partnership, I wouldn’t have to work so hard.” He pushed out of his chair. Brandon was not walking away from this. He couldn’t. Not after
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