Page 5 of Wrangling Nash

Rig nodded and then leaned across the table hesitantly. “Look, I’m sure this is shocking for you, Jovie, and you might need some time to process this news. Your grandfather was like a second father to me in many ways. We used to go to Fort Worth and bet on bull riding competitions together, shoot the breeze on the weekends and share ranch hands. We looked out for each other, and I know he wanted me to look out for you, too.

"About six months before he passed, he confided in me about his cancer diagnosis. He asked if I would assist in familiarizing you with the ranch operations, get you acquainted with the ins and outs, and give you the opportunity to take things over. That is, if you decided to relocate and accepted his offer. While there are several full-time ranch hands on the property to ensure its day-to-day operations, there's a significant amount of administrative work required for a ranch to run smoothly. I've been managing all of that since his passing, but I'm more than willing to honor his wishes and guide you through the workings of the ranch on a limited basis, if you decide to move to Ashwood Ranch.”

I nodded my head, taking in the words this stranger was speaking. “Thank you, that’s very generous of you.”

He smiled, “It’s the least I can do for Clarence. That and, well, I have selfish motives too. If I didn’t help, the ranch would fall apart, and there wouldn’t be much left for me to take over when you bail.”

I gritted my teeth, my gratitude turned into frustration now that I realized Rig Cameron already doubted me. But I supposed he was right in his doubts. I still didn’t know what I was going to do, and it made sense that he’d want to make sure things continued to run smoothly if he were to inherit the ranch in my absence.

“Can I have some time to decide?”

Mr. Martin pushed his glasses up his nose nervously again. “The will states that this goes into effect immediately upon your grandfathers passing, which means, it’s in effect now.”

“As in I have to move to Lonestar Junction today, or I lose the property?” I exclaimed, panicked.

Rig leaned forward again. “I’ll give you an extra week to decide, Jovie. I get that this is a big decision, and you have the whole life that you've built here. Think about your future and what you want. If you decide to move down, I’ll be there to support you and train you on Ashwood ranch for the next few months. And if you decide not to, we’ll make sure the transfer of ownership is smooth from his estate to mine, and you'll always be welcome to come back and visit your grandfather’s property.”

I nodded my head again, thoughts raced through my mind about what this meant for me and my future.

I was frustrated and bewildered that my grandfather put me in this position and unsure what to do. I had a whole life here in Houston but the thought of willingly handing over my grandfather’s ranch, a place my mom grew up in and I loved to visit, unnerved me.

“Thank you,” I responded. “I’ll have a decision for you in five days.”

Chapter 4: Jovie

“So, you’re really considering moving and living on this ranch for the next 12 months, huh?” my intern, Sienna, asked as she followed me into my office.

“I don’t know anything anymore, Sienna,” I sighed as I sunk into my desk that overlooked the city of Houston and placed my face in my hands.

It had been just one day since my meeting with my grandfather’s lawyer and Rig Cameron, and my mind had been racing with uncertainties ever since I left the diner.

I held a lucrative position as the CFO of a tech start-up, a position I had worked incredibly hard for. I had finally secured my dream job, and yet, my grandfather’s will had thrown unexpected changes my way that I was unsure how to navigate.

“I can’t just not give it a shot, right? I mean, this is a property that my grandfather and his father owned and managed for decades. My mother grew up on the ranch. Hell, I grew up there. It’s a multi-million-dollar estate. If I walk away, it’s just going to be handed to his neighbor for nothing, and though I don’t remember Rig, and he seems nice enough... If I at least stick it out, I can sell it in a year and walk away a millionaire and do some good with that money.”

Sienna sat across from me, tapping a pen to her chin pensively as she listened. In the past six months at MillennialFolio, she had proven to be an exceptional intern — a quick learner and hard worker, becoming my right hand for anything I needed to get done. Despite the guilt about leaving her with only two months left in her internship before graduating from the University of Texas Houston, I questioned whether my grandfather would want me to pass up this opportunity.

Perhaps our CEO, Daniel, could temporarily appoint Trevor, my Director of Finance, to hold down the position for me for the next year. I could probably handle some of it remotely, though I wasn’t sure how much time I'd have to work while learning and working on the Ashwood ranch.

I sighed again, realizing that if I committed to moving, I would need to leave everything behind. The only way this would work was if I fully embraced a new life in Lonestar Junction and didn’t leave any loose ends to return to in Houston.

“Look, I don’t want you to leave me with Trevor, but I also get it. This is an opportunity to learn more about your family, the place where your mother grew up and make a significant amount of money if you stick it out for a year. Did you tell your mom about the offer?” Sienna asked.

“Not yet.”

“How much time do you have to decide?”

“It went into effect the week he died, so last week.”

“Shit, Jovie.”

"I know... Rig said he’d give me another week to figure things out, but unless I get down to Lonestar Junction within the next few days, he'll sue me for breach of contract. He seems like a nice guy, but I don’t think he believes I can stick it out on the ranch. I think he wants to speed up the ownership transfer process because, right now, he’s managing things per Clarence’s last wishes without any reward."

“He included that in his will?”

“No, but Rig said he and my grandfather had a conversation, and Rig agreed to help me get up to speed on things with the ranch if I decided to move down. My grandfather always based things on someone giving his word which is why it’s odd that he put this in a contract. It isn’t all charity, though. Rig said in the event I decided not to move, he didn’t want the ranch to fall apart in those two weeks while I figured out what to do.”

“Sounds like he’s thinking about himself,” Sienna stated with an eyeroll.

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