Page 10 of Cole's Joy
“Holy crap, they had millions and they wanted your three-hundred-thousand?”
“Yes. They didn’t get it. Because they couldn’t take it from me, they kicked me out of their house. Instead of going back into the foster care system, I still had roughly a year-and-a-half before I could age out, I took off. But not before I called my case worker and told them all about these people. I didn’t stick around to see the outcome of that phone call. I do know that I gave them Thomas’ lawyer’s number. See, Thomas said he had been a rodeo rider back in the day. That’s what we talked about. The notes I took were of some of the people he worked with, and the ranches he worked on. I made my way through that list untilI found someone that knew him. It didn’t take long, I think it was the second ranch I stopped at. It was a long list. Anyway, because I knew Thomas, they took me under their wing and taught me everything there was to know about ranching. I worked my ass off, and with the help of one of the cowboys, I was able to finish school, I only got my GED, but later, I was able to take some college courses. I didn’t graduate college, but I took courses in what I felt I would need if I ever wanted to own my own ranch.”
“May I ask what they were?”
“Business, finance, I didn’t want to throw my money away. In the end, I didn’t have to worry.”
“What did you mean by that?”
“I don’t know if I told you this, but everything that happened to me happened in San Diego. We were so close to the border of Mexico, that it was nothing to walk over said border and get the drugs to bring home. Hell, we could see the border from the windows in the house, we were that close. Anyway, when I left that last family, I headed to Idaho, where Thomas said he had been a rodeo rider. That was my plan, to ride in the rodeo. On the way, I stopped and saw several events. The second I watched those cowboys riding those horses and bulls, I knew it wasn’t for me. I know that I didn’t have the heart to ride the wild broncos or bulls. Thomas warned me that if you didn’t have it in your heart, then you would hate it. I knew after watching it that I enjoyed watching, but would never want to participate. That’s when I sought out the ranchers to teach me how to ranch.”
“That was smart of you. What sixteen or seventeen-year-old do you know today that would have done something like that?”
“None. Anyway, when I was twenty, I thought I had learned enough to strike out on my own. I still had my inheritance, not all of it,” he said with a grin. “I had to have a new truck after all.” They shared a laugh and both drank from their water bottles before he continued,
“Anyway, I heard through the grapevine that there was a rancher looking to hire a manager for his spread. With the help of the ranchers I worked with, they got me an interview, and though I was young, I was only twenty or twenty-one, I was hired on the spot.”
“Where was this, and how long did you work there?”
“It was in Wyoming, and technically, at the age of sixty-eight, I am still working for them.”
“Really? I thought you worked for Erin Riceman?”
“Not technically,” he sighed and scrubbed his face. “The people I went to work for were the Alcotts. It was a husband-and-wife team, their son was a worthless piece of shit, that didn’t do jack shit around the ranch except to have his hand out every month for his allowance. With the help of their horse trainer, this couple was getting their granddaughter into the rodeo world. They needed someone to manage the ranch while they were away.” He looked at her and grinned. “Naomi Alcott is the granddaughter. Some shit went down recently and because of Erin Riceman, Naomi was able to move her entire ranch from Wyoming to Colorado. The horses are safe, they have more room to roam, we only had five hundred acres, but moved to close to fourteen hundred. We don’t have to deal with her piece of shit father, thank god, he’s still in jail, and because I had no family, nor any place to go, when Naomi asked me to continue being the ranch manger, I moved with them.”
He saw the emotions flit across her face and took her hands in his. “The only thing Erin owns is the land and buildings New Double is using.” He then went on to explain what had happened years ago and how Erin had come into possession of Ducky’s ranch.
“Holy shit, that is one enterprising woman. She not only has her original ranch, but she built another one on it, tookpossession of Ducky’s, and now she has The Old Atherton ranch.”
“Don’t forget about Broken Two.” Cole laughed at her expression as he told her what Erin had planned for that side of the ranch.
“And to think,” Lois said with a sigh. “When Lorissa was off doing what she was during her interview with Erin, and meeting everyone at Broken, I was sitting in the cabin wondering why I was even there. Back then, I had absolutely no plans on moving with Lorissa. I had planned to come home, and wait a couple of days before calling Erin and saying thanks but no thanks.”
“But now? What changed your mind?”
“Erin showed me the greenhouses, and told me what she wanted planned for a garden and community pantry.” She paused then looked directly at him. “Then I met you.”
CHAPTER 5
Cole suckedin his breath when he saw her expression. “Really?” He didn’t know what else to say, and he knew it was lame, but he couldn’t help it.
“Really. I might be an old woman, but I’m not dead yet. I like you, Cole, and if you agree, I’d like to get to know you better. I’m not saying that we have to get married down the road, but I am saying that I want to talk to you more. I want to know about your day. Possibly share a meal at the end of that day.”
“I would like that, however, you’re going to have to forgive me every once in a while.”
“For?”
“I’ve never been married, and I never had a serious girlfriend. I’m not saying I didn’t date or have sex, but I am saying that I never took any relationship seriously before. I really like you, Lois. The first time I saw you standing at the top of the steps at that cabin, I damn near dropped the dish I was carrying. I thought you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. That’s why I hung by you all night. When you gave me your number, I couldn’t believe my luck. I’m also saying you’ll have to bear with me, because I’ve never gone through the teenage, and young twenties angst of dating.”
Lois laughed and reached up to lay her hand on the side of his jaw. “I’m not laughing at you, I’m laughing with you. I’m sure with our life experiences we can figure things out.”
They stared at one another for several moments before she sighed heavily. “Unfortunately, it’s getting late and I need to get to bed.” She slowly stood and looked him directly in the eye. “I’m not being coy, I’m being practical. Why don’t you call who you have to and tell them you’re spending the night here. Not to have sex,” she said firmly. “It would be more practical to stay in one of my spare rooms, then get up and moving early tomorrow. Tell whomever you call to be here between six and seven for a hearty breakfast, and we can start loading the truck. I don’t know about you, but now that I’m taking more of my things, I want to be on the road in two days’ time.”
“I agree, and I’ll make the call. If you don’t mind, can you show me where I’ll be staying? I stashed my bag outside, I’ll go get that, call the guys, then lock up before I call it a night.”
She took him upstairs and showed him the spare room with the attached bath, and where the extra towels were. As she turned to go down the stairs she looked at him with raised brows.
“What is it?”
