Page 32 of Blazing Hot Nights
“Back up the covered wagon here, Miss Heaven,” Tex said. “I’m so confused.”
I nodded with my eyes squinted against the early morning sunshine. Absently, I rubbed at the palm of my snarled hand, trying to put my thoughts into words. “I have been too. Confused about what I want from life—confused about how to live out here and survive with an arm that is becoming increasingly more painful and debilitating. Confused how I was going to keep you both gainfully employed without losing the property that Daddy wanted me to have more than anything else in the world. I’ve been so confused that I buried my head in the sand and hoped if I just kept getting up every morning and working, it would sort itself out. It took Dawn’s conniption fit to help me see that wasn’t going to happen.”
“I didn’t have a conniption!” Dawn yelled and then slapped her hand over her mouth. “Okay, maybe I did,” she said around her hand.
Tex and I both laughed, the sound filling the space around us in a way that made me sit up straighter. We could do this, as long as we did it together. “As I said, it was necessary and appreciated after I thought about it for a day. I think I’ve finally found a purpose for this old place again. I’ve made plans with the bank and the people I would need to do the renovations, including building a covered riding ring. Cowboys work year-round, so we need to be able to use it in the winter. The ring will be heated and enclosed, which means we can offer riding lessons when we don’t have a full house of wannabe cowboys. I’m also going to have the bunkhouse fixed up. I’m not tearing it down and rebuilding. I’m just making sure the building is stable and secure; the plumbing, wiring, and heating are up to code; the kitchen is updated; and that we have new furnishings. I love the rustic feel of this place. I know our guests will too. It feels like a place a cowboy would live, and that’s the experience we want to give them.”
Tex held up his finger. “Uh, Miss Heaven, where will this actual cowboy live then? I live here!” he exclaimed, motioning at the bunkhouse.
“You make an excellent point. There are five bedrooms in the main house. You can have your choice of any of the rooms upstairs. Dawn and I have the downstairs rooms. If you don’t want to live in the house, I can have a small ranch foreman home built next to the bunkhouse. I’ll promote you to ranch foreman and hire more ranch hands to work under you once next summer rolls around.”
“Seriously?” he asked, his head cocked to the side. “Ranch foreman? Seriously?” His voice was loud and excited even as he tried to rein himself in.
“Seriously,” I agreed, laughing. “You’ve more than earned that title, Tex. You’ve already been doing the work, and now it’s time you get paid for it. If we can pull this off, it will be because you’re here, making it all run smoothly. I depend on you now for that, and you aren’t getting compensated for it. Now you will be. You can think about it over the week and weekend, then let me know if you want the job.”
His head swung around so hard and fast that his hat fell to the wooden decking at our feet. “No need to think about it, Miss Heaven. I want the job. I will make you proud,” he promised.
I held his shoulder and made eye contact so he understood that what I was about to say was the absolute truth. “You make me proud every day, Tex.”
He smiled and patted my hand once before he picked up his hat and plunked it on his head. He walked to the edge of the deck with his hand held out in the air as he likely imagined the riding ring in his mind.
I nervously turned to address Dawn next. “Dawn, I’m going to need you to float between cooking, cleaning, and ranch hand until I can afford to hire more people. I will help everywhere I can and as much as my arm allows. I’ll be office and guest management more than anything. I’ll also be in charge of making sure the animals in the barn are properly cared for by the guests.”
“So, my usual jack-of-all-trades?” she asked jokingly, and I wrapped my arm around her in a hug for a moment.
“I know I depend on you too much. Listening to myself there, I realized I didn’t give you a choice of what you want to do. You tell me what position you want, and I’ll hire others for the rest of them.”
Her eyes were wary when she met mine again. “You know I’ll do whatever you need me to do. I’d eventually like to concentrate on one or two jobs but for now, I’ll keep floating and helping where you need me. Feel free to make the first hire a cook. I hate cooking, not to mention that it will take up all my time if I have to be in the kitchen feeding guests.”
“I agree, so I’ll start there. After we have a cook in place, we’ll hone in on a job you want to do and hire for the rest of them.”
Her hand squeezed my arm for a moment until I met her eyes. “I love this idea, Heaven,” she said. “I really, really do. But how are you going to pay for it all? You’re probably talking about a hundred grand or more just for the riding ring.”
I nodded along with her as she listed off the costs of all the renovations we’d have to make, the additional equipment and animals, along with insurance and required permits.
“I agree with you, Dawn. It’s going to take a huge influx of money to get this done. We will have to spend the rest of this summer, fall, and winter to get ready to welcome guests. I truly believe that if we do this right, in a matter of a year, we will have recouped our cost of the initial renovations. I’ve done my research. I have no doubt we’ll have bookings year-round.”
“Oh, without question,” Tex agreed, turning back to us. “I’ve already thought of probably fifty or more guys who have asked me to teach them how to be a cowboy. A lot of guys will pay big bucks to come out here and play cowboy for a week.”
I pointed at him excitedly. “That’s what I’m banking on. We will give them the full experience. I’ve never been this excited about anything in my life.”
I realized that was a lie as soon as it left my lips. “That’s not true,” I said as my chin hit my chest. “What I should have said is, the last time I was this excited about something was when I was ready to make a name for myself on the rodeo circuit. I can’t do that now.” Dawn grasped my right arm again in solidarity. “But what Icando is make a name for this ranch. For us. For my daddy. I can build a legacy that will keep us doing what we love without the constant daily struggle.”
Tex sat down next to me and nodded while he stared out over the empty field. “I hope so, Miss Heaven. Dawn is right though. It’s going to cost a crap ton of money.”
I chuckled and shoulder-bumped him. “Probably two crap tons. Good thing I have an ace in the hole.”
“You do?” Dawn asked with her brows up in the air.
“I do. You know what people in the town call this whole area, right?”
Dawn nodded with a grimace. “They call it Bison Ridge.”
“They sure do. It’s time to take advantage of that. Follow me.” I stood and motioned them into the bunkhouse where I would lay out my plans for our future, even if I had to use Blaze McAwley to make it happen.
***
The night was filled with static electricity, and I could feel the storm coming. The weatherman had promised it would hold off until the next morning, and I hoped he was right. The tent would keep me dry, but it wouldn’t protect me from falling tree limbs. If it started to storm, I would have to leave the red dog and head for shelter.
