“I’m fucking standing right here. With a gun.” Tabby told Dick to hush. “You people are certifiable. I’m going to have to kill one of you in order for you to pay me any mind, aren’t I?”
“The police are on their way. And congratulations, Tabby and Caleb. Love must be in the air.”
Dick started cursing, then acted like there wasn’t a thing wrong when the first cruiser pulled into their driveway. He still had his gun pointed at Caleb, and he thought for sure the man was going to blow his nuts off when the officer put his own hand on Dick’s gun and told him to drop it.
“There is just a small misunderstanding here, Officer.” He was told again to drop the gun. Caleb made his way out onto the porch, and in front of Tabby, in the event the idiot managed to get himself killed. “I was just asking the kid here—Caleb—what kind of interest he was getting on the property loans he took out this week.”
“Mr. Douglas was threatening me with his gun about how I was to void my deeds on the properties I purchased this morning. Apparently, he thought he should have been the one that purchased it.” The officer told Dick once more to drop the gun. He finally did, and Caleb was relieved that no one was hurt. “I’d like to press charges, Office Kimble. If you could please take him away from here, I can have my attorney or myself come down to the station house and take care of this right away.”
“Your attorney is fine to come down, Mr. Anderson. I heard someone bought the property out here. Couldn’t ask for better neighbors.” Tabby asked him where he lived. “About two miles down this road. My dad used to work the farm here when it was still viable. Many people came out here in the fall to gather up pumpkins and in the spring again to get some strawberries. If you need someone to show you where those patches are, I can send my son down. Billy has been biting his lip to come and see if you’re going to have horses to ride again.”
Caleb didn’t have to look at Tabby to know she was excited. After Dick was put in the cruiser, Sherman Kimble called his son and had him come down. Even from a few feet away, Caleb could hear the boy’s excitement. As soon as the cruiser pulled out of the drive, a tractor that had to be older than the house they lived in came rumbling down the road.
“My name is Billy Kimble. My dad said you might need some help around here.” Tabby told him what they were looking for. “Sure, I can show you where they are. Mom and I used to come here every fall when I was little. Most of the time in the spring, too, when the berries would come on. I used to eat my weight in them, Mrs. Bundy told me once when we went to visit her in the nursing home. Nice lady too. Her kids aren’t, but she sure was. How do you want to do this?”
“When we first moved out here, we purchased a golf cart to ride around in. Do you think you could drive us around in that?” Caleb thought that if anyone put a wire on this kid, they could have powered the country. “All right. I’m going to take that as a yes. Just give me a second to make sure my friend knows where we’re going.”
Caleb started for the house again, then stopped. Going back, he kissed Tabby on the mouth and turned back. He could get used to this, he thought. Having someone around that had his back all the time. After telling Arthur where they were going, he handed him his working pad and told him to take pictures, that it was set up to show the exact location.
“This will be a good opportunity for you to find out where you wish to put the barn, as well as the other outbuildings you were talking about.” Nodding, he wondered how long the kid could stay here and help them. “I’d hire him. Even if he only rode around the area and showed you things, it would be well worth your time to have him working for you. Not to mention, if you do decide to do the pumpkins this year or ever, he’d be the one that could get it started for you.”
Billy turned out to be a wonderful source of information. Not just on where the gardens had been, but that in the fall, Mrs. Bundy would have a sort of round-up for the kids. It was attended by nearly every county surrounding them.
“Dad told me it was just a social event. There would be some people selling their wears and some of their late garden things. There would even be shucking contests, as well as a roasting hog.” Tabby peppered Billy with questions as they drove through what had been the strawberry patch. “My goodness, Ms. Tabby. I’m betting come spring, if you got someone out here now to fix this up, you’d have enough strawberries to have a picking party.”
It wasn’t as overgrown with weeds as Caleb thought it would have been. But there were rows and rows of the strawberry plants just sunning themselves in the morning sun. He estimated the rows to be about two hundred feet long, and there were six rows. Tabby asked Billy what happened to the berries that wouldn’t be picked.
“I don’t know, but I can ask my dad. Mrs. Bundy had some jellies in her cupboard when my dad was there right after she died. I’m sure it’s still there if you haven’t tossed it out. She kept it in the basement. Kept it cooler, Dad told me.” They were going to look when they got back. “What else did you want to see? The pumpkins are a nice treat. If you don’t mind, I’ll take in a wagon load of them to sell. Tell me how to price them.”
“Why don’t you have someone come out and help you gather them up, and you and he give them away? I’ll pay you guys for your time.” He thanked him but declined. “I have to insist, Billy. You’ve already been a great help to us, and I’d like to pay you so you’ll be willing to come and help again. Besides, a nice kid like you needs some spending money for a date or two, right?”
“I don’t date all that much. I like girls and all, but I’m really shy around them.” He took the twenty that Caleb handed him. “I’ll do you right, Mr. Anderson. I swear it.”
“I don’t have any trouble believing that at all, son.” The barn, or what was left of it, wasn’t worth trying to save. The slate, Billy told him, was worth some money to anyone doing crafty things. And he might well be able to sell off some of the barn wood there. “I will have to have your help on that as well. Helping me figure that sort of thing out.”
Caleb took pictures of everything he thought might help with mapping out the land. The map that was in the courthouse was nice, but he’d bet anything that the land had changed enough around the house that there was little to resemble what he and Tabby had now.
By the time they’d gone over as much as they could on a full tank, they invited Billy to have lunch with them. He declined, saying he wanted to talk to his dad about coming out and picking the pumpkins out of the field before it got too late for plans to get them.
“The next time I take you around, you guys ride the cart, and I’ll take a wagon on the back of the tractor. There are still some things growing out there wild, but I’m betting someone in town can make a meal or two out of them.” He got up on the tractor but looked like he had something else to say. When he did, Caleb was impressed. “Mr. Caleb, there are a lot of people around that don’t have two pennies to rub together without one of them squeaking a bit. If you don’t mind one bit, I’ll have my granny round up some of those women that she sews with and have them bring out some families that could use the stuff we found. Those potatoes might not be worth spit, but they’re better than nothing at all.”
“You’re right.” Tabby looked at Caleb and asked if he had money. After telling her they had plenty for whatever she was thinking, she said, “Billy, I want you to come by here tomorrow with your grannie, and we’ll figure out something for these hungry people. Okay?”
“Sure. I can do that. Thank you so much for today. I sure did have fun.”
After he left them, his tractor tossing up dust like it was plowing, they sat on the front porch. They were still sitting there when the cruiser went by their house. Billy and his dad were going to have a very eventful lunch, Caleb thought.
“What did you have in mind for the hungry people?” She told him the plan that had occurred to her at work and how she wanted to execute it. “Are you thinking of not using
the business now as a soup kitchen?”
“I was wondering if you owned anything that might be a barn or thereabouts. Like a building we can use that would pass inspection. I don’t want to get caught unawares with anything bad happening when we open the doors for this.” He said there were two large buildings in the downtown area that would work. “One of them is the restaurant, you mean.”
“Yes. I don’t know how cleaned up it is, but we can have a— We should talk about something first. It’s not important, but it might go a long way in making sure you understand that the money is there for whatever you need. We’re getting to that serious point, to the point where I’m looking forward to you marrying me. I know it’s very quick, us getting married, and that we’ve not even kissed all that much—something I’d like to remedy as soon as we can. Dating has been a nightmare with everything else going on. But I have fallen in love with you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. If you do love me.” She said she really did love him. “And I love you too. Okay, so here is the scoop, as my mom used to say. Can you tell me again that you love me as much as I do you?”
“Oh, so very much. And yes, I really would like to be your wife. I know you have some money, more than likely a great deal of it, so I’ll sign a prenup if you wish.” He told her he never wanted that. “I will. I would gladly do that. I love you that much.”
“Good. Now, we have, as of the moment we get to the bank and sign paperwork, well over a hundred billion dollars. It’s mostly in investments. A great deal of stocks and property. We own three condo high-rises along some coasts that bring in a great deal of money all year round.”
She put her hand over his mouth. “You said billion. A hundred billion dollars.” He nodded. “I’m sure you meant that as a joke, right?”
He kissed her hand before removing it from his mouth. “I didn’t want to overwhelm you too much.” She laughed. “It really is closer to two hundred billion when you factor in the stocks and other items we have invested in. Tabby, we own grocery stores, car dealerships. There are entire malls that we own. Restaurants enough so that we could eat at one of them a day and never hit them all.”
She put her hand over his mouth again. “You’re seriously telling me that if I were to be your wife right now, I’d be a billionaire several times over. And that you’d not want me to sign anything to say I wouldn’t get shit if I were to leave you.” He asked her if she was going to leave him. “Never. But that’s not the point. Caleb, you’ve worked extremely hard for this money.”
“I have. So did my mom. But here’s the thing, Tabby. I feel like I’ve been waiting my entire life for you to come along so I’d have someone to show the world to again. My mom and I went on these fabulous trips, sailed oceans and seas. Went to caves and mountain tops. Now, because I consider myself to be the luckiest man in the world, I get to do those same things with you at my side. I love you.”
~*~
The building was perfect. Not only could they move the tables around so they could be more efficient, but they would also have enough room to set up the area in the back for storage for a pantry. Tabby was just figuring out the space that would be needed for the boxes she thought would be good for carrying things home once the place was filled when Sheppard cleared his throat.
“Do you know just about how big a ten-pound bag of potatoes might be? Like how much space they would take up.” He said he could call the kitchen at home and ask. “Great. I have to make this work for potatoes that we’ll order.”
He told her the size of the bag after a few minutes. “Are you actually going to buy them in ten-pound bags? Why not buy them by the container—I believe they’re called a lug or something like that—and bring them in bulk? That way, since I’m assuming you’re going to be giving them away, people can take as many or as few as they need.” She kissed him on the cheek before she could change her mind about it. “I would like to speak to you about your work at the Anderson building.”
“If you’re upset about the cafeteria, then I’ll pay for the difference. I talked to Caleb about it, and he said it would be more practical as well as employee-friendly to put in that rather than vending machines.” He said he thought that was a great idea. “Then it’s the part-time workers, isn’t it? I wasn’t sure I could make it work for the workers. But I think with the way they’re working, we’ll get more production out of them and—”
“Tabby.” She closed her mouth and grinned at him. “I’m very pleased with what you have going on. All of it. I just wanted to get your opinion on having Shep work there. And to make sure you didn’t hire him because you thought that was what I wanted.”
“I wouldn’t do that.” She thought of something. “Come with me. I want to show you something. And if you tell anyone but your wife, I think it would upset him.”
Taking him to the room that was going to have monitors set up for the security team that was going to be on duty at all times, she pulled up the camera where Shep was working. Just as he’d been when she’s looked on him earlier, he was in the same room.
“They showed him what they wanted in the way of tile. Mr. Carson—he’s in charge of the tile being laid—taught Shep the ins and outs of the job in about ten minutes. Once he got the flow and ebb of the job, Shep has laid two floors of tile in the last two days. They’re not small rooms either, but large ones like offices.” Another man joined Shep, and they spoke for several minutes. To see the other man laughing, not taking swipes at people, had done her heart some good. As soon as the other man left, Shep got right back to work. “He’s made himself a name for getting the job done too. And at lunchtime, he and the others sit around talking and enjoying their time together like they’ve worked with him forever. He’s doing a great job and seems to have a knack for construction.”
Sheppard was still standing there looking at the monitor when she was called away. After joining her in the storage room, she could tell he’d been crying. Tabby asked him if he was all right.
“I am. Better than I think I have been for some time. I called my wife and showed her how he was working. She and I had a nice cry over it, happy tears that he seems to be fitting in finally.” She asked him if he knew about him dating. “Kylie. I haven’t seen them together, but he told us about it the other night at dinner. He’s been staying at the house until he can get himself a place. I started to ask if I could help him out, and he flat out told me he’s old enough that he needs to have been up on his feet for a while now. I’m very proud of him. But this, seeing him here today—well, I can’t thank you enough for that.”
“I didn’t do it. He did this on his own. Shep told Kylie that he saw the photo albums on your dining room table the other day and had seen his sister’s life. Something about him not having one. Not on his own nor with you and your wife. He blames himself for that too.” Sheppard asked her what she was doing, changing the subject so he could gather up his emotions. “We’ve, as you might have guessed, bought a place in order to have a soup kitchen in it. Also, a sort of food pantry for those that need a boost-up. These shelves that we use here for storage are the same size as the ones I was thinking about getting for the pantry. I was just measuring to see how much I could put on them. Thanks for the idea on bulk. I didn’t think of that.”
“This restaurant you’re using, do you know how many days a week you’re going to open it? I’d like to help out if you don’t mind. I know this is your project and—” She corrected him. “All right. I know this is a community project, so I don’t want to step on any toes to make it work for the town.”
“Hello, Mr. Anderson.” He turned to see the elder Mrs. Kimble standing behind him. “The little miss there hired me to get my old bones up and working the kitchen she’s putting in. Also, we’re going to be dragging out some of them old men and women at the nursing home and dusting them off a bit to work as well. Might do the old ones a bit of good to have something to look forward to.”
“Their doctor has to approve what they can do according to the list of things we might have them working with. And they get to enjoy a hot meal that ain’t coming from a can too.” She handed him a long sheet of paper that she and the elderly woman had gone over this morning. “We’re not going to use instant if we can help it. Taters that we have to peel will be better for them. Also, in-season fruit will help with constitutions. Your son, he knew of a man that has himself some seconds in the way of grocery fruits and stuff that we’re going to be taking off his hands. You should be proud of him for that bit of news, mister. He sure did save that food place a good deal of money.”
“I am. As a matter of fact, I’m proud of all of you. Including you, Mrs. Kimble. I’m glad to see you didn’t need much in the way of dusting off. You look as fit as you’ve always been.” She thanked him, her face pinking up just a little. “I’d like to help with the project if you’d not mind. I’m betting that Melissa will get on board with it as well. She was just telling me the other day that she’s kind of getting bored sitting around the house.”
Tabby was still talking to the two of them about working out a schedule when Caleb showed up to take her to lunch. In the end, Sheppard called Melissa, and she joined them as well. This afternoon they were going to move Cain and his family to their new place. Caleb’s furniture had arrived last night.
Cain and his wife Elly went through the house and helped pick out what went into each room. There had been a great deal of furniture on the two moving trucks, and the two of them were happy with the washer and dryer, which they’d not been able to have before, as well as linens and all the nice things that had been brought. They were completely set up by two in the morning. But it was when Dick Douglas showed up that things got a little scary.
Caleb Anderson: Berkley’s Bastards – Billionaire Romance (Berkley's Bastards Book 1) Page 7