by Ivy Jordan
He hung up, his face pale and lifeless as he shuddered as if he caught a cold chill up his spine. I knew that chill all too well; its name was Jill Jasper.
“I don’t know if you could hear, well, I’m sure you could, along with anyone within a ten-foot radius could hear, she wasn’t pleased,” Robert sighed.
“I’m gonna level with you, Robert. The ranch isn’t going to sell, period. The people in the town know what Jill and her siblings did to James, so they won’t be eager to line their pockets. They’d just as soon let the place sit, force them to sell it piece by piece, or possibly get it seized by the state if they don’t properly care for the livestock,” I explained.
“I’m sorry?” he asked, a confused expression sitting on his face.
“The man who lives there now, James Laurie, he’s a good man, very well respected in this town, a former Navy SEAL, and if it weren’t for the kids corrupting the system with their purchased judge, dirty tricks, and money lined pockets filled with lies, he would still be the rightful owner of the property that was left to him in the former owners will,” I insisted.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know the whole story, but I did meet James when Jill took me out there to get pictures. He didn’t seem too pleased with the situation,” he sighed.
“Well, the entire town does know what went down, and I can assure you, the only one that would show any interest is William Platter, and he’s already spread far too thin, so his offer would be half of my own,” I stated.
“Yes. He actually did call last night as soon as I listed the place. I didn’t dare bring his offer to Ms. Jasper,” Robert whispered.
It was clear that he believed what I told him as his hands began to fidget in front of him on the table.
“I’ll talk to her, see if I can get her to accept,” he breathed.
“Just don’t tell her who made the offer before she signs the contract, otherwise you’ll lose your only chance at a commission on this sale,” I smiled.
He nodded reluctantly but pulled out the paperwork to draw up the formal offer to bring to Jill Jasper and her siblings. I signed my name, handed over a check for the earnest money, and agreed to wait for his call.
Chapter Thirty-Five
James
Pedro and Kyle put in a hard day’s work on the ranch, and I hated to tell them it would be their last, at least for a while. I’d spent my morning at the bank, first closing on the ugly house, and then drawing out checks for each of them, their yearly bonus checks, slightly inflated, and severance packages large enough to tide them over several months while they looked for new work.
“I wanted to say thank you,” I smiled as I handed each a white envelope.
Kyle opened his first, a quick hoot and then a pause of silence as it sank in what it meant. Pedro peeked inside his envelope without making a sound. His eyes lifted to mine, filled with sadness, and his bottom lip started to quiver. I couldn’t stand to watch a grown man cry, so I reached out and slapped him on the shoulder as I forced on my largest grin.
“It’s gonna be okay,” I insisted.
“So, this it?” Pedro questioned.
I nodded, my grin fading from my face fast.
“It’s only Thursday, just over a week since the court ruling,” Kyle gasped in disbelief.
“I know. It still may take a while for the place to sell. I looked up the price this morning, and it’s way over fair market value,” I admitted.
“Where you plan to go?” Pedro sulked.
“I bought a fixer-upper in town,” I sighed.
“Good,” Pedro cheered up a bit when he found out I wasn’t leaving town, at least not yet.
“So, that means you can still buy me a beer every so often,” I laughed.
“Sure, sure,” Pedro chanted.
“I need you to do one last thing for me before you call it quits; load up Queen and Gulliver and take them over to Jack Fuller’s place,” I instructed.
The men nodded, and then extended their hands in my direction at the same time. I grabbed them both, clasping my hands around theirs, shaking them together as they both laughed.
That was that. Nothing left to do except finish packing my belongings, and to leave. I breathed in the fresh country air, knowing that it wouldn’t be the same on the crowded street where I just bought a house. Damn, I would miss that mixture of manure, straw and alfalfa in the air.
My phone rang, pulling me away from the guys as they headed into the barn. I couldn’t bear to look Queen in eyes as they loaded her, so I was glad to be distracted.
“This is James,” I answered, listening to silence through the speaker.
“Hello?” I sighed.
“James, this is Eliza,” a soft voice responded.
I hesitated, clearing my throat before I spoke. I’d always thought she was the good one, at least from the others. She was sweet, even though uninterested in the ranch, or having a relationship with her father. I knew her siblings were the force that kept her away, fearful of going against what they believed, or what they wanted. That was what hurt old Jasper the most, knowing that he had a chance at being her father, if not for the other two who refused to allow her to call, visit, or even smile in his direction when they were around.
“What can I do for you, Eliza?” I choked out.
“I wanted to call you, and to tell you how sorry I am about everything, about dad,” she consoled.
I unraveled at her voice, her kindness, and the mention of her dad. I hadn’t heard her call him ‘dad’ since she was a little girl. As the kids grew older, and John and Jill soured by their mother’s bitterness, they called him Martin, no longer even addressed with his rightful title.
“Thank you, Eliza. I know it wasn’t your doing,” I mumbled.
My hand quickly swiped the tear that rolled from the corner of my eye, knocking it to my boot. It left a clean spot in the dust near my toe.
“I wanted to be the one to call you, so Jill or John wouldn’t have the chance to gloat,” she sighed.
“Gloat?” I questioned, wondering what in the hell else they could rub in my face.
“The ranch sold this morning,” Eliza confirmed.
An ache in my chest sharpened like a knife stabbing me in the heart. I sat down on the steps of the porch, watching Queen and Gulliver being guided into the horse trailer connected to Pedro’s old pickup. It was suddenly real, all of it. I wasn’t going to be coming back here, ever again. I was moving to the ugly house in town, where I knew I’d be miserable, and Queen and Gulliver would be stabled away from me, where I could visit once or twice a day at best. I’d lost. I’d lost everything, even Evelyn.
Why had I been so stupid? I needed her so badly, to hold, to make me believe everything would be okay, but I’d blown it. I didn’t dare call on her now asking for comfort, for anything. Fuck!
“I’m sorry, James,” Eliza whispered.
“That was fast,” I shook off the feeling of doom looming over me and put on a strong front.
“Yes. The offer was low, but John insisted Jill take it,” Eliza explained.
I chuckled angrily, knowing exactly why John wanted to jump on the first offer.
“Imagine that,” I growled.
“The new owner plans to show up next week, as soon as all the paperwork is complete. I know legally, you don’t have to leave for almost three more weeks, but I wanted to warn you, in case you wanted to leave sooner,” she explained.
“It’s fine. I was packing now anyways. I’ll be out; you can tell the new owner not to worry,” I growled.
“I understand,” she sighed.
“Well, I can’t say I don’t hope they get hit by a bus on their way to the bank,” I sneered.
Eliza giggled, causing me to laugh into the phone.
“I wish you well, James,” Eliza concluded our call abruptly, leaving me to sort out my pain alone.
I waved to Pedro as I walked towards his truck. Queen was snorting, a deep snort that she made when she was irrita
ted.
“The place is sold,” I informed them, and then gave them all the details Eliza had given me.
I didn’t know who bought the place, but being so quick, I feared it was a developer, someone out of town. I assured Pedro and Kyle that I would keep in touch, and rubbed my hand across Queen’s snout to calm her before they took off.
Watching the trailer roll down the lane choked me up, leaving me a damn mess, snot and tears all mixed and uncontrollable. Dammit!
In the barn, I checked on the new calf, looked in on the one that was a bit older, and then stood in the center of the barn, staring at the empty stalls where Queen and Gulliver had been just moments earlier. It was surreal, like a bad dream that I should wake up from any minute, Evelyn snuggled in my arms, her sweet perfume drifting under my nose, greeting me as I pulled her into my chest. But, it wasn’t a bad dream, it was real.
All the animals were watered and fed, and Pedro and Kyle were to check in on them every morning until the new owner arrived. I couldn’t help but wonder what would become of the place. The freshly painted fence, the sign that proudly displayed JJ Ranch, all would be gone soon, I was certain.
I packed my belongings, there wasn’t much, and loaded the boxes into the truck. In the office, I stared out the window to the sky that started to darken with clouds and a setting sun. Even on a dreary night, it was beautiful.
Everything in the house was neatly organized for the new owner. The fridge was emptied, most of the contents tossed out, only bringing what I could to the new house since it had a small fridge with very little freezer space. Pedro and Kyle split the meat I’d stored from the last slaughter, leaving me a stack of nice steaks. I carried the grill to the truck, the coffee maker, and boxed up some of the better dishes and cookware that I thought I might be able to use.
As I packed, I started to fume. This was my home, my fuckin’ home, and some fancy suit was gonna come in here and rip it to shreds. What did it matter that I took a few things that I needed, it wasn’t like they were gonna need any of it when the bulldozer came through?
All of Martin’s personal items, papers, pictures, and documents were shoved into a box and carried to the truck, pushed into the bed with the rest of the stuff. I sucked on my bottom lip as I looked at my life, and part of Martin’s, reduced to fit into the bed of my pickup truck.
A twelve-pack of bottled beer in hand, I locked up, sat on the porch, and twisted the cap from one, bringing it to my lips as I watched the sun settle into the earth. It was a view like no other, and one that I’d never see again.
One last goodbye to the ranch and I slid the remaining eleven bottles of beer in the truck seat beside me, pulled out, and watched the JJ Ranch sign disappear from my rearview mirror.
The drive into town brought on a feeling of sadness similar to the one I felt when old man Jasper passed. It was loneliness, something that he’d protected me from as a young boy, but now couldn’t as a man.
I pulled up in front of my new house, unloaded everything inside, stashing the beer in the fridge as I unloaded the steaks and few food items I’d bothered to take from the ranch. Once everything was inside, I grabbed a beer and moved to the front porch.
A dog barked somewhere close, a clank of what sounded like metal garbage cans being knocked over, a screeching cat, a train horn sounding, and a baby, crying in the distance. The noises were foreign to me, grating on my frazzled nerves. The stars in the sky, what few I could see of them, were dimmed by the lights in the town. This wasn’t home. This wasn’t where I wanted to be. But here I was.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Evelyn
Closing on the ranch was set for next week, but I couldn’t wait another minute to tell James the good news. After my busy Friday docket was clear, I locked up my office and headed towards the ranch. My body trembled with excitement, mixed with fear of James’s initial reaction. I knew he would be offended, maybe even furious, at first, but that would change. It had to.
My car pulled up the lane, passing under the JJ Ranch sign, and parked in the spot next to where James’s truck would normally be. Instead, Pedro’s old truck was in its place, the barn door open, and shadows moving about inside.
I stood by my car for a moment, staring at the small ranch. It was locked up, curtains drawn, and I noticed the chair where James liked to sit and watch the sky was missing from the porch.
“Miss Evelyn,” Pedro called.
I jumped in my spot, turning, startled by his voice. My cheeks were blushing with embarrassment, and my heart racing as I nodded towards the house.
“Where’s James?” I asked.
Pedro’s face drooped as he tilted his head with hesitation.
“You didn’t hear?” he asked.
“No,” I replied.
“The ranch sold,” Pedro sighed.
“Oh, yes, I knew that. But, where’s James?” I repeated my question.
“He left. Said no to be here when they arrived. We are here feeding animals now, and each day until,” Pedro’s voice trailed off, or I stopped listening.
I walked towards the barn, past Kyle, and then stopped short of reaching the stables where Gulliver and Queen were supposed to be. They were empty.
“Where are the horses?” I gasped.
“James had us take them to Fuller’s farm,” Kyle answered.
My hands wiped away my tears and then pushed against my chest to soothe the ache in my heart. He’d left. He actually left, and took the horses with him, my horse even. He told me he would leave town and never look back if he lost the ranch, if it sold. I didn’t think he would really do it, at least not this quickly, and not without at least saying goodbye.
“Do you know what he paid for them?” I asked, hoping to get them back from the old man before he became too attached.
“Oh no, he didn’t sell them. Fuller is stabling them for him, just until he figures out his next step,” Kyle explained.
It was like a light being switched on in a dark room. My heart beat hard against my chest, and hope filled my veins.
“He hasn’t left town?” I gushed, gripping Kyle by the shoulders as I turned him towards me.
“No, ma’am,” he smiled nervously.
My nails were digging into the poor boy’s flesh as I jumped with excitement without releasing my grip.
“Where did he go?” I demanded.
“He didn’t say, exactly. I know he bought a place in town,” Kyle confessed.
I pulled him in, hugging him tightly, and then ran to my car. Dust kicked up from my back tires as I sped down the lane, and then onto the main road.
The town was larger than most small towns, but I was determined to find him. I skipped the apartment parking lots since Kyle said he bought a house and focused on the houses near the outskirts of town, ones with more land than house. There was no sign of his truck, no sign of him.
I called Axel.
“What’s up?” he sounded busy as he answered, out of breath, and distracted.
“I’m looking for James; do you know where he is?” I asked.
He paused, and I heard something clanking in the background.
“Sorry, I’m making my famous chili for the guys. No, I don’t know where he is, did you try the ranch?” he stammered.
“He left the ranch after he got word of a new buyer,” I sneered.
“Oh, shit,” Axel gasped.
“Yeah, oh shit,” I groaned.
“He didn’t leave town, did he?” Axel inquired.
I told him everything I knew, which wasn’t much. I couldn’t believe James just took off without telling anyone where he’d gone. My heart ached at the thought of him all alone, everything in the world he cared about gone.
“What should I do?” I asked.
“Evelyn, you just bought a ranch, you, my little city slicker cousin, a fuckin’ ranch,” Axel laughed.
“Yeah, and for what?” I growled.
“Because you were following your heart. If your heart wants James
, which I think we both know it does, then don’t give up, just find him. You’re a smart girl; I’m sure you’ll figure out how,” Axel coaxed.
“I’ve already checked all the properties in, outside of, and on the skirts of town that have some land, some feeling of freedom,” I mumbled.
“I don’t see him getting a loan for anything around here, so check houses that he could buy outright,” Axel suggested.
“Of course,” I sighed.
After thanking Axel for his help, I hung up and let him get back to his chili. He was a godsend, always helping me out when I was frazzled. I’d already started to give up hope, and was driving back to Amarillo when he told me he hadn’t spoken to James. I took a deep breath, turned my car around with an illegal U-turn, and headed back towards town.
I called the bank, speaking directly to the loan manager. He checked recent home sales in the area and found one that was purchased with cash. That was it. It had to be.
“What’s the name on the contract?” I asked eagerly.
“James Laurie,” he replied.
I nearly jumped out of my seat with excitement as he gave me the address. It was just a few streets over from where I was. I made a right at the stop sign, slowed down as I read the address on each house, and before I could find the one I was looking for, I noticed James’s truck parked on the side of the road. I pulled in behind it, looking at the white house it was in front of, and gasped when the address on the front of the house matched the one the loan manager had given me. It was a wreck, a dump, and so small. I couldn’t wait to get him out of there.
My hand trembled as I reached out with a closed fist and knocked on the shabby door. The window that I stood next to was cracked, the porch beneath my feet crumbling, and the paint chipping away from years of neglect from the wood siding of the house. I heard something inside, something being knocked over, and then James cursing as footsteps sounded closer, and closer. The door opened, and there he stood, tall, broken, reeking of alcohol, and eyes reddened from lack of sleep.