by Ashlee Price
I shook my head, not believing that my voice was going to help me.
“Okay good. Shovels are next to the bridles in the back and I already have a wheelbarrow out. Thanks for helping.”
Once again I just nodded. She looked at me for a moment with her bright hazel eyes. They were slightly different than when I had talked to her last, but I blamed it on the lighting. I must not have been seeing things as they looked greener than before.
Following her midway in the barn, she had already done half of the far back stalls and I was just standing there with the shovel in my hand as Gemma started to get back to work. She had all but forgotten me as her body went into action. I could have watched her for hours, but when she looked back at me and asked if I was going to just stand there or help, I had to tear my gaze from her.
All of the muscles in her legs and arms were stretching as she bent over, showing off her derriere that was hard to look away from. I started to work next to her, my muscles taking a few moments to remember what they were supposed to be doing.
It was like going back to childhood and it had been years since I had cleaned up after horses. It was nostalgic of a time that I was young and sent away to a work ranch for troubled youth. There had been a time that many felt I was headed straight for the big house and working on the McConnell Ranch had changed everything.
“I have never seen someone smile so big to be picking up this muck.”
I looked at her and pulled the corners of my mouth down. I felt like I had been busted. “Just brings me back.”
I thought she would look at me strange, but instead she actually had the same faraway look and smile as I was sure I did. “I like to come out here and work on the ranch from time to time. It reminds me of my childhood in a strange way. I would much rather be here than at the office where I am supposed to be.”
“That was exactly why I was smiling.”
She just shook her head and smiled bigger. Gemma was breathtaking in that moment. “Marcus never did understand it, though none of them cared because no one likes to do it if they had to do it every day. But just the sound of the horses and the peacefulness is enough.”
Gemma turned back to what she was doing, leaving us both back in the silence that she had just talked about. Soon I could hear again the soft nickers from the horses that were still in the building with us. It was peaceful and before long, we were on the last stall and then finished. Watching her tug her boots off and then spraying both pairs down, setting them in the corner, Gemma walked barefoot back to the house.
“I am going to go change, thanks for the help.”
And like that, she was gone and I was left staring after her. Had Marcus known that I would feel that way about her? How could anyone not be taken in by her gentle ways? It was impossible not to be and there was a feeling of urgency. Gemma would soon find another boyfriend. A woman like her wouldn’t be single for long.
I went upstairs and took a shower. While it was fine to smell the familiar smells when I was working, it was not something that I necessarily wanted to take with me when I left the barn. As the water poured over me, all I could think about was Gemma and what she was doing. When I got back downstairs, she had made me a sandwich with a glass of tea beside it.
“Sorry I am not much of a cook, but if you stick around my mom will be cooking later. Have you met her before?”
I nodded that I had. I had known Elna for almost ten years and she had always been the kindest woman to me. Sitting down in front of the small gesture from her daughter, I could tell then that Gemma had picked up some of her mother’s traits. She had a way about her and with her hair damp and her face freshly scrubbed she looked even more enticing than she had before.
“I met her many times in the city. We would go up there on our leave, a lot more before Leanna and your brother got married.”
“I bet. Now you can’t hardly get those two apart, but they are so cute together.”
I had to agree. More than once I had wished I had what he had. “Yes they are.”
“So what are you doing today? You know Marcus won’t be back. Maybe for dinner because he can’t turn down roast, but it will be late when he does show up.”
“I don’t know.”
“Well what do you usually do?”
I smiled up at her as she stood in a long flowing skirt and white top. Her hair was down around her shoulders and she looked heavenly. “I don’t want to say.”
“I was right before, huh?”
I found my head nodded without my permission. Why was I saying that to her or implying that she was right? For all purposes, I was usually more suave, but I seemed to have no game with her. Gemma was not a woman I could lie to and that was problematic.
“Well we could go to a bar if you want. I wouldn’t be opposed to a few drinks. My arms are sore and a little vodka will make it better.”
Of course I had to agree. I would have gone skydiving with her if that was what I had to do to stay around her. I needed to be around her more, her presence a calming, yet exciting force to be close to.
“Good, I hate drinking alone and Paul and Scott won’t be in till dark.”
***
The bar that she took me to was one that I had been to before and I had made the mistake of having a go with one of the bartenders and in true form of my luck, she was the one working when we got there. What was worse was that Gemma seemed to know the woman well and I couldn’t even remember her name. It did not bode well for me and I realized then how much I didn’t want Gemma to know that I had banged the older blonde on the very bar on which she was sliding her a vodka straight up with a beer chaser.
“Thanks, Ileene. I really needed that.” Gemma turned to me and I must have looked like a deer caught in the headlights. It was how I felt. Shocked, stunned and hoping that if I didn’t move, maybe they wouldn’t see me. Ileene! How could I forget a name like that, or did I not even ask her for it?
“What did you want to drink Billy?”
Ileene slid a beer to me and walked away. I tried to search my memory for what happened between us. She hadn’t seem too happy to see me, though she wasn’t angry, so that was a positive moment.
“Did you know her?”
Again, I shouldn’t have shaken my head that I did, but it was impossible to lie to Gemma. “Yeah. I met her a while ago.”
“Did you date?”
“Not particularly.”
Her cheeks got slightly red. “Oh.”
I wished then that I had said nothing. Why had I? I swear I didn’t know why I wanted to tell her everything. Lying didn’t even come to mind, which was strange because I was known to spin a tale with women.
Gemma took a drink of her vodka and grimaced slightly before she grabbed the bottle from the other side of the bar and raised it. “Ileene, I am just going to take the bottle.”
When she sat back down, she poured herself a drink and then one for him. “If we are going to drink, the least we can do is drink something better than a beer.”
I followed her in a shot and felt the familiar burn down my throat. I hadn’t wanted to lose my senses to her, but the truth of the matter was, I think I needed it too.
Chapter 6 – Gemma
“It’s about time you got here Gemma. I wasn’t going to wait much longer.”
“Sorry mom.” I gave her a kiss and she gave me a stern look.
“Drinking so early?”
I waved her off. She was always critical of drinking, thus the reason I had started drinking vodka at a young age. It was less easily noticed, but Elna had a nose like a bloodhound and I smiled sheepishly at her. “I was just taking Billy out for a drink before dinner.”
She looked passed me and seemed to notice the man standing behind me as more than my most recent excuse for a boyfriend. Usually I didn’t bring men home, so she had to know that it was unlikely. “Billy, how are you? I haven’t seen you in a while.”
Elna moved to give the tall man a hug and he wasn’t stiff around her like he w
as with me. It seemed like a natural things between them and I realized he did know her well. It made me wonder why I had only just now met him. The whole afternoon we had talked for hours and though it seemed as if the time had flown by, now I was feeling strangely like an outsider. He also seemed to know my other brothers as well. Where had I been?
“So you are getting my daughter drunk huh?”
“No man, she got me drunk.”
“Yeah that sounds like her. Where is Marcus?”
“He is down at the hospital with Leanna.”
Elna nodded, expecting as much. “Dear, call your brother and tell him to get down here. We have some things to talk about while I have most of you under the same roof.”
I agreed, pulling out my phone. I was not expecting her to have another family meeting that evening and whenever we had one, there was always changing coming. I half-expected her to say that she was stepping down from the business again, though I didn’t know who would want to take over her job. None of the family was into the city life and even mom had times where she didn’t want to be in the fast paced life either. Was sure that it was what it was going to be.
There was a feeling of apprehension when I came back in and there was a small meeting already going on at the table.
“I just think that it is time that the family move in a different direction. There is a lot of work to be done and we could all walk away from this place, have more money than we knew what to do with.”
Paul was the first to shake his head no. He didn’t want to sell the ranch, the rest of the business he didn’t care about, but I had to agree. The ranch couldn’t go. “We have enough money as it is mom. I don’t think anyone here is worried about a little extra money to get rid of our home.”
Mom sighed and I knew that she had to see the conversation going where she had feared it would go. She had to know that we weren’t going to let her sell it. We all had shares in the family business and though she had a substantial amount more, my mind was already doing the math as hers had. There were more of us and if all five of us there agreed, she would not pass a motion. We ran the company and though she was the one on the top floor, we were just as adamant and stubborn as she was. All of us kids got it from her and I could see in her eyes that she saw the fight coming.
I wanted to alleviate the situation. There was Marcus as the wildcard, but I didn’t think he was really willing to give up the ranch. It was where we came when something important happened. Weddings took place there, every good childhood memory revolved around that swath of land and I just hoped that his time out in the ocean hadn’t made him forget what the ground was like under his feet.
“I just think we need to think about it. I don’t want you to have to do what I have started. This was mine and your father’s dream.”
She stopped and we could all she her getting emotional. It wasn’t so unlike her, but it was genuine. Mom wore her heart on her sleeve and I decided that maybe it was the way that I could make her see reason. But why did she need money suddenly? It had me curious more about the reason why she wanted this change. People will usually answer your questions if you just listen to them and I was trying to listen to her, see what was really said in between what was actually coming out of her mouth.
“But it is no longer my dream to stay here. I will always think fondly of this place, but I think it is time to move on.”
There was more, I could tell, but she was not keen to go on. I could tell by Marcel’s face that he knew he was going to have to step up. If she was wanting out, for whatever reason it may be, Marcel would be the one to take over the business. Paul and Scott wanted the land we were on, while Marcel had already proven that he could do it if necessary. If he actually wanted to do it was unclear, but I could see that he was mulling the idea around in his head. “I just don’t get why you want to sell. If you are ready to go on to something else, I will take over.”
She kind of smiled at him with a sad look on her face. “I know you don’t want to do that Marcel.”
“But I would rather only come here on the weekends, then not have this place to come home to at all.”
There was agreement from Scott and Paul. They were the three that were always at the ranch. I came when I could, but I felt the same way about it. I couldn’t think of a time when I couldn’t come to the ranch and ride my horse or even muck out the stalls. I didn’t want to think of a time when it was no longer what happened. I needed the ranch just as much as Marcel did. It was all of our memories here and I wanted to keep the tradition going. Marcel in particular, with his wife pregnant, wanted to raise another generation there at the ranch. Why couldn’t she see that?
“I have to agree with Marcel mom. I can start doing the books here. Never really cared for my job anyways. That will shore up some of the time that he has to spend in the city.”
She was getting upset in a way. It was not going how she had planned and then the front screen door bang shut and I was happy to see Marcus there. There was no way that he was going to let it stand and once that was known, there was no way she could sell. I hated the very idea of strong-arming my own mother. It made me pause and wonder if it was the wrong move. There was something else there and I just didn’t know what it was.
“Marcus. Glad to see you here.” Elna stood up and gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek. She asked about Caston like we were not just having the same discussion that we had before.
When Marcus sat down and felt the tension in the room, he wanted to know what was going on. I was sick of even talking about it, so I figured I would put it out there. My brothers were always less inclined to go against mother for some reason. I had always figured it was because of them being men, but I was not so inclined to feel the same way about it. What she wanted to do was wrong and it seemed to come out of nowhere. I looked over at Billy and groaned inwardly that he had to be there for all of the family drama. He must be one of us for mom to even have the discussion with him there.
“So why is everyone looking like they are ready to fight?”
“Mom is trying to talk us into selling the business and the ranch.”
Marcus’ head snapped around to look at Elna. He felt the way the rest of us did and it was clear that he hadn’t known about it either.
“What? You have got to be joking? Right?”
“No son. I think it is time to move on and let everyone else find their own path. You have gotten into drilling and aren’t even part of the business anymore. Your other brother is in South America and Lord only knows when he will be back on whatever adventure he is on. It’s time.”
Marcus was like the rest of us, not buying it. “If you need cash mom, just sell some stock. I am sure many of us here will absorb the cost to keep it out of the hands of someone else.”
She seemed surprised by the answer that he came up with almost immediately. If I was honest, I hadn’t seen that coming either. It was a perfect solution, but she didn’t seem relieved to have that off of her shoulders. “No, that won’t work.” Elna was adamant. “This is not the way it is supposed to go. I am your mother and I want to sell. We have to sell.”
“Why do we have to sell?”
The question came from Paul and he looked at her suspiciously. I too, was starting to think that there was much more there than I had previously thought. Why would we have to move? It didn’t make sense. She had enough money and there was enough of an opposition that she should just let it go. There was something amiss with it all and I didn’t think I was the only one that felt that way.
Elna paused and then I could see her pulling herself in. Her face changed, covering up the emotions and she just said that it had to be that way. I wanted to ask more questions, but she was making it clear that she didn’t want to have the discussion.
No one else said anything while everyone picked at the food on their plate. Our mother was an excellent cook and roast was almost everyone’s favorite, but no one was feeling very hungry at that moment. “Let’s just talk
about this tomorrow. I want all of you to think about it. Really think about if this is where you want to be.”
I couldn’t help but say what I think everyone at the table was thinking. “I don’t have to think about it. There are enough votes at this table to oppose you. You were the one that made us go public, so now we hold the majority. You and Braxton do not carry enough, even if you could get him to agree.”
“He is already on board Gemma and you are my family. You should be behind me, not standing in my way.”
Chapter 7 – Elna
I was hurt in a way that my own daughter threatened to take the company hostage. She would do it too. I could see it in her eyes. Gemma always reminded me so much of myself and in that moment it was no different. I didn’t know if I was proud or furious. In honesty it was a little of both.
After dinner, no one felt much like talking and the damper in the air was so different than the jubilation everyone had felt at the hospital yesterday. I went to bed that night feeling like the worst mother in the world. I wish I could tell them why I wanted to sell their childhood home. I really didn’t have a choice, but I knew that it was going to be hard for them to understand. If I was truthful with myself, I didn’t understand why it had to be that way either, but I knew that there were very little choices in life sometimes. Now that I knew the truth.
I didn’t want to burden them with what I knew. I knew that they wouldn’t take it well, as I hadn’t. But there was too much at stake and with almost all of my children at home, I was thankful for that. The fact that one of my sons was out of the country was actually a good thing for once. Nothing could happen to him if he just stayed away long enough for me to figure it out.
If I had been able to just sell without their say, I already would have. But the thing was that my smart daughter pointed out, a mathematical impossibility. I did have Braxton’s okay to sell, he was actually the one that pushed the sale to begin with. I was more than happy to stay at the company and the ranch the rest of my life. It had always been what me and my late husband had thought was going to happen. I just didn’t know that it was going be the way it had turned out.