by Larry Brown
"Here’s what I know, Andy has known Jack Winstone and his two girls for quite a while. It’s been more than a regular client relationship because of their past history. Jack and the girls have been coming to Andy’s for well over a year. The girls are, I’m not sure, but 14 or 15, I think. A lot of the time, Jack would drop the girls off, leave them for a week or so at a time. The girls have been primarily raised by nannies because Jack travels so much. I know you will understand this; the girls have just fallen in love with Andy. They love being with her. Now Jack spoils these girls. Maybe guilt, maybe love, perhaps both.
"This is what Andy told me three days ago. She told me the girls were there with her and Jack would come by for dinner with them. He had told her he had bought this big ass thoroughbred farm in Ocala. In case you don’t know, that’s big horse county. He told Andy he, of course, knew nothing about horses or horse farming and he wanted her to come to Ocala and run the farm. He would give her free reign and an unlimited budget. The girls would relocate, and they could be together full time. Naturally, the girls were very excited about the prospects. He told her there was an estate house where he and the girls would reside but there was also an operations manager’s cottage, which would be her residence. She could totally remodel it or tear it down and build exactly what she wanted.
“Harry, when they were alone, he told her how he had been attracted to her for quite a while and hoped after they spent more time together, she might consider a closer relationship with him, and maybe join him in the estate house and the four of them become a family. Harry, he is going to pay her a huge salary and she’ll have free reign over this sizable enterprise. She was just blown away. So she had three days of these girls chipping away at her about how excited they were and how great it was going to be plus Jack putting on the big sell. Finally, the jet to Atlanta for a romantic dinner, it was just too much. Harry, she just was overwhelmed.”
“Harry, the reason I didn’t mention this to you when we had our conversations was that I truly did not think she would do this. I found out she was going in the wee hours this morning when she called to tell me the details. Please believe me, Harry, I made a misjudgment. If I had thought she would do something like this so fast, I would have called you and asked you to help me try to convince her to say no.” Clay finally stopped talking and waited for Harry to comment.
Harry was sitting on one of the kitchen stools and just sat there staring at the floor.
Clay waited for Harry to speak but after a few minutes he spoke again, “Harry, I hope you believe I am telling you the truth.”
Harry spoke, “It doesn’t matter. That’s not true, it does matter. You are my friend and I do believe you. Plus, the truth is, Clay, it’s a hell of an opportunity. Think about it, she’s going to be the boss of this substantial enterprise. It’s something she loves and can make big money. She likes the girls and maybe she will end up as the wife of a very wealthy man. And Clay, he’s not an old fart like me.”
“Harry, that’s nasty.”
“Sorry, it just came out.”
Chapter 39
Andy knew she had made a terrible mistake. She had handled the meeting and conversation in the worst way. God, how could she have been so cold and distant? She knew very well something was developing between them. There was some kind of chemistry, and whatever it was it had been growing, and no doubt would be taking the next step had she not upset the apple cart.
She said to herself, she was not having second thoughts about her decision to go to Ocala, but it was the way she had handled it with Harry. That was the problem she was almost sure. She decided to call Clay and get his update on his visit with Harry. She phoned but only got voicemail. This gave her no comfort. She asked the limo driver if they had time to turn around and go back to Harry’s house. He told her no, that with morning traffic he would have to push hard to make it on time. Harry must think her to be an awful fickle person.
The whole thing had been unbelievable. To be her age and have an offer to be in total control of a world-class horse farm. To be associated with a dynamic businessman like Jack Winstone was a fascinating proposition. Even though she had casually known Jack from their past and then the infrequent visits to get updates on his girls, she never realized what a charming and personable man he could be. Not to mention the fact that he was also quite good looking. Then there were the girls, they had hit it off from the beginning. They were hungry for a mother figure and her having had no children of her own was the perfect fit. Surely Harry could understand, couldn’t he? Maybe she thought if she had spent more time with Harry. Perhaps, if she had given him a chance to say more. She needed to make amends but not by phone.
As the limo was nearing the airport, her cell phone rang, and it was Clay.
“Clay, how is Harry? What did he say? Is he terribly upset? Clay, I handled it very poorly.”
“Hold on sis, it will be fine. Harry is a tough old bird. He will get over it. Face it, y’all were just starting to get to know each other. It can’t be that big of a deal. Can it?”
Andy paused, she could tell Clay did not understand the feelings she and Harry shared. Then she thought it was probably understandable based on what she was doing.
“Clay, would you mind keeping me updated on Harry?”
“Sure, but I don’t think you are going to have much time to think about Harry. You will be so busy and be having so much fun with your new life, Harry will just be an old memory. By the way, I am going to the farm to meet with Juan today so we can get an understanding of how we will communicate and operate. It’s all going to be fine. Andy, don’t worry.”
Chapter 40
Andy entered the lobby of the FBO at Ocala Jet Port where she was greeted by the Winstone teenagers, Jenny and Jane. They could hardly contain their enthusiasm to see Andy and have her at their new home.
The luggage was loaded in a big gray SUV with ‘Shadow Lake Farm’ written above the image of a lovely blue lake below the name. The drive took twenty minutes. The first thing Andy noticed was at least one-half mile of a bright white fence line that ran to an archway topped by the same logo as the big SUV. The paved drive was two-lanes at the arch for about a hundred yards before it narrowed into a standard sized two-lane roadway. There was fenced pasture on both sides of the entrance road. The land was slightly inclined and peaked at a circular drive that fronted a structure that looked to Andy as if it could be a small hotel. The SUV circled and stopped in front of massive double doors that were now opening to reveal a robust looking woman wearing a dull gray dress. She was accompanied by a man and young lady who were dressed in black and white. The girls told Andy the lady in gray was Ms. Spurgeon, who was in charge of the house.
The SUV doors were opened and Ms. Spurgeon introduced herself and her two assistants. The young man was starting to unload the bags when Andy stopped him, “Those bags need to go to the house where I am going to be staying.”
Ms. Spurgeon had signaled the man to keep unloading and spoke to Andy, “Ms. Wilson, Mr. Winstone has decided you should stay here until Mr. Langley has completely moved out of that house and you have had time to do your remodeling.”
Andy was caught off guard, “Who is Mr. Langley?”
“Dax Langley is the manager of Shadow Lake Farms.”
“Is he continuing his employment?”
“Oh, yes ma’am, I doubt anyone could properly replace Dax. Mr. Langley has been here since the place was built 18 years ago.”
“Well, where is he moving to?”
“Oh, he will displace one of his foremen. There are four employees houses here.”
“I think you should tell him not to move any more of his things until I can talk to Jack. This is not what I expected.”
“Miss you can tell him yourself. He will be joining you for lunch here in less than an hour. Mr. Winstone said it was best you two meet just as soon as you arrived.” Ms. Spurgeon turned to the girls and said, “Jenny, Jane why don’t you two show Miss Wilson to he
r room.”
The two girls each took one of Andy’s hands and led her to a big winding staircase. “Stairs or elevator? Which do you prefer?”
“Oh, let’s walk, I get to see more that way.” The stairs were double entry and formed a heart shape and overlooked the considerable foyer which was more like a giant lobby. When they arrived at her room, the young man with her luggage was already there. He had taken the elevator. They entered the room which was more like a suite than a room. There was a large sitting room with a desk and chair. There was a bar with four stools and a large-screened TV. Beside the bar was a powder room. On one end of the sitting room was a door that led to the bedroom and bathroom, the other end of the sitting room was another door which Andy would soon find out led to Jack Winstone’s master suite. There, double doors leading outside to a porch from both the sitting room and the bedroom. When Andy walked outside, the view was spectacular.
Below, on the ground floor was a large patio which led to a swimming pool. On both, the left and right side of the pool, were massive gardens with flowers and plants that all seemed to be in bloom. Beyond the gardens that encircled the pool, she could see the large horse barn and the ¾ mile dirt track. Beyond that, the pastures ended on high ground. Andy assumed there was a lake and more pastures over the hill. She also noticed the porch extended to Jack Winstone’s suite. As if reading her mind, the older girl Jenny said, “Daddy said he wanted you next to him in case you needed anything.” The younger girl Jane chimed in, “Are you and Daddy going to have a romance?”
Andy blushed, “Jane, I’m here to work on the ranch and take care of horses and teach you two girls how to be fine horsewomen.” Andy couldn’t help but wonder what Jack had told the girls. She did not like the fact that she had been placed so close to Jack’s quarters. And what about her private house? And what about Harry? She couldn’t stop thinking about how poorly she had handled their last visit.
At that moment the young man who had brought up her luggage reappeared and announced it was time for her to go down for lunch.
“Are you girls joining me for lunch?”
Jenny answered, “No, Ms. Spurgeon said he wanted you and Mr. Langley to have a private lunch, so you could get to know each other better.”
Andy responded without thinking, “Your daddy thinks of everything, doesn’t he?”
Both girls started shaking their heads and Jenny said, “Oh yeah, you just wait and see.”
Even though Christmas was nearing, the Florida weather allowed the lunch service to be set on a screened porch in sight of the pool and gardens. A table for two had been arranged with a fresh flower arrangement in the center of the table. The young man who led her there seated her and left.
Dax Langley was an imposing looking man. He entered the porch wearing a straw cowboy hat, western shirt, jeans, and freshly shined cowboy boots. As he entered, he removed his hat and the toothpick that had been in his mouth. He had a barrel chest and stomach. His spiny legs and rear end didn’t seem to match his upper half. Dax was over 6' and had to weigh at least 250 lbs.
“Ms. Wilson, I’m Dax Langley, the manager of Shadow Lake Farm.” Andy stood and offered her hand but before she could speak, Dax spoke again, “No, no, please sit we don’t need to be too formal ’round here.” He said this as he waved off her hand and sat himself down.
A server in the meantime poured water and offered mint iced tea. Dax spoke again, “Oh please, spare me the mint iced tea. Just bring me some black coffee if you can.”
“Mr. Langley,” Andy started but was interrupted. “Now Ms. Wilson, we ain’t gonna have to be formal, I hope. I’m Dax to everyone who knows me.”
“Okay, that’s fine, and I am Andy to everyone who knows me.”
Dax grinned, “Andy, I always thought that was a boy’s name.”
“It’s short for Andrea.”
“Oh, I see. okay.”
“Dax, you and I have a number of subjects to talk about.”
“Yes ma’am we do.”
“Let’s start with the house. Jack never told me you were living there.”
“Yes ma’am, about ten years now.”
“Please don’t do anything else toward a move until I talk to Jack. I don’t think this is right.”
“Well Andy, Jack was pretty damn clear he wanted my ass out of there.”
“Well just wait, okay, I want to discuss this with Jack.”
“Whatever you say, but Jack don’t seem like the type to change his mind much. But, of course, I don’t know exactly what your relationship is with Jack.” Dax said raising his eyebrows and smiling.
Andy said, “Let’s move on. How long have you been at Shadow Lake, Dax?”
“Oh, about 18 years or so. When I came, Shadow Lake was just raw land with a big lake in the middle. I helped lay everything out. You know like where this house is, the stables, the track and things you can’t see from here, like what I call the working barn and sheds, the growing fields, cow pastures, and even the airstrip.”
“Airstrip, why in the world do you have that?”
“Well, from time to time we get supplies. We have a few folks that visit by small plane and sometimes we even make trips in our little plane.”
“Tell me, Dax, what did Mr. Winstone tell you my role would be at Shadow Lake?”
“He said you would probably be doing several things. One, he said you were training two horses for his girls. Two, he said you were teaching the girls how to be good riders. He said you were going to remodel my house and might even live in it. Although he wasn’t sure about that, since you might decide to stay here at the main house. He said you might have some suggestions for me on how to improve the operation here. Andy, can I be blunt and ask you some questions?”
“Of course.”
“How much do you know about cattle ranching and raising cattle?”
“Very little, why?”
“Do you not know we have a sizable cattle operation here?”
“No, I guess I didn’t.”
“Do you know about farming, growing crops?”
“A little.”
“We do that too.”
“Do you know thoroughbred racehorses?”
“Well, I have done some work with them.”
“I’m talking real racehorses.”
“Not really.”
“If I might say so, how the hell are you gonna make suggestions about things you don’t know a damn thing about?”
Andy was saved by the food service. The conversation changed to food and halfway through lunch, she had no appetite. She stood and said, “It was nice meeting you Dax, but I am not feeling well and I need to be excused.” She left without giving Dax a chance to speak.
She went to her quarters and locked the door. Her mind was in thought overload. How could she have been so naive? She had always been a thoughtful person. Her instincts had usually been good, cautious, and stable. She started to think when had she jumped before she was absolutely sure it was safe? Maybe with Harry a little bit. But she had nothing but pleasant, positive surprises with him.
One thing for sure, she had turned her brain over to Jack Winstone, and he had made her feel good about it until now. But she knew full well it wasn’t Jack’s fault, it was hers. How could she have not asked more questions and done more research? Why did everything have to move so fast? That, she was not understanding was Jack Winstone’s world. She was at the double doors of her sitting room when she noticed a note on the bar. She opened it and it read, Mr. Winstone apologizes. He has been delayed in South America and will not be able to be here for at least five more days. He wants you to relax for a few days and get to know Shadow Lake Farm. He looks forward to being here with you.
Her first reaction to the note was not good, but after thinking about it for a few minutes she changed her mind. Yes, that’s exactly what she would do. She would relax, spend time with the girls, and get to know Shadow Lake Farm.
Chapter 41
Harry spent the ne
xt several days preparing his speech for the Women’s group and trying to make a dent in his Christmas shopping. Only three weeks away and a large part of his family would be descending on him. One thing he didn’t have to worry about was introducing Andy to his clan. What a shame, he had looked forward to the introduction even though he knew there would be ruffled feathers and hurt feelings.
The day finally came for Harry’s speech to the Women’s Business Owners group. Harry was apprehensive, not because of his speech, he was well-prepared and had dealt with the subject for over 30 years. No, he was anxious because with Andy gone, he knew absolutely no one there.
The meeting was held in the banquet room of The Mountain View Inn and Restaurant. Harry arrived 30 minutes early as was his style. When he walked into the banquet room, he was met by a very attractive petite blonde who introduced herself as Betty Matthews, the current president of the organization. She explained the agenda and the fact that Harry would be last and could speak and then have a period for Q&A and later they would be dismissed for a group lunch which she encouraged Harry to attend.
There were twenty women business owners without Andy. Most brought at least one and some up to three of their employees. There were about 40 women, ten men, and then numerous representatives of the press. As Mack Peters had said, there were not many celebrities in Polk County and Harry was one.
Betty Matthews called the meeting to order, and Harry could see why she was chosen to be their leader. She was self-confident, knowledgeable and moved quickly, but thoroughly through their agenda. She had explained to Harry earlier that Andy had sent her the biographical introduction for Harry. She also added that she understood he and Andy were dating. Harry quickly responded they were just friends and he had wished her the best in her new endeavor. Betty added that they were all going to miss her as she was sure Harry would.