livestock.”
“Who have you been talking to that’s put all of that in your head?”
She closed her eyes. “Jack Carson, the son of the man who owned this land. He wants it back, and asked how much I would take for it.”
“What did you tell him?”
“That I hadn’t made up my mind, but I promised to give him first dibs if I decide to sell.”
“Is Mr. Carson pressuring you? I don’t like that idea at all.”
“No, no. He walked me around part of the property, told me some things I needed to know, and said if I was going to sell it, to give him first chance at it.”
“Don’t let him sway you one way or the other,” her mother said seriously.
“I won’t.” But his words had made an impact for sure. Jack had lived here all his life, and knew the land like the back of his hand. What did she know about a ranch? She shook off her doubts, realizing her mother had given the phone to Lilly.
She promised her daughter she’d be home by lunch tomorrow, and almost ended the call. But she found herself telling Lilly they would be taking a trip for a bit. Hearing how excited Lilly was, she acted impulsively. “Let me speak to Grandma again, sweetie?”
Her mother took the phone. “Yes?”
“Get things ready and we’ll figure out what we have to do to make this move work for us. If it doesn’t, I can sell the property later and with the money we can move wherever we want. Tell the landlord we’ll be out in two weeks.”
A soft sigh came down the line. “Good thinking. Let’s do it.”
“Yes,” Grace said, opening her eyes and peering at the ceiling above her. “Let’s do it.”
* * *
J ACK WAITED AS long as he could, almost a week, before heading over to the old ranch to see if Grace was there, or if Parrish knew what was going on. He found the older man on the roof of the house. He parked his Jeep by the porch and looked up as Parrish walked to the edge.
“Can I help you?” he asked.
“I just wanted to know if Grace is back yet?”
“Nope.”
“Do you have any idea when she’ll be coming?”
He shrugged, his eyes narrowed in the late afternoon sun. “Nope.”
Single answers drove him crazy, both in everyday life and in court. This man seemed to be a master of them. “She didn’t give you any indication?”
He started to say, “Nope,” again, Jack was sure of it, then seemed to reconsider. “She said she’d be back, maybe a week or two, and that I should look around for a safe horse for her little girl.”
Jack tried to keep his face neutral, but he felt his heart catch a bit. Getting a horse sounded permanent. “Any luck?” he asked.
“Yeah, there’s a little bay that’s up for sale, real nice, calm. But, then, I don’t know much about horses, so I could be wrong.”
“Is it Bingo Sage’s horse?”
“How’d you know?”
“He’s been trying to unload that horse for about a year. She’s a biter. Nice and calm and sweet, then she swings her head and tries to bite anyone she can, most likely whoever is on her back.”
Parrish rubbed his chin. “Good information.”
“I’ll tell you who to talk to if you want a good child’s horse. You know the owner of the General Store, Oscar?”
“We met a few times.”
“He’s got grandkids and they’re getting too big for their horses. In fact, he’s got a really nice little Paint mare. Tell him I sent you, and he might let you take it for a trial, to make sure the child and the horse match temperaments.”
Parrish walked to the side of the roof, beyond the porch and turned to lower himself down. He jumped the last six feet, landing solidly on the dried earth. Coming toward Jack, he said, “I’ll contact Oscar and go take a look.”
“Do you have tack here?”
“There’s a few pieces in the stables.”
“What about the hay barn?”
“It’s too unsteady, needs to be redone to secure it. I don’t go in there. Sure don’t want a kid to.”
Jack had forgotten about that. “I’ve got extra tack if
“Who have you been talking to that’s put all of that in your head?”
She closed her eyes. “Jack Carson, the son of the man who owned this land. He wants it back, and asked how much I would take for it.”
“What did you tell him?”
“That I hadn’t made up my mind, but I promised to give him first dibs if I decide to sell.”
“Is Mr. Carson pressuring you? I don’t like that idea at all.”
“No, no. He walked me around part of the property, told me some things I needed to know, and said if I was going to sell it, to give him first chance at it.”
“Don’t let him sway you one way or the other,” her mother said seriously.
“I won’t.” But his words had made an impact for sure. Jack had lived here all his life, and knew the land like the back of his hand. What did she know about a ranch? She shook off her doubts, realizing her mother had given the phone to Lilly.
She promised her daughter she’d be home by lunch tomorrow, and almost ended the call. But she found herself telling Lilly they would be taking a trip for a bit. Hearing how excited Lilly was, she acted impulsively. “Let me speak to Grandma again, sweetie?”
Her mother took the phone. “Yes?”
“Get things ready and we’ll figure out what we have to do to make this move work for us. If it doesn’t, I can sell the property later and with the money we can move wherever we want. Tell the landlord we’ll be out in two weeks.”
A soft sigh came down the line. “Good thinking. Let’s do it.”
“Yes,” Grace said, opening her eyes and peering at the ceiling above her. “Let’s do it.”
* * *
J ACK WAITED AS long as he could, almost a week, before heading over to the old ranch to see if Grace was there, or if Parrish knew what was going on. He found the older man on the roof of the house. He parked his Jeep by the porch and looked up as Parrish walked to the edge.
“Can I help you?” he asked.
“I just wanted to know if Grace is back yet?”
“Nope.”
“Do you have any idea when she’ll be coming?”
He shrugged, his eyes narrowed in the late afternoon sun. “Nope.”
Single answers drove him crazy, both in everyday life and in court. This man seemed to be a master of them. “She didn’t give you any indication?”
He started to say, “Nope,” again, Jack was sure of it, then seemed to reconsider. “She said she’d be back, maybe a week or two, and that I should look around for a safe horse for her little girl.”
Jack tried to keep his face neutral, but he felt his heart catch a bit. Getting a horse sounded permanent. “Any luck?” he asked.
“Yeah, there’s a little bay that’s up for sale, real nice, calm. But, then, I don’t know much about horses, so I could be wrong.”
“Is it Bingo Sage’s horse?”
“How’d you know?”
“He’s been trying to unload that horse for about a year. She’s a biter. Nice and calm and sweet, then she swings her head and tries to bite anyone she can, most likely whoever is on her back.”
Parrish rubbed his chin. “Good information.”
“I’ll tell you who to talk to if you want a good child’s horse. You know the owner of the General Store, Oscar?”
“We met a few times.”
“He’s got grandkids and they’re getting too big for their horses. In fact, he’s got a really nice little Paint mare. Tell him I sent you, and he might let you take it for a trial, to make sure the child and the horse match temperaments.”
Parrish walked to the side of the roof, beyond the porch and turned to lower himself down. He jumped the last six feet, landing solidly on the dried earth. Coming toward Jack, he said, “I’ll contact Oscar and go take a look.”
“Do you have tack here?”
“There’s a few pieces in the stables.”
“What about the hay barn?”
“It’s too unsteady, needs to be redone to secure it. I don’t go in there. Sure don’t want a kid to.”
Jack had forgotten about that. “I’ve got extra tack if
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