pretty sure this could have waited.”
“Yes, sir, perhaps. But I have money in that bank.” Not enough to worry about, Palmer wanted to tell him. No one would get up in arms over twelve dollars and four cents. “I’m wondering what you’re going to do about that.”
“About your money? Nothing. Why should I?” Hardgrave sputtered. “Listen, in a few days the bank will reopen and when it does, things will be in order. Until then, you can just wait like everyone else is.”
If he said anything else, Palmer didn’t care. Closing the call, he looked at Jace as he described what was a state of the art system, from the sound of it. When he looked at him, Palmer knew that he’d made the right decision about Jace Douglas.
“I need you to come and work for me.” Jace was already shaking his head. “Now hear me out before you just say no. It’s not an office job, but something more of an investment for both of us.”
“Palmer, I’m not…I don’t have a college education. Hell, I barely made it through high school because I was screwing around too much. Aunt Georgie put the fear of her in me and I straightened up just in time. I can fix about anything, given enough time and the instructions. I’m not what you might call a people person, preferring to be alone rather than in a crowd. And while I’m pretty sure that I’m falling in love with your daughter, she’s still way out of my league when it comes to being on the social ladder.” Jace nodded to the waitress, then looked at him. “Sally is more what I thought I’d have in a mate. Not Holly. She’s just…she’s perfect, and I’m far from it.”
“Are you finished?” Jace nodded and pushed his empty plate back. “I need a partner that knows how to fix things, given enough time and instructions. I need a man that can work alone and be social when the time calls for it. A man that I know loves my only child and will care for her in a way that I have.” Palmer laid an envelope on the table between them. “In there is my own life story. How I did a stint in jail for being in a bank robbery unknowingly. There is also my transcript from school. Yes, I went to college, but it was a blur of drinking and womanizing more than it was studying and tests. Milly, Holly’s mom, took me in her heart and made me want to be a better man. No, that’s not right; she made me want to be a perfect man. I wasn’t, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. You remind me of myself when I was your age.”
“Jace, there is everything you need to do; what we need for you to do.” Ed pushed the file at him before continuing. “Credit cards, keys to a new truck, money in an account that you and Holly will share. The deed to the ranch as well as enough capital to get things up and running. And enough for you to get your family farm up and running in the black as well.”
Jace didn’t touch it, but looked at it hard before looking at him. Palmer could see that he wanted it badly, but he didn’t touch it. Jace was a better man than he’d thought.
“I can’t do this. As much as I want to—because you cannot believe the amount of things that need repaired and replaced on both ranches—I just can’t do this without knowing what it’s going to cost me.” He looked at him then. “I thought at first you were trying to buy me off, to keep me from Holly, but you said an account we’d share. Then I’m trying to think what sort of evil thing you’d want me to—”
“I’d never do that to you, Jace. Never.” He said that he’d figured that out too. “Then what is it that’s stopping you? Is it the job? I assure you, it’s nothing you can’t handle.”
“You’d be in charge of all the ranches in the area.” They both looked at Ed as he explained to Jace what the job was. “I’m setting up a group of farmers and ranchers that will basically be able to organize and help other ranchers when things are bad. Like last month when you and your brothers went to the
“Yes, sir, perhaps. But I have money in that bank.” Not enough to worry about, Palmer wanted to tell him. No one would get up in arms over twelve dollars and four cents. “I’m wondering what you’re going to do about that.”
“About your money? Nothing. Why should I?” Hardgrave sputtered. “Listen, in a few days the bank will reopen and when it does, things will be in order. Until then, you can just wait like everyone else is.”
If he said anything else, Palmer didn’t care. Closing the call, he looked at Jace as he described what was a state of the art system, from the sound of it. When he looked at him, Palmer knew that he’d made the right decision about Jace Douglas.
“I need you to come and work for me.” Jace was already shaking his head. “Now hear me out before you just say no. It’s not an office job, but something more of an investment for both of us.”
“Palmer, I’m not…I don’t have a college education. Hell, I barely made it through high school because I was screwing around too much. Aunt Georgie put the fear of her in me and I straightened up just in time. I can fix about anything, given enough time and the instructions. I’m not what you might call a people person, preferring to be alone rather than in a crowd. And while I’m pretty sure that I’m falling in love with your daughter, she’s still way out of my league when it comes to being on the social ladder.” Jace nodded to the waitress, then looked at him. “Sally is more what I thought I’d have in a mate. Not Holly. She’s just…she’s perfect, and I’m far from it.”
“Are you finished?” Jace nodded and pushed his empty plate back. “I need a partner that knows how to fix things, given enough time and instructions. I need a man that can work alone and be social when the time calls for it. A man that I know loves my only child and will care for her in a way that I have.” Palmer laid an envelope on the table between them. “In there is my own life story. How I did a stint in jail for being in a bank robbery unknowingly. There is also my transcript from school. Yes, I went to college, but it was a blur of drinking and womanizing more than it was studying and tests. Milly, Holly’s mom, took me in her heart and made me want to be a better man. No, that’s not right; she made me want to be a perfect man. I wasn’t, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. You remind me of myself when I was your age.”
“Jace, there is everything you need to do; what we need for you to do.” Ed pushed the file at him before continuing. “Credit cards, keys to a new truck, money in an account that you and Holly will share. The deed to the ranch as well as enough capital to get things up and running. And enough for you to get your family farm up and running in the black as well.”
Jace didn’t touch it, but looked at it hard before looking at him. Palmer could see that he wanted it badly, but he didn’t touch it. Jace was a better man than he’d thought.
“I can’t do this. As much as I want to—because you cannot believe the amount of things that need repaired and replaced on both ranches—I just can’t do this without knowing what it’s going to cost me.” He looked at him then. “I thought at first you were trying to buy me off, to keep me from Holly, but you said an account we’d share. Then I’m trying to think what sort of evil thing you’d want me to—”
“I’d never do that to you, Jace. Never.” He said that he’d figured that out too. “Then what is it that’s stopping you? Is it the job? I assure you, it’s nothing you can’t handle.”
“You’d be in charge of all the ranches in the area.” They both looked at Ed as he explained to Jace what the job was. “I’m setting up a group of farmers and ranchers that will basically be able to organize and help other ranchers when things are bad. Like last month when you and your brothers went to the
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