Duane’s Determination (Broken Wheel Ranch #9)

Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

“Erin?” Julie said as she walked into the office and waited until the other woman lifted her head to acknowledge her. “I hope you don’t mind, but I brought Duane with me this morning.”

“Not at all, where is he?”

“Here,” Duane said as he walked in and shook her hand. “If you were serious about hiring me, then I’m here to learn what I have to do. I’ll be honest, Erin, when I arrived I had no clue what I was going to do. I have three months to decide if I’m going to retire or finish out my career behind a desk.” He grinned at her scowl.

“Yuck. I know I’m behind this desk a lot, but I also like the fact that I can get up anytime and go out to see any part of my operation whenever I want.”

“Yeah, I don’t want to be chained to the desk and have to ask permission to go out in the field. Can you tell me what I’m going to be doing?”

They both looked up at the commotion at the door and Clark Riceman entered. “Manchester,” he said as he walked forward with his hand extended. “What brings you here? Is there a problem?”

“No,” Erin said before Duane could answer. “Thanks for coming, Clark. You know me, I don’t beat around the bush, so I’ll get right to it. You also know that when I get a thought or idea, I go with it.”

“Yes, if you didn’t we wouldn’t be as big as we are now. I will never doubt any of your instincts, Rin.”

“Thanks, now about a week ago, I had a thought. And I’m not picking on anyone here, but it was a thought that flew in then right out of my head. I didn’t even have time to process it.”

“Sort of like Pru?” Duane asked quietly.

“Yes, exactly. However, when I saw you come in yesterday, the thought came back, that’s why I said what I did.”

“And that’s why I’m sitting here now.”

“Correct.”

“What thought?” Clark asked in confusion as he took a sip from the coffee cup he’d filled in his sister’s kitchen. “What are we talking about?”

“Because the thought came and went, I didn’t have a chance to discuss things with you.” Erin looked at Duane. “Clark and I own everything fifty-fifty now. We finally got the paperwork done.”

“I’m the silent partner,” Clark said quickly. “Erin has the ideas and I help carry them out. This arrangement works for us.”

“Okay.” Duane didn’t know what else to say so he remained silent.

“Clark, the map?” Erin pointed and started talking to the both of them. “Clark, I thought that we might need security around here. Now that Royal Pain-in-my-Ass, the Firths, and Miller are sitting in jail, I don’t see any immediate threats.”

“But it’s better to err on the side of caution because of what’s happening and will eventually be Broken Two,” Clark said it as a statement, not a question.

“Correct, my fleeting thought was security, that was it, then I saw Duane yesterday, and it clicked. What would it take for me to recruit Duane to come work for us, and that’s what this meeting is about.” She pointed to the map on the far wall, and as Clark walked over to it, she told Duane to turn and look.

“Okay, as you can see, that is the entire state of Colorado.”

“Yes, I see that.” Duane looked confused, but withheld his questions.

“Clark,” Erin said, and a lightly colored film was dropped. “That is Riceman Property in its entirety. Clark,” Erin said, and a different colored film was dropped. “That is Erin’s Way, the original property started by our several removed great-grandmothers, this was back in the eighteen thirties.” Erin grinned as Duane jerked to look at her.

“Yes, our grandmother started this ranch after her husband left her stranded. The next portion is the Broken Wheel Ranch.” Erin nodded and another colored film was dropped. “On the other side of the barn is where Broken Two will be. That’s the construction project Clark is in charge of. When it is complete, there will be two office buildings that outside doctors can have their practice at. I’ve already lined up a therapist, they’re going through some extra schooling as we speak, however, they already have their PhD. They are just waiting for the buildings to be built before they can start.”

“Will you need me to run background checks on them?”

“No, Jake already did, and it’s Julie’s sister, Sara, that will be working as the therapist. When you start, I’ll give you access to the files. However, I have my eye on a physical therapist, and you will have to do a background check on him. It’s not that I don’t believe Ryan, but I want to be sure. If you have any doubts, you can check with Jake over at Brotherhood Protectors.”

“He’s the one who told me to talk to you about getting a job here. I’ll be honest, I don’t know how to ride a horse, but I would love to learn.”

“We can have the women over at Broken help you.” Erin agreed then nodded to Clark. The next colored film was dropped over the others. Duane started seeing a pattern of how the ranch was divided up, he liked it, it made it more distinctive in his mind to see it color coded like it was.

“What’s that?”

“That’s Ducky’s place where Naomi’s ranch from Wyoming ended up.”

“Where we holed up when we were waiting to take out Royal?”

“Yes, as you can see, it borders Riceman Property. Currently, Ducky, Cole Mercury, and Patrick Clemmons live there. However, Ann Oakley, works there. Naomi goes over when she can, but I’m going to need to hire more people to work there.”

“How many?”

“I’m thinking possibly fifteen to twenty. So far, Erin’s Way, and The Broken Wheel have enough people to work there. However, New Double does not. They have four workers taking care of almost thirty horses.”

“Got it, and you want me to do background checks on them?”

“Yes, I’m also going to want you to either ride around on a horse, or one of our ATVs, or Gators to monitor the property. I’m talking all that.” She pointed to the map Clark stood beside and as he walked away, another colored film slowly floated down to rest in place.

“What the hell is this?” Clark asked in shock. He stood back and scowled at the map, then looked over his shoulder at his sister. Seeing her look, he whipped around and demanded. “What did you do?”

“Anyone need coffee?” Julie asked as she headed to the door.

“Coward,” Erin laughed after her.

“You know it,” she laughed as she left, but she only came back with the coffee carafe to fill the cups, then stood there and watched brother and sister. Her money was on Erin. Duane stood and came to stand by her, holding his cup.

“What’s going on?”

“Watch,” Julie leaned over, and whispered, “Erin did something and you’re about to see how she works.

“Rin? What is this?” Clark asked as he pointed to the new film on the map.

Erin sighed as she sipped her coffee and leaned back in her chair. “Might as well have a seat.” As Clark took a seat, Erin withdrew a file folder at least an inch thick from her bottom drawer and set it on the desk in front of Clark. “A little light reading for you.” Erin laughed, then sighed heavily. “Nothing is written in stone yet. We have twenty-eight days to decide.”

“Decide what?”

“Do you remember Old Man Atherton?”

“Yes, he lived across the road. Down a ways, but his land is directly across the road from here.”

“Correct. I’ll try to be as brief as possible. I’m stating facts here.”

“Okay, go on.”

“While you were serving your country, Mrs. Atherton passed, this was about a year after we lost Mom and Dad.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah, anyway, over the years, Old Man Atherton’s daughter passed away from cancer. Almost two years ago, he passed away. I believe, but don’t quote me on it, but I believe he was in his nineties. I went to the funeral, and I didn’t think anything of it. About three months later, Shelly Atherton came knocking on my door.”

“About?”

“She told me what her grandfather’s will said and she was pissed, she came to ask me if I could help her, that’s when I got our lawyers involved, and we come up with that.” She pointed to the file on the desk like a snake about to strike.

“Nutshell it for me, please.”

“Old Man Atherton knew his daughter hated the ranch, that’s why she left at age eighteen and never returned. He stated in his will, if his grandchildren, Shelly, Michael, and Benji wanted any inheritance from him, then they had to live on and work the ranch for two years after his death. If they refused, then the entire property would be given, free of charge mind you, to a developer.”

“Oh, fuck no,” Clark said as he jumped to his feet, twirled around, and turned to glare at his sister. “Tell me we’re not going to have a housing development across the street.”

“We are not, not if you approve of what I did and am about to do.”

“What’s that?”

“As I said, Shelly came to me and told me what her grandfather’s will said. We talked it over, and because she didn’t want to lose any money, she agreed to the terms, but she wanted to know if I would be interested in buying her out once the two years were up. I told her I’d look into it, and I did. She came to see me when I got back from Arizona and reminded me when the terms of the will would end. I went to my lawyer and we drew up that contract. If you agree, in a little under thirty days, we can own that spread. Everything, house, animals, equipment, barns. As it stands we would have it all. Shelly said we could even have the furnishings. It’s all in the contract.” She pointed to the file on the desk.

“Wait, what about Michael and Benji? Don’t they have a say in it? Why is Shelly making all the decision.” Clark scowled at his sister’s expression of shock. “What?”

“You didn’t know?”

“Know what?”

“Michael and Benji were in different branches of the military.”

“Fuck me, they didn’t return hearty and whole, did they?”

“No. Michael died three months after the reading of the will, and Benji a year later.”

“Shit, no wonder Shelly wants out. She probably doesn’t want a reminder of anything.”

“That’s what she says, and I think it would be a great business opportunity to purchase the property.” She flipped open the file and pointed to the top page. “That’s the current market value of it.”

“Can we afford it?” Clark asked, then looked over when Julie gave a snort. He turned back and frowned when Erin held out a stack of checks.

“These came in the mail just this week.” Erin looked over at Duane. “I don’t normally tell outsiders my business, but I think one of your jobs will be to go to the bank once a week. Take a look why.” She nodded to Clark, and Duane walked over and whistled.

“Holy shit, not that it’s any of my business, but what the hell is this from?”

Clark and Erin looked at each other and grinned. Erin only said, “Clark, I think you should take Duane to the sex barn, and then around the rest of the ranch.”

“Okay, but I only have one question.”

“What’s that?”

“How much land comes with Atherton’s place?”

“Without the official survey, it’s five thousand acres.”

“Okay,” Clark said as he nodded and turned to study the map on the wall. He turned back around and picked up the file folder. “Give me a couple of days to go through this?”

“Yes, and if you want, we can go over and talk to Shelly.”

“I’d like that.” He nodded and with the file in his hand he turned to Duane with a grin. “And just like that, the Ricemans expanded their ranch. I’m going to put it out there, so that I agree with Erin, I would prefer that you take the checks to the bank. I’m sure once you go with her the first time it should be okay. Also, if you don’t know this already, it is legal to open carry in the state of Colorado, so you shouldn’t have any problem with carrying that gun you have on your hip. I only have one recommendation.”

“What’s that?”

“Ditch the dress slacks, and cop shoes. If you’re going to be living and working here, you’re going to want sturdy jeans, and good work boots or cowboy boots. The best place to get them is over in Fool’s Gold at the feed store.” He shrugged at Duane’s shocked expression, then broke out in a grin. “Now, let me take you to the sex barn.”

“Excuse me?” Duane asked in shock and looked around wildly, when no one said anything, but all wore gigantic grins, he only shook his head wondering what he would encounter. He had to hurry after Clark as he left the office and started explaining about the on-line business his sister had started, and why. He also said that was where all the checks he had seen came from.

“Is horse sperm that expensive?”

“If you have the right horse flesh donating it, yes. I’ll take you over to show you the outside of the storage building. I can’t show you the inside because I don’t have access to it. The only people that do are Tom Stolls, our vet, and Erin. It’s like some fancy military shit where they need their thumb print showing at the same time before the outside door will open.”

“Did Jake do a background check on Stolls?”

“Not that I’m aware of, only because he took over his veterinarian business from his grandfather. I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt to run one, but I don’t think much will come back to raise any red flags.”

“Okay, I’ll look into it.” Duane nodded as he was introduced to what was referred to as the sex barn. When he left, he could only shake his head and chuckle.