Chapter 9 #2
“Yes, the only thing that I ask is that if you use anything, you either refill it with the gas,” he paused to point to the gas cans over in the corner.
“Or, if we’re running low, then take a couple of cans and fill them.
We haven’t gotten it set up yet, but Cole had mentioned something about putting a tank in that we can just drive up and fill the equipment.
Erin has something like that over at Erin’s Way.
I know there’s a section for gas, and a section for diesel.
You can fill the can up over there, you’ll just have to fill out the paperwork so they can account for where the gas is going, and how much you take. ”
“What a wonderful setup.” Lois looked around and grinned when she spotted a rototiller. “Do you mind?”
“Don’t hit me, but do you know what you’re doing?”
“I do, I ran a gardening center back home. I know what all this equipment is for.” She looked at him with a grin. “I even have the same stuff over at my place. I thought I’d have to haul it over here or over to Broken in the spring.”
“Nope, I’m in charge of the gardens. If you know how to operate that tractor with the plow and disc, how about you and me get the ground ready over at Broken after we plant carrots.”
“That sounds wonderful.” Lois nodded and with Ducky’s help, his help was to stand out of the way, Lois checked the machine out and started it right up.
She walked it over to the garden and laughed as she worked the soil.
It had been a couple of years since she’d done something like this, and she loved it!
She was so into her work, that she didn’t see Cole step up to Ducky and watch her for several minutes.
“Did you create a monster?” Cole asked with a small smile.
The joy he saw on Lois’ face made his heart beat faster and for the first time in a long, long time, he felt something below his belt that he couldn’t wait to explore, but not until later.
Right now, as much as he enjoyed looking at Lois, he had his own work to do.
He patted Ducky on the shoulder and said firmly, “Keep an eye on my girl.”
“I will,” Ducky smiled back at him with a nod. When Cole left, he settled into a chair that had been brought out to him weeks ago and watched as Lois worked. When she was done, she joined him and he invited her inside for something cold to drink.
“I’m not making excuses, but my house has seen better days.
The boys, and I’m talking about Cole and Clem, are slowly fixing it up.
After Sally passed, I gave up on life for a long time.
” As he got their drinks, he told her about how Erin had come into possession of his ranch, and what he had done, and how he had started hanging out with the men and women from The Broken Ranch.
“Wow, that’s a lot to take in, and your family has no problem with it?”
“No, see, my own children are gone, along with my wife. I only have three grandchildren and last I heard from them, they wanted to work on their careers before they settled down. Don’t ask me what they do, because I couldn’t tell you.
All I know is that it is what they call high-powered and they are always at the office.
One lives in New York City, I think he does finance, I’m not sure.
When they come to visit, I always hear Wall Street being talked about. ”
“Okay, wow. Who else?”
“That’s my oldest grandson. My middle grandchild is also a man, and he’s based out of Miami, and I believe he’s into real estate.
He’s constantly talking to his cousin from New York about the market.
Then there’s my granddaughter. She lives out in Los Angeles, and I have no idea what she does.
All she says is that she works with celebrities. I have no idea in what capacity.”
“Ah, so it could be anything from an agent, or personal assistant, to a make-up artist, or hairdresser.”
“Correct, or it could even be a dog walker. I don’t know.
I know they’re not being mean by not discussing their lives with me, because at the time of Sally’s death, I was so out of it, that I wouldn’t have been able to comprehend anything.
It took a few years, but ever since Erin was able to save my ranch, and I went over to stay with Pru and Ryan for a few weeks, it’s like my brain cleared. ”
Lois sipped her lemonade and asked with a smile, as she listened to how he had met both Pru and Ryan. “Do you think by going to live with them for a few weeks while Ryan did what he did, gave you a new lease on life?”
Ducky cocked his head to the side and studied her.
“Yeah, I think that might be it. When I first went over there, I was using a walker, and I could barely straighten up. After being there, and finally feeling useful again, I was able to ditch the walker, and though I don’t think I need it, Pru made me promise I would use the cane.
There’s something about her that reminds me of my Sally, that I couldn’t say no.
” He picked up the cane and smiled at it as he looked at Lois.
“I’m not being obtuse, but which one is Pru again?”
“She’s engaged to Ryan, the guy with the eye patch, and she’s the woman with TBI.”
“Ah, I know now, the redhead? And the one that doesn’t like peas.”
“Yes.” They sat there and drank their lemonade, and Ducky looked at her with a hopeful expression. “What’s next?”
“I’ll go out and put the rototiller away, fill it with gas, and then I need to run over to my house for the seeds. I didn’t know what to expect, so I didn’t bring them with me.”
“Can I ride along with you? I’ve heard Cole talk about it, and I want to see it all for myself. But, since I don’t drive, I didn’t want to intrude on anyone to ask them to bring me over.”
“Yes, we can even stop by and fill up any gas cans that need it.”
Ducky laughed and they finished up their drink, and hurried back outside.
Lois had never had so much fun with a person older than her before.
She knew there wasn’t anything romantic between them, but she felt Ducky was becoming a friend to her.
An hour later, she turned her vehicle off and watched Ducky’s expression as he looked around.
“Wow, I haven’t been over here in decades. Not that it had ever been any of my business, but I never suspected something like these greenhouses back here.”
Lois looked at the older gentleman, and because of his expression, and the tone of his voice, she only nodded at his comment.
She felt there was a story there, but didn’t think it was her right to demand answers.
She figured if he wanted to reveal his secrets, then that was totally up to him.
They exited the vehicle together and Lois started at the beginning to show him what she had done since she’d moved in almost four months prior, explaining how bad it was before she started cleaning up the area.
Three hours later, they sat in her kitchen drinking a glass of cold iced tea and Ducky shook his head at her.
“Wow, you’ve done a lot.”
“Thank you, it felt good working again.”
“How long were you retired?”
“Two years. I threw myself into my business when my husband passed. I know that was my saving grace, and by the time I came out of my fog, five years had passed. I worked for another two or three years and decided to retire.” She looked at the older man and shook her head as she chuckled. “Can I tell you a secret?”
“Sure.”
“It’s not really a secret, but I only came out here this past spring with Lorissa because I was bored.
No offense to you, or Erin, or anyone else that works for her, but I’m not really into horses.
” She looked at him with a funny look when he started to laugh.
It took at least five minutes to get himself under control.
“It’s not a secret, but I must confess to you.”
“What?”
“I was a chicken farmer. That’s what my ranch was, we raised chickens. Those stables you see there now have recently been, and are still being converted into the horse barns.”
“No.” Lois looked at him in shock, then she burst out laughing.
“I never would have expected it. It wasn’t until the last day we were here that Erin brought us over here and showed us not only the farrier’s barn, but also the greenhouses.
She asked me if I would plant the community garden, then she asked me about putting in more carrots.
I took that as a challenge. She also asked if I would get with you and together we could go over the garden and see what supplies there are for canning.
I would have been over earlier, but I wanted to make sure everything was ready here first.”
“I understand, and I would love to help you. As I said earlier, I had just about given up on life, but once I went to stay with Pru and Ryan, I got a new lease on life. Now, both Cole and Clem live with me, they look out for me, and I feel like I’m getting younger.”
Lois smiled, then laughed, “We’ll have to find you a woman.”
“I’m not that young.”
Lois only shrugged and laughed as she gathered up their glasses, and led him into her spare room that she had set up with all her seeds and starting plants.
She looked at him as they entered. “I have some herbs starting from seed under the grow lights. I’ll move them to a section of the greenhouse for the winter.
Don’t worry, they won’t freeze, I’ll make sure of that.
Then I have my seeds.” She went to the other side of the room and withdrew a small box from several stacks, and looked at him with a grin.
“I would purchase them at the end of the growing season when they went on sale. Each one of these boxes is one letter of the alphabet.” She brought the box over to him, opened it, and showed him the sections she’d made with the different names of the ‘c’ vegetables, withdrawing several different varieties of carrots.
“Damn, I thought a carrot was a carrot, I didn’t think there were so many different kinds.”
“Yeah, I haven’t had the colored ones yet, but I imagine they might be better for cooking, or roasting than for the horses. I’ll have to grow a few first and test them out. I don’t know whether they’d be too sweet or not.”
Ducky shrugged. “If they’re sweeter, we could always use them as a special treat.”
“I can see that happening.” She withdrew at least ten packages of regular carrots and looked at him. “Do you think these will do for now?”
“I think so. Will you be spreading them thin as you drop the seeds?”
“Yes, and I don’t know if you get to town much, but I’d like to put it out there that if anyone goes, if they see any packages of vegetable seeds to pick them up. I don’t care what kind, type, or who sells them.”
“I can get the word out.”
“Thank you. Now, we best get back over to your place so we can get these in the ground. How close is the water supply to the garden we just worked.”
“Close.” Ducky laughed as they climbed in her vehicle and drove back to his house. They spent the rest of the afternoon planting the carrots, then watering them and Lois looked up to the sky and said a silent prayer that they took and she could get a good crop of carrots before the first snow fall.