4. Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Luke
G reen Acres Ranch is impressive. I liked the way it looked on paper and the website, but now I’m here, checking out the stableyard, the paddocks, and the tack room, the prospect of running this place is daunting but, equally, energizing. The property, of course, is not solely mine. It belongs to Maddox Holdings, our family’s company, but this division is effectively mine to manage. I have been entrusted to turn Green Acres into a profitable business to add to our already extensive portfolio of horse breeding ranches and farms, mostly located in Texas.
The responsibility weighs heavy on my shoulders. I have a lot to prove. And a lot to live up to. But I’ve been working with my dad and my brother, Darryl, and I feel confident I can apply what I’ve learned from them, over the years, right here. And I don’t feel as if I’m doing this on my own. My dad and Darryl are only a phone call away, but I’m in charge. I’m the boss here. It’s time for me to step up. And I’m ready.
After signing the legal papers, I took over ownership and moved in a few weeks back. I already feel at home in the no-nonsense white weatherboard farmhouse.
The stable staff are competent and helpful. All of them wanted to stay on, which is great, as I don’t need to advertise for new employees. Ray, the stable manager, Amy, Georgia, and Saskia seem happy with me as their new boss.
I haven’t made any major changes yet. I want to observe the systems to see what’s working before I step in with my ideas. It’s important to develop trust with people you work with, to get the best from them. I’m taking my time getting to know the staff. They need time to get to know me too. I think I’m fair and approachable although, it’s true, I prefer animals to humans.
Horses are my passion. My dad said I could ride before I could walk. He gave me my first pony, Spider, when I was four. I have a photo of me riding him bareback. I must have been eight years old when the picture was taken. No reins. I’m hanging onto Spider’s mane with one hand. The other hand waves my hat in the air, and I’m yahooing at the top of my lungs. I remember the feeling. It was caught when the photo was snapped. Absolute joy. And I still get that same buzz of being on horseback, even now.
Although my buddy, Spider, is long gone, I still love horseback riding. Just being around horses makes me happy. So, I feel blessed to be born into a horse-loving family and blessed to be living my dream of running an American Quarter Horse stud farm.
I’ve never had a regular job and never wanted one. I don’t feel like I’m missing out. Although days are long, and work is physically hard, I never tire of being on a ranch. There’s always something that needs attending to, fixing, or sorting out. I can’t imagine anything else I’d rather be doing. I was born for this life. And now I have a ranch of my own, I couldn’t be happier.
I lean on the fence behind the homely wooden house, that’s now my home, and look back up the meadow to the shadows of the trees beyond. Horses graze the lush grass lazily in the sunshine. Their tails swishing happily.
Alright, I could be happier. Part of the reason I put my hand up for the Green Acres Ranch project was for a fresh start after my fiancée, Courtney, called it quits. She decided that she’d changed her mind, or her heart, about me and our future together.
We were childhood sweethearts, and I always thought that we’d walk down the aisle someday and run a farm and have about ten kids. But a little while ago, I’m not sure when exactly, she started acting strange. Distant. I didn’t really pay much attention because I thought she needed space. So, I left her alone.
Maybe I shouldn’t have left her alone. Maybe I should have paid her more attention and… Anyway, one day I picked her up to go out for our date night. We sat side by side in the truck. I drove to our favorite bar and tried to be upbeat, talking about this and that. She couldn’t look at me and when I asked her what was on her mind, she started to cry and said she didn’t want to marry me anymore. I pulled over because it felt like she’d hit me in the face. The world spun around, and I was dizzy. I felt nauseous. My whole future, everything I thought was rock solid - for definite, carved in stone - just crumbled away in a nano-second.
When I eventually opened my mouth and told her what she meant to me and how we were going to be so very happy together, she shook her head and said she was sorry. She opened the cab door and got out. She said she was leaving for Los Angeles in the morning and there was nothing I could do or say to change her mind.
I was numb. For a long time. It was hard to be in a place that Courtney and I had shared since we were kids. To be there without her, surrounded by painful reminders, well, it took its toll. I didn’t want to go out. I didn’t want to see anyone. I felt guilty for not being enough for her. I felt as if I’d let her down. Her leaving me felt as if it was all my fault, no matter what my friends said. I was not in a good place. Thank goodness for family. And horses.
Ray coughs politely at my shoulder to get my attention. I turn slightly to hear what he has to say. I like my stable manager. He’s a no-nonsense kind of guy. Quietly spoken. Good with horses.
“There’s a young lady just arrived.” Ray glances in the direction of the house. “Says she’s your niece.”
“Oh, man. She’s early,” I say, perplexed, as I stride down the track to the farmhouse, followed by Ray.
Maisy is waiting on the front porch. “Hey, Uncle Luke! How-the-devil are you?”
“Maisy. You should have called.” I climb the steps. “I was planning to come get you from the airport. Tomorrow.”
“I know. But sometimes I just want to go it alone.” Maisy hugs me warmly. “Make my own way, you know.” She steps back and looks up at me and grins. “Surprise you. Are you surprised?”
“Yes.” But not in a good way.
“So, I got an early flight, caught a bus from Richmond to Oak River, then hitchhiked most of the way out here, and walked the rest.” Maisy glows with accomplishment. “It was a mission, but here I am.” She sings, ‘I am’ musically, with three notes, like a radio jingle.
“Yes. Here you are.” Maisy’s arrival has thrown me.
“It pays to travel light.” She pats her small compact backpack that leans against the porch railing, beams her high-wattage smile at me, and then directs it at Ray. “And who’s this handsome fella? Aren’t you going to introduce me, Luke?”
Ray tips his hat and smiles shyly.
“Maisy, this is Ray. He’s my right-hand man around here. Ray, this is Maisy, my niece. She’s going to be helping out with digital something-or-other that I don’t understand.”
“Nice to meet you, Miss Maisy,” Ray extends his hand in greeting.
“Ha. You can drop the ‘Miss’. I’m just Maisy.” She shakes Ray’s hand energetically up and down. “And I’m here to put Green Acres on the map.” Maisy releases Ray’s hand and hoists herself up to perch on the porch rail. “Luke. I have a lot of ideas for this place that could turn up revenue tenfold.”
“Okay.” I fold my arms. “How about you unpack first?”
Ray says something about checking in on Treasure, the new mare at Green Acres. She’s a beauty and hopefully pregnant. “I hope you have a pleasant stay, Maisy.” He tips his hat and turns to leave.
“Ray.” I call after him. “Perhaps you could take Maisy for a ride and show her around, if that’s alright with you?”
“I’d be happy to.” Ray tips his hat again before striding away to the stables.
Maisy watches him go then says, “Ray. He seems like a nice man.”
“Yes. I believe he is. Now, I’ll show you to your room. It’s pretty basic but it has what you need.” I move to pick up Maisy’s backpack, but she swats me away and heaves it onto one shoulder. Then she follows me into the house. “Just tidy up after yourself, okay?” The flyscreen slaps shut behind us. I lead my niece up the stairs and show her into the room at the back overlooking the horses in the meadow and the hills beyond.
“This place is wonderful, Luke. Grandpa said I’d love it up here. And he’s right.” Maisy dumps her pack on the pale pink paisley bedcover.
“But you know that this is just temporary, right?”
“Duh. I have to get back to Austin to hand in my final project, so don’t worry, Uncle Luke. I’ll be gone before you know it.” She sits on the bed beside her pack, bounces playfully a couple of times, and shoots me a goofy grin.
“Right. Listen.” My voice is level but stern. “My dad believes in you, so I do too.”
“Sounds like it from the welcome I’m getting.” Maisy huffs and looks out of the window.
I ignore her sarcasm. “Take your time. Unpack. Settle in. Then come and find me at the stables, okay?”
“Sure.” Maisy twists her nose to one side as if assessing her options. I turn around to leave and I’m about to pull the door shut behind me when Maisy says, “I have some great ideas. I can really help out here.” I pause to listen in the doorway. “Luke.”
“Yep.”
“I’ve changed.”
“Good.”
In the stableyard, Ray is with Deedee, our prize stallion at the ranch. He is a legend. His official stable name is Delaware Delmont Dandy, but he’s affectionately known as Deedee. He’s getting on a bit in years, but he’s still at the top in horse breeding circles. Genes don’t get old. We’ve stockpiled Deedee’s little necessities, packaged up on ice, for the right mare at the right price. He has offspring in every continent, from Tokyo to Dubai; Melbourne to Joburg; Mumbai to Versailles. Deedee’s colts and fillies are global and I’m proud about that. And I’m proud to be the engineer of horse love. Although love doesn’t have anything to do with it.
As I stroke Deedee’s powerful neck, I can’t help my mind from wandering. Maybe it’s being away from the family homestead, but I keep thinking about the pretty woman at the hotel. I shake the thought away. I’ve got too much going on here for any romantic notions.
But it would be nice to see her again, socially. Casually. I could stop by when I’m next in town. We could have coffee, maybe dinner. Nothing serious. Just friends. I could bring her out here. Maybe she likes horses. We could ride up to the lookout at sunset, maybe. That would be nice.
I walk out of the bright sunshine into the dim stable. Treasure stands patiently as Ray pats her flank. “She’s in foal alright, boss.”
“Great news,” I say relieved, excited, but also a little worried, as if I’m about to be a parent. “I’ll call the vet to come and give her a once over.”