CHAPTER 35
Riggs
This week has gone by way too fast.
The paperwork from Ash arrived Wednesday morning. As promised, I had everything signed and notarized by that afternoon and sent it back to him by overnight mail.
On Thursday, I met with Maddie’s brothers at Zane Shackler’s ranch to finalize everything. Zane and Chelsea’s property was gorgeous. If I ever get a chance to buy a place like that, I won’t hesitate.
Josh, Keegan, Zane, and I sat in the Shacklers’ living room while Chelsea served us coffee and homemade chocolate-chip cookies hot out of the oven.
I think they were the best cookies I’ve ever had.
What is it with this small town and its cooking?
It’s like everyone takes so much pride in what they make.
It’s nice, a bit odd if you think about it, but admirable.
Anyway, Chelsea was beyond excited when I told her Ash was coming later. When I promised to bring him by, Zane offered to take all of us on a horseback tour of his ranch next week.
Keegan wanted Zane to sit in on the meeting.
I wasn’t sure why, but I realized it was a good thing when I learned Zane helped with their business plan.
At first, I thought maybe the cowboy wanted in on the deal, which would have been fine, but he said he was only helping out, “to be a good neighbor.” I’ve seen a lot of that kind of thing around Sweetbriar.
People here are genuinely good that way.
Keegan’s budget showed that he would need ten thousand in cash and a twenty-thousand-dollar line of credit with a company that supplies roofing materials. In exchange, he offered me forty percent of the business.
I countered with an offer of thirty thousand in cash, a sixty-thousand-dollar line of credit that I’ll set up for them, and a newer, more reliable truck, in exchange for only ten percent of the company as long as he and Josh promised me two things.
Keegan was clearly taken aback by my generosity, offering three times what he asked for. But unsure, he looked to Zane who gave him a nod with, “I’d want to know what those two things are first.”
“Oh, yeah,” Keegan muttered before turning to me. “What two things?”
I set my coffee down and leaned back in my chair.
“First, you and your brother find your own place to live as soon as you can. Your dad’s not going to be too happy when he hears you’re going out on your own, and he might try to find a way to make your money his money.
You’ll have enough on your plate with getting a new business off the ground.
The less drama in your life the better.”
“That sounds like a reasonable request to me,” Zane said to Keegan. “After you get up and running, maybe you can find a way to help your dad if he needs it. But for now, you gotta look out for yourselves.”
That’s when Josh turned to Keegan. “We could rent that place over by Rhonda’s house.”
Keegan nodded. “It has a big yard and the shop. We could run everything out of there.” Then he turned back to me. “And the second thing?”
“I know how things go, or don’t go, according to plan.
Hell, I make a living figuring out what to do after everything goes wrong.
So, when things go south, and they will in one way or another, you let me know and I’ll get my sister involved.
Trust me, Elsie knows what she’s doing when it comes to business, and she’ll have solutions you and I never would have thought of. ”
“I think you two mud flaps just hit the lottery,” Zane told the boys.
When they asked about signing a contract, I stood and held out my hand. “A handshake works for me. I’ll have the funds to you first thing Monday morning.”
That’s when Chelsea turned to the two dumbfounded brothers with, “Don’t stand there like you just pissed on a sparkplug. What do you say?”
“Thanks,” Josh offered sincerely.
“Yeah,” Keegan added with a firm handshake. “We won’t let you down, you have my word on that.”
Zane gave me a wink and that was all I needed.
I feel good about the deal, especially with how much it will help Maddie out, and I’m still wondering about the spark plug comment. How did that fit the situation? Not sure, but I like Chelsea. Her and Zane are my kind of people for sure.
Ash got in Thursday evening. We barely said hello before he disappeared with Rhonda. She lives alone in a tiny one-bedroom house, so he’s shacked up there.
Maddie has worked every day this week. I was able to get her and Rhonda strawberry-rhubarb muffins and hot chocolates on Wednesday. I think I’ve had a dozen Prison Stripes since then. I’m pretty sure the bakery puts crack in them because I’m addicted.
I’ve tried several more things on the crazy menu at The Fool’s Grill. Everything there is good—better than good, actually. I’ve been to some pretty good restaurants in my travels, but nothing compares. It’s definitely my favorite now.
Maddie and I have spent every possible minute with each other and we’ve had some fun conversations with people around town.
The one topic that keeps coming up is Joe Emmerson’s unfortunate STD.
The dominant theory is that one of the Jam Squad ladies is seeing a new guy on the side.
No one seems to have a clue who he could be or which of the women is seeing him.
Apparently, there’s no way to pin it down because the latest rumor is they all have gonorrhea now.
In a way, that’s probably good news for young Joe.
At least he’s not the culprit, assuming the rumors are true.
Everyone keeps asking which team I’m on.
I’ve tried all four jams, and since I’ve always been a fan of cinnamon, I’m definitely on Team Sophia.
I made instant friends when I declared my allegiance.
There are a lot of us and we like to talk trash about the other teams. I’ve enjoyed the banter, probably more than I should have for a grown-ass man, but I can’t help it, it’s fun.
I’m even looking forward to Monday’s newspaper to find out how Sophia did this week.
I also keep hearing about this crazy story the paper publishes.
It’s one new chapter each week and I think the whole town is obsessed with it.
Apparently, the author is a girl who graduated with Maddie and Rhonda.
She owns the most amazing little bookstore I’ve ever seen.
It’s on Main Street not far from the Drury Lane Bakery.
People keep telling me the fantasy story is every bit as good as the Harry Potter series.
Ash and I are not the least bit ashamed to admit we’re big Potter fans.
We both loved those books so now I’m interested in learning more about this story called The Whisper Series.
Every night has been something new with Maddie.
We’ve made love, fucked each other to absolute exhaustion, explored new positions, and made use of an electric toothbrush on one occasion.
That was my idea, and it worked wonders.
Who knew? And she even fulfilled one of my fantasies that involved a bikini made of whipped cream.
I was super surprised to find a cherry where I did—that was awesome.
Last night, we started in the shower and somehow ended up in the back seat of the truck down by the river with a long night of crazy in between.
Admittedly, since it was Friday, there was some alcohol involved, as in a lot of alcohol.
Thank goodness I was sober enough to drive when I woke up this morning.
But not every moment has been rosy. Maddie broke down a few times.
Someone would say something that brought up a memory of her mom, or she thought of something that reminded her a better time with her mother and she couldn’t hold back the tears.
Each time, I held her tight. There wasn’t much else I could do.
We’ve certainly grown closer this week, and that’s made the idea of leaving so much harder. We don’t talk about it. It’s like we know it’s coming, but if we don’t bring it up, we can go on pretending we’ll go on being this happy. If only.
Right now, I’m standing next to her in my black suit, holding her hand.
The girls had yesterday off so Ash and I took them, along with Josh and Keegan, shopping in Portland.
Elsie overnighted our bespoke suits, so we were good, but we needed to get the boys their own suits.
While we were taking care of that, Rhonda used Ash’s credit card to get black dresses for her and Maddie.
There must be four hundred people here to pay their respects.
From everything I’ve gathered, Maddie’s mom was a woman a lot of people leaned on when times were tough.
She was a cowgirl through and through. She was also kind.
Zane and Chelsea told me a lot about her after my meeting with Josh and Keegan.
I kept thinking she sounded an awful lot like Elsie.
It’s a sad occasion that should be all about celebrating her mom’s life, but Maddie keeps searching the crowd trying to spot her dad.
The closed casket is a few feet away and her dad should be the one standing here next to his daughter and her brothers, not me.
I should be in the next row back with Ash and Rhonda.
I’m not her family, but I’m also not going to let her go through this alone.
I haven’t met the man yet, but I’m having dark thoughts about him for making this even harder for the woman I’m falling for. He doesn’t know it yet, but the last place he wants to be is on my bad side.