Chapter Sixteen
“I want you to look at this,” June said as she pointed at the computer screen.
Vaughn walked over to the desk with her wet, sun-streaked hair combed back from her face and a pair of cotton pajama pants on, along with a threadbare T-shirt. She smelled of a fresh, spicy soap as she knelt down next to June.
June pointed to the bottom of the website screen. “See that? That’s how many visitors we’ve had to the site.”
“Oh.”
“Oh? Is that all you have to say?”
“What do you want me to say?”
“Well, considering that Natalie says this is already double what we had for all of last year, I’d say you owe this a lot more than just ‘oh.’”
“Double?” She stood.
“Yes, double. And it’s only been close to two weeks since it went live.”
“Wow.”
“There we go. That’s more like it.” June clicked the mouse and closed the page. She leaned back in the office chair and crossed her arms. Darkness had settled in outside and they’d just finished supper and were getting ready to turn in for the night. June was just doing her nightly check of the website and reading over her emails. She’d gotten quite efficient now that Natalie had shown her step by step how to do it. It wasn’t as complicated as she’d worked it up to be.
“Have you given any more thought to those job applicants Natalie and I printed out for you? We need to call them in for an interview.”
Vaughn sank down onto the couch and ran her hands through her hair. “God, I don’t know.”
“Well, you better know some time soon. We need new hands around here. You’ve said so yourself.”
“I did.”
“So what’s the problem?”
Vaughn glanced up at her. “I’m worried we’re just going to end up in the same position we are now. With a couple of disrespectful, lazy ranch hands who think they’re better than the work at hand.”
“Yeah, I’m a bit worried about that too. Which is why I think we ought to interview a bunch rather than a few. We’ve got seventeen applicants. Natalie says we can even interview them over the computer if we want. Might be more efficient that way.”
“It would be,” Vaughn said. “But we need to see how they are with the horses before we hire them on.”
“Agreed.”
“But I suppose we can start by weeding them out virtually first.”
June cocked her head, confused.
Vaughn explained. “Over the computer.”
“Oh. So you want to get started, then? I can send out the emails tonight, asking for vir—”
“Virtual.”
“Virtual interviews for Wednesday and Thursday. Course it’s going to take a while, so you’ll need to let Natalie take over for you on those days. Best to show her the ropes some more tomorrow.”
Vaughn groaned. “You know how I feel about letting someone else do my job.”
“I do know, but you’re going to have to do it, Vaughn. Sooner rather than later.”
“Yeah, I know. Its just that…she’s a novice, Gram.”
“She can hold her own. She’s quite tough. Plus, she’ll have Benny and Greer and Suzanne will be here those days.”
“I’m not worried about that.”
“Then what are you worried about?”
“What if she gets hurt?”
June smiled. “Ah.”
“Why are you smiling? I’m being serious.”
“I’m smiling because you just told me all I need to know about the situation, dear child.”
“Oh, I did not.”
“You care about her.”
“Well, of course I care. I don’t want to see her get hurt.”
“You care about her more than you’re saying. Don’t even try to argue either.”
Vaughn stood from the couch. “Fine. I won’t. You crazy old woman.”
“I’m not that old, and I’m not that crazy.”
Vaughn smirked. “Whatever, Gram.”
She headed for the hallway. “Go ahead and send those emails.”
June moved the mouse and woke the computer. “I’m on it. You have a good sleep, Vaughn Marie.”
“You too, Gram.” Vaughn disappeared down the hallway and June worked on typing out and sending the emails, marking in her calendar along the way. She hoped most of the applicants would agree to the suggested times. It would make things a lot easier, but she knew it wasn’t likely. They’d probably have to run the interviews into Friday. And hopefully have the ones they didn’t weed out come for visits to the ranch on Saturday and Sunday.
As she sent the last email, a handful of applicants began to respond, confirming their interview time. She smiled, feeling good about getting things done. She recalled a time when she was the sole one responsible for things like this, working alongside her late husband, Jack. He worked the ranch and the horses and she worked behind the scenes, taking care of the rest. They’d been a good team and she missed him so. But he’d been gone ten years now. Funny how sometimes it felt like yesterday and other times it felt like an eternity.
Jack had been a good man and she knew she’d been lucky in finding such a kind, hardworking soul. He’d been good to their daughter too, and even better to Vaughn. Those two had been like two peas in a pod. Riding together, working the horses, sleeping out under the stars just for the fun of it. She remembered when Jack and her had first discovered Vaughn out sleeping with the horses. She’d said she’d been doing it every night. Sleeping with a different horse each evening, so that they all had a turn at companionship. Jack had been so moved that he’d made her a little bed with a cot, and he’d tucked her in every night next to the horse of her choosing. And she’d slept in the stables for close to a year before she’d announced that the horses all felt better and no longer needed her. That’s when Jack had offered to sleep out under the stars with her, whenever she wanted. And Vaughn had wanted to quite frequently.
June could still recall hearing her child-like laughter late at night as they slept on cots in the corral. June would sleep with her window open in late fall and early spring and listen to the two of them giggle and cut up. Until eventually silence would overcome them and they’d fall asleep and sleep peacefully until the rooster crowed. Then they’d get up and start in on their chores until breakfast, with Vaughn following Jack around like a loyal dog, eating up his every word and mimicking his every move.
Needless to say, Vaughn had been devastated at his loss. She stayed at his bedside as much as she could, knowing he’d want her to carry on with the ranch rather than worry about him. So she came and sat with him as he slept, which wasn’t a lot at first, but as the cancer progressed, it seemed like all he did was sleep, with the morphine and what not.
She was there when he passed. They all were. It was early evening, around supper time and the home nurse had warned them that it would be soon. She and her daughter Vivian and Vaughn had sat vigil and held his hands until he took his last breath.
Vaughn had stood up and thrown an angry punch. She’d hit the wall and created a small indention. It hadn’t fractured her hand or anything, but she’d been right lucky that way. It did slow her in finishing her chores, which upset her a great deal. But she kept on, not missing a second of work on the ranch. She was determined to make her grandpa proud, she was. And proud, well, June knew the man would be more than proud. It was just a shame that Jeanie had had to come into their lives and ruin everything. She’d damaged Vaughn in more ways than Vaughn would like to admit. Child still hasn’t fully recovered.
June closed down the computer and stood for a long stretch. As she walked toward the hallway for her own shower, she thought about Natalie and how lucky they were to have her. Maybe Jeanie had come into their life for a reason. Maybe she’d come and broken Vaughn’s heart, so that when Natalie came, Vaughn could see just how good she was. She hoped that was the case. Natalie would be good for Vaughn and vice versa. If only the two of them could see it.
“I reckon they will at some point,” she said to herself as she entered her room to grab her nightgown and robe to head to the shower. “I just hope they do it before it’s too late.” She didn’t know when too late would come along, but she knew it was quickly approaching.