Chapter 4
Tony pulled into the driveway beneath the sign that announced he had reached Erin’s Way and slowed down further when he reached the ninety-degree angle.
When he found a parking lot, he parked, shut off the truck, and sat there for a few minutes.
He saw the snow on the ground, but realized he hadn’t driven through any on his way, so he lucked out there.
Slowly, because he was stiff and sore, he climbed out of the cab of the rental truck.
It took several minutes for his legs to get solid beneath him, and when he turned, he started at a man and woman standing there.
“Help you?” the woman asked.
“I’m here to see Erin Riceman.”
“I’m her, who are you?”
He smiled because he liked how blunt she was. “Anthony Jacobs.”
“Oh, hey, we’ve been expecting you. This is Reid Garret, my boyfriend.” The men shook hands, and Tony didn’t react when Erin used her left hand to shake his. They looked up when three other men joined them from a barn behind them, and introductions were made.
“Jacobs?” one of the men asked with a fierce scowl etched on his face.
“Yes, do I know you?”
“No, but I’m Lloyd. Lloyd Berry.”
“Oh, hey, how are you?”
“Good, no offense, but you look like shit.” His statement caused Tony to laugh and the others shake their heads at his bluntness. Lloyd only shrugged and said he was honest.
“Thank you, I feel like I resemble that remark. I’m stiff and sore. I didn’t want to take any of my pain medication on the drive, so I’ve been toughing it out.”
“How’s that working for you?” Erin asked as they turned and headed toward the house. Reid stopped her, gave her a quick kiss, and said something about going to play with Katie. Tony didn’t react, he didn’t know these people, so he wasn’t about to ask questions or pass judgement on anyone.
The people going into the house were him, Erin, Lloyd, and a guy by the name of Clark.
They all grabbed a cup of coffee and instead of going back to her office, they took a seat at the kitchen table.
Lloyd and Clark quickly got out the fixing for sandwiches, and Lloyd went and called down the hall.
They were soon joined by another woman, who was introduced as Julie Monroe.
After fixing their sandwiches, they began to eat. No one said anything until Erin had finished her sandwich. She waved the others to continue eating. With a fresh cup of coffee, she settled back in her seat.
“I’m Erin Riceman, and this is my brother, Clark. We are equal partners in Riceman holdings.”
“Not really,” Clark said with a grin, and there was no malice behind it.
“Our parents perished in the accident that took Erin’s hand.
I was a SEAL back then, and was on a mission that was dark.
Berry here was one of my teammates, as were four other men that work here.
Reid, the guy you just met, was my second on the team.
That mission took two years, but we were successful.
During that time, our parents were killed, Erin lost her hand, she came to be the sole owner of this, and she turned it into what it is today.
She’s the one that started Riceman Stallions, The Broken Wheel, Broken Two, The New Double, and in the spring, I’ll be starting on building The Triple R across the street. ”
“What’s that?”
“Riceman Rodeo Ranch, we’re going to raise rodeo stock, you know, the horses and bulls.
We’re also going to have an arena large enough that people can come here and practice in the off season, and they’ll also be able to board their horses here if they don’t have the room at their homes.
There’s a lot more involved, but this is what we have planned now.
Just the bare bones of what we want to do.
We will be hiring people with rodeo experience to help out at that ranch. ”
“Damn, and I don’t even know how to ride a horse.”
“Rest assured, you won’t be expected to work over there.
I’m strapped for hands, over at New Double.
The people I hire to work over at The Triple R will be former rodeo riders.
I feel they will know more about those animals than they would the race horses you’ll be working with.
After the first of the year, I have a couple of them, former rodeo riders, coming to work here until there is a place for them to live over at The Triple R.
They will probably work over at New Double until the cabins are built.
I’m going to have you work over at The New Double.
” Erin nodded toward Clark. “It’s a long story, but in a nut shell, Naomi Alcot was a former barrel racer with the rodeo, she was injured and in a wheelchair, her grandparents passed away, leaving the ranch to her.
Her father is a worthless piece of shit, and he was in deep with a local loan shark.
Because he couldn’t pay back his loan, he took a life insurance policy out on Naomi.
We found out, and because everything on her ranch was in her name, we moved it from Wyoming to here.
That’s why it’s called The New Double, because it was called, The Double A over in Wyoming. They raise and train race horses.”
“Wow, I take it not all the horses here are race horses?”
“No, Erin’s Way are prized stallions that ranchers come far and wide to have their mares bred with my stallions.
I also have prize mares that I breed with my stallions and sell the babies when someone is interested when they come of age to sell.
” She took the next thirty minutes to tell him about all the aspects of her businesses, and he could only shake his head at it all, while trying to keep all the ranches straight in his mind.
“Don’t worry, after being here a while, you’ll get the hang of it.”
“I only have one question.”
“What’s that?”
Tony looked at Berry who gave him a nod, then he turned his whole attention toward Erin. “My commanding officer from The Guard is retiring soon.”
“How soon?”
“Nine months. I’ve talked to Lloyd over the phone and he said that he might want to come to work here.
He has nothing for him in Pennsylvania. At this time, he doesn’t have a challenge, but then again, it might be too early to tell, because he’s not retired yet.
Anyway, he asked me to give you this.” Tony gingerly leaned up, removed his wallet, and extracted a folded piece of paper.
“That’s all his personal information for you to run a back ground check on him. ”
“What’s his name?” Erin asked as she took the paper, but didn’t open it.
“Shay Hall, but I’ve always called him Commander.”
“Okay, I’ll run his information and get back to you. Do you think he’ll take instructions from a woman?”
“As long as you won’t put him, animals, children, or anyone else in danger, then yes.”
“Good answer,” Erin said and handed the paper to Julie.
“I’ll get this to the proper people.” Julie nodded as she slipped the paper in her pocket.
“Lloyd, would you have a problem taking Mr. Jacobs over to New Double?”
“Not at all.”
“Can you call me Tony? That’s what I prefer.”
“Not Jacobs?” Lloyd asked with a look of confusion. “That’s how Marcia always refers to you.”
“Yeah, no. That was because we called everyone by our last names in our unit.”
“Unit?” Clark asked in confusion.
“This is Anthony Jacobs,” Lloyd said. At his confused look, he smiled. “The man that Marcia always referred to as her older younger brother. They served in the same National Guard unit back in Pennsylvania.”
“I was the guy that hit the side of the mountain with her.”
“Oh, shit, damn, I heard about that. You look surprisingly good.”
“Yeah, well, I still have restrictions.”
“What are they?” Erin demanded. “Lloyd will take you to New Double, and explain to you where Broken Two is located. You’ll be meeting with a guy named Dr. Caleb Lassiter.
He’s a physical therapist, and he’s going to be working with you.
He’s not a medical doctor, but along with his therapy, he’s also a chiropractor.
That’s what he’s a doctor in. And earlier this week, a former colleague of his arrived, and together, they make prosthetics. ”
“Well, I don’t need any of those, I just get stiff if I sit for too long, and if the weather is too cold, sometimes it’s hard to get out of bed in the mornings. I do it, but I’m slow.”
“Are you on pain meds?”
“I am, however, I try not to use them unless I absolutely have to. I’ll take some tonight so I can sleep, I didn’t take any the entire trip here. I’m feeling it now.”
Erin turned a confused look toward Lloyd. “You don’t have to answer this, but does this happen to Marcia?”
“It does, but like Tony said, she only takes the meds when she absolutely needs them.”
“I can’t speak for Ramos,” Tony said, “But I was given some pretty heavy-duty pain medication from the doctors over at the VA. I don’t want to become addicted to them, so I use them only when I have to.”
“Good for you, but I’m not going to push you right off the bat.
You’ll have time to adjust to this way of life.
I won’t lie to you though, working with and taking care of horses is a job.
Fun, rewarding, messy, back-breaking, and strenuous at times.
You’ll be working with Ann. She’s a former military person, but she knows horses.
Cole Mercury is the manager over there, and he’s been with these horses for decades.
He came to New Double from Wyoming with the horses and equipment.
Clark, do you want to tell him about that. ”
Clark explained how New Double came about, and Tony sat there in awe by the time he was finished. Erin then told him how The Broken Wheel, and Broken Two came about. By the time he was ready to be taken over to New Double his mind was full of all this information.