Chapter 1 #2
“Visit Nancy at her home. Nancy was welcome here whenever she wanted to stop by. Hell, our kids played together, but I wouldn’t allow Sally to go over to their place.
Not without me. They seemed to be fine with it.
I don’t know what exactly happened, because crap seemed to start all at once, but after the kids grew up and started their own families, I had heard Nancy left Atherton, but we heard later she had died.
Sally got sick with cancer, and after my Sally passed, I lost my own kids, and the only surviving members I have of my family are three grandchildren.
They don’t want anything to do with this place.
When Erin came to me about what the Millers had done, I thought I was headed to an old folks home.
In the end it worked out.” He ate more, then looked at Cole in confusion.
“Why did you want to know about Old Man Atherton?”
“That was Erin on the phone, she invited us to a BBQ at the cabins over at Broken tonight at six. Apparently, there’s a couple of women over there that Erin wants to hire.
” He held up his hand and shook his head.
“I don’t know if they have any challenges, and it isn’t any of my business.
When I asked why we had to be there, she told me something intriguing. ”
“What’s that?” Clem asked as he settled back in his chair with his coffee mug.
“The younger woman, I think her name was Lorissa, she is a licensed veterinarian.”
“Erin’s not firing Tom Stolls, is she?” Ducky asked in concern.
“No, she says that she will keep Stolls on the payroll, but feels that if there’s a problem we can have this Lorissa person come over and check the horse out. The best thing is what else this woman is certified in.” He looked directly at Clem as he answered. “She’s AFA Certified.”
“Holy shit, when does she start?” Clem sat forward in his excitement.
“Wait, what’s that?” Ducky asked in confusion.
Both Clem and Cole turned to say with a grin.
“American Farrier Association Certified.” Then Cole took over the explanation.
“It means that Lorissa went down to Oklahoma to the farrier school there and went through all the training, and passed all the tests to become certified. Do you know what a farrier is?”
“I think so, isn’t that someone who works on horses feet, makes the shoes for them?”
“Yes, and to have a farrier this close will be a godsend.” Cole shook his head, his mood improving after the coffee finally kicked in, and his belly was full.
“Oh, and this Lorissa is here with her grandmother who Erin is also thinking of hiring. Something about her owning several greenhouses where she lives. I asked you about Old Man Atherton, because Erin told me to. She said they will be living there.”
“Good,” Ducky said, then sighed heavily.
“As much as I hated the bastard, and he was a royal bastard, I’m glad his property won’t go to seed.
” He shook his head and stared at the other two men at the table.
Due to his age, he felt like they were his own sons.
“As I said, Old Man Atherton was a bastard. He lived in the main house, and he had animals, I believe it was cattle. At one point, when he got up in his years, he was ten years older than me, he put a doublewide trailer on the property for his hired hand. Later, when he needed some extensive work done on his house, he put another trailer, just like the first one on there and he lived in it. I can’t say what condition the place is in because I haven’t been over there for at least fifty years.
After I confronted him about him asking my Sally out, I washed my hands of him.
” He sipped his coffee and shook his head.
“Last I heard, he left the ranch to his grandchildren, but there were conditions.”
“Do you know what they were?” Cole asked.
“If the grandkids didn’t live on the farm and operate his farrier business for two years, he was going to hand over his five thousand acres to a housing development.
By the time he died, there was only one grandchild left, the other two were killed in action while in the military.
Last I heard Shelly Atherton, the old man’s last living relative talked to Erin before fulfilling the old man’s wishes. ”
“Wow, I can’t see Erin agreeing to a housing development across the road from her.”
“Yeah, me either, so I’m glad she was able to purchase it.
I think the sale happened a month ago, but don’t quote me on it.
All I know is that the old man was a farrier, and it got to the point that ranchers around here would refuse to work with him because he was such a bastard.
I was just grateful that I didn’t have to work with him because I only had chickens.
I was able to shoe my own work horses over the years.
I hope this woman has a better disposition than Atherton did. ”
“Well, we’ll find out tonight,” Cole said as he rose to take his dishes to the sink. He turned back to the other two. “Steaks? And what else were you thinking of making?”
“How about my Sally’s mac and cheese recipe?”
“In the crockpot? The one you made a few weeks back?”
“Yes.”
“Perfect. I have to run to town today, so I’ll pick up some extra beer to take with us.”
“Sounds great.” They went their separate ways with Clem and Cole heading out to the barn and leaving Ducky to clean up their dishes and start the dish for that night.