Chapter 17 #2
“He told the doctor that if he didn’t tell his daughter that she would be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life, then he would sue him for some bullshit charge.
The doctor believed him. It took six years, but Naomi is walking again, she’s the manager at Broken, and they are training rescued horses to help with the rehabilitation of people with injuries.
” He smirked when he looked at Kade. “People like you.”
“And my daughter,” Lois said. “She was in an accident and blew out her knee. After four operations, the doctor and physical therapist said there’s nothing they could do and recommended The Broken Wheel ranch to her.
That’s one of the reasons we moved here, but then my granddaughter is a certified vet, and a farrier, so she was offered a job.
I owned and operated a plant nursery for decades, and Erin offered me the job to put in a garden and stock the community pantry. ”
“I don’t understand that.” Lane shook his head in confusion. “Why would you need a community pantry with only a few people?”
“Oops,” Cole laughed. He looked at the map and started making small squares.
He had eight, then started making x’s and ended up with a dozen of them.
“These squares are two-bedroom cabins that sit on two acres each. These are two cabins with four-bedrooms that people stay in until the other cabins are being built. That’s what the x’s are. The new cabins.”
“These cabins.” Lois pointed to the squares.
“Are occupied with the workers on Broken. Two people each. When we get together to have a BBQ to catch up, there’s close to thirty people.
Fool’s Gold is roughly an hour’s drive. We don’t run to town every day.
When someone goes, we plan ahead and pick up groceries for everyone.
Over at New Double, a building will be installed and it will be the community pantry.
It will have store bought, and home canned goods.
There will also be an industrial sized walk-in cooler, like in restaurants, along with a walk-in freezer.
Erin has a couple dozen head of cattle she uses for beef.
We help with the processing fee and are allowed meat.
Pru has chickens for eggs, and some specifically for meat.
” She saw their looks of confusion, and nodded.
“Think of your pantry at home, and all the canning your mother does for you for the winter. Now, picture almost forty people that need to be fed.” At their nods, she smiled.
“Meat chickens. Yeah, one of our sisters had them as a 4-H project.” Lane nodded. “Okay, I can see that. So, what would you want us for?”
“To help Ann with the horses we now have, until we can sell them. Help Ryan with what he’s supervising being built.
” He looked at them with a grin. “Erin calls them bunktels.” He described them, and saw their excitement.
“I’m sure the two of you can stay in one of them until the other cabins are built.
Like I said, New Double is a work in progress.
It was fallow for close to thirty years, and we’re bringing it back to life.
Lois and I are going to rodeos so I can get a look at the stock and talk to people, and Lois found Kade.
Please don’t take this as me being rude, but we’re looking for people that love horses, love the rodeo, but either don’t have two pennies to rub together, or a pot to piss in.
We want people who are hungry to work, but not just during the winter season.
We’re not going to be a seasonal employment ranch.
If you come to work for us, then we expect you to put in a hard day’s work, and it’s not been discussed yet, but we might be able to eventually employ a cook for the hands at New Double.
I know Broken doesn’t have one because everyone that works there are couples in committed relationships and they go home to each other at night. ”
“Same with Erin, and my daughter and granddaughter. I also don’t know if this will factor into anything, but the guys that work on Broken, are all former Navy SEALs.
Naomi’s boyfriend is not only her boyfriend, but he was their commanding officer in the service, and…
” she paused for dramatic effect. “He is Erin’s brother. ”
The two nodded to them, then looked at each other. “I don’t think this is too crass to ask, but what are the wages, and will there be any benefits?”
Cole told them the benefits like health insurance, and weekends off, and wrote on a piece of paper and passed it over. “That’s the starting salary.”
The boys flipped the paper over and jerked like they had been slapped. “How?”
“What do you mean how?”
“Is this annually?”
“What? No, that’s weekly for the first ninety days, if you work your jobs, and do it well, you should get a ten percent raise.
Then after that, you’ll get an annual review and your pay will be adjusted then.
It will only be adjusted down if you quit and are no longer working for us. Otherwise, it will only go up.”
“When do you need to know?” Lane asked seriously. “I know we’re considered adults, but I’d like to go home and talk it over with my father first.”
“I don’t need to know right away, but I do need to stress this, and it’s non-negotiable.”
“What’s that?”
“We will run a background check on you. We use a service in Fool’s Gold, and Erin’s head of security is a former FBI agent.”
“Oh, wow, okay, I don’t have a problem with that. I’m good.” He looked at Kade.
“Me too. What do you need?”
Cole got the information, and then nodded. “I can give you two months to get back to me.”
“It won’t take that long. Hypothetically, what would happen if we wanted to start in say, two weeks?”
Cole handed him another business card with a decisive nod. “Call me.”
“One other thing,” Lois said, and waited until she had their attention. “We do not turn anyone away if they pass the background check.”
“What’s that mean?”
“It means that all those Navy SEALs we told you about, and their women, who if we hadn’t mentioned are also former military, they all have some form of a challenge.
That’s what they call them, but according to anyone outside the ranch they’re considered disabilities.
Erin herself is missing her right hand from a fatal car accident that took her parents from her.
That’s why she made Erin’s Way into what it is now. ”
“Another thing,” Cole said, and waited until they looked at him.
“Lois said she saw something in Kade, that’s why she invited him here today.
I see it in both of you. You’re hungry, but also scared.
That’s the type of people we want to work for us.
Someone that wants this type of life, and is willing to do the work.
If you know of anyone like the two of you, please contact me with their contact information.
Not everyone can come to work for us, and they’ll have to go through the background check.
Just because you gave me their information doesn’t mean we’ll hire them. ”
“We also don’t want people that are there for the season,” Lois said. “As Cole explained, and though I don’t know what I’m talking about, but it’s my understanding that ranching is a twenty-four-seven, three-sixty-five endeavor.”
“It is. It’s just like farming, and we understand what you’re trying to say.” Kade nodded. “Will you be over at the arena tonight?”
“We will. I know with tonight being Saturday, it’s going to be a bigger turnout, but if you need me for anything, questions, people to meet, or just want to hang out, you have my number.
” They shook hands, and when Cole stood, he looked at them directly.
“What I’m about to say, I mean no offense, but do you need any money to get you through? ”
“No, we’re good. Kade lost on Brutis last weekend ended up that way, but I won and was able to cash the check this morning. It’s not a lot, but it’s enough to keep us going. We have a lot of talking to do.”
“Yes, and remember that we’re not asking you to give up your life if you come to work for us, we’re only asking that you treat this like a real job and don’t run off when the rodeo comes to town again.
I was offered the position of manager shortly before my twenty-first birthday, I just turned sixty-nine, I’ll let you do the math. ”
“And remember this, boys,” Lois said as she rose from her chair. “It’s all in the employer. You can have a wonderful job, but a piss poor boss that makes you hate the job. Then you can have a crappy job, but a terrific employer that makes the job easier. It’s all on how you treat one another.”
“We know.” They nodded and watched as the older couple walked away, and smiled when they lifted the puppy from the purse, put a leash on it, and walked out the front door.
“What do you think?” Kade asked Lane, trying not to break down and cry in excitement.
“I think we should sleep on it for the next couple of days, finish this rodeo, go home and talk it over with Mom and Dad, and only then make a decision. As much as I want to think I’m adult, I still value Dad’s opinion.”
“Yeah, me too, and I don’t think we’re going home with our tail between our legs. I look at it like we did our thing, and even though we still have six months left, and as much as I love the family, I have to say, I fucking hate cows.”
“Yeah, me too. If we can get in on the ground floor of this, I think we can make something of ourselves.”
“What did you think of the salary?”
“Holy shit, Kade. If we don’t have to pay rent, think of the money we can save for the girls to go to college.”
“I know. I like the idea of what you said. Let’s let it sit for a few days, then go home and talk it over with Mom and Dad. And to think, we did this all on our own.”
“Yeah.” Lane nodded and waited until Kade had his footing before they headed to the parking lot where they’d parked their truck and headed back to the rodeo to set up for the next two days.
Kade had to back out of his events after being hurt in the last one, and Lane had his bronc riding events to get ready for.
As soon as they settled, they lay on their cots and sighed.
“That was the first real meal we’ve had in weeks. We have hours before we have to get ready, and we don’t normally do this, but I think I’m going to rest and let this meal digest.”
“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.” Kade took a pain pill, stretched out on his bunk and was asleep in seconds. His dreams were filled with images of him being a ranch manager like Cole.