Chapter 7 #2
Travis stood there, looking down at the planting table as he thought about their lives. “No, you didn’t. You just had me and I wasn’t much of a brother,” he said sadly.
“You were a great brother. You still are. You just got a little lost there in the middle,” Scotty said, smiling at his brother as he walked past and flicked his ear.
“I wish I’d been different when you needed me. I regret that,” Travis said.
“You should take a little of that reflection and consider how you’re going to feel in ten or twelve years when your girl is successfully living her life — no thanks to you. You think you feel regret now? It’s nothing like it will be then.”
“No thanks to me?! I’ve done nothing but support her!” Travis said.
“You’ve done nothing but try to control her so she’d do what you want her to do.”
“You don’t get it.”
“I do. You don’t get it.”
“Where’d y’all go?” Easton asked, walking into the greenhouse.
“Getting the planting table ready for you so you can start a few seedlings of your own and raise them until they can be transplanted,” Travis said.
“Gotta learn from the ground up. Seed to harvest,” Scotty said.
“I’m trying!” Easton said, laying his shears on the end of one of the tables with a clatter as he climbed up on the step-stool beside his uncle. “Show me.”
Travis looked at Easton, then over at Scotty. “What I wouldn’t give to have mine this interested.”
“You can borrow mine,” Scotty said.
~~~
Clay had been cutting grass for more than an hour, while casting an occasional glance toward Harper to make sure she was alright.
He knew she spent many a day here alone and was perfectly safe, but it didn’t stop his need to assure himself that she was still where she was supposed to be and safe and secure.
He sat on the tractor with the blades raised, the transmission in neutral while he guzzled from a huge bottle of water he’d brought for himself.
“Hello!” an old man called out to him. He was tall and obviously at one time a very strong man, but now stooped by years of hard work.
His eyes sparkled among the wrinkles and leathered appearance of his sun worn face as he smiled and continued waving to get Clay’s attention over the sound of the lawn tractor.
Clay raised a hand and waved back before he reached for the key and turned off the tractor. “Hello! How are you doing today?” he asked.
“Good! I’m good. You’re out here with Harper, I’m guessing.”
“Yes, sir. She wanted to be here and I wanted to be with her, so here I am,” Clay said.
The old man rested his hands on his slender hips as he turned and looked out across the pastures to where Harper stood twisting barbed wire into place along the exterior fence line with two horses nuzzling her back trying to get her attention.
“Never seen anything like it. You have horse people, you have non-horse people, and then you have Harper. I’ve never seen a horse take to anybody like they do to Harper.
Even as a little child. They’re just drawn to her. She’s something special.”
“Yes, sir, she is,” Clay said..
The man watched her in the distance for a few more moments.
“It’s going to break her heart when I finally find a buyer for this place.
But truth be told, I just can’t do it anymore.
If it wasn’t for her helping out, I’d have shut it down before now.
It’s only with her help, I’ve been able to keep it running as long as I have. ”
“Has anyone made any credible offers?” Clay asked.
“A few, but none I really want the property to go to. They’d probably sell off my horses, kick off the few boarders, and build a neighborhood on it.”
“If you have a few moments later this evening after Harper is gone, I’d like to speak to you privately about the future of this place,” Clay said.
The old man turned suspicious eyes his way. “Why after Harper is gone? What are you hiding?”
Clay extended his hand. “I’m Clay Vega. I’ve known Harper all my life, our families are lifelong friends.”
The old man shook his hand as he sized him up for a few seconds. “I’m Robert Bigsby.” After they shook hands, Mr. Bigsby smirked at him. “How long you been in love with her?”
Clay laughed. “I’ve known I loved her since I was old enough to know the difference between familial love and romantic love, but I’ve never had the courage to tell her.
I plan to propose in the next month or two after I finish this semester at school.
Instead of a ring, I’d like to gift her this place.
This is her happy place, and what makes me happy is Harper being happy. ”
“Son, I wish I could just give it to you for her. If I could, I’d have given it to her and gone on my way by now. But with my age, and my wife, staying healthy and seeing doctors costs more than anybody can afford. I have to sell the place to be able to survive.”
“Yes, sir. I understand. I’m prepared to buy it.”
“Young man, you know what all this land is worth?”
“I have an idea. I’ve been doing some research, and then the house, the barn, the animals, the equipment. Everything adds to the value.”
“It does. You think you can afford that?”
“I have more than you’d expect sir. If you are set on more than I have available, we can work out payments on the balance for a few years.”
“No, none of that is necessary. I don’t want to break anybody, just want to get a fair price for its value for all the years of maintaining it.”
“Of course, sir.”
Mr. Bigsby scratched his chin thoughtfully. “What are you going to do if you buy this place for her, and she refuses you?”
“Then she’ll still be needed to take care of the horses here and she’ll have a job for life.”
“You wouldn’t just give it to her since you love her so much?”
Clay smiled thoughtfully. “I can’t convince her I’m the one for her if she’s not here.”
Mr. Bigsby laughed.
“Honestly, if she just flat out doesn’t want me, I’ll probably just leave it in her hands and find something else to do with my life.
If I own it, nobody can ever take it from her, whether I’m here or not.
But then again, maybe she’ll change her mind if I’m around more often, so maybe I’ll help her work it. ”
“You’re a good man,” Mr. Bigsby said.
“Mr. Bigsby! Yoo Hoo! Mr. Bigsby!” Harper called from across the pasture as she jogged closer to them.
Mr. Bigsby turned toward Harper and waved. “No need to run, girl! I’ll wait for you!” he shouted.
Harper waved again, but continued jogging toward them, passing through small gates as she crossed first one pasture then another on her way to them.
Mr. Bigsby turned back to Clay. “You come back here later this evening. I go to bed at nine, so it has to be before then. We’ll talk, but no promises until then.”
“That’s all I ask, sir. And that you don’t mention any of it to Harper.”
“Surprise engagement. I like that. Hopefully we can work something out.” Mr. Bigsby turned back to watch Harper as she ran across the last pasture. “Don’t know where she gets all her energy. It’s like she’s super-human.”
A couple of minutes later Harper was crossing the driveway toward them. “Hi, Mr. Bigsby!”
“Hey, girlie. How’re you doing?” Mr. Bigsby asked.
“Good. Real good! I see you met Clay.”
“I have. He’s a good man.”
“Yes, sir, he is. He’s one of my best friends. Probably the only one that actually gets me,” Harper said with a laugh. “He came to help me get everything done today. Because he wanted to,” she said while making a ‘can you believe it?’ face.
Mr. Bigsby laughed. “Maybe he didn’t know what he was up for.”
“I knew exactly what I was up for,” Clay said with a chuckle. “And I came anyway.”
“A very good friend,” Mr. Bigsby said.
“How is Mrs. Bigsby feeling today?” Harper asked.
“She’s having a good day today. We were swinging on the front porch swing and enjoying a little lemonade. But it’s hot, so I’m sure we’ll be back inside before too much longer. But I had to come meet your young man and see if he was worthy of you,” Mr. Bigsby said with a big smile.
“Oh, he…” she hesitated as she started to deny Clay was her young man, but then caught Clay’s delighted expression and decided there was no harm in letting Mr. Bigsby think they were a couple., “he’s definitely worthy. More worthy than anyone else I know,” she said, smiling warmly at Clay.
“It’s easy to be worthy of you,” Clay said, staring into her eyes with an intensity that if he’d been anyone else would have made her uncomfortable.
“How long have you two known each other?” Mr. Bigsby asked.
“Childhood friends. All our lives,” Harper said.
“That’s sweet, and the best way, friends first.”
“Yes, sir, it is,” Clay said. “Makes for a lifetime of happiness.”
“It does, it really does. Alright, well I just wanted to check in and like I said, meet your young man. I’m going to get the missus and get her out of this heat before she gets to fainting on me.”
“Thank you for coming to say hello, Mr. Bigsby,” Harper said.
“Thank you for all you do, Harper. It doesn’t go unnoticed.”
“You’re very welcome. It’s a pleasure to be here, so you’re actually doing me a favor. We’ll be leaving about five this afternoon, if you want to come out and make sure everything is done the way you like it.”
Mr. Bigsby shook his head. “I haven’t had to make sure of anything you do in a long time. You’ve got it, and I know you do. Take your time and I’ll see you next time,” he said.
Harper hugged him quickly, then watched as he and Clay shook hands.
Mr. Bigsby turned around and waved once more when he was halfway to the house.
Both of them waved at him.
“I like him. He’s a nice man,” Clay said.
“I love him. He’s like a grandfather to me.”
“I can see why. You about done?” he asked.
Harper laughed. “Seriously? I’ve only done the perimeter fencing and I’ve got about a hundred feet of that left to do. Then I have to check the interior pasture fences.”
“I have to cut out front, then I’ll come help you if you’re not finished yet.”
“Thank you,” she said, as she jogged off back the way she came.