Page 26 of Grit
“Just Melissa, please.” She felt bad she couldn’t pay them more, but if you had few expenses, then you didn’t need much. “So you’ve got free rent and stable here, and we’ve got a big kitchen garden. You’re welcome to help yourself to anything you need from that.”
“I love gardening,” Leigh said. “I can get my hands dirty with Joan.”
Joan beamed. “That would be great.”
“There’s always beef in the freezer,” Melissa said. “And eggs. Lots of eggs.”
Stu reached his hand across the table. “All sounds good to me. When can I start?”
“Today,” Joan said. “Why don’t you borrow my horse and Melissa can show you around the place. I’ll help Leigh get you guys settled.”
Stu’s face was red and he looked close to tears. Melissa looked away and led the man out to the porch. She cleared her throat and pointed to the stables. “The horses are probably about ready to murder me. I was late waking up this morning.”
“You’ll be able to take a few more mornings off from now on.” Stu cleared his throat. “Take a vacation with your girl even. You can depend on me and Leigh.”
Melissa nodded and walked out to the barn with Stu, hoping the man was right. If the two of them worked out, they could change her whole life.
Chapter Six
Cary turnedfrom the row of potted citrus trees he’d been experimenting with. “You did what?”
“I hired someone,” Melissa said, staring at the tree. “I think you need to prune that lemon back more. It’s a Eureka and they’ll take over the world if you let them.”
“Forget the lemon. You hired someone? Who?”
“Couple out of Idaho. They used to work on the Brady Ranch. Oh! And you’ll never guess who had time to squeeze in a project.” She did a little dance. “Brian Montoya came through. I gave him a deposit for materials and he’s starting on the bunkhouse this week.”
“Is this someone you know?”
She frowned. “Brian?”
“No, this person you hired.”
“I don’t know them, but my mom knows the wife. And Old Man Brady and my grandpa were friends.”
“Did you check references?”
“They had a letter from the Bradys.” Melissa sidled next to the tree and held her hand out. “Give me those clippers. I want to try something.”
“Where are they living?” Cary handed over the clippers.
“On the ranch.” She began snipping branches. “You’ve got to be tougher or—”
“Onthe ranch? With you and your mom and your daughter?”
Melissa looked up. “No, over on the Allen ranch with all the rich retirees, Cary. Yes, my ranch. They’ve got a motor home, and you know Grandpa put in those hookups behind the barn. I can’t pay them much, so it’s a fair trade.” She left the tree he’d been working on and moved to the next. “What are you doing with these?”
Cary frowned, wondering how her brain moved from topic to topic so quickly. “Um, if I can perfect the grafting, then I’m going to sell them to backyard gardeners who don’t want three different trees. You’ll get a lemon, an orange, and a grapefruit all on one tree. You just have to be brutal about pruning so one type doesn’t dominate.”
“That’s a great idea.”
“But getting back to the mystery cowboy, can we talk about how you don’t know these people from Adam? I would agree what you worked out is a fair deal if you’d checked these people out.” He took the clippers from her. “Right now you don’t know them.”
“My mom knows Leigh. What’s the problem?”
“That you’re too trusting? Why did they leave Idaho?”
“Looking for warmer winters.”
