Page 18 of Heating Up (Nugget)
“Thanks, Dana. I’m sorry to stick you with this.”
“It’s not a problem.” She wanted to get a start on painting anyway.
After they ended the call she smiled at the Griswolds. “Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be silly.” Josephine waved her hand in the air. “Life happens.”
Indeed it did. “I’ll call the listing agent to let her know we have an offer and hopefully we’ll hear something soon. Should I see about getting you a room at the Lumber Baron?”
“We’ve got animals that need feeding and it’s a four-hour ride back,” Walt said. “As much as we’d like to take you up on your offer, we’ve got to get home, Dana.”
“All right. Keep your fingers crossed and your cell phone on. I’m thinking we should hear back fairly quickly. There will probably be some back and forth, though.”
“That’s what I figured,” Walt said.
Dana got their signatures, made sure the documents were in order, and walked the Griswolds out to their car.
“Let us know as soon as you hear something,” Josephine said.
“I will. It’s a good offer. Maybe a little less than he’s willing to take, but we’ve left you some wiggle room.”
She watched them drive away, went inside to email the offer to Century 21 in Quincy, and called to make sure they’d received the email and that the listing agent had her cell number. Before going to meet Aidan’s movers, Dana took a detour to Farm Supply with a gift for the Millers.
The store was the size of a warehouse and carried everything from tack and feed to clothes and kitchenware. Grace was at the counter, ringing up a customer, when Dana walked in. She browsed the aisles, waiting for Grace to finish.
“How you doing, Dana?” Grace called across the store.
“Good.” With the customer gone, Dana carried the basket she’d made to the cash register. “I just wanted to thank you so much for all the clothes. You saved my life.” She motioned at the jeans and the boots. “Did Carol tell you my sizes?”
“She sure did. My daughter and I had a wonderful time picking out everything. I’m glad it’s working for you. We don’t carry the suits and professional clothing you usually wear, but I figured you needed some starter pieces until you could get to a department store.”
“Everything is beautiful, Grace. I brought this for your family. It’s Calloway candy from my family’s business, coffee, and assorted other goodies.”
“Now, honey, you didn’t have to do that. I’m guessing you’ve got enough going on. Pat was in this morning and said you’re planning to rebuild, which I think is a wise decision. That’s a lovely neighborhood, and it seems to me a house there is worth something. But you’d know that better than I would.”
“I still have to see what I’ll get insurance wise, but nice homes here are going for more than two hundred and thirty dollars a square foot.”
“When are you talking to the insurance people?” Grace asked.
“Monday.”
“That’s good, and I hear you and Sloane’s brother are sharing Tawny’s old house.” Grace let out a catcall whistle. “Now if I were thirty years younger . . . Watch out, Mr. Miller. That man is all brawn. I met him over at the inn; he stopped by to drop something off for Brady.”
“It’s strictly a roommate situation,” Dana wanted her to know. It wouldn’t do to have people gossiping about her.
“Well, maybe you could fix that, if you know what I mean.” Grace arched her brows.
Dana never would’ve guessed that sweet, gray-haired Grace Miller, who ran the feedstore with her husband, was an oversexed cougar. She really needed to get to know the women of Nugget better.
“We’re strictly platonic.”
Grace made a face likewhat a shame, then launched into an entirely different topic. “Anything going on with the Rosser place?” Next to McCreedy Ranch, it was one of the largest cattle spreads in the county. The owner, Ray Rosser, had been charged with murder for shooting a man he claimed had stolen his cattle and needed to sell the ranch to pay his legal expenses. People here hadn’t stopped talking about it.
“Nothing. I’d hoped a cattle company would be interested in it, but it’s a huge investment. And with the drought, people are culling their herds, not looking to expand. At least we’ve managed to temporarily lease the property to a rancher from the valley who’s trying to fatten up his cattle on whatever grazing land he can find.”
Until moving here, Dana had never sold agricultural land. With no knowledge of farming or animal husbandry, she’d become a quick study. “Grace, if anyone comes through here who’s interested, let ’em know Ray is motivated.”
“I bet he is.” Grace made a face. “According to Owen, he’s pretty much signed over everything he owns to his legal team.”
