Page 3 of Cole's Joy
“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 finallykicked 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.
CHAPTER 2
Lorissa Gibson walkedinto the cabin she was sharing with her grandmother for the week and paused as she watched the older woman bustle around the kitchen. She cleared her throat, as to not scare her and when she knew she had Lois’ attention, she asked, “What are you doing?”
“Getting something together for our supper.” Lois shook her head and looked disappointed. “I know we are guests here, but the spice supply in this place is dismissal. I don’t know how much longer I can stand it.” She looked at her granddaughter with sad eyes. “I can’t wait to get some spices in here.”
Lorissa laughed, because she knew how much her grandmother loved to grow her own herbs, that she would dry, and hand out to friends and family.
“First, Erin told me she’s having everyone over here tonight for a BBQ. I don’t know how many people that entails, but she said we are not allowed to cook. It’s a dish to pass situation, and there will be plenty of meat for everyone.”
“Really? She didn’t have to go through all that trouble for just the two of us.”
“I said the same thing, but she said she’s going to hire me, and she wanted us to meet everyone. I’ve only met the peoplewho work here at Broken. I don’t know how many others there are.” She saw intrigue on the other woman’s face and chuckled. “Now, Erin’s over at the barn and she wants to take us someplace. I have absolutely no idea where, but I was told to collect you, and follow her.”
“Let me get my purse,” Lois said as she dried her hands, hung up the towel, then went to a bedroom that was on the ground floor. They were staying in the cabin with four bedrooms, and since Duane Manchester had one of the bedrooms on the first floor, Lorissa had taken a bedroom upstairs, and left the other one on the ground floor for Lois. Not that she was old and decrepit, but she didn’t want her grandmother climbing the stairs so she’d taken the upstairs bedroom. It worked out that Duane was back at their soon-to-be previous home helping their mother with an issue she had that cropped up.
Lorissa smiled when she saw her grandmother come out with a small purse and nodded as they left the cabin. They climbed into their rented SUV and slowly drove toward the barn where Erin sat waiting for them, and after the other woman waved at them, Lorissa nodded and followed her.
“Where are we going?”
“I have no clue, all I know is that Erin wanted to show the two of us something. She said it would be perfect for us.”
