Page 28 of Ashes of the Past
The quiet settles in almost immediately, broken only by the soft chirping of crickets and the occasional rustle of leaves in the breeze. I’m about to head back inside when Olivia’s voice stops me.
“Mr. Jack?” she calls from the porch.
I turn to see her sitting on the steps, her elbows on her knees and her chin resting in her hands. Brynn must’ve gone back inside.
“What’s up, kid?”
She hesitates for a moment before standing and walking over to me. “Can I ask you something?”
“You just did,” I say, smirking a little.
Her eyes roll, but she’s smiling too. “What was Texas like?”
“Hot,” I laugh. “It’s nice. Why do you ask?”
“My dad is there a lot,” she says with a roll of her shoulders.
“He doesn’t live here?”
“No, hasn’t for a while.”
“Well, you’re here in Hicks Creek, so I’d have to say that Hicks Creek is way better than Texas.”
She smiles softly and nods. Her eyes are out on the horizon as she messes with the sprig of a nearby bush. Barney, the dog, is lying as close to her as possible.
“I’m glad you’re here. Mom and Popo really needed help on the farm after Mr. Bill left.”
“I’m glad I’m here, too,” I say. “Mr. Bill was here for a long time, huh?”
“Yeah, almost as long as Popo. He sends me postcards every time he and Miss Lilly stop in a new state. They’re in Texas right now, I think,” she says with a broad grin. “They’re really nice.”
“Like another set of grandparents, huh?”
She nods. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“Why do you think your mom and Popo need help on the farm?”
She cocks her head to the side and eyes me carefully, one of those looks that saysYou know exactly why.
“It’s a lot. Popo hasn’t been the same since Grams died. He’s forgetful. But Mama, she needs sleep. I don’t know the last time she’s taken a day off. If we’re not at the flower shop, then she’s working on the ranch doing something. I’ve never seen anyone work harder than her.”
“She’s setting a good example for you, it seems.”
“But she needs a break. I asked Uncle Lane to help out, but he never did.”
Noted. Just racking up the reasons as to why it was right to fire him.
I nod slowly, not wanting to badmouth this little girl’s uncle, but it seems she’s incredibly perceptive for her age, regardless of what I say.
“Well, we don’t have to worry about that anymore. I’ll make sure that your mama can focus on you and the flower shop. I’ll take care of the ranch.”
“Thanks,” she says with a smile. “I should help Mama in the kitchen.”
She stands up, and she and the dog walk back into the house. I sit on the porch a bit longer, looking out at the expansive acreage that makes up the Castings Ranch.
It’s been one hell of a first day, that’s for sure.
No sooner than the thought fills my head do I hear a strange noise coming from the pasture where the horses are. As I stand and walk over, I see one of the horses is out of the corral, and he’s whinnying and extremely agitated. John is trying to calm him down, but the horse bucks, and John goes down.
