Denim & Diamonds (25 page)

The attorney considered the offer for a moment, seemed about to decline, then nodded and said, “You know, that would be nice. Your father thought a lot of this place, and I haven’t been here since he passed away.”

As Beth and Mr. Cooper walked towards the barn, she pointed out the things she liked best about the ranch, and related some of the things that she had learned during the past year. The lawyer listened politely, then shared a personal story about visiting the ranch, and the trail ride that her father had taken him on, which happened to be his only experience with riding horses.

"Your father assured me this dapple gray he put me on was bomb proof. And he wasn't kidding. That horse wouldn't go fast if his life depended on it."

Beth giggled, "Yeah, that's Dingo. But let me tell you, when he sees a rattlesnake . . . "

She told him about her first experience with riding on the ranch. He laughed out loud when she told how she had passed out on her first ride.

Beth was proud of the ranch, and was eager to point out the changes that had evolved over the past year. Her father loved the ranch, but she added her own special touches to the place over the past year. She showed Mr. Cooper the freshly painted red barn trimmed in white, the well-organized office, the tack room that smelled of saddle soap, and the feed room that now featured convenient, rodent-proof containers that were color coded.

Each stall now had a card holder next to the bronze nameplate that held a large index card containing information about feed, worming and breeding. The barn smelled of fresh hay and straw, and the aisle was neatly raked, thanks to the efforts of Aidan.

Beth spoke to each horse by name, and reached through the stall door to pet each eager nose. When they reached the arena, they stopped to watch Beau working a two-year old on the lunge line. The sorrel was flashy, with a wide blaze down his face and white stockings. He was muscular, and his hindquarters were well developed. The horse’s

ears swiveled as he listened to Beau’s instructions. Beau acknowledged the visitors with a brief nod, but continued to concentrate on the gelding.

They left the arena and walked down the other aisle. Beth noticed a distinct frown on the older man’s face when they reached the mustang’s stall. The red horse stood tall, his head held high. He snorted and pawed the floor of his stall when they approached the door. She repeated what Beau had told her about the mustang’s strength, stamina and agility, which would make him an asset to the ranch’s cutting horse breeding program.

Mr. Cooper shook his head. “With all due respect, Beth, I disagree. Your father chose each and every breeding animal with great care. You have his pedigree books – he studied them the way an artist studies the great Impressionists. He said the most important part of the breeding program is the stallion. The stallion is the hub of the operation – without a top quality stud, you don’t have a top drawer program.”

She listened, her head down. He was right. She remembered the argument she had with Beau regarding how to replace her father’s stallion when he had died last summer, how furious she had been when he defied her and bought the wild stallion, and how impressed she had been with the mustang as his training progressed.

She bit her tongue, though – it just didn’t matter anymore.

As they left the barn, Beth turned the conversation to the cattle, and invited the attorney to join her for a quick ride on the Gator parked just outside the barn. It gleamed in the bright sunlight, and Beth smiled as she realized that Cole had waxed the vehicle. Beth took the driver’s seat and the attorney sat beside her, his briefcase clutched on his lap.

He examined the vehicle. “How many of these all-terrain vehicles do you have?”

Beth blinked, stopped to think. “I’m not really sure. We have this, a Mule, and a few four-wheelers.”

“Mmmm-hmmmm,” he murmured. “I don’t recall your father using so many vehicles. He always used horses. This is a ranch, after all.”

She swallowed the lump forming in her throat. She hadn’t questioned Beau about the purchase of the Gator or the Mule. She assumed they were standard equipment. Perhaps she had put too much trust in her foreman.

The wooden fencing along the front of the ranch and the driveway had been painted white, and gleamed in the early summer sunlight. The grass was green and a rainbow of flowers bloomed along the graveled paths, thanks to
Charlotte’s green thumb. They passed large pastures where the polled Herefords grazed peacefully.

Beth stopped in front of the pasture where the bull was kept, anxious to direct the attorney’s direction away from the vehicle they were in. Beth hopped out and approached the fence. Mr. Cooper watched in amazement as the animal approached Beth and let her reach over the fence and scratch his wooly face. She grinned as she remembered what she was like when she had walked into his office a year ago – now she was petting a 1,500 pound bull!

When they reached the pasture where the broodmares and their foals were kept, Beth felt like she was going to burst with pride. The mares grazed as the ATV approached, but the foals watched curiously, their broomstick tails flipping back and forth. A few came forward, and a couple stood behind their mothers, peeking out from behind them to watch the strangers approach. Mr. Cooper had to admit they were fine looking animals.

After Beth had given the attorney the tour, she turned the Gator towards the main house. The two were silent, deep in their own thoughts. Back at the house, Beth led the older man to her father’s library, her expression solemn.
Charlotte met them at the door, wiping her hands anxiously on her apron.

“Want me to bring in tea?”
Charlotte asked, concern lining her face.

“No,” Beth took the seat behind her father’s desk, where she waited for the gavel to fall. Mr. Cooper took a seat in one of the leather chairs facing the desk and placed his briefcase on the desk. He flipped it open, removed a sheaf of papers and scooted the briefcase to the side.

She swallowed hard, sat up straight and folded her hands in front of her to keep them from shaking.

“I see you’ve been running the numbers yourself, Beth,” he said as he gestured to the piles of papers littering the big desk.

“Yes, and I can’t say that I am pleased with the result,” she said, feeling dejected and forlorn.

“Nor am I. I’ve gone over your books several times, trying to make this work. Your father wanted you to succeed, but you aren’t managing the ranch well. This is a business, and you aren’t running it like a business,” he said gently. The words stung, and she winced.

“I don’t know how binding my father’s Will is, but if there is any way--”

“I’m afraid it’s ironclad,” the attorney interrupted. “Your father’s wishes were deliberate and precise. With all due respect, Beth, I am surprised that you failed. What makes my job very difficult is that you were close. You allowed the purchase of a stallion that held no value whatsoever, you made personal loans to employees without collecting, you gave bonuses at Christmas when the ranch didn’t have the money to spare. That’s just the tip of the iceberg – the parties you threw, the new fence you put up, buying the highest quality feed. The list goes on and on, I’m afraid.”

Every word was like a knife in Beth’s chest. It physically hurt to have him point out her multitude of failures. Then came the final twist.

“I’m afraid the ranch will be sold, because the books do not show a profit. Pursuant to the terms of your father’s Will, you and the staff will have ten days to remove yourselves and your possessions from the property. The livestock will be taken to the sale barn and sold to the highest bidder.”

She felt lightheaded, and fought to keep the tears from spilling over. Even if Beau and Charlotte were preapproved, would they have enough credit to be able to make an offer on the Diamond J? Her head was spinning, and she thought about Dingo. Who would take care of him? What would happen to him? What would Charlotte do? And

worst of all – would Beau ever forgive her? Would she ever see him again?

“Excuse me, Boss, but I need to make a payment.”

Beth’s head swiveled to the left. Aidan stood in the doorway, his worn hat clenched in his hands. He stepped forward and handed her a fistful of cash, “You loaned me money last summer to get a new transmission for my pickup. I’m payin’ you back, with interest, just like I pro
mised. Sorry it took me so long, ma’am.”

Beth took the money, dumbfounded. She recalled giving him the money for the repair, but they hadn’t discussed the terms of repayment. She hadn’t expected him to pay it back. He excused himself, and backed against the wall.
 

She and Mr. Cooper stared at each other. Before they could speak, Joe appeared at the door.

“Hey, Boss, I need to make a payment, too,” Joe said. He pulled nervously at his goatee, then placed a handful of wadded bills on the desk in front of Beth. “That’s my payment for the money you loaned me in April when I didn’t have enough money to pay my taxes. Thanks, again.”

As soon as Joe took his place beside Aidan, Katie walked in. She grinned from ear to ear, holding up a check.

Beth blinked. "What are you doing here? Aren't you graduating from college this weekend?"

"Yup. But I had something I had to do first." With a flourish, she handed the check to an open-mouthed Beth. “My dad told me to give this to you. He says he owes you rent for all the nights you let me spend the night here, and board, too, for all the food I eat here. He says I lived here more than I lived at home since junior high.” Katie winked, “And he’s right!”

The young woman stepped back as Charlotte slipped in. Beth bit her lower lip and nodded a greeting to Charlotte, noting the cash rolled up in the housekeeper’s plump hand.

“Sorry to interrupt again. I’m sorry I didn’t have this to you sooner. I’ve been collecting UPC symbols and sending off for rebates, plus I’ve been keeping track of the money I’ve saved in coupons. Here’s

what I saved this year. It needs to be deposited in the ranch operating account, but I thought I’d let you do it,” Charlotte explained, adding her cash to the growing pile of money in the center of the desktop.

When
Charlotte left the room, Mr. Cooper cleared his throat and said, “This is an interesting development, but I don’t know if this is going to be enough—“

Numbers swirled in Beth’s head, and the lawyer in her came to life. She had argued in front of more judges than she could count, but this was one argument she
had
to win. Beth’s voice cracked when she spoke, “But you said I was close. I know how close I am. We made an excellent profit on the cattle this year, and we made top dollar on the two year olds we sold for the rodeo circuit. I made mistakes, I know, but if my figures are right, all I need is about $7,000 in order to show a profit.”

Mr. Cooper pulled a small notebook from his breast pocket. He scribbled, his pen scratching figures onto the paper, then he nodded, “The books show a deficit of just slightly less than $6,000.”

Beth said up straight in her father’s chair and took a deep breath. “Let’s see what we have then.”

Her slender fingers hovered over the keys of her father’s old desktop adding machine, and Mr. Cooper pulled a small handheld calculator from his briefcase. Beth took a deep breath. She counted the cash and then counted it again. “I get $3,820 in cash.”

She handed the bills to the attorney and watched as he counted twice.

“I get the same,” he said, laying the money in a neat stack on the desk. “How much is the check for?”

Beth picked up Katie’s check. “It’s written for $1,200.”

Beth sighed and her shoulders drooped. She didn’t need a calculator to tell her she was still short. She bit her lower lip and tears stung her eyes.

It was over.

“I’m sorry, Beth,” Mr. Cooper said.

“So am I, Mr. Cooper, so am I,” she whispered and closed her eyes, fighting the tears. It wasn’t just that she felt like a failure – she let

her father down and it was a physical pain, a dagger through her heart. She heard footsteps in the hallway and the door creaked as it swung open. She opened her eyes and saw Beau in the doorway. He was tall and dark and handsome, but right now, Beth needed a knight in shining armor, not a cowboy.

She shook her head at him and said, “It’s over. I didn’t make it.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Boss,” Beau said, his expression serious. In two quick strides, he stood beside the desk and slapped his own check on the table. “This is to pay you back for the mustang. When I bought him with ranch funds, I promised you I would pay you back. Well, I’m paying you back.”

Beth’s eyes opened wide and she quickly picked the check up. It was made out to Diamond J Ranch, in the amount of $2,000. A smile spread across her face, and her green eyes danced with delight. “It’s enough! This is it! It’s enough!”

On impulse, Beth jumped to her feet and threw her arms around Beau’s neck, then planted a kiss on his lips. He blinked in surprise, then kissed her back. Together, they turned to the attorney, their arms around each other’s waists. She spoke first, “It is enough, Mr. Cooper, isn’t it?”

The attorney didn’t speak. He smiled and pushed some papers aside so he could set his briefcase on the desk. Beth and Beau exchanged worried glances, and Beth felt like her heart was in her throat. Her father’s grandfather clock ticked loudly, and blood rushed in her ears. She watched as Mr. Cooper produced an ivory colored, official looking envelope, and a large, business-style checkbook. With a flourish, he produced a fountain pen from his breast pocket and wrote out a check. His expression was solemn. Beth held her breath, and Beau’s grip tightened on her waist.

Finally, the attorney tore the check from the checkbook and stood up.

“It is with great pleasure, Elizabeth Jameson, that I present you with the deed to the ranch.” The attorney handed her the official looking envelope. “In that envelope you will also find the gift affidavit