Wild Man Creek (25 page)

“Um, I take it you’re not happy to see this guy?” Denny said.

“You armed? If you’re armed, just shoot him right now!”

“Jillian, maybe you should just take a few deep—”

But Denny watched as she stormed away, toward the BMW. A man got out and stormed toward her. He was about five-ten, blond, tan, slender, dressed like a city boy. But he had a sneer on his face. It was nothing to the grimace Jillian had on hers.

There was a part of Denny that thought it would be best to give her a little space to deal with whatever this was. Clearly it was private. It might be an old love affair gone sour. Hell, it could be an ex! But he just wasn’t comfortable letting the kind of blind rage he saw on Jillian’s face, matched by Mr. BMW, go without some backup. So he moved toward what was certainly going to be a conflict, but he tried to go slow to let her have her privacy and fast enough to intervene if necessary.

“Kurt! What the hell are you doing here?” Jillian stormed. “This is my property and I want you out of here!”

“Get off your high horse, Jillian! I’m here to tell you I’m going to sue your ass for everything you
think
you’ve got!”

“I believe you missed that opportunity, you jackass! We settled. Now get the hell out of here before I find a pitchfork and—”

“We had a confidentiality agreement, Matlock, and you violated it! And for that you’re going to pay! And pay
large!
”

She couldn’t quite stop the stunned expression that floated across her features. “Huh? I didn’t do any such thing.”

“Oh, yeah, you did. They told me at Intel that word leaked about my… Now, what did they call it? Transgressions! That’s right, transgressions. I didn’t have a real big fan club, they said. And since they weren’t very attached
to me, they invited me to leave. No package, by the way. No one else would have done that! Only you!”

For a second she was shocked. But then she started to laugh. She laughed so hard she doubled over. So, the women Harry wasn’t supposed to mention? They went after him! She straightened and wiped at her teary eyes. “Why, Kurt,” she said, humor in her voice, “is it possible you lied to more people than just me? Possible you used more women than just
moi?
Because I haven’t talked to anyone, Kurt!” She laughed some more. “I’ve been gardening!”

He stepped toward her, his posture and expression threatening. “You lying bitch! You’re nothing but a lying bitch.” And then he shoved her and she stumbled backward a couple of steps. But she recovered and was right back in his face.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Denny said, inserting an arm between the two of them.

Kurt suddenly smiled meanly. “What’s this?” he asked. “You doing the pool boy, Jillian? Just your speed. A liar and a slut!”

She pulled back an arm and slapped him across the face with all her might. He actually moved back from the blow. It left a red patch on his face.

His hand went to his cheek and he wobbled a little bit. “That’s assault and battery! I’m going to file charges and you’re going—”

The back door to the house crashed open and slammed shut, but by the time the noise reached the side yard where they all stood, Colin was upon them. He moved Jillian out of the way, pushed past Denny, grabbed Kurt by the front of his shirt and landed a blow to his face that knocked him three feet back and right on his ass. “No,
that’s
assault and battery,” Colin said, towering
over him. “Want to go a few rounds? You look kind of little, but I could promise to go easy.”

“Seriously,” he said, holding his face and struggling to his feet. He moved backward, out of Colin’s reach. “You’re going to
jail.
”

“Seriously,”
Colin mocked. “You might have a little trouble with that. But, hey, go for it. We’ll hash it out with the sheriff, if you can find him, if he has time to deal with a little bitch slap. Things work a little different out here in the mountains, sweetheart.” He grinned at the slight, blond man. He winked. “They have work to do. They don’t have a lot of time to screw around with little boys and their whining. Out here when men get into it, they just fight.” He raised a hand. “Best of luck, asshole. Now get the fuck out of here before I get mad!”

Kurt took several steps toward his BMW, still holding his cheek and jaw. He turned back toward Jillian and at that moment Colin draped an arm over her shoulders. He was at a safe distance, so he lobbed a few nasty insults. “This guy know you’re just a low-class, blue-collar whore who slept her way up? Just a poor girl who came from nothing and brought it with her?”

Jillian just smiled. She shook her head.

“You’ll regret this, Jillian,” Kurt said. “I’m going to sue you.”

She shrugged. “Knock yourself out.”

“You’ll be sorry.”

“I highly doubt it.”

Once Kurt was gone, Jillian brought Denny into the kitchen. Of course Colin followed, listening.

“You deserve an explanation about that,” she said. “Would you give me a pass on that? It was both per
sonal and professional and… Well, and embarrassing. I misjudged him and it cost me.”

“Sure,” Denny said. “Total pass.”

“Thanks. Here’s what I want to say about your situation. I wouldn’t think of getting in the way of you taking a better position. It would be selfish of me because I have no guarantees for you. I have ideas, of course. Ideas that I might not be able to bring to fruition. When you’re starting a company, or a farm, as the case may be, you always have to fly high and loose. I have to plan to succeed while keeping my alternative options in my vision. And by that I mean—I’m not going to be a fool. The minute this doesn’t seem to be working and I can’t see a solution, I’m not throwing good money after bad. You with me so far?”

“I think so.”

“Okay, I have ideas. I’m buying this property and I’d like to farm ten acres of organic fruits and vegetables, much of it dedicated to specialty items. It’ll take me some more time. It’ll take buyers. But it’s looking like it’s going in the right direction and I’ll continue to develop my line. I don’t want a lot of employees—I’ll want to supervise my own gardens, watch my plants. But I will want a farm manager. If I reached that point tomorrow, that person would be you and the position would come with higher pay, benefits and about as much security as you’d get anywhere. That is to say, job security is always at some risk. After all, I lost a job with a company I helped to build, and I never saw that coming.” She smiled. “You probably had more security with the Marines.”

He smiled back. “You’re not planning to send me to war, are you, Jillian? I’m not going back that way.”

“I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t talk about my plans. I’ll keep you informed, show you my business plan as it
evolves, as I make changes. But it’s sensitive information. Can I count on you to keep it to yourself, Denny?”

“Sure, but—”

She held up a hand. “I only tell you this so you have a few options to weigh. Pretty iffy options, I know. Still, there’s no reason for me to keep that from you—we’ve worked together since March, almost five months. I trust you. If I manage to grow this little farm, you will be my first choice for a manager. But, if you have to follow other opportunities?” She shrugged. “That’s the chance I’m taking.” She leaned toward him. “I have one piece of advice—choose work you love over everything else. Especially over money.”

“Yeah,” he said. He stood up. “I’ll take those veggies into town for you.”

“Want a sandwich before you go?” she asked. “I’ll make you one.”

“No, thanks, Jillian. If I give Preacher food, he’ll give me food.” He smiled at her. “I’ll think about everything.”

“If you get the right phone call, Denny, I understand. That was our agreement from the start.”

Denny gave her a brief salute, then left the house. She watched him from the window as he transferred the vegetables from the wheelbarrow to a couple of boxes and put them in the back of his truck. She still stood in front of the kitchen windows until he’d pulled away. Then she turned toward Colin. “I worked like a mule all day and was holding up pretty well, but the last fifteen minutes did me in. I feel like an eighty-year-old woman.”

He stepped toward her with a smile, wrapping his arms around her waist. “You were great. You didn’t take any of Kurt’s shit.”

“What were my choices? I think I need to get a shower.”

“Sure, but tell me first—when he called you a blue collar whore, you smiled at him. Why in the world would you smile at him?”

“I was never a whore. That would’ve been easy—I was a slave! I worked so hard for Harry, even he couldn’t believe it. But blue-collar? A poor girl who came from nothing?” She chuckled. “Oh, he has no idea! Blue-collar would’ve been a promotion! My nana took in ironing. Me and Kelly—we got free breakfast at school. We were a couple of the poorest kids there and qualified. Nana had food stamps but also did odd chores like wash, sold her vegetables, then later sold some of her canned stuff, always keeping back enough to feed us. She bought our clothes at secondhand shops. Poor? We were so poor, we envied the church mice. On top of that, she was our
great
-grandmother. She was elderly when she got us all. And she was a full-time nurse to our invalid mother.” She shook her head and just laughed. “Honestly, I don’t know where Kurt came from, but he never came from anything as tough as that. Now, I really need a shower.”

“Want someone to wash your back? I mean, since the farm manager has gone to town?”

“Who’s going to wash my back when you’re photographing the Serengeti?”

“I won’t leave without making sure you have a good brush with a long handle.”

J
illian did the logical thing following Kurt’s surprise visit—she called her attorney and reported the threats. “I’ll let you know if I hear anything,” her lawyer said. “But if you haven’t had any contact with him or his new employers, I imagine the threats were empty. And you haven’t talked to anyone at BSS?”

“Just Harry Benedict. He’s a very old friend and we discussed his wife wanting to go on a cruise and my new business venture.”

“Could Kurt Conroy have designs on your new business?” the lawyer asked.

“I doubt it,” she said. “I’ve invested thousands and haven’t earned a dime. And it’s not in software or public relations—I’m growing vegetables.”

The lawyer began to laugh.

“Is this funny?” she asked.

“It’s funny trying to picture Conroy suing you for breach of confidentiality or libel only to win a vegetable garden. I’ll let you know if I hear anything, but I predict you’re safe. And with any luck he’ll invest his settlement money in more attorney fees that bring him no results.”

As a courtesy, Jillian put in a call to Harry. When she
got to the part about Colin decking Kurt, sending him flying through the air and coming up threatening assault and battery, Harry started to laugh so hard he had to hang up and call back when he was under control. When he did finally return the call he said, “You’ve just experienced the true downside to being the CEO, Jillian. Our hands are tied. We’re expected to be professional. I would have loved to punch his lights out. So—did the sheriff show up?”

“Nah. And I’d be real surprised if I hear from Kurt again. He thinks I have a big bodyguard now.”

A little over a week later when Denny brought the wheelbarrow around for Jillian to fill with some fresh picks, she took stock of his expression and said, “Hey, Denny—do we have unfinished business?”

“Huh?”

“Obviously you’re still really struggling with this job thing. Maybe I can help. I can maybe scare up a little more pay for you. I could shop around for some kind of benefit package that would make you feel a little more comfortable. Or I could do for you what Harry did for me—cut you in on the action. A profit share when we make some money—I don’t think we’re that far away. Or—”

“Aw, Jillian, it’s more than the job. I should’ve just told you when I found out. I thought I was going to get right with this, but it just keeps bothering me.”

She felt suddenly alarmed. Something was wrong! “What is it? Tell me!”

“I’m surprised Jack hasn’t said anything to anyone. He’s just letting everyone think everything is the same between us, but—”

“Did you two have a fight or something?”

“No. It’s just that Jack finally remembered all the de
tails about my mom. Turns out he’s not really my father. He was just a good friend of my mom’s, that’s all.”

She just looked at him for a long moment, studying his eyes, the downturn of his mouth. “Denny, Denny… Are you so disappointed?”

“Well, yeah. And maybe a little embarrassed…”

She shook her head. “You don’t have to be embarrassed. It’s not like you made it up. And besides, even if Jack’s not your dad, you two seem to have a real nice relationship. Right?”

“Right,” he said. “Course, a lot of that might be because he thought… You know…”

“Oh, I don’t know about that, Denny. I don’t know Jack real well, but he seems like a genuine guy. Is that what’s got you all upside down about job possibilities?”

“In a way,” he said with a shrug. “See, that was my whole reason for coming up here—to get to know Jack, then tell him. Might be I came up here for nothing.”

“But you said you like it here. You said you like working the garden. And Jack’s not exactly the only friend you’ve made. We’re friends—more than just friends. Colin’s your friend. You’re on good terms with most of the town, aren’t you?”

“Guess so,” he said. “But, you know, I just don’t want to be in the way.”

“You’re not in the way of anything. Lots of us are real grateful you came along. I know what it’s like, you know. To not have much family. I only have my sister—that’s the entire Matlock clan. But I have a lot of good people in my life—you being one.”

“That’s nice of you to say, Jillian….”

“Listen, young man, everyone has their hard knocks and disappointments. Everyone, not just you. I know for you this is a big one, but it might help to wrap your head
around what you
have,
not what’s missing. Because my way of seeing it, you have a lot. And I don’t think Jack would pretend to like you if he didn’t.”

“Probably. I know what you say is right. I might need a little time, but I’m trying.”

She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder; she gave a squeeze. “I’d like you to please try to list me on the ‘have’ side. You’re more than just my handyman, Denny. You’re like a little brother. Like a partner.”

He cracked a smile. It might’ve lacked some of his well-known youthful enthusiasm, but at least it was a smile. “You are definitely on the ‘have’ side, Jillian. I’m real grateful we met.”

“That’s a start,” she said. “Keep working on that.”

Through the end of July Jillian pulled bushels of beautiful, healthy organic vegetables from her huge garden. Some of her first specialty items she sent to Kelly in samples and Kelly was most impressed. Besides a farmer’s market or roadside stand, Jillian had not yet isolated a market, but she was studying the possibilities. And to that end she announced to Colin and Denny over lunch one day, “I’m heading for the state fair. Just for a couple of days. Denny, you should come with me—there are lots of produce competitions and displays. And Colin, there are art competitions and exhibits. And all this is not to even mention junk food and rides.”

“What about the plants?” Denny asked.

“The weather forecast is excellent and they’re hearty—they’ll be fine for two days. This is important. We have to see what the competition is up to.”

“But when?” Denny then asked.

“Tomorrow. We leave at 5:00 a.m.” Then she looked at
Colin and smiled. “Is this train leaving the station without you?”

“Not a chance,” he said.

“That’s what I like to hear. Will you drive? You have plenty of room for the three of us.”

“It would be my pleasure,” he said, giving her a bow.

Jillian and Kelly had gone to the state fair when they were teenagers, but money was too tight, their nana too elderly and mother too infirm for the family to go when they were younger. Once they were driving and had a cheap used car they shared, they were allowed to make the trip to Sacramento together on their own. Then later, when she was an executive, she attended much bigger events than an ordinary old state fair. But always, in her heart, she longed for the thrill of it. She wanted to see Best Of Show horses, bulls, even chickens. She loved the displays of flowers, the clowns, the rides, even the sideshows.

She tried to remain calm and businesslike as she ventured there with her two men—her boyfriend and her assistant—but inside she was giddy as a ten-year-old girl. She felt the excitement rise inside her; it was a bubbling joy. There would be breathtaking flowers, for one thing; at the peak of summer in California everything was in full, glorious bloom. Someone would win a blue ribbon for the biggest cucumber or pumpkin. And this was a dairy state—there would be a lot of cheese, ice cream, shakes and yogurt booths. She remembered a huge cheddar wheel carved into a woman’s face from her last trip to the fair!

Even though she was there for the produce exhibits, she had no intention of missing a thing. She couldn’t contain her enthusiasm once they had parked the car. “We’ll check out the vegetables and flowers, and I want to see the art since I already know how wonderful Colin’s is, but
I can’t wait to see the prizewinning bull! Or the biggest pig! Denny have you ever been to the fair?”

“Can’t say I have, Jillian,” he answered with a chuckle.

“They’ll have everything here. Probably a two-thousand-pound wheel of cheddar, a two-hundred-pound pumpkin, a zucchini that can feed a small town, but then they’ll also have crafts, jewelry, even furniture. This is California—there will be redwood furniture displays. And a huge wine and home brew competition, and wine tasting. But also rides, and contests, and prize booths. If you were here with a girlfriend you’d have to spend your last dollar trying to win her a stuffed dog and by the time you actually get the dog, you’ve spent more than the stupid toy is worth. And we do
not
leave without a ride on the Ferris wheel. Then, since we have more than one day for this excursion, tonight we’ll dance. You’ll be free to actually pick up pretty young girls! As long as you’re ready to hit the fair again bright and early in the morning.”

Denny laughed at her. “Sounds like great fun, Jillian.”

Colin put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him. “I think you should seriously consider motherhood. Or maybe camp director. Or prison guard?”

“I’m not listening to you,” she said. “What I want to come away with, besides a good time, is what they’re growing and entering in competition or putting on exhibit. I want to know the names of the most well-known organic farms and where they’re shipping their fruits and vegetables. I want pictures. I want details.” Then she grinned. “And I want chili, corn dogs, candy floss, popcorn, barbecue and I want to hear some good, live country music.”

Colin looked over her head at Denny. “She’s going to throw up on the Ferris wheel.”

Colin didn’t have compelling reasons for tagging along on the state fair run, however he was leaving soon and didn’t feel like being away from Jilly. And, also because he would soon be gone, he wanted to make her happy while he could. Even the promise of the art exhibit didn’t sway him much, though it should have—it was most impressive and took several hours of his first day there.

However, he was immediately so glad he hadn’t let himself miss this, and not because of the fair, but because of what the fair did to Jilly. It was like taking a little girl in a grown-up costume out on the town. She was animated, fascinated, enthralled. Her face would light up when she saw something unexpected or surprising, and absolutely everything seemed to fill her with awe and delight. The prizewinning hogs made her gasp and laugh; the biggest bull on the property had her peeking out from behind Colin. She almost lost it when Denny, a decorated Marine Corps sharpshooter, couldn’t sink a moving tin duck to win a stuffed toy.

Colin snapped a few pictures of fruit and vegetable displays for her, but then marveled at the focused and engaged way she interviewed those growers she was lucky enough to meet. She had a million questions ranging from business licenses to best markets; sometimes she took notes in her little notebook, but other times she was just thoroughly engaged, listening raptly. That might have been his favorite part, watching her do that.

But no, his favorite part had to be her runaway laughter! If something caught her humor, she let it all go and laughed and giggled like a girl. Her happiness was not only infectious but mesmerizing. It truly glowed from somewhere deep inside her; pure joy lit her up. Her glee while she stomped her foot, clapped her hands and shouted
during a square dancing demonstration was like a runaway train. She was pure child; complete woman.

Then again, watching her concentrate was pretty powerful to him, the way her forehead wrinkled a little bit between her pretty brows, the way she would breathe through her slightly parted lips, completely absorbed.

There were other things that held him hostage. He loved holding her hand as they walked from event to event. Listening to her sing along with the band as they danced under the stars late at night; she was slightly off-key, which seemed perfect. She continually pointed things and people out to him and he was always surprised by her perception. “See that couple over there? She has on a gray tank top and he’s wearing a bright red T-shirt and cowboy hat. They had a fight about something on the way to the fair—they’re miserable.”

“Aw, look at the young lovers! Can’t you tell they’re completely full of each other?”

He was completely full of Jilly.

He felt a nagging urge to call his married brothers and ask, “Is this it? Is it the real thing when you can’t stand to have her out of your sight? Or even four feet away?” He wouldn’t, of course. He wasn’t prepared for the answer. He had a feeling he was going to find out just how real this thing he had with Jilly was when he left her. He thought it might have the impact of a sledgehammer between his eyes.

But he knew he’d have to go, experience his personal truth, or he’d forever wonder.

“When I was a little girl, the state fair was a magic place for me and Kelly,” she said, telling him about their first day there. “It was out of our reach when we were little, so it was like a fantasy that the other kids talked about but we believed we might never experience. We had it so built up in our heads that by the time we finally made
it to the fair, it was like a dream that came to life. Colin, thank you for doing this with me. I think you’re part of the reason the magic was recreated for me. It’s only the third time I’ve ever been to the fair and the best one I’ve ever had.”

“And when you went to the fair as a teenager, did you find a boy to hold your hand, buy you corn dogs until your stomach hurt, dance in the dirt to a country-western band and take you back to the hotel and make love to you for hours?”

“No,” she said with a laugh.

“Then the magic of the fair is just beginning, Jilly.”

It was nine o’clock the following evening before they finally started that five-hour drive home. Denny insisted she take the front seat beside Colin; he was going to nod off in the backseat anyway.

“I hope you got the phone number from that pretty girl you were dancing with,” she told Denny as they all climbed in.

“I have all the phone numbers,” Denny reported.

“I hope you can remember who goes with them,” Colin said with a laugh.

And not long after that brief conversation, Denny was snoring in the backseat and Jilly’s head rested on Colin’s thigh while she slept. Every few moments his hand would drop to her head to run through her silky hair or to her shoulder to caress her arm.