“Yes,” he confirmed, “although if you're interested in all of them we could probably take a little off.”
She nodded her head and looked down at her paper again. “Well, if you can take about half off, we can talk. Otherwise, I'm afraid you've wasted all of our time today.”
Bo was shocked, but proud of her. He had to turn around so the salesman couldn't see the big smile on his face.
The salesman's eyes opened wide, and he looked at her. “Half?”
“Roughly, yes. “I've priced all those items new and it would cost me roughly $23,500. That's brand new, with a warranty. I'd have to be a fool to pay that kind of money for used. And some of these pieces are very used. The cooler, for instance. You said it looks brand new, but you know as well as I do that that company went out of business eight years ago. That means the newest it could be is nine years old, since they didn't make any coolers their last year in production.”
“I understand what you're saying, and I can see you know what you're talking about here, but I can't possibly come down to half. That would be $9,200. That's a lot of equipment for that price.”
“It is. But it's also used equipment. I've talked to Midstate Equipment and Halloran's. I understand they're further away, but their prices are much lower. Even if I have to rent a truck to haul them in, it would still be worth a trip to look at their equipment.
Bo was so proud of her he was ready to burst. He had to offer his help. “You wouldn't have to rent a truck, honey. Wyatt and I could hook up the stock trailer. Picking them up wouldn't be any problem. If it'll save you a lot of money we can take a day and go to both of them for you.”
“Thank you, Bo. They were both eager to deal, especially if I would be willing to buy that much from them.”
As Bo predicted, his offer helped.
“Well, if you're looking to buy this many pieces of equipment, I can take some off, too. I don't think I can take off half, but how about if I were to take off 35 percent across the board, and I'll check, I may be able to take 40 percent off the figures I gave you on a couple of them.”
Alicia shook her head. “I was serious when I said half off. We can go through one by one if you want, but 40 percent off the prices you gave me would still come to a little over $11,000. Half off your original prices would be $9,200, which is closer to what I had budgeted. I wouldn't want to go over $10,000 for all of it. I’m certain I could get it for that at the other two places, after talking with them.”
The salesman sighed, but nodded. I can do it for $10,000 for all of it.”
“Then we'll come up and look at them,” she said in a matter-of-fact manner.
They talked another couple minutes and they all shook hands before the salesman left. Bo waited until he drove off before taking Alicia in his arms and twirling her around. “This business is going to be successful, I'm sure. I am so proud of you, honey.”
“Thank you. What makes you think my business will be successful?”
“Because you, my pretty lady, have a very good head on your shoulders. I think you'll do just fine. Let me talk to Wyatt and we'll find a day that would be good, and I'll drive you up. We'll bring them home with us and have Chad and his men install them. I already talked to him about it and they can hook them up once we get them there.”
“Thank you, Bo.” She leaned up to give him a kiss on his cheek, but his arms wrapped around her and he pulled her close and gave her a much better kiss.
“You're very welcome, my love. Now, we need to set your opening date and get some publicity out there. Have you given that much thought?”
“Yes, I have,” she said.
He had a big smile on his face. “I'm not at all surprised. What were you thinking?”
They talked about her ideas for an opening date and advertising while he drove them back to the ranch.
The following Monday morning Bo took Alicia to look at the equipment. She was happy with all of it except the walk-in freezer. It was older than she wanted, and larger. She found a newer, smaller one they'd just taken in on trade, though, and they agreed to substitute it, and she agreed on the $10,000 price for all of it. They had men that loaded the equipment onto the truck, and Bo made a phone call and arranged for Chad and his men to meet them at the business site.
They got all the equipment unloaded, and Chad assured them they would get them all installed and ready to go. They stopped at the newspaper and placed a series of ads announcing the grand opening of the business in three weeks. They stopped at the printer's and had the grand opening date added to the announcement they'd already prepared, and had the first installment of them printed off.
She went to town the next day and stopped at all the businesses she could, no matter how large or small they were. She told them about her new business and asked if she could please post one of her fliers on their bulletin board and/or leave enough with them so they could give each employee one with their next paycheck. She was happy with the reception she received. Most businesses were happy to help her, and wished her well. Several, mostly women, said they thought it was a great idea, and asked a few questions about it. The flier included the first week's menus and prices, so she hoped to get some response from all her work.
She was busy that week, making sure the health department was out and did a final inspection, and all her necessary licenses were in place. She then placed her orders for the first week's food, to be delivered the Thursday before they opened.
Everything was going well, and she was getting extremely anxious. And nervous. She had two weeks to go yet and the nerves were starting.
* * *
Friday evening Kayla joined them for supper at the ranch. They planned on going to a movie afterward, but a storm was brewing and it looked like it could be severe. They turned the radio on and listened until they talked about the weather. A severe thunderstorm warning had been issued, along with a tornado watch. They decided to put off their trip to the movie, and stay home.
They found a movie on television they all agreed on and settled in. However, it wasn't long before the movie was interrupted with a weather warning. They went out on the porch and were amazed at how windy it had gotten in such a short time. They went back in and watched television, along with watching out the window. The wind kicked up and the rain came down in sheets, along with lots of lightening and the accompanying thunder.
At one point it got so dark it looked like it was the middle of the night, and got extremely windy. It was very eerie. When it was finally over the men took four-wheelers and went out to check on the cattle and horses, along with the line shacks.
Kayla and Alicia wanted to go, as well, but the men told them to stay put so they knew they were safe.
They started to argue, but Wyatt quickly explained they didn't know what they'd find. If a herd of cattle had been spooked it could be dangerous. As hard as it rained they could also be dealing with some flash flooding.
Kayla started to argue, but he took her in his arms and quietly warned her against it. “Kayla, I don't have time to argue with you right now. I don't know what I'm going to find out there and I want to get going. We have a lot of area to cover before it gets dark. If we do have any problems it will be much easier to deal with if it's still light out so we can see good. It will also help if we know you two are home safe.”
After hearing Wyatt's words, Alicia nodded when Bo looked at her. “I understand now, don't worry. Be careful.”
“Thank you. I will.” He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on her forehead before heading out.
Kayla was still not happy, but had to admit it could be dangerous if the cattle had indeed been spooked into a stampede. They watched television, where they were showing storm damage. Some of the damage in the area was extensive, and the ladies started to worry. They knew the worse it was the more likely it was to spook the animals. Animals also tended to gather under trees when it rained or stormed, which made them more subject to lightening strikes.
The lon
ger they were gone, the more the ladies worried. Kayla especially was getting nervous. She didn't like storms to begin with, and wished they would return soon. The longer they waited, the more anxious she was becoming. Alicia tried to calm her, but her anxiety started to turn to anger. She tried to calm her before Bo and Wyatt got back, but she wasn't having much luck.
The more Kayla paced, the more upset and angry she got. Alicia couldn't get her to stop pacing, but she tried once again to calm Kayla. “Kayla, they're probably still checking on the cattle. They have several herds of cattle in different pastures, you know. They were also going to check on the line cabins, and that would take some time. I'm sure they're fine, or they would have called.”
“Unless cattle were stampeding and they were trampled, or they got washed off by a flash flood.”
Chapter 10
Alicia paused and took a deep breath. She'd already thought of both of those options, but preferred not to ponder them. And she knew Kayla would be better off not thinking too much about them, either. She just had to get her to see that.
“Alicia, they're smart and they're strong. We have to trust them. I think the chance of both of them getting hurt is very small. If one is hurt, the other will call for help if necessary. I truly believe that. It doesn't do us any good to dwell on negative possibilities.”
“Maybe not, but it doesn't do us any good to just sit here, either. If one or both of them is hurt, we need to help them.”
“Kayla, we need to wait here for them. What if they come back here, unharmed, to find us missing? You know as well as I do what they'd do, and I for one am not interested in having a sore butt.”
“But if they're out there hurt, every minute that we sit here wasting time is important. How can you just sit here, knowing they could be out there hurt?”
“Kayla, you're jumping to conclusions. We don't have anything to indicate they could be hurt. You're letting your imagination run away with you.”
“But they've been gone over an hour.”
“Which isn't very long when you consider how big this ranch is. They were going to go and check on several herds of cattle and horses. Then they were going to check on the line shacks. This ranch is huge. It will take some time to accomplish all that.”
“Well, I'm not waiting any longer. I can't. I can't just sit here and do nothing if they need help.”
“Kayla, wait a minute.” Alicia was practically begging, but she didn't care. “What makes you so sure they need help? They haven't been gone long enough to worry yet. I think you're worrying too much.”
“That's your opinion.” She sighed and looked at her friend. “You might be right. Maybe I am worrying too much. But I've been worried since it started storming, and the longer it goes the more I worry. I can't stand it any longer. I'm taking one of the four-wheelers and I'm going out to find them. I'm not asking you to come with me, but I can't sit here any longer. I'm going crazy.” With that, she turned and ran to the barn.
Alicia didn't know what to do. She shouldn't be out there alone, she knew that, but she didn't want to upset Bo, either, and she did understand what the men had said. They would worry if they came home and the girls were both gone. She took out her phone and did the only thing she could think to do; she called Bo.
She wasn't sure he'd answer, but when he did she quickly tried to explain her problem. “Bo, I'm sorry to call and bother you, but Kayla left. She's worried about you and Wyatt and thinks you need our help. She took a four-wheeler and left. I tried to stop her, but I couldn't. I'm sorry. But what should I do now; do you want me to follow her to make sure she's okay, or ask one of the men to follow her, or what?”
“Go out to the shed with the four-wheelers, and wait. I'm going to call the men and see if I can get a couple volunteers to go after her. When they get out there show them which direction she went. Then I want you to go back in the house and wait for us. We're both fine, and I want to know that you are, too. Will you do that, please?”
“Yes, sure.” She ran out to the building with the four-wheelers, feeling guilty. She shouldn't have tattled on Kayla, but she was worried about her out there alone. Bo had talked to her before about the dangers lurking out there, and she believed him. Not only were there wild animals out there, but right now those animals would be upset, scared, possibly driven from their homes by flash floods.
Landon and Coy came running from the bunkhouse and quickly checked the gas on two four-wheelers. While they were getting them ready, Coy asked, “Do you know where she was headed, Alicia?”
“No idea, but I can show you which way she went when she left. I don't know how long you'll be able to see her tracks and be able to follow them, but she went this way.” She pointed to the tracks, and the men got on their machines. “Thanks, and be careful,” she yelled as they left.
She went back to the house to wait and worry. She was happy to see Maria waiting at the door. “What's going on? Where is everyone?”
Alicia explained the situation to Maria, who was instantly worried. “Oh, my. I hope Coy and Landon find her and convince her to come back. I'm sure the men are okay, but I worry about Kayla. And I hope the cattle and horses are okay.”
The two ladies fixed some hot tea, hoping it would help calm them while they waited.
Bo finished his phone call with Alicia and turned to Wyatt. He'd heard Bo's end of the conversation and had an idea what had happened. “She left? What was she thinking? When I find her I'm going to cut a couple switches and stripe her sweet little butt for her.”
“I'm not going to tell you she doesn't deserve something like that, but I think you should listen to her first, my friend. According to Alicia, she was scared. She looked scared to death while it was storming, and people don't always think straight when they're scared. Alicia is afraid of storms due to a bad experience when she was young. I try to stay with her and hold her during them to keep her calm. Is Kayla afraid of storms?”
“She is,” Wyatt admitted, “but the storm was over when we left.”
“But we left right after the storm was over. Maybe she was more scared than we thought, and she needed reassured before we left. I don't know, but I think you need to listen to her before you deal with her.”
Wyatt nodded. “You're right, Bo, and thank you for reminding me of that. But as soon as I find out what made her leave, then I'll turn her over my knee and let her know what I think about her not listening to me when I'm trying to keep her safe.”
Bo chuckled. “I'm glad she's your problem and not mine, my friend. I think Alicia is finally starting to trust me and listen to me when I'm trying to protect her. Now, what do you want to do; let the men follow her, or should we go after her, too?”
Wyatt thought a minute. “I'm going after her, but I think we really should check the last herd of cattle and make sure they're okay, and the last line shack. Do you mind checking them, while I go collect my errant little lady?”
“Not a problem. I'll check in with you when I'm done. If you haven't found her yet I'll join the search.”
“Good plan. We'll meet back at the house.”
The men split up, going in opposite directions. Wyatt took out his phone and called Coy to see where she seemed to be headed. Bo headed toward the last section of the ranch they had to check yet. He found the herd, and most of them were okay.
However, four of them had apparently taken refuge under a tree, and that tree was hit by lightening. The top half of the tree was lying on the ground, not too far from the four cows, but all four were dead. The lightening had gone through the tree, into the ground, and the cows that were standing on the ground. He checked the area further, but those four cows were the only ones he found that were struck by the lightening. He hated that they had lost four, but were happy it wasn't more than that. There could have been many more than four under that particular tree.
Once satisfied there were no other casualties in the area, he went on to the line shack, and was shocked. There was extensive damage to the
shack. He went inside and made a mental note of what all would need to be repaired, and the supplies he'd need to do it.
When he finished, he took out his phone to call Wyatt. “Have you got Kayla?”
“She's following the men back to the barn, and I'm following her. When we get back I'm going to take her on home. We need to have a serious talk. She's got an attitude that I don't understand.”
“It's hard to tell what someone's going to do when they're scared, Wyatt. Talk it out first. Then do what you need to do. Just make sure she's okay and knows why her butt's going to be sore.”
“Yeah, I need to remember that. Thanks for the reminder. Everything okay out there?”
“No, it's not. We have four dead cows under a tree that was hit. The tree is lying beside the cows. When you get back to the barn could you send Austin out on the backhoe, and a couple guys with shovels? We've seen bears and mountain lions out in this area on occasion, and if we don't get these dead cows buried they'll be attracting wildlife right into the pasture with this herd of cattle.”
“Yeah, I'll do that. We don't need to invite unwanted visitors.”
“Thanks. I'll call Alicia and tell her what's up so she doesn't worry.”
“Okay. I'm going to stop in at the house so Kayla can get her purse. I want to thank her for calling you when Kayla left. I appreciate her concern. I'll let her know you'll be coming in later with the other guys.”
Wyatt did just as he said. He took Kayla to the house to get her purse. While she was getting it he thanked Alicia and assured her Bo was okay and with the other men. He gave Kayla time to say good-bye to Alicia and Maria, and ushered her out the door. Both women felt bad for Alicia. It was quite obvious Wyatt was upset with her. Neither of the ladies blamed him for being upset, but they still felt bad for her.
Wyatt and Kayla were quiet on their way to her home. She finally broke the silence. “Wyatt, I'm sorry. I should have stayed at the house.”
Life at the Ranch Page 13
