Read Online Gone to Green by Judy Christie - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Judy Christie
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down here in Louisiana. Where is that you’re from again? Illinois? Or was it Michigan?” He didn’t pause, and I realized he didn’t care where I was from. “I met that friend of yours—the one who bought the paper. Seemed like a nice enough fellow. Sorry about your loss. What you think about our little community?”
I waited to answer, not sure if he would interrupt me again. “Speak up, girl,” he said, shocking me with his arrogance.
“Green's a nice place,” I said. “I look forward to getting to know more about it and the people here.”
“What are your plans?” he asked. “You heading out in a few days?”
The question startled me, and I glanced at Lee Roy, who watched intently for my response.
Suddenly it hit me. Lee Roy expected me to leave town and let him run the paper. He planned on it. Major Wilson knew and expected it too.
“Oh no,” I said. “I’ve moved to Green. I’ll be here for quite a while. I’m eager to work with you and help with your advertising needs. I want to do what I can for Bouef Parish.”
Lee Roy made a choking sound and set down his Sprite. “Went down the wrong way,” he said. He pulled out his handkerchief, wiped his mouth, and then blotted a spill on his pristine shirt.
The next hour passed slowly, with me on the edge of the leather wingback I had chosen and Lee Roy slumped on the end of an overstuffed couch.
“Bouef Parish is a fine place to call home,” Major said, “but it isn’t the easiest place to do business, or to be in politics, for that matter. You can’t please some people. They’ll tell you they want things to be different but then tell you they don’t like change. They don’t get how tough it is to move things forward.”
“You do a good job,” Lee Roy jumped in. “You’ve worked wonders in this town. You turned the real estate market around and got us that highway. Didn’t let yourself be railroaded by those naysayers. You got that paper mill to come here too.”
Suddenly Lee Roy turned toward me. “Make sure you don’t get in his way. Major makes things happen. He is a true patriot too. A fine fellow.” His speech sounded like he was trying to sell me on a potential blind-date candidate.
“We get it done, don’t we, Roy?” Major asked, winking as he said it.
I had digested about all of Major that I could. “We better be going. We’ve got another stop to make today,” I said. “I can’t wait to watch you in action, Major. Learn how it's done.” I was not above sucking up to this guy if it made my life easier.
“Linder,” Major yelled suddenly. “Get Miss Lois here one of our coffee mugs and a calendar.”
“Yes, sir,” she said, hopping up so quickly her chair rolled back and hit the fax machine. She scrambled over to a metal cabinet and pulled the items out. It had been awhile since I had seen someone move that quickly to follow a boss's order. “Here you go, ma’am.”
“It's Lois, Linda. Thanks. I look forward to seeing you again. Maybe I could buy you lunch one day.”
As Lee Roy and I got in the car, I had to ask. “What's his story?”
My ad director, circulation manager, and apparently owner-wannabe shrugged, as though deciding if he could be bothered to answer.
“The usual. Major's an important guy in town—a power broker. You know he owns the Chevy dealership out on the edge of town and he's got his real estate business. He developed some real nice subdivisions for Green. Helps the area, helps the paper. He ran for office about a dozen years ago and decided he likes that too. Does everything and is a heckuva golfer. Been friends with the McCullers for years.”
He stopped, pursed his lips, and looked as though he didn’t know if he had said too little or too much. I wanted to know more, especially about Lee Roy's relationship with Major, but at this point I didn’t want to be too obvious.
“Is that his
I waited to answer, not sure if he would interrupt me again. “Speak up, girl,” he said, shocking me with his arrogance.
“Green's a nice place,” I said. “I look forward to getting to know more about it and the people here.”
“What are your plans?” he asked. “You heading out in a few days?”
The question startled me, and I glanced at Lee Roy, who watched intently for my response.
Suddenly it hit me. Lee Roy expected me to leave town and let him run the paper. He planned on it. Major Wilson knew and expected it too.
“Oh no,” I said. “I’ve moved to Green. I’ll be here for quite a while. I’m eager to work with you and help with your advertising needs. I want to do what I can for Bouef Parish.”
Lee Roy made a choking sound and set down his Sprite. “Went down the wrong way,” he said. He pulled out his handkerchief, wiped his mouth, and then blotted a spill on his pristine shirt.
The next hour passed slowly, with me on the edge of the leather wingback I had chosen and Lee Roy slumped on the end of an overstuffed couch.
“Bouef Parish is a fine place to call home,” Major said, “but it isn’t the easiest place to do business, or to be in politics, for that matter. You can’t please some people. They’ll tell you they want things to be different but then tell you they don’t like change. They don’t get how tough it is to move things forward.”
“You do a good job,” Lee Roy jumped in. “You’ve worked wonders in this town. You turned the real estate market around and got us that highway. Didn’t let yourself be railroaded by those naysayers. You got that paper mill to come here too.”
Suddenly Lee Roy turned toward me. “Make sure you don’t get in his way. Major makes things happen. He is a true patriot too. A fine fellow.” His speech sounded like he was trying to sell me on a potential blind-date candidate.
“We get it done, don’t we, Roy?” Major asked, winking as he said it.
I had digested about all of Major that I could. “We better be going. We’ve got another stop to make today,” I said. “I can’t wait to watch you in action, Major. Learn how it's done.” I was not above sucking up to this guy if it made my life easier.
“Linder,” Major yelled suddenly. “Get Miss Lois here one of our coffee mugs and a calendar.”
“Yes, sir,” she said, hopping up so quickly her chair rolled back and hit the fax machine. She scrambled over to a metal cabinet and pulled the items out. It had been awhile since I had seen someone move that quickly to follow a boss's order. “Here you go, ma’am.”
“It's Lois, Linda. Thanks. I look forward to seeing you again. Maybe I could buy you lunch one day.”
As Lee Roy and I got in the car, I had to ask. “What's his story?”
My ad director, circulation manager, and apparently owner-wannabe shrugged, as though deciding if he could be bothered to answer.
“The usual. Major's an important guy in town—a power broker. You know he owns the Chevy dealership out on the edge of town and he's got his real estate business. He developed some real nice subdivisions for Green. Helps the area, helps the paper. He ran for office about a dozen years ago and decided he likes that too. Does everything and is a heckuva golfer. Been friends with the McCullers for years.”
He stopped, pursed his lips, and looked as though he didn’t know if he had said too little or too much. I wanted to know more, especially about Lee Roy's relationship with Major, but at this point I didn’t want to be too obvious.
“Is that his
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