anything besides pie?”
“I like pie,” he said, still laughing.
“I’ll keep that thought in the back of my head, but I need a serious answer.”
“You could get some gift baskets from the shop in town, that’d be nice.”
“Wouldn’t everyone know how much I spent then?”
“Nah, the owner’s a nice lady, and she’s discreet. She’s got a catalog you can look at.”
“Thanks, Swick, that sounds like a plan,” I agreed. “I’ll give my guys a bonus though.”
“How much you thinking?”
“Hadn’t gotten that far yet.”
“Keep in mind these guys don’t make as much as your other employees,” he said carefully. “They wouldn’t get the same type of bonus.”
“Are you saying I should give them more than my other employees or less?”
“I’m just saying, they did a few extra hours of work, don’t give them too much more than that. It’s not like they get paid hourly anyways,” he answered.
“I got you, thanks.”
“Not a problem,” he said, standing, “I’m going to eat and run. I’m getting a little old for these late-night parties.”
“Yeah, nine at night really is late.” I snickered as he headed inside. After that I was so far in my own head, I barely noticed people leaving and saying good-bye to me.
Finally I realized Nate was standing in front of me handing me a glass. When I realized it was about four shots of Jägermeister, I chugged the whole thing. “Where’s the bottle?”
“Jesus, Kate! You don’t drink enough to down four shots of that shit,” Nate replied in shock.
“Tonight I do,” I said darkly, daring him to disagree.
“No, you don’t. Everyone’s gone except the ranch hands. You feel like talking with them tonight?”
“No,” I answered. “Invite them to the house for breakfast, and I’ll talk to them then.”
“Okay, Kate,” he whispered and walked away, shaking his head. After another twenty minutes or so I heard all the workers head out of the house and watched them walk towards the bunkhouse. I headed inside, locking the door behind me, and went into the kitchen. Without a word, I found the bottle of alcohol, poured myself another few shots, and downed them.
“Kate, how much have you had to drink tonight?” Jamie asked quietly.
“Four shots of whiskey and that makes what, about seven shots of Jäger?” I replied.
“Kate, you’re going to be sick soon,” Nate said to me.
“Probably,” I agreed, grabbing the bottle again. “At least I’ll feel something then.” I poured a few more shots, but before I could drink it down, Nate grabbed the glass and the bottle from me.
“Enough, Kate,” he ordered sternly.
“I’ll say when it’s enough,” I growled.
“I’m not going to fight with you, Kate, but I’m not going to watch you get yourself sick either.”
“What’s the plan for tomorrow, Kate?” Jamie asked, always the peacemaker. “You said you had something to talk to us about too.”
“Yeah,” I said, taking a deep breath. “I left a few things out. I needed some time to process.”
“You ready to tell us now?” Nate inquired softly.
“There’s a stipulation in the will, I can’t sell the ranch for a year, if I try to Kyle gets it.”
“So? You want the ranch, you always have,” Jamie said in a questioning voice.
“It also says if something happens to me in that year, Kyle gets the ranch. After seeing him today, would you put it past him to try and make something happen to me?” I turned, seeing both their shocked expressions… I had my answer. When Nate put down the glass and bottle, I grabbed the glass and gulped it down. Nate opened the bottle and drank a few shots’ worth and handed it to Jamie. She did the same. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
“Is there more?” Jamie asked.
“Yup! Gramp set up a trust for Kyle that I’m in charge of. Fifty grand a year or at my discretion he can take out a larger amount, if he wants to buy a house or something. Something happens to me,
“I like pie,” he said, still laughing.
“I’ll keep that thought in the back of my head, but I need a serious answer.”
“You could get some gift baskets from the shop in town, that’d be nice.”
“Wouldn’t everyone know how much I spent then?”
“Nah, the owner’s a nice lady, and she’s discreet. She’s got a catalog you can look at.”
“Thanks, Swick, that sounds like a plan,” I agreed. “I’ll give my guys a bonus though.”
“How much you thinking?”
“Hadn’t gotten that far yet.”
“Keep in mind these guys don’t make as much as your other employees,” he said carefully. “They wouldn’t get the same type of bonus.”
“Are you saying I should give them more than my other employees or less?”
“I’m just saying, they did a few extra hours of work, don’t give them too much more than that. It’s not like they get paid hourly anyways,” he answered.
“I got you, thanks.”
“Not a problem,” he said, standing, “I’m going to eat and run. I’m getting a little old for these late-night parties.”
“Yeah, nine at night really is late.” I snickered as he headed inside. After that I was so far in my own head, I barely noticed people leaving and saying good-bye to me.
Finally I realized Nate was standing in front of me handing me a glass. When I realized it was about four shots of Jägermeister, I chugged the whole thing. “Where’s the bottle?”
“Jesus, Kate! You don’t drink enough to down four shots of that shit,” Nate replied in shock.
“Tonight I do,” I said darkly, daring him to disagree.
“No, you don’t. Everyone’s gone except the ranch hands. You feel like talking with them tonight?”
“No,” I answered. “Invite them to the house for breakfast, and I’ll talk to them then.”
“Okay, Kate,” he whispered and walked away, shaking his head. After another twenty minutes or so I heard all the workers head out of the house and watched them walk towards the bunkhouse. I headed inside, locking the door behind me, and went into the kitchen. Without a word, I found the bottle of alcohol, poured myself another few shots, and downed them.
“Kate, how much have you had to drink tonight?” Jamie asked quietly.
“Four shots of whiskey and that makes what, about seven shots of Jäger?” I replied.
“Kate, you’re going to be sick soon,” Nate said to me.
“Probably,” I agreed, grabbing the bottle again. “At least I’ll feel something then.” I poured a few more shots, but before I could drink it down, Nate grabbed the glass and the bottle from me.
“Enough, Kate,” he ordered sternly.
“I’ll say when it’s enough,” I growled.
“I’m not going to fight with you, Kate, but I’m not going to watch you get yourself sick either.”
“What’s the plan for tomorrow, Kate?” Jamie asked, always the peacemaker. “You said you had something to talk to us about too.”
“Yeah,” I said, taking a deep breath. “I left a few things out. I needed some time to process.”
“You ready to tell us now?” Nate inquired softly.
“There’s a stipulation in the will, I can’t sell the ranch for a year, if I try to Kyle gets it.”
“So? You want the ranch, you always have,” Jamie said in a questioning voice.
“It also says if something happens to me in that year, Kyle gets the ranch. After seeing him today, would you put it past him to try and make something happen to me?” I turned, seeing both their shocked expressions… I had my answer. When Nate put down the glass and bottle, I grabbed the glass and gulped it down. Nate opened the bottle and drank a few shots’ worth and handed it to Jamie. She did the same. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
“Is there more?” Jamie asked.
“Yup! Gramp set up a trust for Kyle that I’m in charge of. Fifty grand a year or at my discretion he can take out a larger amount, if he wants to buy a house or something. Something happens to me,
Similar Books
