Read Online Ramsey's Gold (Drake Ramsey Book 1) by Russell Blake - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Russell Blake
Ads: Link
South America, with Jack providing a running commentary throughout the meal. When they were done, Drake insisted on helping Allie with the dishes. He donned a pair of rubber gloves, stood next to her, and dutifully rinsed in the huge double farm sink after she washed.
“That was a wonderful meal, Allie. Thanks again,” he said as he ran water over a plain stoneware plate.
“You’re welcome. It was my pleasure.”
He placed a matching dish in the rack beside him. “What’s it like living on a farm?”
“A ranch. We have sixty head of cattle.”
“Is that how your father earns his living?”
“No, he’s retired. Collects social security and his army pension, and has some savings from his security-business days. He does all right. Has everything he needs – he’s driven the same truck since forever and has lived here for twenty years. Everything’s paid for, and he doesn’t want for anything. It’s not a bad situation.”
“I’ll say. He seems content.”
“I’m not so sure about that, but he’s not hurting. And the ranch gives him something to do. He’d be bored out of his mind just sitting around all day.”
“When did he retire?”
“About five years ago. Sold the company to his employees.”
“You mentioned it did security?”
“That’s right. Based in Austin. Did corporate work and some celebrity and diplomatic stuff. Bodyguards, that sort of thing.”
“I wouldn’t think there’d be a huge demand for that in Austin.”
“You’d be surprised. And he was statewide. Did a lot down in Houston. Some in Dallas and San Antonio, too. It was a good living. Enabled him to pay off the ranch and put me through school, and still retire at fifty. Not a terrible deal.”
“No, not bad at all. What did you major in?”
“Archeology, believe it or not. I should have taken a harder look at what being an archeologist pays, though, before I put in all the work. And maybe considered how many slots there are any given year for each wave of new grads.”
“No luck?”
“Not even a bite. I’ve been out of school for three years, beating my head against the wall. I finally wound up doing clerical work to make ends meet. Dad invited me back home when he heard about it. He said I could do just as well applying for positions from here as from my apartment in Austin. Basically, I was just working to pay for the rent, my car, and my expenses. By the time the tax man took a bite and I’d fed myself each month, I was back to square one.”
“I know that feeling.”
“It sucked having to move home, but what was the point in working at a job I hated just to run in place? Now I do some bookkeeping for a few of the businesses in town, and freelance on research jobs whenever they come up over the web. Way less stress, and I’ve got more to show for it in the end. The only part that doesn’t sit well with me is having to live with my dad, which makes me feel like a loser sometimes.”
“You shouldn’t. A lot of people are in the same position. I probably contacted every paper in the country looking for a gig, with no takers. The last few years haven’t been kind.”
“You can say that again. And he was right about one thing – I have a lot more time to apply for jobs, maybe ten positions a week. It’s only a matter of persistence until something pops.”
“What about teaching? Can’t you do that?”
“I’m not interested in regurgitating what I learned for a living quite yet. I’d hoped to work for a museum or, better yet, in the field on a dig somewhere. Right now that’s just a dream.” She gave him a sidelong glance. “What about you? Are you thinking about going to South America and following in your dad’s footsteps?”
Drake stopped rinsing and turned to her. “What?”
Allie gave him a small smile. “What, what? Don’t tell me it didn’t occur to you.”
“It actually hadn’t. I don’t do stuff like that. It’s crazy. Plus, how would I even go about it? I don’t
“That was a wonderful meal, Allie. Thanks again,” he said as he ran water over a plain stoneware plate.
“You’re welcome. It was my pleasure.”
He placed a matching dish in the rack beside him. “What’s it like living on a farm?”
“A ranch. We have sixty head of cattle.”
“Is that how your father earns his living?”
“No, he’s retired. Collects social security and his army pension, and has some savings from his security-business days. He does all right. Has everything he needs – he’s driven the same truck since forever and has lived here for twenty years. Everything’s paid for, and he doesn’t want for anything. It’s not a bad situation.”
“I’ll say. He seems content.”
“I’m not so sure about that, but he’s not hurting. And the ranch gives him something to do. He’d be bored out of his mind just sitting around all day.”
“When did he retire?”
“About five years ago. Sold the company to his employees.”
“You mentioned it did security?”
“That’s right. Based in Austin. Did corporate work and some celebrity and diplomatic stuff. Bodyguards, that sort of thing.”
“I wouldn’t think there’d be a huge demand for that in Austin.”
“You’d be surprised. And he was statewide. Did a lot down in Houston. Some in Dallas and San Antonio, too. It was a good living. Enabled him to pay off the ranch and put me through school, and still retire at fifty. Not a terrible deal.”
“No, not bad at all. What did you major in?”
“Archeology, believe it or not. I should have taken a harder look at what being an archeologist pays, though, before I put in all the work. And maybe considered how many slots there are any given year for each wave of new grads.”
“No luck?”
“Not even a bite. I’ve been out of school for three years, beating my head against the wall. I finally wound up doing clerical work to make ends meet. Dad invited me back home when he heard about it. He said I could do just as well applying for positions from here as from my apartment in Austin. Basically, I was just working to pay for the rent, my car, and my expenses. By the time the tax man took a bite and I’d fed myself each month, I was back to square one.”
“I know that feeling.”
“It sucked having to move home, but what was the point in working at a job I hated just to run in place? Now I do some bookkeeping for a few of the businesses in town, and freelance on research jobs whenever they come up over the web. Way less stress, and I’ve got more to show for it in the end. The only part that doesn’t sit well with me is having to live with my dad, which makes me feel like a loser sometimes.”
“You shouldn’t. A lot of people are in the same position. I probably contacted every paper in the country looking for a gig, with no takers. The last few years haven’t been kind.”
“You can say that again. And he was right about one thing – I have a lot more time to apply for jobs, maybe ten positions a week. It’s only a matter of persistence until something pops.”
“What about teaching? Can’t you do that?”
“I’m not interested in regurgitating what I learned for a living quite yet. I’d hoped to work for a museum or, better yet, in the field on a dig somewhere. Right now that’s just a dream.” She gave him a sidelong glance. “What about you? Are you thinking about going to South America and following in your dad’s footsteps?”
Drake stopped rinsing and turned to her. “What?”
Allie gave him a small smile. “What, what? Don’t tell me it didn’t occur to you.”
“It actually hadn’t. I don’t do stuff like that. It’s crazy. Plus, how would I even go about it? I don’t
Similar Books
