Hanging On (Jessica Brodie Diaries #2)(103)

Adam blew out a big breath. “No, I don’t want the bull. It’s your hard earned money, Jessica. A whim to him ain’t all that dear to his wallet. But it’s all your money. You might be throwing it away, then you’ll have nuthin.”

“Is that what you are worried about? Me being broke?” I laughed and got back to work. “Adam, welcome to the life of the not rich or famous. I work for a living. I’ll just save it up again. Money comes in, and more usually goes out. Like I said, he is worth it, whim or not. Plus, without him buying everything I couldn’t have saved that much, anyway. I think he’ll be excited about it!”

I was getting excited to see his excitement. I was one of those irritating people that loved to give so I could see the expressions of people’s faces when they got what they wanted. Especially as a surprise!

“Well,” Adam said as he got back to work. “If you really want it, I’ll try and help you get it. It’ll take a lotta sweet talkin’ to get that rancher to sell it. He is a stubborn ol’ crow.”

We all got back to shoveling. The sun was setting so we started to work faster. Lump was sweating like a man, Adam starting to smell. I wasn’t as fresh as a daisy, either.

Just as dusk hit, Lump shoveled the last bit into the trough. There was space for about ten horses in this barn—or maybe cows?—but I didn’t see any animals. For fear of more work, I was not going to ask!

“Hey Adam,” I said, joining him in sitting on the tailgate of the truck.

“Yup?”

“Did you really mean it about your car?”

“Course.”

“For reals?”

“What?”

“Well... I have some questions.”

He looked at me, blinking one eye against the last rays of the sun, smiling at my candor. “Shoot.”

“Okay, how much are you talking?”

He got serious. “Well, I reckon I’ll charge you 10% above blue book. Plus sexual slavery.”

“Ew.” I pushed him. He laughed and pulled me into a nuggie, putting his arm around my head like a head lock then rubbing the top of my head with his fist. I pushed him off and punched him in the arm.

“Okay, gross! You stink!”

He laughed harder and laid back in the truck. “You Californian’s are sum’n else.”

“Right. Whatever. We are talking business.”

“Oh sorry.” He put his hands on his chest, laying back. “I don’t know what it is worth, Jess. You can look it up online and give me what you think is fair.”

“Okay. Next. Will you wait until my Christmas bonus?”

“No.”

“Great, I’ll take that as a yes. Now, I probably can’t do it all at once. If I pay you interest, compounded annually, can I pay it off in installments?”

“Compounded semi-annually, and only then with the favors.”

“Dude, you need to get laid.”

He laughed again and sat up. “What’s the point in asking me to do business? You just tell me what you want anyway!”

“Well, I know better than you, obviously. Look, all you’ve done in life is create a prosperous ranch from the ground up. Sure, you might have a few horses and other mangy animals. Okay, you might even have a car or three. Maybe a house. But you haven’t yet come close to the mastery of business and money that I have in my pinkie finger.” I held up my pinkie finger to show him.

“It’s true,” Lump joined in. “I have seen the mastery in action, and it would astound you. She can take something with monetary value, and walk away with it in her possession having paid nothing for it!”

“Exactly. Possession is 9/10’s of the law.”

Adam jumped up and shook his head. He then promptly pushed me off the tailgate so he could close it. I staggered away only to pick up a dirt clod to throw at him.

“Alright ladies, thanks for helpin’. There is plenty to do if you want to come back,” He said with humor.

“Would you mind?” Lump asked seriously.

“Uh...” Adam tried to see her through the growing darkness. “No, if you want. I can’t always be here, but my ranch hand can show you around if you want.”

“Thanks, Adam. I might take you up on that. I need some real work away from the city and all its problems.”

Adam paused for a second. “You gals comin’ to Willie’s for bull ridin’?”

“Yeah, I was supposed to head out there for that. Ty going to be there?” I asked.

“A-yup. How about you, bruiser?” Adam said to Lump. “Wanna get on a bull and see how much a man you really are?”

It was the first time Adam openly joked with Lump. It was nice to see the real Adam around her. I had missed that guy.

“I’m down. I have to grab my strap-on from the car, but I think I can handle it.”

“T.M.I.” Adam shook his head with a grin. “Too. Much. Info all around. See y’all there.”

Once in the car, I thought it time to confront an issue.

“Lump, what’s going on?”

“With what?”

“You aren’t happy. You want to work on a ranch. You just aren’t you. What’s going on?”

She sighed deeply and looked out the window on her left. Brush and trees flew by. “I don’t know, Jessica. Something is missing. I just don’t know what it is. Living with Gladis is fine. It’s a room in a nice house where she treats me well and cooks for me. It’s better than all my past living situations, so that can’t be it.