Lacey

“NO, MA’AM, I NEED delivery as soon as humanly possible,” I told the lady on the phone. I learned a long time ago that having money and being polite were the tools every person needed to get their own way. “I’m struggling here without life’s necessities and I’ll pay whatever you need.” I had spent the remainder of the weekend investigating the small cottage I lived in and had slept two nights in a sleeping bag. I had been a girl scout, so it wasn’t all bad, but I was ready for a bed.

I’d ordered a bed. The other furniture in the room looked to be antique and sturdy so that was fine. The bed was not fine. I had ventured out of town on Sunday and found a town forty miles over that had a Target and I managed to get some decent sheets, towels and other things considered luxuries in these parts. Luckily the cottage had a washing machine, but no dryer. Instead, an old-fashioned clothesline was tacked up outside between an outhouse and the back door. I’d bought pegs and been using that to dry my new sheets. The WiFi was installed as requested on the Saturday, so I had a home office up and running so I could keep my investment work flowing.

The bed I had ordered online was not going to be delivered until Wednesday and so I was calling to expedite it, so I didn’t have to ruin my new sheets by placing them on the dilapidated bed. I had also cleaned the place. I got back mid-afternoon Sunday from my shopping trip and began fumigating the place. It was strangely soothing, and I found myself feeling satisfied as I swept through the place and bleached it within an inch of its life.

The place needed a lick of paint and I would have to buy a new sofa though nothing extravagant, and I thought the bathroom could use some work, but generally now the cottage was clean it didn’t look half bad. I called the bed store and managed to get my delivery moved to the next day and by nine p.m. I was sitting out on the small veranda drinking a glass of ice-cold rosé. The next day I’d start looking at the accounts then move around the farm—meet the employees and start to examine if I could make any changes to improve profits. The little cottage would be an excellent place to use as a base when I visited in the future and could maybe even become a rental, people loved quaint views in middle America.

“Hey!” I looked up from my wine and was surprised to see a teenage girl appear from the shadows. It made me jump, and I reached for my cell in case I needed to call for help. I relaxed when I saw her. “You must be the owner,” she added, her eyes were narrowed and her body language was guarded. She had the potential to be a stunner but instead she wore all black: shorts and a t-shirt that had some grungy band emblazoned on the front. Her long, dark hair curtained her face, but I saw piercing blue eyes from underneath.

“Yes,” I stood and brushed off my sweats and I moved to step down the porch towards her. I must have looked like hell, I’d probably ruined my matching Victoria's secret underwear set by sweating like a member of a chain gang. I was wearing a workout vest and had tied my hair into a knot on top of my head.  “Lacey Davenport.” I told her as I walked onto the grass at the front of the cottage barefoot.

“Sara,” she said simply but not stepping any closer.

“What is a young girl doing out at this time of night?” I asked. I knew she must live nearby if she knew I was the owner.

“I’m fourteen, I’m not a little kid,” she added surly.

“Right,” I nodded, “I see that, so your parents don’t mind you roaming out late?”

She stepped a little closer, “My brother is Alex Miller,” she nodded like I should know who he was and of course I did. That guy hated me that was for sure, “Emmie-Lou is my mom.”

The lady who sold me the farm, so Sara clearly lived up at the big house with her family, “Do they know you’re out?”

She shrugged, “I do what I like.”

“Uh huh,” I laughed and moved back to sit on the steps leading up to the porch. “I remember those days,” I smiled at the thought, “I ran my parents ragged when I was fourteen, going to parties I was too young for and waiting for my first love to arrive and take me away from it all.” I sighed at the drama.

“How old are you?” she asked bluntly, and I let a quick laugh escape at her frankness.

“How old do I look?” she walked to the steps and sat down next to me. She turned and studied my face.

“Hard to tell,” she narrowed her pretty eyes, “you probably use fancy creams on your face made of the tears of virgins or something.”

I laughed again, this kid was hilarious. “I’m twenty-eight.” I told her.

“Boyfriend?” she asked.

“Husband,” I told her, flattening my lips and nodding, “but we’re separated, soon to be divorced.”

“Why?” her questions were like a quick-fire question round interview, no sympathy just more questions. I hadn’t been around kids for so long that I forgot how blunt they were.

“I guess we thought we wanted the same things and... it turned out we didn’t.” I shrugged.

“That’s rough,” she sighed. “I better get going, if my brother checks my room he’ll go mental.” She stood and rolled her eyes.

“I thought you could do what you wanted?” I smirked. “Should I run you up to the big house?” I asked, standing too.

“No, see you around, Lacey,” she waved and then began to run and disappeared into the dark. Tomorrow I would meet the rest of the farm’s inhabitants, and I hoped they were more welcoming than Alex Miller.

 

“Mom, please. I told you I was coming out here for a few weeks,” I rolled my eyes as I poured coffee from the new machine I’d managed to buy at Target.

“Lacey, I know you hate it when I interfere but I’m worried for you. First you and Bryan separate and then you quit your job and now you’re in... Montana.” Her voice rose significantly throughout the sentence to end in a high pitch crescendo and the way she said Montana was as if it were a dirty word.

“Mom, I’m a grown woman,” I said keeping my tone light. I didn’t need more inquisition so sighing was not going to work here.

“Lacey, you had a huge wedding, and it seemed the perfect life and now... it’s just gone?” I knew she was worried.

“Yes, Mom, but I didn’t want to stay in an unhappy marriage for the sake of it and I’m spending my time here looking for something I want to do.” I tried to reassure her. “Is there not something Ethan is doing that can overshadow me living my life, for goodness sakes?”

My brother Ethan was the saving grace when it came to most of the stunts I pulled. He was eight years younger than me, had suffered with ADHD as a little kid and spent high school in detention. He didn’t do college and instead became an electrical apprentice. He knocked his girlfriend up last year. They had a little boy, Rhodes, and were currently ‘on a break’.

“Lacey, you’re my good girl. I’m not sure I can deal with two kids constantly falling apart.” She sighed.

“Mom, I’m good, stop!” I needed to get moving if I wanted to get a tour of the farm and see every facet of the workings. “I need to get motoring. I’ll call you later? We can Skype.”

“Your dad will be happy, he left for work already. I have Rhodes today as Carey has started a college course.”

“Oh good for her,” I said, and I meant it. She needed to do something besides be the teenage mother of my nephew. “Bye, Mom.”

I grabbed my stuff. I’d been to the farm before when I met Emma-Louise and she showed me around so I was pretty sure I could find the office. I decided to dress down. In New York I’d be wearing one of my fitted dresses but here I knew pants was best and June in Montana was hot as hell so I chose a pair of boyfriend style grey slacks and a tailored black vest. Tying my hair back into a sleek ponytail I checked myself in the shabby bathroom mirror as I applied my MAC makeup. It made me miss home. Not the bullshit, just my things.

I wanted to do this and then I’d be home. I slipped into my new Valentino pumps that I loved and shook myself, I would check things out and improve profitability. I drove over to the big house, parked up behind a pile of cars and walked toward the back of the place where I knew a two-story log built office block was situated. However, as I walked past the house, I heard a ton of noise coming from behind the building. It was barely nine and so I had no idea what it was but as I turned the corner I was faced with two long wooden tables that had benches of people filling them, eating breakfast food that was piled up in the middle of the table.

I stood at the end of the house and looked onto the setup and was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered myself.

“Hey there,” I looked over to see a short, older lady with a rotund figure and a red apron covering her clothes waving. She had short, curly white hair and a smile that was a mile wide. She wiped her hands on her apron and walked towards me. I glanced around and caught Alex’s eye who was on a seat near where I stood but didn’t move. “I’m Mabel,” she held her hand out for me to shake and I shook it with a huge grin.

“Hello Mabel, I’m Lacey, I...”

“You’re the owner, oh Alex did say you were staying but I guess if I’d have known it would be so soon, I’d have cleaned up the old gamekeeper's cottage,” she shrugged. “Sorry. He told me this morning you arrived Friday night.”She turned and motioned for me to follow, “we’ve had a weekend off this weekend,” she turned back mid-stride and grinned, “big harvest last week.”

I nodded like I knew what she was talking about, “Take a seat.” She motioned to where Alex sat and he acknowledged me with a surly nod between shoveling cereal into his mouth. He was an extremely handsome man, it was hard to deny, but I had yet to see him smile. I liked my men to have a wicked grin and be into me, this guy was neither of these things.  Those weird greeny-blue eyes made his face pop and today he wore stubble that made him look a little more rugged. He was tall and strong which I could see as his biceps bulged under his t-shirt whilst he was hunched over the bowl of cereal.

“Can I get you something?” Mabel asked, “we start work at six am and so the whole staff have breakfast together between eight thirty and nine fifteen. We have pastries, pancakes, bacon, eggs?” she asked.

“Just coffee would be great,” I told her.

“She’s not a servant, we all serve ourselves round here,” Alex gruffed out.

I immediately felt terrible for my presumption, “Oh, Mabel, I’m so sorry,” I turned to the woman who was shorter than me. Not many people were, but I guess my heels helped. 

“No,” she waved her hand to me, “I asked and you have no idea where things are because no one told you.” She widened her eyes and shook her head glaring at Alex. “Be nice.” She warned.

I took an empty place opposite where Alex sat and leveled my arms on the table, “You know I’m not the enemy here, right?” I told him, “I bought something that was for sale.”

“We needed an investor, not a babysitter,” he gave me a hard stare, and I blew out a breath.

“If you think anyone would drop a million and a half bucks without protecting their assets, then let them step forward.” I pursed my lips at him and leaned forward on the table again, my ponytail swinging onto my shoulder as I did. “Do not be fooled, Alex Miller. I may look like a princess but I finished second in my class behind a guy who was borderline autistic with a photographic memory. I make more money an hour that you make a year and I’m not above replacing what doesn’t work for me with what does.”

He glared at me, but his hard stare did not show a crack of fear, this guy was tough. “You think you and I will become friends?” he scoffed and shook his head, “you think you can run this place without the staff who know it like the back of their hands?”

“I’m hoping I don’t have to,” I said calmly, “but I didn’t get where I am worrying about what works for everyone else.” Just then Mabel placed coffee and cream in front of me. “Thank you so much,” I told her with a polite smile.

“You’re so welcome,” she told me, “sugar is on the table.”

“Thanks,” I smiled as she walked away and glanced back to Alex who regarded me with surly, narrowed eyes and had sucked his bottom lip into his mouth.

“You are a piece of work,” he shook his head. “What do you want?”

I nodded at his concession. “I want to meet the staff, see the books and look at how we can improve things, then I’m gone.” I leveled with him and he nodded. “When is your mom back?”

He bristled at my last question and lifted his eyes to mine, “She’s sick.”

I took a breath, “Right, is it serious?”

He nodded, “It’s not life threatening for now but she needs treatment.”

“Right,” I nodded, we could revisit that later. Emma-Louise Miller was paid a small fortune as the manager of this place and her expertise came with that. I needed to know what her condition was and to make sure she didn’t receive full pay whilst she was recovering from it.

After my coffee and Alex’s cereal the place started to filter out. Alex didn’t spend any time introducing me to anyone, and I felt like a condom at an abstinence ball. I looked like a New Yorker in a sea of relaxed country folk and I felt every inch the outsider. The outfit had been a mistake, and the heels had taken my mistake and jammed it in the eye of faux pas. Just as Alex was standing, and I was with him—watching his every move as he still wasn’t giving much away—an older man sat down on the bench next to where I had sat. The bench creaked under his weight. He had a huge belly that was straining out of his blue t-shirt, a bald head and a welcoming smile.

“Hey there,” he stuck his hand out for me and I bent to shake it, “Eric.” He nodded, his brown eyes crinkling at the corners. “Lived in this farm since I left school, Alex’s grandpa taught me everything he knew.”

Alex nodded, “in fact Eric’d be good to show you around.” He smiled tightly at his new great idea.

“Thank you but I’d like to get started in the office,” I said calmly.

“Well, I’d be happy to give you a guided tour,” Eric nodded to me, “do you ride?”

“Horses?” I clarified, and I heard Alex grunt out a badly concealed laugh.

“Sure,” I narrowed my eyes at Alex. “I took lessons when I was a kid.”

“Dressage?” Alex asked, and I shook my head.

“I am very familiar with difficult stallions,” I grinned. “Eric, great to meet you and thank you so much for the offer but maybe later when I have more suitable footwear?”

Alex shook his head, “Do you even own a pair of boots?”

“Cowboy boots?” I asked confused.

“Anything that covers your whole foot and does not have heels,” he told me like I was dumb. “That would do.”

I took a deep breath and smiled, refusing to let him ruffle me, “I have some chucks.” I shrugged, “I can get boots.”

Eric laughed heartily on the bench seat and watched our exchange, “You’ll have no trouble buying boots round here, there ain’t much call for girly shoes.”

“Come on,” Alex nodded to the wooden two story that was a good twenty feet from where we stood, “the sooner we get started...”

“The sooner I’m gone?” I finished for him but he didn’t respond. He whistled and suddenly a huge, brown dog appeared by his side and panted as he flanked Alex’s steady steps. I struggled to keep up with him in my heels. As I followed, I noticed how tall he was. He was over six foot easily and towered over me even in heels, and his upper body was broad like he was no stranger to hard work, living on a farm that had to be right.

I tottered to the office and up the stairs and decided to relax the workwear the next day. Alex led me to an office and inside introduced me to the hub of the farm: Johnny, Juan and Helen.

“Alex and I went to school together from kindergarten to senior year,” Johnny grinned, “so I know what an awkward son of a bitch he can be.” Alex sighed and shook his head.

“Take a seat,” Alex motioned to a spare desk that sat next to his, “stay professional,” he warned Johnny and the guy just laughed.

“If you want professional, don’t hire your best buddy,” Johnny seemed relaxed where Alex refused to be. He had light, brown hair that was styled rather than wayward like Alex’s. He had dark eyes and a teasing smile. The guy was shorter than Alex and a little rounder in the middle. I had no idea how he and Alex were a match, but the evidence was there.

“I didn’t hire you, you just never left after high school,” he scoffed, “it was either work here, the diner or be unemployed.”

“You know I have the smarts, dude,” Johnny teased, “life is my college. I bet you did college huh, Lacey?” Johnny asked with a smirk.

“Sure did,” I smiled. These guys had no idea how much I did college and how much I was itching to get into the figures and rip this place apart. It would get more efficient and I would drag these yokels with me kicking and screaming.

“You got a family?” Helen asked tentatively from her corner of the office. She was a mouse of a woman: petite with glasses; a bob with bangs; and wearing a pastel, floral shirt tucked into stonewash jeans. I guessed she wasn’t much older than me.

“Just me in NYC,” I said brightly, “my folks and brother live in Wisconsin. You?” I asked her.

“I got four boys,” she shrugged, “twins and to younger ones.”

I nodded. I didn’t give a shit about her kids. Juan stayed quiet and watched as we spoke; he was wary of me just as Alex was and rightly so. “Who usually sits here?” I asked Helen and she widened her eyes in surprise.

“Um, Emmie-Lou,” she glanced to Alex and he quickly jumped up.

“Let’s get started,” he coughed awkwardly, and the others turned back to their work. 

 

Later as Alex showed me the monthly statistics, the processes and computer systems they used I listened intently. “Did you look at the paperwork I gave you?” he asked, “that was directly from our accountant.” He glared at me, accusingly, like I’d wasted his time.

“I looked over it,” I added with a smile. “I liked the trajectories, but I don’t want to see pretty charts, I wanted to see hard figures.”

“Right,” he nodded.

“You outsource the financing?” I asked.

“Yep,” he nodded, “we only need a week’s effort once a month, so we hire a local firm.”

“Seems reasonable,” I nodded, leaning forward to see the screen better and my assessment seemed to irritate him. I could tell he hated being checked up on, but he needed to get the hell over it. He most likely had an issue that I was a woman and that I was now his boss after years of it just being the Miller family.

The day was a little awkward, and I was glad to see Mabel at lunch who turned up with a pair of female Wellington boots and Eric. “Fancy a ride out?” she asked.

“Sure,” I nodded. “I think we can take a break.”

Alex looked relieved but didn’t say anything.  I waved bye to the other guys and followed Mabel and Eric down the steps. I was interested to see how a big, bulky guy like Eric made it onto a horse, it would have to be strong. “You hungry?” Mabel asked. “I made some sandwiches for Eric to take with you guys,” she grinned.

“Thank you,” I said. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I rarely ate lunch and certainly not a sandwich, luckily I had my boxercise workout DVD with me and that would have to be played that night. We sat on the benches behind the big house and I replaced my pumps for the boots, putting them in my car as we walked past.

“You know,” Eric said as he led me to the stables, “our daughter Jenna lived in New York City for a whole year back in the 90’s; she’s forty-two now and has a coupla kids herself.” He grinned at me, “she’s pretty just like you.”

“Thank you,” I said. I realized pretty quick that these small town folk had no issue sharing and being loose with the compliments. I had just been in the city so long that I’d forgotten how to deal with that.

Eric found me an older, sable mare who accepted me onto her back easily and responded well to a stroke and a nice pat, “Her name’s Crystal,” he told me, “she’s eight and she’s good and steady.”

He climbed onto an inky, black stallion who was at least fifteen hands and had legs thicker than my whole body, “This is Beau,” he patted the stallion’s neck with love. “I was here when he was born, he’s a thoroughbred and the best natured guy you’ll meet ‘round here.”

I laughed and shook my head, “you saying all the guys round here are grumpy?”

“I’m saying nothing, Ma’am,” he winked at me, “ready for a tour?”

“Can’t wait,” I said with a genuine smile and followed Eric out of the stables to have a ride around my farm. I must have been crazy buying this place and even more crazy to think that coming here was a good idea.