Two hours later, he was sitting at the farmhouse kitchen table having a glass of sweet tea and snacking on a bowl full of blackberry cobbler with Regina and the ranch owners, Paul and Eva Sullivan.
“Why are you selling?” Miles asked.
“Well, Mr. Chapman, it’s like this,” Paul Sullivan answered. “I inherited this whole place from my great-uncle, and I don’t know a thing about ranching. The neighbor has been doing the chores until I can get the place sold. I figured I’d have to sell the cattle at the sale barn. It’s a blessing to me and Eva that you are interested in buying the place as is. We won’t have to donate or try to have an auction for all the contents of the house, if that works.”
“And we won’t have to worry with the cattle,” Eva added.
“What about the dog?” Bubba asked.
“Turbo?” Paul asked.
“I didn’t know his name, but does he go with the property?”
“Yes, sir, if you want him. The neighbor offered to take him, but he’s been raised right here,” Eva answered. “He’s a good cattle dog, and one other thing. The cat could stay as well, or we could take her to the animal shelter. She’s a good mouser. Do you want the goats, too?”
“Goats?” Miles frowned.
“Ten of the ornery critters. Uncle Waylon liked to watch the new babies play, and he sold them to the local kids for their FHA projects,” Paul answered.
“Yes, all of it,” Miles answered. “Work up a price and—”
“They already did,” Regina said, and passed a piece of paper over to him. “You can think about it or …”
He looked at the number and nodded. “Does this include the equipment and that old work truck out there?”
“Everything including the barbed-wire fences,” Eva answered. “We’ll only take out some personal family things from the house, but the rest is included in the price.”
“Then consider it sold,” Miles said. “My lawyer can get with yours to work out the paperwork. Since it’s a cash sale, it should go fairly smoothly.”
Paul stuck out his hand. “We can get the personal effects out of the house and be gone in a couple of days.”
Miles shook with him and stood up. “Thanks for the cobbler and sweet tea.”
We can tell the neighbor that we won’t need her help anymore starting a week from today,” Eva said with a smile.
“That sounds great, and thank you,” Miles said. “I’ve got to be somewhere in a couple of hours, so I’ll be going.”
“Thanks again,” Paul said. “This sure makes everything easier for us.”
“Me, too,” Miles said.
“So, how did it go last night?” Darlene asked the second that Holly answered the phone.
“Holly was bored out of her mind, but Lula Ann has a date this evening. We are going for burgers and then watching a movie in the park,” she answered.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Darlene gasped. “TheHolly McLean, who will inherit an oil corporation, is going on a cheap date?”
“It’s not like I’ve never been on a date before,” Holly protested.
“Not in a long time, but darlin’, I’m glad to hear that you are interested in someone enough to say yes. You need to slow down and live a little outside of the office and possible oil field sites.”
“The Holly McLean you know doesn’t live in your grandparents’ house right now. It’s Lula Ann who will be going out with this tall, dark, sexy-as-hell guy named Bubba Jones. He looks like he belongs on the front of a romance book. Dark hair, worn a little too long. Emerald-green eyes. Over six feet tall, and he wears cowboy boots and jeans.”
“And you are interested?” Darlene asked. “That’s a far cry from …” She sneezed a couple of times.
“From my dates to five-star restaurants and art galleries?” Holly finished for her. “I’m excited …” She paused when she heard the crunch of tires on gravel as a vehicle drove up in the driveway. “There he is now, right on time.”
“Call me tonight and tell me how bored you were.” Darlene laughed, and that brought on another coughing fit.
