Chapter Thirty-Seven

Jesse

“All right, you ready?”

“Yeah, let’s do it.”

“Up.”

My fingers curled around the bar, and I lifted, bringing it off the rack before taking a step back.

“Down,” Owen said.

I did a full squat, the weight on my shoulders, coming up slow and smooth. As Owen counted them off, I went up and down, making sure not to overtax myself but pushing until I felt the pain and exhaustion just beginning to really set in.

“And on the rack,” Owen said, coming up behind me to brace the weights.

They clanged into place, and I walked forward, relieved and feeling lighter. Sweat stained my tank and ran down my neck, but I kept my hands dry. Worst thing you could do let a weight slip out of your hand.

“That felt good,” I said.

“Getting closer to pre-injury,” Owen said. “I mean, lightning fast. It’s only been four days since you got out of the hospital.”

“Yeah, well, they didn’t jack up my knees. Just my head.”

“Which is why we have to keep it slow,” Owen said. “Concussion protocol says you can lift light weight and do light exercise. None of your heavy sets for at least a couple more weeks.”

“I know, I know,” I said.

“Well, that’s it for today. I think I’m going to skip leg day.”

“Oof, you never skip leg day,” I said.

“Did a lot of running yesterday,” he muttered.

“Yeah, about that,” I said. “Where? Because I know you weren’t here on the treadmill.”

“I was doing some stuff,” he said. “Don’t worry about it.”

I made a face, and he made one back. Clearly, Owen was hiding something, but I had no idea exactly what it was. Whatever it was, though, I was sure I’d find out sooner or later. He couldn’t keep it secret forever.

I did know one thing about it, though. He was bulking up quite a bit, and it had something to do with it. He was at least ten pounds heavier than he had been two weeks ago, and I recognized the cycle of bulking and cutting from Logan’s days of amateur bodybuilding. Owen never had an interest in that, though. It was curious.

“So you up to anything today?” Owen asked.

“Actually, yeah, I had something I thought you might be able to help me with.”

“What’s that?”

“You know Mr. Pratchett? The old man who owns all that lakefront property by the park?”

“Yeah, of course,” Owen said. “I helped him rebuild his shed last year.”

“We’ve all done something as a favor for him,” I said. “He was one of Dad’s best friends. Luke makes sure to take care of him, and he’s done some stuff for us too that he’d never, ever brag about.”

“He has?”

I nodded.

“You’re too young to remember, but Mr. Pratchett helped save our hides a few times in the days right after Mom passed. Same with Dad. I don’t think Luke would have made it without him and Mr. Caudle.”

“Oh, wow.”

“Anyway, I was going to head on up to see him. I wanted to get in his ear about something, and I thought he might appreciate a couple of us going and taking care of any yardwork or upkeep he needs done. If there’s more than just one of us, it won’t take all that long.”

“Sure,” Owen said. “Let me get my boots on.”

I headed up the stairs and out of the gym we’d created out of the old playroom we’d had as kids and got in my shower to rinse off. By the time I got out, Owen was waiting in the living room with Collin, both looking ready to get to work.

We piled into Collin’s truck, which was the nicest of all of them being that it was brand new and he went in for all the bells and whistles. It was the one thing Collin seemed to not have any issue spending money on. He always said he could be frugal everywhere else, but there was no sense in being frugal when it came to your car, not when you needed it as much as we often did.

Mr. Pratchett’s place was about twenty minutes out, and while we traveled, we listened to some radio country, much to my chagrin. When we arrived at the house, I was more than happy to hop out first and try to physically shake the generic earworm out of my skull.

“Howdy, boys,” Mr. Pratchett said as he came out onto the porch before we all made it out of the truck. “What can I do you for?”

“Hey Mr. Pratchett,” I said. “We came to see if there was anything you needed doing. I also had a couple questions for you, but that’s beside the fact.”

“Oh, well, thank you, boys. Come on in. I got some cold beer in the fridge, and the only thing I need doing right now is some yard work if you got the time.”

“We sure do,” Collin said. “I brought our stuff to hit the hedges and the bushes. Is your riding mower still in good shape in the shed?”

“As far as I know,” he said. “Had that Bronson boy out here to mow couple weeks ago.”

“I’ll get the grass, you get the hedges?” Collin asked Owen. Owen shrugged. He was taller, so it made sense for him to get the big bushes and stuff anyway.

I headed in after Mr. Pratchett as my brothers began working on the yard. I didn’t feel too bad letting them get to it while I talked to him, since the last couple of times I’d gone down there alone. Mr. Pratchett led me into his living room, offering me a seat on one of his chairs while he grabbed us a beer. When he sat down, he made that little groaning sound I associated with all old men who’d done physical work all their life.

“So how are you, Jesse?” he asked. “I heard about all that terribleness with Oland. Glad to see you up and about.”

I nodded. That was about as much sympathy as he was going to show unless I milked the situation. He was a hard man—kind but hard, and knew that other men of his type didn’t take well to sob stories over recent injuries. As far as his generation were concerned, you didn’t bitch about an injury until it was a decade old or you’d gotten it in a war.

“I’m a lot better, thank you,” I said. “Glad to be walking.”

“By God’s grace,” he said, almost like a verbal tick rather than an actual thought that ran through his mind.

“Indeed.”

“So you said you wanted to talk about something?”

“I did,” I said. “I heard from the Eads that you were thinking about selling your land out by the lake and moving back to Odessa.”

“Yeah,” he said, taking a deep sip. “I got my brother out that way, and he don’t get around too well. His kids help him out a lot, and we both thought it might be nice for us to be closer, so we can all help each other. Besides, if I sell all that land, I might get enough that I can build us a good little place out that way so we don’t have to go to a home in a few years.”

He laughed, but I knew there was a truth behind that.

“Sounds like a good idea,” I said.

“I thought so. Why, though? Are you interested?”

Here goes. It’s now or never.

“Actually, yes,” I said. “I know that you never wanted to do anything with it because the Andersons got it zoned for commercial development, and you didn’t want to give them the satisfaction, but you know anyone who does buy it will have to use it for commercial, right?”

“Yeah, I know,” he said, somewhat dejectedly. “It’s such pretty property. But I just won’t sell to the Andersons. That’s why they did it. They got it all zoned commercial so I’d sell it to them, then they’d do whatever they wanted with it, including zoning it back if they so chose. I just couldn’t let them win.”

“Well, maybe I have an idea,” I said. “What if I buy it and develop it?”

“You?” he asked. “No offense, Jesse, but you ain’t exactly a businessman. I’d half expect Collin to come in with some plan, but you?”

“No offense taken. You’re right about that. But the thing is, it’s not really for me. It’s for Charlotte Garafalo.”

“Charlotte?” he asked. “Tamara’s sister? I thought she moved out to Oklahoma.”

“She did,” I said. I recounted how she’d gone to work for the Bethel company and how she rose through the ranks. How she felt like she knew the ins and outs of the hotel business and her idea to build one in the county.

“I see,” he said. “So you want to buy it to give to her?”

“Sort of,” I said. “I want to buy it and develop it with her. I plan on marrying that girl.”

He grinned. “As I live and breathe, Jesse Galloway is actually sweet on a girl? I’ll be damned. Darned. Darned. Sorry, Lord.”

“I am,” I said. “And I believe in her. Completely. I’ll even sweeten the pot and make you a part owner of the hotel once it’s built. No financial risk on your part.”

“That’s awful nice, but not necessary,” he said. “If I sell that land to you, I sell it knowing that I got my money’s worth and that it won’t be destroyed. I trust you boys not to make me regret it.”

“Well, what were you looking for, price wise?”

He went quiet for a moment, stroking his chin contemplatively.

“You know, I haven’t really put much thought into the price,” he said. “I was going to have a surveyor out to figure it all out. I’ll tell you what, though, you get me an estimate and make me an offer. I trust it will be fair.”

“Really?” I asked. “You’re willing to sell it to me without a price attached?”

“Son, I knew your father for fifty years before he went to the Lord. I’ve known each of you boys since you were in diapers. Hell, I helped change a few of them. I’m an old man now, and I don’t need a whole lot. You need that land way more than I need to make some big profit. You make me an offer, and I’ll trust that it’s good.”

He held out his hand, and I could barely keep the excitement inside. I took it and shook.

“Thank you, Mr. Pratchett,” I said.

“Terry,” he said. “You’re old enough now, and we’re making a deal between men. If I can call you Jesse, you can call me Terry.”

“Thank you, Terry,” I said. “I promise you won’t regret it.”

On the car ride back, Owen and Collin pestered me a bit about what we’d talked about. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and spilled the beans, swearing them to secrecy. Collin was the first to talk.

“So this thing with you and Charlotte… it’s for real?”

“After all this time, after all the girls I’ve dated, yes,” I said. “I’m done. Everyone else was just a placeholder until I had Charlotte.”

“Well,” Owen said. “It’s about time.”

“Hey, I got one more stop,” I said. “Do you mind?”

“Naw,” Collin said. “Where to?”

“Family Jewels,” I said.

“The ring place?”

“The ring place.”