Monday October 7

Bobbie arrived at the Carson ranch on Sunday evening, she met Dina and gave her excuses and retired to her rooms early. They put her in Townes’ dad’s suite. It was large and had several windows, covered with heavy dark shutters that were opened up, making the potentially oppressive suite bright and airy. There was an ensuite bathroom and an attached office. She appreciated the office and took her laptop and set up at the big mahogany desk.

She sat back and tried to think about how she felt about Townes’ passing. They were together but they really weren’t deeply in love. They enjoyed each other’s company and had a good physical relationship but they had only started to care for each other in a loving way. She missed him but what she really mourned was the loss of what could have been. Could he have been the second great love of her life? He wanted to be a philanthropist and property developer. She could have helped with that. She thought of Nancy, his mother and how he started to repair his relationship with her. There was so much lost.

Daniel, the lawyer, hadn’t even mentioned the negligence lawsuit against the hospital. Perhaps that was just a knee jerk reaction. She wouldn’t oppose it but she wasn’t going to bring it up either.

She sent a message to Trixie and went to try and quiet her thoughts and get some sleep in the big bed.

Monday morning, she awoke surprisingly refreshed. She quickly showered and found her way back to the kitchen.

“Oh my, you are an early riser. Good morning, Bobbie. The coffee is almost ready please take a seat.” Dina indicated a small kitchen table with two chairs.

“Thanks Dina I’m sorry I didn’t have the energy to talk to you last night. I slept well and feel a bit better. I have my cousin and a friend joining me today. Can I help you prepare a couple rooms for them?”

“That’s not necessary Sam and I can handle it.”

“Of course, thanks for the coffee. Maybe I’ll just make some toast…”

“I’m sorry I don’t have breakfast ready M. Carson was a late riser….”

“Don’t feel bad Dina, I don’t expect you to wait on me hand and foot.”

“So, you won’t have need for me and Sam going forward? Are you selling the ranch?”

Bobbie realized that Dina and Sam were worried that with no one to look after they might lose their livelihood and selling the ranch would mean they would lose their home too. “I’m so sorry for your loss Dina. It must be hard knowing Towns and Nancy are gone. Please don’t worry. Townes loved this ranch and I would never sell it. I’ll need someone to manage things here and you and Sam know how to do that so I can’t lose you. I hope you’ll stay.”

Dina looked relieved. “Of course we’ll stay. I’m sure you have great plans for the place.”

Bobbie let herself imagine things a little. “I have two sons that would love to visit and grandchildren that would love to learn to ride horses. Do you and Sam have children?

“Sadly, children weren’t in the cards for us. You say you have grandchildren though? It would be nice to hear children laughing at the ranch again. M. Carson always wanted grandchildren. Do you think the ranch might be like a vacation home for you?”

“I guess it was pretty quiet here with just Nancy here. She came to Crow Harbour and had a nice time. She met a guy she liked and she and Townes were mending fences…”

“Oh, she was finally starting to live. I was so worried. She never got to travel or enjoy her life. It took her so long to stop being the oil man’s wife.” Dina started to get a bit teary and Bobby stood up and went to her and Dina stood and they hugged each other while they thought about how sad it was when lives get cut short.

Sam walked in and removed his hat and went to the sink and washed his hands. Without turning he said. “Now what’s got you girls so upset on this fine day?”

Dina broke free “Bobbie was just telling me how happy the Carsons were before the accident.”

Bobbie went beck to her seat. “I was telling Dina that I hoped you two would stay on to manage the ranch. When all the dust settles. We’re going to need you.”

“Well, that’s nice to here. Maybe after lunch I can show you around a bit and you can see what we’re doing.”

“I would love that but I have a couple friends flying in this afternoon and I’d like to pick them up at the airport. Is there a car I can borrow?”

Sam grinned. “I will go get it now.”

Bobbie finished her toast and coffee and took her dishes to the sink. “I’ll just go get changed and be right back.”

They both watched her leave. “She’s going to make a lot of changes around isn’t she.”

“Well, she offered to make up the beds for her friends and is driving herself to the airport to pick them up herself so yes things are going to be different.”

Bobbie returned wearing walking shoes, a sweater, hat, reading glasses on a string and a clip board and pen. She looked over at the sink. “Dina, do you think you’d ever make use of a dishwasher? Dina blinked. Bobbie made a note on her clipboard. “Let’s go see the car Sam.” And Sam gave her the key fob

Bobbie hadn’t seen the front yard in the daylight. There was a circular driveway and a scaled replica of an oil well statue in the middle. “Sam you aren’t too attached to that Oil rig thing are you. I’d probably rather have something else…” And made another note on the clip board. Sam decided her questions were largely rhetorical so he remained silent and opened the car door.

Bobby arrived at the airport just as the airplane was landing so she parked the car beside the runway and waited. The airport was so small people just came out of the airplane and walked across the tarmac, at the edge of the parking lot to the terminal. Trixie and Barb came out of the plane and Bobby was excited see them, also very relieved. The ladies hugged each other and cried a little bit and Bobbie said I can’t thank you enough for coming here. I feel so alone and now with you here with me I think I can handle things.

Trixie pulled away. “I’m still busy with Fox Energy and mentoring Russ but I really couldn’t leave you to the wolves when you’ve just inherited this little oil company.

Bobbie’s eyes got big. “Little, you say?”

Trixie nodded. “Well, in the grand scheme, yes. I guess it’s almost half a billion dollars; but a lot of that is just on paper. Carson Oil is heavily into oil futures and oil wells that aren’t even producing anything.

Barb put her hand on Trixie’s arm. “Okay guys I know that this stuff is really important but let’s just have a nice visit and you guys can do all your wheeling and dealing a little bit later.”

They laughed and Bobby and Trixie agreed to pause the oil talk.

Bobby got into the car. “Pretty nice ride, eh? It’s pretty new, an Audi A5; it was Nancy’s. Oh, I know a nice little diner that has wicked coffee and carrot cake we should just stop by and have a little snack before we go back to the ranch.

Barb laughed. “Maybe I can have coffee.”

“You’re right. I forgot you’re getting all skinny. You look lovely. Your face is glowing everything. Barb I’m glad that you’ve found something that works and helps you get healthy.”

 Trixie and Barb took off to get their luggage and Bobbie pulled the car around closer to the Terminal. They stopped and had a coffee and carrot cake and arrived back at the ranch around 4. They drove up the front drive.

They got out and Trixie got her phone out. “Oh my god we need a selfie in front of this miniature oil rig statue.”

Sam and Dina came out looking unsure. “Hello, Ladies, let me take your bags. Dina and I will show you the rooms.”

“Sam and Dina, these are my two best friends, Trixie, who is also my cousin and Barb who is like a sister to us both. Ladies, this is Sam and Dina. They manage the ranch.”

“I’m so glad to meet you. I’m so sorry for your loss.” Said Trixie.

Barb took Dina’s hand. “Me too.”

They followed Sam into the ranch. Bobbie and Dina walked behind.

“It’s terrible. I don’t even know my way around this place yet.”

Dina patted Bobbie’s arm. “You haven’t spent much time here.”

They arrived at the rooms and Bobbie realized they were pretty close to her suite.

Barb spoke first. “This is a lovely room. Thank you so much.” The room had flowered wallpaper. Sheer curtains light pink patterned carpets over gleaming hardwood floors. The ensuite had gold coloured plumbing and the pink elegance carried on throughout.

“It’s really pink.” Whispered Trixie. They came to her room and she smiled. “This must be Townes’s room. It was defiantly more masculine and had a southwest style.”

I wonder if Townes kept things here. Did Dina and Sam have to pack it all up wondered Bobbie.

Sam excused himself. “I’ve got some beef ribs slow cooking on the grill to tend to.”

Dina nodded. “I’m making my world class coleslaw and some grilled vegetables to go on the side. We’ll serve dinner around 6, OK?”

“That sounds really good. I bet you get some really fresh beef around here.”

“Yep, we’ve got a small herd off in the west field and we have the freezer full from the last one we butchered.”

“Wow, we’ll be eating our own cow?”

“M. Carson wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Sam and Dina disappeared and Bobbie was thoughtful. “Hey, wouldn’t it be great if I could get a couple sides of beef to Mark back in Crow Harbour. I wonder how much he’d use and how hard it would be to get it there. Well, you guys get settled in your room and meet me in my office over there and I’ll go see it I can rustle up some Sangria and we’ll catch up.”

The Ladies had a fabulous dinner and admitted they all were tired so they went to bed early.