Angela's POV
The letter was waiting for me on the edge of the living room table. It lay separate from its ripped-open envelope, hinting that someone may have gotten to it before me. I suspected it was just Mom or Dad being nosy, as usual.
A mug of coffee in one hand, I cozied myself onto the cool leather couch while I read the opening lines aloud: "'To the Grandchild of Mr. Arthur Verdante.' …That would be me, I guess."
With the unfortunate passing of such a hardworking man who selflessly helped many, it has come to our attention that Sunshine Ranch is in need of a successor. We request your presence at Waffle Island at the following date and time to discuss your availability to continue in your grandfather's great footsteps.
Mr. Verdante has graciously served Waffle Island for many years, and for his numerous accomplishments he will live on forever in our hearts. In his absence, the economy of our island is experiencing a tragic downfall. Please consider helping us in our time of need, for only you are the best qualified to take this position.
Attached at the bottom of the paper was a one-way ferry ticket to Waffle Island, only good for the aforementioned specified date. They're even paying for my trip? They must really want me to take over Grandpa's ranch.
It hadn't been very long since Grandpa's passing, but my family was still in mourning. I've only ever been to Waffle Island a few times—to visit Grandpa when I was younger, and to attend his funeral just a few weeks ago. I honestly wasn't expecting to be the one to be asked to take over the ranch, but I guess someone had to do it.
My twin brother and I had both just recently become college graduates. Although Kevin seemed to have a clear idea about his future plans, mine were still undecided. I don't know if farm work is really my thing, but perhaps this will give me some extra time to decide how I want to use my degree. I didn't have a real job yet so I had plenty of extra time on my hands. Plus, it'll give me an opportunity to "thank" Grandpa in a way, for everything he's done for me.
Carefully removing the ticket from the letter, I stored it away in my room for safe-keeping. It's a good thing I had nothing planned for tomorrow; it looked like it was going to be quite a busy day.
The dark clouds were finally clearing away by the time the ferry arrived at Waffle Island. I was a wreck the entire ride, scared out of my wits that the boat was going to capsize during the storm. And I was seasick enough without the choppy waves making it worse.
"Sorry about the ride, ma'am," says the captain, offering me a bottle of water. "That thunderstorm sure came out of nowhere, didn't it?"
Accepting the water and taking a grateful sip, I agree, "It's fine. And yeah that really was some crazy weather." Hopefully that storm wasn't some sign that I was making a wrong decision by coming here. I dismiss the ridiculous thought before it has time to settle in my mind. Of course this was the right decision!
Captain Pascal and I walk further down the old, wooden dock. "Well, we made it in one piece, and that's all that matters! Here we are in good old Waffle Town," he makes a broad gesture to the quaint village before us.
I shuffle through my bag to find my map. I was advised to pack light so I only had my handbag and a single medium-sized luggage with me to carry my essentials. "Thanks again for the trip, Captain Pascal. Can you please point out where the ranch is on this map?"
After he gave me the directions I needed, I was on my way to beginning the next chapter of my life. Waffle Island had lovely scenery, from the cute buildings to the lush greenery. I even spotted a few wild animals on my way to Sunshine Ranch. I didn't hesitate to stop and pet one if it looked friendly.
Crossing over a small bridge, Grandpa's old house was finally in sight. The property was located right near the sea, it had an amazing view. Surprisingly, the ranch lacked a barn or coop. I figured they must've had to sell the animals to assuage the island's economic collapse. My heart sank a bit as I remembered playing with the chickens and cows as a little girl.
The house itself wasn't in great shape, but not terrible either. Some fixing up would cost money but wouldn't be difficult, just to counteract the many years of wear and tear. The door creaked as I made my way inside to unpack.
"Angela? What are you doing here?" the voice of my brother surprised me.
"Kevin? What are YOU doing here?" I counter, closing the door. "I got a letter in the mail asking me to take over Grandpa's farm."
"What?" Kevin smiled amusedly. "That was my letter. I just left it on the table so I wouldn't forget about it."
Thinking back, the letter wasn't addressed to anyone in particular, just "the grandchild of Mr. Arthur Verdante." It was silly of me to forget that that applied to my brother, too!
"It could've been either of ours!" I point out in my defense. "It was addressed to 'the grandchild of—'"
The door creaked open again as a young woman about our age stepped inside. Her bouncy auburn bob was short but still longer than my thin brunette hair. Her expressions were always mild but one could easily spot the look of confusion on her face as she stepped into the house.
"Molly?" I say.
"Hi… What's going on here?" Molly raises an eyebrow. "I came to take over Grandpa's ranch, but…"
"Are we all supposed to be running the ranch together? I'm so confused," Kevin wonders aloud.
The three of us jump when we hear the sound of a toilet flushing. The bathroom door opened and out came our other cousin; a hefty young man with a strong expression and long, dark brown hair.
When Kasey finally looks up, he jumps back with a start. "What are you people doing in my house!?"
"My deepest apologies, this is all my fault!" a young woman with short, light brown hair bows before us.
Kevin, Molly, Kasey, and I took our concerns to the town hall. Obviously, only one of us was supposed to inherit the ranch, but mistakenly all four of us had been invited.
"It wasn't your fault, Elli," says a young man with platinum blond hair, sitting at a nearby desk. "My father just instructed you to send the letter when I already had." Sighing, he added, "And he must've also sent one himself. He's been quite forgetful, lately."
Coming down the stairs was a stout older gentleman with a jolly expression on his slightly wrinkled face. "Oh! The new rancher has arrived, I assume? And another, and another, and…oh dear." I watched the Mayor's face turn from jovial to slightly confused to somber as the situation became clear.
He forced a laugh, but nobody else in the room even cracked a smile. "It seems we have fallen into quite the conundrum here."
"We can't all inherit Gramps' ranch," says Kasey. "And I'm not leaving. It was a three-hour trip here from Castanet Island!"
"Who says you get the ranch?" I protest. "My trip was just as long from the city, and I'm sure I'd run a much better ranch than you."
Kasey laughs and puts a hand on my shoulder. "You and your scrawny self, Angela? Not a chance, city-slicker!"
Mayor Hamilton interrupted our quarrel with an idea, "There may be a way all four of you could stay here and do what you came here to do. Gill, does anyone own the rest of the properties in Caramel River District?"
The blond scans through a few papers in a file and replies, "As of now they're all currently unowned."
"Call Dale's Carpentry and have them build a few more homes on those properties, then. I'll handle all the expenses," the mayor turns to us, "it's the least I can do to apologize for this misunderstanding."
"Wait, are we all getting our own ranches?" Molly asks.
"That's right! You came here to ranch, and that's exactly what you're going to do," says Hamilton. "I'm sure you are already aware, but ever since Sunshine Ranch was shut down, Waffle Island has been suffering an economic crisis." He bows slightly, "If you can help us out, we'd be more than appreciative."
"For the time being, the four of you will have to stay in your grandfather's old house," Elli explains. "It may be a little cramped, but it'll only be until the rest of the houses are built, which shouldn't take more than a week!"
That evening, my brother and our cousins decided to have dinner at the Sundae Inn. It was a rustic but inviting building just on the outskirts of Waffle Town. It wasn't hard to find, especially since an unmistakably delicious aroma of food hung in the air close by.
Our waitress was a perky blonde young woman with a cute face and bright blue eyes. The place wasn't very packed so she was able to take our orders almost as soon as we sat down.
"Are you four new here?" she inquires before leaving to bring our orders to the chef. "You don't look very familiar, and it's kind of a small town."
"We're the new ranchers," Kasey explains.
"Oh! So Arthur was your grandfather? I'm so sorry for your loss. But it's nice to meet the four of you! I'm sure you'll do a great job. I'm Maya, by the way."
The strawberry-blond young man behind the bar counter clears his throat loudly.
"Oh, right! I have to do MY job," she laughs awkwardly before departing.
"I think it's great that we each get to have our own ranches," Kevin begins. "That was very generous of Hamilton to pay for the construction."
"Well, it was his fault for bringing us all here to begin with," Kasey points out, snidely.
"If he didn't make that mistake, I wonder which one of us would have been picked to inherit the ranch," Molly wonders, taking a sip of her drink that just arrived.
"I'm still confused, though," I say to Kevin. "How were you able to get here when I had the ferry ticket?"
"I had one, too. The letter came with two tickets," my brother explains. "I think one was an extra, just in case I lost the other."
"My letter came with two tickets, too," says Molly. "To even throw in an extra just in case one got lost…they must've really needed us here."
Our food arrives and Kasey starts digging in immediately. "Sure, but the island doesn't exactly need four ranches."
"A little extra profit wouldn't hurt," I suggest.
"Still, I think it's a job even just one of us could do," Kasey continues. "Hey, why don't we make things a little interesting?"
"Interesting how?" Kevin raises an eyebrow.
Kasey sets down his fork and knife and wipes his face with a napkin. "Whoever runs the most successful ranch in one year gets to keep their ranch. Whoever brings the most profit to the island can stay. There can only be one ranch on Waffle Island. That's how it's always been."
Kevin, Molly, and I exchange uneasy glances. "So the others just go home?" Molly asks.
"The losers will hand over their properties to the winner and return home to seek a different way of life!" Kasey explains.
"I don't know about this," I say.
"I figured as much," Kasey sighs. "You don't think you're up to it? Then why did you take the ticket and come down here in the first place? If you aren't serious about ranching then you might as well leave now."
As much as it was painful to admit, he did have a point. I came here because I made the decision to become a successful rancher in Grandpa's absence, and that's what I intend to do.
I hold out my hand, having no other choice. "I accept."
Kevin and Molly hold out their hands, as well, and we all shake on agreement of the stated terms. The rancher who brings the most profit to the island in one year earns the right to stay and continue what they're doing. Only one of us will prove to be the rancher who deserves to follow in our grandfather's footsteps.
"Excellent!" Kasey grins. "This should be a fun year."