Chapter 177
"I wanted to talk to you girls about something I've been thinking a lot about, do you both have a minute?" Grace asked later that evening, once they were all back at Wilgul.
"Sure what's going on?" Jaz asked.
"I'm listening, Sis, what's up? Is it about Gavin showing up here?" asked Regan
"Actually, not really. He asked me to come home. He said he still loved me and wanted to spend the rest of his life making up for his stupid mistake. I sent him home and told him I didn't love him, and there was no chance of us getting back together. I'm still pretty hurt and upset about the whole divorce, but I know I'll never go back to Gavin, no matter what." said Grace.
"So let me just check my maths here, but if my numbers don't fail me, three different men have professed their love to you in less than a week." said Regan.
"Three? Heath, Gavin and who else?" asked Jaz.
"Oh my God Jaz, I'm sorry, we forgot to tell you because it happened while I was still hiding for your surprise. I went to the fair with Regan since you couldn't make it, and guess who I saw." Grace paused. "You'll never guess, it was Father Dan," said Grace
"Father Dan, like the priest who kissed you and had to leave Gungellan because he fell in love with you thirteen years ago?" asked Jaz.
"Yes! Only he isn't Father Dan anymore, He's just Dan now. He left the church, and he told our girl that he never forgot her, still loved her, and was free from his obligations to the church to live his life as he chooses." Regan was all fired up, telling Jaz. "Then he said to her, 'I'll choose you.' How adorable is that?" said Regan.
"So there could be an actual future with Dan? Marriage, and what not? I mean do you think there could be any feelings there for you, Grace?" asked Jaz.
"I don't know. It was all pretty chaste back then. I was attracted to him at the time, and he still looked really good when I saw him the other day, but I don't know. I might have felt the first pieces of love growing for him thirteen years ago, but I definitely don't love him now. I'm not ready for a relationship with anyone yet. It's only been a month. I'm not sure I want to go back to men from my past when I am ready to date again. I wonder if my path needs to just go forward at this point. I don't know. He's a good guy, and very good looking, but there's a lot of pressure. If he still loves me that intensely, then there will be some seriously lopsided feelings. I would say it's possible I could grow to love him, but there's no guarantee, and even if I did grow to love him again, it would take time, and the balance of feelings between us would be really tilted for a while. I don't think that's the most healthy base for a relationship. I don't know. He is a really good guy. I'll keep his number, but that's the only decision I'm making about that now," said Grace, starting to feel exasperated. "Now I actually do have something I wanted to talk to you about that isn't my love life." said Grace.
"Okay sorry, I just needed to get caught up on what I missed. " said Jaz "Go ahead please."
"Well I was thinking while we were out on the border lines with the drone. Jaz, you really don't use a huge majority of the property for your training center do you?" Grace asked
"Wilgul is about 4,000 acres. I don't use anywhere near that for my training, but I do have a few different cross country courses laid through the property. Most of the land is unused, although all of my athletes are allowed to ride the property whenever they want. I like to think leaving some of it alone is part of doing our part towards conservation." said Jaz.
"What are you thinking about Grace?" Regan asked.
"Well, my life is in complete upheaval. I only ever moved to Perth to be with Gavin, and that's obviously over. I've already lost my flat. I do still have my job, but it's just a job, I'm not passionate about it. I haven't been pursuing the things I'm passionate about like each of you have been. I'd like to get back to what I love." said Grace.
"You're going back to the rodeo? No offense honey, but you're on the wrong side of forty to be making a campdrafting comeback." Regan replied.
"No, my rodeo days are over, but I'm still passionate about horses. I trained campdrafting and long distance, endurance horses for years. I love working with horses, and it has been way too long since I've gotten to do that. I was thinking that maybe, Jaz, we could expand the services of the McLeod Elite Equestrian Training Center to include training equestrian horses, not just the riders. I got my start riding English. I was never as good as you, but I did compete in junior nationals for eventing. I switched to rodeo because it felt much freer, much more me, but I still know what abilities equestrian horses need to be successful, and how to get them there. You could continue to work with your elite riders, but what if we also had a branch of the business where we train horses from young foals to be elite level equestrian horses. We could buy them young, I could train them, and then sell them at profit, we could also take training commissions for other owners' horses. I'd also be interested in setting up some stud services and building that way, as well," explained Grace.
"So you want to move to Wilgul and expand the business I built?" Jaz asked.
"Well, yeah. I think adding horse training and stud services is the obvious next step for your business, but I'll drop the idea if you're not comfortable with it. You have worked so hard to build MEETC into something great. I certainly don't want to risk anything you've done," said Grace.
"Grace, I think it's phenomenal! I've wanted to expand to horse training services, but it was just too much for me to try to do right now. I've got my hands full between Kelly and coaching. It was something Ben and I were thinking of down the road. If you handled that part, then it would give the business the expansion that makes sense and it means you would be here, I'd get to see you everyday. That would be wonderful, but expanding into horse training is going to take a lot of cash to get going. We would need to do some major building projects to get it up and running. We're talking additional stables, additional training rings, more staff. MEETC is turning a profit, but we don't have cash like that available," said Jaz.
"Well, Gavin was not a good husband, but his family was rich, so he was good for one thing. He made me sign a prenup before our marriage, and there is a clause in it that says if either party is unfaithful, the opposite party gets a large percentage in terms of Gavin's trust fund. I've got proof he cheated, and he knows it. It will take some time for the divorce to finalize, but I should be getting mid to high six figures in the settlement, I'll invest it all into Wilgul and the business. Gavin was a slimeball, but he was a slimeball who had a trust fund. That should get us most of the capital needed, at least for the initial projects.
"Well, I'm fine with it, but I'm only a silent partner, so I'd say this up to the two of you to agree on." said Regan.
"I'll need to look at some hard numbers, and I'd like to be involved in all of the planning, and I'd like to be able to approve all building plans, but yeah, I'm on board. I think this could work. I'd love to have you around, and I think this could be really good for the business. We'd be partners. I'd be in charge of the program of training elite riders, and you would be in charge of the horse training and stud aspects. Decisions regarding construction, marketing, brand management, and things like that, we would handle together, Regan, you would have to step in as tie breaker if there are any disputes that we can't agree on. Hopefully there won't be too many, but I'm sure they'll be a few. Overall, I think it's brilliant," said Jaz.
"Awesome! I was thinking about it pretty much the entire trail ride, and then having a gun to my head just completely confirmed it. I need to be near my family now. My life is pretty messed up, and I need my family to help me get it back on track. I never had kids, and I've decided that's okay, but Jaz, I'd love to be a better aunt to Kelly and get much closer to my niece. I see how involved Tess and Jodi are with their nieces, and I'd love to have something like that with Kelly, if you'd let me," said Grace.
"Grace, I think this is all wonderful! I want you here. I want to become even closer with you, and I'd love to have you more involved with Kelly's life. She loves you. I know she wants you around more. Do you want to move in here with Ben and Kelly and I? We have several extra rooms." offered Jaz.
"Thanks. I think I'll stay with you in the short term, but it would probably be best for everyone if we all had more privacy long term. I don't want to cramp your newlyweds' style, and hopefully at some point in my life, I'll have someone special to spend the nights with again too. I was wondering if any of your cottages were available. I could take one of those and eventually build myself something simple with the other construction projects." said Grace.
"I actually do. I have a couple. You can check them out and see which one you would prefer. I love that you'd be here all the time, and I love that Kelly would have one of her aunts here all the time. My big sister is moving to Wilgul!" Jaz cheered.
"I think this is amazing guys, and it will allow me to see you both more, because I had to keep splitting my holiday time between two places. Now I can just come here, to both of you, in one place. I think it's unbelievable, for both of you, and for me," added Regan.
"So what do you think? With Grace moving here, expanding the business?" Jaz asked Ben.
"I think it's wonderful. I know we've talked about expanding into horse training, but decided we weren't ready to take on that much more work. With Grace spearheading that, you get the expansion you wanted and someone who knows horses and you trust running it. Not to mention you get to have your sister around, Kelly gets to know her Aunt Grace better, and Grace gets the fresh start she's looking for. There is some financial risk, but she's funding this personally, so from a financial risk standpoint for MEETC, it's relatively low risk. It's a big risk for Grace, but I believe in her." said Ben.
"I do too. I think she can make it work, really make it a success. I think this could actually be huge for MEETC. I believe in her," said Jaz.
"We'll help her as much as we can. We have a great community here. We're a family here. Honestly, I'm thrilled you will have a sister nearby."
"Speaking of sisters, I've been thinking, having sisters is one of the best things that has happened to me. I want that for Kelly. What do you think about trying to give Kelly a little brother or sister?" Jaz asked.
"I think that sounds awesome. I feel the same way. I'm envious of how close you are with Grace and Regan. I didn't have any siblings, I've at least got Stevie and Michelle, but it's not quite the same thing. I'd love for Kelly to have what you have with Grace and Regan, and I would love to expand our family. Honey, I'm ready to start trying right now." Ben winked.