"Hello neighbor," he heard and snapped out of his own head. Jack's mind had started to wander, and he glanced over to see that Val of all people had pulled up next to him. It almost alarmed Jack he'd not heard her pull up behind him, his mind wandering so much. To add to that, her car was pretty quiet, one of those new, modern engines in it.
"Val," Jack said with a small smile and nod as he pulled on Paint's reigns to stop him. He turned toward her car, "What brings you this way?"
"I happened to have made a chicken pot pie and an apple pie. I was hoping we could sit down to eat, and I have a business proposition to discuss with you."
"Oh really?" Jack raised his eyebrows at her, tilting his head.
"I hope you don't have plans for dinner. I wanted to catch you early enough."
"No, no set plans, just had thought about making my stew, but I can do that another night. I know Tim will be here for dinner, as long as you don't mind he's here too."
"Perfectly fine," she waved her hand. "I suppose I'll meet you at the house?"
"See you there," Jack gave her a polite nod, and she continued on after throwing a small wave at him. Jack started riding Paint toward the barn, and as he did, he pulled out his phone, making sure Val was plenty enough in the distance to not see or hear him.
"Tim," Jack said into the phone when he answered. "You're going to be around for dinner, I assume?"
"Yeah, I'm finishing at the diner now, heading your way shortly. After we moved the cattle the other day, I had work to get caught up on here. Why? Did you want me to bring something home?"
"No, I just need you to be here, reinforcements."
"Why?"
"Val just pulled in and brought dinner. Now, she said she wanted to discuss a business venture."
"Val brought dinner," Tim chuckled. "Maybe I'll just eat here at the diner."
"Listen, of all the nights for you to show up at my house for dinner, tonight is a night I need you here."
"Fine, fine," Tim chuckled. "I love to see you squirm around her. In fact, I wouldn't want to miss it. Tell you what, I can bring Caleb too. He and I were going to discuss rodeo, and we can easily do that if it will help you."
"Caleb is more than welcome."
"Just remember, you owe me, big time. I mean, I've saved your life, I've saved your love life-"
"You didn't save my love life!" Jack exclaimed, gesturing wildly with his hands. "You practically ruined it, you and all your schemes."
"You know I saved it. Let's face it-I'm invaluable to you."
"Tonight, yes, you're an invaluable dinner guest. Now, quit yapping, finish your work, and get over here."
"Just for that, I might take extra time getting there. I'll be there when I get there. What did she bring for dinner? Anything good? Who am I kidding-as long as it's not your stew, it's good."
"For your information, I am now going to make my stew tomorrow, and you are welcome to eat anywhere else. Tonight, just be here for her pot pie and apple pie."
"Apple pie, huh? Well, I do love a good apple pie. Speaking of that, when is Lisa coming back? She makes the best apple pie I've ever had, hands down. Val's, well, we will see."
Jack didn't bother to politely end his conversation. Instead, he just hung up, rode to the barn, and as he dismounted, he met Amy walking out of the barn.
"Hey, is that Val's car at the house?" Amy gave a nod in that general direction, and Jack nodded.
"It is. She brought dinner, chicken pot pie and an apple pie."
"Wow," Amy raised her eyes. "Umm, Grandpa, she's totally going after you."
He waved it off, "I'm fine, Amy, and I can handle Val. She actually said she wanted to discuss a business venture of some sort. Now, I need to untack Paint and get to the house."
"Well, I'm about to head over to Ty's, that is if you still don't need the truck? Now," she started to laugh, "I'm wondering if you need a getaway vehicle, just you and Val for dinner."
"I'll be fine," he smirked at her. "Your dad and Caleb are coming to dinner as well."
Amy grinned, "Something tells me that is one dinner you will be glad to see Dad."
Jack eyed her, but he held back a grin, finally giving her a nod with a small smirk, "I'm not denying that. You have a good evening. Say hello to Ty, and tell him to not be a stranger. I haven't seen him all week."
"I will," she leaned up and kissed his cheek. "He's been really busy with Scott. To be honest, I'm surprised he wanted to cook dinner. I know how tired he is. It will probably be an early evening for me, knowing that, so I'll see you in a few hours."
"Be safe," he said, patting her shoulder, and at that, the two went their separate ways.
Jack finished in the barn and started toward the house, glancing at his phone. It was way too late to be sending Lisa a text; he'd have to let her know about his fun evening tomorrow. He made his way into the house, pausing at the door to sit and take off his boots. As he did that, he looked up to see Val putting the pot pie in the oven.
"Hope you don't mind," she gestured to it. "I saw you coming in from the field, and I know you have to be hungry. It's getting late now, and with that sun down so early anymore, even 5:00 feels much later."
"That it does," Jack said, giving her a nod and small smile. "You didn't have to bring dinner, Val."
"I wanted to," she shrugged, turning toward him again, her hands on the back of the kitchen chair. "So, Tim as well for dinner?"
"And your former son in law," Jack eyed her. "Hope that's not a problem."
"No, no," she shook her head. "Caleb and I get along just fine. To tell you the truth, I probably shouldn't say this aloud, but Ashely was happiest with him. I told you last time I was here about her dating escapades, and," she paused, sighing, "well, I suppose the grass isn't always greener on the other side. The two of them really did have a connection, one that I know I discouraged."
"Hard to fight those," Jack frowned, giving her a nod. "It's like Amy and Ty, just something that's always been there."
Val nodded, sighing again, "I suppose sometimes we all chalk it up to looking like young, stupid love, but I guess I felt the same about my late husband, just no one like him, love of my life, but I suppose you understand that? That one special person that just makes you better all around."
Jack shook his head from side to side, not really wanting to answer. He wasn't sure he agreed with Val, at least the comment about just one person in your life. He'd certainly thought it wasn't possible to love anyone again, not after losing Lyndy, but Lisa had surprised him in many ways. Now, he was sure he didn't want a life without her in it, that he could state was a fact, but to suggest that his life could only have one special person, well, that wasn't something he did believe. In fact, he would not admit it aloud, but there was something about his relationship with Lisa that he'd not had with Lyndy, and right now, he couldn't put his finger on it. He hated to compare, wouldn't voice it to people, but it was his life, his head, and his heart. The heart knows what it knows, even if it can't be voiced or really doesn't make sense. Basically, he disagreed with Val about just one soulmate. He'd seen differently with his own eyes-and heart."
Instead, he tried to shift the subject back to Caleb and Ashley, "Well, Val, I do hope Ashley finds someone who makes her happy and can settle down. I'm sure she will. She's a great kid, young woman, excuse me," he chuckled, rolling his eyes. "You know, it seems not that long ago, she and Amy were always at odds, but I'm proud of the two of them for working through their teenage drama and becoming good friends. I know Amy still keeps in touch. Caleb is a good guy too, deep down a very kindhearted guy, and maybe they were just too young. You never know what can happen down the road. Sometimes, things take time and what is right just doesn't happen for some time."
Val offered him a small smile and turned to look at all of the family pictures on the refrigerator. Jack moved around to make a pot of coffee, glancing over his shoulder at Val as she studied the grimaced the second he spotted one picture that would be a definite topic of discussion.
"I spoke with Dan Hartfield the other day," Val turned toward Jack at the coffee pot. Thankfully, he was busy measuring out coffee and not looking at Val for her to see his disgust at the mention of Dan's name. "Dan said he'd been in a lot of meetings with Lisa this last week, in France, I mean. Speaking of never knowing what can happen down the road and being too young, well, with them working so closely together in France all the time," Val shrugged, but she turned back to the pictures. Jack was aware that while she didn't comment further on them, Lisa was in over half of the ones on the refrigerator. The front of the fridge had some of the more recent family pictures, but the side had plenty of older ones.
Jack bobbed his head, knowing he had to head off as much of this as possible. He wasn't trying to hide Lisa around the house, not at all, and Val had spotted a very nice picture on the refrigerator of Jack, Lisa, and Katie, one from her second birthday, with Lisa holding Katie on her lap at the table, and Katie covered in cake. Both Jack and Lisa had been laughing, and the picture was a special one to both of them. Lisa had been part of many family events over the years; she was family, hopefully a more permanent member in the not so distant future, that is, if Jack had his way about things. To hopefully shut down this inquisition, Jack commented from the coffee pot, "Yes, I know both Dan and Lisa are in France on business."
"Oh, so you've spoken to her?" Val's eyes widened, and Jack glanced her way, seeing Val's surprise as she sat down at the kitchen table.
Jack nodded, "Lisa told me she and Dan have had business there in France."
"Well, that is a surprise to hear," Val's eyes widened. Jack gestured to a coffee cup, and she nodded, "Yes, coffee would be great."
"I don't know why it's such a surprise, Val, although," he turned toward her and handed her a cup, "I can only imagine what the Hudson rumor mill is saying, and I don't want to know. I detest gossip. Why people can't have their own personal business, I don't know. Everyone is so intent on spreading gossip, speculating, and all. Just leave people be, at least that's my motto. A grown man shouldn't have to discuss every detail of his own life to include with whom he interacts, and I believe people should certainly be given space to live and not have every second of their life analyzed."
She was about to speak, but thankfully, Tim saved the day, not that Jack would ever admit to him doing so. "Jack, you left the barn door open."
Jack's head snapped up. He hadn't realized he'd done that, obviously preoccupied with Val at the house. As he looked to the door, he met Tim's gaze and frowned, "Tim, sorry. I got caught up talking to Amy. Thanks for catching that."
"Oh, I didn't close it," he grinned like a child and hooked his arm over his shoulder. "I sent Caleb to do that."
Val sighed and rolled her eyes. Jack met her gaze and did the same. Tim stepped inside, throwing a big, fake smile on his face, "Val, this is a surprise. You're staying for dinner?"
"Not just staying, brought dinner and dessert," she looked over at him. "Hope you're hungry, but who am I kidding? Free food-you're hungry."
Jack started to chuckle at that, and Tim smirked, shaking his head at Val, "Just glad to not have to eat Jack's stew for once."
"Hey everyone," Caleb called to them as he stepped inside. "Jack, Cinders had flipped over his food bucket and was just about to roll in his stall. I put his stall sheet on him and refilled his food bucket."
Jack, who had been nursing his coffee, looked up at Caleb with a nod, hoping to jump over any conversation regarding that particular horse, "Thanks, Caleb. I'll check on him later."
"Cinders? Is that one of Amy's client horses? Haven't heard that name around here. Hello, Caleb," Val said to him with a small smile and nod.
"Val," Caleb said with a nod back while he opened the refrigerator. He was at the house enough helping Jack that he was comfortable helping himself to something to drink. He pulled out the lemonade and answered before anyone else could, not realizing there was any issue, "Cinders is from Fairfield, been here, what a week or so now?"
"Yeah, just about got electrocuted with a downed power line in the water," Tim jumped in, gesturing with his hand, giving Jack a wink behind Val. "Afraid of water. Amy worked with him."
"I see," Val looked to Jack, and Jack shrugged. "So, one of Lisa's horses?"
"Well, he is from Fairfield, and Amy has worked with several of Lisa's horses over the years," Jack added with a nod. He gestured at Val, "So, what is this business you wanted to discuss?"
"Oh, yes," she nodded, Jack breathing a silent sigh of relief from getting her off of the topic of Lisa again. "Well, that pot pie should be nicely heated up by now. Do you mind if we talk over dinner?"
"I won't object," Tim raised his hand. "I'm starving."
"Didn't you work at the diner all afternoon, meaning you were around food all afternoon?" Jack questioned him, somewhat irritated.
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I ate. What, you aren't hungry?"
"I didn't say that," Jack rolled his eyes. "Just interested in how you can be hungry when you worked around food. Yes," he looked to Val. "Let's eat."
Several minutes later and with some wrangling at the table, the four were seated for dinner. With no way to avoid Val sitting on one side of him or the other, Jack put her in Amy's spot. There was something about putting her in Lisa's seat that he just couldn't do it. He felt much more comfortable putting Caleb there. With as many times as the family had to search for additional chairs to squeeze around the table just to get all of the family and invited guests a spot, tonight, it felt like there weren't enough people here to fill the very large table. The four started eating, Caleb and Tim stuffing their faces before Jack even had his first bite. He gestured with that bite on his fork, toward Val.
"Val, thanks for thinking of a group of cowboys," he chuckled.
"Glad I could help. When I made this, I didn't know I'd feed three generations of cowboys. Now, to my business idea."
"What's that?"
She nodded, "I've been talking with Jesse, as you know, and he's going to be taking over the business. We all know it's getting harder and harder to find good ranch hands. We've managed, but even I see it at my place, finding good stable help. Sure, I can usually find a couple of good trainers, but the rest of my staff seems to be a revolving door. I know you have problems with getting full-time help yourself. So, one idea Jesse and I are floating around is to basically go back to basics-build a bunkhouse and offer lodging. Caleb, I'm glad you are here. You struggled with that, housing, especially on a ranch hand salary. Old time ranchers used to have bunkhouses, and Jesse and I are trying to float the idea of this, to see if it would be cost effective, to build a bunkhouse. That way, we are more marketable. We can't pay much more, but we can provide housing. Now, of course, the upfront cost to building this is a big one, but that's where we are analyzing the numbers to see if it's a workable idea. That has me here, to see if you might consider investing in this idea, with the business plan working out that the ranch hands would be employed by both of us, that is, we could do a couple of things. You have your own hands who have a set number of beds in this bunkhouse, based on your investment or we could share hands. Either way, I'd be happy to go into business with you for this."
Jack eyed Tim at the opposite end of the table. Val didn't have a horrible idea, but really, Jack didn't need the number of hands Val did, and he really did not want to be in business with her. She ran a very different operation, and he was really only in need of a hand or two, sometimes getting by just fine with just Tim and himself, not even including his personal relationship with Val. Tim's expression seemed to mirror Jack's thoughts.
"Well, that is a very interesting business idea, Val. I could see why that might work well for you. To be honest, though, I'm not sure I am in need of that kind of help, specifically that many ranch hands. Tim and I run things day to day, and Caleb here," he nodded to him, "is always helpful too. I'm afraid I just don't need that kind of extra help, at least to invest in something like that."
Val frowned, "Well, I suppose I'll say it," she patted at the table, almost touching his hand, but he sat back and crossed his arms. "You're not getting any younger. I expect that while you are proud to handle things now, it's not going to be long before you need more help than you realize. You don't have to be reminded that you just had that scare."
"I'm doing just fine, ready to keep on working for many years."
"Jack's like the fittest 74 year old I've ever seen," Caleb gestured. "I mean, most guys his age are going to a nursing home or dying at home alone. Jack here," he nodded, "he's still got it, and I mean that with all the respect, Jack. Cowboying, fishing, ranching, all of it, not to mention just the day to day around here with everyone and then there's his own life-"
"Caleb, thank you," Jack cut him off, frowning slightly. He did not want Caleb to start in on his personal relationships because he knew Caleb would jump to Lisa and some comment about how he acted younger because of her. Jack knew the comment was coming because Caleb had said something to him before in that area. Jack turned back to Val, "Val, I think I'm going to have to pass, but I will say that is an interesting idea for your stable."
She frowned, "Well, maybe just think on it. I believe you and I could make quite a team. Perhaps you and I can talk more about it in the next week or so. I really think this could be beneficial to both of our places, you know, joining forces, so to speak."
"I'm sure of that," Tim grumbled, and as everyone turned to him, he blushed and tried to stumble over his words. "I mean, if Jack needed help, yeah, that would be a good way to team up. So, Val, I heard you are having a birthday soon."
Val lit up, and she gestured toward Caleb, "You are more than welcome to come to my party. I hadn't seen you in town yet to invite you, but please do. There will be plenty of food, many from Hudson-"
"Hey, free food, a party, sounds good," Caleb said, but then, he pointed toward Val asking, "Wait, is Ash coming? That might be awkward."
"No, she's busy with her studies," Val nodded to him. "Please, Caleb. I would enjoy having you there."
"Sure, he shrugged.
"Jack and Tim are coming," Val nodded in their direction. "In fact," she pointed her fork toward Jack, "We were just talking about Dan Hartfield. He's even coming back from France for the party."
Jack and Tim eyed each other again, Tim rolling his eyes. Jack looked to his food as he nodded, "That so?"
"Yes, but as I said, he's been plenty busy with meetings over there. Funny, how from this little Hudson two of our wealthier community members share business and a history for that matter, end up in the same part of France. Small world."
"Val," Tim cut in before she could say more, flashing a fake smile at her, "say, I heard you brought an apple pie. I'd sure love to taste it, see if it stacks up to the best apple pie I've ever had."
"Oh?" Val's eyes widened, and she grinned. "You put me up against this best apple pie ever. I'd love to meet the baker because I can promise you, my pie will be better. I don't cook or bake much on my own, but apple pie is my specialty. I'd challenge her any day, so yes, let's see exactly what you think of my apple pie, and then," she gave Tim a nod, "you can tell me about this other, so called, best pie you've ever had. I'd like to hear when and where you had it."
Jack, from his seat, chuckled lightly to himself, and when he caught Tim's eye, just smirked at him. Tim had walked into that one on his own. Jack wasn't the only one missing Lisa, just for different reasons.