Chapter 100 – The Business Proposal (long)

"I know that it is hard to listen to." Jack said. "But please stay here. Show her that she can't drive you away. Please, stay for me."

"As much as I don't want to." Elizabeth said. "I will stay for you."

Elizabeth leaned forward and kissed Jack again. After they pulled back, they sat down, with Elizabeth between Jack and Nathan. Doug and Lee returned before Thomas and Charlotte had. Doug looked around, then at Jack.

"They are talking." Jack said.

"Want us to stay?" Doug asked

Jack looked around and saw his grandparents shrug.

"I don't know." Jack said. "I would like you to, but I think Ma is going to pitch a fit."

"How about we head downstairs, but stay close." Doug said.

"I think that is a good idea." James said.

"James." Doug said. "Ed said not to worry about Tommy. Deal with what you need to, he will handle him."

"Thank you." James said. "Sorry to put you in that spot."

"No problem." Doug said

Before anyone else could do or say anything Charlotte came storming back into the dining room.

"HOW DARE YOU?" Charlotte bellowed.

Doug and Lee immediately stood between Charlotte and where Jack and Elizabeth were sitting. As much as they didn't think that it was their place to stay, they also weren't going to let their best friend stand alone in this matter.

"I will not allow this to stand." Charlotte yelled trying to get around Doug and Lee to get at Jack.

Jack squeezed Elizabeth's hand. He then looked her right in the eye, then quickly looked over to Nathan. Once he knew that both of them were looking at him, he mouthed 'trust me' to both of them. They both nodded. Jack took a deep breath and stood up to face his mother. James and Margaret had watched the entire exchange and couldn't believe how composed Jack was. They knew that he could have a temper, but he was scary calm. They weren't sure what was going to happen, but they trusted their grandson. Jack put a hand on each of Doug and Lee's shoulders. They both took a small step to the side to allow Jack to stand between them. Everyone could see or feel that Charlotte was seething. They also weren't sure what she was going to do. Nathan leaned over and whispered something to Elizabeth. She quickly slipped behind Jack and went to the other side of the table. Nathan stood, but stayed behind Jack.

"Do you have a problem?" Jack asked in an even, but cold tone.

"I am not going to allow you to steal my parents place." Charlotte said, the anger dripping from her voice. "I am also not going to let you ruin everything my father's family has worked for by giving a gold digging nobody access. This is what happens when you hang out with riff raff and low class people who don't know any better and have no cultural breeding."

"I have stolen nothing." Jack said his voice was still calm and cold. "I approached my grandparents with a solid business deal and gave them as much time as they needed to decide. I allowed them to talk to whoever they wanted and ask any question that they wanted. We all agreed that my plan was the best thing to move Coal Creek forward and sustain it for years to come. I want to be able to have this place for my grandchildren to ride and enjoy."

Charlotte didn't say anything, but reached out and slapped Jack across the face. Nathan and Doug both quickly moved and Nathan got both of Charlotte's arms behind her and pulled a pair of handcuffs from his back pocket. Doug quickly helped secure Charlotte despite her trying to pull away. Once Nathan had Charlotte, Doug stepped back to see if Jack was alright. Lee had already gone to grab some ice.

"LET GO OF ME!" Charlotte yelled.

"No." Nathan said in an even low tone. "I was hired to protect Jack and right now you pose a direct threat to him. Unless you want to be charged with assault, I suggest that you calm down."

Charlotte turned to look at Nathan, but his eyes were as cold as ice and there was no expression on his face. Once Jack had some ice for his face, he moved to sit down next to Elizabeth.

"Are you okay?" Elizabeth whispered.

"I will be." Jack said. "Not the first time that I have been slapped. I was more surprised than anything. I am sure that it sounded worse than it really is."

"Let me see." James said.

Jack removed the ice.

"Doug." James said.

"Yes, Sir." Doug said.

"Come get a picture of this on your phone." James said.

Doug quickly came and took a couple of pictures, holding a quarter up for size comparison if they needed it later.

"How bad?" Jack asked.

"There is a mark." James said. "But I don't think it will bruise. Keep the ice on it. Hopefully it is not that bad."

Jack winced as Elizabeth pressed the ice pack back to his cheek.

"Sorry." Elizabeth said as she leaned over and kissed Jack's temple.

Gran had had enough.

"Sit down!" Gran said. "Everyone!"

Thomas came and sat down across from Jack. He had a couple of files in his hand that he set before him. Doug moved to sit on one side of Jack and Lee moved to sit next to Gran leaving a space for Nathan next to Elizabeth. Charlotte made no move to sit and actually tried to pull away from Nathan.

"Charlotte Lucille!" Gran said with a sharp tone. "If Nathan removes the cuffs, will you be civil?"

Charlotte just glared at her mother.

"Fine." Gran said. "Nathan, sit her down next to her husband. She can remain the way she is until she calms down."

Nathan pulled the chair out with one hand while still holding on to Charlotte. He maneuvered her to sit. He then stood behind her.

"Nathan." Gran said. "Please have a seat."

Nathan nodded and went around to sit in the spot left for him. Once everyone was seated, Gran looked around the table.

"No one is going to speak unless I give them permission." Gran said.

Gran looked around and saw everyone nod, even Charlotte gave a small nod after being elbowed by her husband.

"Good." Gran said. "Now, James, will you please explain to everyone how we came to accept JP's business proposal."

"Thank you dear." James said. "JP and John approached me early last year. They asked what the long term plan for Coal Creek was. I assumed that they asked so that they could make long term plans for Thornton Thoroughbreds. The more that we talked, the more that I realized that it was more than that. I asked them to put a plan together so that I could see what they were thinking. Later that month, they came back to me with a very detailed plan of what they wanted to do over the next year, five years and where they wanted to see Coal Creek in ten, fifteen and twenty years.

John told me to take as much time as I needed and talk to whoever I wanted. He said that there was no deadline on the plan. I looked over the plan several times. I talked to independent lawyers and accountants. I also talked to other ranch owners about what and how they planned for the future with their ranches. I asked about passing it down to the next generation and how they went about that. I talked to Chris and Conrad. I even talked to David and Timothy. We came back with a list of questions for JP and John. They patiently answered each and everyone of them. We didn't talk to you, Charlotte and Thomas, as we assumed that JP had talked to you and you were in agreement. He never said one way or the other.

The only thing that he said was that his Grandpa John was helping put everything together and was also helping to finance the long term plan. After lots of back and forth, lots of prayer and making sure that we and our employees would be taken care of, we accepted the proposal. We got everything that we wanted in writing. John wasn't wanting to kick us out, but to make sure that we were taken care of. Just after JP's eighteenth birthday, we met John at his home and signed the initial papers. We agreed to July first, as John thought it would be easier for them to take over at the beginning of a new fiscal year. The only things that are going to change is who ultimately controls the money and whose name is listed on the deeds and such.

Nothing is going to change in the day to day operation of Coal Creek until JP feels he is ready to take over. I will remain as president of Coal Creek. Conrad will officially have the title of head trainer. All the other employees have agreed to stay on. JP can add other employees as he sees fit."

Nathan raised his hand.

"Yes, Nathan." Gran said. "You had a question."

"How will this affect Katie coming?" Nathan asked.

James looked at Jack and Gran nodded.

"Nothing will change." Jack said. "Grandpa talked to me about hiring someone with a botany degree. I didn't have the details until you told us here around this table. I have no problem with her coming. Ultimately, right now Grandpa is still technically going to be her boss. Personally, I hope that she loves it here and wants to stay for many years to come. Grandpa was ready to make the offer after checking out her credentials."

"Thank you." Nathan said. "I have a feeling that she is going to love it here. I also think that you guys are going to love her. She may come across as shy at first, but once she gets to know you, she will open up. She is incredibly smart and really knows her plants and herbs."

"I am sure that we will love her and her daughter." Gran said.

"I am glad that she is coming." Jack said. "One of the things that Grandpa John and I had in our plan was to be fully natural within ten years. I am not saying we are against veterinarian medicine as they have a place, but all the research that I have done in the last three plus years shows that the fewer drugs that you give a horse, the better they are. I have consulted several herbalists across North America and everything I have read and been told is impressive. It is not easy to move an operation our size to natural, but it can be done. Both Grandpa John and I are committed to the time and money that it is going to take. We know that the long term benefits will be worth it. In the plan it still has us hiring our own vet and vet tech to help and oversee the health of the horses."

"Can I say something?" Doug asked.

"Go ahead." Gran said.

"When Dad and I went up to Alberta to check out an herbalist for Jack." Doug said. "We were both impressed. Not only were they doing it for all of their animals – horses, cattle and chickens, but they were also doing it for themselves. Dad talked to this lady at length about changes that he could make. She gave him a list of herbs to try and questions to ask his doctor. That was over a year ago. Dad took what she had said to heart and has committed to making several changes. I will tell you that Mom says she has never seen him healthier. He is off his cholesterol meds with the approval of his doctor. He has dropped over twenty pounds of pure fat. His blood pressure has never been better and he says that he has never felt better.

At his last appointment, his doctor said that he has drastically lowered his risk for heart disease. Because of the changes that Dad has made, Mom has started to make some of those changes as well. Even the twins see the difference in Mom and Dad. Personally, I am grateful because now I don't have to worry if Dad will live to see the twins grow up and get married. Don't get me wrong, there will always be worries with his job, but I no longer worry about his health."

"That is impressive." Gran said.

"Yes it is." James said.

"So you knew of JP's plan a year ago?" Thomas asked.

Doug first looked at Jack, then at Gran and both gave him a nod.

"Not exactly." Doug said. "About three years ago, Jack and I were reading an article about how some common equine problems are becoming harder to treat because of the overuse of antibiotics. It led to a discussion of whether there was a better way. Our biology teacher at the time encouraged us to do some research. He even turned it into a project for us. We got an A on the project, but Jack wasn't satisfied. He wanted to know more and that is what led to Dad and I taking several trips to check things out for Jack. He didn't think that you would understand or support him, so he asked Dad and I to check things out. John flew us to several places to check things out and talk to people for Jack.

It was only as we approached graduation this spring did Jack tell Lee and I that he was one day going to have control of Coal Creek and he hoped to move it to a more all natural approach when dealing with horses. We were floored as it was the first time that either of us had heard him talk about something specific he wanted for the future. He asked us not to say anything about his plans until he gave us permission. We agreed, because we saw how important it was to him. I will tell you he didn't take this lightly. From everything that he showed Lee and I, he did his research above and beyond."

"So that is why you were gone at random times." Lee mused.

"Yeah, sorry." Doug said.

"No problem." Lee said.

"So he did a little research on the internet." Charlotte said. "Still doesn't mean he knows what he is doing or how to run a large business like this."

"Charlotte." James said. "It isn't like I am going to hand him the keys and take off to parts unknown. John and I made JP promise that he would attend school and get a degree of some sort. We actually have it in writing. On top of that, JP did more than a little internet research. He has several binders of information that he has gathered from sources and contacts all over the world. He has looked into natural remedies all over the world, horse racing across the globe as well as other high performance horses such as show jumping, cross country and eventing. He also did some research on other equine disciplines. I have seen some of the research that he has done. Even Ed, Marco and Andy were highly impressed."

"I have never seen these binders." Charlotte retorted.

"They are all in the office down at the stable." Jack said. "Like they said, I haven't decided this on a whim. I have been thinking about it since I was fourteen years old, actually before. Originally the plan was for Laura and I to take over Coal Creek together. I would run the business side and she would take over as head trainer for Grandpa when he was ready and wanting to retire."

Jack stopped and took a deep breath, closed his eyes and slowly blew it out.

"When Laura was hurt." Jack said. "I decided to follow through with our dream, I just wasn't sure who the trainer was going to be. Several of the things that Grandpa John and I included in our plan were things that Laura and I talked about wanting at some point – including at least one annual jumping show. …."

Jack looked at each of his grandparents and then turned his attention back to his mother.

"Grandpa, Gran." Jack said. "This is not how I wanted to tell you, but I think I should announce it right now. The show that we are putting on has been named the First Annual Laura Sims Memorial Schooling Show at Coal Creek. It will hopefully be the first of many more over the years to come. I couldn't think of a better way to honor Laura than by doing something that she was passionate about and that was helping and encouraging young riders. I have talked to Uncle Chris and Aunt Molly and they agree it is a great way to honor Laura."

Jack heard Gran's sharp intake of breath. He thought that she was upset, so he was thinking of something to say. Before Jack could say anything he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see his grandmother standing there. He quickly stood to face her. Instead of being mad, Gran pulled Jack into a bear hug.

"She would love it." Gran whispered.

As Gran released Jack, he looked to his grandfather and saw him wipe away a tear.

"Are you okay with this?" Jack asked.

"It is a very good thing that you did." James said. "I am honored that you thought of it. You are right, Laura always wanted to have an annual show here."

"Good then I will go ahead and order the banners." Jack said. "I was holding off until I talked to you. Later I will show you what I came up with for a design."

"I would love that." Gran said.

Jack turned to Elizabeth and smiled.

"Before we move on." Jack said. "Would it be possible to have the certificates say the Annual Laura Sims Memorial Schooling Show. I also thought about maybe adding the Coal Creek/Thornton Thoroughbreds logo. There is a PDF copy on my laptop that can be emailed."

"It shouldn't be a problem." Elizabeth said.

Elizabeth stood up and leaned in to give Jack a quick kiss. They heard Charlotte huff, but neither acknowledged it.

"I am proud of you." Elizabeth whispered.

"I will handle it." Lee said. "I will send the PDF to Quad Graphics later."

Both Jack and Elizabeth sat back down. Jack took her hand and held it as he looked around the table and then spoke. He was glad that Elizabeth had stayed and he did feel bad about the way that he had gone about telling everyone, but he wasn't sorry about the choices he had made and he wasn't going to let his mother try to guilt him.

"Thank you." Jack said. "Again, I didn't mean to drop this on everyone like that, but it needed to be said. It was also part of the reason that I chose that weekend. Not only would it be the weekend before the races, but everything else would be finalized as well. I know that this show is something that Laura would have been proud to be a part of. Honoring her is part of the reason that I went to Grandpa John with the idea of taking over Coal Creek."

"So is that why you had to go to town this morning?" Thomas asked.

Jack looked over at Nathan and got a small nod.

"Yes." Jack said. "We signed the final paperwork so everything is ready to get transferred over. There were legal papers that needed to be signed by a judge. It was the final papers that we signed this morning. Before you ask, I told Nathan and Elizabeth when we got there and they signed as witnesses. I explained what I was doing when we got there."

James looked at Charlotte.

"Before you say anything else." James said sharply. "This is what your mother and I want. Your brothers are in agreement. Just so you understand, even if we hadn't gone this route the farm and business would have never gone to you. The original site has always gone to the oldest son. Years ago, I talked to Christopher and Conrad together and they both agreed that if we leave it to anyone it should go to Conrad since he was Sims by blood and not name alone. However, after reading the plan put forth by John and JP, Conrad believes that Coal Creek will be in great hands for generations to come and he has no argument to what we have chosen to do."

"So you are giving everything to JP?" Charlotte asked incredulously.

"No." Gran said. "We have set aside things for each of you and there will be money and things that will go to charity. But the farm and business, yes. All of that goes to him. We spelled out everything to JP and he was fine with it."

Charlotte just huffed, but didn't say anything else.

"Good." Gran said. "Then as far as I am concerned this is a closed subject and I don't want to hear another word about what we are leaving to who or JP taking over."

"I couldn't agree more." James said. "It boils down to the deed is technically in my name and I can do what I want with it and this is what I have chosen to do. Any more arguing and you can get nothing in the end."

James and Gran looked around the table and no one said anything, so both took it as a closed matter.