Giving a nod, Mary said, “That’s commendable. We need folks like you in our valley. Here”—she looked around at the busy loading dock area where boxes of goods were being off-loaded from the semitruck—“we’re all one big, messy family.”
“The Realtor said the same thing,” she said, nodding.
“How’s that sit with you?”
“Fine. I grew up on a large farm in the Willamette Valley of Oregon and everyone knew everyone else. We were like a large family, too, of sorts.”
“Good to know.” She pulled an employment form from another stack of papers, looking down, frowning and studying it. “So? Why on earth would you leave your farm in Oregon to come here?” She looked up at Dana.
Uncomfortably, Dana moved in the chair. “Life changed,” was all she would say. “I needed to find something close to what we had in the Willamette Valley and start over.”
“Hmmm,” Mary said, giving her another searching look. “We buy organic produce from that valley. I’m very well aware of how important it is to Oregon. The Willamette is a north-south one-hundred-and-fifty-mile valley. Very rich soil there, and a wonderful place to grow any crop. Winery owners love that area, too. Silver Creek Valley has very similar soil conditions.”
“Yes, it was why I chose to come and put down roots here. I just bought the Wildflower Ranch.”
“Ah,” Mary said, sitting back in her chair. “Did you now?”
Dana wasn’t sure it was a smart thing to admit to Mary, who reminded her of an eagle, missing nothing. Her face was wrinkled, but that didn’t take away from the authority or power she had. “I know it’s run-down . . .”
“We all have times in our lives when we’re run-down, too. Even ranches here go through that up-and-down cycle. What do you think of the place?”
“It has possibilities. The soil is an excellent mix of alluvial and loamy clay; perfect for plants and fruit trees.”
“So?” she said, rocking back in her chair. “Tell me what your plan is for it?”
Dana wanted a job, not to discuss the broken land. Still, Mary’s interest was there and her voice was kinder once she found out she’d bought the ranch. She didn’t know why, but said, “I want to repair the cabin, use the fifty acres on the flat of the valley to grow organic vegetable crops and put in a small orchard of about thirty trees.”
“It has a nice, year round creek behind that cabin,” Mary said, nodding thoughtfully. “So, you’re going to farm it? Any animals you gonna raise on it?”
Shaking her head, she said, “I’m vegan. I don’t eat meat. I can’t stand to see animals slaughtered. I plan to raise vegetables, have a small herb garden and plant fruit trees.”
“Of course,” she said, sitting up. “So? We’re at the beginning of our gardening and farming season in about a month. You got a tractor and plow? That soil needs to be turned, aerated, before you can plant anything.”
Dana admired Mary’s intelligence. “You’re right about that. The soil doesn’t look like it has been turned over for decades. I don’t have a tractor.”
“Want one?”
Taken aback, Dana stared at her. “What?”
“My son, Chase Bishop, has an old, antique farm tractor that’s not all electronic with wazoo doodads and computers in it. He was looking to sell it to someone who might have a use for it.”
“That sounds good, Mrs. Bishop—”
“Call me Mary.”
“Yes, ma’am—”
“Cut the politeness, too. I admire your respect, but remember what I said earlier, we’re all family. You don’t refer to family in those terms. Right?”
A sliver of a grin pulled at the corners of her mouth. “Okay, Mary, I can do that.”
A quick nod. “You want a job here because?”
“I need money to restore the cabin and rent or lease some farm equipment so I can realize my dream of bringing the Wildflower back to life.”
“You’re not afraid of hard work, are you? Or really tough challenges? But then, you’re a farm girl and been working every day of your life on your parents’ farm.”
“That’s true,” Dana admitted.
Mary scribbled a note on another piece of paper. “I’m gonna call my son, Chase Bishop, owner of the Three Bars Ranch. I’m gonna ask him to loan you that old John Deere tractor and have it brought over there by flatbed truck, so you can start using it. What else do you need?”
Taken aback, Dana’s head spun with confusion. “I . . . well . . . Mary, I’m looking for a job.”
“And you’re volunteering a full day at our food bank once a week, giving back to the community. Right?”
“. . . er . . . yes . . .”
“Remember? We’re family?” Mary poked an index finger toward her. “Family works together as a team. You don’t have the money to rent a tractor, so Chase is gonna loan you his old antique so you can get going turning that soil and readying it for planting.”
Stunned, Dana blinked, unable to speak.
“And,” Mary went on, making another note, “I’ll make sure he brings over the disc and other plowing equipment that you’ll need, as well as tools that go with farming. That place of yours needs a barn, you know? You have to have one to store your equipment, work on it, and keep it protected from the elements.”
“Yes,” Dana whispered, stunned, “I know that. It’s in my plans.”
“Good, good,” Mary praised. “You also need a wrangler. Can you afford one?”
“Yes, I think I can. Part of my plan was to hire someone to help me. I can’t do it alone and I know that.”
“I got just the gent for you. His name is Colin Gallagher. He’s a real loner, ex-military, has a lot of bad PTSD symptoms. He’s working for my son as a wrangler over at the Three Bars Ranch, but wants something smaller to work on. Colin is a hard worker, takes direction well, and won’t disappoint you.”
Dana didn’t know what to do or say. “I—uh . . . Mary, this is . . . well . . . amazing . . . thank you.”
“Here’s my plan for you, young lady,” she said, scribbling a third note. “I’ve been looking for a local valley farm to provide me with certain vegetables and fruits in season. I’m needing a good, responsible farmer to fill in because the person who was doing this, recently died. I need a new individual whom I can work with. If you’re amenable to that plan? I will pay you to do this, twenty-five dollars an hour, five days a week, eight hours a day. Fair enough?” She lifted her chin, eyes crinkling as she gazed at Dana.
Stunned by the offer, Dana whispered off-key, “You’d do this?”
“Well, of course I would! I believe in synchronicity. Pete, my dear old friend who used to provide my store for the last thirty years, passed on this last winter. I was looking for a replacement and here you are!”
Her mind whirled with the implications, the help she was going to magically receive.
“And,” Mary said, “Chase will continue to pay Colin Gallagher. He’s going to be ‘on loan’ to you to help you do the work that needs to be done around there. Your first priority, of course, is tilling the soil and getting the crops planted.” She pulled a paper from another stack, handing it to her. “Here’s a list of what I need vegetable-wise. You look it over and let me know if you’re interested in raising these particular crops. With fifty acres of flat valley at your disposal, I’m roughly calculating that you can supply my grocery store nicely. We’ll work out the details after you read up on my needs, and we’ll have several future meetings on your ideas for the land, planting, and so on.”