Page 36 of Seeing Harper

“Gotta learn from the ground up. Seed to harvest,” Scotty said.

“I’m trying!” Easton said, laying his shears on the end of one of the tables with a clatter as he climbed up on the step-stool beside his uncle. “Show me.”

Travis looked at Easton, then over at Scotty. “What I wouldn’t give to have mine this interested.”

“You can borrow mine,” Scotty said.

~~~

Clay had been cutting grass for more than an hour, while casting an occasional glance toward Harper to make sure she was alright. He knew she spent many a day here alone and was perfectly safe, but it didn’t stop his need to assure himself that she was still where she was supposed to be and safe and secure. He sat on the tractor with the blades raised, the transmission in neutral while he guzzled from a huge bottle of water he’d brought for himself.

“Hello!” an old man called out to him. He was tall and obviously at one time a very strong man, but now stooped by years of hard work. His eyes sparkled among the wrinkles and leathered appearance of his sun worn face as he smiled and continued waving to get Clay’s attention over the sound of the lawn tractor.

Clay raised a hand and waved back before he reached for the key and turned off the tractor. “Hello! How are you doing today?” he asked.

“Good! I’m good. You’re out here with Harper, I’m guessing.”

“Yes, sir. She wanted to be here and I wanted to be with her, so here I am,” Clay said.

The old man rested his hands on his slender hips as he turned and looked out across the pastures to where Harper stood twisting barbed wire into place along the exterior fence line with two horses nuzzling her back trying to get her attention. “Never seen anything like it. You have horse people, you have non-horse people, and then you have Harper. I’ve never seen a horse take to anybody like they do to Harper. Even as a little child. They’re just drawn to her. She’s something special.”

“Yes, sir, she is,” Clay said..

The man watched her in the distance for a few more moments. “It’s going to break her heart when I finally find a buyer for this place. But truth be told, I just can’t do it anymore. If it wasn’t for her helping out, I’d have shut it down before now. It’s only with her help, I’ve been able to keep it running as long as I have.”

“Has anyone made any credible offers?” Clay asked.

“A few, but none I really want the property to go to. They’d probably sell off my horses, kick off the few boarders, and build a neighborhood on it.”

“If you have a few moments later this evening after Harper is gone, I’d like to speak to you privately about the future of this place,” Clay said.

The old man turned suspicious eyes his way. “Why after Harper is gone? What are you hiding?”

Clay extended his hand. “I’m Clay Vega. I’ve known Harper all my life, our families are lifelong friends.”

The old man shook his hand as he sized him up for a few seconds. “I’m Robert Bigsby.” After they shook hands, Mr. Bigsby smirked at him. “How long you been in love with her?”

Clay laughed. “I’ve known I loved her since I was old enough to know the difference between familial love and romantic love, but I’ve never had the courage to tell her. I plan to propose in the next month or two after I finish this semester at school. Instead of a ring, I’d like to gift her this place. This is her happy place, and what makes me happy is Harper being happy.”

“Son, I wish I could just give it to you for her. If I could, I’d have given it to her and gone on my way by now. But with my age, and my wife, staying healthy and seeing doctors costs more than anybody can afford. I have to sell the place to be able to survive.”

“Yes, sir. I understand. I’m prepared to buy it.”

“Young man, you know what all this land is worth?”

“I have an idea. I’ve been doing some research, and then the house, the barn, the animals, the equipment. Everything adds to the value.”

“It does. You think you can afford that?”

“I have more than you’d expect sir. If you are set on more than I have available, we can work out payments on the balance for a few years.”

“No, none of that is necessary. I don’t want to break anybody, just want to get a fair price for its value for all the years of maintaining it.”

“Of course, sir.”

Mr. Bigsby scratched his chin thoughtfully. “What are you going to do if you buy this place for her, and she refuses you?”

“Then she’ll still be needed to take care of the horses here and she’ll have a job for life.”