Unconventional

I wasn’t exactly crazy about the idea of Madison selling off her uncle’s legacy, but it sounded promising. And as she pointed out, it was certainly better than having it sit there doing nothing while the county took back the property Travis had worked so hard to maintain.

“Besides,” she said at the end. “Selling off his things to save this place? It would be exactly what my uncle would want.”

That part would come later, if at all. For now at least, we only had to deal with… Nolan.

Oh boy.

He was a good, kind old man with a warm, genuine smile. But he was hard of hearing. And hard of talking. And most times, a little hard of understanding too.

“You ever actually talk with him?” I asked.

“My uncle?”

“No silly,” I laughed. “Nolan.”

“Oh,” Madison giggled, and her laugh was musical. “No, not really. He’s sort of a… strange character. Isn’t he?”

“That’s putting it mildly.”

“I mean, once he offered to take me riding,” she said. “But I’ve never been. Which is stupid I guess, because I’ve been surfing and skiing and snowboarding, I’ve gone cliff-diving, and yet somehow…”

“You’ve never gotten on a horse.”

“No.”

The path opened up, and the stables finally came into view. The place was absolutely gorgeous. A picturesque landscape of rolling green hills, white painted fences, and an array of beautiful horses grazing lazily in distant fields. It was always astounding to me, how big the property actually was.

“You can’t subdivide this place?” I asked. “If you sold off even a few acres, it could solve all of your money problems.”

“Can’t do it,” Madison said, shaking her head. “Until I fully own the property, I can’t even apply for something like that.”

We walked straight up to the big timbered structure together, and through the yawning opening. Madison didn’t even take her hand from mine. It was one of the things I liked most about her, how unapologetic she was when it came to what she wanted.

“Ah, Chase!”

A man rose from a chair in the scant shadows; short, bent, and wizened. Nolan approached with his usual limp, moving so fast he was practically dragging his cane behind him. I waited patiently for him, then embraced him in a full-blown hug.

“How’ve you been, son?”

“Pretty good old man,” I grinned. “And you?”

He shrugged and patted me on the shoulder. “Foot still hurts like I kicked a porcupine in the balls, but that’s what happens,” he grumbled amiably. “Don’t get old, son. No matter what they tell you, it’s…”

It wasn’t until the middle of his sentence that he noticed Madison. His eyes went wide, and his grin even wider.

“Lassie!”

She extended her hand awkwardly, but it was already too late — Nolan had swept her into his arms and was hugging her too. And probably a bit longer than usual, if I wasn’t mistaken.

“What brings you out here, on today of all days?” he squinted, trying to stand up straighter than his bent back would allow. He took his hat off and started fanning himself. “It’s so damned hot you could fry an egg in the shade.”

“Maybe she’s taking you up on that ride,” I teased. “Right?”

Madison looked like a little doe caught in a pair of headlights. It was cute.

“Actually…” I said, clamping a hand on the old man’s shoulder. “You’re a little behind on the rent.”

“The rent?” he blinked. “Behind?”