Gray Wolf Ranch

Chapter 5 - Clean Slate

"No, thanks."

"Let me steal another pastry before Nadine comes to clear them. Damned delicious things. Can't get enough. Amy, I will see you at the club later."

I follow Huritt to a small closed room where two guys look at something on a laptop screen. Are they really brothers? They look little alike. One is tall, with straight black hair neatly combed to the side. The other man has longish hair, a broad nose and thick-rimmed glasses.

"What are you looking at?" Huritt asks.

"An outdoor lamp supplier," the tall one says. "I felt worried after what happened to Istu last night. We need to get the paths better illuminated. What we have now is obviously not working, especially in bad weather. I wouldn't go for a street lamp as that would bother the hell out of the people when trying to sleep, but something about knee high should be okay."

"Guys, this is Chris Holt, Amy's brother."

"Good morning," I greet them as they shake my hand.

"Richard Marshall, but call me Rowtag," the tall brother says and smiles at me.

"And I'm Isaac, well, Istu."

Huritt invites me to sit down and I don't feel nervous anymore. They don't look like the bosses of my previous interviews; on the contrary, they look laid back but still professional.

"Chris, we understand from Amy that you have been looking for a job, but get turned down due to your record," Rowtag says, and I nod. "Can you tell us more?"

"I didn't do well after we moved to the city when I was 17 years old. When my father was going through one of his moods, I couldn't escape to the fields like I used to and ended up hanging with a group that used illegal substances and eventually ended up selling them. Amy feared for my life and convinced me to stay with her, and for a while, my life was relatively peaceful. With two mouths to feed, money was tight, so I dealt again on the side and lied to her, saying I had a job. One night, I came out of a bar with a friend and somebody shot at us from a car. The guy I was with was not even a dealer or a user, just a college boy with tons of dreams and hopes I had met while trying to find a real job. He died in my arms, and when the police arrived, one of them recognized me as I was on a list of wanted dealers and got arrested. I had material on me and that got me sent straight to jail without a day in court. I was in shock and when I had time to reflect in the cell on what happened, I felt horrified; it could have been Amy. I got sentenced to 14 years in jail, but they let me go after five for good behavior."

"A difficult experience," Istu says and his brothers nod.

"I brought it on myself. There are better ways to cope with change, but I took the destruction path. I want to repay Amy for all she has done for me because I know she fears I will go back to bad habits to achieve that."

"It's a noble gesture. And have you ever done farm work?" Rowtag asks.

"I'm a country boy. We used to have a farm until my parents sold it. I even lent myself to other properties to muck out stables as a summer job."

"Kitchi will be glad to hear that," Huritt smiles.

"Chris, hiring you is a risk for us and our reputation. If word gets out, guests won't feel at ease knowing there is an ex-convict on the complex," Istu says. I feel my heart drop to my feet. "But we want to help you. The only thing we ask of you is that you share as little information as possible about your past with the surrounding people. Begin with a clean slate, and just say you are Amy's brother."

"You want to hire me?" I feel my mouth drop open.

"Yes, we do," Rowtag smiles and pushes a contract towards me.

"There is only one thing you need to know," Huritt says, and I brace myself over whatever it could be. "Kitchi is our youngest brother. If my calculations are right, you must be around the same age. He is in charge of the stables, the farm and leads the trail rides. He is an amazing guy, and I'm sure you two will get along great, but he needs special help with many things."

"The four of us had an accident when we were kids, and Kitchi still suffers the consequences of a brain injury," Istu adds. "He has association, concentration and memory problems. We write everything for him in the notebook he carries around. Sometimes when he talks to you, he goes blank or gets stuck trying to remember a word. He can describe what he means, but his brain won't come up with the word. We have visual aids for him in his work area, and we will be grateful if you can assist him, without making it too obvious. It tires him and frustrates him often, so he can also have angry outbursts. Don't take it personally."

"Okay, I will try my best," I say and hope I don't regret agreeing to this.

"Take your time to read the contract and sign it, and welcome to Gray Wolf Ranch," Huritt pats my shoulder.

The salary is fair and I sign immediately. I receive a stack of farm overalls and change into my new uniform to start right away. I walk together with Rowtag towards the stables while we make small talk. Let this be the start of my new peaceful life.