The Auction: Part 3

 Paisley waved goodbye to Marlee and went to go find her mom. She could see her. She had walked over to the barn. She looked back and saw Marlee walk over to the food truck. "I wonder if Mom would let me invite Marlee to our house this afternoon. I really liked her. Maybe Marlee's mom and dad would come and visit too and it would be so much fun. I have some friends, but Marlee is just my age and she could be my new friend. She said she loves school and likes to read books and write just like I do. I wish she lived closer. She's a long ways from home. They are on vacation. I love to go on vacations. I want her to come to my house. I have books that she might like and we can play school together."

"I liked that old picture book that she found in that box. I wonder if Mom has any old pictures somewhere. I'll have to ask her."

Marlee's dad had called their lawyer. He said that they were bound to the sale of the ranch unless the other couple could come up with the money that Marlee's mom had bid. The lawyer told him that they could form a partnership and they could own part of the ranch for the difference of the two ladies' bid if the first couple didn't have enough money to match his wife's bid.  Marlee's dad and mom told the auctioneer they had to have a few minutes to think about this. "You know, it would give us a place to come for vacations. Marlee could learn how to ride a horse. I had a horse, but I sold it when we moved to town. Hmm, what do you think? It's a lot of money, but actually when you think about it it would be a good investment for us. Can we swing it? Oh my gosh, we could make this place an  Airbnb and make a fortune!  I can just see it now. We could plant geraniums around that porch and you could put a porch swing up. Oh think about it, honey. It's great idea."

"We would have to go to a title company and pay some closing fees; and of course, that would cost money. They would have to do a title search, but first we need to talk to that other couple and see what they think. If they don't want to do it we'll figure something else out. Okay let's tell them our idea," said Marlee's mom. "I see Marlee over at the food truck. I told her to stay at the trailer, but it's been a long time. I'm sure she is hungry and thirsty. Let's get this over with."

After discussing their proposition their idea of an Airbnb was shot down immediately. "I think we could make a lot of money doing this and you could eventually buy us out if you wanted to. My husband and I are just trying to help you out. I know I bid on it, but I didn't mean to!"

"Barrel racing? We know nothing about that. This place isn't set up for that. That will take money, probably a lot of money. Do you have horses for that? We know nothing whatsoever about rodeos. Really? You go to them all the time? That's how you have saved so much money? Well, we need to think about this. I have to get my little girl. I'll be right back. I promised her we would go swimming at a nice motel with a big pool. This place doesn't even have a pool. How did they ever make it a Dude Ranch without a pool? Marlee! I'm over here!"

Harleigh was watching the auction from the tree that she had climbed every year since her mom and her camped on the old campground on this ranch. "Allie was so nice to us and let us camp here and even let me work on this place. I learned a lot about a lot of things out here. I cleaned up poop which they had a nice words for, 'mucking the stalls'. It was still poop. She laughed. Wow that's been about twenty years ago or more. We probably won't ever see this place again. Mom is over there with the crowd looking at the things that are for sale. I'm looking at a bigger picture. A big part of my past is out there. I know I'm still fairly young. At least I'm still young enough to climb a tree, but plenty old enough to know when something just isn't right. I'm just getting this weird feeling that something bad is about to happen. I'd better go find Mom and tell her it's time to go back to the hotel. I don't want her in the middle of a mess." Just as she was going to climb down from her perch on her favorite old tree she looked down and saw an older woman crawling around towards a car and a box of junk. "I knew something was up. What is she doing?" she wondered as she watched the woman drop something in the box and disappear into the crowded parking lot. 

She waited until she could no longer see the woman and walked over to the box to see what that woman had put in it when suddenly a little girl yelled, "Hey! That's my box. You can't have it. I paid two dollars for it. It's mine."