There Was A Man In Their Trunk!

 Of course, Marlee was disappointed about not going swimming and sleeping in a motel or hotel, but sleeping in a big camper and exploring around the campground was fun because her sister, Whitlee and her lollie had really surprised them by driving right into the campground. Her mom and dad thought they were in Florida on vacation. In fact Marlee had been a little jealous because Whitlee had been able to go swimming and she was not able to. There seemed to still be a lot of serious conversations going on with the grownups which now included lollie. Every once in a while their voices would get loud only to return to real low voices about ranching. Marlee wasn't sure, but she thought that ranching was a lot like farming. It was out in the country and there were horses and a lot of fields of green grass so she couldn't see the big deal about it. She and Whitlee were told to get ready for bed. Of course, they had to try out the bed to see if it was comfortable only to be told that the bed they were (not jumping on of course,) was to be their parent's bed.

It was really hard to go to sleep that night because both of the girls had so much to talk about, but especially they had new scooters to ride the next day. They could hardly wait!

The next morning the girls hurried through their breakfast and rushed outside to finally get to play with their new toys. It was so much fun. It didn't seem quite so hot as it was the day before. After awhile they heard their parents call them. They said they were going into town and they needed to put their scooters close to the camper while they were gone.

Marlee told Whitlee that she had gone to the carnival in town the day before and had had so much fun. Whitlee said, "I want to go to the carnival too!" Her mom said, "No, we need to go get some food and things for the camper. I guess we will have to stay longer than we thought we were. Your lollie has gone home to check on Rex. The neighbor has been feeding him and making sure he gets his exercise and so on, but Mom said she would check in and make sure he was going to be taken care of while we stay awhile longer in Texas. Oh look at the picture she just sent. He looks like he's grown a foot. Look, girls."

"Mom says he is a good watch dog and barks at all the squirrels and rabbits in the yard."

When they drove into the small town Whitlee immediately saw the carnival rides and wanted to go. "No, not today, Whitlee. We just have a million things to do, but when we get done with our errands, we can stop in at the cafe and have an ice cream if you would like to."

The girls decided that would do. They both loved ice cream. 

The first stop was a store that sold food that was already cooked. That would be simple to fix in the camper. The girls each got a drink while their parents shopped.

The time seemed to go by quickly in the store and soon their mom said it was time to check out and pay for the food they had put in their cart. When they walked out the door their dad yelled, "Hey! Get out of there! What are you doing in my trunk?" He was running down the street, but the man in his trunk was smaller and faster and disappeared down an alley.

The folks in the cafe were watching the people running down the street with amazement. "Would you look at that? Now you just can't make somethin' like that up, can ya? I wonder if that is those new folks that bought the Double D. Hope they aren't bringin' in riff raff into our town. Somebody should be doin' somethin'; maybe call the sheriff."

Small Town Carnival And A Helpful Neighbor

 After Marlee's mom and dad got through signing all the papers at the lawyer's office, then they had to make an appointment with the title company. They found out that their paper work included title search, title insurance, having an assessor go to the ranch and make sure that the boundaries were accurate plus they were very busy and couldn't get to their closing date for another few weeks. And again that all cost more money. Marlee had had to sit in the waiting room while the grownups were busy talking and deciding what they were going to do. Looking at her mom and dad's face she knew things weren't going too good. She decided not to bug them about going swimming and just see what they were going to do. Maybe they were just going to go home. That was fine with Marlee, then she heard the strange lady in the office say, "You know there are some campers for rent in town. You could rent one of those at a pretty reasonable rate and park it out on the Double D Ranch. It has a campground on the back lots of the property. I don't know how updated it is, but I have heard it's a nice place to relax and I'm sure that Steff won't mind if you want to stay there for a few days. They come furnished with dishes and linens etc., all you need is food for the fridge and you would be set. It might help you kind of get the lay of the land so to speak. Would you like me to make some calls for you? Great! Just a second I'll see if someone's in the office. Okay, it's all set, they have a nice camper for rent. They said they will even haul it our to the ranch if that's okay with you  at no charge. Why don't you follow me and I'll introduce you. By the way we will be your new neighbors. We live just across the section from the Double D. We raise cattle, not horses."

Marlee's grandma decided to pack up and shorten her vacation with Whitlee and head to Texas. "This must be some crazy kind of mistake. The kids know nothing about ranching. We'll get to the bottom of this, won't we, Whit?"

The old woman watched as the couple and little girl got in the car and headed to town. She decided to follow them to see where they were going. As they pulled into town she noticed that the sheriff was headed in the opposite direction. "Good riddance to bad rubbish! Now if they just leave their car unlocked I'll be able to get that pocket watch out of the box. Rats! Now where are they going?" Then she saw that they were now at the title company. She sat and waited and decided they were going to be in the title office for awhile. She was going to take her chances. "I can't believe my good luck they left the doors unlocked. Now to see if I can find that watch."

"Mom! Dad! Somebody is in our car! Come quick!" Marlee's mom and dad came running out to the waiting room and said, "What are you yelling about?" Marlee said, "There was a lady getting in the back seat. I think she was in the box that I bought at the auction. She shouldn't have done that, should she?" They all went outside and didn't see anyone near their car and the box was still in the back seat."

"Marlee, I think everything is okay. If she did take something we probably won't know it because we haven't gone through all the stuff in that box. Don't worry about it. We are going to have an adventure tonight. We are going back to the ranch and sleep in a big camper. Won't that be fun?"

Marlee said, "Okay, but can we lock the doors this time?" They all laughed and went out to go see the camper that would be their home for the next few days. On the way to the camper rental place Marlee said, "Look! They are having a carnival! I want to go. See those kids having fun. Can we go? Please?"

Marlee's dad looked at his wife, closed his eyes for a second and said, "We sure can. How about if we get the camper out to the ranch, then come back into town and get some groceries so we can have breakfast tomorrow. Then we can go to the carnival. Okay?" Marlee was so excited. She said, "Can I get a cowboy hat? Every one is wearing a hat in Texas. Mom, you can get one too! Oh I want to ride on those rides. Let's hurry!"

And Marlee got herself a hat and so did her mom and so did her dad.

A Promise Is A Promise And Broke Is Broke

 Marlee looked through part of the old book and wished she could read the words that were in it. She had learned how to sound out some words that were printed, but the writing in this book was full of loops and circles. She had no idea what the words said. She soon tired of it and concentrated on her new furry friend that she had named Willow. Willow jumped off her lap and onto the floor. She barked a soft, "Woof!" and ran to the door. "Oh, okay you want outside? What a good dog you are." She opened the door and soon another dog ran up to say hi. He was a big white dog with lots of fur. "Oh, aren't you a pretty dog. Do you and Willow live here? I wish I had a dog to pet and love."

She heard someone come up behind her and saw that it was her mom. "You know animals are a lot of work. They also cost a lot of money. They need special food and medicine. They need to go to a groomer. That is just a beauty shop for animals. Sometimes their fur gets too long and makes them really uncomfortable. There are bugs that like to live on animal's fur too; ticks and fleas. All of that is a lot of responsibility. That's why you don't have a dog. We live in town and don't have a fenced in yard for one thing."

"Well maybe someday we could get daddy to put up a fence around our yard then we could get a dog." "Right now that's the last thing I'm going to worry about. I need to talk to my mom right now. I have something I want to talk over with her. If you want to go outside and play with the dogs while I call her I think it's okay. They seem like really friendly dogs. Make sure you stay right where I can see you, okay?"

Marlee's mom quickly sent a text to her mom who was vacationing in Florida. "This is going to be an interesting conversation. She's going to freak out probably. Hope she gets the text soon. I really need to talk to her." Soon her phone rang with a video chat request. It was her mother. "Hi! Are you having a good time at the beach? Good. Well, there's something I want to tell you and talk to you about. I'm glad you are sitting down. I wish I was there with you about now. That's for sure."

" I bought a ranch in Texas today. Not on purpose, Mom! Of course, not! It was an accident! Yes it was an accident. I was waving at my husband and the auctioneer thought I was bidding. Now I guess we are going to be partners in this big old ranch with another couple until they get enough money to buy our share out. We are going to be in Texas for a little longer than we thought. The lady that owns it is leaving soon. Mom there's not even any food in the fridge. Well, in fact there's no fridge. She sold everything at the auction, but this couch in the living room. I wonder why she didn't put it on the auction. Anyway, how soon are you coming back? I need you to go to our house and check to make sure everything is okay every once in awhile. Okay? Of course, I will let you know what's going on. Yes we are calling our work. Yes, I know we need our jobs. You know this could be a good thing. I thought we could make it into an Airbnb, but the other couple wants to buy and sell horses. They are rodeo people, Mom! Listen to me. It's done. I'll call you again tomorrow. We have to go into town and do paper work. Tell Whit we will see her soon and that we love her. No I don't have time to talk to her right now. I'll call you tomorrow and Whit can talk to everyone then. Okay? Bye, Mom. It's going to be okay. Yes I promise!"

"What's going to be okay, Mom? What did lollie have to say? Is she still on vacation? I want to go to Florida instead of Texas. Is lollie at the beach? Is Whitlee swimming without me? I want to go to the beach too. It's really hot here. Can we go to the motel and go swimming now? You promised!"

Marlee's dad found the box that Marlee told him that she had bought. He put the box of junk in the car and locked it. "My girls are giving me a headache today. I can't believe that we will soon be part owners of a ranch. A ranch! What are we doing? We are going to be so poor until that other couple buys us out. I wonder how my boss is going to take this. I shouldn't be more than a couple of days late coming back from vacation. I'd better call him now while I have a minute. It sounds like there will be a lot of paperwork to get done before this sale is a done deal. It's a good thing that we have been saving for a house. We at least have enough money to get this done, but we won't have anything left in savings. I guess it's going to be hamburger and macaroni for a few weeks. We can do this. Just keep telling yourself this; we can do this."

                                                                     *******

"Shhh! Now get over there and get that box out of that car. If you do that I will give you a good price for that bag of jewels you got there. Now git! I need that box and be careful that you don't get caught!"

"And just how do you expect me to accomplish that? It's broad daylight and I have no clue how to break into a car. I'm not a crook you know. That's your line of work from what I'm told. You are on your own. I'll find somebody else to buy these." The old woman watched the man walk away. "That's just fine. I'll do it myself." The crowd had started to thin away and folks were getting in their cars. "The auction must be about over. Maybe it is over. Rats! How am I going to get my hands on that watch? I never should have dropped it in that box. What was I thinking?"

                                                       ****

David was miserable. That dog had chased him and grabbed him by the pants leg until he fell down. He thought that monster was going to eat him. He could still smell that dog's breath. "Yuk! He slobbered all over me." He wiped off his face with his shirt sleeve, or what was left of it. "He tore my pants and my shirt. Big galoop, but at least he wasn't mean. I guess he just wanted to play." He walked very slowly towards what looked like a doorway in a brick wall. "Yes, there's a door bell. Hopefully this is the right place." He looked around the the area. There were a lot of motorcycles parked there. "I wonder if I have the right place. I think this is the address, but it's hard to tell back here." He looked to see where the revving of a motorcycle was coming from. There sat a rider looking right at him. He quickly pushed the button for the door bell. The door opened up a crack and a deep voice said, "We don't want nothin'. Now get outta here!" And slammed the door in his face. "Well, this was an interesting day. I'll go get myself a room and do some calling. I know there's more than one jewelry fence down here. Man I need a bath."

It seemed like within minutes he felt himself fly through the air. When he opened his eyes he realized how lucky he was. Broke, but lucky. The jewels were gone and so were his dreams of a house on the beach and a fancy car.

The Journal

 Marlee followed her mom to the big house that her mom called the main house. "I wonder how many houses there are if this big one is the main one." She looked all around what she called a farm and saw that there were other houses. There was a really long house with a big porch on it and then there were several other houses that were pretty small. She didn't ask her mom any questions because she could tell that she was upset for some reason. " I wonder what Mom meant when she said she bought a ranch." She stood a little to the side of her mom and realized that her dad was there too and another couple. They looked like cowboys that she had seen pictures of. "Cool," she thought. "This is fun, but no one has a happy face." She was told to go into the house and sit down on the couch. She immediately saw a dog and wondered if it was friendly. A lady smiled and told her if she wanted to pet him she could. Her dad patted her shoulder and told her to be a good girl. The grownups had a lot to talk about and when they were done they would come and get her. She smiled and said that she would read her book and the dog jumped up on the couch and laid her head on Marlee's lap.

"You are a good dog. I wonder what your name is. I'm not going to interrupt the grownups, but I think I will call you Willow. Be a good dog, okay? I want to look at this book I bought. It was in a box of junk, but I think Dad put it in the car. That's ok, no, you can't chew on it. Now be good while I look at some of these pictures. There was one in here that looked a little like me; weird, but it did. I'll show Mom when she gets done talking. Look, Willow, there's writing I can't read a lot yet, but there's more pictures. Oh look there's a little girl just about my age, but that picture is really old. I wonder why her picture is in this book."

 There's a lot of pictures of horses and cows too. I wish I could read better. I will be able to someday when I go to school more. Oh, Willow, look! There's that little girl wearing the same dress as the other one I saw. Who is she, I wonder. Boy do I have a lot to ask my mom about. Maybe she will get happier and read to me out of this book. She will probably be able to tell me who this little girl is."

****

There were grownups in the kitchen that Marlee was not aware of. The auctioneer, Allie's daughter, Steff, and her daughter and family, Marlee's mom and dad and Sarah and J.D. the other couple that had bid on the ranch. The voices were getting louder and Marlee's mom said, "We had better lower our voices. I don't want Marlee getting upset over this. Steff said, "I thought the ranch had been sold. What's this all about? You bid by mistake? How does that even happen? These folks want the ranch then give it to them. I want to go home as soon as I can. You are kidding me. I can't go home because the sale isn't final yet? I cannot believe this is happening to me. So who has the money to buy this ranch? Neither one of you? Then sell it to someone else. Today!"

Both couples looked at the auctioneer to hear what he had to say. "Only the highest bidder is the owner. The only way to make a sale today is for both of these couples to form a partnership. If they go into town and get the paperwork done then you can go home, but not today. None of you can leave until the paperwork is done and signed; plus checks written and cleared from the banks. There has to be a deed search to make sure there are no other people intitled to a share of this place and of course, the taxes have to be paid which is the major issue here. Then you have to hire a person to come out and make sure that the boundaries of the ranch are true. You certainly don't want someone to sue you over an acre or two of land. There is a lot to consider and do, so you had better get together and calmly discuss this and come to a decision that all of you can live with. The sooner the better in my estimation. I would like this settled today just like the rest of you."

****

David was on his way out of the airport with high hopes that the jewels that he had discovered at the Double D ranch would bring him a pretty penny. He patted the little bag that held his future and smiled. He could just see it now. His house on the beach and beautiful white sand. "Oh yes. It's a good thing that I have a lead on an underground jewelry fence. They say she pays the best. I'm not too cool with going downtown at night, but it will be well worth it. Oh rats,  my G.P.S. says that I have to go down this alley and then get back behind this tall boarded up fence. Yikes! There's a really big dog back there. I'm not liking this, but it's cool. Just keep.. No!"

The Auctioneer's Wife Is Headed For Trouble

 She was sick of taking care of kids. She was sick of being broke all the time, but most of all she was sick of the Texas heat. They didn't even have a pool. She had to load up those boys with all their swimming stuff which took forever to take them to the public pool. For that matter who knew what all was in the water. Yuk. She told them if they cleaned their rooms she would take them this afternoon. "That was a mistake. All I hear them do is fight. Well let them fight. I'm done messing with housework this afternoon. Maybe I'll meet someone interesting at the pool today. She decided to scroll through her phone and skimmed through the silly memes and wondered if anyone ever put anything interesting on social media. There was an old lady that put her stories up two or three times a week. Where does she get her ideas? I could give her some ideas; plenty. I'd send her pictures of my ne'er-do-well husband. He calls himself an auctioneer. Right. He barely makes enough money to feed us and pay the rent for the shack we live in. I want to live in Illinois. I know I have some family there that could give us a good start with housing and a decent job for my prince charming. Maybe I should get a job. I've got four boys. What would I do with them if I work? Wait. What is this? Hmm, another old lady wanting women to work as part time delivery people. She doesn't say what you have to deliver. My luck it would be 65" television sets. Choose your own hours. Must have a valid drivers license and own a vehicle. Whoa! That salary is more than my dear husband makes in a week if he's lucky. There's got to be something off about this. Why not check this out? I'll put a little makeup on and go see about it on the way to the pool."

                                                                           *******

"I'm not taking your box of stuff. There was somebody putting something in your box, little girl. I was just trying to help. I need to check on my mother so if you are alright I'm going to go see to her. Are you okay? Where is your mother? Oh, there's mine! Hey, Mom! Over here!"

   

"Mom, what did you do? What? You bought this thing? Why? Do you have a clue how much it must weigh? Oh my goodness, how much did you pay for it? No you did. not.! I can't believe it! If and how we get this thing in the trunk, where are you going to put it? Well, I think we should probably worry about it now. Yes, I know you are the mom. Okay, do you think you can help me lift this thing? I'll go get the car and bring it over as close as I can. Wait here and please don't buy anything else." She did have to chuckle on her way to the car. "Mom and auctions are a deadly duo. She always buys something goofy. Elephant umbrella stands in Texas. Yup, that's my mom for you."

                                                   

  Marlee smiled and said, "Well, I only had four dollars and spent half of it on this stuff. I don't think there is anything good in here but this old book. It has pictures in it and I want to keep it." She's over by the barn for some reason. She and dad have been over there for a long time. I want to go swimming. It's really hot here in Texas." She looked up and the lady was walking away. "Well, that's weird. Where did she go?"

Marlee watched the lady walk away and start talking to an older lady when she heard her mother's voice. It sounded like she had been crying. "Marlee, did you buy this box of stuff? How did you do that? You didn't have a bidding card. You used mine? How much did you spend? Two dollars? Okay. Well, it seems you and I are the winners of the auction today. Daddy and I have a lot to talk about. It seems that I accidentally bought this ranch and now we have to go and do a lot of talking and thinking. We need to talk with the owner for one thing. I'm glad you got yourself something to drink. I'm sure we all could use a good meal and a nice hotel room. Who was that lady you were talking to? You don't know? Now you know I always tell you not to talk to strangers. Oh. Did she tell you what it was? Well, you can look if you want to, I have to get your dad and go talk to the lady that owns this place and other people that want this ranch too. It's a mess, Marlee. You are so lucky you aren't a grownup. Enjoy being a little girl for as long as you can. You can look through that box later. Come along with me and we can all go to the main house together. Yes, you can bring your book."

                                                                         *****

The old woman had been hiding behind some parked cars. It was hard to see what was going on. "I wish that little girl would hurry up and get out of there. I need that watch back. It's pure silver and will bring me a pretty penny for sure. And besides that, I have to get back to the booth. My old man will probably give my stuff away. He doesn't have a clue what I do to keep him in all the stuff he wants. I need to hire some people that I can trust besides my two partners." She chuckled and thought, "That's a good one. If they trust me they are losers. I'm out to make a bundle, not to be a nice old lady." She looked down when she felt the vibration on her phone. "Ah, here's a sucker now. Wants a job, huh? I'll promise her a big fat wage then disappear before she can collect her wages." She sent a text and looked up and wouldn't you know it, there was a man picking up the box! "No, no, no, no! I have to have that watch back."

"What are you doing crouching down by my car and why do you want that box? It's not yours by the looks of thing so how do you know there's a watch in it. Wait just a minute there sister. I know who you are! I've been looking for you."

"Will you be quiet? I need to see where that guy is taking that box. I have to have it back. Make yourself useful. I could make it worthwhile. You know one hand washes another. That sort of thing."

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."

The Next Generation: The Auction Part 2

 The sweat was running into his eyes and his head was aching. He'd been an auctioneer for over twenty years and he needed some time off. That's why he'd hired an assistant. She seemed like she was doing okay. She had sold the ranch and there wasn't much left to get rid of. The commission they would make on the sale would sure help out his finances even though he had to share the money. Maybe when he got home his wife would have dinner ready for a change. Maybe just maybe she would smile when he walked in the door. That's a lot of maybes for one day. She wanted to move to Illinois. Today that idea didn't seem half bad. It was probably a lot cooler up there. The kids were getting old enough that they wouldn't care. One was in college and the other in a trade school. He wanted to be an auctioneer. "I should have talked him out of that, but that's what he wanted to do." The little girls were still hanging around the trailer full of junk. One was talking to him.

"What do you want, little girl? I'm a busy man. You want to buy this box?  So do you have money?Well, do you have a number?  You have to have a number. Yeah, I guess you can use your mom's number. What is it? #32? Okay, what will you pay for this box?" Marlee said, "I have four dollars, but I don't want to spend it all. I'll give you two dollars." The auctioneer started his chant but quickly noticed that he no longer had a crowd of people around the trailer. They were all walking towards the barn. "What is going on? Yes you can have that box. Now go find your mom, but don't forget to pay the clerk over there at the trailer. Now scat!"

As he quickly walked towards the barn he began to get worried. What was happening? There were two ladies crying and two men shaking their heads at his assistant and using really loud voices, in fact they were yelling at her!

 "Alright, alright. Now what's this all about? You bid on the ranch, but you didn't mean to? Quit your crying and tell me what exactly happened."

"I'll tell you what happened she over bid me and now we can't buy the ranch of our dreams. We've been scrimping and saving for years. Why did you have to ruin everything?"

After pulling his assistant aside she explained that she thought that the woman that waved her number at her wanted to get in on the bidding of the ranch.

 "Wait a minute! I don't want this ranch. We are on vacation and that's all there is to it!" 

"Well, let us have it for our bid then. We want this ranch. Please!"

The auctioneers head felt like it was splitting in two. The people on vacation were in trouble. There was over a million dollars in back taxes due on the ranch. They had bid, accidentally or not $1, 853, 782. They were liable for that money. If they didn't pay it it would go on their credit as a black mark and then the ranch would have to go back up for sale again at a later date because the taxes were accumulating as they spoke. He tried to explain to both couples that accident or not, #32 was the owner of the ranch.

"Can we buy the ranch from them for what we bid?" the young woman sobbed. "No. I told you that they now own it. You would have to make up the difference to buy it. Then you could own it." The young woman cried so hard she could hardly breathe and the other couple stood holding each other; both of which were in shock. They knew nothing about ranching. They certainly didn't want their credit to go bad. What could they do?

                                                                 *****

 He arrived at the flea market with the bag of jewels in his pocket. Now to find the woman that he knew would give him below market value and make a fortune for the jewelry, but it would still give him a good chunk of change. That money would buy him a home and maybe even a better car. He would be set and his brother would be in Florida without the jewels. He laughed to himself again while he was browsing the open air market. "Serves him right. His brother was the Golden Boy and he was the black sheep of the family. Now the table was turned. "Ha! There's her booth. I recognize some of her jewelry that she uses for a front. Wait, there's a man sitting there. Well, I'll just ask for her. Maybe she's on a break. Hope she's not in jail again. She needs to be more careful who she buys and sells to."

Marlee and one of the girls that had been standing beside her were looking at the things in the box that she had just bought. "Mom's been gone for awhile. I don't think I can carry this big box by myself. Another girl said, "I will help you. Soon there were three girls helping Marlee carry the big box to her parent's car. "Thank you so much for helping me. Do you want to help me look in the box to see if I bought anything really valuable? My mom told me that sometimes there are treasures in boxes at auctions." They all agreed to sit down and carefully take things out of the box to see if there was a treasure somewhere at the bottom.

After quite some time the girls said they couldn't see anything valuable in the box. They told Marlee they had to go find their parents or grandparents. They told her how sorry they were that she had spent her two dollars for junk and were on their way.

Marlee waved good-bye to them wishing they would stay and be friends. She had lots of friends at home and missed them.  She decided to open up a really old book. A picture fell out on the ground. She picked it up and said, "Wow! This picture looks kinda like me. I've never been to Texas before so I guess it's just an old old picture of a little girl that looks a little like me. I'll have to show mom if she ever gets back here. I'm getting thirsty. I'll look for her by the food truck. I'm glad I didn't spend all of my money on that box of stuff. I'm ready to go back on the road to do something fun. Maybe get a hotel and go swimming. Yes, that's a really good idea." 

The Auction: Part One

 The auctioneer looked over the crowd. There were a lot of people here today. He was glad that his partner was here to help. She was fresh out of auctioneer school, but she's good. Maybe they could get this over with in one day. The heat was almost unbearable. It was over a hundred degrees and going to be hotter by the minute. His partner headed over to the barn. The ranch had been scheduled to be sold first, but for some reason there were a lot of people with bidding numbers that had headed over towards the barn. "Interesting. This tells me I'm going to make some money today. My commission will certainly help pay the bills. Business has been slow lately." He went over to the tables of smaller things and announced on the speaker that anyone that was interested in the ranch and the livestock including horses would be starting at the same time as the household items. He looked over the heads of all the people and saw a little girl causing a commotion over at the barn. "What is she crying about? I don't need this. I've got to get this sale going. The girl wanted a horse. "Well, get her a horse for Pete's sakes. He watched for a minute then was relieved to see his partner had in fact gotten a good price for the horse plus the girl's parents had gotten it for her.  " Win, win so let's go."

 His heart started to beat a little faster as the bidding progressed. Things were selling at a good rate. It was not quite noon and the ranch had already sold and the larger household items and furniture had sold as well. He was down to the tables of little stuff. "Man I want to get out of here. I'm so hot. I've had a good day so will let this junk go cheap," he thought. He looked over the crowd and  frowned; little kids, girls at that. Just what I didn't need today." He looked down at the trailer loaded with boxes of junk. He sighed and thought. Let's get this over with. He held up a silver frame. It was old, but he had no idea how much it was worth so  he started his auctioneer chant. "I'm bid a dollar, now two. I'm bid two. I hear three? I hear three? No? Sold to the lady for two dollars." Marlee said, "Mom! You won. Now get me this box of stuff. It's got some books in it I want. Please?" Her mom said, "We'll see, Marlee. It depends on how much it goes for. Other people might want the same box you know. Plus we are on vacation and don't have room in the car for very much. I'll be back soon. Be a good girl and stay right here, okay? Right now I see your dad waving at me to go over to the barn. I wonder what he wants. 

 As she started walking towards the barn she waved at her husband wondering why he wanted her. "Hey! Here I am over here!" As she neared the barn she heard the auctioneer say, "Sold to the lady holding number 32." She thought she was going to be sick. What had she done? She ran over to her husband and said, "What just happened?" Her husband said, "I think you just bought a ranch."

Steff's eyes were misty as she watched her mom and dad's things sell. Some things sold for more than she'd hoped, but many things sold for less. She felt a wave of loneliness wash over her as she saw some of her mother's things being sold. She wondered who the people were and where they lived. She heard the auctioneer announce that the ranch had sold. "There it is, girl. You are officially relieved of your duties in Texas. Soon you will be on your way back to your husband and family." For some reason she didn't smile or dance a jig like she had thought she would. She felt a little sad. "I never liked living here, why am I feeling this way?" She looked up and couldn't believe her eyes. There was her daughter!

Her face felt strange. She realized that she had not smiled in a very long time. She was so glad to see her! "What are you doing here? I love you! How did you get here? Where are the kids? Why did you come all this way?" The more she talked the more she smiled and the more her tears started carrying some of that Texas dirt and hurt along with them. "It's almost over, honey. The ranch sold a little while ago. They are on the last leg of some of the trailers of little stuff. I'll be ready to go back first thing in the morning. Why did you come today of all days?"

Tony watched as his brother stood in line waiting to get on his flight to Florida. "Should be interesting when he finds out he no longer has a bag of jewelry to sell once he gets down there. I know a woman that buys and sells jewelry. With the money I make I'm going to have a fancy house on the beach somewhere. By bro' see ya, not!" He chuckled to himself all the way down the highway.

Hopes And Dreams Of The Future And Musings Of The Past

 He said they were partners. He said they'd be rich beyond all imagination. He said they were in this together. But he had not told him the truth. He was gone! "I just knew he wasn't telling me the truth. I just knew it. I laid awake all night listening to him packing. He never said a word to me. I opened my eyes just a tiny bit and could see him in the shadows. He was taking a tent! Where did he get a tent? Then I saw him packing clothes. They were all dark clothes. What was he doing? Where was he going? I couldn't help it, but I fell asleep for just a minute or two. When I woke up he was gone! I've got to find him." He quickly got dressed. He dressed in his 70's tie dye shirt and head band that now was in fashion again. He wanted to stand out in a crowd, but he wore shades so no one would recognize him, but his brother. He wanted him to see that he was on his trail. He's going to the Double D Ranch. I just know it. That's all he's talked about for months ever since that old uncle of theirs told them about how K.R. stashed jewelry in the main house. K.R. tried to find it years ago but it was gone. "Yup, brother, I'm on my way. You will split the money with me. I'll find you!"

"Just as I thought. There's his tent. Wait. Here he comes. What's that he's carrying? Yuk, it looks like he's got poop all over him. Maybe he didn't find the jewels after all. No he's putting a little bag in his duffel bag. Now he's walking away. What is he doing?" He waited for awhile and then quietly dodged in between bushes and trees. He found the bag in the corner of the tent. He quickly dug into his brother's bag and there it was. "He found them! Well, little brother. They are mine now. See ya!" And he was gone, but he heard a rustling noise and quickly hid from sight behind a log. Sure enough. His brother was taking down the tent and loading up his gear into his junky old car. "Where are you going?" He chuckled quietly as he patted the jewels in his own pocket. "I think I'll follow you to see how far you get before you find out you no longer are a rich man." 

Stef looked out the upstairs window. The house yard was filled with cars, pickups, and horse trailers. People were milling around the flat bed trailers filled with boxes, dishes, and furniture. The ancient washer and dryer were sitting there looking like they might only bring a buck or two if she was lucky. They had rusted over the years and her mother would never replace them. She saw the old Jeep that her mother had long ago retired. She could never sell it. Some cow hand over the years had parked it on a rock for a joke. It had never been moved. She told stories about a camper too, but she had never seen it.  She said it had been given to her many years ago by an uncle her mother had never known. Bill was his name. He had given her this ranch as well. Amazing. Things like that just don't happen; maybe in story books is all. But of course, it had happened to her mother. It always did. She lived her life like a fiction novel. Oh the stories she used to tell.

 Her eyes swept over the all too familiar land. There were no horses in the pastures. What horses were left  had all been brought up to the barnyard for easy showing and selling. The auction was going to be a big one. She wanted it done in one day, but the auctioneer said it might take two days. It all depended on the bidding and the attendance. Whomever won the bid on the ranch had to be pre-approved by a bank, so that would be settled soon. The ranch was first on the agenda, then the animals, then the household items. It would be hours before she would be able to close her eyes again. There wasn't even a cup of coffee to be had except at the food cart outside. "I guess I'd better chin up, put a smile on my face and get out there. I have to have my coffee and something to eat to get through this day."

When Marlee and her family pulled into the ranch there had to be a million cars there. "Where are we going to park? There is no room!" Her dad chuckled and said, "It's a big place, Marlee. I'll find a spot." Her mother said, "I'm excited. I heard that she has a lot of silver stuff like picture frames I'd like to buy if they don't go too high."

Marlee and her sister, Whitlee got out of the car and looked all around. There was a lot of people and cars, but they were all going towards the barn. She and her mom and sister went over to the trailers piled high with things to be sold while her dad went over to the barn to see what all was going to be sold. "Oh I was right. There are some picture frames. I wonder how high they will go. Come on girls. Let's walk around so we can see what all we might want to bid on then we will go over and get a number in case we buy something."

Marlee stopped and touched some things in a box. Her mother told her not to touch anything because it still belonged to the lady that was having the auction. If they bought a box of things, then she could go through it with her.

Sarah and J.D. had always wanted their own ranch. They had been raised in Texas and had ridden in rodeos it seemed like for all their lives. They had been saving their money and had scrimped and saved until they thought they might be able to buy the Double D. She still carried a picture in her wallet of her sister in a cowboy hat and her standing beside her that was so very old. She had always loved horses. When she grew up she met the man of her dreams who also loved horses and wanted so many of the same things she did. Hopefully their bid would be accepted and the ranch would soon be theirs.

Soon other people started walking towards the barn with numbers in their hands. "Surely there aren't a lot of people willing to bid on this ranch. It's run down and the buildings all need repaired. Oh go away. Please, people, go away. J.D. and I want this ranch. It's all we can afford and we can make it a great place again. I know we could."

Getting Ready For The Double D Auction

 "I just love going for walks with you, but we never see anything new. Do you want to go to the gas station and get a cold drink? I do. Want to? What's that sign mean? What's an auction? Is it fun? Have you ever been to an auction? What do they do there? Does it cost money to go there? How come you aren't answering me?"

Blake grinned and said, "Well, first of all you haven't given me a chance to answer any of your questions. I may have gone to an auction, but I can't remember it. Grown ups go to buy stuff cheap, but I heard Mom say that sometimes people get carried away and pay too much for stuff because it's fun to bid." So an auction is a sale. Sometimes people are moving, or have died and their stuff needs to be sold. Sometimes they just have too much stuff and want to get rid of it. There's lots of reasons for an auction. I think I heard that the auction sign we just saw was for the Double D ranch outside of town. It might take two days to sell everything out there. They have horses and other animals, farm equipment and lots of things in the house too, I imagine. It does sound kind of fun, but you need money to bid on stuff. The auctioneer starts out saying a price he thinks is fair. Everyone has a number card they got from the auctioneer clerk. If you bid on something you say, "yeah" and hold your number up so the auctioneer can see. The highest bidder wins and then he says, "Sold to number such and such." They sell lots of little stuff too. They fill up boxes with junk. I've heard of people finding valuable stuff in a box full of stuff they might only have paid a dollar for. Like a famous painting, or book. I guess we could ask Mom or Dad if they are going. Might be fun, but I sure don't want to stay all day in this heat. Let's get a cold drink. That's a good idea."

Stef was glad that she had asked a couple of the cowhands to help her with boxing up little things for the auction. This was one of the hardest things that she had ever done, but it was getting to the end. This weekend the Double D would belong to someone else. Someone other than family for the first time in generations. "They might even rename this place. The Double D has been a landmark for many years and had a good reputation for the most part. Mom told us kids about a guy named K.R. that put a black mark on everything he touched. I think Dad thought he was his father for years, but that turned out not to be true. "Okay. I think that is it. Mr. Vacuum you are going on the auction too. Whoever buys this place can bring their own. I'm ready for a hot shower and a good night's sleep. First I'll call the kids and see what they are up to. This weekend everything will be carried outside that I don't want to keep and then when everything is sold I will be on my way home. Home to my family. Boxes of  memories that I will share with them as the grandchildren get older."

It seemed like Lucky had been through every bush, every ditch ever made in Texas, now this. Poop! I have never in my life seen so much of this in my life! The guys in the joint would be laughing their heads off. I thought horses were supposed to be beautiful and clean. When I used to go to the track they sure were. Where do they get all this poop? They must feed those animals wrong. That old man, K.R., used to tell my uncle about this place. Made it sound beautiful. Made it seem like it was loaded with gold and silver. I'm gonna be rich. I can wash this stuff off of me. I just got to remember what he told me and how to get there. It was right on the border he said. Well, I'm right in the barnyard is where I am. I gotta get outta here before somebody sees me. Yuk, I stink. I gotta find some water somewhere. Besides that this place looks like it's going to fall down any minute. I wonder if I'm at the right place. No no no! Get outta here you noisy little thing. What are you anyway some kind of little mini dog or horse? Anyway take those chickens with you! Shh! You are going to wake up everybody and I'll land back in the joint. Now git! Ouch you mean chicken! You made me bleed! I oughta... Wait a minute. What are you sitting on there? It sure don't look like eggs. Don't you peck me again old hen. I see something shiny. Yeah yeah, lookie there. Well, looks like I don't have to go any further to get rich. No siree, I'm going back to the city. Looks like diamonds and gold to me. He stuck the gold and diamond cowboy boot in his teeth and bit down. It was soft. Yesirree Bob. I'm gonna git me a fancy car and maybe a vacation. I betcha these are worth a million bucks. Now hush!"

"Dad, how come we are going to an auction? It's too hot to be outside. Are you going to buy me something? I want to go swimming.. Can we stop somewhere? Dad! Mom! Whitlee is leaning on me! Make her stop! I did not pinch her!...Hard."

The Next Generation; Preface

 "This is not my fault! This is not my job! I have a brother and a sister that should be here helping me. I have three grown up children that also should be pitching in. She was their mother and grandmother, but no here I am taking time off from work to clean up after you, Mother." She walked through the house smelling familiar smells of stale cooking, but also of saddle soap that her mother left open on her dresser. She could just see her dad rubbing that stuff into his boots at night. "And furthermore, Dad, You should be here too. I'm just mad! I'm mad at you too, God. Why did you have to take him when I was so young? I suppose Mom did her best with us, but I hated this ranch. and the heat of Texas, and the cleaning up after those horses. Horses! Mother loved them. I think she loved them more than us kids. I can just see her now talking gentle to them and giving them treats. She was in that barn more than in the house. It shows for sure. Okay, okay she was old! I get that, but why am I taking all the blame for her not paying the taxes on this place? It is not my fault!  I'll be lucky if this place sells for enough over the amount of the taxes to pay all of her bills that are piled on the desk upstairs. I guess I'd better get busy and start downstairs with getting things in piles. First the auction pile, then the give away pile, the throw away pile, and the keep pile. Hopefully I can talk some of the hands that are still left to help me get this done. I've only got a few days and then it will all be over. Then I can get back to my life. " As she turned to go back downstairs she saw a picture of her husband and her taken years ago. "Well, look at that. Happier times for sure." She ran her finger over the glass in the frame trying to feel her husband's face. "I sure wish you were here. I could really use your help. I know you have to work." She angrily wiped the tears from her face and got busy. The sooner she got this over with the sooner she could take that ten hour trip back home where she belonged. Hopefully she would still have a job when she got back.

Justin had retired from congress many years ago. What he had left now was memories. So many memories. Oh he had two children; a son and a daughter and some grandchildren,. He didn't see them very often. "They have their own lives and I'm just about done with mine. It was a good ride though. Oh once I found out I had a brother; and a twin brother at that we had fun. He got married and stayed in Texas and I finally found my love and lived in D.C. as well as in Illinois. Josh died young though. I miss him still. I don't think Mom ever got over it. She lived in my guest house for years. She didn't talk much about her feelings, but I could see the sadness in her eyes." 

When Justin did get to see his grandchildren he loved to tell them stories about the Double D ranch and of course, about his life as a senator. He had one son that loved to live on the edge. He worried about him constantly. "I have no idea where he got his reckless ways. Must have been his mother," he grinned as he remembered his sweet wife. There was nothing reckless about her, but she did have a twinkle in her eyes when she was thinking of something a bit naughty. "Oh how I miss you, my dear."

Sarah walked into the feed store and found herself in quite a line of folks waiting to be helped. "I think I will just look around. I love looking at Ben's bulletin board. The sale bills are fun but J.D. hates it when I tell him there's a sale." She grinned and thought. I wish we had enough saved up to buy our own ranch. Maybe just a few more races and we will. Oh, well, look here. The Double D is going up for auction this month. Hmm, I wonder how much that place will go for. Mom worked for Allie when she was younger as an equine dentist." She tore down the sale bill, put it in her purse and went out to the truck. "J.D. might say no, but I'll never know until I show him this." She found him just where she thought he'd be. He loved horses as much as she did. She frowned when she thought of her husband's elderly father. He was nice enough guy, but he did hate that they loved barrel racing and rodeos. Oh well, it's our life. "I just can't wait to see what my hubby thinks. I sure do hope he thinks that it's a possibility at least."

While he was waiting to check in with his parole officer he rummaged through the worn and uninteresting magazines in the waiting room. "What a surprise. Got my paralegal certificate in the joint to read this outdated junk. Then they make me wait an hour to see him. Oh wait, what's this? Let me see this. I think that was the name of the place where my uncle's cell mate used to live or close by. I can't remember all the stories he used to tell. Let's see where this place is at. Yeah, I think it was called the Double D. Auction, huh? Wish I had some dough. Wait a minute. I know somebody that does. Wonder if he'd like to invest in an old worn out ranch. Should go for a song in my opinion. The thing is there used to be an old silver mine on that property if I remember right. Wonder if it's all mined out? I'd let my buddy do the investin' and I'll get the rewards. Ha! Yeah, when I'm done in here I'm gonna give him a call. I would love getting out of this stinking city and enjoy the wide open spaces, fresh air and a sucker on every street corner. I heard tell it's a regular Mayberry R.F.D. Yeah, this is for me. I'll just take a quick picture and send it to him and call him to see what he says. Ha, this is gonna be sweet."