been to a fish fry, but I’ve cooked fish over an open fire.”
“The fish at a fish fry are cut-up chunks that have been dipped in batter or breading and deep-fried. You’d like it, I think,” Duke said.
“I love this place!” Cathy said. She threw her arms up in the air and turned in a full circle. “I love everything about it. It’s beautiful.”
“You’re beautiful,” Duke said. “And before I forget the rest of why I invited you up, I want to show you the old Bailey place.”
“And I want to see it…I want to see it through your eyes…your vision of what you want it to be.”
Within minutes they were headed back to the house to wash up before leaving the farm. Cathy went down the hall to the guest bath, and when she got back to the kitchen, Duke was waiting for her with cold bottles of Coke.
“Do you want something to snack on?” he asked, as he handed her the pop.
“I don’t. This is perfect,” she said, and took a quick sip. “How far is it to the Bailey property from here?”
“About fifteen minutes by road. But the land abuts to the back of ours, so if I do buy it, it will just be a drive through the pastures to get from one house to the other. Are you ready?”
“Always,” she said.
Duke leaned down and kissed her. “Couldn’t resist,” he said, and ushered her back to the truck.
Cathy watched in the side-view mirror until the farm was out of sight, then leaned against the seat and sighed.
“I know there’s a lot of hard work to keeping a farm running and looking that good, but it’s amazing. You and Jack are obviously very good businessmen, too, or it wouldn’t be that successful.”
“We have our down years. So much of farming and ranching depends on enough rain, but not too much rain…on good cattle prices…on drought-free years…keeping animals free of disease. It’s a full-time job, for sure, and doesn’t appeal to a lot of women.”
“It’s my idea of heaven on earth,” Cathy said.
Duke smiled. “Yet another thing we agree about,” he said, and then took a right turn at the next section line and pointed. “The Bailey place is just up ahead. You’ll see the old house as we top the hill. When we do, I want you to give me your first impression. What does it look like, and how does it make you feel?”
“Okay,” Cathy said, then sat up straighter and leaned forward, watching intently as they reached the top, revealing the two-story redbrick edifice sitting about a hundred yards off the road. It had two single-story wings, one on either side, that had once been painted white and a deep porch that ran the length of the two-story structure.
Breath caught in the back of Cathy’s throat. “Oh, oh, oh…she looks lonesome…like she’s waiting to belong again. And those two white wings are like open arms, waiting to welcome you up onto that porch. I cannot wait to see inside.”
Duke was speechless. What she’d just said was how it made him feel, but he’d never been able to put it into words.
“It’s pretty overgrown,” he said, as he pulled up to the front of the house.
“Nothing that a good mowing wouldn’t cure,” Cathy said. “Is it okay that we go inside?”
“Yes. Rhonda already told me once where they hid the key. The place is old. It needs to be remodeled…updated…but the structure is sound. I think Mr. Bailey kept it up pretty good until his last year here. That’s when his health began to fail. Alzheimer’s made the final decision for him.”
“So, let’s get out,” Cathy said.
“Wait. You’ll be walking in grass and weeds up to your knees,” he said, and jumped out and circled the truck.
Cathy opened the door, but before she could jump out, Duke scooped her up in his arms and carried her through the yard and up the steps.
Cathy was holding onto him with both arms and laughing as he set her down on the porch. Then he retrieved the key and let them in the house.
“It’s stuffy…and dusty…and kind of weird. All the furniture is here, like he left to go to the store or something and never made it home.”
“Family heirlooms here,” Cathy said. “They’ll be wanting to reclaim those before the house sells.”
Duke nodded. “So, what do you think?”
“The possibilities are endless. How high are these ceilings? Twelve…maybe fourteen feet? And look at the crown molding, and I love