Warrior's Refuge Ch. 03

All of Jack's close family were gathered around him at the reception following his graduation from college. It had taken him five years but he graduated with a double major, taking degrees in Landscape Architecture and Business Management. During his college days he also managed to obtain a Master Gardener's certificate. His father shook his hand then said, "Now what son? Just how do you plan on making a living designing yards and parks around here?"

"I don't know how well I will do Dad but I love making an empty space beautiful for people to enjoy. I am able to relax working on outside beautiful places and things. I can forget 'Nam and just enjoy my life doing that. That is worth a lot to me. I plan to open my own business offering design of outdoor spaces and land and yard maintenance. With what I make from my rentals and what I hope to make from the business I think I will do OK; maybe better than OK. My professors and Advisor think there is a market for the services I plan to offer. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see. I have enough friends in Sweetwater willing to work for me that help will not be an issue. Many of us suffer from varying degrees of PTSD and that kind of work suits them well. It seems to help them relax and forget like it does me. They are not forced to deal with too much stress and too many people so should do well. I have even found a retired military shrink that agreed to open an office in town and offer free counciling to the vets in lieu of office rent. She is going to build a new house in town on one of the lots I bought."

As he was talking a beautiful young lady walked up to the group. She smiled at Jack's family then turned to him and said, "Jack I wanted to congratulate you on your degrees and take a moment of your time if I could please."

Jack smiled and said, "Sure Sarah. I need to mingle for a moment or two with some of the others but we can take some time before I do that if you want."

"Thanks. I need to do the same. Shall we?"

As the two friends walked from group to group they talked about the last years of college and their dreams of the future. As they moved through a small conversational area with a couple of empty chairs Sarah turned to Jack and said, "Jack, could we please sit down for a minute or two. My feet are killing me in these shoes and I want to talk seriously for a moment."

Jack moved to the empty seats and waited for Sarah to sit before he joined her. He looked over at her and listened as she said, "Jack, I've heard you plan to open a business designing yards and other outdoor grottos and features. I know you have your Master Gardener certificate in addition to your degrees. I got my AA degree today and have to take the certification for a Master Gardener. I think we got along well in the classes we shared and wondered if you might have room for me as either an employee or, hopefully, a partner."

"Sarah, I haven't even got an office yet. All I have right now is a dream and some rather tenuous plans for what I want to do. Most of my income for some time will come from property rental and what little yard work I can scrape up this late in the season. I'm not sure I can justify hiring someone until I have at least some work scheduled."

"Jack, I really want to work as a Master Gardener and would enjoy working with you I think. I have a little bit saved from some grants I got and didn't use for this school year and I have a part time job here in town. If we can work around my part time schedule I would like to become partners with you and open the business. Can't we please work something out? I could even work with your mowing crews if you want. I bet some of the homes you get would love someone to care for their flowers and gardens as well as do the grass. I feel like we can grow a great business together. You have the gift of seeing designs for an open space and you are a true artist designing the spaces."

Jack leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment. He glanced at Sarah a time or two as he thought. The hopeful, almost scared look, on her face got to him somehow. Finally he said, "If you realize we may have trouble gaining customers and that money will be tight I am willing to do the deal. I have several ideas and think we can work our design and gardening business into the lawn company. Here's my card. (He handed her a business card). Think about this some more then, if you still want to join forces give me a call next week. We can meet to decide how to proceed. I really need to get back to my family now."

"OK. That would be great. I should find my parents too. Thank you so much. You won't be sorry I promise."

The two new graduates stood and headed out to find their friends and family.

Sarah called Jack the next Tuesday to set up the appointment. They met in the old Administrator's office at the hospital Wednesday morning. Jack had taken it over as his office when he began renting so many of the houses in town, rooms and apartments in the old hospital. He still sometimes missed having the office in his house but felt it was more professional to have an actual office somewhere. He shared the front office receptionist with the two doctors and the psychologist. Besides, the few people who came to see him could wait in the hospital waiting room if he was running late. It worked out well for all concerned.

Jack and Sarah talked and planned for almost three hours that first day. One of the things they covered was what to do about an office for the business and a place to store equipment and a limited inventory. There was an old Dairy just on the edge of town for sale. The house and barns were less than half a mile from Jack's house and the hospital. He decided to call and see what the price for it would be.

When he mentioned the possible purchase of the dairy Sarah became very enthusiastic. She almost bounced in her chair as she said, "That would be excellent. If we can convert some of the buildings to a greenhouse or build one, we could grow bedding plants and maybe even sell some trees and shrubs to others. If nothing else, we would have room for an inventory and buildings to store equipment and supplies. We could maybe turn it into a garden center selling everything needed for the professional or home gardener. We could offer our services out of the center and use our own inventory in the business. That would allow us to purchase plants and supplies at wholesale then mark them up for sale to the customers. It would increase our profits immensely. Can we go look at it?"

Jack laughed and said, "Sure but we can't get into the buildings without the real estate agent. It's just down the road though, come on and I can take you to see what the outside looks like."

After seeing the small dairy Sarah was even more enthusiastic about the possibilities it presented for the business. She did say, "The buildings and grounds seem to need a lot of work as they are suffering from neglect. How long has this place been empty and unused?"

"I don't know for sure. I know it was like this when I got home four years ago. The owner was still living but not milking any longer when I left for the Army four years before that. He quit milking before my first year of college and his wife died the summer I went into the service. The house wasn't much back then so I'm pretty sure it won't be worth repairing now but we can see. If the bones are still strong maybe. As you can see, the out buildings are in decent structural shape. From the outside it appears the barns and sheds just need repairs."

"Jack, I think we should buy this if we can afford it and the price isn't too high. I can live in the house if it isn't too run down and won't have to pay rent anywhere if I'm a partner, can't I?"

"Yeah, I don't see why not but it will take a lot to upgrade the house if it's like most of the ones I purchased here in town. Remember the house may not be worth fixing up and every dime we spend on it reduces our business capitalization."

In six weeks the new company owned the 40 acre dairy and all its equipment. The best part of the deal was Jack lowballed the price the executor of the estate was asking and almost stole the land. They were asking $2,500 an acre for the place (total of $100,000). Jack made an offer for the place "as is", offering $1,750 an acre. To his surprise the attorney accepted the offer without making a counter offer.

When Jack told Sarah the offer was accepted he was in shock. He said "Sarah they accepted our first offer on the dairy without making a counter offer. I thought our offer was ridiculously low and was willing to go to $2,250 an acre. Now I'm almost pissed off that I made too high an initial offer. I wonder how much less we could have bought the place for. Heck, the land alone is worth about $1,500 an acre and I thought the buildings were worth more than the difference in price. All I can figure is he really wanted to close out the estate."

As soon as the deal closed Jack, Sarah and some hired high school boys cleaned out the sheds and machinery storage area of the dairy. They cut the brush and weeds around the buildings and mowed the yard. The place looked better than it had in years. They turned the milk barn into an office and moved the landscape operation to the farm (they were now calling it Sweetwater Landscaping) and operated from there. Jack had Puss look at the two small tractors that came with the dairy and get them in running condition. He also had him work on the few pieces of machinery that needed work.

Within two years Sweetwater had grown in population to almost what it was when Jack was young. Almost every house was back in use and 90% of them had at least one adult veteran living in it. Most of the men and women were young but there was a handful of retired veterans and a few of the old population still in town. To his disgust, Jack was voted in as Mayor AND Volunteer Fire Chief for the local Volunteer Fire Department.

On the night of the election Sarah came to Jack's house when she heard on TV that he was elected Mayor. During the evening several of his friends also showed up to help him celebrate, even though he wasn't really celebrating. In fact, he hadn't run for either office. He was elected as a write in candidate based on the Veterans vote. They had all gotten together and decided they would write in his name to try and vote out the old mayor and some of the old fogies on the council. Their grass roots campaign worked and the small town had a new Mayor and City Council.

As they were sitting together on the couch visiting with their friends and neighbors Jack put his arm around Sarah. She looked up at him, smiled, sighed and leaned Into him, snuggling against his side and chest. Without thinking Jack tilted his head and kissed the top of her head.

Jack thought to himself, "It just don't get much better than this. Damn Sarah sure feels good leaning against me." Without thinking about it much he said, "Sarah I think we need to get married. It just feels right when you are with me like this."

"What? Did you just ask me to marry you out of the blue?", she asked.

Sarah asked her question a little louder than Jack had his and the conversation stopped across the room. Their friends were all watching as Jack stammered a little in his reply, "Uh, yeah, I guess I did. I was just sitting here thinking how perfect you felt with me and how much I missed you when you weren't around and I guess I just popped off. I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? Bullshit Stud. Now do you want to marry me or not?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess I do but if you don't want to..."

"Whoa there Stud. The answer's yes if you meant the proposal but you sure could have done it in a more romantic setting."

Jack grinned and pulled Sarah in for a deep, looooong kiss as their friends began to hoot, holler and whistle.

Through the years Jack's family, the business and the town continued to grow. Sweetwater always remained a bedroom community but by the time he was ready to retire its population was over 1,000 souls. Over 90 per cent of the population was veterans or their immediate family. There were several businesses in town now, all small "Mom and Pop" type catering to the local residents. There was a great French restaurant, a pizza parlor, a diner, the convenience store and, of course, the small "Home Cookin'" cafe in the old hospital that still catered to the residents of the apartments. Anyone could walk in to eat but very few did and that was fine with the operator of the business. She offered a "meal plan" for apartment residents and they could eat there two meals a day as part of their "rent". There was even an outfitter that rented canoes and kayaks for float trips and fishing on the small stream. Puss, Rat and their wives still ran the garage and small engine repair shop and a welder set up shop in the second old garage building.