Chapter 3

When I got up this morning the first thing that ran through my mind was, "I have to get to the bank!". I don't know why but for some reason I felt like I had to deposit the checks immediately. I guess it wouldn't seem real to me until I had the money in the bank and could see the statement from them. When I checked on the girls I found they had already been up for a couple of hours and had already made plans for what we should do after we got to our ranch.

"Uncle David, are we going to be getting horses for the ranch?" Shannon asked.

"Uncle David, are we going to have to go to school?" was Linda's simultaneous question.

"Yes, to both questions. Right now I want to get to the bank and then we'll check out and get something to eat before we head out."

Rather than try and get my pickup out of the parking garage, I hailed a cab and had them drive me to the nearest branch of Wells Fargo. I was expecting a lot of trouble trying to deposit the check, but they acted like this was a normal thing. I let out a big sigh of relief when I finished depositing the checks. I had been really nervous for some reason. I felt like it was a mistake and they were going to take the money away.

When I got back to the hotel, I found Linda and Shannon waiting for me in the lobby with our bags. I was surprised at the amount of stuff the girls had purchased with the three hundred dollars I had given them. I had planned on using the back of the pickup to sleep in if I was stuck somewhere, but after loading it with the girls' stuff, only a small child would have fit in there. I pulled out of the parking garage and we went to a Waffle House where I ate three waffles and must have drunk two carafes of coffee. The girls were too excited to eat much and ended up picking at their waffles.

I wiped my mouth and looked at the girls, "We have some work to do when we reach the ranch. We have to raise the cabin and build a barn before winter. Have either of you been on a ranch before?"

Lisa shook her head no, but Shannon reluctantly answered, "I lived on a farm before my parents died."

"Shannon, you will need to teach both Linda and I about farm work then. I had planned on subsistence living, so I learned about how to survive on small acreage areas. I have no idea about how to run a ranch or a farm."

Shannon looked at me as if I had just condemned her to prison. "What's wrong, Shannon?" I asked.

She looked down at the table, " I don't really want to live on a farm. It reminds me of when I lost my folks!" Tears started pouring out of her eyes. This was the first time I had seen Shannon look vulnerable or like a normal teenager. Linda scooted closer and gave Shannon a hug. I felt lost. I didn't know what to do.

Shannon explained, "I had gone to school like always and was telling my best friend about my new horse when the intercom called for me to go to the office. When I got there a police officer and someone from Child Protective Services met me. The police officer told me that my parents had been involved in an accident and wanted to know if there were any relatives I could stay with. I didn't have any other relatives, except for my mother's grandparents who died when I was 6 and 8. When she found that out the social worker took me with her to an orphanage. She wouldn't even let me go home to get my things or tell my horse goodbye. I later found out the accident involved a drunk driver who was a relative of the governor. He never was arrested and I never got to go to my family's funeral. The social worker told me that I was too young! I lost everything that day, the farm, my parents, my friends, everything!"

She began crying, loud sobs that tore at her throat. It broke my heart to see the normally exuberant teenager so sad. I opened my arms and she sat in my lap and cried for a while. People at the other tables gave us strange looks and the waitress came over to see what had happened. "What's wrong Honey?" she asked. "Is there anything I can do?" Shannon just bawled. When Linda told her about how Shannon lost her parents she sat down, letting Shannon cry in her lap, making soothing sounds and stroking her back. "Just cry all you want, Sweetheart. I know the two people here love you, I can tell just by looking at them." Finally after about twenty minutes Shannon was reduced to sniffles. I handed her a napkin that she used to blow her nose on. The waitress continued to pat her back.

The manager came out and chewed her out for not taking care of her tables. I looked up and gave him my best cop glare. He backed off and then came back, "If you don't get up and take care of the tables right now, you're fired!"

She looked at him, "Then I'm fired. I'll take it to the union rep and let him settle it."

I glanced over and saw Linda looking at me expectantly. I had no idea what she wanted me to do and looked back at her. She looked exasperated and then spoke up, "Miss... I'm sorry, I don't know your name."

She looked at Linda, "Sorry, I'm Mary, Mary Angelino".

Linda spoke again, "Mary, our uncle just adopted us and he has no idea of how to raise two teenage girls. Would you consider a job taking care of us? We are building a ranch in Oregon on some land that we own."

I opened my mouth and Linda shot me a glare that made me shut it again. Mary didn't miss that and looked at me, "You're the parent. Why aren't you hiring me?"

Before I could answer Linda broke in, "Because we can twist him around our little fingers. We need someone who can control us before we get into trouble. Uncle David is a good man but he has no more idea about how to be a parent than I do."

I gave Linda a glare and then saw Shannon looking at me. I couldn't help it, I began to laugh, "They're right, you know. They can twist me around their little finger. I don't think I'm that bad at pretending to be a parent, but I acquiesce to the experts."

I turned to Mary who was sitting there looking rather shell-shocked, "I do need help, but I have to tell you when she said build the ranch she meant exactly that. I have the foundation and utilities put in for a three bedroom log cabin that needs to be assembled before we can move in. I'll pay you $40,000 a year to help me with them for the next three years. After that they should be able to manage on their own."

Mary looked at me, "Just what will my duties consist of? I'll tell you right now, I won't go to bed with you as part of the job, and I don't do cleaning."

Mary and I sat down and ignored the manager, who fumed and left, coming back quickly with a police officer. I looked at him and couldn't believe it, he and I had met my last year I worked as a peace officer when we went to the National Police Olympics. I greeted him, "Hi Jim, your speed ever improve on the marathon?"

He had to give me a second look, "That you David? I thought you were working for SAPD."

I stuck out my leg and showed my brace, "I'm retired now on disability. These are my adopted daughters Shannon and Linda."

He looked at me apologetically, "David, the manager here said you're causing a disturbance and demands that you leave."

I looked at him and the manager. Mildly I said, "All he had to do was tell me that my daughter crying disturbed him. Other than that we are not causing any disturbance. I think he's upset because I'm trying to hire away this lovely lady here." Mary blushed when she heard me describe her as lovely.

Jim turned back to the manager, "I don't see any signs of them creating a disturbance right now. Why don't you let them finish and I'm sure they'll leave without a fuss." He glanced at me.

"No problem, Jim. I just need to let the girls get a bit more composed then I'll pay my check and we'll leave."

Mary spoke up then, "You know, I think I'll accept your offer of employment." She turned to the manager, "Send my last check to my home address." She removed her apron and handed it to the manager. Then she turned to me, "I need to change and I'll be right out."