Chapter 18: The Next Chapter

Christie and I had a long talk that afternoon. The kids were out playing with their friends and we had the house to ourselves.

"I won't be staying at Silver Arrow," I told her, now sure I had made up my mind.

She nodded sadly. I had given her chapter and verse of what had been going on during the past week and she was very supportive.

"Whatever you decide, Doug," she said, holding my hands and looking directly into my eyes. "Whatever you choose to do, make sure you'll be happy with it."

"Funny you should say that. Warren told me the same thing. And both of you are right. I'm not that old yet, so I have another opportunity for a good career ahead of me. I don't know if it will be here in Louisville or somewhere else. I guess that puts you in an awkward position, Christie. I'm sorry about that. You know how I feel about you. I haven't changed my mind. I love you and I want you to be my wife."

"I know, Doug. I've thought about nothing else since we talked about it. But ... I haven't changed my mind. You're a wonderful man and a great father. I love the children to death, but there's something missing in me. It would be easy to say yes and know that you would care for me and love me for the rest of my life. But it wouldn't be fair to you. I'm still looking for something and I don't know if I'll ever find it. I just have to keep looking, I guess."

"I understand. I wish you felt differently, but I understand. I'll let you know what I'm doing and I hope it won't put you in a difficult spot. I don't want you harmed in all this, Christie."

"I know, Doug. I know you well enough. Just let me know what's going on, that's all I ask," she smiled.

It was Monday morning when I received a phone call I wasn't expecting.

"Hello, Doug. It's Grant Depassie calling. How are you?" he asked in a friendly voice.

"I'm fine, Grant. I wish I could say the same for my friends at Silver Arrow."

"Yes, I know. I'm very upset and disappointed in Murchison. I've written them a letter telling them I'm not happy that they have gone back on what I felt were some verbal agreements we had when I negotiated the sale. I expected some changes, but not to the extent that they have made. I'm also upset that his hatchet man has been as callous and insensitive as he has demonstrated. My lawyer will be following up with them on these matters."

"Well, I've pretty well made up my mind that I'm going to look elsewhere for my future, Grant. I don't think I'd be very happy staying there now."

"I'm not surprised, Doug. In fact, that's why I'm calling. I wonder if you'd have time to meet me for lunch this week. I have a proposition to discuss with you."

That caught me by surprise. I wasn't expecting to hear from Grant, much less with a business matter to discuss.

"I'm off until Wednesday, so anytime before then would be okay," I said.

"How about tomorrow, then? Eleanor will be with me as well. Why don't we meet at the Thoroughbred Club Tuesday at noon?"

"Sure, I can be there. I'll look forward to it. See you then."

I hung up, wondering what he had in mind. Grant was a good man and more importantly, an honorable man. He would be genuinely upset with what was going on at Silver Arrow. It would be fascinating to hear what he planned.

I was a few minutes early arriving at Grant's club near Churchill Downs. I waited in my vehicle until nearly noon before walking into the club and announcing myself to the maitre d'. He acknowledged me with a smile and took me to a private table off to one side where Grant and Eleanor Depassie were already seated.

Grant stood as he saw me and welcomed me with an extended hand.

"Good to see you again, Doug. You remember Eleanor."

"Of course. Nice to see you again, Eleanor."

"Have a seat, Doug. I've ordered some sweet tea for us if that's all right?"

"That's fine, thanks."

The tea arrived and we exchanged some small talk and pleasantries about family for a few minutes.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I invited you here today," Grant said at length.

I nodded. "Yes, I am curious."

"The reason I sold Silver Arrow was personal. I have to undergo some fairly aggressive treatment over the next few months and it will leave me unable to attend to business. I've been putting it off for a while now, but it can't wait any longer. As a result, I allowed myself to be sucked into the Murchison web, hoping they would live up to their promises. I was more concerned with completing the deal than extracting guarantees that the business would be handled in a manner I would be satisfied with.

I've had a number of people approach me to sell Silver Arrow over the years, but I had no reason to. I liked the business and the people we had working in it and it was more than a little successful. To be perfectly truthful, it made Eleanor and me very wealthy. At our age, we really don't need any more. However, what's done is done. I'll try to get Murchison to mend his ways, but frankly, my lawyer tells me he has a fleet of high-priced lawyers to drag any action by me out over months, if not years. It would be very costly and little if anything would be accomplished. I regret that it came to this, but it was my own fault."

I didn't know what to say at that point other than to ask one question.

"Your health. Will the doctors be able to cure you?"

"I have had leukemia for some years now, Doug. It's been in remission, but it's back again. At my age, all bets are off. My doctor gives me a better than fifty-fifty chance that he can stop it once more, but there's no guarantee. I owe it to Eleanor to give it my best shot and that's what my retirement is all about."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Grant. I hope the treatment goes well. You're still a fairly young man by most standards."

He laughed and Eleanor joined him. "I'm sixty-four, Doug. I like to think I'm still young, but my body keeps telling me I'm not. But, thanks for the sentiment."

Our waiter arrived once more and took our lunch orders. I chose a pair of appetizers in keeping with my restricted diet. We talked a little about the business once more and the changes that were going on. There wasn't anything I didn't know about. The elegant club dining room was quite quiet, so we could have a nice conversation without being overheard.

"I invited Eleanor today because we have something to discuss with you that may help you decide on your future," Grant said as the waiter cleared our dishes.

"My sister, Margaret, is married to a man named Harlan Cummings," Eleanor began. "They live near Sacramento in California. He owns and manages a number of ranches or farms. I'm never sure what to call them. These ranches grow nut trees. Some are walnuts, some almonds, pecans and some pistachios. There are probably others, but I'm not up on them.

"The ranches ... or farms ... are spread out over a wide area from north of Sacramento down to Bakersfield. He even has a ranch in Hawaii. He's done very well as a self-made man, but like Grant, he's getting older and needs some help to keep up with things. Several years ago he hired a personal assistant. She's been a real help in keeping his affairs organized and out of trouble with the tax man. They travel regularly to all the ranches, checking on the crops and the management of the property.

"Up until recently, he was driving from one place to another, staying in hotels or motels as they went. His assistant goes with him. She's unable to drive, so Harlan has to do it all himself. He's talked to Grant about what options there are and he's decided to buy a custom motor home, based on a bus. He plans to hire a driver to take him from one place to another and they can sleep overnight on the bus or find a nicer hotel if they are in the right location. Grant thought of you when Harlan asked about finding a responsible driver."