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His grandfather was the perfect role model, and if he were in Mike’s shoes at this very moment, he wouldn’t be giving up. He would roll up his sleeves and make sure the house got repaired and continued to be a home for someone who would appreciate it.
There was no way Mike could let the house fall into the hands of some developer who would turn that piece of land into something that didn’t belong in Rocky Ridge.
The door behind him opened and Mike jumped. He spun around to find the secretary poking her head in the open doorway. “Mr. Swanson is just finishing up. He’ll be in shortly.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
She froze. “I’m sorry?”
“I’ve changed my mind. I’ve had some time to think about it and I’m not going to sell to a developer after all.” Mike glanced toward the painting of his grandfather. It had no doubt been a gift from his grandmother to Swanson for services rendered or a friendship they’d had long ago. “I don’t think my grandfather would have wanted the house to get torn down no matter how hard it will be to get it back to its original glory.”
“You’d be right about that.”
Mike glanced once more toward the door, finding it fully open and Swanson standing beside his secretary.
“I knew your grandfather better than most. We were very close once upon a time.” He studied the painting, and his eyes got a far-off look to them. He seemed so lost in thought that Mike probably could have walked out of the room and Swanson wouldn’t have even noticed. Then he jumped into action and gazed at Mike. “So, I take it you’ve made your decision.”
Nodding, Mike turned his focus to the painting. “My grandfather was a lot of things. He was strict and rigid, but he was also thoughtful and caring. I’ve never wavered in what I thought was right.”
“I know.” Swanson gave Mike a side-eyed glance. “You know your grandfather was loyal, too. Almost to a fault. He was the sort of man who could see the good in someone even if they couldn’t see it themselves.” He clapped a hand on Mike’s shoulder. “You might not believe it now, but I think your grandfather would be very proud of the young man you’ve become.”
“I don’t know about that,” Mike murmured. He still had a lot to make up for. First with the hardware store, then with the Reese family, and most especially Rose. “But you seem to have changed your tune since our first meeting. What gives?”
“Maybe I’m getting soft.” The lawyer shrugged and looked at the ceiling for a moment. “Actually, I’m starting to see things like a man and not a lawyer.”
“Not sure what you mean by that.” Mike put his hands on his hips and wouldn’t look away. He was here for a purpose, but he needed to understand what had changed with Swanson.
“So there are probably a few things you don’t know. Your grandfather had quite a bit on his plate.”
“You mean when I was a kid.”
Swanson shook his head. “That’s not really what I mean. He worked really hard to keep food on the table and his wife happy.”
Mike nodded. “I know I was trouble for him, but I didn’t realize there were other issues.”
Don Swanson shrugged. “You might recall that he had several jobs. He ran his property, but that didn’t bring in enough money to take care of his family.”
“Yeah, he was a rodeo clown,” Mike mumbled. Once upon a time, he had made fun of his grandfather for taking on such a role.
“Yes, but he would also do odd jobs for people in and around Rocky Ridge. I don’t think there’s a single ranch that he didn’t work right along with the boys. Sagebrush, Breakstone, Duncan, Twisted Rivers… and those are only the ones that I can think of off the top of my head.”
Mike couldn’t move. He was aware that everyone knew his grandfather and they were all friends, but he never would have dreamed that his grandfather would lower himself to work for the competition in and around their small town.
No, he wasn’t lowering himself—he was doing right by his family and his wife.
“I didn’t realize that.”
“Otis was a proud man, but he was also very generous with his time. I think if you took the time to ask around, you’d find that more than one family would have their own stories to tell about your grandfather.”
Chills raced down Mike’s back. He’d been so wrapped up in feeling like he didn’t belong, in worrying about getting the house fixed up so he could leave, that he didn’t take time to consider what his grandfather’s memory meant to the town.
There was one person who had cared, though.
Rose.
From the very beginning, she’d been there. She’d wanted to help and for no other reason than she was a good person who didn’t want to see the property fall into the hands of someone who wouldn’t do right by it.
Mike nodded. “So I guess that’s it, then. I’m going to keep working to fix the place up. I don’t know if there’s additional paperwork to be submitted somewhere, but I do know that I’m not interested in letting the place go.”
