“Okay, okay.” Harley held up his hands. “But you know your nephew. Mac’s not one to sit around for long. He’s going to go stir crazy here if he doesn’t have a job to do.”
“Harley’s right,” Mac said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do yet, but I’ll find something. I could probably try to get in with the county, but that could take a few months.”
Or years, most likely, but Mac didn’t want to wait until a job came open to move on with his life now that he’d started the ball rolling. He and Claire could live on his rainy day savings for a long time, especially if he sold his house.
Speaking of Claire, he looked at them in turn. “Listen, I still need to talk to Claire about this, so keep it under your hats until I give you the thumbs-up. I wanted to run my plans by you two first, because after I quit you’ll be seeing a lot more of me here.”
His aunt reached over the counter and squeezed his arm. “Darlin’, whatever you decide to do, you know I’m behind you one hundred percent.”
“Thanks.”
“And if you need financial help for anything, you know I have the money set aside that we found in the basement office last spring.”
Mac shook his head. “That’s Jess’s college fund.”
“We have enough money to cover her college without touching that.” Harley eyed Mac, his forehead drawn. “Have you considered buying and running your own business?”
“What the planets are you talkin’ about, Harley?” Ruby beat Mac to the punch.
Harley shrugged. “Mac has plenty of on-the-job experience running projects from start to finish, including budgeting and more, right?”
They both looked at Mac with raised brows.
“Sure, I guess.”
“Do ya have somethin’ in mind for him?” Ruby asked.
Harley shook his head. “Not at the moment, but running a business isn’t much different than running a large project at a jobsite. You need to wear multiple hats and keep your crew working toward a common goal, all while keeping your spending in check and your costs down.”
“Except that yer the boss,” Ruby said. “If you succeed or fail, it’s all on you.”
His aunt had nearly failed with the RV park, coming within days of losing it to the bank thanks to the medical bills Joe ran up before he died.
While Harley and his aunt figured out his future, Mac tipped the rest of the bag of snack mix into his mouth. Now that they were behind him moving to Jackrabbit Junction he needed to break the news to Claire. Would she be happy about him being there day after day? Or would living with him 24/7 feel too much like a commitment without the marriage certificate?
“I think you’d be good at running your own show, Mac,” Harley said, bringing him back into the discussion. “I’d even be willing to go so far as to back you financially if you decide to buy a business and give ownership a try.”
Mac blinked. A few months ago, Harley had been irritated whenever Mac came around, muttering about him being Ruby’s white knight. After a few tense discussions, they’d come to an understanding about their roles in his aunt’s life. Did Harley’s offer mean he didn’t see Mac as an adversary anymore?
“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind as I move forward,” he told Harley. “And thank you both for being accepting when it comes to me moving here.”
“Honey, you’ve helped me so much over the years since your momma died,” Ruby said, patting his arm. “Don’t hesitate to let me know how I can return the favor.”
The front door creaked open, and Ronnie walked inside with Kate on her heels. Ronnie paused when she saw the three of them standing at the counter. “What’s going on?”
Before anyone could answer, Kate closed the door. “Ruby, can I buy two gallons of milk for The Shaft?” she asked as she headed toward the coolers. “We’re running low and I forgot to grab some at the grocery store while Ronnie and I were running errands in Yuccaville.”
“Sure thing, honey.”
“Where have you been all morning?” Harley asked Ronnie as she joined Mac at the counter.
“Uhhh, I crashed at Grady’s place last night.” She scratched at a spot on the counter where the varnish was flaking off, avoiding eye contact with her grandfather.
“She had too much gin with her tonic,” Mac said, chuckling.
She wrinkled her nose at him. “Zip your lip, loverboy.” She glanced back at Kate, who was lugging the gallons of milk toward the counter. “How was the euchre tournament last night?”
Mac rushed over and took the milk from Kate, setting them on the counter.
“Your mother drank too much again,” Harley said, his mouth tight.
“But it was still fun.” Ruby rang up the milk.
Harley scowled at Mac. “Not fun. Chester’s new drinking buddy stole my wife’s heart.”
“He did not.” Ruby laughed, swatting Harley’s arm. She winked at Mac. “But that ol’ boy sure can crank up the charm. Turns out I’m real partial to most South Dakota folks.”
“You and me both,” Mac said.
“If that’s true,” Ronnie said to Mac, “you need to stop giving me so much trouble about my handwriting when you’re bartending.”
“She said most South Dakota folks,” he shot back with a grin. “Maybe you’re not on my ‘most’ list yet, Ronnie.”
He chuckled as she threatened him with her fist, stepping back to watch as Harley gave his granddaughters a hard time for fun.
This would be his new life from now on—family, and lots of it, with all of the chaotic highs and lows swirled into the mix. He’d always enjoyed his solitude, even preferred it at times. After he moved here, privacy would be a thing of the past—at least for a while.
Was he really ready for a life in Jackrabbit Junction?
* * *
“Slugger?” Claire heard Mac call for her. Footfalls crunching on the gravel outside the tool shed came closer.
Relief poured through
