Learnin' The Ropes Read Free Page A

he gave up his apartment. No eligible female with a brain in her head wanted to hang out with a homeless man. It didn’t bother Ty in the least to answer that question honestly.
    However, the reason behind the question did give him a moment of pause before he hit send.
    Desperate to land the job, he decided if Mr. Ryan had a few quirks, so be it. He’d learn to deal with the man.
    Ty found a quiet corner and pulled a small notebook out of his coat pocket as he waited for time to pass until he needed to make the call. He used the little notebook to keep track of all sorts of information and wanted to have it handy in case he needed to take any notes from the man named Swede.
    At two minutes before four, he punched in the number. A man answered the phone on the first ring.
    “Rockin’ R Ranch,” said a voice that sounded like it chewed gravel for breakfast.
    “This is Tyler Lewis. Mr. Ryan requested I call this number at four today to speak with Mr. Swede,” Ty said, using his best professional phone manners.
    “I’m Swede and yer right on time. And it’s jes Swede, no mister needed,” Swede said. “The boss asked me to interview ya, since I’m the one ya’ll mostly be workin’ with, so let’s git ‘er done.”
    Swede asked Ty a number of questions about his skills, experience and training. Ty got a little worried when the man asked if he’d ever worked on farm equipment. Ty honestly answered he had not, but added that he could fix everything from lawnmowers to semi-trucks.
    A pleased grunt sounded over the line then Swede went over the list of questions Ty answered earlier that afternoon via email.
    “Are ya sure ya can live somewhere thet’s remote without much in the way of a social life?” Swede asked. “It’s all guys around this place and it’s a long way to town if yer lookin’ for some Saturday night action.”
    “I haven’t had much of a social life since I lost my job, Swede. I don’t see that the location will make much difference in that,” Ty said, badly wanting this job. He didn’t care if it was in Timbuktu. Gainful employment was necessary for his sanity and sense of self worth. The money he hoped to be able to send to Beth and Nate until they got back on their feet would be a help to them, too.
    “Well, then,” Swede said, drawing out the short words in a long rural drawl. “Let me talk with the boss and one of us will get back to ya soon.”
    On the verge of begging, Ty stopped himself and took a deep breath. “Thank you, Swede. I appreciate the opportunity to have this interview with you.”
    “No problem. Talk to ya soon.”
    Ty disconnected the call, feeling like the interview went well. In a moment of self-deprecating humor, he realized if he did land the job, he was all packed and ready to go.
    With a quick glance at his watch, he hustled out of the library to the grocery store. He filled a cart with fresh fruit and vegetables along with cuts of beef and chicken. As a splurge, he added a strawberry cheesecake from the bakery, Beth’s favorite. After parking across the street from her apartment, he lugged in the groceries and rang the bell.
    She opened the door, surprised to see him. “Hey, I didn’t expect to see you again for a few days. What are you up to?” She moved aside as he walked inside and set the grocery bags on the kitchen floor. “What’s all this, Ty?”
    “Jeff hired me to fix Geena’s car today and paid in cash. Thought I’d restock some of what I ate yesterday.” Ty shrugged and started putting groceries away. Beth tugged on his arm and he looked down into her tear-filled eyes. She attempted to give him a hug around her wide girth, making them both laugh.
    “You are such a good brother and good man,” Beth said, swiping at the tears that trickled down her cheeks. “Thank you.”
    “You’re welcome. How about you feed me dinner and we’ll call it even?” Ty took the cheesecake out of a grocery bag and held it in front of her. “I even