Trace Macky
Good morning, Mr. Macky. I hope you
don’t mind me calling you Trace.
Not at all. Good morning.
What is it you needed to talk to me about?
I am trying to get to know what it takes
to run a horse ranch. I understand you are now in charge of the kitchen and the
finances of Riven Creek ranch.
Yes, I guess I
am. I’m not sure why my aunt thinks I can do this but she has always been
supportive of me. I can hardly turn my back on her now that she needs me.
I heard she was in quite a serious
accident.
Nearly killed
her.
She’s doing well now though, right?
She is doing
fine. She has a lot of rehabilitation ahead of her which is why she has me
doing…well – this.
What is “this” exactly?
Well, should be
simply enough, really. I am supposed to provide breakfast for the main
employees of the ranch. The managers and heads of certain areas of the ranch
like the barns and the maintenance and things.
How many people is that?
Ten. Ten hungry
men.
Wow. Ten hungry men, huh?
Don’t make fun of
me. Yeah, I know. Shouldn’t be that big of a deal but like I told my aunt, I
can barely cook for myself. Making any
meal for ten people is a huge challenge.
So that’s all you do? Make breakfast?
(Sighs) No. I have to make lunch, too. And
snacks and I’m supposed to run water and coffee like a lot. I know it sounds easy but… well, it’s not.
(Chuckles) How about the finances. Those can’t be
that simple either.
Oh, the finances
are a breeze. Once I get to know the expenses I will have no problem with them.
It’s what I went to school for. Numbers are easy for me.
But I understand it involves a lot of
money.
It’s like any
business. There’s income and outgo. Simple. Here that translates into foals as
the income and feed, equipment and insurance, etc. as outgo. Yes, all of it is
very expensive. But it’s all straight forward; black and white. There might be
room sometimes to question a bill, question why we are with certain companies,
but for the most part, all those decisions are sound. All I have to do is make
sure everything is paid in a timely fashion and it’s all entered correctly on
all the spread sheets for the CPA.
I would think one of those larger
expenses would be the payroll.
Oh yes, absolutely.
Do you have say in how much should be
devoted to that?
(Laughs) No. Not at all. I wouldn’t have the
first clue right now how many people it takes to keep things running smoothly
out there in the barns and such. Sawyer is in charge of all that.
Ahhh. Sawyer Elliot, the ranch manager. Tell
me, what do you think of him?
Why are you
asking that?
No reason. Just wonder what you think of
him.
Well, he’s… he’s…
you know – fine. Smart. Big. He’s… he’s fine.
Crap. Is it hot in here? Suddenly I think it’s really hot in here.
No. Temperature is very normal. Cool, as
a matter of fact.
Crap. Really?
So what about Sawyer?
Nothing! The ranch hands all seem to like him. They respect him.
He says he thinks of the ranch hands as
family.
(Snorts) Yeah. He thinks they are all pretty
important.
You seem unhappy about that. Jealous,
even. Doesn’t that “family” include you?
Are you kidding me? Sawyer thinks I am one completely screwed up idiot. He wishes I
would pack my stuff and get the hell out. He hates me.
I find that hard to believe.
Oh, believe me.
He can’t wait to be rid of me. And
it’s probably best I get out, too, before… well, just before.
Before what?
Before he finds
out…that I’m gay.
You’re gay? Oh. I get it. You like
him.
What? No! I don’t like him. He’s… yeah he’s
nice looking. Very nice looking. (shakes
his head) It doesn’t matter.
Does your aunt know?
Know what?
That you’re gay.
Oh yeah. She’s
always known.
Really now? She’s okay with that?
Of course. Why
wouldn’t she be?
Hmmm. No reason. Just wondering why she
insists on you helping instead of
hiring someone who – excuse this the way it sounds – knows what they are doing?
(Shrugs) I have no idea. I asked her the same
thing.
Seems rather suspicious, don’t you think?
Maybe she knows something you don’t?
Like what?
(Laughs) Never mind. But I think this is going
to get very interesting in the next several weeks.
What will?
