“I know.” Shay sighed, looking down at her hands folded on the table. “Reese Lockhart, my newest vet, said the same thing.”
“I like this vet already.” Maud chuckled and sipped her coffee.
“You would like him. He was a Marine Corps captain and ran a company over in Afghanistan. That’s a pretty important and responsible position for an officer in the military.”
“Indeed it is.”
“And Garret, the vet who does all the cooking for us, mentioned the other day that maybe we could buy some beef for the guys to eat.” She opened her hands, holding Maud’s warm stare. “You already know my budget-balancing woes. I just can’t afford beef, unless it’s hamburger.”
“Then,” Maud said gently, “let’s get some of our buffalo meat over to you from our warehouse in Jackson Hole. I don’t mind supporting your efforts, Shay. You know that. Pay me what you can. And if you can’t pay anything? Consider it an ongoing gift between ranching friends. That’s how we survive in this tough place called Wyoming. We need to do everything we can to help our struggling vets. This is just another way to do that in my mind.”
Compressing her lips, Shay said softly, “I know that, Maud. It’s . . . just so hard to ask for help.”
Reaching over, Maud put her hand over Shay’s clasped hands. “We all need help every now and then, Shay. There isn’t one human being on this earth who hasn’t needed a hand up, some support or help from time to time.” Her fingers tightened for a moment. “You’re so young and you’re doing so much with so little. I’ve watched you struggle hard, for so long by yourself.” She released Shay’s hands, giving her a stern look. “And you’ve never asked me for help of any kind. This is the first time. I’m glad to see you’re being more flexible about it.”
Feeling guilty, Shay gave her an apologetic look. “You do so much for so many already, Maud . . .”
“Because I have a lot, I can give a lot. That’s the purpose of having money. Not hoarding it, but sending it out to good people who are doing good things for others. You’re one of those people. Our two ranches hire nothing but returning military vets. I’m working with a number of other ranches here in the valley to get them to see how smart it is to hire these men and women. I’ve wanted to support you for a long time, but you had to ask. If you don’t ask, Shay, you don’t get. So let this be a lesson for you. And another thing?”
“Yes.”
“You’re not asking for yourself.” She planted an index finger down on the Formica table. “You’re asking for them. You want to help these vets. But you have to get out of your own way. You think it’s bad to ask others for help, but it isn’t. Your father, Ray, taught you that. He was an isolationist personality and antagonized every rancher in the valley.”
Grimacing, Shay looked away for a moment. Her voice trembled when she turned and held Maud’s warm stare. “I-I grew up knowing there was never any help coming, Maud.”
“I know, I know,” Maud murmured, patting Shay’s hands gently. “You were in a rough family situation. I wanted to help more, but your mother, Wanda, never asked for outside help either. She never reached out to me, or to our community as a whole, either. Your father is a very wounded man and he took it out on her and then you. But don’t be your mother, Shay. You need to ask. Okay?”
Tears burned in Shay’s eyes and she quickly wiped them away, embarrassed. Maud was kind and gentle with everyone. She was firm, though, and she always spoke her mind. And Shay knew just how much Maud helped others.
“Okay,” she whispered, taking a deep breath, “then I’m going to ask two things of you.”
“Fire away,” Maud murmured.
“Reese Lockhart, the newest vet, wanted me to discuss a barn-raising of sorts with you.”
“I’m liking him more and more,” Maud said, grinning and leaning forward, focused. “But you already have two barns. Gossip is that you’re building an indoor arena right now?”
“Yes, we are. Reese has a four-year degree in business administration. I was telling him I’m worried that if the snow starts flying early, and we don’t have the arena completely closed in, it will be damaged. He suggested a barn-raising, only the objective would be to get the other half of the arena built. The shell is already in place. It’s the roof I’m worried about. What do you think? I really need help and ideas on this, Maud, because I’m not familiar with barn-raising, and Reese thought you might be.”
Maud grinned a little more. “Just a bit. Did he say I was old as dirt and would know?”
Shay laughed. “No . . . He’d never say something like that to you or anyone. He’s a real gentleman.”
“Hmmm,” Maud said, giving her a wicked look. “That’s because he was an officer in the military. They give them a nice set of social skills. You know, every time you mention that vet’s name, your eyes change.” She gestured toward Shay’s face. “They go soft.”
Startled, Shay sat back. “Really?” She felt heat sweeping into her face.