Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 112755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
They looked at one another, and both got out of the truck. Legend’s passenger’s side door opened and closed. The dogs got even louder. Legend went around the back of his black Tahoe he’d just purchased, with white skull graphics on the side, opened the back door, and all three of his furry monsters came tumbling out. It was a matter of seconds before his fur family was racing around the land as if it were a forestry playground built just for them, chock full of adventure. The open field housed a multitude of scratchy weeds, small vermin and scavengers, surrounded by beautiful, mature trees. A creek wound through it, bits of trash and debris floating in it, and large, dead branches lying here and there. It needed work, but the potential was there.
“How much they want for it again?” Axel shoved his hands in his jeans pockets, his dark brown cowboy boots sinking into the softer parts of the earth, still moist from the early evening downpour.
“Seventy-two.”
“And you said it’s five acres?”
“Mmm hmm. Five point three to be exact.”
Axel paced about, checking the place out, while the dogs played all around them.
“How much are the annual property taxes, Legend?”
“Range ’tween $450 and $470 for the past three years. I imagine it’ll stay that way, at least for the first couple of years or so.”
“That’s a little high for this area, Bearcamp Road ’nd all, but not unreasonable.” He drew quiet again, pausing in his walking. “We used to play over here in the summertime.” Axel pointed across the way. “You, me, Caspian, and them Walker boys. Baseball. Soccer. It looks so different now.”
“I know. ’Member there was a small run-down pool, and a candy shack? They sold pre-made sandwiches, bags of chips, ice-cream sandwiches, and Coke? We’d look at the girls changing into their swimming suits through that hole in the wall of that little building with the showers ’nd such?”
Axel burst out laughing.
“Shit, Legend. I forgot about that. Caspian’s dumb ass got us busted by jerkin’ off and making all those ridiculous noises as we watched ’em. He sounded like a fuckin’ hyena being electrocuted.” Legend snorted. “We were some pervs.”
“Yeah… Those were good times, though. They tore that all down, man. The pizza place, and the little liquor store up the street, and the ice cream shop across the way here. All of it.”
“How’d you find out it was for sale?”
Dior came racing past him with something dark in her mouth, the other two beasts hot on her tail. He was pretty sure it was a bird she’d copped, more than likely dead now as she ran like the wind with her prize.
“I saw it for sale online, man. They want a reasonable price for it. I figure, even though it’s going to take me a minute to finish school, I could build my restaurant here. I know exactly what I want it to look like. Mel is even drawing some sketches for me. You know she’s good at stuff like that. Anyway, I figure I could do it now, you know, grab this land, and then by the time I’m finished wit’ school and training, got all my ducks in a row, it’ll be ready.”
Axel turned to Legend, his eyes lit up. “Legend, I think it’s an excellent idea.”
“Do you, really? I don’t know nothin’ about buying any land or anything like that, so I just—”
“No, this is good. This is real good. This ties into everything you said you wanted to do.” Axel resumed his pacing, only to stop again after a few moments. He twiddled a thin blade of grass between his fingers, while the birds chirped around them. His smile faded then. “I can’t keep you forever with me, Legend. I’d like to, because workin’ with you has been a real bonus. Not only are you good at what I trained you to do, but you bring a breath of fresh air to my company from your larger-than-life personality. You don’t get up in there and complain like some of the others. You just bust your ass and leave, like you’re ’sposed to.
“You’re real good company, especially for work that is oftentimes physically, mentally, and emotionally grueling. But I know you got your own dreams. Tryna keep you by my side by offering more money ’nd such—that would be selfish. We’ve agreed this was temporary. You’ve got your own ideas, and I want you to see ’em through.’
Axel looked a bit sentimental—the last thing Legend wanted to see. He quickly turned away before Axel got more soppy on him.
“So yeah, you done good. Nice mature trees… plenty of room for parking. Hell, this is big enough for two restaurants.”
“I know. I figure I can get this area over here dug up and paved,” he pointed east, “and put my restaurant right here.” He pointed west. “I want it to be a family spot. I was thinkin’ Southern food. Then I was thinkin’ naw, maybe a place where kids can get some real good chicken fingers, but grown-ups can get a steak cooked to perfection, a juicy slow roasted chicken, or some fresh salmon, and I even want a lil’ section on there for Puerto Rican food.”