Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Dr. Hillary “Hill” McCall sat behind her desk and smiled at the elderly woman facing her, holding a small mixed-breed pup. “What Can I do for you today, Mrs. Thompson? It’s not time for Boscoe’s checkup yet.”
The woman’s blue eyes sparkled as her hand stroked the small dog’s head. “No, Boscoe’s doing fine, but I want to discuss a proposal with you.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Things are well, Hill. I have learned of a secret project you have started, and I want in on it,” she explained. “My banker told me that you bought the old Tyson chicken farm and some acreage with the intention to have a place for abandoned or unwanted pets. Is this true?”
Hill smiled. “It is, but it must not be a secret any longer. I have bought the location as a retirement project for Alice and me. She is finally retiring from teaching this year, and we’ve always dreamed of a place to allow all animals to be loved and well taken care of through the remainder of their lives.”
“That’s a beautiful dream.” Mrs. Thompson had tears in her eyes.
Hill nodded. “Alice doesn’t know about it yet, so mum’s the word. I want it to be a total surprise for her.”
“I understand. As I said, I have a proposal for you.” Mrs. Thompson looked down at Boscoe. “I’m not healthy these days, and Boscoe is still a young dog. I want to ensure he will be adequately cared for after I’m gone. I want him to live out his days on your farm, and I’m prepared to pay for his care in advance.”
“That’s not necessary, Mrs. Thompson,” Hill replied. “We would love to care for Boscoe when the time comes.”
“An undertaking of that size will not be cheap to maintain with the quality of care I know you will insist on, so I’d like to help. I’ve drafted a proposal for you to review and included a check to fund a foundation enabling you to maintain the facility for many years. I never had children, and my family has all gone before me, so I would like to help you create a very needed program in our small town.” She handed Hill a thick envelope.
“Your donation will be graciously accepted. I will still work at the clinic several days a week to provide some income, and I have a few other ideas, but donations will be critical for the program’s long-term success.”
“I understand you’re busy, so please review my proposal when you can, and we will make this dream come true.” Mrs. Thompson stood to leave. “I know you would care for Boscoe without hesitation, and you are precisely the person I feel most comfortable with to care for his needs.” Mrs. Thompson stood and started for the door.
“Thank you for trusting me, Mrs. Thompson,” Hill said as she walked to the door with Mrs. Thompson.
“I trust you implicitly,” she remarked and left the office.
Hill closed the door behind her and returned to her desk to open the envelope Mrs. Thomas had handed her. She had been the clinic’s primary veterinarian for over twenty years and witnessed far too many abused or abandoned animals. Mrs. Thompson was a wealthy woman and could afford a generous donation, but Hill had no idea what she was about to receive. A check was paperclipped to the top of the proposal, and Hill’s eyes opened wide when she saw the amount. She reached up and pinched her cheek. “This has got to be a dream.” She began reading the proposal, and Hill was still in shock when her receptionist announced her next patient. She slipped the envelope into her desk drawer and left to greet her next patient.
†
Hill’s mind reeled with excitement as she read through the proposal a second time. Mrs. Thompson had included a check for two million dollars, with five hundred thousand to be utilized to pay off the property and fund remodeling of the buildings. The rest would be invested, providing ongoing income to purchase needed goods and supplies.
It would take two hundred thousand to pay off the mortgage. Hill had already contracted a fencing company to build large runs and modify the chicken houses to handle cats and dogs separately. The third building she would use as a clinic and quarantine for new animals upon arrival. A small section was also built into a living area for an on-site staff she hoped to afford. The previous day, she had received an estimate to install a solar power system to heat and cool the buildings, but she had no idea how she would cover the expense. Now she did. She could also purchase a backup generator to support all three buildings.
Mrs. Thompson’s only requirements were that Boscoe would live out his days on the farm, and the only animals euthanized would be those too sick or injured to survive. Hill had no quarrel with either of those demands. She hated to fail an ill or injured animal, but she would not allow them to suffer needlessly.
Hill was lost in thought when her telephone buzzed.
“Alice is on line one for you,” the receptionist announced.
“Hey, sweetheart, I was just about to call you. I want to take you to dinner tonight after I show you something. Great, I’ll be home by five. Love you.” Hill hung up the phone and placed the proposal in her bag.
“I’ll see you in the morning, Gretchen,” she told the receptionist on her way out. “Dr. Cindy is on call tonight.”
“Got it, Doc. Have a good night.”
“You too, Gretchen.”
†
Hill drove to the edge of town and turned down a long driveway. When she pulled onto the property, employees of the fence company were still working on the runs. She walked inside to review the progress on the build-out and was pleased to see the interior work completed.
“You guys have made tremendous progress,” she told Tom, the work crew supervisor.
“We hope to have everything else finished by the end of the week.”
“Thank you.”
“I love what you are doing here,” Tom told her. “If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know. I’m a big animal lover, too.”
“Trust me, I will,” Hill said, then walked to the next building.
The cat enclosures were complete and would safely house a hundred cats. Hill hoped they would successfully adopt out some of the animals, but she wanted to be prepared to accommodate as many as possible.
Tom caught her before they left. “Do you have an idea for the name of this place?”
Hill nodded and smiled. “I do. I plan to call it Fairytail Farm: Home to Happily Ever Afters.”
“I love that. Would you mind if I made a sign for you for the front of the property?”
“Knock your socks off,” Hill replied. “Just let me know how much.”
“No, ma’am, this one’s on me. My contribution to the farm.”
“Thanks, Tom.” Hill walked out to her car as the men left. It had grown much later than she thought. She pulled out her phone for a quick text.
I’m on my way. See you soon. Love you.
Love you too. Be careful.
Hill stopped halfway back to the road. There was a large, cleared area that would fit nicely into her plan. She smiled and drove home to pick up Alice. She hadn’t planned to share the farm with her yet, but with the generosity from Mrs. Thompson, there was no way she could keep it a secret. Her face hurt from smiling so hard, and there was no way she could keep her excitement contained and hidden from Alice.
†
Hill took Alice in her arms and kissed her. “Are you starving?”
Alice looked at her wife with a quizzical look. “No, I’m good for a bit. What has you so amped up? Did you drink a pot of coffee this afternoon?”
Hill shook her head. “Just one cup, but it was a big cup.” She grinned and reached for Alice’s hand. “I’ve got something to share with you, and I can’t wait any longer. Come while it’s still light out.”
Hill closed the door behind Alice, trotted to the driver’s side, and climbed in.
“Are you going to give me a clue or keep me in the dark here?” Alice asked.
Hill backed out of their driveway. “It won’t be a long wait.” Her cheeks ached as she smiled at Alice.
“I haven’t seen you this excited in years. You don’t have a new woman on the side, do ya? I know you’ve been working later than usual lately,” Alice teased.
“Yes, I have been working late. You should know by now that you are the only woman for me.” Hill sighed. “I’ve been working hard on a new project, but it’s been worth every second of the long hours.” She reached over and took Alice’s hand in hers. “I pray you won’t be disappointed.”
“As excited as you are, I seriously doubt you could disappoint me.” Alice lifted Hill’s hand to her mouth and kissed it.
Hill drove several miles from their home and turned on her turn signal. Alice looked at her. “The old chicken farm?”
When the buildings came into view, Hill pulled to a stop. “It used to be the Tyson chicken farm years ago, but now it will be Fairytail Farm.”
“What?” Alice asked.
“Fairytail Farm. A forever home to hard-to-adopt cats and dogs that are overrunning the shelter. I know we’ve thought about creating a place once you retired. I have been working on this as a surprise for you.”
“Well, you certainly have surprised me. I had no clue what you were up to.” Alice smiled. “Show me.”
†
After Hill finished giving her a tour of the buildings, she stopped talking and looked at Alice to see her reaction. “Well, what do you think?”
“You have done a fabulous job here. It will be a haven for many animals. How are we able to afford this?”
“I have been putting money aside for this project, and the bank loaned me the money for the property. I plan to still work a day or two a week at the clinic to help with revenue, but something happened today that rocked my world.”
Darkness had fallen around them, and Hill opened the door for Alice. “I had a visit from Mrs. Thompson and Boscoe this afternoon.”
“Was everything okay with Boscoe?”
“Yes, he is in perfect health and is a young dog. Mrs. Thompson learned about the project from the banker and offered me a proposal that was too good to pass on.” Hill pulled the envelope out of her bag. “She wants to start a foundation for the care of unwanted animals at Fairytail Farm with a permanent forever home for Boscoe once she passes.” With hands shaking from excitement, Hill pulled out the check, turned on the interior light, and passed it to Alice.
“Are you freaking kidding me?” Alice’s hand covered her mouth. She looked at Hill in shock. “Two million dollars?”
“Five hundred to pay off the mortgage and retrofitting projects, and the rest will be invested to provide operating revenue for the future. I had to pinch myself when I saw the check for the first time.”
“This is incredible. We’ve dreamed of this for so long. I will retire at the school year’s end in a couple of months. Will we be ready to open?”
“Probably before then, but we can go slow. We don’t need to fill the capacity right away. I have one other idea I’d like to discuss with you.” Hill drove back toward the road, stopped at the vacant field, and turned on her bright lights. “I thought of another method to generate some revenue. This spot is cleared except for a few shade trees and is mostly level. We could pour some concrete RV pads and run water and solar power to create a woman-only campground. We could charge by the night, or if someone has limited funds, they can perform some work to cover the cost of the campsite.”
When Alice looked at her, Hill could see tears glistening in her eyes. “You have put a lot of thought and effort into this project. I have just one request.”
“Anything you want,” Hill told her.
“I get to drive the tractor to mow all this grass.” Alice chuckled. “You know I love tractors.”
“We have a total of one hundred acres, much of which is wooded with a trail back to the lake. You can mow to your heart’s desire.” Hill dimmed her lights and started the drive to town. “I’m glad you approve, but I want to take you on a trip after you retire to celebrate.”
“That’s very sweet of you, but honestly, I’d rather stay and work with the animals. We can take a break once we get things running smoothly. I don’t think we could relax and enjoy our time together with the project in its infancy.”
Hill nodded, agreeing with Alice’s assessment. “You will get a retirement trip, though. You deserve it after teaching all those years.”
“I’m sure the farm will be running well by next spring, and we can sneak off for a trip. It will give us time to decide where we want to travel.” She squeezed Hill’s hand. “Thank you for making this dream come true.”
“We need to thank Mrs. Thompson. Her generosity has dramatically reduced the stress of maintaining this project. I will still go to the clinic, but the investments, donations, and campground should keep us operational.”
“The campground is a great vision. Solar and water will be inexpensive, and the concrete pads won’t be all that expensive. If we do some advertising, the campground will pay for itself in a year or less.”
Hill ran her hand through her hair. “That will need to be your project. I don’t have a clue about how to create a website or internet ads.”
“I have several students who would welcome the challenge of creating the website and business page for some extra cash.” Alice chuckled. “They could probably do it half asleep.”
Hill sighed with relief. “That beats me losing sleep over trying to figure it out.” She looked at Alice. “Steak okay with you? I think we need to celebrate.”
“Perfect,” Alice replied, tucking the check and envelope back into Hill’s bag.
“We’ll need to meet with Mrs. Thompson to finalize the foundation soon. I will contact her tomorrow and set a meeting with her after school.”
Hill was lost in her thoughts as she stared at the menu before her. Luckily, Alice ordered for both of them, allowing Hill to dream.
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