Tag: billy-joel

He Rode Tall

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excerpt

“I would like to see Mr. McQuaid, the branch manager,”
said Joel.
“I’m sorry Mr. Hooper, but Mr. McQuaid is no longer with this
branch. He has transferred to our Denver offices. I am the new
branch manager, can I help you with something?” said the attractive,
middle-aged woman who Joel, conditioned in his paradigm
of chauvinism, had mistaken as a receptionist.
“Well ma’am, I sure hope so.” Joel hoped he would have a clean
slate with this manager, and not have to deal with the negative
impression he had made on his earlier visit. Joel continued, “You
see, my daddy used to bank here, and I am running short of cash
and was hoping that maybe you could help me out with a loan.”
“Why don’t you come into my office, Mr. Hooper, and let’s see
what we can do for you.”
Even if he didn’t get any money, Joel was certainly appreciating
the treatment he was receiving on this visit. The last time he was
here after his dad died, he had waited over ninety minutes to see
Mr. McQuaid, who, as the secretary explained, “was a very busy
man.” Finally, when he did get to sit down with him, Mr.
McQuaid told him that an old, rundown ranch yard and a
half-section of land really had no market value. According to Mr.
McQuaid, the Circle H could never be a functioning cattle operation
without access to at least several additional sections of
pastureland, and his home ranch was essentially worthless. Furthermore,
Mr. McQuaid also advised him that horses were worth
a dime a dozen. Joel had tried to explain the breeding and value of
his livestock to the young, city-raised banker, but it all fell on
deaf ears and he was quickly dismissed.
Finding himself on the street outside the bank within five minutes
of being ushered into the branch manager’s office, Joel had
retreated back to the ranch and made up his mind to cut expenses
wherever possible.
But now, he had run out of ways to cut costs any further. Joel
needed cash not just to pay off some of the bills …

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0980897955

https://draft2digital.com/book/3562862

He Rode Tall

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excerpt

Maybe, thought Joel. But, on the other hand, what price can you
put on a palomino filly that allowed a young girl to find herself?
“Sorry, Mr. Schwartz. I appreciate your offer, but the filly is no
longer for sale.”
Joel quickly jogged the buckskin to catch up with Tanya, who
was way ahead of him by now. When they got back to the barn
they gave each other big hugs and lots of words of celebration,
telling each other how well they had done. Their section of the
barn, which until now was a very quiet and practically abandoned
aisle with no other horses and no traffic, all of a sudden filled
with lots of people to congratulate Joel and Tanya and take a look
at the horses.
And that was just the start. With Friday being just the first of
the three-day show, Tanya and Joel continued their success.
Tanya took first-place on both Saturday and Sunday to sweep the
show. And Joel came in as the runner-up both days.
After the show was over, Joel could tell that he had witnessed
something special. This really wasn’t the end of a show for his
young partner, but the start of her career. With her momentum,
he wondered how far she could go.
It was late on Sunday when they loaded up and pulled out of
the show grounds. Joel guided the old truck and the trailer out of
Great Falls and then they realized that they hadn’t eaten since
noon; they were both running on adrenaline. It would be a few
hours before they would even be home for a midnight snack, so
they decided to stop at the diner at the last gas station on the edge
of the city. Even though it was late, the kitchen was still open and
there was one waitress on duty. Joel’s finances were tight and he
had to figure out his next move soon, but for now, they both
deserved a decent celebratory meal.
Over dinner, Tanya said, “You know, I’ve been meaning to ask
you: as you came out of the ring on the first day of the show, what
was that conversation that you had with Mary Lou’s husband?”
“Oh, nothing really,” replied Joel.
“Come on now. You can’t do that. What did he say to you?”

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0980897955

He Rode Tall

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Excerpt

In fact, Joel remembered his mother had told him the story in
one of her few but precious letters he received shortly before she
passed away. From time to time, Joel’s dad would have to find
temporary work off of the ranch to make a go of things. It was
always tough to squeeze a living out of the Circle H and the family
had to continually live hand-to-mouth from the meager checks his
dad would mail them. One time, as the story goes, his dad had
been owed some money for work he did on an oil drilling crew
down in the panhandle—the wells came up dry and so did the paychecks.
Joel could remember his mother’s letter saying that after
being away for a month or so, his dad showed up late one day and
left the next. Apparently, he had come home for his rifle. It was a
long drive for weaponry, but I guess if you are going to take the law
into your own hands you may as well use your own weapon. His
mother had said that it was nearly two weeks before his dad
returned, and this time he had two fillies with him—one was a
flashy little palomino and the other was a petite bay.
That must be her, Joel thought. The flashy little palomino
grew up to become the old blonde mare.
The next morning Joel and Harry were ready to roll. And that
was exactly what they were doing; rolling down the highway leading
into the thriving mini-metropolis of Great Falls.
It was still early when they arrived at the livestock yards. The
sale wasn’t scheduled to begin until noon. Given that it was so
early in the morning, Joel pulled the old half-ton over to the side
of the parking lot at the stockyard and backed the trailer next to
the corrals. A quick reconnoiter confirmed that there was no one
around so Joel and Harry proceeded to catch a few z’s as they
waited for the office to open.
“What do you mean?” Joel yelled. He had been woken from his
sleep as the first trucks started to pull into the parking lot, and
after a few stretches,

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0980897955

He Rode Tall

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Excerpt

“Joel,” Mr. Lee replied calmly. “I met with our client’s entire
management team at the terminal yesterday and they are fully
behind the decision. In fact, they were very critical of me for not
acting on this earlier, but I thought I would just give you one
more chance. I know you are capable of so much more. It is so
frustrating watching you waste your talent and poison yourself
the way that you do.”
“Bloody hell, you bastard. What are you talking about? Just
because you don’t know how to have a little fun once in a while
doesn’t mean that other people can’t have a good laugh now and
again.”
“Joel, I can see that this conversation isn’t getting us anywhere,”
interrupted Mr. Lee. “But why should I expect it to be
any different than any of our other conversations? Everyone I talk
to on this addiction problem of yours tell me that you won’t be
ready to make the changes you need to make until you hit your
bottom. I just hope it doesn’t take you much longer to hit your
bottom. There might not be much left. Could you please give me
your key to the office and your security pass?”
“Screw you!” screamed Joel as he slammed his office key and
security pass on the desk in front of him. “You are going to be
very sorry. You’ll see. You will be crawling to me asking for me to
come back and clean up after the kid. There is no way I’ll ever
work for this damn rotten company ever again after the way
they’ve treated me. You’ll all be sorry,” he blurted to anyone who
cared to listen as he strode across the office, opened the door, and
walked into the sweltering heat of the day.
If Joel was feeling pretty rough at the start of the day, he certainly
wasn’t feeling any better now.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0980897955

He Rode Tall

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Excerpt

As a boy, the dancing waters of Paradise Creek had always
been special to Joel. More specifically the headwaters, the spring
up in the hills was a very special place. It was his place. A safe
place to hide and his place to ponder the possibilities of life. Now
as he crossed over Paradise Creek as a man, for the first time in
thirty-two years Joel could feel that the bridge represented much
more to him than simply a wooden structure that ensured a dry
start to his ride. Joel Hooper was crossing over into a new adventure
in his life. Or at least he sure hoped he was. Sure as heck
something had to change. And it had to change in a hurry.
On this particularly fine Montana morning, Joel was serenaded
by the rustling of the wind through the tall grass of the
thickly matted pasture. Yes, it seemed to be the same wind that
Joel had been meaninglessly chasing for so many years. But he
knew that this time it was different. Joel Hooper was home. It
wasn’t so much the ranch yard with the tiny weathered ranch
house and the dilapidated buildings that Joel thought of as home
but it was the Hills of Serenity that held the Circle H, nestled
close to their western side. Gently rolling, golden hills rose high
out of the flat plains below. He knew he was coming home. The
shrill calls of the meadowlarks were heralding his arrival.
As he crested yet another hill, Joel was greeted by the distant
view of a dozen mares and their foals leisurely grazing on a lush
meadow. They were gorgeous horses and they were his horses,
now that he had inherited the Circle H; amazing as that may still
seem to him, this is what a lawyer named Debra Song in Great
Falls had told him just yesterday. Not that the Circle H was
much by most people’s standards but it was a heck of a lot more
than anyone else had ever given him in his life.
At that moment, Joel was struck by the incredible freedom of
his new equine family roaming the high hills. Yes, he thought.
That is what I want for my life. Reaching back into his childhood,
Joel recalled that horses had always been a bold and beautiful
symbol of freedom. He had so desperately wanted some of
what they had.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006QG9MOM