The Daily Novel

| CHAPTER EIGHTEEN |
At the McCarey ranch, Jessie and Stephen huddled together in the living room, intently studying documents. Jessie quizzed: “Is there anything I can do, legally?”
“Well, Jess, the actions of the board will be based on their belief of what’s in the company’s best interests … financially. If the board chooses Buchannan over [...]

| CHAPTER SEVENTEEN |
1960
Jessie groggily raised her head from the pillow. Yes, that is the phone ringing. She wearily rolled out of bed to answer it, and, hearing MaryBeth’s worried tone, snapped to attention.
“Jessie, Ben’s real bad. The doctors don’t think he’ll make it through the night.  Please come.”
Telling MaryBeth she’d be right over, Jessie [...]

| CHAPTER THIRTEEN |
A few weeks later, Jessie worked late at the office. Strange … but she thought she heard the outside door. She glanced up just as Jason fretfully materialized in the doorway.
“Well, this is a nice surprise, kiddo. What brings you to the office?”
Jason looked soberly at Jessie. “Jessie, it’s Papa. He’s real [...]

| CHAPTER TWELVE |
Jake paced, waiting for the operator to fuel his plane. He was completely frustrated about not getting that Tillman contract. Things were really tight lately, and he needed that contract. What would he tell Jessie? She had been so successful, he was more than a little intimidated by the amount of money [...]

CHAPTER NINE |
The next few months passed quickly. Big Spring grew as Oklahoma’s population continued to boom. A second surge of oil discoveries between 1915 and 1920 established nearby Tulsa as the “Oil Capital of the World,” where oilmen such as William Skelly and J. Paul Getty built stately mansions and modern headquarters.
Big Spring was [...]

| CHAPTER EIGHT |
Jake paced up and down the small hotel room. He’d been seeing Jessie McCarey now for several months and he knew without a doubt: She was the one. Jake had never been uptight about a woman before; of course, he’d not been anxious to marry one, either.
He’d been too busy enjoying his [...]

CHAPTER SEVEN |
The following Saturday found Jessie exhausted. By four o’clock, she headed for home, a bath, and some sweet rest. A couple of miles before reaching the ranch in the car, she and Jason were intercepted by Jake Trenton on horseback.
“Hello, Jessie, I’m just on my way over to your place. Are you busy [...]

| CHAPTER SIX |
Tom completed his errands in Big Spring and decided he sure could use a cool drink. He debated about a soda over at Jeremiah’s store, but finally thinking, What the heck, surrendered to a beer at Clinton’s Tavern. Sitting at the bar, he began to reminisce about the last time he’d been [...]

| CHAPTER FIVE |
Within a few days, Jessie rented cheap space in an old building in Big Spring. Soon it gained the appearance of an office—although pretty rough-looking: wooden crates for desks and chairs, but that was all right; like Ben, she didn’t want to spend money too quickly.
She easily persuaded Roger Clayton into joining [...]

| CHAPTER FOUR |
About three weeks into the drilling while the family’s crew was fully engaged ‘pulling’ the drilling bit, Daniel Morgan dropped by the site. Daniel scrutinized the situation, unseen from the side for some time, before approaching Jessie. Hauling away a bucket of dirt, she looked really hot and dirty. From his stance, [...]