The Edge of Texas

By Jack McKinney

This book portrays the high peaks and low valleys of a self-made multimillionaire as life segments itself into some glorious times countered by devastating and catastrophic personal disasters. He struggles with character balance and ultimately rationalizes his behavior to be acceptable but with a small reservoir of guilt sometimes. His rationale to that dilemma is that guilt is not only normal, it's healthy. This affable, charismatic character is a man named Joe. Joe served his military hitch as required by yesterday's draft and then entered the corporate world to begin his apprenticeship in business acumen. His work ethic and business aptitude quickly propelled his career as promotions kept coming, as did salary increases. He came to be recognized as a business savvy master—just short of a phenomenon. Ten years later, he left the corporate world with his beautiful wife (of the same relentless personality) and the rewards of two or three lucrative long shot investments.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 24, 2019
• ISBN: 9781645848509

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The Edge of Texas

Jack Mckinney

Copyright © 2019 Jack McKinney

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING, INC.

New York, NY

First originally published by Page Publishing, Inc. 2019

ISBN 978-1-64584-847-9 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64584-850-9 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 1

Joe had teetered on succumbing to the monotony of the corporate world with its seemingly ego-driven objectives, ever-present corporate politics, and droves of incompetent, overpaid executives highly skilled at the art of CYA, honed from years of practice at corporate expense.

He, too, had developed and cultivated a company line personality that allowed him to be very successful in accomplishing assigned objectives and displaying leadership qualities in hardball situations.

He realized early on after a hitch in military service that a certain amount of time applied to an apprenticeship degree in business acumen was going to be painfully necessary. He then set about the mundane task of working and saving in all the conventional conservative programs while occasionally investing in long shots to stimulate the entrepreneurial heart rate.

Unfortunately, most of these sometimes outlandish risks didn’t succeed or qualify as an investment thusly called a whiff. Early on, most of these high risks were taken with money he didn’t have, thereby necessitating borrowing money for high-risk investments, a violation of all known economic preachings and a recipe for stress and unrest or worse. Time and skill eased some of the heartbreak of defeat or near misses, we’ll call them. All these schemes and dreams were implanted in Joe’s ten-year exit plan he kept in his mind readily accessible and receptive to change or reconsideration as a more palatable term. They were lumped into a category of calculated risks but served no sign of discouragement, just a motivator to work harder and smarter.

Fortunately, Joe’s corporate skills enhanced his career and promotions kept coming as salary increased all phases of the American dream at an acceptable level until he could execute his real dream of total independence. Until then, he would bide his time and seek to excel, exceed, and impress at every opportunity.

Joe had married a stunningly beautiful woman he had met while taking management courses at the local community college. His first encounter with this trophy-in-waiting came as he sat in class in a bored stupor suddenly interrupted by this gorgeous woman trying frantically not to be disruptive by her tardiness. Fortunately for Joe, she plopped down at the first available seat which was beside him. They exchanged clumsy pleasantries throughout the class with Joe trying not to get schoolboy giddy and did manage to maintain a confident air. He kept reciting to himself the line of a song that kept popping in his mind. Before you speak, just try to think of something unfoolish to say. The angelic person’s name was Ginger.

This mix of sincere personality, a little clumsiness, down-home charm, and innocent persuasion was enough to convince Ginger that a drink after class was harmless and safe, so they did. Joe parlayed that first drink into two or three dates and into a relationship which fostered a blossoming probability of a future together forever.

Joe was ecstatic with the turn of events in his love life since he was hopelessly and shamelessly obsessed with the perfect model for a soul mate. In his private moments, he mixed emotions of gratitude and sometimes humility for having this perfect creature bestowed upon him. He worshipped the ground she walked on, which would serve as a lifelong inspiration to grant her happiness.

Ginger was also captive of the corporate world and had elevated herself to a midmanagement level at the age of twenty-eight and had garnered the respect and admiration of coworkers, subordinates, and bosses alike. She was a self-described grassroots (no degree) diamond treasure formed by a work ethic that didn’t allow anything less than all-out effort, precision, competency, and efficiency. Their wedding would fit the age-old trite expression A marriage made in heaven.

And so they were married. After the wedding, Joe resumed his life with vigor and recognized there was an indiscernible sense of inner pride which activated the urgency and ambition to expedite as soon as possible the plans for tomorrow. He set about the task with a make-it-happen attitude, which could be labeled as relentless ambition yet could be a disaster if some sensible caution was not applied. Seemingly, more long shots might need to be taken, so perhaps research and investigation into any worthwhile interest would now begin. Resolve was hardly the word to describe investing, seeing as how there was always some risk and you couldn’t apply such an absolute word of will to this accelerated endeavor.

As luck went good or bad, a sequence of unusual events began to take place. First unnoticed and ignored as other possibilities surfaced were researched, prioritized, and filed away for future reference.

Joe, as a young unattached man before Ginger, would often partake of a few drinks at his favorite watering hole. This semicommand attendance occurred at least once during the week, and an absolute command attendance on Saturday afternoon. A motley assortment of codrinkers was always in attendance on these special occasions. A stockbroker, a banker, an ex-judge, the owner, and a few other colorful characters made the gathering interesting. One colorful character in particular now lived in Oklahoma but had lived and worked in the area for years before being reassigned to Oklahoma. We’ll call this professional person a business executive. He couldn’t resist the Saturday afternoon sessions, so he had a standing airline reservation for a business trip back to the watering hole 250 miles from his home. Surely this was an authorized business trip by his company since most business executives traveled out of state on Saturdays to wrap up some details hanging from the work week. Right.

Among other attendees were personalities and quirks but interesting and some very knowledgeable conversationalists. Over the years, Joe had acted on some investment advice sifted out of the casual conversation, and, of course, some were good and some were whiffs. Since Ginger came into his life and especially since the wedding, Joe’s visits to the watering hole had become rare and brief. When he did squeeze in an appearance, he made himself a weak promise to make his visits more frequent as time at home and work would permit.

The most recent visit to the watering hole caused the usual chorus of jokes and jabs about being henpecked, pussy whipped, and all the smutty remarks memory could provide. After which, conversation settled into beer talk such as football, football, and eventually stocks, investments, and such. Seemingly, one particular topic was the clear-cut favorite issue of investment, and the sponsor was being spearheaded by a recent addition to the usual group of members. Since Joe had not been a regular for several months, he had not met this person, so he passed it off lightly and continued to contribute his part to the conversation then bade farewell until another Saturday.

The morning after that Saturday session, his friend, the banker, called and said, Joe, let’s talk a little more seriously and without the benefit of a drink and good company.

He began by saying he was invited to invest in this venture that was the buzz of talk back on Saturday. He further stated he felt really chosen but, of course, with full realization that this one, as always, must be appropriately well-informed but is certainly deserving of due thought and consideration. The obvious purpose of his call was to measure Joe’s genuine interest. A few more general questions revealed the basic numbers to be invested, and they were substantial. The banker friend wanted two partners for his investment group, $100,000 to $250,000 each. This was an oil deal.

Joe replied that he might be a player, but certainly after, he did all the due diligence, background, etc. on everybody involved, including his banker friend. The banker said he would provide him with whatever info he needed on all players and said no real urgency existed, but he needed an answer within three weeks.

This unexpected call created a frenzy of thoughts, emotions, and other indiscernible feelings of conscience which would have to be separated, prioritized, and categorized to develop a rational and informed decision as to where to go or if to go at all.

First of all, there was the issue of the money to be put at risk. He could pull this off with some personal rationalization that would still require some soul-searching and absolutely absorbing a twinge of guilt.

This indecisive frenzy was brought about initially by his first impulse and that was to not tell Ginger any of this. Since they had been together, there had never been any detailed discussion about one another’s past, income, or financial status. They were both well into careers and lives when they met and not exactly kids just starting out. This created a climate of complete togetherness and total commitment yet allowing a rare and complete acceptance of maintaining a semblance of a carryforward of each other’s private life and transactions. A most unique and effective relationship and yet basic feelings of love and friendship were ever present. They were both comfortable with the arrangement and thought it to be the most functional for them. Neither one had inquired deeply into the other’s past and let those issues surface strictly as a voluntary decision. Joe was well aware that Ginger was in her late twenties when they met and had lived a full and complete life to that point, but he had no idea what was in her past love life or other private matters. The same was true for him. It just did not matter. All these things accepted, he did feel just a twinge of guilt if he did decide to get involved in this latest investment opportunity. Not that this would be depriving their future or present of anything as they had all the basics—401(k), savings, and college fund—covered. Firstly, he was on a salary plan that paid a very generous bonus annually. Ginger, because of their most unique relationship, did not know of the bonus as these things were not discussed in detail. He could handle most of the investment amount with his bonus, but that would still require a sizeable amount of money to be borrowed. His banker friend had implied that he would arrange for that to be handled through the bank. All that would probably be illegal if investigated, but that wouldn’t be his problem.

The guilt twinge seemed to be created by a combination of things that were not secrets but a culmination of no-tell things that were floating around. It might be best described as he might be crossing the line of disclosure. By now he clearly wanted this oil deal to happen.

All this might be unnecessary concern, in that he hadn’t made the first call to due diligence, and all the questions must have the right answers. His banker friend followed with the detailed information he would need to confirm all the players.

To compile a comprehensive and complete file