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“Oh, Elise. You already do so much,” Lynn says.
“It’s my job to keep your life going. Let me do my job. Your daddy has been there for me too. I need to do this for him.”
“I need to make some personal changes,” Lynn says as if thinking to herself.
So do I. I won’t allow her family to lose this ranch. I know what it takes to run a place like this. We’ll make it happen.
CHAPTER 27
Let’s Talk
Lynn
“Here,” Maggie says as she and Elise come out to sit on the porch with me and Matt.
I take the wide mug of coffee she offers me and take a sip. It’s been a long day, and it’s only early evening. My body aches with the stress. We spent so much time on the books and coming up with a plan, I missed visiting hours at the new facility Daddy is at.
I talked to Nanna, and she filled me in on some of what’s been going on. I plan to speak more to Daddy and get an understanding on how things got like this. I’m missing something here.
“I want to thank you guys for this. For always being there for me. The two of you have gone above and beyond what you’ve promised.”
“Ut-uh,” Maggie says with a smile as she sits on the swing across from me next to Elise.
“She thinks she’s about to get rid of us,” Matt chuckles.
I snap my head to him. “What?”
“We can hear your brain working. You want to move here and help your family. You think that means we’re going to want to find other employment,” he says.
“Well, don’t you? I don’t know how much longer I plan to tour and make albums. This next one might be my last.”
“Texas has been growing on me, and it looks like there’s plenty for me to do here. I like Trevor. We have some things in common. Besides, there’s something else here that’s had my attention for some time,” Matt replies.
I follow his gaze to find Maggie blushing behind her mug. Oh wow, when did that happen? I look at Elise and she shrugs.
“I made you a promise, so I don’t know where that will take me, but no matter what, I’ll still be here for whatever you need. You can’t get rid of me,” Elise says.
“And you’d be willing to be here, in Texas with your family?”
“Seeing you happy has shown me how much I want to be happy again. All that bullshit is their problem. If this is where I end up with or without him, this time it’s my life.”
“I’m just going to sip this tea because singing on stage or not, I’m always going to be here to get you right. You know how much time I’ve put into that look and keeping that hair healthy and growing? Them white girls you started out with were using foundation three shades lighter than you and those weaves and tape-ins were horrible.
“They never matched your hair and weren’t needed in the first place if they knew how to deal with textured hair. You’re tripping, Cakes. Not only do I love my job, you’re my girl. I get to move back home and do what I love. Where am I going?”
I laugh. “I wasn’t expecting any of that,” I say.
“I don’t know why not,” Elise mumbles.
Matthew stands, looking out at the road. I turn to see what he’s looking at. Two SUVs are making their way toward the house. Trevor comes out the house and tugs me into his side.
“You expecting someone?” Matt asks.
“No, but I know those vehicles,” Trevor replies.
The vehicles park in front of the house on the little cobblestone driveway between the front lawn and the house. Nate is first to step out of the SUV out front. A smile comes to my lips as my cousin comes into view.
I note Elise and Maggie have moved around me protectively. Matt is standing on alert as well. I shift my focus back on Nate as he opens the back door of the vehicle he stepped from.
Out steps the woman I noticed with Trev’s attorneys yesterday. I don’t believe she was one of them, but too much was going on for me to ask. Now that I think of it, I don’t know why Nate was there either.
My mind had been so focused on what I needed to say and do for Trev. Now, my mind is racing with questions. Nate is in real estate development and has an internet company. It would make sense for him to connect with Trevor, but why was he there yesterday?
My thoughts go to his offer to my daddy for use of the land. Now that I think about it, I don’t know what they used to train for in the first place. I was too young to understand or care to ask back then. I was just excited to join in and learn.
