AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Dad—”
“I know. I know.” He studies the land again, deep in thought. “Let’s call Ben and Gillian. She’s the lawyer in the family now. We’ll go from there.”
I pull out my phone, walking down the porch and peeking through the screen door to check in on Sadie, who has her hand over her mom’s. I dial my middle brother, thankful he’s marrying the next town lawyer. Sure, Gillian hasn’t made any final decisions about staying in Willowbrook, but for now, she’s finishing up her articling phase in town. She might have wanted out of this town once, but now with Ben’s return and Clayton in high school, she’ll stay.
The call goes to Ben’s voicemail the first time, so I call again.
“What’s up?” Ben answers, sounding irritated.
“Hey… um, I know you’re at Gillian’s, but I have some news. Sadie’s dad just died.” He doesn’t say anything, so I continue. “And if you read the paper today, a Notice of Sale was printed. The farm’s been in default for months.”
“Okay, we’ll be right there.” Ben isn’t going to ask questions. He’s aware of the severity.
“Thanks.”
We hang up, and I shove my phone back in my pocket, going over to Titan while wishing I would have driven my truck. I run my hand down his mane.
“Call Emmett, tell him to come get Titan,” my dad says.
I’m not sure if it’s from living with only men the majority of our lives, but it’s as if we can all read each other’s thoughts.
I call Emmett and tell him the news and to keep his mouth shut. Although my younger brother knows when to not spread gossip that could hurt people, especially the Wilkins. They’ve been our neighbors all our lives and helped us numerous times through the years.
When I hang up, my dad sets his hands on his hips and says to me, “We just have to get them through the burial, then we’ll worry about the farm.”
“I’m not sure?—”
“Rhea lost her husband. Sadie lost her father. That trumps anything to do with the farm.”
I nod, but I can’t help the part of me that wants to get their farm ready for harvest and figure out the parts that haven’t been able to produce for them since the flood.
Sadie walks out of the house but doesn’t walk toward me. Instead she heads down the porch steps and rounds the wraparound porch, heading behind the house, most likely to her place.
My dad nods in her direction. “Go. I’ll be with Rhea, and hopefully when Ben and Gillian get here, we can sit down.” He walks across the front lawn, and I follow Sadie.
Hopefully Emmett will be here soon to ride Titan back.
“Sadie,” I say, approaching her.
She ignores me and walks inside her small cottage, the one her grandma lived in when we were younger. That woman baked the best snickerdoodle cookies. I don’t knock, opening the door and walking in. She’s sitting on the edge of her couch, staring at her hands.
“I don’t understand. I’m not sure I could’ve fixed it, but why didn’t he trust me enough to tell me what was going on?” She doesn’t look up at me.
The old couch dips as I sit next to her. “I’m not sure there’s anything you could’ve done.”
I don’t mean for my words to be harsh, but Sadie was always kept from farm life. She can’t drive the equipment. She spends the majority of her time at her desk or in her own small garden.
She sits up straighter. “Gee, thanks, Jude.”
Fuck. Maybe I’m the wrong person to be consoling her. She needs a woman.
“Want me to call Lottie?”
“Jesus, Jude.” She stands, retreating from me, but the space is small. Clean and tidy and homey, but small. It’s why we always hang at my place. “I thought you were different from them.” She points in the direction of the fields, insinuating that the farmers all think of her as her dad did.
“I’m not saying that. It’s just… it’s not your fault that your dad never allowed you to help.”
“I can do it, and I’m going to. Just watch me.” She storms out of the cottage.
