AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I shake my head. My best friend might not know anything. Her dad is old-school, and since Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins couldn’t have kids after Sadie, he never had a son to take over the ranch like so many others in our area have done over the years. Shit, my dad hit the jackpot with us three, although being the eldest means most of the responsibility has landed on me.
“Did you hear how bad it is?” Emmett asks.
My brothers are concerned. I can tell by their expressions. No one in our area wants to see a family ranch get taken by the bank. Land has been passed down for generations around here, and there are always vultures waiting to swoop in and steal it away.
I worry for Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins, but it’s Sadie who’s at the forefront of my mind. She would have helped her family, but if she’s been kept in the dark, it might just be too late. Everyone knows how prideful ranchers are about their land. My dad went through hell after Mom died, and if it wasn’t for people stepping up, we probably would have lost our ranch.
I stand. “I have to call Sadie.”
“If you’d keep your phone on you, you wouldn’t have to walk up those stairs,” Emmett says.
I push Emmett in the chest, and he exaggerates it, flipping over the porch railing, landing on his feet on the grass below.
“You’re a dumbass,” Ben says and takes my seat next to Dad.
“Just wait,” my dad says.
I stop with my hand on the screen door. “I want to?—”
“I called you all here because if the rumors are true, I plan on taking it over.”
“What?” my brothers and I ask in unison.
He shakes his head. “I didn’t say buy it. I’m going to help Monty bring the ranch back to life, but it’s gonna take me away from our ranch.”
I reluctantly nod. It’s the right thing to do, but that means my workload just increased two times.
“It’s the least I can do to repay him for what he did for us after Mom…” Dad gulps. “This is a good time to get Emmett up to speed. You’ve taken a lot on, Jude. Time to train him so he can take some things from you.”
“Do I get a raise?” Emmett jumps back up on the porch.
No one answers him.
I know enough to know that this isn’t up for discussion. Not that I’d argue. The success of the Wilkins farm has a direct correlation to Sadie’s happiness. It’s bad enough that she had to stay here after high school. She should’ve been long gone from Willowbrook by now. Deserves to be.
“We’re agreed?” Dad looks at each one of us, and we nod. “Now, Ben, go pack up your shit and get out.” Dad stands and puts on his cowboy hat, stepping off the porch without another word.
Ben grumbles and follows him while Emmett stares at the box of donuts then back at me.
“Just take them.” I grab all the coffee mugs and go back into my house.
“See you tomorrow, Bossman!” Emmett calls as he leaves.
I blow out a breath. After dropping the mugs in the sink, I take the stairs two at a time. I swipe my phone off the nightstand and sit on the edge of my bed.
I press my finger to the screen and find a text from Sadie.
Morning. Want to do lunch? I have something to talk to you about.
Maybe she does know.
Definitely. I’ll pick you up at noon.
Although she sent the text a half hour ago, the three dots appear as if she was waiting for me to answer.
Great. See you then.
A million ways to solve this problem for her run through my mind because there’s nothing I hate more than seeing Sadie upset.
