school she’d talked to him and had gotten the feeling something was wrong. Now she knew for sure and was dying to know what it was but didn’t want to be pushy in finding out.
“The ranch.” He put his hands over his face.
Her mouth dropped open and she jerked her face in his direction. “What? Daddy, what are you talking about?”
“My body is too tired to continue with farming, Sammy. I can’t do it anymore.”
“But, Daddy, you love it. It’s your whole life.” It would kill him to give up such a big part of his life. It was probably the hardest thing he’d ever done. Tears slid down her cheeks as well.
“I do love it, but it’s not my whole life. You are, Sammy.”
“I’m kind of confused. What about Mom?” she asked, afraid to hear the answer.
“We’ve been having problems for quite some time.”
“What are your plans? Do you think you’ll sell the ranch and move to town? Are you going to divorce Mom?”
“Oh no, I would never sell the farm unless I absolutely had to.”
The taboo subject stayed pushed back from the conversation even though she wanted to know. Instead, she asked, “What did you have in mind?”
“My original intentions were to give you and your future husband the ranch. I wanted to clear out the pasture and have a house built for you. You would be able to take over the business and not be around your mother so much. That was the plan for the distant future, but it seems you have no interest in staying here.” He wiped her tears away with his handkerchief and smiled through his own.
How could her parents give up her childhood home? She loved it even though her mother brought her great pain. She couldn’t think about never coming to the farm again. She’d always envisioned her own children coming here to play, baking cookies with Grandma, and chasing the animals with Grandpa. She was here to fix the issues so everything she wished for could actually happen.
The summer was twisting her life around and it was out of her control. If he wasn’t going to sell the farm or make her take it over, then the only other option was to give it to another member of the family. Her cousin Lucas?
“Don’t worry, Daddy, if you want…”
“I understand why you don’t, Sammy. I accept that.”
“I had no idea those were your life goals for me. I wish I would’ve known. I could’ve made other decisions for my life.”
“I needed to let you make your own choices. That was part of letting you grow up. I wouldn’t have been a good father otherwise. Anyway, my other idea is to give the farm to Noah.”
“Noah.” The name came out in a gust of air. This would mean that Noah would be involved with her family for the rest of her life. Was it a good thing or was it bad?
“I’ve been considering it, but I know you’ve been dating him.”
“That’s okay, Daddy. Don’t let that influence your decision on things.”
“But it does. I don’t want to cause any more friction in your life. If he knows he’s getting the farm, then he might think he is obligated to date you. I don’t want that decision to affect your life.”
“Any decision regarding the farm affects my life.” She rested her elbows onto her knees, then covered her face with her hands.
“I suppose you’re right.”
“Are you going to tell him that you might give it to him?”
“I’m going to give it to him. The question is when?”
“You two are pretty close but are you sure you really want to give up the ranch?” “I know people are going to have a hard time understanding my decision. I don’t even know if he wants it.”
“Okay.” She looked up at him.
“What I do know is that he loves this place as much as I do. He’s like a son to me now and has no other family. I’d like to at least give him the option.”
“He does a remarkable job here.”
“A better job than I do most of the time.”
“Is that so? Somehow I find it hard to believe.” She laughed softly.
“I don’t want to tell him yet so please keep
“The ranch.” He put his hands over his face.
Her mouth dropped open and she jerked her face in his direction. “What? Daddy, what are you talking about?”
“My body is too tired to continue with farming, Sammy. I can’t do it anymore.”
“But, Daddy, you love it. It’s your whole life.” It would kill him to give up such a big part of his life. It was probably the hardest thing he’d ever done. Tears slid down her cheeks as well.
“I do love it, but it’s not my whole life. You are, Sammy.”
“I’m kind of confused. What about Mom?” she asked, afraid to hear the answer.
“We’ve been having problems for quite some time.”
“What are your plans? Do you think you’ll sell the ranch and move to town? Are you going to divorce Mom?”
“Oh no, I would never sell the farm unless I absolutely had to.”
The taboo subject stayed pushed back from the conversation even though she wanted to know. Instead, she asked, “What did you have in mind?”
“My original intentions were to give you and your future husband the ranch. I wanted to clear out the pasture and have a house built for you. You would be able to take over the business and not be around your mother so much. That was the plan for the distant future, but it seems you have no interest in staying here.” He wiped her tears away with his handkerchief and smiled through his own.
How could her parents give up her childhood home? She loved it even though her mother brought her great pain. She couldn’t think about never coming to the farm again. She’d always envisioned her own children coming here to play, baking cookies with Grandma, and chasing the animals with Grandpa. She was here to fix the issues so everything she wished for could actually happen.
The summer was twisting her life around and it was out of her control. If he wasn’t going to sell the farm or make her take it over, then the only other option was to give it to another member of the family. Her cousin Lucas?
“Don’t worry, Daddy, if you want…”
“I understand why you don’t, Sammy. I accept that.”
“I had no idea those were your life goals for me. I wish I would’ve known. I could’ve made other decisions for my life.”
“I needed to let you make your own choices. That was part of letting you grow up. I wouldn’t have been a good father otherwise. Anyway, my other idea is to give the farm to Noah.”
“Noah.” The name came out in a gust of air. This would mean that Noah would be involved with her family for the rest of her life. Was it a good thing or was it bad?
“I’ve been considering it, but I know you’ve been dating him.”
“That’s okay, Daddy. Don’t let that influence your decision on things.”
“But it does. I don’t want to cause any more friction in your life. If he knows he’s getting the farm, then he might think he is obligated to date you. I don’t want that decision to affect your life.”
“Any decision regarding the farm affects my life.” She rested her elbows onto her knees, then covered her face with her hands.
“I suppose you’re right.”
“Are you going to tell him that you might give it to him?”
“I’m going to give it to him. The question is when?”
“You two are pretty close but are you sure you really want to give up the ranch?” “I know people are going to have a hard time understanding my decision. I don’t even know if he wants it.”
“Okay.” She looked up at him.
“What I do know is that he loves this place as much as I do. He’s like a son to me now and has no other family. I’d like to at least give him the option.”
“He does a remarkable job here.”
“A better job than I do most of the time.”
“Is that so? Somehow I find it hard to believe.” She laughed softly.
“I don’t want to tell him yet so please keep
Similar Books
