My stomach tightened. “He never mentioned any of this.”
“We also need to discuss the outstanding loan secured against the back acreage,” she said gently.
My pulse skipped. “The back pasture?”
She nodded. “The land itself is the collateral.”
I leaned back in the chair and pressed my palms to the armrests, trying to breathe through the sudden weight in my chest. “And now that he’s gone?”
“The debt remains attached to the property. If the estate is unable to service it, the bank will proceed toward recovery through auction.”
Auction. The word landed like a punch.
“How much?” I asked. She slid a thin folder across the desk. The number was written on a yellow sticky note, and it made my vision blur.
“There is one interested party already,” she added carefully.
“I’m aware,” I said flatly, knowing she meant Wyatt. My hands curled into fists in my lap. “So everyone expected him to fail?” I asked accusingly.
Her expression softened. “I wouldn’t put it that way.”
“I would,” I said.
Outside, the wind pushed against the window. A truck drove past on Main Street. Somewhere beyond the town limits, cattle needed feeding. Fences were falling down. The ranch was barely holding its breath. And Wyatt Hargrove already positioned himself to take it.
“What’s the timeline?” I asked, my voice oddly confident.
“If the arrears aren’t addressed, the process will begin within the month. I suggest you find legal counsel for this process.”
A month.
I nodded once. I wasn’t sure what I looked like from the outside, but inside everything felt unmoored.
“Thank you,” I said, even though nothing about this felt like it deserved gratitude.
She gave me the kind of smile people give when they know they’re about to become the villain in your story.
Hargrove Brewing sat just inside the town limits, like it muscled its way out of the prairie on purpose. The restaurant side was already open for lunch, a few dusty pickups and half-ton trucks scattered through the gravel lot.
I needed to learn more about Wyatt Hargrove, and where better than his place of business? Sure, I’d been there for Ray’s luncheon, but that didn’t give me an accurate idea of what I was up against. A random noon on Monday might.
I parked farther from the door than I needed to and sat there for a beat, fingers locked on the steering wheel.
My phone rang, and I held my breath as I looked at the number. It wasn’t one I recognized, but it was one from someone in town.
“Hello?” I tried to make my voice sound more cheerful than I felt.
“Oh, good, you answered. I wasn’t sure if you would. It’s Brooke.”
“Hi,” I said as I smiled, “what can I do for you?” Hopefully, she didn’t need money, because I didn’t have any.
Brooke’s husband died two years ago in an accident, and they had a son, who should be about fourteen. Maybe he needed some work? I bet he could help me fix fences.
“A lot, I hope. I’m calling to ask if you want a job. My last vet tech just quit, and I’m so behind on everything I’d completely understand if you said no, but I had to ask.” There was desperation in her voice, but she didn’t know that this was the best call I received in days.
“Are you serious? Yes, I’ll take it. When do you want me to start?” I blurted out without stopping to take a breath.
“How about next week? Gives you a bit more time to settle in, and Jackson will be with his grandparents, so I can help you without him hanging around.” Her voice was lighter now.
