And the name at the bottom was one he recognized.
"The Hendersons," he said flatly. "I took them out on an eco tour two months ago. They asked a lot of questions about the property. About how to manage the alligator farm with the wild habitat. How permits work and if the two worlds ever crossed. I thought they were just curious."
"They seem like nice people. They said they wanted to preserve the land, keep the natural habitat, including the moat, as well as continue with the commercial business, keeping the employees.”
“That doesn’t sound like a couple who wants to retire, and I’m not interested in selling.”
"Trent—"
"Absolutely not." He shoved the letter back into the envelope and dropped it on the coffee table like it had burned him. "This land was my grandfather's. Then it was my father's. Then yours. And when you—" His voice cracked. He forced himself to continue. "When you pass, it’ll be mine. I intend to keep it that way."
His mother was quiet for a long moment, watching him with an expression he couldn't quite read.
"And after you?" she asked gently. "What happens to it then?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you're not getting any younger, sweetheart. And unless you're planning on settling down and having children—" She paused, and that knowing smile crept back onto her face. "Which brings me back to Dove."
“We’re not doing this again.”
"She's perfect for you. Smart, capable, not afraid of hard work or hard truths. And she looks at you like?—"
"I like Dove. I do. But we're not a couple. And I don't see us being anything other than friends."
His mother sighed, but she let it go. "I just worry about you being lonely. This place..." She looked around the room, at the photos on the walls, the furniture that had been here since before Trent was born, the shadows that gathered in the corners as the light outside faded. "It's full of ghosts. I don't want you to end up haunted."
“I love it here. I don’t want to be anywhere else.”
"But if you're not going to sell, and you're not going to have children—what happens to the land when you're gone?"
He'd thought about this—more than he'd ever admit. “We have managers who’d love to take over the commercial part. I have thought about parceling that off someday when I’m too old to deal with it.” He shrugged. “The natural habitat, well, I’d talk to Fletcher. See if there's a way to have the National Park absorb it. Keep it protected. Or maybe Fallon could see if Fish and Wildlife could use it for educational purposes.”
His mother’s wrinkles seemed to soften, especially around the eyes. "That's a good plan. Responsible." She reached over and cupped his face in her palm, the way she used to when he was small. "I love you, you know. So much. And I am so proud of the man you've become."
His throat tightened. “I love you, too.”
He shifted on the couch, wrapping his arm around her thin shoulders, pulling her gently against his side. She came willingly, her head finding its familiar spot against his chest.
“Shall we continue with that show? What episode were we on?" he asked, reaching for the remote.
"Fourteen, I think. The one where they finally find the treasure map."
"Right." He queued it up, the familiar theme music filling the room as the opening credits rolled. "This is the good one."
"They're all good."
"True."
She settled against him, her breathing slow and shallow, her body impossibly light against his side. On the screen, characters laughed and argued and chased adventure, living lives that would never end because they existed in a world where the worst thing that could happen was a cliffhanger.
Trent held his mother and watched without seeing, his chest tight with a grief that hadn't fully arrived yet but was on its way—barreling toward him like a freight train he couldn't stop and couldn't outrun.
She had days left. Maybe a week if they were lucky.
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and held on tighter.
Chapter Two
