Holy fuck.
“How much is the estimation per acre?” I asked, knowing the price in the Texas panhandle varied a lot.
“We are estimating fifty-five hundred dollars an acre,” he said. “If you decide to sell, your realtor will help you on a final number.”
“I appreciate all your help on this, Lance,” I said, glad I had done this.
“Of course, I will email everything to you,” he said. “Call me if you need anything else.”
“I will, thank you.”
I ended the call feeling relief, but also feeling a storm on the horizon. My father was likely going to offer Iris pennies for the land. He paid good money for the farm because he knew he could make money off it, but this was land that would need to be cultivated. Brooks said he was selling, so why did he want the land so badly?
I needed to find out what my father’s angle was before Iris met with him, so that we didn’t go into this blind and she made money off it. If I called Brooks, he wouldn’t tell me anything or if he did, it would be some version of the truth. I loved my brother, but my father was changing him and the only other person who might help me with getting more information was Parker, who wanted nothing to do with me.
I didn’t want Iris going into this blind. I owed her that and if I could help her get paid while sticking it to my father well, even better. He would not be fucking with my wife anymore. She deserved what he had promised her. I’d make damn sure he delivered.
My phone rang for the second time and when my brother's name popped up on my screen, it felt like too much of a coincidence.
“Yeah,” I answered.
“Nash,” Brooks clipped.
“Hello to you too, brother,” I said, warning bells ringing in my head.
“Your wife is proving to be a pain in the ass,” he snapped.
“What the fuck did you do to her?” I growled.
“Nothing, chill,” he said quickly. “Where the hell did that come from? You hated her a few months ago.”
I bit my cheek from lashing out at him again. My father and Brooks didn’t know I had stayed in Sterling Ridge with Iris or that I had gotten to know her.
“Yeah, and if you do something, guess who has to fucking hear about it?” I snapped, hoping that would save my slip-up.
“We aren’t doing anything to her. She’s just making decisions without us and it’s troublesome,” he sighed. “Father’s irritated, but proud of you.”
I grimaced, hating that a part of me was practically preening.
“I doubt he’s proud of me,” I mumbled like an idiot. “He’s just happy I’m doing what he’s asked.”
“Well, either way she’s on her way to the farm and we will see her tomorrow,” he said, sounding tired. “She’s staying at the farm in her old home, but father figured she probably deserved to stay there, since it will be the last time she’ll see it.”
“Wait, what?” I almost slammed the brake in shock.
“Father already has a buyer lined up. Once she hands over the other land we will have enough for the sale,” he said oblivious to my crisis. “I’m surprised the buyer is actually coming through?—”
“What do you mean hands over the land?” I pulled over, getting so angry I wasn’t really paying attention to the road anymore.
“That land should have been a part of the sale of the farm to begin with, and she kept that hidden from us,” Brooks said in a sour tone.
“How could she have hidden the land? When you bought it, you knew exactly what you were getting, and for what purpose would she want to hide land?” I took a deep breath to control my tone.
“We are short on acreage; the number we have doesn't match up. Her family was so awful at doing anything, I’m not surprised that this happened. We could have sold the farm months ago if we didn’t have to go through this, and I wouldn’t have to deal with father,” Brooks sighed. “He’s been a pain in my ass, grumpy as hell, bitching about everything. We need this money for how much of an awful position he put us in, and he just moved my wedding date.”
I wanted to feel sorry for him, but as time went by, I realized Brooks didn’t have a choice either. He was so wrapped up in our father’s affairs, he didn’t realize how much he was becoming just like him.
“Well, that’s what happens when karma catches up to you,” I said, running a hand down my face. “You said you were going to try and stop the sale.”
