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I narrowed my eyes at her. My stomach began to turn because I was considering it. “Who?”
“That married executive in Chicago. You could contact him and blackmail him.”
“My dad already did that!”
“Right. Your dad. Not you. You don’t think he would pay to keep you quiet as well?”
I considered it. “Maybe.”
“Good boy,” she said as the doors opened to the lobby.
Chapter Twenty-Six
I woke the next morning with no real idea why Jonah and I were driving an entire town away to help a guy the family barely knew when the ranch couldn’t afford to lose any more hands, but then again, they helped Bridge and me out so who was I to judge?
We pulled up to the ranch and noticed it was a little bit outdated and not as kept as the Hunt Ranch.
“Amos is almost seventy,” Jonah explained. “He used to keep a better ranch, but I suspect he’s gotten a little old and can’t keep up.”
“Where are his kids?”
“His kids went to college and never came back. They built lives in the city.”
Can’t blame them, I thought.
We pulled toward the main house and took in the sights. Parts of the barn roof were falling in. The fences need immediate restoring. I suspected a few cows had probably escaped through them. Amos McAllen was too old to keep up with his ranch.
“Why doesn’t he just retire?” I asked as we came to a stop.
Jonah gave me that look again. “Retire on what? Most ranches around here don’t necessarily take in a huge profit. We survive from year to year.”
I nodded but couldn’t fathom how people lived like that.
An older but fit woman emerged on her porch and met us by Jonah’s truck.
“You must be from the Hunt Ranch,” she said, extending her hand.
Her smile reached her eyes as she squinted in the sun.
“Mrs. McAllen?” Jonah said, taking her hand.
“Oh, please, call me Faye!”
“Faye, I’m Jonah Hunt and this is another of the ranch’s hands,” Jonah said discreetly.
“Spencer,” I said, offering my hand and she took it.
“So nice to meet you boys,” she said cordially. “Come on in for a moment.”
We followed her up the creaky steps of her porch and I briefly noted that needed repairing too. Her house was small but comfortable and clean.
“I’ve got something special planned for your lunch today,” she said, beaming.
“Don’t trouble yourself, Miss Faye, we’re here to help you, remember?” Jonah said.
She grabbed his hand in both of hers and patted them gently. “I know, son, and I cannot tell you how grateful we are,” she said, nearly shedding a tear and pulling on my wound tight heartstring.
“This is what we do for our neighbors,” Jonah said smiling.
