AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Why did Edgar send you and he didn’t come himself? You can tell me that he’s busy all you like and that might work on Bonnie, but I have my eyes wide open. He sent you so he’s not the one taking the blame when this place goes under. Has he asked you to give this a good show before the For Sale sign goes up in the front yard? Or do you plan to jump right in and convince Bonnie to sell knowing she’ll only get a small percentage of what this place is worth because of the dead market?”
As completely forthcoming as she wanted to be, she couldn’t trust this man who she only met earlier. He might smile and make her knees weak, but he owed her no loyalty. He was loyal to Bonnie, which he should be, and Parker was an outsider infiltrating a community. “I’m not here to convince Bonnie of anything. I will lay out the options for her and let her make her own mind up. It’s time she was allowed to do that.”
“I’d really like to know what those options are.”
“I haven’t written up any proposals yet—”
“Proposals?” he scoffed. “Lady, Bonnie won’t care to listen to proposals. The only thing she’ll want to hear is how you’re going to help her save her business so she can save her home, and her legacy. Anything else will kill her. She’s been through a lot. The last thing she needs is someone coming in here bringing her a ray of hope only to let the air out when she least expects it.”
She blinked. “I’m hearing different things from you. Do you want this place saved or sold?”
“Ma’am, I think you might jump the smaller hurdles but at some point they’ll become bigger and closer together. I do know something about business because I have a few of my own.”
“Then you should know the market can change.” She crossed her legs.
He smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. “So now you’re advocating to keep this place open? You have no connection to this place, or to Second Chance. You only see the numbers.”
“That’s huge for someone who doesn’t know me.” She didn’t like where this conversation could lead.
His laughter echoed off the walls. “I don’t have to know you to formulate that opinion.”
“Then with all your business insight, what do you think is the right thing to do here?”
He pushed his fingers through his hair. “Rent out a portion of the land to farmers to put in crops, take what’s left and use for horses and livestock, and put Bonnie’s Bluebonnets back on the map.”
“And how do you suggest we do that?”
“Hell if I know. That’s where your expertise is needed.”
“Would the bank give Bonnie a loan?” She sank back into the chair.
“Probably not. Why don’t you ask Edgar and Yolanda? Last I heard they lived in some mansion.”
She remained quiet because she didn’t want to be the one who asked Edgar considering she was barely hanging on to her job. “I’ve looked over the numbers. I wish I saw a different way but selling might be the only way she recovers her losses.”
He smirked. “You made that decision by looking at a piece of paper.”
“Numbers don’t lie.”
“When was the last time you did something that brought you joy?” he asked.
“Excuse me?” The question knocked her off course.
“You heard me.”
“How dare you ask me that. I love my job—”
His snort cut her off. “Yeah because you look so happy doing it.”
“Oh? Do you always love your job?”
“It’s hard work and that makes me proud. What about you? When was the last time those hands have seen a hard day’s work?”
“Just because I’m not a country girl doesn’t mean I know nothing about hard work.”
Then he did something that made the air around her crackle. He reached over and took her hand into his and he turned it over, examining her palm. She could only stare as he moved the tip of his finger over the creases. “As soft as a baby’s bottom. Just as I thought.”
She tugged her hand free, but he didn’t let go. His gaze locked with hers in challenge. Then finally he released his hold and she laid her hand in her lap. “I don’t understand what the shape of my hands has to do with saving this farm.”
