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“That’s so nice of you.” Elaine inhaled the aroma wafting up from the dish. “Smells great! Come along, we can sit out on the back deck.”
Elaine hurried down the hall, and Hannah wished she would slow down so she could check out the two-story foyer, the grand oak staircase, and wall of stained-glass windows. Shapes of colored light reflected off the floors, the wooden moldings, the paintings hanging on the wall. The rest of the house was just as grand. Soaring ceilings, shiny copper accent tiles in the kitchen, and original fixtures blending tastefully with modernized additions. Then, there was the view.
“Oh wow,” Hannah said, as she stepped onto the back patio overlooking the river. The house sat at the top of Pine Street, and had a perfect view of the St. Croix flowing through Prairie Valley. “This is beautiful.”
And also surprising. She knew Jake had lived in this house as a teenager, she knew the family’s status in town. But now, taking in the literally million-dollar view, she couldn’t imagine this as part of Jake’s life.
“So, Jake tells me Emma’s getting quite good at riding.”
“He’s going to lose the property,” she blurted out. The second she said it, she wished she could take it back. She had crossed a line. But she had to do something.
“Excuse me?”
“The Wilsons have decided to sell.” Hannah knew that Elaine would want to help her son. They certainly had the money. The cost of the infinity pool hanging on the edge of their patio would more than cover the down payment.
“I don’t understand. I thought that’s what he wanted?” Elaine said. “To buy the farm.”
“He can’t afford it, now.” She could feel nerves bunching up her stomach. She didn’t feel good about leaking his secrets, but she couldn’t just let his dreams leak away, either.
“Oh?”
“Ted fired him.”
“What?” Hannah studied her carefully, and thought that she really hadn’t known. She sat up straight in her seat. “When?”
“Look, Jake’s going to kill me for telling you,” Hannah said ruefully, regretting skipping the small talk before laying it all out. “But I know how much he loves that ranch, and how much he was counting on that job.”
Elaine looked out at the river. Tiny white boats floated in the water. “I’ll talk to Ted and find out what happened.”
“The Gundersons were really happy with the work Jake did. Even Jake was completely taken by surprise.” She felt as though she should explain her admission, why she was ratting Ted out. “He’d never ask for his job back. I don’t know if anyone could even convince him to take it back, if it was offered. But if he doesn’t, he will lose everything.”
“Thank you, Hannah,” Elaine said quietly. “I’ll talk to my husband.”
The conversation waned, and Elaine soon excused herself.
“I completely forgot about this engagement,” Elaine said as she walked Hannah to the door. “I hope you understand.”
“Yes, of course.” She did understand. The reception that had been warm and gracious had turned into a cool, rushed, departure.
Now she needed to talk to him, before Elaine did.
* * *
Jake looked out the window to see his mother’s sleek black sedan pull up to the house.
“You can be just as dramatic as Ted,” she said, shaking her head as she got out of the car and slammed the door. “You have that girl a lot more worried than she needs to be.”
“What are you talking about?” he asked, wondering who the girl was, and what he was being dramatic about. He hadn’t even left the ranch in days.
“I saw Hannah.”
Oh.
“And…?”
“Andthen I talked to Ted.” She crossed her arms against her chest. “Do you want to tell me your side, now?”
He crossed his own arms. “I’ll never understand what you see in that guy.”
