AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Daddy’s eyes bulged out of his head.“The Remingtons!You want to give this ranch to a Remington?You have lost your mind.”
“I’m not giving this ranch to anyone.I’m doing just the opposite.If one of our girls marries Rome or Casey, my great-grandchildren will not only keep this ranch, but they’ll also own the Remington Ranch.In my book, that’s a win for everyone.”
“Not for us!”Hallie entered the conversation.“No woman wants to be sold into marriage.I feel like I just stepped into one of those Regency romances Belle loves to read.”
“She has a point,” Liberty said.“You can’t sentence one of your granddaughters to a life of married hell just because you don’t want to lose the ranch, Mimi.”
“Marriage isn’t hell,” Mama said as she smiled at Daddy.“If you get with a man you love, it’s about as close to heaven as you’ll ever get.”
“The key word beinglove,” Noelle said.“None of us are in love with Rome or Casey Remington.In fact, what I feel for Casey is as far as you can get from love.”
Mimi huffed.“That’s because your daddy has never let you get close enough to either one of those boys to find out what good men they are.If Rome hadn’t found you after you had your heart attack, Hank, you probably wouldn’t be here.You didn’t even thank him properly because of the ridiculous feud you have with his daddy.”
“Well, I sure as hell don’t want to thank Rome by giving him one of my daughters,” Daddy snapped.
Mama placed a hand on Daddy’s arm.“Now keep your calm, honey.”She looked at Mimi.“I know you would love one of our girls to get married and start a family right here, Mimi.I would love that too.But you can’t swap ranches for love.And I’m sure the girls are now so embarrassed that they don’t ever want to see Rome and Casey again.”
“Not just Rome and Casey,” Sweetie said.“The entire town knows about the offer.”She looked at Mimi.“And I’m wondering how everyone found out.”
It was easy to read the guilt on Mimi’s face.“I might have mentioned it at the Wild Women’s Book Club.”
Sweetie rolled her eyes.“That’s like yelling it through a megaphone at a football game.Those ladies are the worst gossips in town.”
“Now don’t be talking about my friends.Besides, it hasn’t done any harm.”
Cloe stared at her.“Any harm?Mimi, we won’t be able to go anywhere in town without being chased around by single men.”
“And exactly why is that a problem?It’s high time that all of you get married.Of course, I’m only giving the ranch to a Remington.”
“You’re not giving the Remingtons any part of my ranch and that’s final!”Daddy hollered.
Mimi swept off her hat and her green eyes snapped.“Your ranch?I believe my name is on the deed of this ranch.Something you seemed to have forgotten when you and Darla started talking about selling it.I’m not selling this ranch.Do you hear me?And that’s final!”
Sweetie was stunned.She had thought her grandmother had signed over the ranch to her father long ago.She certainly had acted like it belonged entirely to him.Not once had she interfered.
Until now.
And, boy howdy, had she interfered!
For the first time, Daddy was speechless.He just stood there for a long moment staring at Mimi.Then his shoulders wilted and he released a sigh that held such pain Sweetie was instantly concerned.Before she could ask if he was okay, he spoke.
“You’re right, Mama.I should have figured out that I wasn’t a businessman sooner.Then maybe things would have turned out differently.But now, we don’t have a choice.We have to sell the ranch.If we don’t, it’s going to be taken from us.”
ChapterFourteen
Sweetie could count on one hand the times she’d been invited into her father’s study.The room located behind the stairs had always been his domain—where he went to get away from the gaggle of females in his family.It had belonged to his father and his father before that and his father before that.Its paneled walls held the scent of cigar smoke, its shelves held history books on Texas, cowboys, and ranchers, and its old leather chairs held the imprint of past Holiday men’s butts.
Which probably explained why Sweetie felt so uncomfortable sitting in one.Of course, the bomb her daddy had dropped on the entire family had left everyone feeling uncomfortable and shaken.
Mostly Mimi, who sat in the chair next to Sweetie looking lost and confused.
“I don’t understand, Hank,” she said.“You acted like the document you had me sign was for a small loan from the Wilder bank, not a huge loan from some kind of shady, big-city loan shark.Why did you need that kind of money?”
Daddy sat behind his desk looking totally defeated.As always, Mama stood by his side, her hand resting on his shoulder as he spoke.“I thought if I had the capital, I could make this ranch twice as large and twice as successful.So I bought land.Then land prices dropped and so did cattle prices.Then we lost half the herd during that bad freeze.I kept thinking next year would be better.”He swallowed hard.“But it wasn’t.”
Sweetie knew exactly how he felt.For the last twelve years, she’d kept telling herself that next year would be better.She’d write better songs and get better gigs.Next year, she’d be able to sing her songs in front of people without freezing on stage like a fool.
But next year had yet to come.
