AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“How many loan payments have you missed, Daddy?”she asked.
Daddy rubbed a hand over his face.“Enough that they could start foreclosing proceedings anytime.The only way we can stop it is if we pay the loan off in full.Which is why we need to sell the ranch.At least, that way, we might end up with a little something to start over.”
Mimi jumped up from her chair.“You’ll sell this ranch over my dead body!”She stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.Daddy started to get up from his chair to follow her, but Mama stopped him.
“Let me talk to her.”
When Mama was gone, Sweetie looked at her father.She had always fantasized about something or someone knocking the arrogance out of him.But she had never wanted him to be brought this low.
“It’s okay, Daddy.We’ll figure it all out.”
A sorrowful look passed over his face before he swiveled his chair toward the window.
It was so like her father to refuse to let anyone see his pain.Sweetie was a lot like him.She hadn’t let anyone know how badly things were going for her in Nashville.She had only told them the highlights of her life—as if telling the truth would somehow make her less in the eyes of the people who loved her.She realized now how wrong she’d been.
Love never saw less.Just more.
She got up from her chair and moved behind him.Outside the window, the sun was setting.The golden rays stretched out as far as the eyes could see on land that had belonged to their family for over a hundred years.
“I love winter sunsets,” she said.“They always seem to be prettier than summer ones.It’s almost like the cooler air condenses the colors and makes them more vibrant.”She hesitated.“The last twelve years haven’t been good for either one of us, Daddy.But we’re Holidays.We’ll get through this ...together.”She rested her hands on his broad shoulders and gently squeezed.“I love you.”
She didn’t expect him to say anything, and he didn’t.But he didn’t pull away either.She stood there with her hands resting on his shoulders until the sun disappeared completely.Then she turned and headed for the door.Before she got there, he spoke.
“I love you too, Sweetie Pie.”
* * *
For the firsttime in twelve years, the Holiday Secret Sisterhood met in the Holiday barn hayloft.The last time had been when Sweetie had told her sisters she was leaving home.There had been a lot of tears at that meeting.Which probably explained why Sweetie’s eyes welled up as soon as all her sisters were gathered in the loft.
What if this was the last time they would ever gather in the barn?The last time they would sit cross-legged in a circle with the smell of hay and the cool night air surrounding them?The thought was heartbreaking.But she hadn’t called the meeting to commiserate.
She held up her hand.“I call this meeting to discuss the trouble the ranch is in.”
“I think we already figured that out, Sweetie.”Liberty unzipped the backpack she had brought with her and pulled out a bottle of Mimi’s homemade elderberry wine.Then another.And then a third.“I know it’s not New Year’s Eve, but I figured we could use a little fortification—not to mention a little warming up.It’s colder than a witch’s titty up here.”
Belle handed her the folded quilt she had tucked under her arm.
“Good thinking, Belly.”Liberty pulled the blanket around her and hooked one edge around Belle before picking up a bottle of wine.She scowled.“Damn, I forgot—” Belle pulled a corkscrew out of her hoodie pocket.Liberty grinned.“That’s why we make such a great team.”Once Liberty had a bottle opened, she took a long drink before she passed it to Belle who took a much more tentative sip.Sweetie waited until the wine bottle had been passed around once before she continued.
“Daddy took out a loan and he’s missed enough payments that the ranch is in danger of foreclosure.Which means we need to sell quickly and pay off the loan so Mama, Daddy, and Mimi will, at least, have something to start over with.Unfortunately, Mimi is the one who owns the ranch and she’s not willing to sell.”
“What did Daddy do with the money from the loan?”Belle asked.“Especially when he has no cattle to show for it.”
“He bought land.”
Hallie snorted.“And probably paid twice as much for it just to keep Sam Remington from getting it.”
It did make sense.Daddy had always been willing to do anything to best Sam.
“Well, it doesn’t matter what happened.The point is that we need to figure out a way to convince Mimi to sell.”
“We?”Hallie took the corkscrew from Libby and opened another bottle of wine since the first bottle was empty.“Daddy is the one who screwed up.He’s the one who should figure out how to convince Mimi.”
“That’s not going to work,” Noelle said.“Mimi is pissed at Daddy for talking her into signing for the loan.She’s not going to do anything he says now.And she’s still convinced one of us marrying a Remington is going to fix everything.As if, any of us would ever consider doing that.I would marry Satan before I’d marry Casey Remington.”
“Now all we have to do is convince Mimi of that,” Sweetie said.“And we don’t have a lot of time to do it.Daddy has already been delinquent on the payments for months.”
Liberty spoke.“Maybe we can pool our money to make the back payments and give ourselves more time.Belle and I have put most of our extra money back into our business, but we could probably pull together ten thousand.”
