AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That might have worked if you had taken the loan out at Wilder bank. Mrs. Stokes owns the bank and would have given you some leeway. A big company won’t.”
“But they might,” Cloe said. “At least we can ask them.”
Rome looked defeated and Cloe knew what he was going to say before he said it. “I met with the loan manager of Oleander Investments today and they are not willing to stop the foreclosure proceedings. As far as they’re concerned, the Holiday Ranch—including the house and barn that is included in the title—is now theirs.”
As Cloe stared at Rome in disbelief, Mimi spoke. “Bull hockey! The Holiday Ranch has been in my family for over a century. Some big company can’t just come along and take it.”
“I’m afraid they can, Ms. Mimi. Both my lawyer and I have read through the contract carefully. There’s no way to dispute it.”
Mimi jumped to her feet, her face red and her hands trembling. “But I won’t allow it! Do you hear me? That’s Holiday land and it will stay—” She cut off suddenly and all the color drained from her face.
Then she collapsed.
“Mimi!” Cloe screamed as she rushed over to catch her. Rome beat her to it and carefully lowered her to the floor.
“Call 911,” he said as he checked her pulse.
Mimi regained consciousness as Cloe was making the call, but still seemed disoriented. Cloe couldn’t blame her. She was feeling disoriented too. By the time the paramedics arrived, Mimi was more coherent and wanted nothing to do with going to the hospital, but the paramedics thought it was a good idea to have her checked out by a doctor.
Cloe rode with her in the ambulance and she ranted the entire ride about how no one was going to take her ranch. Once at the county hospital, the doctor ordered some tests run, and afterward, they put Mimi in a room to await the results. Mama and Daddy arrived. When Cloe explained what had caused Mimi to collapse, she worried her father would collapse too. Or worse, have another heart attack.
But he took it much calmer than Mimi had.
“If it’s done, it’s done. There’s nothing we can do about it now.”
It was almost ten o’clock at night when they finally wheeled Mimi toward the sliding doors that led out to the parking lot. When they passed the waiting room, Cloe was shocked to see Rome sitting there with his arms resting on his knees and his head in his hands.
“Rome?”
He glanced up, then quickly got to his feet and looked at her grandmother. “How are you, Ms. Mimi?”
Cloe worried her grandmother would start ranting again, but she seemed to be all ranted out. “I’ve had better days.”
Rome nodded. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have broken the news so bluntly.”
Mimi flapped a hand. “There’s no hiding from the truth. It’s my fault for not getting my reading glasses and reading that letter more carefully. And don’t you worry. You’ll get your land. I’m not through fighting yet.”
“Yes, you are, Mama,” Daddy said. “At least for tonight.” He nodded at Rome before he rolled the wheelchair toward the sliding doors.
Mama gave Cloe a hug. “I’ll keep you posted on how she’s doing.” She hugged Rome and whispered something in his ear that made him nod before she followed after Daddy and Mimi.
Cloe wished she could go home with her family and not have to deal with the aftermath of the ranch being foreclosed on. But like her grandmother had said. There’s no hiding from the truth. The truth was now that the Holidays were losing the ranch, there was no need for Cloe and Rome to stay in a pretend marriage.
Rome knew it too.
“I guess we have some things we need to talk about.”
She nodded, unsure if she could speak around the lump in her throat. They walked out to his truck in silence. As always, he opened her door and held out his hand to help her in. But this time, she refused to take it. She couldn’t touch him.
Not now.
Not ever again.
Once they were heading back to Wilder, she finally got a hold of her emotions enough so she could speak.
“This didn’t turn out exactly how we had planned, did it?”
“No.” His voice sounded tight and forced. She knew this wasn’t easy for him either. He had never set out to hurt her. And yet, there she sat more hurt than she had ever felt in her life.
