AllFreeNovel
Share Us
If you’re reading this, I’m dead. No reason to not cut to the chase. You also know by now I left Prescott Lumber to you, instead of your father or your brother. And guess what? It’s in the shitter. I’m embarrassed to say the company my great-grandfather built from the ground up is completely screwed. I made a few bad investments, but I trust you to fix things. I’m not really leaving much of a legacy behind, but it is what it is. Don’t fuck it up.
I know you well enough to know you’re going to save those selfish pricks instead of throwing them out on the street like they deserve. That’s why you’re getting the Wicked Pub and Grub too. Consider it your reward for saving Prescott Lumber. It was my little secret slice of heaven to get away to once a year, and not have to worry about the stress back in Oregon. And it’s the only thing I’ve done right. That bar makes a nice bit of cash every year.
There’s a little firecracker there who will be good for you. Get you to stop being such a shit-ass. Make you want to take care of something worth it, instead of those selfish pricks who aren’t. Don’t be a fool like me. Don’t let them walk all over you for years, taking advantage of you until you’re dead, until the only way you can screw them over is by writing them out of your will. Screw them over now, while you’re still alive and can enjoy it.
A few rules to remember once you get to Harvest Grove:
1.Be nice to Sidney, or I’ll come back to haunt you. She’ll annoy the piss out of you every Halloween, but suck it up. It’s worth it.
2.Watch out for Penny. She’s always got a weapon hidden on her somewhere.
3.Hay is allowed in the bar, so don’t be a shit-ass about it.
4.Put aside bail money.
5.Don’t get sucked into volunteering for any of the crap they do here, or they’ll make you do it every year.
6.Don’t fuck up the jack-o-lanterns on carving night, or you’ll never hear the end of it.
7.Never, ever cheat on a woman you’re dating in this town or any town within a 200-mile radius. You will die.
8.I’m seriously not kidding, Ford. You. Will. Die.
9.Don’t ask Marcus any personal questions or offer up any personal information, or he will never leave you alone.
10.Sit back and enjoy your little slice of heaven.
—Pops
“Well, this would have been nice to have six years ago.” I laugh, shaking my head as I scan through the letter again.
“It’s crazy, right?” Finch chuckles. “It’s hard to believe Pops kept a secret like this place from us all our lives.”
Right now, I’m too busy trying to wrap my head around the fact that my grandfather knew long before I did that Sidney was meant to be mine.
“Sounds like you’ve kept your own secret for the last six years,” Finch muses. “The apple sure doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it?”
There are plenty of reasons why I’ve kept Sidney a secret from my family. I’m not about to discuss them with my brother. We’ve never had the kind of brotherly relationship where we talk about our lives or our fucking feelings. I’ve accepted his apology, and that’s about as far as I’m willing to go right now.
“What the hell?” Finch mutters, stepping down onto the top step of the porch. “Are those… Care Bears running down the street?”
My mother steps out onto the front porch to cross over and stand behind Finch as I fold up the letter and shove it in my back pocket.
“Oooh, is this like one of those Salem witch trial reenactments? How fun! You didn’t tell me they did those here, Ford.” She turns and shouts back into the house, “Honey! Ford didn’t tell us they burn witches at the stake here for fun!”
Leaning over the railing to glance down the street, I quickly realize I made a very, very bad decision not sending Sidney that text, telling her not to worry.
“Oh… shit….”
Chapter 20
Ford
“My brain feels fuzzy. What’s coffee?”
“Ithought Igot rid of your torches two years ago.” I sigh, crossing my arms where I stand at the bottom of the front porch.
“Yeah, well, we’re resourceful and got more.” Ginger shrugs.
