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But if Rose is good for him, too, then who am I to argue?
David Wilber is breaking in a foal as we drive up, his face registering surprise to see us together. He hands off his task to one of the nearby hands and greets us at the car.
“Here’s a duo I don’t often see together,” he jokes, but I can see he’s uncomfortable already, his eyes darting anywhere but toward our faces. “What brings you out here, boys?”
“MVP,” I announce without preamble. “They been by here lately?”
David clears his throat and scuffs his spurred boot across the dirt of the yard. “Matter of fact, just this morning.”
Hudson and I exchange a glance.
“Care to tell us how that went down?” I can read from his expression that he has a suspicion already.
The middle-aged rancher exhales in a whoosh of breath and folds his arms under his chest. “Look, I held out as long as I could,” he growls. “But with this eminent domain thing, the property value is only going to decrease. I had to get what I could for my land. It’s all I have. I suggest you sell, too, and fast.”
It takes me a second to register, but Hudson groans so loudly, he aggravates a nearby horse.
“Did you really sell your land to MVP?” he howls. “Have you completely lost your mind?”
David waves his hand. “I need to do what’s best for my family, and I suggest you boys do the same. I know your dad would have done the same, Hud. Have you spoken to him about it?”
“The people at MVP are lying pieces of shit!” Hudson snaps, but his tone weakens at the mention of his father. “You just got fucked, man!”
“Forget it, Hudson,” I say in a low voice. “Let’s go talk to the others.”
David overhears me and spins back around. “Don’t waste your time, Eli. Half the town is of the same mind as me. No one wants to deal with lawyers and the government. Hell, none of us got the money for it. It just isn’t worth it.”
“This is your family land,” I retort disbelievingly. “Don’t you have any sense of honor?”
David snickers awkwardly, but I read the sadness in his eyes. “Does the government or big businesses? There isn’t a point in fighting, kid. When you get to be as old as me, you know which battles to fight, and which ones will just kill you. I’m choosing to live out my end years in peace, not haggling over nickels and dimes as the government inches me off my land, anyway.”
He retreats now, and all my resolve begins to dissipate.
“Come on.” Hudson marches back toward his truck.
Reluctantly, I trail after him, wondering if he is thinking about giving up, too.
“What are we going to do?” I question once we’re back in the vehicle, defeat leaving an acrid taste in my mouth.
Hudson bangs his hand against the steering wheel in frustration. “The same thing we were doing before: we’re going to save our damn property from those fucking vultures at MVP.”
CHAPTER18
Rose
Iget my grandmother squared away on her favorite chair in the living room with a cup of herbal tea and words of comfort. Draping the beige knitted blanket over her legs, I smile at her reassuringly.
“I really don’t think you have anything to worry about,” I tell her confidently. “They’re only trying to scare you.”
“They’re doing a darn good job of it,” Gran replies, her face paler than I would have liked. I’m furious with MVP for the stress they’re putting on my grandmother, but I don’t display any of my inner thoughts, lest I create more aggravation for her.
“Did you take your blood pressure medication?” Her face reddens slightly, eyes averting, as I straighten myself and give her hand a comforting pat. “You got ambushed when you got home,” I say. “I’ll get your pills. Are they in the kitchen?”
“You don’t need to fuss over me, Rosie?—”
“Gran, will you stop? I’m not fussing.” A grimace falls over my face. “I’m caring about you. That’s what family does for one another, remember?”
Gran’s snowy mane pulls back, and she stares up at me sadly. “No,” she whispers. “I’d almost forgotten. Cory left so long ago, and Jake passed…”
