ir orchard and they had saved the other three fields. It would still be a huge hit to them , though.
* * *
"But if you'd only listen to me Mr. Joh nson. The offer is up to twenty -three million dollars. You’d still own your farm, you'd just become part of the Top Producer s family. You'd have their power and their brand behind you."
"Look little lady. I don't know nuttin ' about Top Producers, but I've known Miles Davies since he was knee high to a cricket and I trust him with my life and my family's. I also know about you. I remember that time you and your little criminal friends went cow tipping on my property. It was only because of your fa ther, G od rest h is soul, that I didn't call O l ' Red on y ou and have you tossed in jail." Mr. Johnson tugged up his jeans and took a step forward, pushing her out of the doorway and onto the small wooden porch. "And if you don't ge t off my land right now, I'll call Sheriff Davies and have you arrested for trespassin '."
"Mr. Johnson, I'm sorry for my past childish behavior. I'm not that person anymore."
"Bless your soul, I hope not. Now, ge t!" Mr. Johnson slammed the door and Morgan was left, for the second day in a row, with a door slammed in her face. Yesterday evening Mr. Likens had done the same thing.
Morgan looked at her cell phone and saw a missed call from David Washington. It was seven in the morning and her boss was already calling to check on her. And, what did she have to report? Nuttin '. Yesterday s he'd spent the day in southern Kentucky. She hit up farmers in Corbin, London , and Somerset. She'd come back to Keeneston and got rejected, rather rudely if she may say so, from Mr. Likens and his son . David had called her on his way home from work and she'd delivered the bad news. Out of the eight farmers she'd visited, onl y one had agreed to the merger and two previous signees had called her to tell her they had changed their mind s and decided they were sticking with Family Farms.
"Hi David, it's Morgan."
"Did you get the Johnson farm this morning?" David asked, cutting to the chase.
Morgan slumped her shoulders, "No, sir. He’s an old family friend of Miles and refuses to agree, no matter the price."
"I hate these small town imbeciles. So stuck into their old ways. We'll just have to do more to shake them out of it. Time to get tough , Morgan. No more asking. It's time to force their hand." David disconnected and Morgan w as left wondering what other ways she could try to force their hands.
"I'm too tired for this," Morgan mumbled to herself as she drove back to her hotel. She hadn’t slept much recently and this new "get tough" initiative called for more than she was willing to do so early in the morning. Last night with the Likens was tiring enough and now all she wanted was to go back to the hotel, take a shower, crawl into bed, order room service, and watch a movie. She'd tackle the remaining list starting tomorrow.
Chapter Twelve
Miles slipped on his dress shirt and had just started to button it when he heard the doorbell ring. He jogged down the stair s as he tossed his tie around his neck. Looking out the window he saw Mr. Likens' s Dodge Ram. Miles had actually been planning on going over to see how he was doing after he finished getting dressed.
Miles dis armed the alarm and unlocked the door, "Mr. Likens, how are you? I was just on my way to see you."
"You're a good boy. Thank you. I was actually coming to check on you . I'm sorry I didn't come yesterday, but we were tied up all day with the police and then the insurance adjustor . I saw you all herding the cattle yesterday morning during the fire. I hope none of them were injured , " t he older farmer said . His blue jeans were covered in mud from all the water the firemen used to put out the fire. His gray hair looked disheveled and Miles was relieved to see his son standing a few steps behind him. Farmin g tended to be family business and as Mr.
* * *
"But if you'd only listen to me Mr. Joh nson. The offer is up to twenty -three million dollars. You’d still own your farm, you'd just become part of the Top Producer s family. You'd have their power and their brand behind you."
"Look little lady. I don't know nuttin ' about Top Producers, but I've known Miles Davies since he was knee high to a cricket and I trust him with my life and my family's. I also know about you. I remember that time you and your little criminal friends went cow tipping on my property. It was only because of your fa ther, G od rest h is soul, that I didn't call O l ' Red on y ou and have you tossed in jail." Mr. Johnson tugged up his jeans and took a step forward, pushing her out of the doorway and onto the small wooden porch. "And if you don't ge t off my land right now, I'll call Sheriff Davies and have you arrested for trespassin '."
"Mr. Johnson, I'm sorry for my past childish behavior. I'm not that person anymore."
"Bless your soul, I hope not. Now, ge t!" Mr. Johnson slammed the door and Morgan was left, for the second day in a row, with a door slammed in her face. Yesterday evening Mr. Likens had done the same thing.
Morgan looked at her cell phone and saw a missed call from David Washington. It was seven in the morning and her boss was already calling to check on her. And, what did she have to report? Nuttin '. Yesterday s he'd spent the day in southern Kentucky. She hit up farmers in Corbin, London , and Somerset. She'd come back to Keeneston and got rejected, rather rudely if she may say so, from Mr. Likens and his son . David had called her on his way home from work and she'd delivered the bad news. Out of the eight farmers she'd visited, onl y one had agreed to the merger and two previous signees had called her to tell her they had changed their mind s and decided they were sticking with Family Farms.
"Hi David, it's Morgan."
"Did you get the Johnson farm this morning?" David asked, cutting to the chase.
Morgan slumped her shoulders, "No, sir. He’s an old family friend of Miles and refuses to agree, no matter the price."
"I hate these small town imbeciles. So stuck into their old ways. We'll just have to do more to shake them out of it. Time to get tough , Morgan. No more asking. It's time to force their hand." David disconnected and Morgan w as left wondering what other ways she could try to force their hands.
"I'm too tired for this," Morgan mumbled to herself as she drove back to her hotel. She hadn’t slept much recently and this new "get tough" initiative called for more than she was willing to do so early in the morning. Last night with the Likens was tiring enough and now all she wanted was to go back to the hotel, take a shower, crawl into bed, order room service, and watch a movie. She'd tackle the remaining list starting tomorrow.
Chapter Twelve
Miles slipped on his dress shirt and had just started to button it when he heard the doorbell ring. He jogged down the stair s as he tossed his tie around his neck. Looking out the window he saw Mr. Likens' s Dodge Ram. Miles had actually been planning on going over to see how he was doing after he finished getting dressed.
Miles dis armed the alarm and unlocked the door, "Mr. Likens, how are you? I was just on my way to see you."
"You're a good boy. Thank you. I was actually coming to check on you . I'm sorry I didn't come yesterday, but we were tied up all day with the police and then the insurance adjustor . I saw you all herding the cattle yesterday morning during the fire. I hope none of them were injured , " t he older farmer said . His blue jeans were covered in mud from all the water the firemen used to put out the fire. His gray hair looked disheveled and Miles was relieved to see his son standing a few steps behind him. Farmin g tended to be family business and as Mr.
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