therapists to come and help you, Annie. You can’t do it all.”
“I always have,” she replied tartly.
“Okay.” Cody picked up a chip and dipped it into the salsa before eating it. “Let me get this straight. You’re going to raise Mary, take care of your invalid father, and bring in those crops all by yourself. Just trying to get Travis to do his exercises is going to be a major chore,” Cody said with a grin. “He’s not going to let you tell him what he’s supposed to do, Annie, and you know it. And did you get the part about your father having to wear shorts so his legs can heal where they stripped the veins for the bypass?” Cody broke into a snort of laughter. “I’ll be older than your father before I ever see him wearing anything but jeans for work and trousers for church.”
He shot her a wry glance. Annie sat still, feeling glued to the chair. Somewhere in her mind, she knew Cody was making sense, but didn’t want to acknowledge it. I can do it had always been her motto. It hurt not to be able to say it now and know it to be true.
“As I said earlier, I haven’t thought much past the urgency of the moment,” she said, feeling very weak even as she fell back on the truth.
Cody ran a hand through his hair before giving her a searching glance. “I know, Annie. God knows you haven’t had time to do much of anything. But your pride may cost you if you’re not careful. You’re going to have to let Ma and me help you out.”
Her shoulders sagged. “Maybe you’re right. But how are you going to run two farms?”
“I have some help I can spare. Plus my farm’s in good shape.” He stopped a moment, dragging his hand through his hair once more.
“You’ll run yourself ragged going back and forth,” Annie pointed out. “And you’re talking about a lot more than just helping me over a rough spot.”
Cody leaned back in his chair, studying her by the soft yellow light of the kerosene lamp. “It won’t be too much of a problem. But I’ve thought about this a lot, and getting married might make matters easier on both of us.”
Chapter Seven
Zach ripped a check out of his checkbook, stuffed it into an envelope with his father’s name on it, and tossed it on the edge of his desk for the secretary to mail. It was insanity, plain and simple, but after all this time he still felt responsible for Pop. A vision of the man he’d grown up with, hungry and without basic necessities, haunted him into writing that check.
Zach glanced around the office, noticing with relief that the calendar on the desk showed there were only a few days left until he was a free man. Two weeks after that, he’d be married and on to a new, better phase of his life.
The door opened and Carter poked his head in. “Got a minute?”
Zach nodded. Something his father had said was bothering him, and he wanted to ask Carter about it, so the visit was timely. “Sure. What’s up?”
“I just got a phone call that the bank is going to foreclose on the Aguillar land if the taxes aren’t paid up by the end of the year,” he said, strolling confidently into the room.
Carter paused, obviously expecting some reaction from Zach. When he didn’t respond, Carter sat down in a leather chair facing the desk and leaned forward. “This is a hell of an opportunity for us. It could be the sale we need in that area to put Ritter in a direct position to compete for commercial real-estate deals along the new state highway placement.”
Zach shook his head. “No. Fortunately for the Aguillars, they’re sitting on a bumper crop of corn. They’ll make their taxes. And anyway, I’m out of it.”
“You’re giving up on an opportunity Ritter should have.”
Zach shrugged.
Carter held up a hand. “Let’s talk about this.”
“I have nothing to say. Wrapping up my client load will keep me busy enough for the next three days. Someone else will have to go out there.”
Carter pursed his lips, studying him silently.
“I always have,” she replied tartly.
“Okay.” Cody picked up a chip and dipped it into the salsa before eating it. “Let me get this straight. You’re going to raise Mary, take care of your invalid father, and bring in those crops all by yourself. Just trying to get Travis to do his exercises is going to be a major chore,” Cody said with a grin. “He’s not going to let you tell him what he’s supposed to do, Annie, and you know it. And did you get the part about your father having to wear shorts so his legs can heal where they stripped the veins for the bypass?” Cody broke into a snort of laughter. “I’ll be older than your father before I ever see him wearing anything but jeans for work and trousers for church.”
He shot her a wry glance. Annie sat still, feeling glued to the chair. Somewhere in her mind, she knew Cody was making sense, but didn’t want to acknowledge it. I can do it had always been her motto. It hurt not to be able to say it now and know it to be true.
“As I said earlier, I haven’t thought much past the urgency of the moment,” she said, feeling very weak even as she fell back on the truth.
Cody ran a hand through his hair before giving her a searching glance. “I know, Annie. God knows you haven’t had time to do much of anything. But your pride may cost you if you’re not careful. You’re going to have to let Ma and me help you out.”
Her shoulders sagged. “Maybe you’re right. But how are you going to run two farms?”
“I have some help I can spare. Plus my farm’s in good shape.” He stopped a moment, dragging his hand through his hair once more.
“You’ll run yourself ragged going back and forth,” Annie pointed out. “And you’re talking about a lot more than just helping me over a rough spot.”
Cody leaned back in his chair, studying her by the soft yellow light of the kerosene lamp. “It won’t be too much of a problem. But I’ve thought about this a lot, and getting married might make matters easier on both of us.”
Chapter Seven
Zach ripped a check out of his checkbook, stuffed it into an envelope with his father’s name on it, and tossed it on the edge of his desk for the secretary to mail. It was insanity, plain and simple, but after all this time he still felt responsible for Pop. A vision of the man he’d grown up with, hungry and without basic necessities, haunted him into writing that check.
Zach glanced around the office, noticing with relief that the calendar on the desk showed there were only a few days left until he was a free man. Two weeks after that, he’d be married and on to a new, better phase of his life.
The door opened and Carter poked his head in. “Got a minute?”
Zach nodded. Something his father had said was bothering him, and he wanted to ask Carter about it, so the visit was timely. “Sure. What’s up?”
“I just got a phone call that the bank is going to foreclose on the Aguillar land if the taxes aren’t paid up by the end of the year,” he said, strolling confidently into the room.
Carter paused, obviously expecting some reaction from Zach. When he didn’t respond, Carter sat down in a leather chair facing the desk and leaned forward. “This is a hell of an opportunity for us. It could be the sale we need in that area to put Ritter in a direct position to compete for commercial real-estate deals along the new state highway placement.”
Zach shook his head. “No. Fortunately for the Aguillars, they’re sitting on a bumper crop of corn. They’ll make their taxes. And anyway, I’m out of it.”
“You’re giving up on an opportunity Ritter should have.”
Zach shrugged.
Carter held up a hand. “Let’s talk about this.”
“I have nothing to say. Wrapping up my client load will keep me busy enough for the next three days. Someone else will have to go out there.”
Carter pursed his lips, studying him silently.
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