this, and he thinks we should sell. I don’t agree, but it’s time you knew the truth of what we’re facing.”
Aaron figured his Daed was telling her now because if he didn’t, Aaron might.
Concern lined her features as she studied the bill. “What’s a lien?”
Daed shrugged and pushed his plate away. “Nothing to worry about with the progress we’re making.”
Aaron wondered if she recognized how absurd it was for his Daed to show her the statement and then skirt around explaining it.
Sylvia turned to his mother. “Dora?”
Mamm’s eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head. This was so typical of his parents, shrugging off their problems even when directly asked about them. Aaron didn’t consider himself any better when it came to coping skills, though. His tendency had been to drown himself in beer so he didn’t have to face his issues.
“We’re in default on a loan,” Aaron said. “Because of that, DairyAll has the legal right to put a lien on the property. It means they get their money first when the farm is sold.”
“We’re not selling, so what difference does that make?”
“If they put a lien on the place, Daed will owe more money than the farm is worth. A place can’t be sold for more than it’s worth.”
“But if he’s not interested in selling,” Sylvia insisted, “it doesn’t matter, right?”
“He also can’t borrow more money if—no, when something else goes wrong,” Aaron said. “If equipment goes out and he can’t afford to fix it, you’ll be milking by hand, and production will drop. And he’ll have to buy feed rather than grow it. If he can’t sell enough milk to pay the mortgage, he’ll lose the farm, and his credit will be worthless. He’ll have nowhere to—”
“Okay,” Daed bellowed. “She’s got the idea.”
Sylvia stared at the DairyAll statement. “This is bad news, certainly. But I don’t see how it changes anything. Our plan all along was to get the bills paid.” She tilted her head, making Daed look at her. “Right?”
“Ya.” His Daed sounded weary. “But the pressure is on. It’s almost mid-June already, and we haven’t made our first cut. We’ve got to get that hay cut and out of the field. If we have enough help to accomplish that before it rains again, we can get top dollar for it. Can we depend on you?” Daed kept his eyes on his plate, but everyone knew the question was directed at Aaron.
“I’m here to help,” Aaron said, “but I think you have to be realistic. The debt outweighs our resources. After the hay is harvested and sold, you and Mamm need to go with me to Owl’s Perch and look at the shop.”
“No thanks.”
“In exchange for your coming to see it and really hearing me out, I’ll give this farm my all for the next ten weeks.” Aaron figured he had nothing to lose by that deal. He was stuck here regardless.
“Ten weeks?” Mamm asked.
“That’s when I need to be back in Owl’s Perch.” He had nearly two more weeks after that date before he had to be there to take over the shop, but there was no sense in telling them. He was going to be in Owl’s Perch as close to mid-August as possible. He needed the training time before Leo retired.
His father raised his eyes, studying his son. “There’s no way to know if you’re telling the truth about helping out through the summer. You lied to us for years, never doing half of what you were supposed to do.”
“That’s a warped perspective. You were laid up in bed most of the time, unable to work. I really tried, but you got up just long enough to see what I hadn’t accomplished, never once mentioning what I had done.”
Daed stood, his chest puffed in challenge. “You’ve always had your own slant, your half-truths and lies. I bought this place for you, and you ran out on us!”
Aaron rose to his feet, daring to meet his Daed’s challenge eye to eye. “For me? Really, Daed? You’re going to call me a liar and then make a statement
Aaron figured his Daed was telling her now because if he didn’t, Aaron might.
Concern lined her features as she studied the bill. “What’s a lien?”
Daed shrugged and pushed his plate away. “Nothing to worry about with the progress we’re making.”
Aaron wondered if she recognized how absurd it was for his Daed to show her the statement and then skirt around explaining it.
Sylvia turned to his mother. “Dora?”
Mamm’s eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head. This was so typical of his parents, shrugging off their problems even when directly asked about them. Aaron didn’t consider himself any better when it came to coping skills, though. His tendency had been to drown himself in beer so he didn’t have to face his issues.
“We’re in default on a loan,” Aaron said. “Because of that, DairyAll has the legal right to put a lien on the property. It means they get their money first when the farm is sold.”
“We’re not selling, so what difference does that make?”
“If they put a lien on the place, Daed will owe more money than the farm is worth. A place can’t be sold for more than it’s worth.”
“But if he’s not interested in selling,” Sylvia insisted, “it doesn’t matter, right?”
“He also can’t borrow more money if—no, when something else goes wrong,” Aaron said. “If equipment goes out and he can’t afford to fix it, you’ll be milking by hand, and production will drop. And he’ll have to buy feed rather than grow it. If he can’t sell enough milk to pay the mortgage, he’ll lose the farm, and his credit will be worthless. He’ll have nowhere to—”
“Okay,” Daed bellowed. “She’s got the idea.”
Sylvia stared at the DairyAll statement. “This is bad news, certainly. But I don’t see how it changes anything. Our plan all along was to get the bills paid.” She tilted her head, making Daed look at her. “Right?”
“Ya.” His Daed sounded weary. “But the pressure is on. It’s almost mid-June already, and we haven’t made our first cut. We’ve got to get that hay cut and out of the field. If we have enough help to accomplish that before it rains again, we can get top dollar for it. Can we depend on you?” Daed kept his eyes on his plate, but everyone knew the question was directed at Aaron.
“I’m here to help,” Aaron said, “but I think you have to be realistic. The debt outweighs our resources. After the hay is harvested and sold, you and Mamm need to go with me to Owl’s Perch and look at the shop.”
“No thanks.”
“In exchange for your coming to see it and really hearing me out, I’ll give this farm my all for the next ten weeks.” Aaron figured he had nothing to lose by that deal. He was stuck here regardless.
“Ten weeks?” Mamm asked.
“That’s when I need to be back in Owl’s Perch.” He had nearly two more weeks after that date before he had to be there to take over the shop, but there was no sense in telling them. He was going to be in Owl’s Perch as close to mid-August as possible. He needed the training time before Leo retired.
His father raised his eyes, studying his son. “There’s no way to know if you’re telling the truth about helping out through the summer. You lied to us for years, never doing half of what you were supposed to do.”
“That’s a warped perspective. You were laid up in bed most of the time, unable to work. I really tried, but you got up just long enough to see what I hadn’t accomplished, never once mentioning what I had done.”
Daed stood, his chest puffed in challenge. “You’ve always had your own slant, your half-truths and lies. I bought this place for you, and you ran out on us!”
Aaron rose to his feet, daring to meet his Daed’s challenge eye to eye. “For me? Really, Daed? You’re going to call me a liar and then make a statement
Similar Books
