Chapter 61

CHAPTER 61

JESS

O n Friday night, Sophie, Tag, and I were in town together, running some errands and planning to grab a drink once we were done. Slate had been nowhere to be found once I'd finished my work on the farm, so when Sophie had called to invite me out with them, I'd accepted, but I missed him.

I'd grown accustomed to having him around, and more than that, I wanted him around. I just didn't know where he'd gone off to, and when I'd tried calling, his phone had gone straight to voicemail. I breathed out a sigh around the straw of my iced coffee before I decided I was being ridiculous.

Wherever Slate was, he was probably working and I had an opportunity to catch up with my friends. They'd already asked me all about my mom's health and so I turned the tables on them, eager to find out how they'd been while we'd been so wrapped up in our family stuff.

"What's going on in your lives?" I asked as we strolled down the sidewalk. "Anybody have any news?"

"I do," Sophie piped up first. "I bought slots at several upcoming markets straight through the end of the year. My clothes always seem to do well at them, so I'm hoping that one of these days, I'm going to meet someone who'd be interested in becoming my business partner."

"I didn't know you were looking for a partner," Tag said. "Since when?"

She shrugged, sipping her own drink before she finally glanced at him. "Eventually, I want a brick and mortar store, right? I've been trying to get there on my own, but at this rate, it's going to take decades. I need someone who's got cash to invest, or I might never make enough from just the markets to do it."

"I'll go into business with you," he offered immediately.

At first, Sophie laughed. "Sure, you would."

I laughed too, elbowing him in the ribs as we walked. "I'm sure you'd like to, but did you miss the part where she said her business partner would need to have cash?"

"No, I didn't miss it," he said, shaking his head at both of us. "I really will go into business with you, Soph. I already know that you have an incredible work ethic, a vision for your business and the know-how to bring it to life. Plus, you've got a great product. A product I just so happen to believe in."

Sophie flushed, a happy little smile touching the corners of her lips. "Thanks, Tag. It means a lot to know you believe in me."

"Neither of you are taking me seriously, are you?" He let out a frustrated sigh, but I saw the humor in his eyes. "Is it because you think I'm a penniless farm hand, or is my money just not green enough for you?"

"It's not that," Sophie said, groaning. "It's just that as much as I would love for you to be my partner because I trust you, it would take a substantial investment to open a store."

"Sure, but do you want to know what the beauty is of my job?"

"What?" I asked, genuinely curious about what he was getting at.

He pretended to pick lint off his jacket. "I don't have so many expenses, ladies. I'm a single guy living on the farm where I work. It's part of my deal with Mr. Edgar that my accommodation comes with the job. I can have any of the produce on the farm for free as long as it's only for myself, and I don't need much more than that."

Sophie narrowed her eyes at him. "Why are you telling us this?"

"Because I've been working for him for a dozen years, getting paid my salary and putting away most of it for an investment."

My eyes widened when I did a quick calculation in my head and Sophie stopped walking, turning to face him with eyes at least as wide as my own. Tag shrugged as he looked at her. "I can't think of a better investment than Sophie Twining, so if you're willing to go into business together, then I'm ready for it."

She looked like she might cry, tears welling in her eyes and brow furrowing. "Are you being serious right now?"

He nodded. "Sure am. As long as you're willing to start looking at places outside of Firefly Grove as well as here in town. I know it's your dream to have a boutique here, but you've got real talent, Soph. You could go so much bigger than just one little boutique at home."

She threw her arms around him, the tears streaming down her cheeks. She nodded again and again, holding him and stuttering through her acceptance. "I, yes. Of course. Yes!"

He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist and closing his eyes as he hugged her back. I grinned, feeling a little teary myself. I loved watching my friends come together like this, and once they'd had a moment, I wrapped my arms around them both.

"Group hug!" I called, bending my head to theirs and feeling like things were finally falling into place for all of us.

In a way, we were all getting what we wanted. Tag got a fantastic business to invest in with a designer who really could go places. She would finally get her boutique and I was hopefully going to get to keep Merrick Meadows.

My mom was okay. Slate had said we'd have finality on the oil any day now, and if I was really lucky, he'd decide to stay here with me. He certainly didn't seem to be in any hurry to leave. Despite knowing they would be done soon, it wasn't like he was packing his bags.

If anything, he was settling in more, spending time with my mom and me in the kitchen every afternoon and helping me and Dad with chores in the morning. I let out a happy sigh as I pulled away from my friends, wiping the tears away from my eyes.

"Come on," I said as they finally broke apart as well. "Let's go grab that drink now. It's on me and we're making it champagne."

"Can't argue with that," Tag said.

Sophie didn't say anything at all, but her eyes were glazed in a way that said she was still too stunned to speak. I giggled, wrapping my arm around hers so I could drag her to the bar with us.

Before we'd even taken a step though, Oden Sawyer suddenly appeared around the corner. He had his phone in his hand, his eyes intently scanning whatever was on his screen. In another reddish hued suit and with his orange pocket square still firmly in place, there was no mistaking that it really was him.

Sophie tugged at my arm, blinking away the stunned shimmer as she hissed at Tag. "That's him. That oil guy who tried buying the farm."

"Shit." Tag took my other arm, but before he could drag me away, Oden looked up, his features dropping into a scowl as soon as he saw me.

We tried walking around him, but he stepped into our way, blocking our path on the sidewalk—and he looked pissed.

"You're a liar," he seethed quietly at me, not daring to touch me again but sure as hell looking like he'd have punched me if he could. "You said your family would never sell, and now I hear that you've gone and thrown your lot in with that bastard's sister of all people? She'll never get you as much as I offered. Fucking sellouts."

My head snapped back. What the heck is he talking about?

Tag tugged at my arm again, but I didn't move. I couldn't. I was too shocked.

Oden didn't seem to realize that I was positively dumbstruck and he pointed a finger in my face, ignoring my friends as he leaned in close. "I should've set fire to that whole damn field when I had the chance. Good luck with your cute little partnership, Merrick. She's never going to make you half as much as I offered."

I still didn't know what he was talking about on the partnership front, but my eyebrows shot up when I realized the implications of the rest of what he was saying. "So you did sabotage our machines?"

He lifted his chin, shrugging as he finally leaned back. "I'd like to see you prove it, honey. You don't have anything on me."

"But we will," I promised, a chill running through me as I processed his threat. "Sophie's dad is the sheriff and she heard what you just said. Anything else goes wrong on our property, and there's only one person he's going to be looking at."

Oden scoffed and stormed off, and Tag and Sophie turned to me. Soph put her hand on my arm, squeezing gently as she looked into my eyes. "Are you okay?"

"I'm…" I trailed off. "I don't know."

"What was that all about?" Tag asked, glancing at Oden as he disappeared around the corner. "I thought your parents were dead set against selling the farm."

"They were," I murmured, blinking fast as I tried to wrap my head around what had just happened. "I'm not sure what he meant, but I think I have to get home. It sounds like a decision might've been made without me."

I really didn't like the thought of that, but I also couldn't imagine that Oden had been right. When I'd left the house two hours ago, my parents had been on the porch, drinking iced tea and reminiscing about the good old days when they'd watched Austin and I race around the farm on our bicycles.

There was no way they'd gone from that to selling the place in the time I'd been gone. My head spun, but when I finally felt like I could breathe again, I turned to my friends with an apologetic smile spreading on my lips.

"I'm so sorry, guys. We're going to have to take a raincheck on that champagne. I promise I'll make it up to you. I really don't know what Oden was going on about, but I need to get back to the farm. Something has definitely changed since we got to town and I need to go find out what it is."

"Of course," Sophie gave me a big hug, squeezing me as she murmured into my ear. "We're here for you, okay? Call us as soon as you know."

"Do you want me to give you a ride?" Tag asked, concern clouding his eyes as he glanced at my truck parked on the corner. "Maybe you shouldn't drive right now."

I shook my head, fishing my keys out of my pocket as I backed away from them. "I'm all good, but thank you. I'll call if I need you. I just think this is something I need to do alone."

It was like I could feel the rug as it started to move out from underneath me. I had no idea what had changed in so little time, but I had a feeling that said rug was about to be yanked right out, sending me tumbling to my ass and taking down the world as I'd always known it with it.

The last thing I wanted when that happened was an audience. It was bad enough the man who might've caused it also happened to be the guy I was in love with. One of my best friends' brother who I'd grown to trust and hated to doubt, but if Oden was right, then maybe I should never have let my guard down with him at all.