Page 95 of Sweet Escape
The first paddle flies up, and the auction kicks off in a flurry of activity, but we came prepared for a challenge and won’t easily back down. For the first few minutes, paddles rise in quick succession from every direction, and it’s hard to see who’s still in it. By the time the bidding reaches $1.5 million, it’s down to my father, Nick, and someone bidding by proxy. Eventually, Nick taps out at $2 million, storming off in a huff of anger, and Pops places the winning bid at $2.5 million.
It’s what we wanted, but it’s not going to come without repercussions. The rest of the auction is of no interest to us, so we head out to the parking lot only to run straight into an irate Nick.
“I bet you’re real fuckin’ proud of yourself, huh?” Nick spits out. “You just have to keep fucking with my livelihood.”
“It’s not personal, Bennett. Everybody was vying for the same piece of land.” Pops crosses his arms over his chest. “I think it’s about time we have this out, man to man.”
“Man to man, huh? Twenty years later, and you’ve finally got somethin’ to say for yourself?”
“It wasn’t personal back then, either. We needed the land, and we bid on it. If I’d known you were about to go under, I would’ve helped, but you let your pride get in the way of our friendship, and you’ve refused to acknowledge any wrongdoing.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You still pretending you didn’t fuck with our fence line and poison the feed?”
Nick’s eyes widen, his fists clenching at his sides. “You think I’d sink that low? Come on, Russ. We were friends once.”
Dad’s jaw tics, his finger jutting out less than an inch from Nick’s chest. “We were. I treated you like family, and how did you repay me? You dragged my name through the mud and tried to sabotage me and mine.”
“Look, I don’t know nothin’ about any poison or fence tampering, I swear it.” Nick's anger dissipates, and he holds up his hands in surrender.
“Then who?”
“Beats the hell outta me.”
Pops pulls off his hat and scratches his head. “Alright, look—if what you’re saying is the God’s honest truth, it’s clear we have some things to discuss. Why don’t we go grab a drink? We’re about to be family, after all.”
Nick sighs, raking a hand down his white beard, hesitating for a beat. “Only if you’re buyin’.”
“I can work with that. Meet you at the Ridge tonight around five.”
We part ways and head over to the truck. Pops doesn’t speak. His face is a mask of quiet contemplation as he pulls onto the interstate.
“You think he’s telling the truth?” I ask.
“I dunno. Nick Bennett can be a real son of a bitch, but I’ve never known him to be a liar. That still leaves me with plenty of unanswered questions.”
“You really believe someone deliberately did those things back then?”
“Maybe. I could never prove it. It’s possible it was all a misunderstanding. Something could’ve gotten into the feed from the plant, but that doesn’t explain why it was only our horses that got sick. I suppose a storm could’ve taken out part of the fence.But I wassosure.”
“It’s been a long time. I think it’s time to bury the hatchet. He’s about to be family whether we like it or not, and I won’t have some petty feud over some decades-old misunderstanding getting in the way of Olivia’s happiness.”
He nods. “You’ve got yourself a good woman, son.”
“She’s not mine.”
“You might not see it, but everyone else does. You’re afraid, and I get that, Wilder. I really do. You and Jess had somethin’ real special, but she wouldn’t want you to miss out on life because you can’t get past the guilt.”
“I’m not?—”
“You are, and it’s alright, but at some point you’re gonna have to face your fears. You’ve got Emmy and another one on the way. If you don’t get your head outta your ass, you’ll lose Olivia to a man who has his shit together. Do you really want someone else helping raise your kid because you can’t admit what the rest of us already know?”
“Well, don’t sugar coat it now.”
Dad chuckles derisively. “I’ve never been one to mince words, you know that. You have a choice to make, son. Loss can either harden you, or it can make you appreciate what you have beforeyou let it slip away. You vowed ‘til death do you part. She’s gone and now you’ve got to keep on livin’.”
I glance at his profile, not a hint of trepidation to be found. “So, if Mama died, you’d be open to finding love again?”
