Page 42 of All For You
Sighing in desolation, I shifted my towel tighter. “Yeah, I could see that.” I mentally added one more thing to my massively overfilled plate.
“You want a drink while I get dressed? I have a beer or two, I think.”
“Sure, that sounds good, snowflake.”
Andrew called me snowflake since I was born as platinum-blonde “towhead” in the middle of a snowstorm. He was eighteen years older than me, but he was the sibling Iwas closest to. And probably the only one who understood the pressure of taking over the farm.
As I dashed up to the loft to change, I shouted down to him, “I wanted to talk to you about the farm, actually.”
Struggling to pull my jeans up my slick legs, I hobbled around, knocking into my dresser a few times as I explained my thoughts on hiring more staff and freeing up my time. The night out with Owen and Jenna transformed something inside me. It was like I saw a movie playing in fast-forward, and it was my entire life… spent on the farm. I wanted more than that.
I wanted what everyone else in my family had. Everyone else but Andrew. I hadn’t quite figured out what kept him single. He was a good-looking guy, objectively speaking.
“We can talk it over with Dad. I heard you had a proposal for the Ramsey land as well.”
“Yeah, the stats came back super clean. I think just rotating the plants like we do now would be enough to keep it enriched. One season of cattle grazing, one season of soybeans, then we can plant the corn.”
“And how does Owen feel about this?” he asked, as I made my way down the steps to the main floor.
“What do you mean?”
My stomach clenched at the thought of tearing up his family's land, but it needed to be done. The soil was rich with nutrients, his father must’ve just mishandled everything he planted. But it wasn’t my job to tell him his mother sold it to us. Not that she’d had much choice. Thank goodness my father swept in when he did, because Jim Ramsey had been close to making the entire property a nightmare for Beverly and Owen, from the grave.
“I heard you two were seeing each other.”
“We’re… dating, if that’s what you’re inquiring about.”
“And does he know we own his family’s land, even after he’s been sending money to his mother for the last four years, ever since he went pro?”
“No. I just…. I think he needs to talk to his mom first. There’sa lothe doesn’t know,” I said, twisting my fingers together in front of my clenching stomach.
“I agree, but don’t let it get back to him that you knew all along and said nothing. He’ll blame you, regardless of if you were the instigator.”
Andrew was right. Biting my lip, I snatched his beer from my coffee table and took a hearty sip.
“I should tell him.”
“No, you should explain to Beverly that you needherto tell him.”
Nodding, I gulped down another mouthful before setting it back on the table.
“I like him for you, you know.”
“Really? I thought you hate all guys we date.”
“As a generality, yes, but Owen’s a good kid. I can’t tell you how many nights I stayed at the ballpark watching him from the bench with Coach Rudicell long after the practice ended, and then he’d practice with a few younger kids who showed interest.”
In my head, I wondered if it was because he hadn’t wanted to go home.
“Yeah, he loves baseball.”
“Anything he sees worth in, he loves. Sad to hear about his wedding though, but in the end, everything works out, it seems.”
“You’re being awfully calm, knowing I have a boyfriend.”
He shrugged and chugged the rest of the beer. “Mom’s making chicken pot pie, and I don’t want to be late. You ready?”
“Yeah.”
