Page 9 of Rough
Coming to a stop in front of the correct number, I ignore Murphy as he pushes his way into the room, taking a moment to inhale slowly to collect myself before making my way inside.
My eyes water the moment they fall on Donny Landry, looking small and broken in the hospital bed. Renee is leaning forward in her chair pulled up next to his side, and Murphy is clearly uncomfortable, standing straight next to the wall.
I force myself to take a few steps to the foot of the bed, bracing my weight on the railing. It feels impossible to meet Donny’s eyes, knowing that it’ll be one of the last times I’ll have his attention on me.
“Betsy, lo-look at me, honey,” Donny’s voice rasps out. I shake my head vigorously, ignoring the strands of hair that come loose and fall into my eyes. My fingers curl harder against the cold plastic, and my muscles clench. I remember standing just like this when Pap was dying, but this feels so much worse for some reason. Donny’s too young for this bullshit. “Be b-brave, girl, and look at me.”
This time, when he encourages me, my eyes shoot up to find his dull, exhausted face, and the vision of him swims when a new wave of tears hits me. “Goddamnit!” I cry louder than I should. Sucking in a breath, I blink away my tears. “This is absolute shit, you know that, right?”
His chuckle that turns into a coughing fit makes me lurch forward, but I stop myself from falling into his arms. “I know. Renee’s gonna have my hide. Come on, though. We got shit we need settled, girl.” At his words, I notice another man standingin the room. He’s dressed in an ill-fitting suit, wiping the sweat from his brow. “We need the farm settled.”
“I’ll take care of it for you, friend,” Murphy says, placing a hand on Donny’s shoulder.
The man who’s like a father to me reaches up and grips Murphy’s hand, then pats it gently. “I-I know you’d take care of it for me. But Remy is g-gonna come back soon. They got plans.” His eyes find mine as he lets Murphy’s hand go. “I n-need you to take the farm, girl.”
“Wh—”
Murphy’s angry voice interrupts me. “The hell are you talkin’ about?” He’s clearly annoyed, but Donny ignores him, keeping his gaze locked on me.
“We called Remy. He’s—” Donny starts coughing and Renee jumps up to bring a cup of water to his lips, but he jerks his head away, not wanting it.
As she smooths the hair from his forehead, Renee continues instead. “Our boy is having a hard time processing what’s going on. They’re all on their way home right now, but he didn’t want to talk about taking over the farm. We need you to take it for us. Take care of it until Remy is ready to come home.”
I’ve been shaking my head slowly the entire time she was talking, denying what they’re asking, but I stop when her eyes finally meet mine. “Renee…” I beg, my voice trailing off, unsure what to say.
“I’ll do it,” Murphy says firmly, but again, he is ignored by the rest of us.
“Please, Betsy. You’re already runnin’ it for us. Hold it until Remy is ready to take over. He ca—” She sobs brokenly, then shakes her head once, fortifying herself before landing her eyes on me once more. “Hecan’thandle this right now. Ya’ll were going to merge, eventually. We’ve got it all situated at a purchaseprice that Remy will be able to cover without breaking the bank. Nothing will change work wise. It’s just paperwork.”
They’re all silent as I hold the railing, rocking my body back and forth, trying to decide. The decision should be impossible, but I know I have to do it.
“Fine, but only—” I’m cut off by Murphy’s reaction.
He curses under his breath and walks out of the room. My eyes follow him, knowing he’s pissed, maybe feeling a bit betrayed, but this isn’t about him. Needing to finish my thought, I say, “Only until Remy comes home for good.”
Glancing over at who I assume is their lawyer when he steps forward, I wait silently to hear what he has to say. “I’ve got everything ready to go. Just need you to sign, then a check for the purchase price.”
My eyes widen as I quickly run through numbers in my head. “Shoot, I don’t think—”
Renee holds her hand up to stop me. “It’s only a formality. A tiny amount so Remy can buy from you when he’s ready. All the profits between now and then go to you.”
“I just want Renee to stay in the house,” Donny croaks out, and I scowl at him.
“I’dnevermake Renee move,” I grit out. His smile eases some of the stress from this whole situation, so I take a deep breath to ground myself.
With a squeeze to his hand before letting it go, Renee walks over to me and places her hands on my upper arms. “Sweetheart. All we want is to sign over to you until Remy can pay you for what you put in and take over. Ya’ll still plan on merging farms eventually, right?”
I nod my head, but a small part of me is unsure if he wants to move forward. “I think so. I don’t know what he’s plannin’ to do or if things changed, honestly. I haven’t talked with him in so long.”
“Right. So, this is the best idea. You take the farm. Just until he’s ready to come home. I’ll stay in the house and help out where I can. We just need this off Donny’s shoulders.” Her fingers dig into my skin, and I find myself nodding quickly.
“Whatever you need. I’ll do whatever you want.” I feel numb when their lawyer brings the papers over, and I start signing my name on every line he has marked with those stupid little arrow stickers. I feel like I’m signing my name for hours before we’re finally through it all.
Tapping the papers into an even pile, he slips them into his bag before turning to me. “I just need a check for whatever you can afford, and I’ll give you a receipt,” he murmurs.
I always carry a small bag with me, so I reach into it and pull out my worn checkbook, opening it to one of the last checks remaining. The balance says I’ve got over five thousand in my account, so I write a check for everything in there, then tear it out and hand it over.
Thankfully, their lawyer says nothing as he writes a receipt and places it in front of me. It’s done. I now own the Landry farm. I feel fucking sick.
