by Tia Siren
I couldn’t help but laugh at her words. “Don’t worry about me, Mom. I’m not running out of money anytime soon.”
The rest of the car ride was silent. A part of me was worried I had said something to upset my mother, but I wasn’t going to break the silence to badger her. As she drove, I looked around to see that the little town I had grown up in hadn’t changed at all. Just as I’d thought. There was one stoplight, and the convenience store was still the same as I remembered. The only thing that had change, which came as a shocker to me, was the Callahan Family Ranch. They were the richest family in the town, from what I remembered, and yet, in their front yard there was a “Space for Lease” sign.
“Did the Callahan’s move?” I asked my mom, finally breaking the long silence.
“Oh, I forgot you didn’t know,” my mother said. “Helen and Jacob passed. Poor Harper inherited all their debt, so she’s leasing out some space and offering lodging for whoever wants a place to live.”
“They died?” I asked. I was completely shocked, because I remembered Harper’s parents loving me, and I would often spend my weekends on her family ranch to spend time with her.
“Helen took sick and just got worse for years. She passed a few months back, and poor Jacob’s heart couldn’t take it. His funeral was a few days ago,” my mom said. “I bet Harper must be a mess. You should stop by and talk to her.”
“You know I can’t do that,” I muttered, sitting back in my chair.
After I’d left without a single word to her, I knew she must have hated me. We had been dating for three years, and I’d just ghosted her. It had been easier for me to do it that way, and I knew she would not have understood how important leaving had been to me. At the time, I couldn’t have her holding me back, but I couldn’t bear to see the heartbreak firsthand, either. It had been a coward’s way out, but it had been the only thing I could have done at that time in my life.
As we drove farther away from the sign, I couldn’t stop thinking about Harper and how badly I wanted to help. Also, having a piece of her land could have benefited me and my business greatly. I made a note to contact the number on the sign when I woke up the next day. It was probably a blessing in disguise that I had come back. There were a lot of people in my New York circle who would love to get to spend some time in such a “quaint” little town.
Perhaps the trip wouldn’t be all that bad.
Chapter Four
Harper
Time healed all wounds, even the freshest ones. It had been a week since my pa’s funeral, and I was feeling better about everything. I had convinced myself that my pa just couldn’t wait to join my mom in the afterlife and they were happier there than they had been in life. Those thoughts provided me comfort and made each passing day more manageable. Of course, I still couldn’t bring myself to change their room or take down their clothes from their closet, but baby steps were far healthier than giant leaps anyway. I had promised myself that I would be stronger and focus on the more pressing matters, like the family business.
After putting up the signs in the yard, I couldn’t help but feel shame. The whole world knew of our debts, I was sure, but it was a different thing to actually admit to them. Howard had assured me that it was the best thing to do, and he’d even said he had been called left and right about the lease. Some of the offers were absurd and low, but others were willing to pay what we were charging. That filled me with hope, because I knew the bank would be more interested in taking payments than my family land. To celebrate, I decided to pick myself up and be social for a day with my old high school friends. They’d gotten in touch a few days after the funeral and had said they would come over to catch up.
I was excited, especially since I was so tired of being alone. I woke up early to tend to the farm, and then I spent the rest of the day doting on myself. I straightened my naturally wavy, shoulder-length hair. I put on makeup—which was only some mascara and eyeliner, but that was far more than usual. I even got dressed in my favorite light blue turtleneck sweater and a pair of knee-high black boots instead of my usual jeans. The cherry on top was the sheer stockings I was wearing because I was feeling fancy. I wanted to look my finest after not seeing my friends since three years before.
My only issue was food, but I tossed together a suitable brunch. There were chopped fruits, fresh scrambled eggs, some pancakes, and freshly squeezed orange juice. My mama had taught me how to host well, because I’d turned nothing into something fine. I could feel her smiling down proudly at the way I had arranged everything. If I had married a man young, I would have been a mighty fine hostess that my husband would have bragged about. Instead, I was showing off for my friends so they didn’t ask me questions about whether I was okay or if I’d been taking care of myself. The world didn’t need to know about my emotional state, and I was dead set on making sure I seemed as normal as I possibly could.
As soon as I finished setting everything up, there was a knock on my door. I expected it to be my friends arriving early, because they always tended to do so; however, upon getting closer to the door, I realized that the figure behind the screen was none other than Howard. Thinking the worst, I hastened my steps and opened the door to greet him.
“Howard, I wasn’t expecting you to stop by today,” I said, moving to the side to let him in.
“Well, I was going to call, but I wanted to stop by to deliver the good news personally,” he said with a grin that reached from ear to ear. “A few days ago, we got an offer for the lease, and, dear Lord, Harper, it’s the biggest offer we’ve gotten thus far.”
“That’s really good news,” I said. I was happy, but, for some reason, I felt like my heart was sinking. There was going to be someone else on my family property, using it as their own.
“Not just good news, great news,” Howard said. “Not only was this the biggest offer, but the man offered nearly fifty percent more than we were asking for.”
My jaw dropped when the words left his mouth.
“That was my reaction as well,” he said happily. “And, initially, I was very hesitant, but I looked over his offer, checked with his sources, and even consulted with the bank. This offer is legit, and this can be a huge payout for this farm if we play our cards right.”
“What do you mean by that?” I asked him. He was speaking in riddles, and I was doing my best to keep up with his words.
“This man has connections in real estate, so, if all goes well, we could get your family business back to where it once was—perhaps even better,” he said.
I didn’t know what possessed me, but squeals of delight left my lips. I couldn’t help but reach over and pull Howard into a tight embrace as I hopped up and down excitedly. If there was a God in heaven, he was sure looking out for me.
“I knew you would be excited about it,” he said as he awkwardly wrapped an arm around me. “This is very good news for you and your business, Harper. Very good news.”
Slowly, I pulled away and looked at him. “Who would do something so generous? What person living in this town can put up an offer like that?”
“I was waiting on you to ask,” Howard said.
He stepped back and grabbed one of the many manila folders from his arm, and I had to keep myself from reminding him for the hundredth time to organize. Half amused and a little more than impatient, I watched as Howard fumbled with the contents in his hands before he decided to place everything down on a nearby table to find what he was looking for.
“Do you need any help?” I asked him with my arms slightly crossed and an expression, I was sure, that spelled out my anxious impatience.
“No, no. I’ve found it,” Howard murmured sheepishly. He stood and walked closer to me, opening the folder with a wide smile. “This man was eager to outbid, and he made sure he was up to date for every step of the processing.”
“That’s good and all, Howard, but I still want to know who this kind man is,” I told him.
“It’s Gretchen and Kyle’s son, Lincoln,
” Howard finally revealed.
In that moment, I was sure I was hearing things improperly. There was only one Gretchen in the small town I lived in, and she was the mother of the boy who had stolen my heart. At once, I felt my already broken heart begin to race, and I placed a hand over my chest as if that would ease it. There was no way in heaven or on earth that the man who was interested in my land was the very man who had broken my heart and left me behind a decade before. My mind couldn’t register exactly what had been said. That man was like a jagged old puzzle piece whose worn-out sides didn’t belong anywhere in the picture anymore.
“Are you talking about Lincoln Heatherton?” I asked Howard, hoping I was just hearing things wrong of there was a new family that had moved to town while I’d been living away from home.
“That would be him indeed,” Howard said.
“I don’t understand how any of that is possible,” I said, snatching the files from his hand to read the information for myself. “He left for God knows where ten years ago, and he can’t possibly be able to afford what he’s offering.”
“Oh, he’s not the same boy he used to be anymore, Harper,” Howard said. “I ran a background check and a dozen credit checks. Hell, all I had to do was look up his name to see that he’s worth billions now. If he wanted to, he could buy out this whole town right at the bank and they’d give it to him without a fight.”
“Billions? It’s only been ten years. How can that be?” I asked in a dumbfound tone.
“A lot can change with just a little luck. But it doesn’t matter how he made it happen. All that matters is that Lincoln is saving this business, and you shouldn’t question it,” Howard said.
He looked like he wanted to dance, he was so relieved. While he was happy to have finally found the breakthrough to financial stability, I was upset that a ghost of my past had reared his ugly head to get his grubby, no-good hands on what belonged to me. It pained me to think about having Lincoln around after so long. I had thought I had healed from the heartbreak I had endured after he disappeared without so much as a note. I had thought that I had gotten stronger. I had even dated kinder, smarter, and more well-off men since then. I supposed none of them had stuck around because of Lincoln, though, whether it was because of how badly he had hurt me or because of the place he had forever kept in my heart. Regardless, I didn’t want him around me.
“I’m sorry, Howard, but we’re going to have to find someone else. There has to be a way other than having Lincoln lease my land and live in my home,” I said. My voice was a lot weaker than I wanted it to be. I didn’t want to give off any emotion in front of the frumpy lawyer before me.
Howard’s smile dropped, and he looked at me like he was looking at an alien.
“Don’t give me that look. I don’t feel comfortable having a man I barely know live in my home with me, alone,” I said, lying and yet hoping it came out with ease.
“Didn’t you two go to school together? I thought you’d be happy because you two used to be as thick as thieves,” Howard said.
“That may be true, but I haven’t heard a peep from him in a decade. I don’t know what kind of man he turned into,” I said. “I could end up chopped up and buried for all you know.”
Howard was silent for several long moments. I expected him to accept my declination of Lincoln’s offer as well as my reasoning. However, Howard started howling with laughter. I blinked a few times, taken aback by the blatant disregard of my emotions and thoughts. I stood there feeling like a proper fool, unsure if he saw through my lie or didn’t take me seriously at all. After a few seconds, my red face had changed from flustered to furious.
“What’s so funny?” I asked him.
“I’m not laughing at you, Harper, I swear,” he said while calming down from his laughing fit. “I’m just laughing at how much of your parents are in you. When we offered the same thing to them years ago, your mom had the same fears and your pa wasn’t trusting a single soul around his girls. You’re just like your folks. It just took me by surprise; that’s all.”
The redness in my face was once again because I was flustered. His words filled me with pride but also with pity. They had been in the same position as me and had turned it down due to their stubbornness. I remembered my parents being courageous; even my mom knew how to handle a gun and could out-fight the toughest of men. It was nice hearing I was like them, but it sobered me to realize that I couldn’t make the same mistakes they had.
“Harper, I respect your decision, but I know you’re not a dumb girl,” Howard said after calming down some more. His face was red, even the balding spot at the top of his head. “This is the only option you have if you want to save this place. It meant so much to your parents, and I know it means even more to you now. Please don’t decline this offer. I don’t think we’ll be able to save your property if you do.”
I thought over his words and sighed out heavily. They rang true, just as they always did.
“You’re right. I’m sure the dogs will keep me safe while he’s here,” I muttered softly. “Tell the bank that I accept the offer and I look forward to getting the payments up to date.”
Howard was happy with my words. After having me sign a few papers and accepting some coffee to go, he left in high spirits. I was left behind feeling lost in an emotional limbo. I was worried that things weren’t going to be easy, and I knew there was going to be an air of awkwardness around us once Lincoln and I met again. There was nothing I could do about having Lincoln in my home, but I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t allow him to play a role in my life other than that of tenant. There was no more space for heartbreak in my life.
An hour or so later, my friends arrived. Brunch passed by quickly, and, as they chatted with me, I couldn’t help but space out and think about Lincoln. Though I’d vowed to keep him off my mind and out of my heart, memories flooded back like a dam had been broken. There was nothing I could do to stop them, no matter how much I laughed with my girls. The fact that they had families with their high school sweethearts just made me think about Lincoln more. They all knew the story, so they didn’t dare ask me about him, and I wasn’t going to tell them that I was going to be living with him soon.
Before they left, we all made half promises to see one another soon. I knew they were well intended, but I was also aware that they had lives and families to tend to. Things changed when life got serious, and I wished I could have stayed in town and settled down instead of going off to college. I’d gotten a degree I wouldn’t even use, and I’d ended up alone with debt and heartache. I was two years away from thirty with no one to call mine, no children, and nothing going on in my life that I looked forward to.
Life could be so unfair sometimes.
Chapter Five
Lincoln
I was not known for being spontaneous. In fact, every move I made had been calculated. With that in mind, when I found out about Harper leasing out some of her land, I acted on a whim. Without even thinking, I contacted the number that was on the sign and offered double whatever the highest offer was. I figured it would be perfect for business, or so I convinced myself. If I could update Harper’s family farm and allow it to reach its full potential, there were endless possibilities when it came to me advertising it. I could use my company to even build other businesses to promote the Callahan Family Ranch. Once I got people to see the little town surrounding the ranch, I would be able to expand my real estate company out of major cities and into rural areas with potential to become the next vacation hot spots for people so rich the thought of visiting areas with shitty reception sounded enchanting. It was the perfect plan.
Something needed to be said about the nerves that hit me when I realized exactly what I was doing, though. I took quite a few cigarette breaks when the thought of living with Harper crossed my mind. My heart began to beat awkwardly, and my stomach turned. I hadn’t contacted Harper in years. I didn’t know what she looked like, who she was, or how she would treat me. I was certa
in she hadn’t forgotten me—there was no way she could forget her first love. I just hoped she hadn’t held a grudge for so long. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, so I knew the grounds would be rocky once I was settled into her place. I had to keep reminding myself that it was a great business opportunity for me. When I’d been younger, I’d always envied the Callahan family for their property and home. It was fate, I figured, that I had decided to finally cave into my mom’s requests as soon as Harper placed some of the property up for lease.
As I waited for everything to clear with the bank, I begrudgingly spent time with my family. While my parents had moved into a much better house than the one I’d grown up in, things were just as I remembered. My father wasted his time away off at the casino, and my mom smiled as if nothing was wrong in their marriage. The few siblings who had remained in town had families of their own, most of whom I hadn’t met before. It was odd seeing my flesh and blood yet knowing nothing about them. Time went by and everyone, aside from my parents, changed. The distance between my siblings and me was odd, especially because we had once been so close.
“That’s what happens when you let money change you,” my eldest brother, Andrew, said when I voiced how weird it was being home and seeing everyone.
“Money hasn’t changed me,” I had to remind him. “It’s just opened my eyes to how much better life is when you can actually afford to live it.”
The look in his eyes was enough to show me that he didn’t agree with me.
“Do you even hear yourself anymore? Do you understand how insulting that is to our mother?” Andrew spat at me with narrowed eyes.
“Stating a matter of truth isn’t insulting. Not having to worry about my next meal or whether or not I have hot water makes my life better. A high quantity of money gives a higher quality of life, and that’s a fact,” I said calmly.
“Ma busted her ass to make sure we ate, even if she didn’t. She worked three damn jobs to make sure your ungrateful ass had a home, food, and decent livin’.” His voice was getting sharper and harder, much like our father’s did when he was in a bad mood. Hearing it made me shift in my seat and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Andrew continued. “I don’t know what kinda shit you’re feedin’ your friends in that fuckin’ city you love so much, but you made yourself believe it. We didn’t have the best life, but goddamn, we didn’t have it bad.”