Page 116 of Grit
“What?” Cary set his cards down. “Was he supposed to come today?”
“Nope.”
“Hey.” He waited for her eyes to meet his. “So you did?”
Abby’s mouth was set in a firm line. “Yeah.”
“Okay then. I’m with you, kid.” Cary looked at the corral. Melissa was already walking toward the house, leaving Emmie in Stu’s capable hands. Ox and Cary stood up as Abby walked down the steps toward her mother.
Ox muttered, “You know why they’re here?”
“I have an idea.”
They weren’t driving the Range Rover, they were driving their heavy truck, and a fancy silver horse trailer stretched behind it.
“That better be what I’m hoping it is,” Ox said.
Cary said nothing. He walked down the steps to Melissa and Abby as Joan came out on the porch.
“Ox? Is that Greg and Bev? Did Melissa invite them for dinner?”
Cary walked down the gravel path and stood behind Melissa, who had her arm around Abby’s shoulders.
“Uh, Mom. I should probably tell you something.”
“What?” Melissa looked at Abby, clearly confused. “Did you know they were coming today?”
“No, but…” Abby looked at Cary in desperation.
Cary said, “A few weeks ago, Abby found the letter from the attorneys in Santa Maria. She figured out what was going on.”
Melissa’s eyes went wide. “What?”
“I’m sorry, Mom.” Abby’s eyes were anguished. “I know I shouldn’t have looked in your desk.”
“She knew it was wrong and she asked me what she should do,” Cary said.
“You mean you knew?” Melissa’s face went pale. “The whole time, you knew?”
The note wouldn’t be an issue for much longer, and Cary hadn’t even needed to help. Melissa and Joan finally sat down with their banker, who explained that as much as their ranch was worth, taking out a small loan to clear the debt to the Rhodeses would be fast and easy. They could pay it back as soon as the mandarin crop came in or take more time and breathe a little easier.
As much as Melissa hated putting any kind of debt on the ranch, she knew it was better than owing money to her in-laws. As soon as the loan processed, she’d send them a check and that would be that.
Abby had tears in her eyes. “I was really angry, and I didn’t know what I should do about it. I was mad about Sunny. I was mad that they were trying to build all those houses next door, and then I found the letter…” Her face was tormented. “I had to do something.”
Melissa took her daughter by the shoulders. “What did you do?”
“She wrote a letter to them.” Cary rubbed Abby’s back. “That’s all. I helped her write a letter to them, and we talked through what she wanted to say. She told them how they’d been making her feel. We sealed it up and I left it with Abby. Told her it was up to her if she mailed it or not.” He raised an eyebrow. “I guess you sent it.”
“If you write something and don’t send it, what’s the point?”
He muttered, “That’s definitely the Oxford way of looking at it.”
All three of them waited for the truck and trailer to stop. Greg shut off the truck, and he and Beverly got out. A young man jumped out of the seat behind them.
“Hey, Greg,” Melissa said. “Hey, Bev. This is a surprise.”
Beverly was looking at Abby. “We came to a decision this morning, and we didn’t want to wait.”
