Page 67 of Grit
“It’s been seven.”
“It’s been seven since you took the money,” Greg said. “But we signed the contract ten years ago in May, Melissa.”
Melissa’s stomach fell. “What?”
“He signed the papers long before he brought it up with you. You were about to have Abby. He didn’t want to put another thing on your plate. He signed the contract ten years ago. Just because he waited three years to take the money doesn’t mean the contract isn’t valid.”
Greg stepped back, and Melissa was still frozen.
“So you’re going to shut up about Allen Ranch. You and your mom. You’re going to shut up about it, or I’m going to call in that note, take your ranch when you can’t pay it, and develop the whole damn Jordan Valley into houses I can sell off bit by bit.” He walked to his Range Rover and turned. “But don’t worry. I’ll let Joan live with you and Abby in Paso.”
Melissa couldn’t move. Greg drove away, and she was still standing there, baking in the hot sun, ice running though her veins.
Abby opened the truck door and poked her head out. “Mom? What’s wrong?”
Chapter Fifteen
Cary didn’t knowwhat to think when Melissa knocked on his door at nine o’clock on a Monday night. He’d texted her earlier in the day, but she hadn’t mentioned getting together.
“Hey.” He opened the door and let her in. “What’s up?”
Something was definitely up. Her expression was frozen and blank. She walked wordlessly to the bed and sat down on the edge, her eyes staring at something he couldn’t see.
Cary dragged over a chair from the table by the window. “Melissa, seriously, what’s up? You’re freaking me out. Is Abby okay?”
She nodded.
“Your mom?”
“Mom’s fine.”
“What is going on?”
She covered her face with both hands, leaned forward, and breathed out a rough breath. “I fucked up, Cary. I fucked up so bad.”
His heart raced. “What the hell is going on?”
“I finally read the contract. He said we had ten years, and it didn’t even occur to me to doubt him. Now the money is spent and I have nothing. I have no wiggle room. All the savings I’d socked away went to rebuild the bunkhouse because I thought it would be a good investment, and now—”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying.” He shook her shoulder. “Start at the beginning. I can’t help if I don’t know what’s happening.”
She looked up and her eyes were red. “A little over seven years ago, Calvin and I borrowed one hundred thousand dollars from his parents to complete the planting for the orchards. It should have been more than enough. We should have had time. Ten years should have been enough, even though I didn’t start right away because of the accident. I thought I had eight years left on the note when I planted the trees.”
“Okay.” Cary nodded. “Why isn’t eight years enough? How much do you still owe?”
“Seventy-five thousand.”
That wasn’t great, but profit from her acreage could take care of that in a year. “You planted four years ago. You still have three years, and you’ll have a full harvest next season. You’re making it right now operating the ranch with what you have, so if you put all the harvest profit into paying off the loan, you should be fine.”
“That was the plan. But I don’t have three more years,” she said. “It’s already been ten years since it was signed, and the contract says the note is due ten years fromsigning. Not ten years from receiving the money.”
Cary felt like his stomach had dropped to the ground. “Missy, why on earth—?”
“Calvin signed it before Abby was born.” She shook her head. “He didn’t tell me at the time—he waited until she was about a year old. Then he waited to get the money from his dad, and by the time we actually had the funds, it had already been three years, but I had no idea.”
Cary leaned back in his chair. “And you didn’t think to read the contract after he died because…?”
“Why would I? I trusted what Calvin said. The money was there, and I was desperate to get started. We were already behind schedule. I’d waited over a year, and I knew I needed to start. To move on. Keep going.” She shook her head. “Now Greg can call in the note anytime, and if I don’t pay it, he and Bev can take the whole ranch.”
