Page 119 of Love in Riverbend
“I bet Bridget would say church.”
With a scoff I nod. “You’re right, Mom would. And my dad would say there’s work to be done.”
Jack gets in the driver’s seat and turns on the engine as we wait for Ricky to come out of the convenience store. “Rick told me you might be interested in our property?”
My stomach clenches. This is the first time Jack has talked directly to me about this subject. This conversation was a big part of why I accepted Ricky’s request to help move his kid sister. Three hours each direction gives us ample opportunity to talk.
Clearing my throat, I say, “I hate to see it go to developers. I’d rather you keep it.”
Jack’s eyes meet me in the rearview mirror. “I’m getting too old for this work, just like your dad.”
“You’re younger than my dad. I get it. Dax” —my brother-in-law— “had an idea. Instead of selling, you could rent the land to us. I’ll farm it. The ethanol is taking some of the guesswork out of the markets.”
“Realtor said we should sell while the prices are good.”
“Jack,” I implore. Ricky and I have known one another our entire lives. We both call each other’s parents by their first names. “It’s fucking land. Barring a cataclysmic disaster, it’s not going to depreciate. That developer wants to pay you pennies compared to what he’ll sell it for when he chops it into little pieces.”
We both turn to see Ricky walking across the parking lot with a box in one hand and a large cup of coffee in the other.
“We haven’t signed anything.” Ricky’s dad nods. “Won’t sign until we hear you out.”
“What about Devan coming home? You don’t plan to sell with her moving back in, do you?”
The side door opens as I finish my question.
“Do you what?” Ricky asks.
Jack smiles at Ricky. “Justin wants to know if Mom and I will kick you and Devan to the curb.”
Ricky opens the box, filling the truck with the overwhelming scent of sugar. I swear I get a cavity simply by inhaling.
My friend shrugs. “I’ve been looking at a few apartments in town.” He lifts a glazed cake donut, the one he knows I can’t resist and hands it to me. “Here you go. I figure Devan can live with me if we have to.”
“We’re not selling the house out from under you,” Jack says as he puts the truck in gear. “All this shit takes time. Devan moving home was unexpected but not a bad thing. It’s making us take a closer look at our options.”
With a mouth full of warm, sticky donut, I say, “I wonder why the developer hasn’t come to talk to us.”
“Said he did,” Jack replied. “Your dad told him flat out he’s not interested.” His eyes meet mine again in the mirror. “As long as that land is your dream and Kandace and Dax are giving him grandbabies, Jack’s not interested.”
“So, I need to give you a grandkid?” Ricky says with a smile. “Give me nine months.”
“Oh no,” Jack replies with a laugh. His demeanor dims. “Rick, if it’s your dream, speak up.”
I look at my best friend, expecting him to say something. When he takes another bite of his jelly-filled donut, I shake my head. “What the fuck?”
Ricky turns to me. “I’ve been thinking back to when I was at Vincennes. I’m the one who keeps the books on the farm, and I’m considering going back to school, getting my bachelor’s. Maybe I can have a real job, something with numbers. Maybe accounting. I can play farmer on the weekends and during harvest.”
“Are you shitting me? How long have you felt this way?”
“It’s been growing over the last few years.”
“Why now?” I ask.
“Devan,” Ricky says. “I’m proud of her.”
She’s a kid, I want to say.
“I’m not saying I want out of Riverbend,” Ricky goes on. “I’m saying I might want to know there’s money coming in without worrying about the weather.”
