Heartland (True North #7) - Sarina Bowen Page 0,95
late summer,” Leah says. “I know that sounds soon. But I think this could be really good for all of us. Chass, the university is right in Laramie. You could take classes at whatever pace feels right to you. And you could help make a difference at the same time.”
The toast turns to sawdust in my mouth. I have to take a sip of coffee just to choke it down.
And Leah is watching me with worry in her eyes. “I can see that you’re shocked.”
Shocked doesn’t even cover it. “I didn’t think you’d move. What about your farm? You worked so hard for this place.”
She bobs her head in a nod, as if that’s just an afterthought. “But we can sell it. The house isn’t worth much, but farmland is. Especially since the place is certified organic now.”
I take another sip of my coffee and try not to feel sick. “I don’t know, Leah. It sounds great, but…”
No, it doesn’t sound great at all. I mean, saving people from a life of ignorance and sexual slavery is just about the highest calling there is. But I don’t want to go anywhere near Wyoming. Not this summer. Not ever.
“I’m sure it’s a shock,” she says, reaching across the counter to cover my hand. “But it will be a little while until we really know the timing. There are two neighbors who could buy the place.”
“Neighbors,” I say stupidly.
“Of course. That’s who cares most about what happens on this hilltop. Connors would need the farm in the springtime. Isaac won’t plant anything if we’re selling to him. Connors would graze beef cattle on the property.”
My gaze goes involuntarily toward the window, where I try to picture strange cows in the meadow outside.
“But Griffin Shipley might be interested,” Leah continues. “He cares less about the growing season, because he’s too strapped for help to plant more acreage next year. He and Dylan need to have a come-to-Jesus conversation about Dylan’s plans.”
At the mention of Dylan’s name, all the hair stands up on my arms. “Does Griff want to buy this place?”
“Theoretically,” Leah says. “But only if he can figure out how to incorporate our acreage into his. He wouldn’t be in a hurry. We could stay the summer if Griffin is our buyer.”
“I want to stay the summer,” I say quickly.
“It could happen,” Leah says gently. “Let’s just see. There’s no need to panic. You’ll have time to get used to this idea. I’m sure you’ll realize what a gift we’ve been given.”
A gift. I didn’t ask for this gift. I just want to stay in Vermont and be near Dylan and figure out if I can make a go of my business degree.
Leah pats her belly, where a baby bulge is just beginning to show. She’s just crazy enough to try to open a nonprofit women’s shelter and have a new baby and move across country at the same time.
She needs me. It’s selfish not to go and help others the way that Leah helped me.
So why do I want to lie down on the floor and weep?
It’s a difficult day for me after that. Maeve is as hyper as I’ve ever seen her. She knows she’s one day away from Santa Claus, and nothing can calm her down. Not even when I lend her my phone to draw on.
Dylan has texted me, too. Do you miss me yet?
He really has no idea. I feel queasy every time I think about moving away from here.
I don’t return his text, because I don’t even know what to say.
Meanwhile, I have to wrap the gifts I got for the Abrahams. I take Maeve upstairs with me, and I let her use too much tape on the wrapping for the hat I made for Isaac and the scarf I knit for Leah.
There’s a stuffed moose on the top shelf of my closet, too. But it’s hard to feel Christmas joy when my heart is breaking.
This is only my third Christmas ever. We didn’t have Christmas at the Paradise Ranch. I didn’t understand what a big deal it was until I worked at Walgreens and watched the entire store transform into green and red and gold a few days after the unsold Halloween stuff was carted away.
I don’t want to go back there. What if I’m minding my own business in Laramie one day, and one of the Levi brothers drives down there for something? It could happen. What if they find me and decide to