Kentucky Sunrise by Fern Michaels Read Free Book Online

And another thing, Emmie took over my bedroom knowing I would be coming back and forth. I saw her robe on my bed and it was unmade when I went up to the second floor to use the bathroom. Why isn’t her own room good enough for her? I’m angry, Hatch. I think I have a right to be angry, too.”
    â€œNealy, you need to calm down and decide how important this is to you.”
    â€œYou know what, Hatch? It is important to me. Did you see all that junk piled up out back? We have trash containers. How hard is it to toss something out instead of dumping it on a pile? There’s a soaking-wet crib mattress just lying there with all kinds of rusty junk. That doesn’t look good. It all looks shabby and unkempt, and I will not tolerate it. If I have to boot her ass out again, I will. I mean it.”
    Hatch cringed at his wife’s tone. He swerved off the road and pulled into the nursery parking lot and parked alongside a bright red pickup that was being loaded with peat moss.
    Hatch turned off the engine and pocketed the key. “Is this your way of telling me you want to stay here?”
    â€œNo, Hatch. Not at all. If Emmie can’t do the job, then I have to find someone to take over the farm. If you remember, I had misgivings from the beginning. On the surface, it sounded wonderful and right. Daughter taking over when mother retires, that kind of thing. I don’t know, maybe she doesn’t see things and needs glasses. I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Let’s pick out the plants so I can calm down. My first day home, and it’s all been ruined.”
    Hatch picked up on the word: home.
    Â 
    Â 
    â€œHow about some coffee, Mitch?”
    â€œCoffee sounds good. I was just getting ready to head back to town. Would you like to take in a movie tonight?”
    â€œSure. Let’s go out on the porch and drink our coffee. Great day, isn’t it?” Any excuse in the world to sit down. She was one giant ache. She’d just swallowed three aspirin, and they didn’t do a thing for her. She felt like crying. She hoped she could keep up her end of the conversation without gritting her teeth.
    â€œPerfect for filming. I hope it’s this nice when your family gets here, and I sure as hell hope the sun is shining for the Derby. Wow, what happened here?” Mitch asked, pointing to the litter of yellow leaves and broken stems that were all over the porch. “I don’t think I’ll sit down. Doesn’t your housekeeper believe in cleaning the porch?” Mitch asked as he looked down at his khaki pants.
    The porch was her mother’s favorite place on the farm. Emmie looked at it now through Mitch’s eyes and then her own. She groaned. “I hardly ever come out here anymore. I just assumed that Gertie took care of it. I see now that it doesn’t pay to assume.” She looked over the railing at the flower beds and winced. No wonder her mother looked like she’d swallowed a sour lemon. The flower borders, the little gardens, and the trellises with the climbing morning glories were her pride and joy. “Damn, I can’t do anything right,” she muttered.
    â€œListen, Mitch, I’m sorry, but I think I’ll pass on the movie. I need to weed these gardens before my mother gets back. She’s about to pitch a fit. I could see it in her face. She likes things done a certain way, and I think I just screwed up.”
    â€œDon’t you have a gardener or some kid to mow and weed?”
    â€œWe did, but he stopped showing up a while ago, and I never replaced him. Time got away from me, I guess. I’m not going to see this in your movie, am I?”
    â€œNo. How about dinner tomorrow night?”
    â€œOkay. Seven?”
    â€œSeven it is. I’ll pick you up.”
    â€œNo, it’s out of your way to drive all the way back here. I’ll meet you in town. Where do you want to go?”
    â€œHow about the rib