Love Finds You in Frost Minnesota by Judy Baer Read Free Book Online

calmed down, but the look on his face bordered on bleak.
    Quietly, she filled a bowl for herself and cut two huge slices of fresh chocolate cake and put them on the table. She sat down, bowed her head for a silent prayer, and began to eat.
    “I’m sorry about how I came in,” Jack said contritely. His remarkable eyes looked genuinely repentant.
    Merry hadn’t noticed before how long and dark his eyelashes were. Nor had she noticed that his profile was nearly flawless.
    “It’s just that I’ve never had such an exasperating day in my life. I had no right to storm in here like that. I forgot you might have customers.”
    Since you’d never buy any of the things I sell, you assume no one will? she thought but left unspoken.
    “Frankly,” he said, half to himself, “I don’t know how my ancestors succeeded at anything with their lack of organization. My great-grandfather allowed buddies of his to farm his land when he was alive. It was all in a letter he wrote to someone at the courthouse. Although he never sold the land and no money ever changed hands, that left the next generations to assume the property belonged to them. Since none of the land has ever changed hands and the taxes have been paid annually out of an interest-bearing account set up years ago, now I’m in the uncomfortable position of telling families that they don’t own the land they live on and never have.
    “No one ever questioned why the taxes were paid directly from that account. I think every party assumed it was their great-grandfather who’d set it up.”
    “And if it’s not broken, don’t fix it?”
    “Right. But the result is that I have no idea how much property was ‘loaned’ to people and forgotten about.”
    “Oh dear,” Merry blurted. “How awful for you! You mean you’ll have to kick people out of their homes?”
    Jack looked at her miserably.
    “Can’t you just let them stay?” Even as she said it she knew it was a ridiculous idea. Jack’s family owned the property. He had every right to his own inheritance.
    “I’m afraid I’ll be the most despised man in Frost before I’m done, but it can’t be any other way. These people have to buy me out, move, or start farming for me and paying rent. I can’t just turn the land over to them . . . there are my cousins to consider.”
    They sat silently, both looking down at the table and the cooling stew. Merry wasn’t hungry anymore. This was an awful situation for Jack and for the yet unknowing people who had assumed for years his land was theirs.
    “So this might take awhile to untangle?” she finally ventured. “And you’ll need a place to stay?”
    He looked at her and gave a humorless smile—the only kind he seemed to have. “Two or three weeks, I’m afraid.”
    “Won’t you have to go back to your company?”
    “I’ve got good people, and I check in every day. Unless something unforeseen happens, it will be business as usual there. I just never expected anything like this or planned on spending so long in Frost. Especially now.”
    He didn’t elaborate further, but Merry had a good idea what he’d meant—especially now during the holiday season, with this little place on Christmas steroids. It was going to be a very long few weeks.
    She poured the coffee and suggested, “Maybe a distraction would be good. I own lots of Christmas movies. Want to watch one?”
    “What are my choices?” His eyes narrowed suspiciously.
    She ticked them off on her fingers. “ The Christmas Carol , Polar Express , Home Alone , Miracle on 34 th Street . . .” She saw his expression and added, “. . . movies that you would probably find annoying.”
    “I’m sorry I don’t hold your view of Christmas superficiality. There are reasons, Merry, but I don’t want to go into that.” His features showed unspoken pain. “Let’s just say it’s simply too frivolous for my taste.”
    Merry felt a rush of frustration churn through her. “Jack, I would never do anything that