Milk Money by Cecelia Dowdy Read Free Book Online

had with Laura after Frank’s first day on the farm.
    He glanced at her before pulling away from the light. “Do you believe her?”
    She shrugged. “I don’t know. My stepmother is certainly not prone to lying. She does seem to overstep her boundaries sometimes, though. This should have been a decision we made together.” She looked out the window, frowning. “Since my daddy died, I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Nothing is the same. You know, when somebody you love is alive, you just take the days for granted, thinking you’ll see them the next day. Now that my daddy’s dead, my stepmother hasn’t been the same—I haven’t been the same. I can’t sleep, she can’t sleep, and the only solace I seem to find is working with the cows and reading my Bible.”
    “If God is so almighty, then why does He allow people to suffer so much?” The question startled her.
    “I don’t know, but my belief in Him and knowing my dad is in heaven gives me some comfort.”
    He changed the subject. “Is that all your mother said?”
    “Pretty much. I’ve spoken to her a few times since you’ve started the audit. Ever since she’s been in Florida with her daughter, she sounds better, happier. I almost feel like she doesn’t want to come home.”
    “Do you still think she’s only going to stay for a few weeks?”
    “It’s hard to say. The elementary school is closed for the summer, so I guess she’s not in a hurry to come home.”
    “I see. Is that all she said?”
    She watched him carefully. “Is there something wrong?”
    Tension knotted her muscles when she noticed he clutched the steering wheel. “It’s still early in the audit process. Your father’s budget looks good, but I can’t tell you about the financial solvency of your farm until I’ve completed the audit.” He sighed when he stopped at another light. “I just found out something interesting yesterday that I thought you should know. I figured your mom would’ve told you when she called, but she obviously didn’t.”
    “What are you talking about?”
    The car behind them honked, prompting them to drive since the light had changed. He quickly turned left onto Highway 137 before responding to her question. “I was looking through your father’s computer files, and I found a spreadsheet that he called Estimated Selling Cost. I also found some correspondence he had with a Realtor.”
    “A Realtor? What Realtor?”
    Frank shrugged. “There wasn’t a name or address, but it looked like he was drafting a letter or e-mail to a property salesman. The spreadsheet listed properties that were recently sold in the Baltimore County area that were similar to your farm.”
    “Why would my dad be in contact with a Realtor?”
    Frank shrugged. “It’s hard to say, but from looking at the files, it appears as if he was thinking about selling your property.”
    Her heart skipped a beat. “Are you sure?”
    He kept one hand on the steering wheel and touched her arm with the other. In spite of her shock, her skin tingled. He shook his head. “No, I’m not sure. I’m only speculating. I can show you what I found if you’d like.” Silence filled the car. “Are you okay?”
    She toyed with her ponytail. “I can’t believe my dad would even think about selling our farm.”
    “He might not have been trying to sell. I’m only speculating.”
    Emily breathed deeply, trying to digest this new information.
    “Where do I turn?” he asked when they entered a roundabout.
    She told him to make a right at the first road. He sighed, taking the first exit. The information about her father sat in her brain like a twisted knot, waiting to be untangled. She definitely needed to speak with her stepmother again.
    She watched the passing scenery. “I don’t understand why Laura didn’t tell me all this.”
    “Maybe she didn’t know.” He glanced at her with concern. “Are you okay?”
    “No, I’m upset about this news.”