Prologue
“Youneedtocomehome, Agotia. He does not have much longer.”
That was all it took to pack up my little New York apartment and fly back home. A month was all I had left with my father. Before my move to New York, we spent every day walking through the trails of the Norwegian mountains, sharing our favorite memories. I cherished every second of it. It had only been my father and me for as long as I could remember. I had dreaded thinking about how I would manage without him.
That was two months ago; I knew now how I would manage without him - poorly. He had never mentioned how deplorably things were going in all our conversations. He insisted on running the farm until the last minute, keeping me in the dark. Maybe he thought he was protecting me or didn't want to admit how bad things had gotten. It didn't matter now.
Settling into the one pity party I allowed myself a day, I clutched my coffee and sighed. At twenty-six years old, I was an orphan with no family to speak of, save for goats, my dear goats, and the mountain of debt. The thought of losing my home brought tears to my eyes. Until I moved to New York for college, this was the only home I had ever known.
It was not much to boast about, but the white two-story farmhouse with bright red trim and a dark roof in desperate need of repairs was my favorite place in the world. The colorful yellow flowers Dad and I had planted the summer before I left for college still grew under the windows. The front porch could use a fresh coat of paint, and the swing hanging on the side needed a bit of work, but this dilapidation spoke of use rather than abandonment. Our seventy-five acres were just enough for the goats to roam around while leaving room for the bright red barn.
I had not realized how much I had missed home until I stepped off the plane. Even with all the bills and the massive amount of work the farm needed, I couldn't imagine giving it up.
“Agotia? Are you in here?” a warm voice called from the front of the house.
I set my cup of coffee down, not recognizing the voice. Unsure who would take it upon themselves to walk into my house, I picked up a knife from the kitchen and inched towards the front door.
“Woah! What are you planning to do with that thing?”
“Lucas?” I asked, not believing my eyes.
“Hi, Agotia. It has been a while. I'm sorry I didn't stop by sooner. My aunt just got to town, and you remember how monopolizing she can be. Anyways, I heard about your father. I wanted to see how you were doing. I knocked. A lot. But no one answered."
Without stopping to think about what I was doing, I rushed towards him, throwing my arms around his neck and squeezing tightly. It had been years since I had seen or even talked to my childhood best friend. And yet, here he was, wanting to check on me.
Lucas didn't move for a second, obviously not anticipating my reaction, but eventually, his arms wrapped around me, and he held me just as tightly. We stood like that for I don't know how long. I didn't even realize I was crying until his thumb brushed my cheek.
“You know, you look kind of crazy. I don’t think I have ever seen a woman rush at me with a knife, hug me, and then cry before.”
I laughed then. It was the first time I had laughed so hard in a long time, and it felt like the grip grief had on me loosened just a bit, making breathing easier.
“It is so good to see a friend, Lucas. Thank you for being here,” I told him honestly.
“Tell me what I can do to help, Agotia. You know I’ll do anything for you.”
His admission caught me off guard as it had been years since we were close. But I could use all the help I could get, and he had always been such a good friend.
"I don't know yet," I confessed, "but I know I will do anything to save my father's farm.
Chapter one
Alexander
“Whereareyougoing?”
My sister’s words were all but shouted at me through the phone. I pulled my head away from the speaker, irritated that my escape had lasted less than an hour.
“I am headed to the airport, if you must know,” I said, not bothering to remove the bite from my tone. “What do you want?”
"Where are you going?" she asked again, ignoring my question.
I sighed, raking a hand through my hair.
“Nori, what do you want? I don’t have time for this right now.”
"I have news to tell you. I have been trying to find you all day, so I can tell you in person. Your assistant refused to tell me anything."
“Yes, well, I was hoping that if no one could find me, I would be left alone,” I quipped.
