Page 16 of The Second Dance
Carl and Andy are already knee deep in a legal debate before I can even cross the ground.
Apparently, Carl’s employing a shock and awe strategy.
He looms over her, his size making him look like a bona fide bully. I catch the second part of his sentence. “Well, honey, you have to know you can’t force the Thomas family to turn their land into a wildlife preserve.”
He chuckles, giving her a patronizing smile.
Andy tips her chin up. “They can do whatever they want withtheirland. This field? It belongs to Heather Thomas. And shecandecide how it’s used and who gets to use it.”
Carl frowns. “You’re new around here, my dear. You wouldn’t know that this particular piece of ground has been in the Thomas family for over a century.”
“Actually, I’m not new around here.” Her voice is shaky, but her spine is straight. “We Reeds have lived in Thorne County for generations. And I know for a fact that this particular piece of land belonged to Marvin Warton up until the nineties. That’s why you call it the Warton Eighty, isn’t it?”
Her gaze lands on me. Why does she look like she’s on the verge of tears? It feels like someone scooped my chest out. “She’s right.”
Andy takes a deep breath. “Ms. Thomas is allowing her ex to farm her ground as a courtesy to her family, but make no mistake, it’s her property. She knows that. And I think you know it, too.”
Carl huffs, shaking his head like she’s being completely unreasonable. He walks over to me. Grabbing my arm, he pulls me towards his truck. “Tell Chad he’s going to have to think of a different plan of attack.”
“What?”
Chad shrugs. “It was worth a try.” He smiles, reluctantly impressed. “I didn’t think that little mother of yours had it in her, but looks like she means to give your daddy a run for his money.”
I watch him open his truck door. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Carl climbs in. “Can I be honest with you, son?”
“Please.”
“Chad ain’t got a leg to stand on. Our only hope was for Heather to cave. Doesn’t look like that’s going to happen.”
“What?”
“The second your dad signed that divorce agreement, he sealed his fate. There ain’t a judge in the county that would side with him on this one. Not after everything that’s happened. I thought maybe if them bird people didn’t know the full scope of their situation, we could talk them into seeing things our way. I don’t think that’s going to happen.” He slaps my shoulder. “Maybe you can work on the bird lady. Good luck, bud.”
He shuts the door and peels out. Leaving me standing like an idiot in the middle of the lane.
I turn to look at Andy just as she’s swiping at her cheeks with her sleeve.
Shewastearing up.
Fuck me.
“Really, Bo? Dragging lawyers into this? I could have saved you some time, if you had bothered to talk to me first.”
I rub the back of my neck, feeling like a complete asshole. How do I explain that it wasn’t my idea without looking like I’m trying to foist the blame on someone else?
She shakes her head. “You always were a bully.”
Before I can respond to that, she climbs into her car.
I’m left standing alone in the middle of the lane, wondering what in the hell just happened.
10.
Andy
Heather throws her head back and laughs.
