Page 166 of Wrecked
“I’m not wearing it at the farm,” she explained, “but I’ve got it for the restaurant.”
“Let’s get you inside.” They walked into his living room. After he closed and locked the French doors, she whistled.
“You look hot, hot, hot,” she said.
He’d worn a charcoal suit, crisp, white shirt, and patterned tie.
“I wore a suit for you,” he said.
She laughed. “You wore a suit because you can’t get into Carole Jean’s without a jacket.”
As she climbed into the back seat of his SUV, he said, “I miss having my co-pilot beside me.”
He got behind the wheel and she squeezed his shoulder. “As soon as we take Haqazzii out, I’ll be right there next to you. So, what’s this meeting at the farmhouse about?”
“No idea.”
They arrived to find a slew of cars parked out front. The kitchen was packed with family. Kerri and Lamer were back from their honeymoon and chatting with his parents. Prescott was there. As he made his way over, he spotted Tommy, his siblings, and their mom and dad. Grandmom and Granddad were talking to Hawk’s uncle and his family.
Granddad held up his arm. “Let’s move into the living room,” he hollered over the chatter.
Once everyone had migrated to the next room, he and Grandmom stood at the front.
For as tall as Grandad was, Grandmom was tiny. Seeing them together reminded Hawk of him and Addison. When Addison wasn’t wearing stilettos, he towered nine inches over her.
“Thanks for coming out on such short notice,” Grandmom said. “Granddad and I are moving tomorrow, so we wanted to get everyone together one last time before we left.”
A hushed silence fell over the group.
“Oh, wow,” Kerri said. “That’s kinda sad.”
“Congratulations,” Tommy called out. “I think it’s great.”
Granddad clasped Grandmom’s hand. “Grandmom and I are moving to an independent living facility not too far from here, but closer to all of you. We’re sad to be leaving, but after my fall, it’s the smart thing to do.”
“Granddad has climbed a ladder for the last time and I’m so happy about that.” She smiled at the family. “Over the past few months, we talked to each of you about the farm. Everyone encouraged us to sell.”
“No one wanted it,” Granddad added. “No one, except Nicky. He told us he loved this place. That it was filled with memories of summers when he lived here with us. He learned to drive a tractor, milk cows, and work the land. He told us, and I quote, ‘I’d keep the farm in our family before I’d sell it. It’s a part of our legacy’.”
“So,” Grandmom said, “we’re putting the farm in Nicky’s control for as long as he wants it. When he’s ready—”
“He can sell it,” Granddad explained. “When he does, all of you will split the money equally.”
“I love that!” Tommy’s sister called out.
“That works for me,” Kerri echoed.
“What the hell!” Tommy blurted. “That doesn’t sound fair at all.”
“We talked to you, Tommy,” Granddad said. “You don’t like the farm and you told us you didn’t want it.”
“Well, I didn’t think you’d give it to Nicky.”
“If Nicky doesn’t want it, he can put it on the market tomorrow,” Grandmom said. “We made our decision based on what all of you told us.”
“Nicky, what do you think of our idea?” Grandmom asked.
Hawk swept his gaze around the room while his entire family waited for his response. He, too, assumed his grandparents would sell their farm.
