Stefanie
As the truck rumbled down the country road, Stefanie pressed her fingers to her lips. Her giddiness was untamable. She had just kissed Drake.
Drake Benson.
She had always wanted to do that. Kissing him had been almost as important to her as buying Bella Acres.
So why not celebrate both at the same time? And he’d been there. Just standing there. And he had put in the nicest deck and ramp for her sister-in-law.
For his sister.
Drake was the kind of guy that took care of family. Just like Stefanie. She wanted a guy like that. One who was loyal. Who wouldn’t leave. The biggest thing Drake had done after all that time was come back when he was needed. And sometimes, that was more important than staying.
Heaven knew returning after feeling banished was definitely harder to do.
The ride into Colby passed faster than she expected as her thoughts focused on Drake and not on the excitement of the save.
She parked the truck haphazardly in a parallel spot, the tailgate this time hanging over the sidewalk. She rushed into the beautifully appointed bank.
Stefanie rushed through the double doors, anxious to hurry up and wait. She knew that’s what was going to happen. It was a busy week day, banks were busy. She understood that.
At the front desk, she tapped her finger on the table, waiting to be acknowledged by a different receptionist from the first time Stefanie had been there. After a moment, the woman lifted her gaze from the ledger in front of her and peeked at Stefanie over her wire-rimmed glasses. “Can I help you?”
“Yes, please, I’m here to see Mr. James. My name is Stefanie Rourke.” Her voice shook but she pretended not to notice.
The woman nodded with the phone still pressed to her ear. “Please, take a seat, I’ll let him know you’re here.”
Stefanie wended her way through the elegantly padded chairs. The woman behind her spoke into the intercom, announcing her name.
It was happening.
Any second she would be in there with Mr. James. Any second she would be in there declaring her intentions, and her means that she had acquired to accomplish what he had given her to do. She was so close.
Nate had promised to sign the bill, in case she needed one. But she didn’t think that would be necessary. Drake had mumbled something about money talking, and she knew that if she really needed something done, all she had to do was show the money.
Money that wasn’t hers.
That wasn’t the point. The point was she had the way and the means to purchase Bella Acres. And she was not going to give up. Her determination was going to win this for her.
She tried to press away her smugness with the wrinkles in her pants. She tucked her fingers under her legs, jiggling her feet and knees with her nerves.
“Stefanie Rourke, I wasn’t expecting you so soon. Don’t you still have a few more days?” Ronan James, with his well-fitted suit tapering at the waist, struck a fine figure a few feet from his office door. His smile was charming but curious. “Is everything okay? Would you like to come into my office?”
Stefanie bounced from the chair. “Yes, please.”
She followed him into his office, claiming the chair where she had been denied only a few days before. She waited for him to sit before she burst forth with her news. “Mr. James, I did it. You told me I needed a backer. I have someone who’s willing to invest in me. I would like to buy Bella Acres.”
“Will you be purchasing this through the bank or trying to acquire a loan? Are you borrowing from someone else? And just paying us?”
“Mr. Burns, Cyan’s father, has agreed to invest in my venture. He believes I will be able to maintain my... He’s going to let me borrow the money. I won’t need to go through the bank, except to purchase Bella Acres from you.” Her nerves jumbled the words as they tried to get from her head to her mouth.
She really just wanted him to read her mind so he would understand exactly what she was there to do. She didn’t need anything else from him, just a simple here’s the paperwork, let’s sign it. Let’s get this over with. Bella Acres is yours.
“Are you sure about this, Stefanie? Did you get gainful employment? Something more steady?” He eyed her across the expanse of his desk, concern stitching his eyebrows.
Stefanie lifted her chin. “I have enough employment.” It wasn’t any of his business if she had a job or not. She was borrowing the money from someone else.
Mr. Burns hadn’t asked about how she was going to pay back the loan or even if she had a job or what her credit history looked like. Which gave Stefanie pause.
He hadn’t asked anything about what she was going to do, hadn’t mentioned a payment schedule. She had no idea what she was doing. But she bit her lip, to keep from letting her worry and confusion spill out.
For the first time, the reality that she might be in over her head started to push through the haziness of her stubborn desires. “Can you just tell me what the next steps are? I would like to move forward with this as soon as possible.”
Maybe Mr. Burns had plans to take Bella Acres away from her. Maybe he had something else in mind. Maybe he was counting on her not being able to pay for it. Too many what-ifs ran through her mind, eating into the things Mr. James was saying to her.
She squinted her eyes and set her jaw, determined to stick to her plan, even with the doubts rearing up in front of her.
“... I’m afraid it’s going to be more involved than that. Because I own the bank, I do control who I sell the land to. And since Bella Acres is technically mine, I’m not sure I feel comfortable letting you just buy it without any real plans. Stefanie, I know you don’t have another job. I know everything that goes on in Clearwater County. Your circumstances haven’t changed to affect your ability to pay those bills. Nothing is going to help you with that. You’re going to sign with Mr. Burns just like you would with the bank. I’m afraid I just can’t sell Bella Acres to you.” He met her gaze with compassion, but business-like firmness.
Stefanie’s heart sank. Tears welled up in her eyes. She leaned forward, her fists clenched on top of her knees. “Please, Mr. James. Please, reconsider. I have so many ways to make money. I know they’re not quantifiable right now. I know that they’re not things that a banker would understand.”
She swallowed, certain she sounded like a kid begging for candy, but she didn’t stop. “I don’t have a steady paycheck. I understand the significance behind that. But Nate is so blinded by the medical costs that he thinks Emma needs, he’s not paying attention to what she wants. You don’t understand. I’m losing my sister. The whole family is losing Emma, and Nate just won’t... Nate won’t let her go. I have to save Bella Acres. He won’t do it. As soon as Emma has gone,” Stefanie’s voice caught and she lifted her fingers to her mouth.
The pause nearly broke her, but she started again. “I know that sounds callous to say. But as soon as Emma is gone, we won’t have medical bills to take care of anymore. Nate will be able to focus on the land and the rest of the family. We won’t be stranded with all of these what-ifs from him.”
She breathed a huge sigh. “We won’t be struggling like we are now. And maybe that’s why Emma is doing this. Maybe she sees it for what it is. I can appreciate that.” She blinked back more tears that threatened to course down her cheeks. She had no pride left to hold onto.
She had nothing.
Her sister-in-law was dying.
She was going to lose Bella Acres.
She was going to lose everything.
She had nothing.
Even if she did get Drake’s attention, she had nothing to offer him.
She was nothing but a homeless woman with no plans.
No nothing.
She bit her lip. So many doubts and insecurities tore through her. Suddenly, she realized she had to have something. She couldn’t go to Drake with nothing. And it finally hit her just how much she wanted him in her life.
“You don’t understand. I can’t lose Bella Acres. I’m willing to do anything. I have a backer. He’s not even cosigning.” Her tone hardened and she stilled herself away from tears. “He’s willing to pay. I just need you to agree to sell it to me. I’m willing to pay whatever I need to pay. Mr. Burns said to do whatever I need to do. He said you know each other and that this would be taken care of and wouldn’t be a problem.” She wouldn’t beg any more than she already had, at least not verbally, as she pled with him with her gaze.
The tension in the room drew taut enough Stefanie could’ve reached out and strummed it like a well-tuned guitar. She held her breath as Ronan deliberated.
Ronan’s reluctance was palpable. “I don’t know. Stefanie there’s a lot more going on than just you borrowing money. I don’t think you understand the magnitude of what you’re asking to do.” He watched her for a second meeting her gaze.
After another silent moment, he nodded his head. “I do understand, though, what it’s like to not have people give me a chance. To give my wife a chance. I’m not going to be sexist here, and I’m not going to assume that because you’re young you don’t know what you’re doing. So if you think you can do this, if you know that you can do this, I will sell you Bella Acres. I’ll back you on this. However, there are things you need to know beforehand.”
He watched Stefanie for a moment and then reached into his drawer and pulled out a thick file. “You will not just be taking over the land. There are loans and liens that need to be paid off as well. You also have back taxes that are due, as well as utilities that have not been paid. The rights and liens are going to mess with your taxes. There’s a lot going on here you don’t know a lot about. That’s okay and I’m willing to work with you. But I do need you to understand that your best interest is in getting an accountant or business manager to look over your items. I have a few on hand I can recommend.” He tapped the file, making the edges line up nicely.
He placed the file in front of him and leaned forward. “You understand I want you to succeed? I don’t want to see you fail.”
Thankfully, Drake was so near to Stefanie’s mind she immediately knew who she would seek business help with should she need any. She guaranteed she would, even if all she needed was to see him. “I know someone who is very good at what he does. I can ask him. I appreciate your offer.”
She tried to hide the overwhelming burning excitement coursing through her. She couldn’t help it. Her hopes had been high, and then he’d dashed them, and now her hopes had returned.
All of his warnings didn’t dampen her spirits.
He said yes.
That was the last thing standing in her way of losing Bella Acres.
Now she could keep her home. She could keep her home her parents had built.
Nothing that Ronan said at that point was going to run her off. Nothing anyone said was going to be able to ruin her excitement.
She was going to be able to keep her life.
~~~
The packet that Mr. James handed her to take home, after all the paperwork was signed, was large enough to actually be referred to as a bundle.
Stefanie was not naïve enough to think that more paperwork meant less work. She could see it for what it was, a lot more stress than she was ready for.
But that didn’t stop her from patting it on the seat next to her as she drove home.
Home. Not something she’d lose on the auction block to Riddick.
In fact, Mr. James had taken it off the auction list in front of her. He’d looked at her one last time before deleting it in the computer field and asked, “Are you absolutely sure about this now, Stefanie?” She had nodded yes. He’d continued, “Because once it’s off, it won’t be able to go back on until the next quarter auction.”
Stefanie hadn’t hesitated. “Yes, I’m sure.”
She would be certain to have her home for at least five more months.
No, that wasn’t the right attitude.
She was going to have her home forever.
The first person she wanted to see was Drake.
She didn’t want to tell Nate.
She didn’t want to see Emma.
She didn’t want to talk to anyone but Drake about it.
When she pulled up, Cyan sat on the porch. Her eyes focused on Stefanie as Stefanie disembarked the truck and walked up to the beautiful deck Drake had added to Stefanie’s house.
Stefanie clenched the packet. She didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t been able to tell anyone yet. Tell anyone that she’d saved Bella Acres.
Cyan knew. She’d been there. She’d made it all possible. Thanks to Cyan, Stefanie had been hooked up with a way to save Bella Acres. She owed her at least the good news. She blurted the news like a volcano, without holding back her excitement. “I got it. I got it. I got everything. Your dad was awesome. He helped me so much.” Like a miracle.
Cyan’s smile split her face. “I’m so happy for you, Stefanie. That will be so great for the family. I’m here to help, as you know. You’re my sister, too.” Her face fell and she glanced toward the front window. “Emma isn’t doing any better. I feel terrible for her. Kelsey and Rachiah are supposed to be here sometime in the next couple days. They both want to say goodbye to Emma.” She shook her head, her own eyes watering. “I can’t believe it’s going so fast.”
Stefanie cocked her head and squeezed her fingers. The papers crinkled in the silence. “What do you mean going so fast? I thought she just called hospice. After that, isn’t it at least a year?”
Cyan shook her head, focusing her gaze on Stefanie again. “No, the hospice nurse just gave her a couple weeks. Apparently she’s a lot further along than anyone knew. She’s inside talking to Nate right now.”
The somber news snapped Stefanie from her elation.
She’d only been able to keep the house long enough for them all to say goodbye to Emma. Would Nate even want to stay at Bella Acres after that?
She didn’t want to face anyone at dinner. It wasn’t something that she wanted to celebrate in the face of Emma’s impending news.
Stefanie couldn’t do anything. A small part of her had hoped she would be able to save Emma with the gift of a home. Stefanie had wanted to fix everything. Instead, she didn’t do anything.
She nodded tightly at Cyan, and made her way to the office.
Her sister was dying.
Her father had died.
Her mother had died.
Emma’s death would kill Nate. If not literally, maybe not his body, but his spirit would be gone.
Stefanie knew it. Emma would be gone, he would be destroyed.
Where would that leave the rest of them? Nate and Emma held the whole family together.
Stefanie rested her hand on the armrests of the chair. She wished her parents were alive. She needed someone strong and solid. Staring at the wall with its faded squares where posters and pictures had long ago been sold.
She stared.
Drake. He was her solid and strong person.
She won. She got to keep Bella Acres. Why wasn’t she celebrating?
Because she had lost, too.
She had won Bella Acres and would have to give it all up.
All that money Mr. James had mentioned came crashing down around her.
All those bills. Reality stonewalled her while she wallowed in weakness.
Nate would not be able to lead them with Emma gone. There was no way. They might be able to rely on Jareth, but the resume they used for jobs called for Nate.
Nate was their leader, he was the one that everyone knew led the Montana Trails.
Stefanie would have to give everything up again.
She was going to be in debt to Mr. Burns for five months, and then she would have to declare bankruptcy and tur it over to him. Just in time for the auction.
Everything she wanted. She had nothing left. In two weeks, her sister would be gone and she’d have even less.
She didn’t even have the will to ask anyone for help.
Despondency took the last of the energy that she had and she couldn’t even allow tears to streak her cheeks.