She nodded. “I guess so.”
“Then this is my question, and I want you to think about it long and hard before you answer. Are you sure you want to stay on Apple Valley Farm for the rest of your life?”
Annie’s mouth dropped open, but no words came out.
“One more thing, Annie.” He cupped her chin in his hand and looked into her eyes. “God has a plan for your life. He allows us to make our own decisions—He’s given us a free will—but His way is always the best.” He slipped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a firm hug. “I’d like to pray with you about this. Okay?”
She nodded then bowed her head.
“Lord, it’s me again. Annie has a real problem and needs Your guidance in this matter. You know the details, and You know what’s best for her. Help her make the right decision.”
He drew her close to him, and for the first time in a long while, she felt secure. She was no longer alone. Brad was there.
“And, God,” he continued, “most of all, draw Annie close to You. Reveal Yourself to her and help her want to draw near to You. I praise Your name. Amen.”
Annie rested her head on Brad’s shoulder. He asked so little of her yet was willing to give so much. Who was this man who had come so suddenly into her life? And why was he willing to drop everything and run to her aid when she called him? She knew she should pull away. Their prayer was over, but something about his nearness comforted her. She didn’t want the moment to end.
It was Brad who moved away. “I’m going to get us some coffee while you consider my question. Take your time. Your answer is very important.” He rolled to the drink station and filled two cups, placed them on a tray on his lap, and rolled back. Then he pulled his chair up beside her.
Annie added cream to her coffee and stared into the swirling mix. She had never thought about it that way. She realized that any decision she made now would influence the rest of her life. Was keeping Apple Valley Farm in the Johnson family that important? Important enough to dedicate her life to it? To give up the career for which she’d spent four hard years preparing?
She watched Brad out of the corner of her eye. Strong, handsome, confident Brad. Life had dealt him a terrible blow; yet he’d succeeded in spite of it. Would she be strong enough to stand by the decision she must make with such grace and style as he had?
He remained silent, occasionally jotting a few notes on his legal pad, other times looking away as if in deep thought.
Annie placed her elbows on the table and cradled her chin in her hands, her eyes closed. Was it pure stubbornness that made her want to hold onto the farm? Was it her hard feelings toward her stepsister, who hadn’t raised one finger to help her since their father had become ill? What were her motives?
She turned toward him, her eyes misty with confusion. “What would you do, Brad? If you were me?”
He took her hand. “I’m not you, Annie. This has to be your decision. You’re the one who will have to live with it.”
“But committing to something for the rest of my life at my age? I’ve barely begun to live. There’s so much out there I haven’t experienced.”
He pushed a lock of hair from her forehead and smiled into her eyes. “Many people make a lifetime commitment when they’re much younger than you. Marriage is a lifetime commitment, too.”
Marriage? Annie pondered his words. What an unusual parallel. He was right, though. But how many of those marriages ended up in divorce? Over fifty percent? And couldn’t she sell the farm later?
“Annie, I’m not saying your commitment has to be forever. Of course, you could decide to sell the farm later on. What I’m saying is, no lender will even talk to you about financing unless you are committed to a long-range plan. Your age will go against you. You’ve run the farm in the absence of your father, but other than the few months you’ve been on your own, you don’t have a track record with the business.”
She drew back at his words, tears clinging to her dark lashes. “Are you saying I don’t have a chance to keep this place?”
“No, Annie, I’m not saying that at all. But you have to be prepared for the battle ahead of you. Not only the one with your sister, but the one you’ll have finding someone to finance your sister’s half. If you intend to keep this place, you must be committed.”
Why does life have to be so complicated? she wondered.
“Think what you could do with the money your half of the sale would bring. You could write your own ticket. Establish your own marketing firm. Wherever you choose. Be your own boss.”
She looked at him. “Now are you saying we should sell this place?”
“No, not at all. I want you to consider all the ramifications before you make a decision.”
An awkward silence filled the room. The only sound she heard was an occasional bang or thud coming from the kitchen.
“I want to keep Apple Valley Farm,” she said finally. “It’s my heritage. I’ve already used my marketing skills here, and they’re paying off.” She leaned back in the chair and smiled at Brad. “I’m sure of it. I could never let this farm out of the family without at least making a stab at keeping it for my children. If I’m ever lucky enough to have children.”
“Oh, I’m sure you’ll have children one day,” he assured her.
Annie smiled. “I’ll have to find a man who’ll have me first.”
“You’ll find him all right. In fact, he may be closer than you think.”
She scarcely heard Brad’s words as she started to think of ideas for building up Apple Valley Farm’s business.
“I’ll be there for you, Annie—if you want me to represent you as your attorney. You know that, don’t you?”
She suddenly realized how difficult it must have been for him to get away from his office on such short notice. “Can you? I mean, don’t you have other clients you should be taking care of? I don’t want to cause—”
“You let me worry about that, okay? Right now you have my full, undivided attention.”
A faint smile crossed her lips. “Thanks for praying with me. It helped.”
“My pleasure. But, Annie, you need to be on praying ground with God to expect answers to your prayers. Are you?”
His question stopped her. “When you put it that way, I’m—not sure,” she answered hesitantly. She felt uncomfortable with the direction their conversation was taking. “Do we need to discuss religion now? When we should be concentrating on—”
“Annie, dear Annie. Nothing is more important than having a right relationship with God. I brought this up now because you are probably facing one of the most difficult battles you’ll ever encounter in your life.”
He put the cap back on his pen, slipped it into his shirt pocket and smiled. “Keeping Apple Valley Farm is going to take a miracle from God.”
“There you are!”
The two at the little table turned quickly at the sound of Valerie’s voice.
Chapter 6
A nnie feigned a smile and hurried to greet them, but her heart wasn’t in it. Her sister’s threatening words kept ringing in her ears: “I want my money, and I want it now. I don’t care if you have Apple Valley Farm or Joe Blow has it. It means nothing to me.”
“I hope you’ve decided to sell, Annie,” Valerie said curtly as she gestured toward the short man behind her carrying a large briefcase. “It would simplify matters.”
Annie ignored her remark and gestured toward Brad who had rolled his chair up beside her. “Valerie, this is my friend Brad, and he—”
“You’re going to need more than a friend, Annie,” Valerie said sharply. She looked at the handsome man then the chair. “You’re going to need a good lawyer.”
“Looks to me like she’s already got one. The best one in the state, I’d say.” The man behind her crossed the room to Brad and extended his hand. “Nice to see you again, Brad.”
“Yes, as I was about to say when you interrupted me, Valerie—Brad is not only my friend but my attorney. He�
�ll be representing me in this matter.”
Valerie cleared her throat nervously then nodded toward the man. “I see. Well, Ben Calhoun will be representing me.”
Annie motioned to one of the servers to bring a coffeepot while they sat down around one of the restaurant’s larger tables. Once everyone’s cup had been filled, Brad began.
“As I understand it,” he said, enunciating each word as he looked directly into Valerie’s eyes, “you’ve given my client two alternatives. Sell the entire estate known as Apple Valley Farm and the two of you divide the proceeds evenly. Or you expect Annie to buy out your half. Is that correct?”
Valerie nodded.
Annie smiled to herself. Her sister seemed intimidated by Brad’s authoritative manner. And to think two hours ago she didn’t even have an attorney.
Brad placed the yellow pad on the table and studied it for a few moments. “I also understand you have done nothing toward the maintenance or operation of Apple Valley Farm. Is that correct?”
“Doing those things was impossible for her. I want to remind you she was living out of state,” Ben Calhoun interjected.
“How about the care of your father, Ms.—”
Annie felt a flush rise to her cheeks. She hadn’t told Brad her sister’s last name. “Malone,” she whispered, leaning toward him.
Brad smiled at Annie, and she felt her heart grow warm. Then he nodded toward Valerie. “Ms. Malone.”
Valerie bristled. “No. As Ben said, I live out of state. Taking care of him was impossible.”
Brad narrowed his eyes and leaned forward in his chair. “Was my client also living out of state when her father became ill?”
Valerie hesitated, glancing about the room. “I guess. She was attending college. But—”
Her words dwindled off while the three of them waited for her answer. “I was–ah–busy. I couldn’t be here,” she mumbled.
“Oh? Your employer wouldn’t give you time off ?” Brad prodded, his eyes never leaving her face. “You were holding an important position of some kind?”
Valerie fidgeted with a button on her blouse. “No. I mean—I don’t work—outside the home, that is.”
“May I ask what kept you so busy that you couldn’t come when your father needed you?”
“I—ah—” She looked helplessly at her attorney, but Ben Calhoun sat listening, apparently as interested in the answers to Brad’s questions as he was.
Brad pressed on. “You were saying?”
“I have—social obligations,” she blurted out, avoiding his penetrating gaze. “And I have headaches.”
Brad leaned back in his chair and locked his hands behind his head. His smile seemed almost, but not quite, threatening. “Then, of course, you’ll want to make sure my client is reimbursed for taking the full responsibility of the maintenance and operation of Apple Valley Farm, as well as the constant care and responsibility of taking care of her ill and aging father.”
Valerie grasped her attorney’s arm. “Do I have to do that? Can they make me?”
But before he could answer, Brad spoke. “We can’t make you do anything, Ms. Malone. But I assure you, if this is taken to court, which my client is prepared to do, any judge will look favorably on the person who has abandoned her own life to take care of her father and do whatever was necessary to keep his business in operation. Especially a business that has been in the family for six generations.”
Valerie shoved herself back against the chair and crossed her arms. “It isn’t fair.”
“That’s what I thought when you came waltzing in here yesterday demanding your half of Apple Valley Farm,” Annie blurted out while trying to keep her tears from surfacing.
Brad lifted his hands. “Look—I don’t think anyone here wants to take this thing to court. Between the four of us, we should be able to find an equitable solution.”
He turned to Valerie. “I’ll do some figuring and come up with what I feel is a reasonable amount for the services Annie has provided. Of course, that’ll come off the top of whatever is determined to be a reasonable fair market value of the estate. And it will include the wages Annie could have earned at some New York marketing firm with the degree she received in college.”
Valerie hit the table with her fist. “But that could be thousands of dollars!”
“Yes, I’m sure it will be, Ms. Malone. Must I remind you she’s done it all without your lifting one finger to help? I’m sure the nursing home has kept a record of all your father’s visitors over the past year. How many times has your name appeared on that list?”
Annie wanted to stand up and cheer. Brad was saying all the right things. Things she’d wanted to say but hadn’t had the courage. But she was sure the nursing home guest register was something he’d made up to frighten Valerie. She had never seen such a list.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Valerie yelled at her lawyer.
Ben Calhoun shrugged his shoulders. “Brad is only saying what any judge would say. I thought you wanted an equitable settlement. That’s what he’s talking about. What more do you want?”
“I want what’s rightfully mine!” she shouted, her face red with anger. “Half ! And I want it now!”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Malone,” Brad told her in an even voice. “The wheels of justice don’t roll that fast. I can assure you that coming to an agreement with my client will facilitate matters much more quickly than any court hearing.” He capped his pen and put it in his pocket. “Your attorney can expect to hear from me in a few days.”
The two men shook hands; then Brad extended his hand toward Valerie. “You’ll have to excuse me, Ms. Malone. If it were possible, I’d rise to shake your hand, but unfortunately I’m not able.”
Valerie backed away, refusing his hand and not saying a word.
Annie moved quickly to her sister’s side. “Please, Valerie. I have no idea how I can raise that kind of money, and I can’t fathom the idea of selling Dad’s beloved Apple Valley Farm. Won’t you reconsider? I could send you a check every month. Everything above the actual cost of running the place. Wouldn’t that help?”
Valerie put her hands on her hips and glared at her sister. “Like I told you, Annie—I want what’s mine, and I want it now! Put up or shut up!” With that, she turned around and headed for the door, knocking over two chairs on her way.
Ben Calhoun said a hasty good-bye, grabbed his briefcase, and followed her out the door.
Annie leaped onto Brad’s lap and threw her arms about his neck. “You were wonderful! I couldn’t have asked for a better lawyer.”
“Don’t get too excited, Annie. It isn’t over yet,” he reminded her, making no attempt to pull away from her grasp.
Annie suddenly realized how foolish she must look, plunking herself onto his lap like that, but she couldn’t help herself. Only a few hours earlier she had been terrified, with no one to turn to for help. Then Brad had come to her rescue. Warm, comfortable Brad. He always seemed to appear in her life at the right time. She leaned away from him, looked into his eyes, and found she didn’t want to turn away. Something about Brad was so—manly. Yes, that was the word. And he always smelled nice. As if he’d come fresh from a shower. His gaze held her captive.
Brad pulled her to him and cradled her head on his shoulder. “I’d do anything for you, Annie. Absolutely anything,” he murmured as his lips sought hers.
“Sorry—I forgot my hat.”
Annie pushed away from Brad to find Ben Calhoun hovering over them.
“I—didn’t mean to interrupt,” he stammered awkwardly. He grabbed his hat from the table and hurried back toward the restaurant door.
Brad burst out laughing, and Annie blushed as she pushed herself off his lap and stood, smoothing the wrinkles from her shirt.
Then she turned and smiled at him. “Will you be my guest for dinner tonight? I feel like celebrating.”
“You bet I will!”
Brad spent the afternoon in his office. He worked on the
proposal he would present to Ben Calhoun, setting aside the papers of his more important clients for later. Right now, Annie was his prime concern.
By four o’clock he was sitting beside his mother, holding her hand, and reading to her from the Bible. Afterward he told her about his morning with Annie.
“I’m anxious to meet this woman,” she told him as he prepared to leave. “Any woman who can put that kind of smile on my son’s face has to be some kind of woman. I’ve never seen you so happy, and it’s about time.”
“I’m in love, Mom,” he confessed as he filled her water glass. “Hopelessly in love.” He paused then leaned forward and lifted his empty trouser leg. “But Annie could never love me. She has one invalid to care for already. Why would she want two?”
His mother frowned and patted his hand. “Don’t use that word, Son. You’re not an invalid. You’ve always taken care of yourself. And since your father died, you’ve taken care of me. I’m sure your Annie doesn’t think of you as an invalid. Don’t let that stand in your way. Let her know how you feel. At least you’ll find out for sure where you stand with her.”
Brad grinned at his mother. “Where I stand? Was that an intended pun, Mom?”
She swatted at him with her uninjured hand. “You! That’s another wonderful thing about you, Brad Reed—your delightful sense of humor. I can’t even remember a time, since right after your accident, that I’ve heard you complain. About anything! You can’t say that about most men. Any woman should be proud to be your wife.”
“You are my mom. You are supposed to say nice things about me.”
“Brad, be serious. You love this woman, and I can’t imagine her not loving you. Don’t let her get away.”
“What I’d like to do is ask her to marry me,” he said shyly, avoiding his mother’s eyes. “Foolish, huh? Guess I’m a dreamer where Annie is concerned.”
“Then ask her. Before some other man does. If she’s as good a catch as you say she is—well, don’t wait too long.”
Sweet Surprise: Romance Collection Page 38
