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Lainey prods, "I thought Daddy had the price locked in."
"He did."
"Then why did the price double?"
"It was a handshake agreement with Jim."
"So?"
"Jim got dementia. His son took over."
"So he decided to screw Daddy over?"
Lorraine's voice strains. For the first time ever, I hear a bit of fear in it. "Apparently his son doesn't believe his daddy's handshakes belong to him. He told your daddy none of the old agreements are good anymore."
"That's bullshit," Lainey spouts.
"Agree, but not sure what we can do. The animals have to eat," her mama points out.
"We need a new supplier," Lainey insists.
"No one's going to give us credit. Not after we made payments late last summer."
"Then I'll use my credit. I look good on paper!"
"No, Lainey. Your daddy isn't going to allow you to do that."
"We can't keep paying double!" Lainey nearly shouts.
My eyebrows damn near hit my hairline.
What the fuck?
Her mama sighs. "Honey, you can't keep paying the farm bills."
"I'm making enough money."
"That isn't the point."
"It is if it keeps Daddy from losing the farm."
My chest tightens. I think about Dean standing in his worn barn with years of family history running through it. Then I think about the way the hard son of a bitch turned into an entirely different man the second Charlie grabbed his finger.
Then I curse myself. I had no clue Lainey and her family were having financial trouble. But I also know Lainey and her mama by now. They're proud, just like a Cartwright. And I don't want to embarrass them.
I step backward before they catch me listening and quietly leave through the same door I came in. Then I go home, and with some guilt, rifle through Lainey's paperwork. When I find the feed bill, I take a photo of it and put the invoice in the same spot.
Twenty minutes later, I'm sitting in Dad's office with our feed invoices spread across his desk.
He comes in and looks at me over his glasses. "What are you doing?"
"Checking something."
"You planning on taking over the books?"
"Hell no."
"Good."
