My Second Chance

Chapter Fifteen

When I came back to the barn, about an hour later, I saw Chloe and the farrier, Matt talking quietly in the corner. I couldn't quite hear what they were saying so I got off of Ava and tried to sneak up on them. But my luck was out and I knocked a bucket onto the floor. Chloe looked at me and said to Matt," I'll email you later."

"Thanks Chloe," he said," I can give you more time of you want."

I looked at Chloe but she made no eye contact.

"Thanks Matt," she said and he left.

"What was that about?" I asked.

"It doesn't matter," Chloe said," I've just hit a bit of a snag but it's nothing that I haven't faced before."

I didn't say anything else but I wasn't satisfied. There was something going on and I intended to find out what. That night, I woke up suddenly to hear Chloe speaking with someone downstairs. I snuck out of bed and crouched on the top of the stairs. But Chloe's voice was so low I couldn't hear a thing. Then, the person she was talking to suddenly yelled bankrupt! That was Chloe's problem. I jumped down the stairs and faced Chloe. There was a little man with her too in a black and white suit.

"What did he just say?" I asked.

"Amy," Chloe hissed," What are you doing."

"Chloe, what is going on?" I snapped.

She hung her head and turned to the man who she had been talking with.

"You can go now, Pete. Email me."

He nodded and left the barn.

"What is going on Chloe?" I asked," Why did you just yell bankrupt?"

"Because that's what we are," she said," I've got no more money to pay off my bills. Pete is my bank accountant. He emailed me several weeks ago saying that my card had been declined and that I could no longer pay off any of my bills. I owe a lot of money, Amy."

She sat down on the stairs and I joined her, shivering in my pyjamas.

"Well, we just need to find a way of making money," I said.

"I know," Chloe said," But the only way to earn money is to spend it in the first place! So, I do summer camps every year but I have to pay a lot of money for food, heating, water and so much else."

We sat there for a few more minutes before I said," Look, something will come up soon."

Chloe didn't say anything. Suddenly, a question crawled into my mind and I was almost afraid to ask. But I did.

"What will happen if you don't pay off your debts?"

"Well, Pete says he's buying me as much time as possible to pay everything off," Chloe said," But if I don't pay it off within three months, the farm will be sold in auction."

I gasped. I couldn't let that happen. No, I won't let that happen!

"I'm going to go out tomorrow and I won't come back until I have found a solution," I declared.

Chloe smiled a little and said," Thanks Amy, but there is nothing. We're doomed."