Kentucky Home

Chapter 13

Cash

The ride home had been silent. I tried asking a few questions, but all she gave me were short answers. Emma obviously didn't want to talk to me. When we pulled up at the house she jumped out of the truck, went into the house letting the screen door slam behind her, and marched herself up to my parents' room.

"What's her problem?" Cady asked, who was sitting at the kitchen table cutting something out for a project. "Who knows." I reply while looking through the stack of mail I just grabbed from the table. "Did all this come through today?" I noticed something stamped with red letters: URGENT.

"I guess so. It was all in the mailbox when I went to check it. You're the one who checked it yesterday."

"Hmm. Okay." I started opening it while I made my way to the office which sat beneath the nook of the staircase.

"What's for dinner?" Cady yells after me, but I ignore her because I'm too involved in the letter I just opened.

"DAMMIT!" I yell, slamming my fist on the desk and knock off the plastic pen holder, aka, a cup from some fundraiser probably eight years ago.

Cady doesn't even bother asking what's wrong. She knows what this is about. It's another letter from the bank reminding me how far behind in payments we are on the farm. Unfortunately, mom and dad never thought to take out any life insurance policies leaving me with a ranch and store that were already in the red.

If it hadn't been for the town getting together to raise money, they wouldn't have had a funeral. The money that dad had in savings bought me a few months to come back to Kentucky and get settled here to keep the ranch and store up and running. The last four years I've kept everything afloat without having to pay too much in taxes each year, but we're only profiting just enough to keep the titles in my name, the lights on, and food on the table. So much for living the dream.

I look up when I hear a light knock in the doorway. It's Emma. Seeing her was a nice distraction from the last few hours of calculating, making phone calls, and managing this months finances and investments.

"I've got dinner ready if you're hungry and need a break." She says gently as if she doesn't want to further my annoyance. She just stands there looking at me waiting for a response, a head shake, something.

"Oh." I rub a hand over my face and shake off the thought of other things that come to mind when seeing her. "I'll be in there shortly. I just have to finish this up real quick."

"Okay." She smiles, letting it go to her eyes. "Don't be too long. We might eat without you." I chuckle and nod my head. She stands there for a minute longer like there was something else she wanted to say but she doesn't. She smiles one more smile that doesn't quite reach the eyes before walking back towards the kitchen.

I'm not quite sure if something's going on with her or not. She doesn't make it easy to read. She might just miss being home, living her own life instead of mine. That's why this, her and I, would never work. She has her life and I have mine. Two separate states in different regions of the country.

I let out a deep breath and run my hands over my head, frustrated and tired. There's too much on my mind that requires rational thinking involving the mind. Heart matters, if that's even in play right now, are the least of my worries. I have to guarantee Cady and I maintain a roof over our heads with enough income to feed us.

I push out the rolling chair and shut the office behind me. I get a waft of the aroma from whatever Emma has made for dinner. It smells so good. I must admit it was nice working for awhile just to come in to a home cooked meal. Cady does her best, but I can't and shouldn't expect fancy dinners from a ten year old.