Milk Money (5 page)

“It’s been hard, but I’m trying to teach my kids that even though their earthly father is not around much anymore, they have a heavenly Father who loves them and will never leave them.” He remained silent. “You might want to give God a try and let Him help you with all that you’re dealing with. Another thing you might want to do is not be so angry at Mom and Dad.”

“Wait a minute.”

“No, you wait a minute. Just hear me out about this. I know Mom and Dad didn’t like Julie because she didn’t come from a good family, and it was wrong of them to think like that. But you have to remember that money’s been in our family for decades, and Mom and Dad have been raised to think this way. It’s wrong, but in their own twisted way, they felt this was one way to show their love for us: making sure we chose an appropriate mate from a prestigious family.”

He was speechless, unsure of how to respond to his sister’s comment. Before he could say anything, she changed the subject. “You’ll never guess who I saw at the grocery store yesterday.”

“Who?”

“Brian. He said a lot of the kids at the rec center still ask about you, and I told him that you’d moved to Baltimore.” She sighed. “You’ve been so sad and bitter since Julie died. You used to be so happy spending your free time at the rec center helping Brian mentor those teenagers. I remember how you used to look forward to having some kids of your own.”

He swallowed, tears rushing to his eyes as he recalled the happier times in his life.

“Look, I have to go now. I need to start making breakfast for the kids. I just wanted you to think about what I’ve told you and to try and talk to Mom and Dad again.”

He wiped his eyes and grunted before he ended the call, not wanting to discuss the matter further. He got out of bed and took some acetaminophen. His stomach still roiled when he made his way to the kitchen. He measured dark grinds into the filter, and the fragrant scent of coffee soon filled the air. Taking a mug from the cupboard, he filled it with his morning brew, sat at a chair in the kitchen, and thought about Trish’s advice. He just wasn’t ready to forgive his parents for what they’d done—he just couldn’t.

A few hours later he dressed and called Emily. He was surprised when she answered on the first ring. “Hi, I thought you would be out milking the cows.”

“I’m finished with that already. I do it at five a.m.”

He chuckled. “Actually, I was awake at six thirty this morning.”

“Really?”

He sensed she was going to say something else, but when she remained silent, he continued. “Look, I know it’s Saturday, but I wanted to know if it was okay if I came to your farm for a few hours today. I need to go to the auction—”

“You’re going to the auction over in Westminster?”

“Yes, I was going to head over there because my boss said it was a good idea to see what the livestock are selling for. I agreed to go, so after I do that, I thought I could spend a few hours on your father’s files.”

“Could I ask a huge favor of you?”

“What’s up?”

“Could you pick me up for the auction? My truck is still in the shop, and I didn’t want to spend money on a rental. I borrowed a truck from another farmer for a few days to run some errands, but the garage said my vehicle is still not fixed.”

Her apprehensive tone made him wonder if she rarely asked others for favors. “I don’t mind picking you up. Are you planning on adding to your herd?”

“No, I’m going for another reason. I’ll explain when you get here.”

He said good-bye and hung up the phone.

A few minutes later he exited his apartment building and stopped as a woman walked by. The ivory suit and high heels reminded him of one of Julie’s favorite outfits. The female had a surety to her step as she sauntered by, and Frank felt frozen in time when he watched her.

The woman’s dark eyes widened as he stared. “I’m sorry, I thought you were somebody else,” he explained, ashamed to be caught staring at a woman who resembled his wife. She frowned and walked away. Frank leaned against his apartment building, the bright sun shining in his eyes. That was the third time since Julie’s death that he’d made this error. He closed his eyes, wondering when he’d learn to accept that his wife was dead and move on with his life.

He shook his head, strolling to the small parking lot. Once he got into his vehicle, he stared out the window. Maybe spending the day with Emily at an auction was what he needed to get his mind off his nightmares.

Emily tried to relax the kink in her shoulders, hurrying to get dressed before Frank arrived. Fatigue rushed through her like a tidal wave. She really wanted to take a morning nap, but she wanted to go to the auction today. A knock sounded, and her heart rushed with excitement when she ran to the door and opened it. “Oh, hi.” She tried not to let her disappointment show when Cameron, the milk truck driver, entered the kitchen.

“Hi, Emily. I’ve already put your milk in the tank. I just stopped in to say hello.”

She tried to smile. “Hi, Cam.”

He continued to look at her. “You look real nice this morning.” He crumpled his baseball cap between his thick, dark fingers. She knew he was just trying to flatter her. Emily sensed Cameron staring when she poured a glass of water.

She gulped her beverage before placing the glass in the sink.

He grabbed the back of a chair and pulled it away from the table. Gesturing toward the seat, he said, “You look like you could use a rest.”

Cameron’s hands trembled. He wasn’t a bad-looking man, but she wished he wouldn’t stay around so much. If he wasn’t so nervous, she could imagine a host of eligible women flocking to the milk truck driver.

Emily poured a cup of coffee and sat in the offered chair. “Would you like some coffee?”

He shook his head. “No thanks. I’m going to be leaving soon anyway.” He frowned. “You look tired. Is something wrong?” Concern filled his voice.

She clutched the coffee mug, closing her eyes briefly. “No, nothing’s wrong.” She took another sip of coffee. “I don’t mean to keep you from getting to your next milk pickup,” she began, anxious for Cameron to take his exit so she could leave with Frank when he arrived. She glanced at the screen door, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw Frank standing on the porch. “Hi.” Her throat was suddenly dry, and she sipped from her mug of coffee when Frank entered the kitchen. The cool scent of his aftershave filled the room with musky sweetness, and she sighed, relishing his presence in her home.

During the last week, Frank had appeared torn about his decision to relocate from Chicago to Baltimore. He’d told her that his nephew called him every day, saying he wished Frank had not left. He regretted missing Mark’s Little League games, and since he’d left, his sister, Trish, said that Mark had started misbehaving again. Frank had mentioned that he planned to take a weekend and visit Trish and her children soon and that he was still angry that Trish’s husband had abandoned their family a year ago.

Emily found it heartwarming that Frank wanted to be a substitute parent to Trish’s children. Whenever he spoke of his niece and nephew, his face brightened, and when Mark called him periodically, Frank immediately dropped what he was doing to see what his nephew wanted to talk about.

She’d been working closely with Frank this week as they went over her father’s accounting records. Whenever he looked at her, she became flustered, her heart racing like a horse speeding out to pasture. She couldn’t seem to keep Frank from dominating her thoughts—or tempting her heart.

“Good morning, Emily.” When he came toward her, she immediately noticed his cocoa brown eyes were red and his mouth was set in a firm line, as if he were angry. He sported a simple white T-shirt and jeans, and the material of his shirt hugged his broad shoulders. Frank’s dark eyes were full of curiosity as he gazed at Cameron.

Frank offered his hand. “I’m Frank.”

Cameron still clutched his baseball cap in his left hand when the two men shook hands. “I’m Cameron Jacobs.” His deep voice wavered, and Emily wondered when he was going to leave. She was sure he was due to the next farm for pickup by now.

Cameron placed his hat on his head. “Well, I’d better get going. Take care of yourself, Emily, and I’ll see you in a couple of days.” The screen door banged shut when he left.

Frank drew his brows together, glaring at Cameron as he walked toward his milk truck. “Is he your boyfriend?” He sat at the table, still looking at her with those intense eyes. Emily sipped from her coffee cup, refusing to let his presence unnerve her.

“He’s been asking me out for over a year.”

“I can tell he likes you. You’ve never gone out with him?”

She shrugged, again wondering why she couldn’t control her emotions. Her attraction to Frank was strong, stronger than what she’d ever felt for Cameron, yet Cameron was a Christian and they shared the same passionate faith in God. Why couldn’t she feel physically attracted to Cameron?

She finished her coffee and went to the cupboard to get a box of cereal. She poured cornflakes into a large bowl then gestured toward the box. “Did you want some cereal?”

He shook his head and touched his stomach. “I don’t want any breakfast this morning.”

She peered at him again, and he squirmed beneath her intense gaze. “Your eyes are red.”

He sighed, scooting his chair back. “I don’t feel well this morning.”

She let the subject drop, adding milk and banana to her cereal. She dipped her spoon into the bowl, and he waited a few minutes before speaking. “So, why are you going to the auction today if you’re not planning on purchasing any cows?”

In between large bites of cereal, she explained. “My father and I used to go to the auction as a social outlet. We’d talk to other farmers, look at the animals being auctioned off—that sort of thing. Sometimes we’d sell our beef cattle there, but I don’t have one that’s old enough to sell right now.” She stopped eating, gathering her thoughts. “We’d already planned to go today … before he passed. And I just want to go because I like going.”

When she finished her cereal, she drank the last of the milk from the bowl, and Frank chuckled, gazing at her fondly. “That’s the biggest bowl of cereal I’ve ever seen a woman eat.”

She smiled back. “I told you milking those cows every morning and doing chores makes me work up an appetite.”

“Did your farm help come this morning?” he asked before she rinsed out her cereal bowl and placed it in the dishwasher.

She nodded. “Yes, one of them did show up, and that was great. They’ve been doing pretty good since Casey had her calf.” When she was finished in the kitchen, she went to her bedroom to get her purse. “Are you ready to go?” she asked as she removed her keys from her handbag. Frank nodded, and she locked the door before they headed to his vehicle.

After they were settled in his car, he turned the air conditioning up as he pulled away from the house. “You’ll need to tell me where to go since I left the directions at my apartment.” She settled into the leather seat, taking pleasure in the cool air. “Do you know when they’re going to get your truck repaired?”

“They had to order some parts. It shouldn’t be too much longer before it’s fixed. Probably next week sometime.” When he stopped at a light, he removed a pair of shades from his glove compartment. He placed his sunglasses over his eyes. “Did your mom ever tell you why she hired me without asking you first?”

Emily sighed, folding her arms in front of her. “Yes.” She briefly explained what had been said during the conversation she’d had with Laura after Frank’s first day on the farm.

He glanced at her before pulling away from the light. “Do you believe her?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. My stepmother is certainly not prone to lying. She does seem to overstep her boundaries sometimes, though. This should have been a decision we made together.” She looked out the window, frowning. “Since my daddy died, I don’t know what to believe anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing is the same. You know, when somebody you love is alive, you just take the days for granted, thinking you’ll see them the next day. Now that my daddy’s dead, my stepmother hasn’t been the same—I haven’t been the same. I can’t sleep, she can’t sleep, and the only solace I seem to find is working with the cows and reading my Bible.”

“If God is so almighty, then why does He allow people to suffer so much?” The question startled her.

“I don’t know, but my belief in Him and knowing my dad is in heaven gives me some comfort.”

He changed the subject. “Is that all your mother said?”

“Pretty much. I’ve spoken to her a few times since you’ve started the audit. Ever since she’s been in Florida with her daughter, she sounds better, happier. I almost feel like she doesn’t want to come home.”

“Do you still think she’s only going to stay for a few weeks?”

“It’s hard to say. The elementary school is closed for the summer, so I guess she’s not in a hurry to come home.”

“I see. Is that all she said?”

She watched him carefully. “Is there something wrong?”

Tension knotted her muscles when she noticed he clutched the steering wheel. “It’s still early in the audit process. Your father’s budget looks good, but I can’t tell you about the financial solvency of your farm until I’ve completed the audit.” He sighed when he stopped at another light. “I just found out something interesting yesterday that I thought you should know. I figured your mom would’ve told you when she called, but she obviously didn’t.”