Page 27 of One Summer Day (Prosperity Ranch 1)

“Meeting with Steven, remember?” Holt crossed to the sink and dumped out the rest of his coffee, then rinsed the mug.

He was leaving so soon? Macie moved to the stove to fix her own plate of food.

“That’s right,” Rex said. “Are you going to give him that discount we talked about?”

“I’m giving him a discount, but not as much as you wanted. We can’t afford to budge too much on the price.”

Macie sensed he and his father had had this discussion before. She stole a glance at Holt. His tone sounded worried, something she hadn’t heard before. Were finances tight? Maybe she should return the two hundred in commission. And how much had those boots been?

“We also need to remember that Steven’s brother just died, and he’s in over his head,” Rex said.

Macie sat at the kitchen table with her plate and poured a half glass of juice.

“Steven is a smart man,” Holt said, “and he might have to hire someone sooner than he’d like. But we can’t be paying the price.”

Rex frowned, but he was done arguing.

Before Holt turned away, Macie could see in his eyes, in the tightness of his jaw, that he had more to say. But he wasn’t saying it. Was it because she was in the room?

“See y’all later tonight,” he said, then paused before leaving the kitchen. “Thanks for breakfast, Macie.”

She swallowed. “You’re welcome.”

Then he was gone.

Rex complimented her on the breakfast, but Macie barely heard him. She was listening to the sound of Holt’s truck firing up, then driving away.