Pritchard, I don't see why my father needs to name a second beneficiary on the deed to the farm. Yes, I know none of us will live forever, but I still don't see why he… look, just send me the paperwork, okay? I want to see exactly how it's worded. All right. Thank you."
Maggie hung up the phone. A deep frown creased her forehead.
"What did he want?" Jan asked anxiously.
"He said Daddy added a second beneficiary to the deed. Apparently, someone put it into his head that he needed a backup in the event I died before he did. Where on earth did he get that harebrained idea?"
Jan shrugged. "Beats the hell out of me, but I guess it makes sense."
"Well, it makes no sense to me. If he deeds the farm to me, it is up to me to name a beneficiary I'd want to leave it to, not him. I'll just review the paperwork and if I don't like what it says, I'll get Daddy to change it." Maggie yawned loudly. "Damn. I'm beat. I'm going to bed."
Jan looked at her watch. "It's a little early for me to turn in. I think I'll read for a while. I'll be in soon."
"Suit yourself." Maggie replied.
As soon as Maggie stepped into her darkened bedroom, her attention was drawn to the light shining from the bunkhouse. She walked to the window and stood beside it. From her vantage point, she could see Jordan writing something at the desk.
What kind of spell have you cast over me, Jordan Lewis? Why do you enchant me so?
* * *
Maggie paced back and forth across the bedroom trying to decide out how to break the news to Jan. In her heart, she knew their relationship had been on a downhill spiral for some time, but she had not been able to summon the courage to end it. She was still pacing when Jan finally came to bed.
"You're still up. I expected to find you asleep," Jan said.
Maggie wrapped her hands around her middle. "Jan, we need to talk."
Jan's face grew ashen. She sat on the edge of the bed. "I've been expecting this. You're attracted to her, aren't you?"
Maggie raised her hands out to the sides. "Jan, this is not about Jordan, it's about our relationship no longer working. It's about you being presumptuous. It's about you taking me for granted. It's about you taking liberties you shouldn't be taking."
Jan rose to her feet and planted her hands on her hips. "What the hell does that mean?"
Maggie ran her hand over her forehead. "Jan, I feel like you are trying to control me. It seems that you are making plans and decisions that I clearly should be making, or at the very least, we should be making together."
"You're talking in riddles, Maggie. What decisions you are talking about?"
"Let me give you a few examples, Jan. You told Jordan we were getting married and planned to have a baby… and you are being oddly persistent about the deed to the farm. What are you up to, Jan? Something doesn't feel right about that."
Jan paced back and forth, clearly agitated. "This isn't about us getting married, Maggie, and this isn't about the deed to the farm. This is about Jordan and you know it. You're attracted to her, aren't you?"
Here's your chance, Maggie. Be honest with her. Don't blow it.
Maggie sighed and threw her hands up. "I don't know what to say, Jan. Yes, I'm attracted to her. I can't help it."
Jan sat on the edge of the bed. "Goddamn it. I knew it."
Maggie walked a few feet away and then turned around. "I tried to resist what I was feeling, Jan, but I couldn't. There is something about her that draws me in. I feel like we have known each other forever."
"Have you slept with her?"
"How can you even ask me that question? No, I haven't slept with her."
Jan stood once more and crossed her arms. "So what does this mean for me?" she asked. "I love this farm. I have put my heart and soul into training the horses for the past few years. In some ways, I feel like this place is my own. Please don't ask me to leave all of this, behind."
Maggie rubbed her hands across her face in a gesture of frustration. "Jan, I appreciate everything you've done
Maggie hung up the phone. A deep frown creased her forehead.
"What did he want?" Jan asked anxiously.
"He said Daddy added a second beneficiary to the deed. Apparently, someone put it into his head that he needed a backup in the event I died before he did. Where on earth did he get that harebrained idea?"
Jan shrugged. "Beats the hell out of me, but I guess it makes sense."
"Well, it makes no sense to me. If he deeds the farm to me, it is up to me to name a beneficiary I'd want to leave it to, not him. I'll just review the paperwork and if I don't like what it says, I'll get Daddy to change it." Maggie yawned loudly. "Damn. I'm beat. I'm going to bed."
Jan looked at her watch. "It's a little early for me to turn in. I think I'll read for a while. I'll be in soon."
"Suit yourself." Maggie replied.
As soon as Maggie stepped into her darkened bedroom, her attention was drawn to the light shining from the bunkhouse. She walked to the window and stood beside it. From her vantage point, she could see Jordan writing something at the desk.
What kind of spell have you cast over me, Jordan Lewis? Why do you enchant me so?
* * *
Maggie paced back and forth across the bedroom trying to decide out how to break the news to Jan. In her heart, she knew their relationship had been on a downhill spiral for some time, but she had not been able to summon the courage to end it. She was still pacing when Jan finally came to bed.
"You're still up. I expected to find you asleep," Jan said.
Maggie wrapped her hands around her middle. "Jan, we need to talk."
Jan's face grew ashen. She sat on the edge of the bed. "I've been expecting this. You're attracted to her, aren't you?"
Maggie raised her hands out to the sides. "Jan, this is not about Jordan, it's about our relationship no longer working. It's about you being presumptuous. It's about you taking me for granted. It's about you taking liberties you shouldn't be taking."
Jan rose to her feet and planted her hands on her hips. "What the hell does that mean?"
Maggie ran her hand over her forehead. "Jan, I feel like you are trying to control me. It seems that you are making plans and decisions that I clearly should be making, or at the very least, we should be making together."
"You're talking in riddles, Maggie. What decisions you are talking about?"
"Let me give you a few examples, Jan. You told Jordan we were getting married and planned to have a baby… and you are being oddly persistent about the deed to the farm. What are you up to, Jan? Something doesn't feel right about that."
Jan paced back and forth, clearly agitated. "This isn't about us getting married, Maggie, and this isn't about the deed to the farm. This is about Jordan and you know it. You're attracted to her, aren't you?"
Here's your chance, Maggie. Be honest with her. Don't blow it.
Maggie sighed and threw her hands up. "I don't know what to say, Jan. Yes, I'm attracted to her. I can't help it."
Jan sat on the edge of the bed. "Goddamn it. I knew it."
Maggie walked a few feet away and then turned around. "I tried to resist what I was feeling, Jan, but I couldn't. There is something about her that draws me in. I feel like we have known each other forever."
"Have you slept with her?"
"How can you even ask me that question? No, I haven't slept with her."
Jan stood once more and crossed her arms. "So what does this mean for me?" she asked. "I love this farm. I have put my heart and soul into training the horses for the past few years. In some ways, I feel like this place is my own. Please don't ask me to leave all of this, behind."
Maggie rubbed her hands across her face in a gesture of frustration. "Jan, I appreciate everything you've done
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