2

Six years later….

Garret Holt looked over his father’s land. It had been a few years since he had been back to the small farm that his father and step-mother had. He really hadn’t come since he had become legal and wasn’t forced to visit. Though he loved his father, he equally hated his step-mother. She had been a witch to her niece, who was her own blood, the daughter of her sacred sainted sister, who had left her surviving daughter in the other woman’s care. That proved everything to Garret. Now only his youngest brother was forced to come to this place regularly.

This was the last time, though. Garret looked over the land he had worked on and saw how neglected it had become. He wondered about the small woman who had often battled the overgrowth herself. Sara had left the day she turned eighteen after a huge blow out with her aunt and cousins. He had tried to not think about her though they had made that deal between them. Sara left and never looked back.

Everyone now that was arriving was all in black. His step-mother was standing on the porch looking over the people arriving as if she were the queen greeting all the peasants around her. Garret thought it was her normal behavior. A nice car pulled up, and it was outshining the others that were arriving. When a woman got out, Garret looked closer at her and saw who was creating all the fuss.

Sara got out of the car and took a deep breath in. She hadn’t been in here in almost six long years. She had left and never looked back. Years of hard work had started to pay off. She had everything she needed in life to make her succeed, even though she was nothing but a poor teenager when she left the farm. She made her own way. Her way had worked well for her.

The farm was in bad shape. Her aunt was still holding court on the porch like it was a palace. She smiled at the thought. Nothing was right. The older woman was still trying to be things she was not. A grieving widow was not something her aunt could play well as she smiled and laughed with people as they passed by.

Sara knew this wasn’t going to be easy. However, the man they were there to honor had been nice to her. When she left, he had pulled out his own wallet as she started to walk away and gave her about a thousand dollars in cash. He had planned to help her, and he knew it coming. The single fight that would drive her to be on her own. She had been prepared for it as well.

Sara walked up to the porch and smiled softly at her aunt. “What are you doing here?” her aunt asked with a snide tone.

“I came to pay my respects,” Sara said as she lowered her head slightly, knowing what was coming.

“I believe I told you to never come here again!” The older woman spat out.

“I believe I don’t care,” Sara said as she looked up and met her aunt’s eyes challengingly. “He was a nice man, and I will just pay my respects to his children if they are here. Then I will leave. There doesn’t have to be a scene.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.” The older woman said as she glared at the younger ones, “This is still my house.”

“By the way, it looks not for long,” Sara said softly, and the older woman looked at her with widened eyes, and she began to shoot lasers from her eyes. However, there were too many people arriving still, and she really couldn’t afford to make a huge scene. The older woman knew she needed to stay friends with some of the people, and Sara’s disappearance had rattled someone of them. Maybe her presence now would help ease their minds a bit, and the whole thing could be swept under the rug.

Sara could see the older woman plotting something. It was written on her face though Sara could probably counter everything the older woman threw at her. This was different. Her aunt was never one to stop in the middle of anything, but here she was, getting ready to stand down. Sara looked around and saw the people looking in their direction. She smiled to herself as she figured out why the woman was growing quieter and quieter. She needed something from Sara.

Sara walked into the house and saw the people standing there who were not the same as they once were. They all turned their tear-streaked faces toward her, and the light of recognition was there. They all knew who she was. She smiled at them and opened her arms wide. The group of three walked over to her, and all hugged her tightly.

“I am so sorry for the loss of your father.” She said softly.

“Hadn’t seen him lately.” The girl who was the next oldest behind Garret. Her name was Samantha. Sara could remember her bright smile and happy personality as long as her aunt was nowhere nearby.

“I understand,” Sara said as she patted her back softly.

“Mom died a few years ago.” She said softly, as well.

“I didn’t know,” Sara said as she looked at the group. “I am so sorry. I would have been there if I had known.”

“All because of her.” The youngest son said as he glared at the woman holding court on the porch with all of her friends.

“How did she get your mother?” Sara asked as she looked at the group.

“Legal battle for Bryan.” Samantha replied. “it got worse. Mom suffered a heart attack near the end of it.”

“What happened to the farm?” Sara asked.

“You don’t know?” Garret made his presence known behind her. She turned and saw him for the first time in six years. She looked him over, as did he.

“Know what?” Sara looked up at him.

“The lawyers cut her off from your parent's estate when you left,” Garret said.

“What estate?” Sara asked.

“You had no idea?” he asked.

“About what?” She asked back.

“Your aunt was stealing from the estate that your parents left you. That is how they funded the farm. After you turned eighteen and left, the lawyers cut her off completely, and she was ordered by the court to pay some of it back.” Garret laughed as he looked at his step-mother on the porch. “That is why she backed down on the porch. Those people knew what she was doing, and when you left, they called her out on it. With you here, it makes her claim that you said it was okay more valid. She needs their support because the farm is going to go up for auction at the end of the month. She needs them to help her keep it.”