“So, do you think you can get the government to back down?” Mary cut to the chase.
“Great question. It depends on who has better lawyers,” Joe said.
“Who do you think has better lawyers?” she asked.
“Well,thatremains to be seen. There’s a hearing in a few weeks. Our guys better be ready.”
Everyone around the table let that sink in.
“And it’s unclear who the real investor is. I’ve got my suspicions,” Joe said.
“And what are those?” Mary asked.
“I think there’s some foreign entity behind it. Probably China. They’ve been trying to do this for years. Started with farms near military bases. And now it’s all about energy.”
The mood in the room had taken a dive with the thought of the Taylor farm being lost.
“Okay, enough of this. Let’s change the subject!” Grace sent the twins in to do the dishes, and the rest of the guests moved into the family room for coffee.
WITH THE DISHESdone, everyone gathered in the sitting room around the large television. The Big Ten basketball tournament played on the big screen.
Danny caught Dot’s eye.
“How do you like Cedar Falls?” he asked, making a side conversation for just the two of them.
“Oh, it’s very charming.” Why did she suddenly feel so formal, like she was in nineteenth-century England?
“It is.” He nodded, a man of seemingly few words.
“I just want it to warm up so that I can get out and run like I used to in the city,” she said.
“Come on, it’s not that cold. I run all the time.”
“You do? It’s freezing!”
“I love to run in the cold. Clears my head,” he said. He was quiet a moment.
Dot didn’t fill the silence.
Finally, he broke it.
“Tell you what, when it warms up a bit, I’ll show you my favorite route. Goes up by the covered bridge.”
“I’d like that.” Dot had tired of running on the treadmill at their rental. And running with Danny would make her stick to good form.
Danny served her a coffee.
“How do you take it?”
“No sugar and a dash of almond milk, if they have it.”
“Almond milk? You know that’s not milk, right?”
“It’s milk. It says so on the carton.”
“Milk comes from mammals, not nuts.”
“Then why do they call it milk?”