She couldn't find the words and stomped back to the house. That same afternoon, Travis crouched down in front of Sam, put his hands on the boy's shoulders, and said it loud enough for anyone to hear. Daddy's here to stay now. You hear me, son? I'm not leaving again.
From the shed, Isaac heard every word. The chisel went still in his hand while Sam broke into the biggest smile Maggie had seen on him in a very long time. And looking at that smile, Isaac made a quiet decision. He would finish the repairs as fast as he could, and he would leave before he got in the way of that little boy's happiness. Travis started talking about the future every time he came by.
He'd sit on the new porch, pat the solid boards, and go on about how much the place had improved. "You're stubborn as a mule, but you're a hard worker. I always knew that," he said one afternoon, drinking the coffee she'd made. "And you know what? That stubbornness of yours might finally pay off."
Maggie, sitting with Jesse in her lap, waited for him to go on. There's a development company interested in land up here. The state's widening the highway and tourism's booming on this side of the mountain. Cabins, vacation rentals, one of those resort places. They're paying good, Maggie.
Real good. I know a guy who's handling some of the purchases. He named a number. Maggie went very still. It was more money than she had ever seen in her life.
Enough to pay off every debt, buy a little house in town, and send Sam to a better school. That's a lot of money, she murmured. It's your way out, Mags. Travis spoke softly, taking his time. How much longer are you going to live off selling jam at the farmers market?
Look how much this house eats up in repairs. That guy's not going to keep fixing it for free forever. He tipped his head toward the corner of the porch Isaac hadn't finished yet. For the first time in a long time, Selling didn't feel to Maggie like giving up what was hers. It felt like safety.
It felt like a way out. He wasn't cruel about it. He talked about every single thing he knew kept Maggie up at night. "Think about the boys," he finished. "Not about me.
Not about the past. The boys." Maggie didn't say she would never sell. She didn't say she would either. She only said, "Give me some time to think."
Travis smiled, kissed Jesse on the forehead, and left, saying he'd be back tomorrow. In the morning, she told Isaac there was nobody else to tell. Travis found a buyer for the farm. They're offering good money. Isaac rested the handsaw on the workbench.