Walker: Secrets

Chapter 62

Double update! Go back and enjoy chapter 61 before reading through this one.

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As Maddie and Colton arrived back at the farmhouse, Bonham came driving up the road. Dan was out the front of the farmhouse fixing something as the truck came to a stop, climbing down the ladder as Bonham stepped out of the truck. 'Bonham, what's going on?'

'Maddie called me.' He replied. 'You took the fences down between the pastures without walking the land for hazards? My family has kept this ranch running for over a century. You haven't been here for two months and it's already gone to hell.'

'Okay, how about you get off my ranch before I have to call the cops?'

'Woah, Dad.' Colton interrupted as he jogged over to him, Maddie bringing her wheelchair to a stop beside her grandfather. 'Wait. Just... Tell him, Maddie.'

'Look, I know everything is screwed up right now, but I really didn't know who else to call.' She began to explain. There's hemlock all over the Davidson side of the pasture. And Colton told me that you took down the fence and now there's nothing keeping the horses or cattle from grazing over there.'

As what Maddie said sank in, Dan sighed heavily, shaking his head. 'I'm so sorry. I didn't even... I didn't even think about that. Just...'

'Well-' Bonham interjected sarcastically. 'I guess we found out that big 'D' out the front stands for dumbass.'

'Gramps, please?' Maddie questioned, her grandfather looking down at her. 'There are four of us, granted I won't be of much help but if we start now, we can pull it all up in a few hours. Can we please just stop the family stuff until then, for the animals?'

Silence followed as she looked hopefully between her grandfather and Dan. 'Please?'

Bonham was the first one to reply and he did so with a sigh. 'Alright, alright. Guess the animals are more important after all right now. I think I can put things aside for now, that is, if you can Dan.'

Dan nodded. 'Yeah, yeah... Ah, I guess we should get started then. What will we need?'

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They started work a short time later on cutting down the hemlock, Maddie managing as best she could from her wheelchair. It wasn't easy work but it had to be done and though the air was tense at best to describe the atmosphere between her Grampa and Dan, at least they were able to put their differences aside for a few hours to help the animals. While she worked however she had the feeling that she would be getting a talking to on the way home by Bonham. After all, she hadn't told anyone that she was here and hadn't planned on anyone knowing that she was meeting up with Colton. With everything going on she'd thought it'd be better for them all not to know she was still talking to him.

Now though, they would all know.

After cutting another plant she placed it into the garbage bag she was carrying then wheeled herself over to another plane, taking a moment to glance around her. Colton was working not too far away from her and he looked up at that moment, smiling at her. She smiled back at him then set to work on the next plant, not realizing that their exchange had been noticed by her grandfather.

What was she to do? Before everything between her family and Colton's had come to a head they had been at a good place. They had been officially an item and they had kept that fact to themselves. After all, it was only a couple days later that they had lost their ranch and she and Colton had decided together it was best that they take a break for the time being. Where did they go from here now though?