“What?” Liam asks, his own voice is dripping with disbelief.
“He doesn’t own it. He never has. Not the house, not the animals andcertainlynot the land. He faked the deeds, stole it and has been lying about it ever since. He lied to all of us! The city, his friends, his community,me…”
“I can’t believe this,” I say. “Samantha Laurier, do you know what this means? Your dear old Dad is going down!You’rein control, you always have been.”
A microphone squeaks behind us and suddenly, our focus snaps back to reality. The reality set in the Annual Rancher’s Fair. There’s got to be something we can do, someone important we can tell, someone who will reallydosomething about this.
“Howdy, all!”
An incredibly large crowd formed without us noticing. The audience is sitting before an older man on stage. He looks plump and friendly, with his ten-gallon hat and belly laughs.
“As many of you know, it is tradition for all of us here at the Annual Rancher’s Fair and Cattle Society of America, to highlight exceptional members of our community. Without our brothers and sisters, there wouldn’t be much of a trade for us. Now, would there be?”
“No!” The crowd is booming and the camaraderie between Ranchers is apparent. Everyone who attended the fair must be in this audience. Including Alfred Laurier.
Samantha looks back at me, I look at Liam and watch them exchange knowing glances. Somehow, we’re connected. We are all on the same, exact page.
“End this,” I say.
“We’ll clear the way,” Liam’s voice is thick with conviction.
Before we know it, we’re linking around Samantha and parting a sea of people. We make it to the stage and hoist her up. An awkward silence falls through the crowd as people are realizing who she is.
“Is that Samantha Laurier?”
“The supermodel?”
“God, she’s hot!”
Phones raise in the air as she approaches the mic.
“Sorry for the interruption. Really quickly, before we highlight our exceptional ranchers, I’d like to dedicate a minute to one special man who is a very special rancher in my life.”
Samantha clears her throat and my guts twist in knots. Not just for her, but for all three of us.
“My name is Samantha Laurier. Some of you may already know me. I’m a model,” whistles and cheers bounce through the crowd like a beach ball at a college party.
Liam is leaning into me, and we both hold our breath as Samantha pauses.
“I’m sure you may also know my father, Alfred Laurier, who’s hard work I’d like to highlight today.”
The crowd is smiling. Some folks are nodding. They must be thinking what a sweet family Samantha has.
“Without him faking the deeds to our land and continuously lying to the city, who knows where he would have ended up?”
Samantha’s tone is dripping with revenge. Gasps envelop us like a cloud.
“It’s hisexceptionallies, manipulation, and thievery that I would like to bring to light.”
Before Samantha can even finish, the crowd has gotten heated.
“Is that true?”
Voices from the crowd turn dark.
“I wish it wasn’t,” she says
Everyone is looking around, furiously, for Mr. Laurier.
Liam and I usher Samamantha off the stage before anything can get any worse. The three of us exit the fair before a possibility of running into the wrath of Mr. Laurier one last time.