Chapter 40 #2
“They?” Reaching for the remaining beer, I sit back in my seat.
“Sloane, River, and Sera.” Taking a long pull from his beer, he lowers it to let the bottle dangle from his fingertips, his arms draped over the back of his chair. “They’ve been working on Reese for a while now.”
“Sera Montgomery is up there?” I say, throwing another quick look at the staircase behind me.
“They called a truce on account of what Gemma did for Scarlett.” When all he gets in return is a blank stare, Jensen shakes his head on a chuckle. “Gemma walked in on some creeker kid, bullying Sera’s daughter in the bathroom at June’s.”
“And Gem stepped in.” He doesn’t even have to say it. I already know what happened because I know her.
“Told the little shit she was gonna spit in her milkshakes if she didn’t apologize.” Jensen takes another pull from him beer, fitting the lip of it into his mouth on another laugh.
“That’s why June fired her?” Again—not a question.
“The woman wanted either an apology or Gemma’s job.
Threatened to call the paper and Colt if she didn’t get one or the other.
” Shaking his head on a sigh, he looks at me from across the table.
Behind him, Cade and his brother play pool while carrying on a conversation in tones too low for me to hear. “You know Gemma.”
“I do.” I’m sure he can hear it in my tone—how much it bothers me that he knows her. That he probably knows her better than I do. “Gem would rather eat glass than give an apology she doesn’t mean.”
“Sounds about right,” Jensen agrees with a flat, humorless chuckle. “Not too keen on asking for help either.”
“How long does she have?” Hearing him say it reminds me of what Cade told me earlier.
That Gemma is on the verge of losing Dent’s house to overdue taxes.
When Jensen doesn’t answer me, I sigh. “Cade told me. This afternoon, he came by the house and let me know Gem’s in trouble with the back taxes on Dent’s house. ”
Shooting a quick look at the men behind him, Jensen looks back at me and shrugs. “I don’t know. Gemma’s as stubborn as the day is long—she’s playing it pretty close to the vest, but Colt let it slip that Reese had to tack a notice on her door a couple months ago.”
“I don’t get it.” Low level anxiety starts to swirl in my gut. “I don’t see Dent not paying his taxes. I just?—”
“Dent had multi-infarct dementia.” When all I do is give him a blank, slightly puzzled look in response, Jensen shakes his head.
“He kept having strokes, no matter what they did to try and stop them. Mostly small ones. Every stroke he had took him further and further away from her. They took his memory. Changed who he was. Dementia set in. I think Gemma was so wrapped up in taking care of him and keeping him comfortable, there just wasn’t any room for anything else until it was too late. ”
“The county won’t give her an extension?” I’m grasping at straws, I know it, but the look Jensen gives me tells me it’s more than that.
“County is governed by a council,” he tells me, the set of his mouth telling me the words inside of it are hard and bitter.
“Nine members—Mayors of Barrett and Clearwater. Colt and the fire chief. School board president, and one elected representative from either side of the river, per seven thousand citizens.”
I do the math. Clearwater has five residents for every one person who lives in Barrett. We’re outnumbered. Always have been. “So Barrett gets one council rep to Clearwater’s three?” I look at him like what he’s telling me doesn’t make any sense. “How is that even fair?”
“It’s not.” Jensen’s mouth flattens in disgust. “We got Colt’s vote and Walker Hendrick’s—he’s the fire chief.
Until about a year ago, we had the school board president in our corner and that kept things pretty fair but she was voted out, back in November.
Right before they passed a county ordinance—any property that owes more than ten thousand dollars in back taxes is subject to challenge.
Once a challenge has been made, the landowner has ninety days to pay their back taxes in full.
If the challenge isn’t met, the challenger can pay the owed taxes in full and assume ownership of the property. ”
“Ninety days?” Suddenly, everything Cade said to me this afternoon makes sense. “Gem has three months to pay off the debt or she’s going to lose the house?”
“No.” Jensen shakes his head, his mouth set in a grim, hard line. “She had three months about two months ago.”
I think about her. How much she’s sacrificed. How hard she’s worked and I feel like shit because I wasn’t here. I wasn’t here for any of it. Gemma’s been fighting to keep the only thing that hasn’t left her and I’ve done nothing but make it harder.
“Who was it?” I ask. “Who challenged her tax debt?” It’s a dumb question. Who doesn’t really matter. Not unless I plan on getting myself arrested.
“Who is kept confidential until the challenge is either met or the taxes are paid, but if I had to guess—land developers from Clearwater.” Jensen leans back in his chair a bit, giving me a shrug. “I’ve had plenty of them in here over the last few months, offering to buy this place.”
“Someone offered to buy you out?” The Mill has been in the Barrett family since the town was founded. It’s the reason the town exists.
“Right after they passed the ordinance, they voted to raise property taxes by almost thirty percent.” Jensen gives me a nod. “That’s when it all started. I’m thinking Clearwater’s gotten tired of sharing the river with the riffraff, and it’s time they started squeezing us out.”