My eyes narrowed as I saw the fear blooming in her aura and, with it, resolve. Maybe we weren’t that different after all. I recognized in Sylvia the same sort of survival instincts that had led me to leave my husband a few years earlier when he’d raised a hand to me.

I’d have to try to get Sylvia alone.

“I’m not going to hand over my land without reading the fine print,” I said. I’d already had Tim read it—more than once—even had him amend it. And he said everything was sound. Fifteen years for the Bonners to grow corn on shadow garden soil. Long enough for them to truly establish the new recipe.

My tea leaves had warned me about signing any contracts… but Yarrow needed me, and when Yarrow called, the Haywoods answered.

I pressed my pen to paper.

As soon as I’d finished signing, Christian tried to snatch it up, but Tim beat him to it. “I’ll have copies made. My office will deliver them.”

Christian pushed up from the table and grabbed Sylvia’s wrist. “Let’s go.”

She looked down at his hand on her. “I’m going to get the boys,” she said. “I’ll meet you in the car.”

After a few seconds, he released her and stormed out.

I glanced at the red marks around Sylvia’s forearm, then at Tim. “Thanks, Tim. I’ll meet you out front with a check.”

He gave me a slight nod. I knew he, too, had picked up on the dynamic between Sylvia and her husband.

As soon as Sylvia and I were alone, I said, “If Christian is hurting you, I can help.”

Sylvia reared back. “Excuse me?”

“There’s violence all over that man.”

Sylvia shook her head. “I have the situation under control.”

“You don’t have to be alone in this,” I said. “Once he starts on you, it won’t be long until he goes after the boys.”

“There’s nothing Christian can do to me that I can’t handle.”

“Is this about his money?” I asked.

Sylvia crossed her arms and looked me over. “You’re not hearing me. I’m the one who is leading this family. Not Christian. It’s in both our best interests for you to stay out of it.”

And with that, Sylvia stalked out of the kitchen.

The world shifted.

Maura was older, her children were older, Yarrow was older.

Kaden and Irene sat at my kitchen table—the same seats occupied by his parents all those years ago. Yarrow was booming again, and I had no intention of letting the Bonners continue farming my family’s land.

Had Irene still been planning to marry Nate, things might’ve been different. I hadn’t liked him from the start, but Irene had been smitten, and I wasn’t going to throw away my relationship with my daughter because of a grudge.