“Marcus, thank you for waiting.”

Marcus nodded once, his jaw set.

“I just want my property restored, Annie,” Marcus said.

“The runoff from that excavation flooded my lower pasture.”

“We are taking care of it right now,” I said.

I slid the blue folder closer to Juliette and tapped the bottom of the page.

“Sign the release for the cabin share, Juliette,” I said.

“And execute the second wire transfer for Marcus’s excavation contractor.”

Juliette looked at Dan, her eyes pleading.

“Dan, are you going to let her do this to your mother?” she asked.

Dan stood by the sink, his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

He didn’t look at her.

“You took twenty thousand dollars from our joint account while I was in Chicago, Mom,” Dan said.

“You told me it was for a medical emergency.”

“It was,” Juliette insisted.

“It was for my back treatment.”

“It was for the retaining wall on the ridge,” Sarah cut in.

“I saw the invoices on your desk, Mother.”

“You used Dan’s money to build a wall on land you don’t even own yet.”