“The agreement with the auction company is already signed.”

He said the contracts were legally binding and he couldn’t stop the public sale even if he wanted to.

He explained that Denny Kruse was already marketing the parcel to out-of-state land companies.

He wished me the best of luck at the sale and ended the call.

The screen of my phone went dark in the dim hallway.

I leaned against the door of the supply closet and pressed the phone against my leg.

The man from Denver had never been a kind owner letting us look after our family’s yard.