She knew she was in an awkward position, and their stunned, quizzical looks didn't make her task any easier. She slipped her fingers into the side pockets of her jodhpurs, trying to appear relaxed and in control despite the tension she felt. "We want you to know that your layoffs are temporary. It's obvious that we need help to take care of all these horses. Unfortunately, until my father's estate is settled, we don't have the cash available to pay you. It's legally tied up by the court." Abbie doubted that they understood the judicial system or the inheritance laws any better than she did. "We can't ask you to continue to work at the farm and wait until later to receive your wages, We know you all have families." Still, she had her fingers crossed that some of them would volunteer to stay on. "How long do you think this will be before we can get our jobs back?" Manny Ortega inquired in his heavy Spanish accent, his brow furrowed in a troubled frown. "I don't know." Lane Canfield had been reluctant to speculate on that when he'd spoken with Abbie and her mother that morning.
