Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 87067 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87067 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
“Now, JB,” his mother started, tucking a strand of gray-streaked blonde hair behind her ear. She was in her normal jeans and a T-shirt, this one yellow, her long hair loose around her shoulders. She’d had him when she was twenty-one, so she still had a few years until she hit sixty. His mom was a real beauty and hardly looked a day over forty-five.
“Don’t JB me,” he responded as he stopped in front of them. “Why the hell was Dillinger here? And how could you be smiling? You can’t seriously be considering selling!”
“Don’t hurt none to listen to the man. Be polite.” His dad shifted his stance, his boots kicking up some dust. Cows mooed from near the barn and a couple of the horses neighed. Hot sunlight made his dad wipe some sweat away from his upper lip. “Seems he’s gotten to a few of our neighbors. Eddie and Gladys have decided to sell to him. So have the Jenkinses.”
Dismay twisted a hard knot in JB’s stomach. Both those properties shared the lake with them, and the last thing he wanted was their private waterfront turned into a tourist spot for vacationers. He rubbed the fingers of his right hand together, a habit he had whenever he got agitated. “Let me guess, he upped the offer.”
His father nodded. “By ten percent, and it was a decent offer to begin with.”
“This ranch has been in our family for three generations—”
“Don’t tell me stuff I already know,” his dad broke in with a fierce frown. “We have no intention of selling. I’ve said that before, and nothing has changed.”
JB’s shoulders slumped. “That guy makes me crazy, you know that. Old Eddie and the Jenkinses were holding out, too. What could have changed their minds?”
His father sighed. “Eddie and Gladys want to retire, and they don’t have any children to pass the ranch on to.”
JB settled his hat tighter onto his head. “They’re going to be plenty mad we aren’t giving in, though. Their sales depend on us taking Dillinger’s offer.”
He’d been there that first night when Dillinger had made his grand sales pitch. The man had dreams of a high-class resort with rental cabins, a hotel, and an eighteen-hole golf course. And naturally, Dillinger wanted the whole lake on his property for the private use of his customers.
“Well, that’s just too bad,” his mother said as her gaze went past him.
JB turned, realizing he’d forgotten all about Cole. Embarrassment put a sheepish grin on JB’s mouth as the long-legged man walked toward them slowly. A hesitant look filled his handsome face—as if he wasn’t sure about interrupting but was too polite not to come forward.
“Cole, come on over here and meet the parents. This is my dad and mom, Jesse and Belinda Alexander.” He turned to his parents. “We haven’t seen the last of Dillinger, and from the smiles on your faces as he was leaving, he probably thinks he has a chance now.”
“We told him we weren’t interested in selling,” Belinda said as she moved past him and held out her hand. “Hello, Cole. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Pleasure.” Cole shook her hand before shaking his father’s. “It’s a beautiful place you have here.”
“Thank you. We sure do love it.” She gave Cole a smile. “You all settled in okay?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Oh, you don’t have to be so formal with me. Belinda is fine. Or you can call me Bel like most everyone else around here. I saw you go out on Dopey. He’s a fine animal. Did you enjoy your ride?”
“I did until we—” he broke off and looked at JB.
“Until we found a couple of dead heifers in the east forty,” JB finished for him, his mind going to his cows lying dead on the grass. “They’d wandered off alone, probably to die.”
“Did you see any poisonous plants near them?” Jesse asked as he shoved his hands back into his pockets.
JB shook his head and resettled his hat on it. “Nothing and no signs of vomiting, but they could have done that elsewhere. I’m calling the vet to take a look at them and possibly the field. The last thing we need is some kind of disease going through the herds.”
Jesse frowned, his concern drawing lines along his brow. “Two, you said?”
“Yes.”
“Well, damn. I hope they didn’t suffer.” Jesse pulled his hands out of his pockets and gestured at Cole. “Walk with me, and I’ll show you a bit more of the place.”
“Just the stable, Dad. We’re going to have lunch soon.” JB watched Cole walk away with his father. Despite his best attempts, his eyes still strayed to the fit of Cole’s jeans over his ass.
His mother snorted. That woman never missed a thing. “That’s one fine-looking man. And you’ve got some fire in your eyes there. Do you think he could be interested in you?”