A Place Of Our Own (Contemporary Cowboy Romance) (Texas Heat series: Book 3, Jim and Maddies story) Read Free Page B

boundary fences when there was more important work to do. He’d never understood why his father insisted it was important. It didn’t figure large in his ideas of modern ranch management.
     
    No, he’d done the right thing in docking Jim’s wages. It wasn’t fair to the other brothers, who were pulling their weight. And if Jim wanted to be a hermit, it was fine with him and better than having to look at a depressed killjoy at home all the time. And really, raising Angora goats with Maddie was just about the dumbest idea he’d ever heard. Andrew was firmly of a mind, just like old man Dupont, that ranches were for raising cattle and horses.
     
    As he drummed his fingers on the desk in the study, he thought that it was almost time to make an offer to old Dupont. The place was mortgaged to the hilt and run down. He could pick it up cheap. The phone rang and he was surprised to find it was Maddie when he answered. “Hi, Maddie. What a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you?”
     
    “Hello, Andrew, I’m well, thank you, and enjoying the summer. I was hoping to speak to Red, if he’s there, please.”
     
    “Now, you know I’m running the place now, can I help you instead?”
     
    “Thanks for offering, Andrew, but it’s more of a personal thing.”
     
    Red stuck his head around the door of the study. “Is that someone looking for me Andrew? I’ll take it, thanks, lad. You don’t own the place yet.” Red covered his annoyance by keeping his tone light, almost as if he was joking.
    “Sure, Dad, I didn’t mean it like that.” Andrew got up from the desk and handed the phone to his father, before moving into the hallway outside. He held firmly to the belief that a good manager needed to know everything, so decided to wait in the hallway to see if the call from Maddie was something he needed to know about.
     
    “It’s great to hear from you, Maddie. What have you been up to lately?” asked Red, wondering why Maddie would be calling him. “Could you just wait for a sec – I’ll be right back.”
     
    Red knew Andrew better than Andrew thought he did and moved to close the door.  Personal business and ranch business were two separate things and if this was personal, it didn’t concern Andrew.
     
    “Okay, Maddie, I’m back. Now, what can I do for you?” Red got comfortable to listen to what Maddie had to say. It didn’t take long.
     
    “Ok, Maddie. I’ll meet you in half an hour for a coffee so we can talk some more.” He replaced the handset in its cradle and wondered what Maddie could possibly want to talk to him about, but secretly hoped it was Jim.
     
    His first instinct was to seek out Penny because if there was a ghost of a chance of Jim and Maddie getting back together, Penny would want to know. As he’d expected, Andrew was outside the door and although he didn’t want to keep things from Andrew, he certainly didn’t want him meddling in anything that concerned Jim and Maddie.
     
    “Everything okay, Dad?”
     
    “Sure, son, and it’s a fine day when a beautiful young woman invites an old man for coffee.” He slapped Andrew on the shoulder as he went past. “You should be so lucky when you’re my age.”
     
    Andrew enjoyed the banter but couldn’t help wondering what was going on. One thing was for sure though, he would sure as hell find out.
     
    ******
     
    Maddie hung up the phone and went to change into a comfortable summer dress before saying goodbye to her gran.
     
    “I won’t be long and I’ll bring back something for dinner too.”
     
    “Thanks, Maddie, I’ll be fine. You enjoy yourself now.”
     
    It didn’t take long to complete the short drive into Clarendon and Maddie mentally ran through how she was going to approach the conversation of her life with Red. This was a turning point and she needed to get it right. She pulled up outside T J D’s Steakout, noting Red was here already. That was good because it meant he was keen to talk to her. She went