Espino, Stacey - Corralling the City Girl [Ride 'em Hard 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read Free

had. On a positive note, the new landowner may lead the business into bankruptcy, and Chase could buy some of his cattle at below market value. Regardless, in a month he’d need to worry about his own family cattle ranch and the massive branding and immunizing of new stock.
    “Ten thousand dollars is a lot of money, Chase Garner. I hope you have good plans for it. Perhaps a nest egg for a wife?”
    Fuck, not again . Being the oldest brother had as many disadvantages as perks. None were worse than his mother’s constant demand for grandchildren. He just wasn’t ready to settle down. Why should he when his life was perfect? Only a fool would purposely ruin a good thing. He had admittedly started thinking about settling down more seriously after his best friends—Wyatt, Val, and Cord Carson—had gotten hitched to a woman, one woman, but still. Chase believed it was the constant pressure from his family that turned him off of the idea of a wife. Push him, and he pushed back.

    * * * *

    Jane loaded the last of her bags into the trunk of her car. She took a deep breath, looked back at her building, and then boarded the driver’s seat with mixed feelings. Mr. Seymour was not happy about her taking three weeks off work. Although her lawyer insisted two weeks should be enough for a normal cattle roundup, she wasn’t taking any chances on returning late. She had everything riding on this adventure. It had been a bitch to find three bona fide cowboys to hopefully guarantee her success. She hoped they wouldn’t question the fact they weren’t getting paid unless she was successful.
    She hit the highway. It had been well over a decade since she’d visited her uncle’s ranch. Although she hadn’t been especially close to her uncle, the few memories she had of her visits were all positive—bonfires, brushing the horses, staying up late and watching the stars. Jane hadn’t even been to the country since those carefree days of her youth. She was all about modern conveniences and attempting to move up the corporate ladder. Her dreams hadn’t exactly panned out. College was not a possibility for a girl raised by a struggling single mother. As an adult she took as many computer and business courses she could afford, but they still hadn’t helped her advance at work. Making runs to Tim Hortons didn’t earn her any brownie points, only showed that she was easy to manipulate. If the cattle run wasn’t a success, she planned on looking for a new job, one where she was respected and given a chance to advance.
    Even though her job wasn’t what she’d hoped, her life wasn’t a forfeit. Jane had good friends and good times. She enjoyed living it up on the weekends, going to the occasional club, and feeding her online solitaire addiction. There were plenty of lonely nights, but she was set in her ways, not willing to give up her freedom for a man who’d just turn out to be another disappointment. It seemed all men wanted was sex, and as soon as they got it, or knew they wouldn’t get it within three dates, they were gone faster than Louis Vuitton handbags at a half-price sale. Her father had been a deadbeat and so had every other loser she’d dated.
    She drove for hours, leaving behind the cityscape in exchange for fields of barley, herds of cattle, and impenetrable forest. After driving without reprieve, she entered the sleepy little town. She consulted her road map and the sheet of directions she’d printed off before leaving. Trees lined the quiet streets, and colorful planters of flowers hung from light posts. Such old-world charm, but rather than endear her, it only made her feel claustrophobic. Jane wasn’t a country girl. She already missed the noise, the people, and the modern technology.
    The gravel beneath her tires crunched as she slowed her car at the end of the driveway. The sweet smell of hay drifted in the open windows. Before stepping out, she stared at the brick house, forgotten memories filtering into her