Here Comes Trouble Read Free

their mother was worse. He didn't know how
Jenny put up with it.
    Joel was thinking maybe Jenny needed a break
from Chase and Curly Rhodes, and that's why she'd agreed to do this
in the first place. It looked like his brother had other ideas,
since he was here with her.
    When Joel walked back in the living room it
was to find Jenny and Chase tangled up by his fireplace. Those two
couldn't seem to keep their hands off of each other. Even though
Joel was happy for his brother, it irritated him to be reminded of
it so often.
    "Give it a rest, ya'll..." he said grumpily as
he walked into his bedroom, then slammed the door behind him. Joel
could hear their laughter through the door, and cringed. He should
be in a better mood, he'd gotten some last night, and things were
ahead of schedule with setting up the ranch.
    So, why wasn't he? Edgy dissatisfaction was
his constant companion these days, and he had to find a way to fix
that, sex evidently wasn't helping.
    Taking a deep breath, he walked over to the
dresser and pulled out his clothes, then quickly put them on. With
determination to stop being such a grouch, he walked back to the
door, pasted on a smile then went to meet his brother and
sister-in-law.
    He shoved a hand through his wet hair, before
he dropped his hat there. "If I give you the plans, and hook you up
with the contractor's decorator, you think you can handle picking
things out on your own?" Joel asked her hopefully.
    "Sure, I can do that...and you can get off the
hook," she said with a knowing smile.
    "Thanks, babe...you know how much I appreciate
you right? If my brother ever gives you trouble, you come find me,"
he told her with a wink. Chase balled his fists and took a step
around Jenny. She put her hand in his middle to stop
him.
    "Stop giving your brother hell, Joel. I have
to live with him remember?" Jenny said and huffed out a
sigh.
    "Sorry, I'll lay off, I promise, you just
pretty up the place," he told her and gave his brother a grin. "I
have to go meet with my contractor anyway, so your wife's virtue is
safe."
    Joel turned to walk to his office to get the
plans for Jenny. It was a huge relief that she could handle it
alone, that would free him up to meet with his
contractor.
    His contractor was ahead of schedule and
wanted Joel to do a walkthrough of the bunkhouse and cabin with
him, and talk about another progress payment. Joel had been hoping
to hold him off a little, until he could finalize the property
settlement with Karen to know exactly where he stood
financially.
    That wasn't happening soon, if her attorney
didn't get his ass into gear and tell the woman she'd better sign
on the dotted line or Joel was pulling out the stops and taking her
to court. If that happened, Joel's generosity was definitely going
to disappear.
    It had been over a year since he left Karen
and six months since the divorce was final, or he was told it was
final. Even though his attorney had asked hers for a copy of the
final decree after it was recorded, he hadn't gotten it yet, but
Joel knew the judge had signed it, so he wasn't worried.
    It was time to put the rest of this behind him
though, and cut ties with Karen for good. But he wasn't willing to
give away the farm to make that happen.
    Karen wanted the moon, full equity from their
house in Dallas, which was three hundred grand, plus half of their
savings account and half of his grandfather's inheritance, along
with an outrageous alimony payment for five years. None of that was
going to happen. It was a matter of principle and
economics.
    Joel needed every penny he could scrape up to
make a go of the ranch, he had to start a new career, because of
her. Not only was the divorce her fault, the demise of his law
partnership was as well.
    Considering the circumstances, the offer his
attorney had made on his behalf was more than appropriate. If she
was smart, she'd take it fast. If he had to take her to court, the
sympathy factor alone would give him an advantage with