About That Man by Sherryl Woods Read Free Book Online Page A

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    â€œYou know, I could disown both of you,” he declared. “Neither one of you shows me an ounce of respect.”
    â€œI thought you did that last week,” Bobby said.
    â€œNo, it was last month,” Tucker countered. “I remember distinctly that he said he was going to disinherit us because we told him at Sunday dinner that we didn’t care about the price of cattle.”
    â€œWell, dammit, what kind of sons don’t give a fig for the business that their daddy is in, and their granddaddy before him?” King demanded, thumping his fist on thetable so hard it rattled the china and brought the housekeeper scurrying out of the kitchen. He waved her off. “Get back in there. I’ll call you when we’re ready for dessert.”
    Bobby shot a sympathetic look toward the woman, who’d only been on the job for a few weeks. “You’re going to run off another housekeeper if you’re not careful,” he warned his father.
    â€œSo what if I do? It’s my house.”
    â€œWe’ll remind you of that when you start grumbling about having to do the dusting,” Tucker said, grinning.
    King wondered what he’d ever done to deserve such disrespectful sons. If he didn’t need their help with Daisy, he’d have thrown them out and gone through with his threat to disinherit them.
    â€œWe’re getting off-track,” he said instead. “I expect you to do something about this situation with your sister. Make sure that boy leaves here with his uncle, preferably tonight. Am I making myself clear?”
    â€œIf you feel so strongly about this, why aren’t you over there telling Daisy what you think?”
    â€œBecause she doesn’t listen to me any better than the rest of you. If I show up, it’ll only make her dig in her heels.”
    â€œTrue enough,” Bobby said. “Daisy got her stubbornness from you.”
    â€œShe got it from your mother,” King contradicted. “I’m a perfectly reasonable man.”
    Tucker and Bobby hooted so loudly at that it brought the housekeeper peeking through the kitchen door. King gave up. He’d either made his point or he hadn’t. Tucker and Bobby would do what they wanted to do, the way theyalways did. So would Daisy, for that matter, even if it ruined her life. He could console himself that he’d tried to fix things.
    He frowned at the eavesdropping housekeeper. “You might as well get on in here and clear the supper dishes, Mrs. Wingate.”
    â€œWill you be wanting your pie and coffee now?” she asked as she eased into the room, giving him a wide berth as she loaded a tray with the dinner plates and serving dishes.
    â€œI’ll take mine in the study,” he said. “These two can take theirs wherever they want.”
    â€œI’m thinking I’ll take a couple of extra slices and head on over to Daisy’s to see what’s what,” Tucker said, glancing toward his younger brother. “What about you?”
    â€œSounds like a plan,” Bobby agreed.
    King regarded them both with satisfaction. Maybe their skulls weren’t quite as thick as he’d been thinking, after all.
    â€œYou’ll let me know what you find out,” he ordered them as Mrs. Wingate delivered his piece of apple pie and coffee and set a covered pie plate in front of Tucker.
    â€œYou could come along,” Tucker suggested.
    â€œNot on your life,” King retorted.
    â€œScared of the heat,” Bobby observed.
    â€œProbably so,” Tucker concurred.
    â€œNo, just saving the big guns for later, in case you two mess this up,” King told them. He scowled. “Which I am counting on you not to do.”
    â€œDaddy, we will do our best, but this is Daisy we’re talking about,” Tucker reminded him. “I haven’t won an argument with her since she was old enough to talk.”
    â€œThen it’s high time