Almost a Cowboy by Em Petrova Read Free Book Online

coffee?”
    Utah glanced at her. Her breezy hostess act reminded him she wasn’t the shy young girl he’d known.
    “Again, no thank you. I’m fine.” Tom raised the briefcase he carried and tapped the side with a forefinger. “I’m ready when you are.” He focused on Utah.
    Utah lifted a hand to tug his hat lower, but he wasn’t wearing one. He ran his fingers through his hair instead, and nodded. “Let’s get this over with.”
    Caroline led the way into the dining room. The old oak table shone from her elbow grease, reflecting the brass chandelier overhead that only had two bulbs out of six burned out. She withdrew a chair and slid into it.
    With a gesture for Tom to take the seat at the head of the table, Utah met Caroline’s gaze. Her eyes were calm, as always. They braced him.
    Drawing a deep breath, he seated himself to the right of the lawyer. Tom ceremoniously placed the briefcase on the table and rested his hands atop it. “It’s good to see you back in town, Utah.”
    Grunting, he fought the urge to drag the information out of the man. Enough of this small talk. He’d spent a decade getting what he wanted when he wanted it. A deer kill, a clutch of furs to sell. He took what he wanted.
    Even Caroline.
    He darted a glance at her across the table, and his heart lifted.
    “I can see you’re eager to get on with it.” Tom cracked open the briefcase, and the sound was like a shot in the silence of the room.
    Utah’s ma would sit straight up in her grave at this quiet. Their family dinners were boisterous at their tamest. And downright rowdy the rest of the time. Utah and his brothers had argued, teased, and tried to out-yell each other. When their father raised a hand for silence, though, they all obeyed.
    It seemed that Hollis was at work now. Damn him.
    “Hollis Davies was a hardworking man. He never hesitated to help folks out,” Tom began.
    “You deliverin’ a eulogy?” Utah shot.
    Caroline shook her head gently, gaining his attention. He knitted his brows together and tried to be patient.
    Tom stared at him for a long minute as if Utah were in fact that caged animal Caroline referred to. Hell, maybe he was. Yanked out of the wilds. He’d been untamed for so many years, he could barely conjure the manners his ma had instilled in him.
    Tom cleared his throat and spread some papers on the table. The fine black print taunted Utah. Hollis Davies Family.
    Swallowing hard, he battled the need to grab the file and find out what the hell his father had really done. He clenched and unclenched his hands.
    Caroline reached across the table and clasped his fist. He didn’t meet her gaze but examined her slender fingers and oval nails instead.
    “I can see you’re tense with the waiting, Utah. I’ll get on with it.”
    About time.
    “I think you know of a kernel of information that is…somewhat delicate in matter.”
    Utah gave a hasty nod.
    “Your father…”
    Was a cheater? Had secret families?
    “Had a bigger family than most people knew. But I think he told you, is that right, Utah?”
    “Yes.” He voice sounded strangled. Caroline tightened her hold on his fist.
    Tom shuffled papers. “It looks as if there are…fifteen Davies children.”
    Caroline gasped. Utah hadn’t told her.
    He dipped his head in agreement. “I heard. So who are they? You have information, I’m presuming?”
    A crease appeared between Tom’s brows. “Well I have some information, yes. Not enough. Hollis left photographs and the order that all of the children must be united and present for the reading of the will.”
    Fuck. It’s bad.
    Utah blew a short breath through his nose. “I suppose this falls on me?”
    “As oldest, yes.”
    The gunpowder of fury bottled inside Utah ignited. He shot out of his chair, and it tipped over with a crash. Tom flinched, and Caroline pulled her hands into her lap, blinking at him with too-wide eyes. Neither of them knew what Utah was going to do, and that made him feel like an