Convincing Landon by Serena Yates Read Free Book Online

trunk and made his way to Greg’s front door. The little blue house with its white shutters and neat front yard was as well maintained as it had always been. The wraparound porch might not be much use in November, but sitting outside and watching people while sipping lemonade had entertained him and Greg on many occasions when the weather was warmer. His visits hadn’t been frequent, but he remembered each one fondly. Coming back now wouldn’t make for happy memories, but maybe he could find some closure.
    “Welcome!” Greg had opened the door before Landon’s knock. “I’m so glad you could make it this quickly.”
    “Hey, little brother. Missed you.” Landon dropped his bag so he could hug Greg. “And I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now.”
    “Well, you’re welcome here anytime, you know that.” Greg stepped aside to let him pass inside after he’d moved his bag into the hallway. “I hate the reason you’re here, and this visit isn’t going to be much fun, but I’m hoping to talk you into moving back to Riverside eventually.”
    “You always try.” Landon smiled, settling on the sofa.
    “Yeah, and I think it’s about time you make it happen. But I’ll get back to that later.” Greg sighed as he got a beer from the kitchen, offering it to Landon before sitting in one of the easy chairs. “First, we have to deal with the funeral on Monday morning then the reading of the will in the afternoon. Not to mention seeing Ray again.”
    “You haven’t seen him, either?” Landon downed half his beer, the cool liquid refreshing him as it slid down his throat.
    “Fuck, no. I haven’t even run into him since our last fight at Mom’s funeral.” Greg swallowed. “I hate to admit this, but in a way it’s a relief we can close that chapter of our lives permanently once all this is over.”
    “You don’t want to try to reconcile?” Landon didn’t really expect Ray to apologise, and that was the only way he’d consider getting back in touch. But if Greg wanted to try to patch things up, he wouldn’t stand in his way.
    “No way!” Greg looked furious. “He’d need to show some remorse first, and based on the fact he didn’t even call me himself to let me know about our father’s death, I’m not holding my breath.”
    “I know what you mean.” Landon shook his head.
    “I have no idea what I did that made him so angry.” Greg looked sad, even a little bitter. “I mean, really. He was the one who beat me up, not the other way around. You stood up to him, so I can see why he’s angry at you. But all I did was become a coach rather than a rancher.”
    Landon still hated Ray for treating his little brother the way he had. Sure, he may have wanted to make sure the ranch was all his, but surely they should have been able to talk about it? Lots of families dealt with children having to share an inheritance. God, being here and dealing with this shit was going to be harder than he’d expected. He discarded his half-empty beer bottle. No way was he going to turn into his father. Getting drunk wasn’t a solution. He needed to stay sober and support Greg.
    “I don’t know what to say.” Landon swallowed the lump in his throat.
    “No need to say anything. You’ve always been here for me, and I really appreciate that. We’ve made it without the bastard so far, and that isn’t going to change.” Greg smiled. “So, we’ll get through this together and then I want to talk to you about moving back here.”
    Landon groaned.
    “I’m serious this time.” Greg frowned. “You’re the only family I have and I’m fed up with never seeing you. Just so you know, I’ve decided that I can always move to Houston and get a job there if you don’t want to come back.”
    “You’d do that?” Landon sat up. “Really?”
    “Yeah, sure.” Greg grinned. “I’ve got a good job here, but there are high schools in Houston that need coaches, too. I happen to think that Riverside could do with