Rodeo Blues by Karen Michelle Nutt Read Free Book Online Page B

their morning coffee. Yeah,
he liked that idea. Everything would fall into place – just the way
he imagined – if only Jolie would forgive him.
    He took off his hat and wiped his brow with
the back of his hand. Man, it's hot today.
    "Good day, Mr. Casper," a man called to him
in greeting.
    Tye turned and spotted his lawyer, a tall man
with light hair, as he headed up the drive. The man must be
sweating bullets in the fancy suit he wore. As he reached him, Tye
offered his hand with a nod. "Good morning to you, Mr. Jonas."
    "I have the papers drawn," Mr. Jonas said as
he lifted his hand to show him the documents.
    "Good." He nodded. "What about the deal with
Reeves Construction?"
    "No one will be the wiser that you bought out
their shares. They'll go under before they know what hit them."
    Tye thought he'd feel happier about the news,
but instead it left a bad taste in his mouth to stoop to the
Reeves' level of thinking.
    Thomas Reeves owned the construction business
as his pappy had before him. Thomas then handed over the reins to
his eldest son, Jhett. The man didn't have any common sense for
business and to make it extra special he had a gambling problem.
Tye actually wouldn't have to lift a finger. Jhett would run the
company into the ground by the end of the year, but Tye wanted to
be the one to put up the 'closed' sign on the door. Jhett deserved
no less from him. Maybe he should keep the mobile home. Jhett might
need it once the business went belly up.
    Tye had gone to school with Jhett, a bully
and the leader of the pack who'd made his life miserable while he
grew up here. Knowing Jhett would end up without a penny to his
name should have put a smile on his face, and yet, it didn't. Dammit, why wasn't he pleased?
    "Now that you're rich, Mr. Casper," his
lawyer said and glanced at the oil drill in the distance. "What do
you plan on doing with your newfound wealth?"
    He leveled his gaze on Mr. Jonas, who had
handled the matter about placing the rig in his backyard – so to
speak – with an option to add more. "Have a life." He gave the man
a sidelong glance. "And you can stop calling me Mr. Casper,
Jon."
    Jon's lips curved into a broad smile. "Well,
it wouldn't be professional now would it if I go callin' you
Tye-Bo."
    "You're family, but if you call me Tye-Bo, I
might have to teach you a lesson, Jon-boy, "
he dragged out the childhood nickname.
    "Think you can take me, cuz?"
    Tye gave him a once over and smiled. "I know
I can." He bounced on his feet and sent a friendly punch to his
cousin's mid section. Jon jumped back with a laugh.
    "Lawyer-ing has made you a little soft," Tye
said.
    Jon sighed. "Marcy calls it her love
handles." He patted his stomach.
    Tye chuckled. "Indeed. Your wife's a sure
keeper then, ifn' she's fit to overlook your faults."
    Jon glanced over his shoulder and Tye didn't
have to guess where his gaze landed. "You know," Jon said, "I don't
understand why Uncle Gunther lived in squalor when he could have
been living the life of luxury. By what I've learned, he'd been
approached many times by investors and refused. Sure would have
given the Reeves a run for their money. This land is worth
millions, if not more, Tye-Bo...sorry, Tye."
    Didn't he know it, but what could he say to
explain it? "Once mom passed on, my father died too. Nothing
mattered to him."
    "He had you," Jon met his gaze.
    Tye forced a smile. "He forgot I
existed."
    "Man, we didn't know you had it so bad." He
shook his head. "You should have told us."
    Jon's mother, his Aunt Gertrude, was his
mother's sister. They lived in the next town over and he didn't see
them much while growing up. Aunt Gertrude had six children. Though
he knew his uncle worked hard to put food on the table, they didn't
have much else. So how could he tell them he needed their help when
they were just scraping by?
    Jon had been as smart as they come. Earned
himself a scholarship and went to Yale. Thought they'd seen the
last of him after he rubbed elbows with