Samantha’s Cowboy by Marin Thomas Read Free Book Online Page B

Sunday morning.”
    “It’s a date,” Wade confirmed.
    A date? She supposed digging a well was about as exciting a date as any for a nerd.
     
    “U NCLE C HARLES , I ASSURE YOU this is no snafu,” Wade argued over the telephone Monday evening. After three days of leaving voice mails and text messages, the man had finally surfaced.
    “Now, Wade—”
    He hated when his uncle used that tone with him—as if Wade was a ten-year-old boy.
    “Have my secretary—”
    Veronica the airhead.
    “—check with our systems analyst. The man’s sharp as a whip.”
    Implying Wade was not. “I’ve already put a call in to the man.”
    “Good. He’ll fix the commuter glitch and you’ll be fine.” His uncle congratulated his golf partner on a nice putt, then resumed the conversation. “My boy, if you’re hoping for a vice president position you’ll have to prove you’re capable of handling a crisis on your own.”
    “Aren’t you the least interested in learning which client’s money is missing?” His uncle hadn’t asked, making Wade suspicious. He couldn’t believe his uncle would intentionally tamper with a client’s portfolio unless the old man intended to put Wade through some kind of test before offering a promotion.
    “I trust you to handle the situation.”
    Even though his uncle professed to be proud of Wade’s accomplishments, Wade suspected the man was irritated that his nephew had ended up working for Dawson Investments and not his son, Jarrod, who’d shocked the family with his marriage to Richard. The happy couple lived in California and rarely kept in touch with the family.
    “When do you intend to return to the office?” Wade asked.
    “Not for a while. I’m heading to Dubai after I leave Scotland.”
    The firm had no clients in Dubai. Maybe his uncle hoped to land an account there. They’d need a new client or two or three, not to mention a good lawyer if Dawson Investments was held responsible for Samantha Cartwright’s missing millions. “I’ll keep you posted on what the systems analyst says.”
    “Don’t do anything rash, young man.” Click.
    Wade scrutinized his reflection in the floor-to-ceiling glass windows of his condo and wondered if his uncle would ever view him as anything other than the needy kid he’d been forced to take in upon his sister’s death. Wade doubted he’d ever earn enough points with his uncle to gain forgiveness for whatever sins his mother had committed against the family. Maybe it was time he stop trying.
    “Look, Dad.” Luke waltzed into the living room and spread an assortment of papers on the coffee table. “Instructions on how to dig a well.” After visiting Samantha’s property, his son had spent hours researching information on water witches, dowsing and digging wells the old-fashioned way—by hand.
    “I see you’ve been surfing the Net again,” Wade said.
    “Yep.”
    Before his son spouted off a million facts and figures, he asked, “Did you check in with your mother?”
    For the past year Carmen had neglected the visitation schedule they’d agreed upon in the divorce settlement. Instead of Wade spending weekends with his son, Luke often remained the entire week when Carmen traveled with her new fiancé. Not that Wade complained. He enjoyed spending extra time with his son. He never broached the subject with Luke, but Wade suspected when Carmen married again she’d ask Wade to assume full custody of their son.
    “I texted Mom. She said hi.”
    Wade doubted Carmen had bothered to send along a greeting, but appreciated that Luke cared about his father’s feelings. “Okay, let’s see your research.” Wadesat on the sofa and perused the documents. He’d convinced Samantha that digging a well by hand would be faster and cheaper than hiring professionals. He hoped to hell he’d been right. “Give me the short version, Luke.”
    “We dig a round hole four feet across. And you’re supposed to keep checking the sides of the well while you