Send Me a Cowboy by Joann Baker Read Free Book Online

have
her in his house. He had a mountain of work to do. He’d closed
three deals in less than twenty-four hours and the fees would add
another zero to the Triple K’s bottom line. The breeding program,
along with the oil and gas that had been discovered a few years
back, insured his future. And his brother’s.
    But he never felt like it would be enough. He
still remembered those dark days right after his parents were
killed and he’d realized he was going to be responsible for his
younger sibling. They came from an average, middleclass family with
two working parents. There had been no savings, no extra insurance
money. John’s father had been estranged from his family for years
and his mother had no living relatives. By the time social services
had tracked down his grandfather, John and James had been placed in
separate foster homes. John had vowed that would never happen
again. It had taken weeks before the old man had been located. And
a few more before he’d agreed to take on the responsibility of a
sixteen and twelve year old.
    From the very first day at the ranch, John
had worked tirelessly to prove himself indispensable. He’d learned
everything he could about ranching and breeding. He’d planned on
going to college to study animal husbandry and business management,
but that had been nixed when his grandfather passed away
unexpectedly four years later.
    Thankfully, his hard work had already started
to pay off and he’d had enough money to basically buy himself
custody of James. From that point on, he’d vowed never to be that
defenseless again. Safety necessitated money. And money equaled
power, which bought safety.
    He’d taken night courses and on-line courses
and earned a degree in business and learned all about ranching the
hard way. He’d thrust his way into the business world and he’d
proven himself a success. The discovery of oil and gas was his
security. His fall back plan. But he’d never allow himself to live
off the royalties. Everything was reinvested, building his wealth.
He knew how fragile security and safety really were.
    A knock sounded at the door, interrupting his
thoughts. “Come in,” he called.
    “I hear we’re having an overnight guest.”
James opened the door, smiling as he stepped inside.
    “Leave her alone, James. She’s here to work.”
He’d left Katie in the capable hands of his housekeeper, hoping her
good manners would prevent her from continuing to protest. It
wasn’t unusual for Marcia to spend the night when she worked late.
There was nothing wrong with Katie doing the same.
    James laughed. “Better take your own advice,
brother. Or was she working on the staircase the other day?”
    Damn. He didn’t think his brother had seen
them. Not that he cared for himself, but he didn’t want Katie
embarrassed.
    “Look, James…”
    “No, you look big brother.” James walked
closer to the desk, his usual easy-going demeanor absent. “Katie
seems like a nice girl. Don’t hurt her.”
    John sighed. Maybe his brother was interested
after all. It didn’t matter, not really. As much as he loved his
brother, the fact remained that Katie was his. He’d recognized it
the instant he’d turned and seen her in the path of Big Ben. And
when he’d held her afterwards, he hadn’t wanted to let go. The feel
of her against his body, the sound of her heartbeat echoing the
fierce tattoo of his own, had knocked the breath out of him. “I
know–”
    “You don’t know, jack. Katie looks at you
like you’re the flavor of the month at Ben and Jerry’s–”
    John growled, stepping around the desk to
face the younger man. If that was a slight about Katie’s weight,
he’d deck the man, brother or no brother.
    James waved his anger aside, not intimidated
in the least. “You break that girl’s heart and you’ll answer to
me.”
    John frowned. “I have no intention of
breaking her heart.”
    James walked to the door and turned, giving
his older brother a sage look. “No one