The Cattle Drive [The Armstrong Brothers of Cedar Creek] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Rebecca Joyce Read Free Book Online Page B

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    The town of Cedar Creek was just a little thing. Compared to most rural towns in the south, this had to be the smallest town in Texas. Mostly ranches and a few farms, Cedar Creek consisted of one main road, a post office that doubled as the local feed store, a simple courthouse, and a small grocery store. The town’s sheriff’s office also housed the local volunteer fire department, mainly three men and one of those men was the sheriff.
    The town of Cedar Creek took care of its own.
    They had fought many times to keep their small town as simple as possible. Even when the big Walmart chain wanted to build in Cedar Creek, the whole town of over five hundred voted jointly to object to the move. It has been that way for years, and the townsfolk preferred it that way.
    Michael liked the feel of the closeness of the tight-knit town. Never once living in Illinois did he ever feel welcome and appreciated for living somewhere, but the town had opened their arms and welcomed him and his son. The feeling of belonging was new to him.
    Always the outsider, Michael liked looking at everything from the outside. He preferred it that way. The quietness was what really appealed to him the most. The hustle and bustle of the big city was gone. Now a slow pace eased the tension within him, and soon he found himself relaxing and taking his time. If nothing, the town helped him to realize that there was nothing that important that it couldn’t wait until tomorrow, and he liked that.
    Enjoying the ride into town, Michael looked over the passing farms as the day’s hot sun shone through the window. It was going to be another scorcher. He had heard of hot days before, but living in south Texas, this was hot. After living in Illinois, he thought he would never again complain of what he believed to be hot summers. He would give anything for a cool breeze off of the lakes right about now.
    He pulled into the parking lot of the feed store when he saw Chris walk in.
    Getting out of his truck, Michael walked into one of the only gossip holes in town. The store was a typical feed store, but what he liked was that most of the people there were just there to gab.
    It didn’t take long for Chris to walk over to say hi. “Hey, Michael, how’s the organic farm going?”
    “Slow, very slow.”
    “Well I thought you should know that you have the whole town talking. Not many of them think you are going to get it up and running. This Texas ground isn’t right for what you are planning. They all think your land would be better suited for ranching,” Chris said with a smile.
    “Well, sheriff, there is a first for everything, isn’t there?” Michael replied.
    “I guess so. Hey by the way, I heard your boy was headed out to ask Rachael for a summer job out on her ranch. I thought he didn’t know how to ride?”
    “He doesn’t. What do you mean, summer job out on her ranch?” Michael asked. He knew damn well what Rachael was planning, but he was worried why Henry would want to be out there. He didn’t mind the fact that Henry wanted to work for her, but the boy was seventeen. He just couldn’t figure out what irked him so much about that fact. He knew if he stopped and thought about it for a minute, he could probably figure it out, but it was something that he wasn’t ready to acknowledge yet.
    “Well, it’s not so much as a summer job, but she is having an old-fashioned cattle drive. She’s going to hire a bunch of boys from town at the beginning of summer to get them ready for the fall drive. They have to get the cattle to market before winter hits, and those she doesn’t take she leaves behind to roam free. She needs the extra hands to tend the farm while she is away,” Chris explained.
    “Ah…I see.” Michael nodded.
    “Have you given any thought to the spring festival coming up in a couple of months?”
    “Haven’t thought about it. I will ask Henry and see what he wants to do.”
    “Well, just thought I would let you know. I