When the Glitter Fades (Cowboys of Whispering Winds) by Renee Peterson Read Free Book Online Page A

to a clipboard and picked a pen out from the cup on his desk. “Fill all of these out so you’re legal. When do you plan on starting?” He took a seat in his chair behind the desk, a camelback style constructed of buffalo leather and antique brass nail heads accenting the frontal curves.
    “October first. I have some prior commitments to wrap up beforehand.” Jeremy looked down at the papers, doing a quick scan of them before beginning to fill out the blanks.
    “Hmm. Alan is leaving us on the thirtieth; I was hoping the two of you could spend a few days together before that.”
    “If he’s free next weekend I can come down for Saturday and Sunday.”
    Everett nodded his approval. “I’ll ask him and get back to you.”
    “Hey dad, I thought you should…” Jase entered the room, stopping midsentence when he saw Jeremy, his face turning to a scowl.
    Some things never change , Jeremy thought. “Good to see you again,” Jeremy greeted, trying to take the high road.
    “Wish the feeling was mutual,” Jase muttered under his breath. 
    So that’s how it was going to be; he wasn’t surprised.
    “Sit down, Son. When Jeremy’s done filling out the paperwork, you can show him where he’ll be staying.” 
    Jase followed his father’s instructions, the glower deepening.
    Son and former son-in-law both looked incredulously at Everett. “I was planning on renting out a place in town,” Jeremy said.
    “Nonsense. We’re paying you little enough as it is; no sense paying for something elsewhere. Jase’s old cabin is empty; just sitting and collecting dust.”
    One look toward Jase told Jeremy what he thought of the idea. “Allie and I still have some things there,” he protested.
    “Then get it out. You have until the first,” Everett responded, not giving in to his son. 
    Jase looked like he wanted to say more, but remained silent.
    Silently, Jeremy agreed with Jase on this; considering the animosity between them, taking over his old place wouldn’t help bridge the gap at all. However, Everett was the boss and he didn’t want to cause more strain. “I’m sure I can find it on my own if you point the way.”
    “No. The tension between both of you is thick enough to cut with a knife. Have a talk, work it out and find a way to leave the past in the past.”  Everett gave his son a pointed look. “You’ll be working together often and there’s a lot riding on this. Whispering Winds can’t afford to have the two of you at odds.”
    “I’ll be in the game room when you’re ready,” Jase said, standing to leave.
    An hour later, Jeremy’s hand was cramped from all the paperwork, everything from government forms to liability releases. A long time had passed since he’d had to use his penmanship for much more than giving an autograph. He left the room feeling excited and optimistic. Once Everett had gone into details about what Jeremy would be doing, the anticipation built.  The thrill of training a horse, from the time he was a foal to the time he sold, was exhilarating and never failed to incite a fulfilling sense of accomplishment.  
    Man, he hadn’t realized how much he’d missed working with horses since Travers’ Ranch shut down. Even during his rodeo days, he’d continued helping his dad for the sheer fun of it; that is, until he’d won the championship and got too big for his britches. Lanie had known how much it meant to him and when it came time to build their house, they’d chosen a property a few minutes’ drive from the ranch’s border.  Of course, he’d never stopped to consider she might want to live closer to her home. In fact, he’d always thought he’d done her a favor by building her a dream house, never asking where she wanted to live.  Funny how perceptions changed over time.
    “Daddy!” An innocent voice called from down the hallway.
    Looking up, he saw Cody running toward him. With a few stiff steps, Jeremy met him halfway, and his son wrapped his small arms