All I Have Read Online Free

his father know about fence repair? He'd worked as a plant supervisor for a chemical company in Louisiana. He'd never repaired anything at home. Nicholas' mom had always called in specialists: carpenters, plumbers, electricians. She'd claimed his father was hopeless when it came to home repair.
    Shane must have noticed his confusion, because he explained while he worked, "Don't look so shocked, son. Jake and I worked together on a ranch one summer. In fact, that's how we met. Both of us were on school break and trying to make some spending money. Where was that place again?"
    Jake laughed. "Oh, don't act like you've forgotten. That was the most memorable summer of both our lives."
    Shane grinned sheepishly. "True. It was one with lasting consequences."
    As he lifted the pile driver from a hole and dumped the dirt, Jake guffawed, "The ranch was in Oregon; beautiful country. But I think if you're going to tell the story of that summer, you need to tell the boy the truth."
    His father shrugged. "Nothing much to tell. It was a great way to make some cash. The ranch was a fancy resort where people with more money than sense go. People would pay to come out and "play" at the ranch. Only we were the real hands keeping everything going. We were responsible for some hard, grueling labor. I don't think I've worked as hard since."
    Jake never looked up, his tool striking the ground. " And tell the boy the other reason we were there."
    "I did. I told him we wanted spending money. And it was a good learning experience."
    "And?"
    "Oh, all right. We were there looking to find girls."
    Nicholas snickered, "Girls? Did it work?"
    A blissful expression covered his father's face. "Yeah, it did. I met your mother that summer."
    "And I met my Annie."
    Both men stopped working and stared off into space. Nicholas watched changing emotions flash across their countenances. "Not to interrupt your walk down memory lane, but if you two were such great friends, how come we never got together while I was growing up?"
    Shane answered, "No real reason—life just getting in the way. When the summer ended, we left the ranch and went our separate ways. We finished school, got married, and started working. Time and distance just kept us apart."
    Jake added, "We talked on the phone occasionally and sometimes sent letters, but we didn't have time for anything else. The wives kept in better touch."
    Both men started working again. Before long, the heat of the day caused all three men to sweat profusely. Shirts were removed and thrown aside as the day waned. Each horse carried a water container but it wasn't long before the canteens were empty.
    "I guess we should stop for the day. This heat is unbearable. And I didn't tell Ellie to bring more water."
    Shane propped himself against a fence post and rubbed the back of his neck. "Stopping is okay with me. I haven't worked this hard in forever. I may not be able to move tomorrow as it is."
    They laughed at Shane's admission. Mounting their horses, they headed back to the small cabin. When they dismounted, Jake said, "I told Carla this morning I was inviting ya'll to dinner. I think Charlotte's making lasagna. How about it?"
    They readily accepted and while Shane showered, Nicholas went to inspect the cabinets. He was surprised to see the shelves overflowing with staples: pasta, rice, sugar, flour, canned goods. There were even bags of chips and cookies and boxes of cereal. The fridge was also overflowing. He read a note on the counter.
    Hope I got everything you need. Feel free to let me know if I forgot something. —Ellie
    Shane came into the room toweling his head. "What's that?"
    "A note from Ellie."
    "Ah, already getting love letters, are you?"
    "Dad! Jeez. It's about the food."
    Shane lifted his hands in defense. "I'm only joking, son. You're usually not so sensitive about these things. I remember the time your mother found a letter in your backpack and started reading it at the dinner table and–"
    Nicholas