Love All Out - Part 1 (A Stepbrother Romance) Read Online Free Page B

groupies.
    He probably has a woman in every city… he’s definitely pretty enough. I wonder if the women know each other. I wonder if they care that they’re just one of many.
    I’d always thought James was hot, but I’d also known that he wasn’t the type of guy I could have a relationship with. He was too cocky, too sure that he was God’s gift to women. And from what I’d seen in high school, he thought his sex appeal entitled him to any woman he wanted. As hot as he was, the last thing I wanted was to be another notch on his belt.
    “We’ll get him straightened out, Renee,” Daddy assured her. “A few weeks on the ranch and he’ll be a new man.”
    “I sure hope so. I think you’ll be a good influence on him too, Cole. He’s been so lost since Gus passed.”
    “I’d be happy to take him under my wing.”
    Daddy and Renee grinned at each other like love struck teenagers and I had the overwhelming urge to escape.
    “It’s getting late… shall we get to work?” I asked.
    “Of course,” Renee agreed. She finished her coffee in one long gulp and carried her cup to the sink.
    I turned to Daddy. “What’s on your agenda today?”
    “The usual… I’m going to check the pastures for new babies and then shut myself up in my office. I may drive out to the Maxwell’s place after lunch. They’ve got a bull for sale that I have my eye on. Why don’t you two eat with me today? We’ve got plenty of Mary’s fried chicken left. Bring Matt too.”
    “I don’t know…” I hesitated. Daddy already seemed too fond of Renee. I didn’t want to sit around and watch him fawn over her while I tried to eat.
    “I doubt we’ll have time for a long lunch,” Renee replied. “I’d like to get trained as quickly as possible.”
    If I hadn’t been so annoyed by her, I’d have been grateful for Renee’s excuse. “Renee’s right,” I agreed. “We’ve got a lot of ground to cover and I’d like to have her trained before Glory foals. And she could go any day now.”
    “Oh how exciting!” Renee exclaimed. “This is why spring is my favorite season. I love all of the baby animals!”
    I studied Renee’s face for a moment, trying to figure out how she could possibly be so perky at eight a.m. I’d never met Gus, but it was obvious that James took after his father. With her blonde hair, blue eyes, and short stature, Renee looked more like me than her dark haired, dark eyed son.
    “Then you’ll love being on the ranch,” Daddy told her. “When you’re done for the day, I’ll take you for a drive and introduce you to Aces High’s newest residents.”
    “I’d love that!” Renee gushed.
    I cleared my throat. “So… are you ready to get going? We can drive down to the barn, if you’d like.”
    Renee waved off the suggestion. “Nonsense, what is it, half a mile?”
    I nodded.
    “Let’s walk it, I could use the exercise.”
    “Okay… see you tonight, Daddy.”
    “Have a good day, pumpkin, and take care of Renee.”
    “I will,” I grudgingly promised.
    When Daddy first told me he’d hired Renee, I thought he saw it as killing two birds with one stone: Matt and I needed help; she needed a job. But it was becoming more and more apparent that he had personal reasons for wanting Renee on the ranch every day.
    I left the kitchen and made my way to the front door. I didn’t bother to turn around and check if Renee was following me. I didn’t want to watch her and Daddy exchange goodbyes. She caught up to me on the porch steps and I turned to her with a frown.
    “Are you involved with my father?” I blurted out. “Is that really why you’re here?”
    Renee blushed. “I’m fond of your dad, Willow. He’s been a good friend to me during some very difficult times. But I’m not here for him, I’m here to work.”
    Unsure what to say, I stepped off the steps and started walking to the barn. Renee touched my arm and I stopped. “Cole warned me that you’re territorial about the thoroughbreds,”