Love All Out - Part 2 (A Stepbrother Romance) Read Online Free

assistant foreman?”
    “At first, Cole made it sound like I’d be doing him a huge favor. Mind you, this was after my mother announced that she’s selling the only home I’ve ever known. Your dad asked if I’d help out around the ranch since I’ll be living here. I hesitated, because I want to get back to bull riding. I told them that and your dad gave me a big speech about being a man, settling down and accepting some real responsibility. Then Mom made it pretty clear that I’ll be expected to work for my keeping. I need a place to live, and if I want to live here, I have to work here.”
    “That’s completely unfair.”
    “We finally agree on something,” he said, his face softening into a smile. “I saw your face when Mom was talking about the Kentucky horses. Do you finally understand why we need to put a stop to this?”
    I wanted to say yes, but Matt and Dallas’s words were still dancing around in my head. “I don’t know,” I said, looking back down at the table. “Don’t get me wrong, I hate this as much as you do. But are you sure we aren’t being selfish?”
    “We have to think about ourselves,” James insisted. “Our parents certainly aren’t thinking about us. My dad designed our house. The idea of Mom selling it makes me sick to my stomach. And you can’t tell me you feel any differently about my mom moving in to the house your mom and dad shared.”
    “I hate the idea,” I agreed. “But shouldn’t we want our parents to be happy? Is there something wrong with us?”
    James reached across the table and took my hand. I let him hold it for a second and then pulled away, remembering him with Katelyn.  “There’s nothing wrong with us,” he told me. “We both care about our parents and we don’t want to see them make a mistake. And we both know that this marriage is a mistake. I don’t want to hurt either one of them, just help them see the light.”
    His assurances silenced the voices in my head. “What do you have in mind?” I asked.
    His excitement that I was on board was obvious. His eyes twinkled, and he looked like a man with a plan.
    “I have a couple of ideas,” he told me. “I know Mom’s high school boyfriend is still in Kentucky. I thought I might arrange for them to run in to each other while we’re there for the Derby. I don’t expect Mom to run off with him or anything, but it could cause enough doubts that she’ll call off the engagement. Do you know if your dad has any old girlfriends around here? Or someone else that might hold some influence over him?”
    I shook my head. “No one comes to mind, but I’ll dig around and see if I can find some names. I know Daddy has his old college yearbooks in his office. I’ll start there.”
    “Okay, let me know what you find. I have another idea that might make the exes unnecessary,” he told me.
    “Good, because as fast as they’re moving they could be married by the time we leave for Kentucky,” I pointed out.
    “That’s what I’m worried about,” James agreed. “I almost feel guilty pulling out the big gun, but desperate times call for desperate measures.”
    “How big of a gun are we talking?” I nervously bit my lower lip and waited for James to explain his plan.
    “Mom’s headstrong, but there’s one person who’s always been able to bend her to their will… my Nana Claire, my dad’s mom. I think she’d be very interested to learn that Mom’s selling off her son’s dream home and marrying another man. It’s my duty as a good grandson to call and tell her what’s going on,” he finished with a mischievous grin.
    He seemed so confident, I almost felt guilty. Nana Claire sounded like a formidable woman.
    “I don’t know…” I hesitated. “I don’t want to put Renee through anything… traumatic.”
    James sighed with frustration and kicked at the dirt floor. “Do you want to call her Mom? Because that’s what will happen if we sit back and do nothing. In a single day, they’ve