AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Jonathan nodded. “Under the circumstances, I don’t blame you a bit. I reckon working with family hasn’t been a good experience for you up to now.”
“No, sir, it hasn’t. We’re really hoping that changes.” Dale didn’t feel they were on the hot seat or being judged. In fact, he couldn’t ever recall being this comfortable in the presence of any of his extended family back home. He was comfortable here, and judging by Parker’s body language, his brother felt the same way.
The men smiled. “I’m sure it will,” Michael said. “Those boys—our sons Chase and Brian, as well as your cousins—they’re building something special together. I must confess they’ve surprised us all.”
Grandma Kate cleared her throat.
Michael chuckled. “Let me amend that. They’ve surprised all of us except Mother.”
Dale and Parker both chuckled. Just then, it was easy to see how Grandma Kate was considered the head of the combined families.
“Their business looks to be something that will really do well,” Parker said. “We were quite impressed.”
“We like how they’ve got all the bases covered, and we know how talented Trace and Lucas are in training rodeo stock because they were darn good on the circuit,” Dale said.
“That’s not something the two of you have ever done, is it?” Grandma Kate asked.
“No, ma’am.” Parker grinned. “The most adventurous thing we’ve ever done—before coming down here—was to go to U of M. We stayed close to campus the first year and then commuted for the rest of our time there. We’re both ranchers down to the bone and believed we’d only do a better job with some solid learning to go with the experience we’d already racked up.”
Jonathan sat forward. “That’s the way I saw it, too. I attended college and got degrees in animal husbandry and ranch management. I wanted to do the best job I could do. Our son, Steven, did the same. He runs the first Benedict ranch now.”
Abigail and Bernice got to their feet, and Dale and Parker both did the same, as did the older men in the room.
“Gentlemen, sit. Supper will be ready, shortly. We’ll just get it finished up.”
Dale already knew another difference between the family here and the one up north. Both his aunts Norah and Mary coveted household help year-round. That was one thing his mother never seemed to care overmuch about. She understood that the ranch came first—simply because it was the foundation that supported them all.
Norah had been especially bitter about Uncle George’s refusal to hire a full-time housekeeper-slash-cook for her.
There might not be much flash here in Lusty, Texas. And that was fine with him. He preferred the substance, and the impression he was forming was that the folks down here—even the transplanted ones—were all about that little thing.
Chapter Seven
“This has got to be one of the prettiest little towns I’ve ever seen. And so friendly, too!”
Camille Collins settled onto the padded bench at Angel’s Roadhouse. Bailey had seated them in a booth beside the windows. Of course, she’d greeted Jenny by name, and then Jenny had introduced her coworker to her parents.
“You’ve clearly made a good impression in the time you’ve been here,” her father, Jason, said. “Do you know when we checked in, the owner of the inn, Mrs. Benedict, told us what a nice woman and competent waitress you were?”
Jenny grinned. “Lusty is definitely different from any other place I’ve ever been. Although, seriously, I’ll be the first to admit I’ve not been to a lot of other places.”
“Well, we have, sweetheart. I like this town and these people. And I really like knowing that you’re so well-known and thought of here. That you matter.”
That was a strange thing for her mother to have said. When she’d called last week about this visit, her mother had assured her there was nothing wrong. But that wasn’t the feeling she’d gotten in the time since she’d arrived at the Parkview Inn and greeted her folks.
Now here they were at lunch, and her sense that something was off just grew stronger. Bailey had taken their order, but it was Laci who brought the tray of drinks to the table.
