Chase the Storm Read Online Free PDF

chuckled.
“I mean, I expected a farmto have other animals and… stuff.”
“Stuff?”
“Yeah, like a silo or bigtruck things,”I said, shrugging.
“I don’t have a silo. No need for it. As for the animals, we had some cattle and chickens, but I sold the cattle offlast year. Theywere too much work, not enoughprofit.”
“And the chickens?”
Attempting to keep the corner of his lips from turning up, he motioned to the dinner onmyplate.
“Oh.”
“Anythingelse?”
“Youneed a dog,”I said, takinga sip ofmilk.
“A dog?”
“Yeah, everyfarmneeds a dog,”I reasoned.
“I’mnot ‘everyfarm’,”he retorted witha raised brow.
“What kind offarmis this, then?”
“I buy horses, train them, and sellthem. I also grow and sellhay and wheat. It’s enough to keep food on the table and pay the bills. Nothing fancylike what you’re probablyused to, though.”
“I don’t like fancy.” I scowled at the insinuation. He nodded like he didn’t believe me and continued eating.
I offered to help with the dishes, but he ignored me, so I waited until he was finished and drying his hands on the towel. When he spun around and saw me still there, he sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. It wasn’t a nervous habit like it was for some. It seemed more of something he did whenhe was resigned to a situation.
“I need to show youto your room, huh?”
He left before I answered. Picking up my bag, I hurriedly followed himout of the kitchen to the set of stairs we’d passed when we came in. There were more pictures on the wall, some of him and Owen, others of people I assumed were family or friends. When my eyes left the pictures and landed on Chase’s ass only a few feet from me, I stumbled on the step, catchingmyselfwiththe railing.
He never evennoticed.
At the top of the stairs, he turned right, and I scrambled to catch up with him. Arriving at the landing, I turned in time to see himenter a room onthe right. Relieved the game was over, I followed himin. It was sparse, withonlya bed, nightstand witha lamp, and a dresser. Like the rest ofthe house, the floor was hardwood and the walls were an off-white color. There were two windows, both framed with airy curtains. The bed was neatlymade withtwo plainpillows and a maroonblanket.
“If you need another blanket let me know. The days are hot, but the nights cool right down, city boy.” He went to the door, but paused. Not lookingback, he said, “Daystarts at four thirty.”
And with that he was gone. Looking around the room, I sighed and placed my bag on the bed. I pulled out The Catcher and the Rye and placed it on the bedside table. Then I shed my clothes, leaving them on the floor, and climbed into the large, empty bed. After switching off the lamp, I lay on my back, staring up at the textured ceiling and wondering what the hell I’d gotten myself into. I fell asleep hoping Owen was more personable thanhis lover.
Chapter 2
     

“N OT like that,”Chase growled, “like this.”
    He snatched the pitchfork from my hand, and, pushing me aside, proceeded to show me the correct way to shovel horseshit. Yawning, I watched him, nodding when he asked if I understood. It was five in the morning; I didn’t understand muchat that hour.
    It had been just after four thirty when I had stumbled into the barn. The horses were munching in their stalls as I walked down the aisle trying to find Chase.
“Heads!” he called fromthe loft, and a bale of hay dropped in front ofme, missingme byinches and sendingup plumes ofbarleyand alfalfa.
    I was suddenly thankful I’d worn an old T-shirt and one of the few pairs of jeans I had. If the previous day had been any indication, they would bothbe permanentlystained bysunset.
“Divide it up, a flake each.”
    I stepped forward to look up and ask himwhat the hell a flake was, but he was gone. Bending over, I wrestled the twine from the bale and watched it fall apart. With an exasperated sigh, he walked up and bent over, pickingup a separated