From Ashes Read Online Free PDF Page B

ranch?”
    “Twenty.”
    “Hundred?”
    “Thousand.”
    “Twenty thousand acres?!” My jaw dropped. Why on earth would anyone need or want that much land?
    “Yes, ma’am.” He spun his mug around on the table.
    “ ‘Ma’am’? Really?”
    One of his eyebrows raised. “What?”
    “I’m not some grandma—I’m younger than you.”
    Gage rolled his eyes. “I didn’t mean you’re old, it’s respectful.” When he looked at my expression he shook his head and chuckled. “Yankees.”
    “Uh, get a clue, cowboy . . . I’m not from the North.”
    “You’re not from the South either. Yankee.” He smirked, and if I thought that was going to melt me, when he added a wink I knew I was done for.
    “Are you going on about Yankees again, bro?” Tyler asked, walking into the kitchen.
    Gage just shrugged and his green eyes met mine from under those dark brows again. “She didn’t like that I called her ‘ma’am.’ ”
    “Get used to it, Cassi, we may be in the city, but it’s different here.”
    I grumbled to myself and Gage laughed.
    “So what are you guys talking about?” Tyler sat in the seat on my other side.
    “Their huge ranch with too many cows,” I answered.
    “She’s right about that, there are way too many cows there,” Tyler said between sips of his coffee.
    “You’d like it.” Gage looked at me with an odd expression.
    “Hell no, she wouldn’t! Cassi doesn’t like getting dirty, and she hates bugs. Your ranch would be the worst place for her.”
    Gage flicked a quick glare at his cousin, then looked back to me. “We have horses.”
    I gasped. “You do? I’ve never been on a horse!”
    “Eight Arabians. I’ll teach you to ride when you come to visit.” He sat back in his chair and folded his arms, smirking at Tyler like he’d just won something.
    Tyler and I both got quiet. My dad told me he was going to let me start taking riding lessons for my sixth birthday and buy me a horse for my seventh. Obviously those things never happened. Not that we didn’t have the money, but my mom wouldn’t even cook for me; no way she would let me do those things. It didn’t help that even though I still loved horses, whenever I saw them I couldn’t stop thinking about my dad.
    “Did I say something wrong?” Gage looked confused but kept his eyes on Tyler.
    “No,” I said with a soft smile. “I’d like that.”
    After a few awkward minutes, Gage stood up and put his mug in the dishwasher before walking toward his room, “Well, I’m gonna take a shower. If there’s anything y’all wanna do today, let me know.”
    Tyler scooted my chair closer to him. “You okay, Cassi? Is it because of your dad?”
    “No, it’s fine. I mean, I was thinking about him. But I just can’t believe he’s been gone for almost twelve years. I feel like I should be over it, I was so young when it happened, but I don’t think I was ever allowed to grieve, and that’s why it’s still hard. I’m not looking forward to this birthday. I always thought when I got away from Mom and Jeff, I would finally enjoy my birthdays again, but I’m looking forward to it less than ever. I think we need to give me a new birthday, Ty.” I huffed a light laugh. “No one wants a birthday on the anniversary of their father’s death.”
    He pulled me onto his lap and held me loosely so he wouldn’t hurt my back. “He was a great dad; you aren’t supposed to get over him, Cassi, you’ll always miss him. And no new birthdays, you’re keeping the one you have and I’ll make sure they get better and better every year.”
    I let him hold me for a few minutes before speaking again. “Thanks, Ty, I love you.”
    “Love you too, Cassi.”
    G AGE
    OH MY GOD, her dad died on her birthday? What else has happened to this girl? Okay, I’ll admit I left the bathroom door cracked for a few minutes before shutting it and starting my shower. But the way they’d both got so quiet there at the end, I knew I’d said something I