Hang Tough Read Online Free PDF Page A

asked.
    Jade blinked, noticing he held the plate of sandwiches in front of her. “Now who’s making assumptions? No, I’m not vegetarian. Not that there’s anything wrong with it.”
    â€œAgreed. It ain’t my business how folks choose to live their lives.” His eyes gleamed. “In fact, I find it disturbing when people who haven’t got the first clue about a person’s life presume to horn in and take over.”
    And it looked like the gloves just came off.
    Good.
    Before Jade responded, GG pushed back from the table. “Shoot. I left my pills in my room. Gotta remember to take them with lunch.” She quickly vanished through the swinging doors.
    Tobin leaned close enough she could see the golden hair mixed in with the darker scruff on his face. “You might as well get in your car and hightail it back to New York City and tell your daddy that he won’t succeed in throwing Garnet out of her house. I won’t let that happen.”
    â€œWhy are
you
here, Tobin? Exactly what kind of . . . relationship do you have with my grandmother?”
    â€œYou watch yourself,” he warned. “I have nothin’ but the utmost respect for Miz G, and that is why I will not let her family—a familythat’s
never
been here to visit even
one
time in the years I’ve known Garnet—think they have the right to enforce any kind of decision on her. Your father does not know what’s best for her and neither do you.”
    â€œAnd you do?” Jade asked him with a sneer that matched his.
    â€œDamn straight. I’m here to ensure that a moving van doesn’t pull up and start dismantling Garnet’s life piece by piece as she stands by helplessly and watches them haul it away.” He shook his head. “Not happening to her on my watch.”
    Jade started to correct his assumption about the sudden appearance of moving vans as paranoid speculation on GG’s part, but she decided to let his mistaken judgment ride and see where it led. “She’s out here in the middle of nowhere—”
    â€œThat is a lame argument. She’s been fine living on her own here for years.”
    â€œBecause she’s heavily armed?” she retorted. “Lately she’s been exhibiting the type of behavior that forces us to question her ability to make sound decisions.” She took a breath. “You think it’s
fine
for her to shoot off guns in a public venue? It’s
fine
for her to get arrested and spend the night in jail? It’s
fine
to spend twenty thousand dollars on champagne? Or on—”
    â€œIt’s her damn money,” he said irritably. “If she wants to drop that kinda cash on bubbly, it’s not your father’s concern or yours.”
    â€œBut it is my concern how much she’s paying you for ‘protection services.’ I highly doubt you’re doing it out of the kindness of your heart.”
    â€œYou don’t know a thing about me. But here’s a hint. I’m stubborn as fuck. And you just showing up here out of the blue proves my point about there bein’ way more at play than Garnet making a couple of bad decisions when she’s defending her best pals.” Tobin pointed to the door. “That woman is selfless and nobody is taking advantage of her for that. Especially not her family who think they can lay down the law for her from thirty-five hundred miles away.”
    â€œHappily, I’m not that far away anymore. I’ll be living here for as long as it takes to get a feel for what she needs.”
    Tobin eased back. “You know what Garnet needs? Honesty. Don’t play off your sudden appearance like you got a wild hair up your ass to leave your fancy city lifestyle so you could experience the modern-day West. You’ll hurt her if you allow her to believe you give a shit about her life in Wyoming.”
    Jade felt her cheeks heat. “I would