Natural Born Daddy Read Online Free PDF Page A

whole day trying to show me again the last time heand Jessie were over here, but if you ask me, pen and paper are plenty good enough for keeping the books.”
    Jordan hid a smile. He knew that his father’s pretended bemusement covered a mind that could grasp the most intricate details in a flash. Any trouble he was having with his computer was feigned solely to grab Luke’s attention.
    â€œDaddy, you’re practically in the twenty-first century,” he chided. “You have to keep up with the times.”
    â€œA lot of nonsense, if you ask me.” He grinned. “Leastways, that’s what I tell Cody. Keeps him on his toes.”
    The youngest of the Adams brothers, Cody was the one who’d fought hardest for his place as the head of the White Pines ranching operation. Harlan had pushed just as hard to get him to leave and strike out on his own. Now there was little question in anyone’s mind that Cody was as integral to the family business as his father was.
    â€œOne of these days the two of you are going to butt heads once too often,” Jordan warned his father.
    â€œNot a chance,” Harlan said with evident pride. “That boy’s stubborn as a mule. Might even be worse than you or Lucas and he’s a danged sight ornerier than Erik.”
    He sounded downright happy about his youngest’s muleheadedness. He studied Jordan over the rim of his coffee cup. “You never did say what brought you home.”
    â€œNo,” Jordan said firmly. “I didn’t.”
    â€œWouldn’t have anything to do with that Flint woman, would it?”
    Jordan’s head snapped up and he stared at his father. “Why would you ask that?”
    â€œBecause you make a beeline for that ranch every time you drive into the county. Can’t be sleeping with her, since you do wind up in your own bed here at night.”
    Jordan’s jaw tightened at the too personal observation. “My sleeping arrangements are none of your concern. Besides, Kelly and I are just friends. She’s had a rough time of it these past couple of years. I try to look in on her every once in a while to make sure she’s okay.” At least, that had been his motivation until last night’s visit.
    His father nodded. “She’s getting that place of hers on its feet, though. She’s got a lot of gumption and that girl of hers is a real little dickens. She called here last night to see if you’d asked yet about whether we want a kitten.”
    Despite his annoyance with his father, Jordan couldn’t help chuckling at Dani’s persistence. The remark was also proof that his father had known he was back in town and had also known exactly where he was the night before. All the questions had been designed just to needle him.
    â€œDid you agree to take one?” he asked, referring to the kittens Dani hadn’t trusted him to save.
    â€œHow could I say no? The child was worried sick about her mother drowning them all in the creek. She mentioned that you’d reassured her that wouldn’t happen, but she wasn’t taking any chances.” He eyed Jordan speculatively. “Does that pitiful excuse for a father of hers get by much?”
    Jordan wasn’t surprised that his father knew the whole ugly story. It was hardly a secret, but even if ithad been, Harlan made it his business to know about the folks around him, including those on neighboring ranches. He was even more persistent when it came to the women in his sons’ lives.
    â€œNot that I’m aware of,” he told his father.
    â€œCan’t understand a man who wouldn’t be proud to call a little one like that his own.”
    â€œNeither can I,” Jordan said grimly. He’d expressed his views on Paul Flint more than once to Kelly, long before she’d finally decided on divorce as her only option. He’d even offered on occasion to pummel some sense into the