Second Chance Ranch Read Online Free PDF Page B

“this is how we’ve always done it.” As the Circle D financial officer, Zac had faced more than one stonewall conversation with his father when suggesting a new investment or commodity avenue. Since Melanie and her son Jason had joined the family, things had changed. For Grace and Martin.
    And especially for his brother, Gabe. Shaken up his life; kept him off balance. A completely new experience for the ever dependable Gabriel Davidson.
    Tucking one hand behind his head and scratching Fletcher with the other, Zac settled back into the comfortable routine of looking at the world for all it was worth. Being overly responsible had never been his problem. He’d pulled every ounce of adventure out of life. “I’m glad she’s making Dad see another side of life.”
    “Well now, don’t go giving her too much credit just because she’s getting him to eat egg white omelets and grilled chicken. Your dad is still as stubborn as they come.”
    Zac raised a brow. “If she can get him to eat egg whites instead of biscuits and gravy, I say there’s hope yet.”
    “Sweetheart, in God’s eyes, there’s hope for us all.” She patted his arm on her way to the door. “Speaking of hope, have you stopped by the Trails’ End? Jennifer has done a lot with that place. Does she know you want it?”
    “Yeah.” His lighthearted mood drained as if flushed from his peace of mind. Their confrontation had scored grooves in his gray matter and touched his buttons. Something Jen had always been good at. “We talked about it.”
    Grace stopped and slid her hand up the door jamb as her eyes grew wide. “I’ll bet that was quite the conversation.”
    “We established our strengths and weaknesses.” The dog writhed beside him as Zac scratched large circles on his belly. “Or something like that.”
    “That girl’s always been strength, Zac.” Grace stepped back into the room and faced him. “From the moment her mama died, she bucked up and grabbed life by the horns. She took care of her dad.”
    Zac sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Fletcher stretched out, reclaiming territory. “And she still thinks it’s her job to take care of the world.”
    “Of course.” Grace laughed and shook her head. “That’s why you two always got along. She did the thinking; you did the doing. A more Huck and Tom pair I’ve never seen.”
    Grace turned and started down the hall toward the kitchen. Zac followed. “Stupid me, I can’t think of a single fence that needs whitewashing.”
    “Whitewashing is just painting old boards to give them new perspective, you know.” They stopped in the kitchen. She nodded for him to sit at the counter as she set a bowl of snap peas in front of him. “I wouldn’t go glossing over too much of the truth.”
    He grabbed a hull and snapped the end, pulling the string off with practiced ease. “That ranch is too much for her to handle. Twenty five hundred acres of crops is a lot for anyone to plan, plant and harvest. I’m just trying to make her understand what’s involved.”
    “That’s all?” She rummaged through the refrigerator and emerged with a platter of steaks. Setting the plate on the counter across from him, she began trimming off the fat. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with the Trails’ End once being part of the Circle D, would it?”
    “That’s just coincidence.” He held his tongue, knowing Grace had figured out his motives, but he wasn’t ready to acknowledge she’d won. “That spread requires work Jen hasn’t even discovered yet. Why else do you think Jess Eklund is all fired up to sell the place?”
    “Only the good Lord knows what’s on Jess’s mind. Just because he can’t handle it doesn’t mean Jennifer can’t. She’s a smart girl with a lot of folks believing in her. She’s doing a good, productive thing for all those children who need a bit of fun out in the open air.”
    “I’m not saying that. She’s doing a great thing for them. She just