Texas Fall Read Online Free PDF Page A

and
sat opposite him on the floor. Tom was tracing a river bed and frowning. “You’d
need to—”
    “I know—”
    “And are we—?”
    “Maybe.”
    They didn’t need to say
much more; they were both on the same page here. Riley didn’t really have to
make a decision about whether or not to hire Tom. The enthusiasm in Tom’s eyes
was enough for him to put absolute trust in the same instincts he used with oil
exploration and ethical investments.
    “The job’s yours if you
want it, pending the usual legal stuff.” He checked his watch. “You can start
in an hour. This will be your first field.”
    Tom’s mouth fell open. He was
apparently floored and not afraid to show it. He scrambled to stand, and Riley
used the desk to copy him. Finally Tom extended his hand.
    “Thank you, sir, you won’t
be disappointed.”
    “Riley. Call me Riley.”
    “Thank you, Riley.”
    All Riley could think was No, thank you, Tom.
     
    * * * * *
     
    Of course he hadn’t
counted on the Jack factor, the fact that Jack had met Tom in a not altogether
innocent situation. Riley spent most of dinner talking about the new manager,
how Kathy had been right about Tom’s instincts, and Jack grew quieter with each
moment. Riley didn’t put two and two together until they were loading the
dishwasher and Jack was utterly silent and kept looking at Riley with a worried
expression on his face.
    “What is it?” Riley asked
carefully. He’d not seen this expression before, and he had to admit it concerned
him. Was Jack apprehensive about Tom having access to CH? Or did he fear Riley
having a young gay guy working with him?
    Hayley had her homework
spread across the table, and Riley could see she was watching her dads with
absolute fascination. Evidently Riley wasn’t the only one to notice that Jack
was acting very strangely.
    “You okay, Jack?” Riley
asked when Jack didn’t reply. But he did let out an unmanly oomph when
Jack grabbed his hand and dragged him out the kitchen door and over to the
first fence to the fields.
    “I don’t know where to
start,” Jack began. He released Riley’s hand and leaned on the fence looking
out over pastures, his eyes locked on something in the distance.
    “You don’t think it’s a
good idea to bring in a manager?” Riley asked. He was going for the first
option as he hoped this wasn’t a jealousy thing.
    “No, that’s a really good
idea.”
    Riley sighed. “But you
don’t like the idea of Tom?”
    “No, Tom’s a good guy.
He’s hung out with Beth before. Shit, Riley.” Jack turned to face Riley and
forced his hands into his jean pockets. “Look, this was a long time ago, but I
was with Tom for a bit.”
    “With him. You mean with him?” Riley could feel his eyes widening and something akin to an urge to
murder in his chest. Jealousy froze him, and he had to shake it off.
    “One day, is all.”
    Riley nodded. “One day,
one night?”
    Jack looked sheepish and
stared down at his feet, scuffing the toe of his left boot in the dirt. “It was
a long time ago. He was only twenty-one, I damn near cradle robbed him. He was
drunk; I was drunk; it was easy.” He looked up at Riley and waited. “It was
never anything more than that, and it was years ago.”
    Riley pushed down the
stomach sinking-sensation of having a name for one of Jack’s exes. Then he
manned up and decided to be absolutely honest with his husband.
    “I’m not worried. If that
is what you think,” Riley said immediately. “We all have exes.”
    “It meant nothing.”
    “Didn’t matter if he was
the love of your life then, we’re together now, and that is what is important.”
    Jack sighed. “I just
wanted you to know, so you didn’t find out later and think that he was… I don’t
know… using you or something.”
    Riley relaxed his stance
and leaned against the fence. He’d never seen his husband quite so awkward
before, and it was kind of cute with a side helping of sexy. Who Jack had been
with before