Read Online A Gentle Rain by Deborah F. Smith - Free Book Online
Authors: Deborah F. Smith
Tags: Fiction, General, Romance, Contemporary, Domestic Fiction, Contemporary Women, Inheritance and succession, Florida, Ranch life, Connecticut, Ranchers, Heiresses, Birthparents, kindleconvert, Ranch Life - Florida
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hurt somebody."
Joey looked at me anxiously. "Maybe she's just special, like us," he said in a small voice. "Like you always say, Benji. Special. Maybe she just needs a chance."
Oh, Lord.
"Sixty," a second meat broker called out. Lily grabbed Mac's arm. "Glen doesn't have to know. We could pay for the mare's food. Ben wouldn't tell."
Mac got even more worried looking, like his face was in a vise; he could see Lily wanted the mare, and whatever Lily wanted, he'd try to give her. But he didn't want to make his big brother mad. Glen was his legal guardian, after all.
Mac looked at me. "Ben?"
"Damn," I said under my breath.
"Sixty, going once, going twice," the auctioneer called.
"Sixty-one," Lily yelled.
Mac nearly fell over. "L-Lily! I gotta call G-Glen f-first."
"Sixty-five," the meat buyer countered.
Lily leaned over to Miriam, who was pretty much chewing the hell out of a toothpick. "What comes after sixty-five?"
"Miss Lily, you don't need a mean, crazy horse-"
"Sesenta y seis!" Cheech yelled at the auctioneer.
"That means `sixty-six,"' Bigfoot yelled.
Possum, who had huddled down between the seats, held up one hand plus one finger, then flashed one hand plus two fingers.
"Sixty-seven," the auctioneer confirmed.
I hung my head and groaned.
"Seventy," one of the meat brokers yelled. He looked miffed. The mare was prime chow. We were crowding his dog-food action.
"What comes next?" Lily asked wildly.
Bigfoot and Joey conferred. "Seventy-one," Bigfoot yelled.
Now the top bidder was truly pissed. "Eighty," he yelled. Everyone in the stands was staring at me. Including Tami Jo Jackson, who laughed.
Mac clamped a big hand on my arm. "I'll w-work extra to p-pay the m-mare's upk-k-eep, Ben. I guess I don't care if Glen's m-mad at me this once. Lily wants that mare. Help."
"Going once," the auctioneer boomed, lifting his gavel.
"Ben, what comes after eighty?" Lily cried. "Is it a lot? You can have my loose-change jar. Forever."
"Benji," Joey said urgently. "Can't we save the mare? I'll help take care of her."
"Going twice," the auctioneer said.
Damn. Another mouth to feed. One that'd probably bite me.
"One hundred," I called.
The auctioneer pointed to the meat bidder. He scowled and shook his head. The gavel came down. "Sold to Thocco Ranch for one hundred dollars!"
The mare dragged the auction hands to a wall and bounced them off it.
"Mercy!" the auctioneer boomed.
Every rancher in north Florida looked at me like I needed my head inspected.
I did.
Chapter 4
Kara New York
Sedge and I stood at the enormous windows of his Manhattan apartment. I looked up at him gently. "It was you who said I should get out in the world. To take some risks."
"I didn't mean you should seek out your birth parents. You're hoping for answers that may be disastrous for you."
"I'll take that risk."
"But my dear, this situation isn't only about you. It will soon be announced"-he hesitated, studying my reaction gently-"that Charles and Elizabeth Whittenbrook are to receive an honorary, posthumous, Nobel Peace Prize for their work in environmentalism."
The Nobel. I sat down slowly on a chair by the picturesque window.
He touched a soothing hand to my hair. "The award will be presented in Sweden, in mid-October. Just a few months from now. You should be there. It would be their dearest wish for you to accept the award in their honor."
I looked up at him miserably. "Of course I'll be there. But what you're really saying is that I shouldn't tell my birth parents who I am. To protect Mother and Dad's legacy."
He nodded. "You're their only child. Can't you find in your heart to remain solely and simply, Kara Whittenbrook?"
"But I'm my birth parents' only child, too. I have two sets of parents to consider."
"One of which wanted you desperately and the other of which gave you away willingly."
"I don't know that, yet."
He lowered himself into an armchair beside mine. "Can we agree that you'll keep your identity secret at
Joey looked at me anxiously. "Maybe she's just special, like us," he said in a small voice. "Like you always say, Benji. Special. Maybe she just needs a chance."
Oh, Lord.
"Sixty," a second meat broker called out. Lily grabbed Mac's arm. "Glen doesn't have to know. We could pay for the mare's food. Ben wouldn't tell."
Mac got even more worried looking, like his face was in a vise; he could see Lily wanted the mare, and whatever Lily wanted, he'd try to give her. But he didn't want to make his big brother mad. Glen was his legal guardian, after all.
Mac looked at me. "Ben?"
"Damn," I said under my breath.
"Sixty, going once, going twice," the auctioneer called.
"Sixty-one," Lily yelled.
Mac nearly fell over. "L-Lily! I gotta call G-Glen f-first."
"Sixty-five," the meat buyer countered.
Lily leaned over to Miriam, who was pretty much chewing the hell out of a toothpick. "What comes after sixty-five?"
"Miss Lily, you don't need a mean, crazy horse-"
"Sesenta y seis!" Cheech yelled at the auctioneer.
"That means `sixty-six,"' Bigfoot yelled.
Possum, who had huddled down between the seats, held up one hand plus one finger, then flashed one hand plus two fingers.
"Sixty-seven," the auctioneer confirmed.
I hung my head and groaned.
"Seventy," one of the meat brokers yelled. He looked miffed. The mare was prime chow. We were crowding his dog-food action.
"What comes next?" Lily asked wildly.
Bigfoot and Joey conferred. "Seventy-one," Bigfoot yelled.
Now the top bidder was truly pissed. "Eighty," he yelled. Everyone in the stands was staring at me. Including Tami Jo Jackson, who laughed.
Mac clamped a big hand on my arm. "I'll w-work extra to p-pay the m-mare's upk-k-eep, Ben. I guess I don't care if Glen's m-mad at me this once. Lily wants that mare. Help."
"Going once," the auctioneer boomed, lifting his gavel.
"Ben, what comes after eighty?" Lily cried. "Is it a lot? You can have my loose-change jar. Forever."
"Benji," Joey said urgently. "Can't we save the mare? I'll help take care of her."
"Going twice," the auctioneer said.
Damn. Another mouth to feed. One that'd probably bite me.
"One hundred," I called.
The auctioneer pointed to the meat bidder. He scowled and shook his head. The gavel came down. "Sold to Thocco Ranch for one hundred dollars!"
The mare dragged the auction hands to a wall and bounced them off it.
"Mercy!" the auctioneer boomed.
Every rancher in north Florida looked at me like I needed my head inspected.
I did.
Chapter 4
Kara New York
Sedge and I stood at the enormous windows of his Manhattan apartment. I looked up at him gently. "It was you who said I should get out in the world. To take some risks."
"I didn't mean you should seek out your birth parents. You're hoping for answers that may be disastrous for you."
"I'll take that risk."
"But my dear, this situation isn't only about you. It will soon be announced"-he hesitated, studying my reaction gently-"that Charles and Elizabeth Whittenbrook are to receive an honorary, posthumous, Nobel Peace Prize for their work in environmentalism."
The Nobel. I sat down slowly on a chair by the picturesque window.
He touched a soothing hand to my hair. "The award will be presented in Sweden, in mid-October. Just a few months from now. You should be there. It would be their dearest wish for you to accept the award in their honor."
I looked up at him miserably. "Of course I'll be there. But what you're really saying is that I shouldn't tell my birth parents who I am. To protect Mother and Dad's legacy."
He nodded. "You're their only child. Can't you find in your heart to remain solely and simply, Kara Whittenbrook?"
"But I'm my birth parents' only child, too. I have two sets of parents to consider."
"One of which wanted you desperately and the other of which gave you away willingly."
"I don't know that, yet."
He lowered himself into an armchair beside mine. "Can we agree that you'll keep your identity secret at
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