Read Online Spanking Her Highness by Patricia Green - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Patricia Green
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Will was about to close the front door behind him when a big, black pickup truck came down his driveway. He didn't recognize the man behind the wheel, but he was obviously a Journey. The resemblance to Leo was unmistakable.
The fellow fitted a buff-colored cowboy hat on his head as he exited the truck and crunched up the driveway and to the front steps of the house, where Will stood waiting.
Unsmiling, Journey offered his hand. "Ace Journey."
Will had to look up a couple of inches, but he wasn't intimidated by the broad and rangy rancher. He looked to be nearing forty, and, while that made him older than Will by five or so years, Will thought the man was aging well. He looked rugged rather than old.
He shook Ace's hand. "Will Mazie. Nice to meet you."
"We have a problem."
Immediately, Will's mind turned to Queenie. He'd been about to go over to Journey's End and see her, but this visit had forestalled him.
He gave the man a tight-lipped smile. "Come in, Ace. We'll talk."
The older man nodded, and followed Will into the house.
They settled in Will's sitting room, taking chairs across from each other. Ace had removed his hat, and it sat in his lap, slightly worn and well broken in.
"How can I help you, Ace? Is this about Queenie?"
A frown formed on Ace's face. "Queenie?"
"Er…I guess not. What's the problem?"
Ace squinted at him, assessing, and Will thought a lesser man would have been intimidated. He wasn't, though. He was worried. This man was his neighbor and problems between them had to be dealt with carefully.
"It's about that easement. We're fixin' to revoke it."
Will's temper flared. "You're what? Why?"
"Pollution. Somethin' you're doin' to the water is poisonin' our cattle."
Stomach acid burned in Will's belly. "I'm not doing anything. I'm taking water out , not putting anything in."
"I don't rightly know what you're up to, but I can tell you that since you put in that pond, the water downstream from your ranch has been glistenin' with oil and non-potable for the livestock."
"Oil?"
"Or gasoline. Can't say."
"But that's impossible!"
"The timin' makes it obvious. And we went and looked at the river to the east of your easement. Nothin' wrong there. We're havin' our water tested to find out what the pollution is."
Injustice made Will's hands fist. He wasn't doing anything. Things had been fine before, during and after the contractors had done their job. He'd have noticed if the water was an issue in his bass pond. He'd have liked to throw the revocation back in Ace's face, but the fact was that the Journey's had the right to revoke the agreement on the grounds of compromised environmental conditions. Will had an obligation to keep his leased piece of property, where the pipe was situated, clear of contaminants and dangerous conditions. Failing that, the easement could be revoked.
"Let me check into it before you revoke the agreement."
Ace eyed him for several beats, and Will found keen intelligence in the brown eyes regarding him. This was no country hick to be outfoxed by a city sophisticate. He rather liked that about the man.
"Yeah, okay. I'll give you three days to find the problem and start on fixin' it." He rose and offered his hand again. "Don't make me regret it."
Will bristled at Ace's tone, but he shook his hand. "I'll find out what the problem is."
Ace nodded and made his way out of the house and off the property.
Will came back to his sitting room and sat near a window for a while. The morning sunlight was bright and cheerful, but his thoughts were dark and churning. Maybe the ranching business was too much for him. Maybe he wasn't going to make it and would have to chalk this up to be the first massive failure of his life. It galled him.
No. No, he wasn't going to give up. He'd find out what was polluting the river water downstream and take care of it. He could do this.
Chapter 5
Queenie looked at the test stick in her hand, then up at the bathroom mirror. She didn't look
Will was about to close the front door behind him when a big, black pickup truck came down his driveway. He didn't recognize the man behind the wheel, but he was obviously a Journey. The resemblance to Leo was unmistakable.
The fellow fitted a buff-colored cowboy hat on his head as he exited the truck and crunched up the driveway and to the front steps of the house, where Will stood waiting.
Unsmiling, Journey offered his hand. "Ace Journey."
Will had to look up a couple of inches, but he wasn't intimidated by the broad and rangy rancher. He looked to be nearing forty, and, while that made him older than Will by five or so years, Will thought the man was aging well. He looked rugged rather than old.
He shook Ace's hand. "Will Mazie. Nice to meet you."
"We have a problem."
Immediately, Will's mind turned to Queenie. He'd been about to go over to Journey's End and see her, but this visit had forestalled him.
He gave the man a tight-lipped smile. "Come in, Ace. We'll talk."
The older man nodded, and followed Will into the house.
They settled in Will's sitting room, taking chairs across from each other. Ace had removed his hat, and it sat in his lap, slightly worn and well broken in.
"How can I help you, Ace? Is this about Queenie?"
A frown formed on Ace's face. "Queenie?"
"Er…I guess not. What's the problem?"
Ace squinted at him, assessing, and Will thought a lesser man would have been intimidated. He wasn't, though. He was worried. This man was his neighbor and problems between them had to be dealt with carefully.
"It's about that easement. We're fixin' to revoke it."
Will's temper flared. "You're what? Why?"
"Pollution. Somethin' you're doin' to the water is poisonin' our cattle."
Stomach acid burned in Will's belly. "I'm not doing anything. I'm taking water out , not putting anything in."
"I don't rightly know what you're up to, but I can tell you that since you put in that pond, the water downstream from your ranch has been glistenin' with oil and non-potable for the livestock."
"Oil?"
"Or gasoline. Can't say."
"But that's impossible!"
"The timin' makes it obvious. And we went and looked at the river to the east of your easement. Nothin' wrong there. We're havin' our water tested to find out what the pollution is."
Injustice made Will's hands fist. He wasn't doing anything. Things had been fine before, during and after the contractors had done their job. He'd have noticed if the water was an issue in his bass pond. He'd have liked to throw the revocation back in Ace's face, but the fact was that the Journey's had the right to revoke the agreement on the grounds of compromised environmental conditions. Will had an obligation to keep his leased piece of property, where the pipe was situated, clear of contaminants and dangerous conditions. Failing that, the easement could be revoked.
"Let me check into it before you revoke the agreement."
Ace eyed him for several beats, and Will found keen intelligence in the brown eyes regarding him. This was no country hick to be outfoxed by a city sophisticate. He rather liked that about the man.
"Yeah, okay. I'll give you three days to find the problem and start on fixin' it." He rose and offered his hand again. "Don't make me regret it."
Will bristled at Ace's tone, but he shook his hand. "I'll find out what the problem is."
Ace nodded and made his way out of the house and off the property.
Will came back to his sitting room and sat near a window for a while. The morning sunlight was bright and cheerful, but his thoughts were dark and churning. Maybe the ranching business was too much for him. Maybe he wasn't going to make it and would have to chalk this up to be the first massive failure of his life. It galled him.
No. No, he wasn't going to give up. He'd find out what was polluting the river water downstream and take care of it. He could do this.
Chapter 5
Queenie looked at the test stick in her hand, then up at the bathroom mirror. She didn't look
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