Read Online The Austin Job by David Mark Brown - Free Book Online

never dare to admit to each other. You know what that dream was, ma’am?” He kept his eyes riveted on the ruddy granite glistening in the dying light of day as Ms. Lloyd remained quiet. She doesn’t know me.
    “You see, it wasn’t enough for the children of tenant farmers to desire their own land. We wanted to own the men. Secretly we wanted to be the very thing we hated for bringing humiliation to our fathers, for pulling us away from the fishing pond to pick cotton until our fingers bled.” He breathed deep. “Any one of us would have betrayed our roots in a New York second. But you know what, ma’am?” He swallowed the lump rising in his throat.
    “It wasn’t until I’d taken my anger out in the arena, until I’d born it out by blood and sweat on the backs of broncs from here to Wyoming, that I realized being poor wasn’t my roots. Being determined is my roots. It's been a hard lesson, but I've also learned that being determined for oneself is nothing more than the same childhood dream to own the souls of men. To be great, one needs to be determined for something beyond oneself."
    He turned toward her for the first time. “So no, ma’am. I haven’t betrayed my roots.” Looking past her to the gala illuminated by shimmering electric lights and bubbling with hollow laughter, he sighed. “I gave you my word. I’ll stop Oleg. But we have a saying where I’m from.” She nodded. “Cutting hay brings heavy rains. I’ll cut your hay, Ms. Lloyd, but I can’t stop the rain.”
    “Very good, Senator Starr. Now will you cede the floor?” He bowed, giving her a half-hearted twinkle. “As you can imagine, I’ve spent much of my adult life, which by the way has been considerably longer than yours, understanding the forces of business and politics—the weather of power, if you will. And as a woman in a man’s world,” she slid closer and took his arm, “I understand it from a unique perspective. Since you’re a new hand on the farm, I’ll overlook your misplaced concerns this once and make myself perfectly clear.”
    She gazed up at the dome, recently fallen into shadow, before continuing. “Not only will you cut the hay, so to speak, but you will stop the rain.” A shiver rocked his shoulders as electric lights fizzed and sparked to life around the limestone base of the building and the parapet surrounding the dome.
    The strange couple stood there in silence for several seconds, staring at the building that housed his ideals on the one hand while proving them impotent on the other. The following morning would most likely bring more protests, the whole city one spark away from going up in flames. His two worlds were colliding. Maybe we need the rain .
    “But it’s not your burden alone, Senator. Tonight enjoy yourself. Enjoy Miss Lickter. We’ll go to work in the morning. Now where were you?” She spoke over her shoulder as she glided back toward the party. “Oh yes, pondering how much of all this to share with the girl.” Starr buzzed again with shock and a humbling despair. “Take my word for it; she’s tougher than her daddy.”
    Following her retreat with his eyes, he paused to glance southward past the financial district to the Colorado River glinting with the failing sun. He was worried. Only an idiot wouldn’t be. He breathed deep, mentally girding his loins.
      While Starr recognized his boss’s devious use of Daisy to draw him back into her world, he didn’t care. The sharp-as-flint sheriff’s daughter was the one thing he was certain of, and she was waiting on him. The rest he’d figure out along the way, like he always had. Plus, allowing his boss, however powerful and independent, to walk the distance back to the party unescorted would be ungentlemanly of him. With a half dozen galloping strides he caught up to her, “Let me accompany you.”
    She stumbled as Starr steadied her elbow. “Why Senator, I do believe the wine’s gone straight to my head.” She hooked a finger