Hot Target Cowboy by June Faver

Author:June Faver
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2018-12-09T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

“So, where was the body?” Beau asked.

Colton heaved a sigh. “In the barn.” He pointed to the structure. “Hamilton was up in the hayloft. Someone had speared him through the middle with a pitchfork.” He felt Big Jim’s and Beau’s eyes on him. “Yeah, it was horrible. And he had been there several days, so he was plenty ripe.”

“Ugh! I hate that smell.” Big Jim made a face.

The three Garretts took off on a slow stroll around the area.

“That’s a good John Deere tractor,” Big Jim commented. “And the rest of the equipment is in decent shape. I wonder why they couldn’t make a go of it.”

Colton heaved a sigh. “Probably because her dad became a drunk after her mom died…and he was terminally ill.” He shrugged. “And her brother Joe was a dumbass.”

Beau nodded in agreement. “That he was. Joe sort of took a wrong turn somewhere along the way. He was never really interested in ranching. Spent most of his time partying with his friends.” He looked thoughtful for a minute. “He always ran with Eddie Simmons and that bunch. Remember Eddie’s cousin, Nate Blair? There were five of them who ran together before Nate disappeared.”

“Yeah, I remember,” Colton said. “Wonder what happened to Nate? Never saw him again after that summer he went missing.”

Beau shook his head. “That’s when Joe and the others really went off course.”

“Shame,” Big Jim commented. “This is a nice little ranch. How many head of cattle?”

Colton told him.

“Nice herd. With some tending, this place could shape right up. Maybe I should think about buying it from the Dalton kids. I’d hate to see them lose everything.”

It’s now or never. “Too late, Dad.” Colton hooked his thumbs in his belt loops and took a wide stance.

“What? It’s already been foreclosed on?” Big Jim turned to face him.

“No, Dad. I invested in this ranch. I’m a legal partner with Misty and her brother.”

Big Jim’s eyes narrowed for a moment. Then he gave a slight nod. “Good business decision. Just see that you turn this place around. It’s a good acquisition.”

Colton shook his head. “I didn’t acquire it. I bought into it. I went to the bank with Breck Ryan and paid the loan up to date. And I have a legal partnership agreement with Misty.” He shrugged. “Now, all I have to do is figure out how to make it productive again.”

“Shoot, Son. That’s the easy part. Put a crop in the ground, keep the herd fed, and start planning for the next season. We Garretts have been doing that forever. It’s our way of life.” He slapped Colton on the shoulder and turned back to his stroll.

Beau gave him a grin, shook his head, and then fell into step alongside his dad.

Colt took a second to come to grips with his father’s easy acceptance of his expenditure. He had thought there would be a huge uproar. He breathed out a sigh of relief and caught up with Big Jim and Beau as they drew even with the barn.

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