Not a Family Man by Patricia McLinn

Author:Patricia McLinn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance
ISBN: 9781939215147
Publisher: Craig Place Books
Published: 2019-10-31T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

Jenny hadn’t followed a lot of things Tucker Gates had done in the four weeks she’d been at the Double Bar X, but taking her into his office that night immediately after dinner, seating her in one of the wing chairs amid a partially cleared room before a small fire and handing her a stack of manila folders topped all the other mysteries.

“What’s this?”

“You wanted to see the books? This is the best I can do. We don’t keep a book. These are financial statements from tax returns the past few years. Inventories of cattle, inventories of equipment. Everything I’ve sent to Etienne de Salare and Ferrington. That what you wanted to see?”

“Yes, I did — I do. Thank you.” She sank into the chair with the thick folders in her lap. “Uh, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

For a few minutes after he left, she listened to the distant sounds of the kitchen cleanup crew. She caught Tucker’s low notes and heard Manny and Karl. But could that be Debbie and Greg? Cleaning?

Yes, if Tucker had asked them to help.

The thought brought a twinge of something too close to resentment for comfort.

Contemplating his influence over her children would have to wait its turn. Right now she had to grapple with this sudden capitulation over her reviewing the Double Bar X finances.

It would be so nice if it meant he’d accepted her presence, no longer waited day to day, hour to hour for her to pack up and leave.

Nice but not believable. Not from Tucker Gates.

So why had he given her the financial statements? Was he trying to maneuver her into something?

A sigh dropped her shoulders. She suspected he wouldn’t reveal his reasons until he was good and ready. But in the meantime, she might as well take advantage of the information he’d finally provided her.

She tuned out the sounds beyond the office, slipped off her shoes and tucked her feet up beside her as she opened the top folder.

The welcome aroma of fresh coffee roused her as she compared a figure in the final folder to one in the first.

“Thought you’d be ready for a break.”

She looked from the mug under her nose to Tucker’s face. How long had she been studying these figures? The house was quiet, and the stiffness in her back and legs said at least a couple hours.

“Thanks. Smells great.” She put the mug he handed her on a table unearthed from a drift of paper. First things first. She untucked her feet, raised her arms over her head and stretched out the kinks of concentration.

Tucker turned away abruptly, taking the other wing chair and dividing his interest between his mug and the fire.

Feeling better, she took a sip, then a second. “You’ve done a fine job here.”

“Always nice to hear praise from your employer.”

She didn’t react to the pointed remark. “I see it here—” She tapped the folders. “—and I’ve seen it day after day — you work the Double Bar X as if it were your own place.

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