Wed by Fortune by Judy Duarte

Author:Judy Duarte
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2016-11-01T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Sasha stood on the porch and watched as Graham talked to Brad Taylor. She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting when the probation officer arrived with the second teenager, but certainly not the kid who’d climbed out of the white sedan.

Graham had let her read the court paperwork he’d received so she’d be prepared to meet Ryan Maxwell. As a result, she’d made the usual assumption and figured he’d be a surly and destructive delinquent.

But unlike Jonah, Ryan didn’t appear to be the least bit grumpy or hardened. Instead his shoulders slumped, as though he’d been beaten down by life.

He wasn’t very tall for a fifteen-year-old boy, and he was much too thin. His glasses, which he continued to adjust on the bridge of his nose, were too big for his face. But his shy, frail appearance didn’t erase the seriousness of the crime he’d committed. The damage he’d done to the equipment on the job site had cost the construction company nearly ten thousand dollars, and the owner wasn’t taking that lightly.

Sasha wasn’t sure what had been going on in the once-studious boy’s mind or what had provoked him to put dirt in the fuel tanks of those tractors. But she meant to find out.

Taylor placed a hand on Ryan’s thin shoulders and looked at Graham. “Where do you want him to put his things?”

“He’ll bunk with Jonah.” Graham turned toward the barn and called to the other teenager.

When Jonah walked out into the yard, he furrowed his brow, clearly checking out the new kid.

“This is Ryan,” Graham said as he introduced the two teenagers. “Will you take him to your cabin and show him which bunk is his?”

Jonah, who’d just begun to shake his who-gives-a-rat’s-ass attitude since arriving on the Galloping G, stiffened and slipped back into his tough-guy demeanor. “Yeah. Come on.”

Ryan grabbed the canvas handle of his small bag and followed Jonah. They’d only taken a few steps when Graham called out to them, “As soon as Ryan puts his things away, bring him back here.”

Jonah continued on his way, but he acknowledged the order with a wave of his hand and a “Got it, boss.”

At that point, Sasha quit watching from a distance and made her way toward the men. When the teenagers were out of earshot, Graham turned to Mr. Taylor. “The report didn’t mention it, but I take it Ryan doesn’t have many friends.”

“Before his parents died,” Mr. Taylor said, “he was pretty active in a math and science club. So I assume he used to have friends who shared his same interests. But that changed when he moved in with his uncle and had to switch schools. He’s a loner now.”

“It would seem that way,” Sasha said. “The report said he damaged that equipment on his own.”

“I noticed that,” Graham said. “Back in the day, when I was dead set on stirring up trouble, I was much braver when I had a buddy with me.”

Buddies like Peter, Sasha realized.

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