Love All Out - Part 3 (A Stepbrother Romance) Read Online Free Page B

in the hall for his turn.
    I walked into the kitchen, poured myself a giant glass of iced tea, and sank down into a chair. James grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and sat down next to me. Daddy took his usual seat at the head of the table while Renee put together a platter of sandwiches.
    “I love your home, Mr. Rogers,” Steve said as he walked into the room. “I assume we’ll be installing camera’s here as well?” He pulled out a chair and sat down across from me.
    “I hadn’t really thought about it,” Daddy confessed. “I’m more concerned about the livestock, Willow’s horses, specifically.”
    Steve nodded and pulled a yellow legal pad and an ink pin from his well-worn briefcase. “That’s understandable. From what I hear, the value of your animals is increasing every day. What do you think Mondo’s chances are at Preakness?”
    I cleared my throat. “I feel pretty confident that he’ll win. Denver’s Pride and Jupiter’s Starlight are both sitting the race out. Their owners decided to rest them for Belmont since they’ve already lost their chance for the Triple Crown.”
    Steve shook his head. “I hate when they do that. In a way, it seems like cheating.”
    “I know,” I agreed. “But there’s nothing I can do about it. And I think Mondo’s chances will still be pretty good at Belmont, even though it’s the longest race and he’ll be up against rested horses. He has more endurance than any other horse I’ve worked with.”
    Steve raised an eyebrow. “So you think he’s got a shot at the Crown? I read a pretty in depth article that claims that’s now an impossible feat. The last time a horse won all three races was 1977, wasn’t it?”
    “1978,” I corrected him. “And people have always insisted that the Crown is an impossible feat. But every now and then, the perfect trainer, the perfect jockey, and the perfect horse meet, and the impossible happens.”
    “Are you talking about racing?” David asked. He walked into the room and sat down next to Steve.
    “Yeah, Ms. Rogers says this Mondo is really something special,” Steve answered. “We may have to place a few bets this weekend.”
    “We may indeed,” David agreed. “In the meantime, let’s figure out the best way to keep those champion horses and the rest of the livestock safe.”
    David pulled a stack of glossy papers from his briefcase, and we spent the next two hours going over the pros and cons of various security equipment. Fortunately, my horses were the easiest to protect since their barn led directly into their pasture. Protecting the rest of the livestock would be much more difficult. Three thousand acres was a lot of ground to cover, and the security cameras weren’t cheap. To make matters more difficult, most of the pasture land didn’t have access to electricity. We finally agreed to put cameras on the houses, barns, and different access points around the perimeter of the ranch. Monitors would be installed in my barn and the main house.
    “We’ll have the installation team out tomorrow,” Steve said as he and David packed their briefcases. “They’ll have everything up and running by Wednesday.”
    We all rose to our feet and exchanged handshakes.
    “I’ll walk you to the door,” Daddy told the salesmen.
    “Let me,” I insisted. “I’m heading to the stables anyway. I’m going to ride up to Eagle Point and make sure the plants are all still alive.”
    “I’ll join you,” James offered quickly. “Seven could use some exercise.”
    “Mr. Rogers, Mrs. Parker, the two of you must be doing something right,” Steve said with a smile. “I wish my son and my wife’s daughter got along half as well as your kids.”
    I blushed and looked down to the floor. I’m sure everyone else thought I was being modest about the compliment, but all I felt was embarrassment.
    If you only knew…
    Daddy and Renee beamed back at him, their faces full of pride. “Thank you,” Daddy said.