Page 19 of Sweet Deal
“For now,” Rachel cast a stern gaze in their direction, “let’s not stir the pot. We’ll keep an eye on him, but this stays between the three of us until… until we’re sure what the heck is happening here.”
It was pretty obvious to any fool that the idea didn’t sit well with the two brothers. She couldn’t blame them; she rarely kept anything from her twin, but this was different. This was important. They couldn’t let anything else hurt their mother.
Having spent most of his afternoon down a stock market rabbit hole, Jim didn’t have any more answers than he’d had when he woke up this morning, after barely sleeping last night. He even wandered outside after breakfast to get some fresh air and hoped that giving his brother a hand mucking out stalls would give him a place to think and gather a better perspective on how to help. What he’d gotten was sore muscles and the need for a long hot shower. After that he’d spent hours on the computer, doing what he’d done every day, practically all day, for years—search for opportunities to make money.
The problem at hand is that the Sweets needed a ton more money than he could make in a few days. Now what he wondered was if Rachel had talked to her siblings about his offer to at least help with a payment or two while they figured out a more long-term solution for the ranch. Though the siblings had come up with an idea, and from what Rachel told him, if all six of them could marry and collect the full trust after a year, the ranch would be free of financial burden and there would even be a little money left to make some of the upgrades their father had originally borrowed money for. Not all, but enough to make their dad proud.
All six. Married. Just for show.The words rattled around his brain like marbles in a pin-ball machine. Just for show. Could he do that? Could he stay in Honeysuckle for a year and pretend to be Rachel’s husband? Although, it wouldn’t be totally pretend. They would indeed be legally hitched, just without any of the benefits afforded by a truly married couple.
“You look like someone stole your favorite candy.” His brother slapped him on the shoulder. “Too much hard work for a soft West Coaster?”
Not till his dying day would he admit to his brother that for all his workouts, he was grossly out of shape for ranch work. “Thinking about something Rachel said.” He shoved to his feet. “I think I’m going to pop over to the Sweet Ranch. Chat a bit with Garret; see what’s the plan for tomorrow night’s games.”
If his brother had any inkling that Jim had ulterior motives for going to the Sweet ranch, he didn’t show it. “Sounds good. And if your baseball skills are as rusty as your stall mucking skills, maybe you can talk them into a little practice game.”
“Ha, ha.” Jim flashed a toothy grin. “I shouldn’t be home late.”
Five more minutes and he was out the door. So much on his mind and yet, he was pretty sure there was just one thing at the root of his unease—the deal. A deal that had been meant as fun youthful teasing with a hint of possibility, but an idea that would do more for the Sweets than any market games he could play.
Turning the key in the ignition of the old truck, he put it in gear and drove off. The Sweet ranch wasn’t far up the main road from his family. Doc Conroy’s property sat between the two ranches. The Sweets had a much larger and older operation than his family, but still, by West Texas standards, a close neighbor. By the time he turned into the Sweet driveway, he’d come to terms with at least one thing—what he was thinking wasn’t so much about saving the ranch, but saving Rachel from another man. Or maybe, saving himself.
As soon as he came to a stop in front of the large home, Brady and another dog came trotting over to the truck, a little boy who had to be Mason jogged behind them. Carefully, Jim opened his door and eased out of the vehicle. Neither dog looked terribly angry, and yet, neither budged from Mason’s side. His first step forward and Brady lifted a lip, exposing one very long and sharp tooth. The other dog did the same, and bless that little boy’s heart, he latched an arm around each dog’s neck and simply announced to them, “He’s a friend.”
Instantly the dog’s hackles eased, and the semi snarl faded, but Jim cut a wide berth around the boy, nonetheless. There wasn’t the slightest doubt in his mind that if he made a single wrong move, those dogs would protect that child with their lives—and he had no intention of proving his suspicions.
“Well, what a nice surprise.” Alice Sweet appeared on the porch. In a button-down shirt with jeans and boots and a buckle to remind him that once upon a time the woman had been a barrel racing champ, she looked every bit the image of the rancher’s wife… widow.
“Hope I’m not intruding.”
“Now James Henderson, have you been gone so long that you’ve forgotten what it means to be neighborly?”
Swallowing a chuckle, he resisted the urge to dig his booted toe into the dirt. “No, ma’am.”
“Then come on in and I’ll get you a drink.”
“Thank you.” He followed her onto the porch and into the house. His gaze darted around. Little had changed through the years except things were a lot quieter. “I was hoping to have a chat with your sons.”
“Oh?” Her brows lifted slightly.
“About the game tomorrow.”
“Oh.” A smile touched her lips. “They’re in their dad’s office. I swear, the last few months those kids gather in that room so often I’m starting to think they’re digging under the floorboards for gold.”
Now was a good time for him to laugh in earnest. Especially since he knew why the siblings gathered so often.
“You know how to find them. Go on.” Alice smiled, nodded, and politely shooed him toward the office. Tapping on the door jam with his college ring, he waited till everyone looked up before stepping into the room. “Your mom tells me y’all are digging for gold.”
Jillian chuckled. “I wish.”
“Jim?” Rachel popped up from her seat.
He tried to contain the smile that threatened to take over his face at the mere sight of her. “Have you had a chance to discuss my offer yet?”
“She was just telling us.” Preston looked up from the desk.
Jillian shook her head. “We need another loan like we need a hole in our heads.”
“I understand,” he nodded, “but this would be different. Interest rates aren’t great right now anyhow, so an interest-free loan with no payments until you can get back on your feet would help.”
