Read After Tex for Free Online

the sight of orange-and-white balls of fluff tumbling around inside the box, scrambling to get to their mama’s milk.
    â€œThey’re getting big,” he observed, hunkering down beside Tess. “Do you have a favorite?”
    â€œNot really,” she said, but her gaze was fixed on the runt of the litter, who couldn’t seem to squeeze in to feed.
    Jake reached down, picked the littlest kitten up and made room for it. “Looks like this one needs some extra attention,” he said, thinking it was a lot like Tess herself. Megan, too, though she would have hated the comparison.
    â€œI suppose.”
    â€œMaybe you should consider adopting it and taking it inside. It’s big enough now, especially if you bottle-fed it for a couple of weeks.”
    â€œI can’t,” she said, though her expression was wistful.
    â€œHow come?”
    â€œTex said.”
    â€œDid he say why?”
    â€œHe said he wasn’t having some damned cat bringing in fleas and tearing up the furniture.”
    Jake held back a grin. He had a hunch she’d nailed the old man’s exact words. “You know what I think?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œThat if Tex could see how lonely you’ve been feeling the last day or so, he’d change his mind.”
    Her face brightened. “Do you think so?”
    â€œI know so,” Jake insisted, because there wasn’t a chance in hell the old man could contradict him. Tess needed something weaker and needier to tend to right now. He doubted Mrs. Gomez would have any objections. He knew for a fact there were cats crawling all over her own house. She took in every stray that ever came to the door, him included. On more than one occasion, she’d been the one he’d run to when he couldn’t bear one more night in the same house with his mother and her “gentlemen callers.”
    He glanced up from the kittens and caught Tess studying him intently.
    â€œCan I ask you something?” she asked.
    â€œOf course.”
    â€œIs she going to keep me?”
    â€œYou mean Megan?”
    Tess nodded, her expression bleak. “I don’t think she likes me much.”
    â€œYou just took her by surprise, that’s all. No one had told her about you.”
    â€œWell, having her come busting in here like she owns the place ain’t no picnic for me, either.”
    â€œShe does own the place,” Jake pointed out gently.
    â€œThen how come she doesn’t live here?”
    â€œBecause she’s got a job in New York.”
    â€œThat TV show,” Tess said, feigning disinterest despite the spark of fascination that lit her eyes. “Tex used to watch it sometimes. He didn’t think I knew that, but I did. Sometimes I’d hide out in his office behind that big old chair of his. Right after dinner, he’d come in there, put in the tape and watch, muttering to himself.”
    â€œEver hear what he said?”
    â€œThat it was damned fool nonsense,” she quoted, probably precisely. “You know what I think, though?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œThat he was real proud of her. He never looked at me the way he looked at that show of hers.” Her lower lip trembled. “I don’t think he gave a damn about me at all.”
    Ignoring the substance of the remark for the moment, he chided, “You know, kiddo, you really doneed to clean up your language. Ladies don’t swear half as much as you do.”
    â€œMaybe I don’t want to be no lady.”
    Jake grinned at the defiance. “What do you want to be?”
    Her expression brightened. “A rancher, just like Tex,” she said decisively. “Then I could boss people around and make lots of money and ride horses.” She met Jake’s gaze. “He was teaching me to ride. Did you know that? That’s when it happened. He fell right down on the ground. I screamed and screamed for somebody to come, but it took forever. I