Read Southern Comfort for Free Online Page B

finishing that thing and doing a good job. He admired anyone who saw a task through to the end, and liked that she seemed to be one of those people.
    From where he sat, he looked out over his land. There appeared to be some branches down, but it didn't look like there was damage to any of the structures. He'd count himself lucky that there hadn't been any tornados in his neck of the woods.
    His phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID. before answering..
    "Morning, Cody. Everything okay out your way?
    "Yeah. Had a tree come down across one of the fences, but we don't have anything in that section of pasture so it can wait. How 'bout you?"
    "Everything's fine. You hear from your mama this morning?"
    "Yep. They're fine. But Otis has a mess. Twister took off half his roof."
    Riley grimaced. Otis Caskey ran the local barbershop and a nicer man never walked the planet. His wife Pearl ran a cash register at the local grocery. They made ends meet but weren't what you'd call affluent.
    "Anyone over there helping Otis?"
    "Part of why I called. Soon as I get this tree taken care of I'm headed over. Dad's on his way now, along with Jimmy and Frank Odel. Frank's closing the feed store for the day. You think you can pitch in?”
    "You know it. What can I bring?"
    "Extra hands if you can spare 'em."
    "I'll bring the kid with me."
    "Thanks. See you there."
    Riley's next call was to Bobby who answered on the first ring. "How 'bout taking a ride to town with me, Bobby?  Otis got some damage to his roof in the storm and we're gonna help him out."
    "I'll be in the truck in three minutes."
    A smile crossed Riley's face. Bobby might have more questions than a round of Jeopardy but the boy had heart. He went back inside to put his coffee mug in the sink, but as an afterthought, dug out two of those metal travel cups and filled them with coffee. He dumped several spoons of sugar into one for Bobby.
    After cramming his hat on his head and getting his keys, he carried both cups outside. Sure enough, Bobby was standing beside Riley's truck.
    "Coffee?" Riley handed him the one laced with sugar.
    "Thank you, sir."
    "My pleasure." Riley climbed in the truck and started it as Bobby hurried around to get into the passenger's side.
    "Mr. Odel's place a mess?"
    "Don't know. Cody called and said half the roof got torn off by a twister."
    "That was one hell of a storm wasn't it?  We were lucky. Buckets of rain though. But I guess that's good, huh?"
    "We need all the rain we can get, but a downpour like that isn't exactly friendly to crops. Can beat 'em down pretty bad."
    "I didn't think about that. Folks around here depend a lot on those crops, don't they?"
    "Yeah, Bobby, they do. It's what makes 'em a living."
    "So what happens if their crops get wiped out?  How do they survive?"
    Riley cut a look over at him. "They either get by on what they have saved, or by the kindness of family and friends, or they don’t make it."
    Bobby nodded and looked out of the window for a while. "I don't like to think of folks losing their homes."
    "Neither do I."
    "But you help them out, Mr. Morgan. I know you do. Cody told me how you helped her family when her dad got hurt, and how you helped old Mr. Eastman when he broke his hip and couldn't work his cotton farm."
    "I've been luckier than some so I try and pay it forward a bit. Besides, it's what you do when you're part of a community. You help each other out."
    "That's how I want to be. One day I want to have my own place. Maybe raise some cotton, have some cows. Live a good life and help folks out."
    "That's a nice goal, Bobby. Real nice."
    "And I want to compete in the rodeo."
    Riley smiled at him. "That's what I hear. Roping, right?"
    "Yes, sir. Cody's been teaching me."
    "She's says you have potential."
    Bobby grinned. "She's real nice. Say, do you think she's too old for me?"
    Riley nearly choked on his coffee. "As in to date?"
    "Yeah."
    "Well, yes, I do. Bobby. You're what,