Annette Broadrick - Branded

Eventually the ranch and other holdings were incorporated, making each member of the family a shareholder as well as apportioning land to each family. Even now there was more than enough land to provide every Crenshaw with a large lot on which to build a home. Not all of them chose to work the land, but there was no question that they belonged to the Hill Country.

His second-in-command on the ranch, Kenneth Sullivan, walked over to where Joe sat, carrying a couple of long-necked bottles of beer.

“Hope you don’t mind if I join you, Joe,” he said.

“Not at all. Glad to have the company. I like getting away for a while to watch everyone enjoying themselves.”

Ken settled into the chair next to Joe and handed him one of the beers. “They’re doing that, all right, especially Ashley. I can’t thank you enough for throwing this birthday party for her. Sixteen is a pretty important milestone in a girl’s life.”

“My four guys counted the days, remember? They could hardly wait to get their driver’s license so they could drive somewhere besides on the ranch.”

Ken nodded to a group gathered beneath a cluster of trees on the other side of the clearing where the party was taking place. “It’s hard enough for me to get used to the idea that my Ashley’s growing up so fast, but I swear those boys of yours are adding inches to their height every day!”

Joe smiled. “Not to mention the increased food bill. When Jake returned home from college a couple of years ago, there was a noticeable increase in the amount of food hauled into the house.”

Ken laughed and said, “You got to admit he’s putting in some long hours now that he’s officially in charge of the livestock on the ranch.”

“He always has, Ken. I told Gail the other night I figure he must be old Jeremiah come back in the flesh. He loves this place. I couldn’t be more pleased that he’s taking over for me.”

He watched his tall, broad-shouldered, narrow-hipped and deeply tanned sons, their bodies honed by nature into mean, lean, fighting machines—each one too handsome for his own good.

The oldest—Jake—was twenty-four.

Jared, recently graduated from college at twenty-two, was already showing his skill at finding oil. He loved the land as well and was making plans to look for oil on the Crenshaw property.

At twenty, Jude was living up to the Crenshaw men’s reputation as rowdy and reckless.

The youngest, Jason, was eighteen and still in high school. Unfortunately, he considered Jude to be the perfect role model and was well on his way to building his own reputation as a hell-raiser.

“Hi there, you two,” Gail said, walking up to Joe and Ken. “The party’s a success, don’t you think?” she said, sounding a little breathless. She had been dancing the two-step and Joe had watched her graceful moves, thinking she looked barely old enough to vote. The band now played a slow, romantic song.

“Looks like,” he agreed amiably. “You having fun?”

She laughed. “I always have fun throwing a party, as you well know. Will you come dance with me?”

“Have you ever heard me turn down the opportunity to get my arms around you?” he asked, winking at Ken. He stood and dropped his arm around her shoulder. “C’mon, Ken. It’s time for you to find a dance partner.”

The Crenshaw sons watched the revelry from a safe distance. None of them cared all that much for dancing and they’d made themselves scarce by standing in the shadows.

Jake had been keeping a protective eye on Ashley for most of the evening, amused and pleased to see her enjoying her party.

Ashley had been a tomboy all her life, preferring jeans and western-style shirts to frills and dresses. Seeing her tonight all dressed up had been a shock to him. The short skirt revealed shapely legs, and the combination of a special hairdo—instead of the braid she generally wore—and her carefully made-up face caused a strange and uncomfortable stirring inside him.

She was born on the ranch and had been a large part of his life since she was old enough to follow him around. She’d ridden with him on his horse by the time she was three or four years old and continued to do so until she was old enough to ride alone. He’d kept an eye on her while she tagged along with him to watch ranch hands rewire fences and haul feed when the area hadn’t received enough rain to provide enough vegetation for the cattle, sheep and goats.

She’d generally had two or three dogs following her around the place, strays that had quickly found a home once they discovered her soft heart.

There was no sign of that child now. Tonight, she looked like a young woman, provocative and alluring, which bothered him for some reason.

“Looks like your little shadow has grown up, Jake.”

Jake glanced at Jude with a half smile. “That she has,” he replied thoughtfully.

“It’s hard to believe she’s sixteen,” Jared said, watching Ashley dance the two-step with her dad. “I can still remember how she used to dog your footsteps when we were kids. I never understood where you got your patience.”

Jake smiled. “I never minded.”

“Not even when she kept telling everybody that she planned to marry you when she grew up?”

“Aw, c’mon. She was—what, six or seven years old? Kid stuff, Jared. She outgrew it.”

Jason, who was two years older than Ashley, said, “I wonder if she’d go out with me now? She always laughed before whenever I asked her. Maybe I should try again now that she’s older.”

Jake frowned. “Considering the reputation you’ve worked so hard to acquire, I seriously doubt that Ken will let you anywhere near his daughter.”

Jason’s cheeks turned red. “C’mon, Jake. You know I wouldn’t try anything with her. Ken would tear me to bits.”

“And when he got through with you, I’d be waiting my turn,” Jake replied.

Jude gave Jake a level look. “Why don’t you date her?”

Jake looked at him, wondering if Jude had lost his mind. “You’re kidding, right? I’m much too old for her. Besides, she’s always been like a little sister to me.” His eyes followed her as she changed partners. “I have to admit, though, that she doesn’t look like anybody’s little sister in that dress.”

“Like I said, she’s all grown up. So when are you going to ask her to dance?” Jude teased.

“She prizes her toes too much to want to dance with me,” Jake drawled with a slow grin. “She looks to be doing just fine without me. Look at the line of guys waiting to dance with her.”

“So, Jake,” Jared said. “How do you feel about Dad talking retirement now that you’re back home for good?”

“I think he and Mom deserve to take it a little easier,” Jake replied. “Mom’s already looking at house plans for a smaller place she wants to build down the road a piece. I haven’t seen her this excited in a long time. She said she hopes to get Dad to do more traveling. I told ’em to go for it.”

He took a drink from his beer before he said to Jared, “I’d be glad to share some of the workload with you, if you’d decide to stay in one place for longer than it takes to drill a well.”

“Tending animals 24/7 isn’t my idea of fun, bro. I’m happy doing what I do.”

“What about you, Jude?” Jake asked. “You want to try your hand at ranching?”

“I don’t mind helping out whenever you need me, Jake, you know that, but I sure don’t want to make a career of it. Who knows what I’ll end up doing. Right now I’m just enjoying life.”

Jake’s eyebrow raised. “According to Sheriff Boynton, you’ve been enjoying life a little too much these days. It wouldn’t hurt you to work a little harder at staying out of trouble. You could take on more responsibility around here, you know.”