The Fortunes of Texas: All Fortune's Children

Singing it to Graham had been one of her many ploys to get his attention, although it hadn’t worked.

However, it did seem to catch his interest now.

Graham turned to the right, following a narrow road, and pointed to a grassy area. “This is the stretch of broken fence I’ve been fixing. I’ll need to get it done soon because we plan to keep some of the rescue horses here.”

Maddie let out a little gasp. “Can we come back again and see it? After the horses get here?”

“Sure.” Graham shot a questioning look at Sasha. “That is, if your mom doesn’t mind.”

“No, of course not. Maddie would love to see them grazing in the field.” Sasha’s warm smile shot clean through Graham, setting off a spark in his chest.

He’d only meant to make Maddie happy, but the fact that Sasha realized he had a soft spot for her daughter and that she was so clearly pleased by it, caught him off guard. It also left him a little unbalanced, since he hadn’t meant to earn her praise.

As a result, he decided to end the tour for today and head back. Several quiet minutes later, he parked the Gator on the side of the barn.

“What’s that?” Sasha pointed to the concrete foundation they’d had poured last week. “Is Uncle Roger building something, maybe a new barn?”

“That’s going to be the new bunkhouse. We were going to remodel the old one, but after we got started, we realized it was in bad shape and wouldn’t meet code. So we decided to start from scratch. We also built a couple of cabins for the boys.”

Her brow furrowed. “The boys?”

Apparently, Roger hadn’t mentioned their plan to her.

“Horses aren’t all we hope to rescue,” Graham said. “We’re going to take in some troubled teenagers and put them to work gentling the horses, something we hope will give them a new perspective on life.”

Her eyes widened, and her lips parted. “Seriously? That’s a great plan. And very admirable.”

Graham probably should have let Roger tell her about it, since her uncle needed to score a few points. But what was done was done, so he shrugged. “The idea started out as a tribute to Peter, but then it sort of took on a spin of its own. We’ve already talked to the school board, as well as the juvenile probation department.”

“Taking in those boys won’t be easy,” Sasha said. “And even though you guys should be able to relate well, there will be a ton of paperwork and regulations.”

“Yes, we know.” And Graham already had that covered. “As a side note,” he added with a grin, “you weren’t the only one who went to college.”

“That’s right.” She returned his smile. “I forgot.”

As much as he liked living on the Galloping G, and as much as he loved helping Roger, he had a bigger goal in life than just working on someone else’s ranch.

“What was your major?” she asked.

“Business.” He’d actually earned an MBA. “So I have it all worked out.”

“I’d always assumed you’d eventually go to work for your dad.”

“No, I’d never do that.” He’d dreamed of having a business of his own someday, one that didn’t have anything to do with Robinson Tech. In fact, even though everyone, especially his father and his siblings, had expected him to join them at the corporate offices after his graduation, Graham had refused.

There was no way he could ever work with his old man. He and Gerald Robinson might have buried the hatchet in some ways over the past couple of years, but Graham still resented his father’s my-way-or-the-highway attitude.

Besides, he felt good about the nonprofit organization he and Roger were creating. And he planned to use his education and his connections to make it all happen just as they planned.

“Mommy,” Maddie said. “Can I go in the kitchen and find Uncle Roger? He might want my help fixing dinner.”

Sasha laughed. “Sure, honey. Go ahead. I’ll be there in a minute.”

When the little girl hurried toward the front porch, Sasha said, “Tell me more about this idea of yours. It’s not that I’m trying to dissuade you. I think it’s noble. But it’s... Well, it just surprises me, that’s all.”

Graham had a feeling it wasn’t just the idea that surprised her. It was the fact that he was still living here, eight years later. Some guys might be offended by that, but he liked being able to still pull her chain and tease her a bit. “I guess there’s more to me than met your eye, huh?”

For a moment, their gazes met and locked. He expected her to comment, to tease him, to... He wasn’t sure what was swirling around behind those pretty blue eyes.

Instead she let his comment go.

“Where did you come up with that plan?” she asked.

“Peter and I both had wild streaks. I’d like to think that we would have settled down in time, but I’m not sure that’s true. I was pretty rebellious back in the day.”

“I never understood why. The way I saw it, you had everything a kid could ever want.”

Graham could neither agree nor disagree with her. It wasn’t that he’d had an unhappy childhood. His father had supplied his family with everything they could possibly ask for, other than his time, of course. Gerald Robinson, or rather, Jerome Fortune—damn, would Graham ever get used to that name?—had always seemed to be at the office or away on a business trip. And while he supplied his children with plenty of material possessions, he’d held back on his affection. That in and of itself would cause plenty of kids to rebel. But Graham had other reasons for the issues between him and his dad. Things he’d never told anyone and certainly wouldn’t share with Sasha.

“Maybe I was a born rebel,” he said.

“Peter, too?” She slowly shook her head, not believing him. But her cousin had a wild side, too, even if she hadn’t been aware of it.

Graham and Peter had met in middle school and become best friends. They were both energetic and creative, often getting in trouble in class—and partying on the weekends.

Roger had always taken their rowdy behavior with a grain of salt, saying boys would be boys. But Graham’s dad considered it outright rebellion, especially when he knew Graham was probably his brightest child and had such unrealized potential.

“I guess you could say I sometimes led Peter astray,” Graham said, although that really wasn’t true. Still, he wasn’t about to let the conversation continue on that same thread and open up any more than he’d already done.

Since Sasha remained seated in the Gator, apparently eager to hear more, he opted to change the subject.

“How long are you planning to be here?” he asked.

“I don’t know. For the near future, I suppose. And until I can figure out my next step.”

“Well, for however long it is, I’m glad you came back and that you brought Maddie. It’ll be good for Roger.”

He’d meant his comment to give her some peace, but her gaze nearly drilled a hole right through him. She seemed to be asking him something with her eyes, but he’d be damned if he knew what it was.

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