Free Their Wayward Bride by Vanessa Vale Page B

daughter was just coming into her majority, he’d
said. I'd never met the girl, hell, no one had. She'd been shipped
off to—
    Oh shit. Laurel's identity wasn't that much of a mystery any longer.
Hiram Johns was none other than Nolan Turner. That meant she was
Nolan Turner's daughter. His runaway daughter. And the man in the
horse next to his was the man she was to marry. The description she'd
provided yesterday over breakfast was pretty damn accurate. I
wouldn't let my neighbor's rabid dog marry him.
    The other two men must be either Turner's or Palmer's goons.
    "Broke its leg," Brody replied.
    "That much is obvious," Turner muttered, clearly not
amused. "What I'm missing is a daughter."
    I looked to Brody, then back to the men. "Never seen her."
    It may have been the truth, but Laurel had never actually said she
was Turner's daughter so God wouldn't strike me dead, at least today.
    "He's lying," the fat man said. There wasn't a better word
for him than that. The man was plain old fat and I felt sorry for his
horse.
    Sheriff Baker shook his head and held out his hand to stop the man.
"Now, Palmer, don't go accusing people of things you have no
proof over."
    "To make your job easier, Sheriff, you're welcome to search the
house," Brody offered.
    The man looked to the others. "I find that mighty obliging,
don't you, Turner?"
    "This ranch is large. She could be in any one of the houses,"
Palmer blustered.
    "If I fire three shots with my rifle, the others on the ranch
will head this way," Brody said. "You can ask them all
about your missing daughter and go from place to place looking, but I
don't want to be shot for being hasty with my weapon. Sheriff, if you
can fire the shots, then no one will get hurt by some uneasy trigger
fingers."
    The sheriff did just that, the loud reports of his weapon cracking in
the still air.
    In the distance, I could see the others leaving their houses, the
stable, the barn.
    "Here they come now," I said, trying to be amenable when
all I wanted to do was shoot the bastards. "They'll work their
way here as quickly as they can with the snow."
    "In the meantime, go on in and search," Brody offered.
    Turner and Palmer were quick to start to dismount. "Only one. I
don't need all of you tracking snow and mud through my house."
    "Now see here—" Palmer spouted.
    Brody held up a hand. "What's the matter, Turner? You need help
searching for one woman in a house?"
    The barb hit its mark. Turner stopped Palmer from getting down, but
climbed down himself. He was in his late fifties and still spry.
"I'll find her," he vowed.
    Turner climbed the steps and we moved back out of his way, allowing
him a path to the door.
    "Stomp your feet," I reminded.
    He swore as he did so.
    A minute passed and we stood patiently on the porch. The other
Bridgewater men were approaching now, rifles in hand. Both Brody and
I were sure of what he'd find, or wouldn't. Palmer and the others
seemed uncomfortable and impatient.
    Finally, Turner stepped back out holding up a pair of ladies drawers.
"She's here."
    Brody made a big show of sighing, scratched his face and tried to
look contrite. "Now Turner, you found those on my dresser?"
He shook his head and grinned. "Don't you ever collect a prize
from when you're at Belle's? That sweet Adeline with the long blond
hair and big tits, I talked her right out of those just last week."
    Turner actually blushed.
    "What's going on?" Kane said, rifle slung over his arm.
Beside him were Simon, Rhys and Ian. The fight, to Turner and
Palmer's eyes, had become evenly balanced. However, Brody and I could
have taken them all ourselves. I had an itch to do so. Just the sight
of Palmer was revolting. He would have married Laurel if she
hadn't ventured out into the storm? No wonder she'd risked her life
to escape.
    "Seems a woman's missing. Turner's daughter."
    "That your horse over there, Turner?" Simon called out.
"Terrible losing a horse to a break. I heard Mason put him down,
so you must be thankful