Free Brazen by Bobbi Smith

for help.
    Jack looked at Casey again.
    Maybe it was time to make peace for Casey's sake.
    All anger left him as he gazed lovingly at his sleeping
daughter. Nothing was more important to him than she
was. If that meant he had to put aside the animosity he'd
held toward Frank all these years, he'd do it.
    For a moment, the very real fear struck Jack that Frank
might reject his offer. Jack knew he had to somehow convince his old enemy that uniting the ranches was in their
best interests that it was the only way to save both
ranches. If Donovan didn't agree to his plan, he would
be forced to sell out probably to McQueen. Given the
chance, Jack suspected McQueen might fry to cut off the
water supply to the Circle D-the water supply the two
ranches now shared.
    Jack hoped that argument would convince Frank to go
along with him.
    He was dying. He didn't have any time to waste.

     

Jack grew more and more tense with each passing mile.
After making his decision to seek out Frank Donovan,
he'd had to wait a full day before he could muster enough
strength to leave the house. Dealing with the weakness
had angered him, and now, as he drove his buckboard
toward the Circle D, even that short delay worried him.
    Time was of the essence.
    Casey had ridden out with the hands early that morning, so no one knew where he was going, and that was
fine with Jack. He'd promised her that he would stay at
the house and rest, so as long as he returned before she
did, everything would be fine. This meeting with Frank
had to be private, strictly between the two of them for
now.
    Jack wasn't sure what kind of reception he would get
at the Circle D.It wouldn't be a warm one, that was for sure,since the sheriff had thought he was the one who'd
ambushed Frank. Still, as difficult as it was for him to
swallow his pride and go there, Jack had no choice. The
upcoming visit might be humiliating, but he didn't even
consider turning back. Casey's future was too important
to him.

    When the Circle D ranch house finally came in sight,
Jack girded himself for what was to come.
    Frank was in his bed, braced up against the headboard,
staring out his bedroom window at the countryside. It was
a beautiful day. The sun was shining in a cloudless blue
sky.
    Frank longed to be off riding with his men. He wanted
to be out working the stock, living the life he loved. Instead, he was trapped inside the house in a body that was
broken and would never work again.
    His mood alternated between anger and despaianger that this had happened to him and no one knew
who'd done it or why, and despair because the future
stretched so bleakly before him. He tried to push his dark
thoughts away. Logically, he knew there was no sense in
dwelling on what he could not change. He had to find a
way to deal with his life the way it was now. If he could
have been certain Michael was going to stay on permanently at the ranch, he would have felt better about the
future of the Circle D.As it was, the uncertainty haunted
him.
    A buckboard came into view in the distance, heading
up the road to the house. Frank wondered who was com ing to pay them a visit. Dr. Murray wasn't due back until
the end of the week. When the buckboard drew nearer
and Frank was finally able to make out the driver, he was
shocked to find it was Jack Turner. Frank was instantly
waiy. He was sure Jack hadn't come out of concern for
his health or to pay him a social call. Something was going on.

    As Jack drove up in front of the house, Frank lost sight
of him. He waited tensely to see what was going to happen. It wasn't long before a knock came at the door.
    "Frank?" Elizabeth called out as she came into the
room to speak with him.
    "What is Turner doing here?" he demanded before she
could say another word.
    "You saw him drive up?" Elizabeth had been as surprised as her husband by the neighboring rancher's appearance. The enmity between them was long-standing.
    "You're damned right