Free The Ranch (Book 1): Troubled Times by Brian Quest

was James’ idea. One of the other guys seemed to be in charge. James was just doing what they told him to do.”
    “That figures,” Thomas said. “He never was much of a leader.”
    “I knew something wasn’t right when he finally returned to the ranch after being gone for so long to go fishing,” Andrew said, frustrated that he didn’t just go with his original, gut feeling and not allow James to stay on the ranch after he was gone for so long.
    Debbie was so exhausted that within a few more minutes, she was sleeping soundly on the couch. Andrew put a blanket on her and then told the girls to go up to bed.
    “Awww, Dad! Can’t we sleep down here with Debbie?” Amy asked, not wanting to leave her sister’s side.
    “Okay, but I need you to lie down and actually sleep. The guys and I need to go in the kitchen and talk. Deal?”
    “Deal. Thank you, Daddy!” Amy gave her dad a big kiss goodnight and then climbed up on the couch, laying her head on Debbie’s lap. Almost instantly she was back to sleeping. The other girls followed suit.
    In the kitchen, Thomas put on a pot of coffee, and the guys sat around the table. They knew they only had a limited amount of time to figure out exactly what they would do to keep the family and the ranch safe.
    “I think it is abundantly clear what we need to do. The question is, ‘How do we do it?’ We don’t even know exactly where James and his ‘friends’ are,” Andrew said.
    “Well, from what Debbie said, I think I have an idea of where they might be, which means I know where they will come out onto the ranch. That is where we will have to stop them.”
    “Someone will need to stay here to protect the girls,” Andrew stated, almost feeling like he was saying something he didn’t need to say.
    “I’ll stay here with them,” Debbie said from the doorway of the kitchen.
    “What are you doing up?”
    “I couldn’t sleep. I can take care of the girls, Dad.”
    “No. Absolutely not. Not after everything you’ve just been through.”
    “Really, Dad? I would think that would have been enough to prove to you I am capable of more than you give me credit for.” She never had taken such a tone with her father, and she instantly regretted it.
    Andrew realized she had a point and said, “Okay. I will leave you the shotgun and a handgun. Keep your sisters upstairs. At least then you will hear someone coming in and have time to prepare yourself.”
    Nodding, Debbie replied, “Just make sure that if any of you come in, you ring the bell three times first so I know it’s you. The last thing I want to do is shoot one of you.”
    For the first time in twenty-four hours, they laughed, and it felt good. Now that they knew the girls would be taken care of, they sent Debbie back into the living room and spoke softly so Debbie would not be able to hear them and start worrying. She already had been through enough and they didn’t want to add to it.
    Aside from taking care of James and his little gang, they also had to make sure they kept the family safe from that moment on. They formulated a plan to deal with James first, and just before the sun rose, Andrew, Thomas, Keith and Stewart headed out on a mission that could end in disaster, or could bring them home victorious.
    While the girls waited in their rooms, they talked about anything and everything that Debbie and Connie could think of to keep their younger sisters occupied. Time seemed to be dragging and then, all of a sudden, the girls heard something they had hoped they would not hear. Gunshots rang out; so many they weren’t able to keep track of the number.
    “Amy, Beth, I want you to get in the closet. Keep the door closed and don’t come out until I tell you,” Debbie said quickly. The girls did as they were told, tears streaming down their faces.
    Connie and Debbie prepared themselves for whatever would happen next, even though they really had no idea what that was. They armed themselves and sat, ready to fight