Free The Wrong Brother's Bride by Allison Merritt Page B

knew him beyond Maud’s talk. “This time’s different.”
    “We’d better take this down to the jail. Come on, O’Dell.” Fowler gestured at him. Impatience was written across his age-lined face. His mustache twitched over his thin mouth.
    August caught Maud’s smug smile. “Sheriff, Loyal’s expecting me home. She’ll worry.”
    “You can come along peaceful, or we can do it the way we used to.” Fowler closed in, hand on the gun strapped to his waist.
    A hand snaked around August’s upper arm and he turned, startled by the contact. Old instincts to protect himself kicked in. He struck out with his free hand. Too late he realized the man was Fowler’s. The deputy staggered back, holding his nose.
    “Same damn August.” Fowler grabbed his shirt collar, dragging him away from the bleeding deputy.
    “Wait a minute.” August put his hands out to steady himself. “I—”
    Before he could defend himself, Fowler’s fist flew through the air. Pain exploded in August’s skull and his knees gave out. He landed flat on his back, gazing up at the sky through a murky haze clouding his vision. He’d assaulted a law officer and it meant he was headed for jail.
    With a sinking feeling in his heart, he knew Loyal would never trust him again.
     
     

 
    7
     
    Loyal longed for the sound of horseshoes on the road as she clutched the porch railing. She didn’t know whether to be furious or worried or both. August had left yesterday morning and hadn’t returned. Where could he be? Had running the farm become a burden for him already?
    She wasn’t sure how their financial situation stood. Perhaps hiring labor would be too costly. With no help, the corn crop was as good as spoiled. He might have emptied his brother’s bank account, taken the money saved there and fled. Or maybe it was because of her. After she’d told him she wouldn’t tolerate infidelity, he’d realized what a mess he’d gotten into and decided to leave.
    She paced the porch. How long would it take the bank manager to demand payment on the farm equipment, and how would she come up with the money to give him? Jeremiah had owed on the land too, but maybe she could sell some of the outer acreage to cover the payments. Her head ached with worry.
    Just like August to bring this down on her. She’d been naïve to think he was different, even with the changes she’d seen over the last two weeks. He was no good and never would be. Somehow she’d make this right and provide for her baby. With every step she took, her anger multiplied. He didn’t even have the courtesy to leave a note explaining why he’d abandoned her. She’d show him. Him and everyone who thought poorly of her since she’d left her father’s house.
    The milk cow bawled from the pasture and she knew rather than wait for a man who was never coming home, she should start the morning’s chores. They’d keep her mind off worthless August O’Dell. Angry tears welled in her eyes. Hadn’t she suffered enough bad luck lately? Knowing Maud was right about August’s motives made her feel ill.
    She didn’t stop stewing as she milked Sunny and fed the chickens. Molly’s stall needed mucked and she dreaded the back-aching labor. No matter what August thought, she decided it would be easier to turn mare and foal out rather than deal with cleaning twice a day. Molly nickered when she entered the barn, but her foal hid behind its mother’s legs. The little bay was a filly, she’d discovered yesterday, before her world had collapsed again. Instead of feeling joyous about the foal, she realized she’d probably have to sell them soon along with the sheep, which she couldn’t sheer by herself.
    August had made her promises. What was the point, if he didn’t plan to keep them? She opened the stall door and approached Molly, who watched her with pricked ears.
    “Let’s go outside, girl.” Her voice cracked as the gangly foal stretched her neck as far as it would go, trying to catch