Free His Perfect Bride (The Brides of Paradise Ranch - Spicy Version Book 1) by Merry Farmer Page B

Corva crying?” Minnie asked.
    Everyone jumped into motion to drown the impertinence of Minnie’s question, shuffling seats and moving Franklin and Corva’s chairs to the hallway side of the parlor. There was so much movement and fuss that not one of them heard the front door open and slam shut.
    It wasn’t until he shouted, “Haskell, I demand you stop this underhanded farce at once,” that they realized Rex Bonneville had barged into the house.

Chapter Five
     
    Corva had never been so ashamed in her life. These people were her hosts, her in-laws, and she had lost her head over a measly fireplace. But turning to find fire where she hadn’t expected there to be a blaze was too much. Still, that was no excuse to cause a scene. She didn’t know what she would have done if Franklin hadn’t jumped up to steady her. He was the perfect hiding place at the perfect time, only now she wasn’t sure how she could show her face again with dignity.
    “What is the meaning of this?” Howard Haskell, her new father-in-law, bellowed.
    Corva wanted to disappear into the floorboards, melt like paints left out in the rain. She sagged into Franklin, no idea how she could explain herself.
    “You’re asking me the meaning of this?” an unfamiliar voice boomed from somewhere behind Franklin’s back. “I’m the one who came here for an answer. I will not have my good name sullied by madmen like you.”
    “Now see here—” Howard thundered.
    “You have no right to march into a private residence,” Virginia barked at the same time.
    Movement swirled around her, but it wasn’t until Franklin pivoted to face the hall that Corva realized none of it concerned her. Slowly, cautiously, still shaking, she lifted her head from Franklin’s shoulder.
    Standing in the front of the hall near the door was a giant of a man with broad shoulders and a sweeping, grey overcoat. He had dark hair that was slicked back and a pointed beard and curling moustache. His expression was a mixture of fury and disgust. The picture he presented, high cheekbones, the line of his nose, his sneering disgust, struck an all-too familiar note of fear in Corva’s gut.
    “Get out, Bonneville.”
    As soon as Howard named him, Corva gasped. Rex Bonneville. So this was the man that Franklin had told her about, that everyone had been discussing. This was the calf thief.
    “I’m not going anywhere until you answer for the libelous rumors you’ve been spreading.” Bonneville crossed his arms, staring down his long nose at Howard. He was a good six inches taller than Franklin’s father…than everyone.
    A moment later, Corva noticed the two men standing on either side of Bonneville, slightly behind them. One was short but had muscles the size of hams. The other was taller, rail thin, and mean-looking.
    “What rumors are you talking about?” Virginia pushed through the watching family and ranch hands to stand side-by-side with her brother.
    “Mr. Bonneville doesn’t appreciate being called a thief,” the rail thin man snapped in a whiney voice.
    “No one asked you, Brandon,” Virginia growled.
    The thin man, Brandon, swayed toward her, hands balled into fists. Bonneville reached out an arm to block him with an impatient sigh. “Imagine my distress,” he said in a commanding, marginally calmer voice, “when I was dining at the Cattleman Hotel and overheard whispers that I was stealing calves right out of their sweet mothers on the range?”
    Jarvis stepped forward to join Howard and Virginia. “More than a few of our cows have come back without their newborns.”
    “So?” Bonneville shrugged. “Sounds more like carelessness on the part of your ranch hands than anything else.”
    All three of the Montrose brothers and Luke Chance objected, raising fists and voices.
    Franklin let go of Corva long enough to reach out and settle them with a gesture. His movement gave her the strength to stand on her own feet again. No one was paying attention to her