Free Adam: Braddocks, Book Two by Starla Kaye Page A

doesn’t.” Faith drew in a frustrated breath. Still, she felt her face heat. “I’ve barely seen him these last couple of weeks. He’s stopped popping in to check on me…not that I care.” Liar. She’d been angry with him for denying that he could ever love her, but she’d still looked for him to come pester her like he’d done after she’d gotten hurt.
    Jennie marched across the store, her long skirt swishing around her ankles. She planted herself behind the main showcase, obviously prepared to help out today even though Faith hadn’t asked her to do so. Her pretty face pinched in irritation. “I’d say Adam is the stupidest of the Braddock brothers, but he isn’t. They’re equally foolish.”
    “Again I ask, what have they done now?” Faith studied her friend. Yet a part of her didn’t want to know.
    “Where do I start?” Jennie settled onto the stool behind the case, her back rigidly straight. She blew out a breath in an attempt to calm down, but it wasn’t working.
    “Surely it isn’t that bad.” Faith’s stomach was knotting in anticipation. Whatever it was that had Jennie upset, Faith sensed she wouldn’t like it either. Maybe that’s why Jennie seemed to be having trouble actually spitting it out.
    “Come on, Jennie, tell us,” Angelica prodded. “I’m dying to know, but I’ve got to go check in my newest boarders.”
    Jennie tipped up her chin and blurted out, “They’ve decided to send off notices about needing potential husbands for all of these women. As if we don’t have enough chaos here now!”
    She shook her head and went on in barely controlled fury. “I told Daniel that he and Adam have caused enough problems. This whole thing needs to be stopped.” She heaved a sigh. “But I don’t suppose there’s a way to stop this flood of women coming.”
    Angelica looked cautiously at Faith. “Do you know who exactly came up with that idea?”
    Now Jennie glanced uneasily at Faith. “Adam,” she admitted quietly.
    Faith bristled. “Oh really!” She’d told her friends that she and Adam had argued about her wanting to send a notice off about her looking for a mail–order groom. How he’d torn up her letter. She hadn’t told either of them about how he’d spanked her about such foolishness…well, and other things, he’d said. How dare he! How double–dang dare he!
    She stomped into the back room and came out with a piece of vellum, a pen, and a bottle of ink. “I should have done this before now. Right after he tore up my first letter.” She set everything down on the closest glass case so hard she was lucky the inkbottle didn’t break.
    Angelica walked over and put a hand to stop Faith from opening the inkbottle. “Why bother? If they have already sent out word about needing mail–order grooms, your problem is solved.” She looked at Jennie. “Have they?”
    Jennie huffed. “I don’t know. Daniel just told me about their plan last night. But I suppose one of them could have given a letter or two to the stage driver, who’ll be leaving Dry Fork before long.”
    Faith glanced down at the paper. Maybe the men had handled her problem, without meaning to. But if a notice hadn’t been sent, then she would pen one herself. First, though, she wanted to confront them…Adam specifically.
    Determined now, she moved from around the case to the open door. “I’ll just go and find out.” Then before either of them could stop her, she hurried next door to the barbershop.
     
    * * *
     
    Adam sat in the barber chair furthest from the window, watching Daniel and Caleb. His brothers had ducked in here just as the stage had pulled into town. As if they were in hiding. In truth, he figured both of them were, but for different reasons. Daniel had grumbled upon walking in that Jennie was still barely speaking to him about this whole mess he’d caused. Caleb was trying desperately not to be spotted by the near two dozen single women who had already shown up in answer to the