Read Online Grace be a Lady (Love & War in Johnson County Book 1) by Heather Blanton - Free Book Online

but approaching hoof beats drew the group’s
attention to a rider trotting into Raney’s yard. All the commotion and cowboy
chatter halted abruptly, and Thad’s expression darkened. With slow, stiff
movements, as if he was barely controlling his temper, he stepped away from his
men to greet the visitor.
    A
handsome man, in his early-to-mid thirties with haunting hazel eyes, reined in
his appaloosa and nodded. “Thad.”
    “Nate.”
    Everyone
in the yard watched the two men intently. The stranger’s attention darted
warily over the audience. Grace was struck by the tension brimming among these
men, but especially between Nate and Thad.
    “Raney
around?”
    “I’m
right here, Nate,” Raney called, drying her hands on a towel as she crossed the
front porch. “What brings you over?”
    Nate
grudgingly pulled his gaze away from Thad, and addressed the woman. “The
independents are having a meeting over on the KC Thursday night, if you’re of a
mind to come. We’re gonna talk about Bill and Maggie.”
    Thad
took a step. “What for? You or some of the other independents thinking about
buying their spread? Pa’s already got plans—”
    “Got
plans to buy it, too?” Nate speared Thad with an accusing glare. “Bill’s cattle
were rustled twice before this fire. You know as well as I do one of his men
was bushwhacked. Now we’re supposed to believe Maggie’s death is an accident?
And how convenient the Lazy H is just gonna ride in and buy up another spread.”
    Thad’s
hands balled into fists. “If you’re sayin’ my pa had anything to do with those
crimes, you’d better step down off that horse.”
    “Stop
it, boys,” Raney commanded. “There’s been enough bloodshed in Johnson County.
There won’t be any on my spread. Nate, I’ll see ya there.”
    He
and Thad held one another’s gaze. Grace had seen that expression over and over
on Bull’s face, and on those of his men; a willingness to follow anger to its
worst conclusion. Given the right time and circumstances, these two could kill
each other.
    Apparently
calling it a draw, Nate tipped his hat at Raney and rode out. The man would
have to be dead not to feel the cold stares of the cowboys drilling into his
back. Once he passed through the Diamond R’s gate, Raney walked over to Thad.
“Your pa might be innocent of some of what’s going on in this county, Thad, but
he ain’t oblivious to it. The independents only want to be treated fair and
Nate’s got good intentions. You need to believe that.”
    “Hard
to believe that of an independent.”
    Raney’s
face formed into a disapproving frown. “You’re as hard-headed as your pa.”

CHAPTER
TEN
     
     

    Grace
stared at the skinny bed tucked away in a small room beneath Raney’s stairs.
The mattress, undoubtedly hard and lumpy, beckoned to her like a siren. She
needed to strip out of her clothes and wash them but the bed teased her. She
gave in and stretched out on it, careful to keep her boots hung over the edge.
    Her
bed back in Chicago was far softer, more luxurious, and substantially larger . . .
and it had never felt this good.
    “Greg?”
Raney called through the door.
    Grace
scrambled to her feet. “Yes, ma’am?” She took a step over and opened the door.
    Raney
shoved a stack of clothes at her. “Here, take these, and give me those filthy,
smelly things.” Hesitantly, Grace reached for the clothing, and Raney handed
them off with a pat. “I’ll keep rooting around till I find something that’s a
better fit. These were my husband’s, and likely they’ll swallow you, but roll
’em up, make do.”
    Grace
flipped through the stack containing a dark blue pair of dungarees, a red,
plaid button-up shirt, and a pair of white long johns. “Are you sure?”
    “Unless
you’ve got another set of clothes in that brown paper bag?” Raney eyed the bag
sitting on the table beside the bed.
    “Uh,
no ma’am. That’s actually, well, it’s kind of funny.” Grace realized