Read Online Almost a Cowboy by Em Petrova - Free Book Online Page B

me.”
    His brother didn’t so much as rock on his heels. “Where ya headed? Back to the mountains?”
    “I have to do something for Pa.” He hated the way that sounded—as if he were doing something good, wrapping up loose ends for a deserving man.
    “Saw the lawyer, didja?” Gunnison asked.
    “Yep.”
    “Gonna fill us in?”
    “Nope.”
    “You son of a bitch!” Gunnison lunged for him.
    Utah sidestepped, and Gunnison crashed into the ground at his feet. Before he could think, his brother hooked an arm around Utah’s ankles and yanked. He lost his balance and crashed to the turf.
    The sound of the truck door alerted him that Caroline was not staying put as told. Clinton’s boots appeared by Utah’s face as Gunnison scrambled up his body.
    Rage exploded in Utah’s brain. He swung and caught Gunnison on the jaw, rocking his head. He shook himself like a dog with a nose full of porcupine quills and came at Utah harder.
    Utah took a blow to the stomach that had him seeing red.
    Caroline was screaming, her voice weaving with Clinton’s in a war of words.
    “Bastards, what are you doing to him? He’s your blood!”
    “He’s been warped by years alone. Can’t control himself.”
    “Looks as if it’s you and Gunnison who can’t. Get off him!” The small thumps of Caroline’s boots on the ground roused Utah. He ripped an arm free of Gunnison’s hold and waved her away.
    Then he shoved Gunnison off him enough to get a knee between them. The force of his knee was enough to punch the breath from his brother. “You goddamn, no good son of a whoremonger! You’re gonna pay for punching me in the stomach.”
    “Whoremonger?” Clinton spat, squatting by his head. “You’re talking about our pa. The man you didn’t bother coming back to visit.”
    “Utah, tell them!” Caroline cried.
    He shot her a look that froze her expression. She plastered her hands to her mouth and stumbled back a few steps. Gunnison suddenly tightened his grip on Utah. Flipping in his hold, Utah scrambled to get out from under his brother.
    Gunnison ground his knee into Utah’s back. With that blow to the kidney, instant pain shot through him. Nausea burned in his throat, and he started coughing around the bile.
    “Get. Off.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Caroline rush Gunnison.
    Christ, she was going to get herself killed. They’d all been raised to never lay a hand on a woman, but Gunnison had always been single-minded with purpose, like a bull with a red flag waved in front of him. He ran until someone physically stopped him.
    Pushing himself to his hands and knees, Utah struggled to get to Caroline. “Don’t, baby. Go back to the truck.” He coughed as his stomach heaved. Christ, he was going to be sick.
    No, damn them, they aren’t getting the better of me.
    He lurched to his feet.
    “Go on and run away. We’ll take care of the Davies family ranch, Utah,” Clinton drawled. “We don’t need you here—or want you, anyway.”
    Utah caught Caroline as she threw herself into his arms. The impact made him grunt as pain ricocheted up his spine. His head spun. But anger burned the haze away.
    He pointed a finger at Clinton, trying to hold it steady. “You don’t know our pa. When I come back, you’re gonna be in for a hard reckoning. Both of ya.”
    Gunnison crawled to his feet, and Utah hammered down the urge to hurl himself at the man again.
    “You probably have the settlement from the estate, and you’re about to skip town. Don’t bother comin’ back,” Clinton said.
    “You don’t know what—” Caroline began, but Utah silenced her with a glance.
    “That’s right. I’m a real evil bastard. I’ve spent ten years living on my own, surviving on the land, and relying on myself. To everyone, it looked as if I did the family wrong. But no one ever paused to consider the wrongs done to me—or to you sons a bitches. When this is over,” he looked between his brother’s angry faces, “you’re going to