Read Online Brazen by Bobbi Smith - Free Book Online

moment on the sidewalk,
staring blindly about himself, trying to decide what to do.
The thought of a strong shot of whiskey appealed, so he
headed for the Sundown saloon. He had some deep
thinking to do. There was so much at stake, and he had
so little time.
    "How did it go?" John McQueen asked Foster when he
met with him at the bank an hour later.
    "I don't know if your plan will work or not. Turner was
more than a little angry when he left here."
    "Keep the pressure on him. I'll take care of the rest."
    Satisfied with the work Foster was doing, John left the
bank. Keeping the banker secretly on his payroll was one
of the smartest things he'd ever done. He was very
pleased with himself as he went in search of Jack Turner.
    It didn't take John long to find Jack at the bar in the
Sundown.
    "Afternoon, Jack," he greeted him casually as he went
to stand beside him.
    Jack slanted him a sidelong glance as he took another
deep drink of his whiskey. "Hello, McQueen."

    John ordered a whiskey, too. "Life been treating you
good?"
    "Can't complain," he answered tersely, just wishing the
other man would go away.
    "Sounds like you're luckier than most. What with Donovan being ambushed and Maguire having to sell out,
times are pretty hard around here."
    "Seems that way."
    "I wonder what the world's coming to."
    "I don't know, and I don't worry about it. I just try to
keep the Bar T running."
    "The Bar T is a fine ranch."
    "That's true. I heard you bought out Maguire."
    "Yes, I did. You ever think about selling?"
    "No."
    John had known Jack would be tough. "I heard talk
that you might be having some money problems."
    Jack looked at him sharply. "Where'd you hear that?"
    "Word gets around," he replied easily. "If you ever
change your mind about selling, I'll make you a fair offer
for the place."
    "It doesn't matter what kind of offer you make me. The
Bar T isn't for sale." His instinctive mistrust of McQueen
was growing even stronger.
    "Well, think about it," John insisted.
    "I don't have to think about it. I told you, the answer is
no.,,
    John was angry with the old fool, but he kept smiling.
"If you change your mind, you know where you can find
me."

    "That isn't going to happen, McQueen."
    Jack hadn't been ready to quit drinking and leave yet,
but McQueen's presence drove him from the bar. He
quickly downed the rest of his whiskey and walked out.
    The ride home was a long one.
    It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, but Jack
didn't notice. He was too deeply lost in thought. He had
to find a way to save the ranch.
    Pain ate at him, gnawing at his insides. He tried to ignore it. He reined in as he topped the low rise that overlooked the house and took a moment to study the scene
below.
    It was almost sundown. The Bar T looked peaceful in
the deepening shadows, almost heavenly to him.
    Jack told himself he'd withstood hard times before and
he could do it again. After his wife Emily's untimely death
when Casey had been a young girl, he had almost given
up. But the Bar T had meant so much to Emily that he'd
been inspired to work even harder, to make the ranch a
success in her memory.
    Jack remembered other bad times, of rustling and
drought. He'd had run-ins with the Donovans, too, but
through it all, he'd kept working, believing he would succeed. Now, for the first time, he was deeply worried. He
had to find a way to get the cash he needed to pay off
the bank, and he needed to do it fast.
    Jack rode on up to the ranch house, his pace slow.
    Casey saw him coming and came outside to meet him.
    "How were things in town?" she asked as he dismounted.

    He had been debating how much he shoulfl tell her,
and he realized he couldn't hide it from her much longer.
"We've got some trouble."
    "Trouble? What kind of trouble?"
    "Foster's pressuring me to pay off the bank loan."
    "Have we got the money?" She could tell by his manner
just how serious the situation was.
    "No."
    "What are we going to do?"
    "I