Read Online Brothers in Blood by Dusty Richards - Free Book Online Page A

Reg to pick her out after his last wife was so pretty.”
    â€œLucie is more than pretty. I think she is so real and so damn good at it.”
    â€œShe is. Next summer, we can all have a baby convention, huh?”
    â€œSure enough. There’ll be a lot of us then.”
    Susie frowned before she said, “JD hasn’t figured out what he wants to do yet. I hope he does soon. But he’s still acting like he’s not certain of his future. I think he wanted to strike out and do something himself.”
    â€œPerhaps. He’s never talked much to me about anything since I offered to help him down at Kay’s. And she turned it down. But since then he’s sure not been the person we raised.”
    â€œI think he’s having a hard time inside.”
    â€œI wish he was better grounded, but I don’t know what to tell you. Anything here I need to look at?”
    â€œNo. Marge and I did the whole thing. I’ll miss doing the books up at the Windmill.”
    â€œI’ll miss your attention to details.”
    â€œI guess this baby and moving up there will change it all, won’t it?”
    â€œNot how much I appreciate you.”
    She chuckled. “I can still recall riding down and telling you they’d stolen all our horses. That kicked it off—. Oh, I hear a horse coming in hard.” She looked out the window, then turned back to him.
    â€œIt’s Deputy Roamer.”
    Chet stepped to the front door and opened it. “What’s wrong?”
    Roamer swept off his wide brimmed hat and shook his head. “You got time to talk? I tried to catch you before you left this morning, but got around too slow. You guessed it. I have a problem.”
    â€œCome in. Susie will fix us some lunch and we can talk.” He closed the door behind the deputy. “How are you?”
    â€œAw, fine.
    â€œHello, Susie. I guess Sarge is over at Gallup?” Roamer asked.
    â€œNo, he should be back shortly.”
    â€œTell him hello for me.”
    â€œI will, and I can fix lunch while you two talk.”
    â€œThanks.”
    Chet motioned. “Have a chair.”
    Roamer settled into an overstuffed chair near the fireplace. Elbows on knees, he whirled his hat on his hand. “I understand you had a successful trip.”
    â€œWe did. Monica said you came by, but left no word. I thought you were all right or I’d of checked with you yesterday.”
    He kept whirling the hat on his hand. “I guess I’m going to need a job.”
    â€œWhat does Simms have in mind?”
    â€œHe says he has too many deputies. Budget cuts, he calls it.”
    â€œWhen do you want to start working?”
    â€œI guess in two weeks. What do you have for me to do?”
    â€œTo start, you can help up here. You need to learn all you can from Tom and then we’ll find you a place.”
    â€œI want to be a hand.”
    â€œWhat else are you doing?”
    â€œOh, some breed stole a horse and beat up a squaw off the reservation, so I have a warrant for his arrest.”
    â€œWhere do you think he’s at?”
    â€œSomewhere hiding out on the Verde, they say. Cold as it is, he may be holed up anywhere.”
    â€œWhat’s his name?”
    â€œJack Kay.”
    â€œMaybe the four of us could find him. Jesus is a great tracker and Cole and I can scatter out and search for him. Tell me something. You really like your deputy job. Maybe if I went and talked to Simms about it that would help you.”
    â€œI wouldn’t mind, but you and him don’t agree on much.”
    â€œHe might listen. Where’s this Kay liable to be?”
    â€œI heard there’s a camp of breeds somewhere east of here.”
    â€œI’ve not heard about it. The crew will be in soon for lunch and you can ask Tom about it.”
    â€œLunch is ready,” Susie announced.
    They rose and went into the kitchen filled with good smells. She’d fixed fried ham