Read Online The Bride Backfire by Kelly Eileen Hake - Free Book Online

safety—even the trespasser’s—nullified the previous thought. Keeping everybody in one piece mattered too much to get picky about how it got done. Then she caught a glimpse of the Grogan male’s profile.
    â€œAdam?” If anyone asked how she got from behind the windrow to the middle of the thick cluster of men, Opal wouldn’t have been able to explain. One moment, she’d recognized the man Pete held a shotgun to, and the next, she stood beside him. Fast and foolish as that.
    â€œOpal!” Five voices ranged in depth but matched in consternation made an alarmed chorus before orders came pouring in.
    â€œGet away from him!” Pa wrapped his hand around her elbow and yanked her away.
    â€œWhat do you think you’re doing?” This from Elroy, who tried to step in front of her.
    â€œStop it!” She wriggled back to the front line by dint of sharp elbows and the tone she used to bully them into washing up before dinner. “Put your guns down and tell me what’s going on this instant!”
    â€œYou shouldn’t be here.” Of all people, Adam held the least authority. Which made his statement all the more powerful.
    â€œEven Grogan knows that you should go home, Opal.” Ben’s gaze bore a steely glint. “This is man’s business.”
    â€œI’m a Speck. My family, my home, my business, too.” She crossed her arms. “Have you taken leave of your senses, Pete? This is Adam, not Larry!”
    â€œOh, I know it.” Pete’s brows met in the middle, giving him the look of an angry buzzard. “I’m the one who caught him.”
    â€œWhat are you doing here, Adam?” After I told you never to come back! Opal kept the reminder to herself, knowing better than to bring up too many questions about their adventure the day before.
    â€œWe lost another cow. Looks like she got through a weak spot in our fence.” Misery and resignation marched across his features. “Since we lost Sadie, we can’t afford to let this one go.”
    â€œYou hear that?” Ben burst in. “Lost another cow, he says. After their ‘warning’ from before. Search him, Pete.”
    Adam stood stock-still while her youngest brother patted him down, grimacing when Pete reached into his coat pocket.
    Pete drew something out, glanced down, and froze. Livid marks mottled his skin. His mouth moved but no sound escaped as he passed his find to Pa.
    The message. Opal couldn’t even close her eyes against the horror of it, bound by some morbid need to watch her father’s reaction to the words. She saw his eyes narrow, a muscle in his jaw twitch when he reached Larry’s addition.
    â€œDespite your trespassing and your family’s threats, I’d been leaning toward something non-fatal.” Her father gave a bark that could have been laughter, but raised the hairs on the back of her neck. “More fool, me, to think any Grogan deserved to live.”
    â€œWhat’s it say?” Elroy accepted it when Pa thrust it his way, reading aloud for Ben’s benefit. “‘Next time we lose a cow, we take a Speck in payment. And I got my eye on your only heifer!’ Our only...” Disbelief gave way to outrage. “Opal? You came after Opal?”
    â€œNo!” Adam shook his head. “I came to find the cow so we would avoid this.”
    â€œThen why were you by the house?” Pete’s voice cracked. “I found you staring at her while she got water.”
    â€œWhy would you be looking at me?” Stunned, Opal turned to Adam.
    â€œWhy does any man stare at a woman?” Elroy narrowed his eyes. “He liked what he saw.”
    â€œDon’t be ridiculous.” As though a man like Adam would look twice at someone like me! “ This is your reason for brandishing shotguns at him? He probably was waiting for me to leave so he could find his cow.”
    â€œThe man wasn’t