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

did.” His only chance lay in appeasing the men his family’d threatened the day before.
    â€œWait.” Ben held up his gun. “Pete, where’d you find him?”
    â€œSkulking behind the barn. I—”
    â€œAdam?” Opal’s cry interrupted whatever the youngest Speck meant to say as she rushed into the middle of everything.
    Instead of taking advantage of the Specks’ distraction to seize the nearest shotgun, Adam joined them in protesting her arrival. Some part of his mind registered that she wore a dress of pale green—the color of hope. It was then he began to wonder whether he had lost whatever sense God gave him.
    If I lost it, Opal didn’t find it, he fumed as Opal resisted her family’s efforts to tuck her behind them and out of harm’s way. Doesn’t she know Larry, for one, would’ve snatched her as a hostage right off the bat? The woman needed a keeper.
    He added his opinion to her family’s bluster. “You shouldn’t be here.” It didn’t take much to see she didn’t see the value of the comment, but at least the other men backed him up. Adam wouldn’t turn down any goodwill at this point.
    Opal, of course, didn’t budge. If anything, her indignation over his treatment grew. “This is Adam, not Larry!”
    Nice to know she appreciates the difference.
    His explanation as to why he’d ventured onto their land wasn’t met with approval. Though, in light of the message Opal had passed along yesterday, he didn’t expect it to be. Another troublesome cow seemed unbelievable.
    â€œSearch him.” Ben’s order made Adam’s blood run cold.
    Uncertain whether he’d need to show Larry’s addendum to Pa at some point, he hadn’t burnt the message. Hiding it hadn’t seemed prudent, so the incriminating thing sat like a firecracker in his coat pocket. The moment Pete drew it out, Adam knew he might as well have been carrying around his own death warrant.
    Opal’s reaction told him the instant she recognized what her brother held. All color fled her face, eyes huge and dark against the ice-white of her skin. Her stricken gaze skipped over him to fix on her father’s fury as he absorbed its meaning.
    Lord, protect my family when this is over. Adam closed his eyes, knowing no words would save him. Protect Opal from the bloodshed to come. Don’t let her bear guilt for what’s not her fault.
    Elroy read the blasted thing aloud, disbelieving even in his anger. “You came after Opal?”
    â€œNo!” Adam willed her to look at him, to never doubt he intended her any harm. “I came to find our cow so we could avoid all this.”
    Her slight nod took a weight from him he hadn’t known existed. Then her fool of a brother burst out with the news he’d caught Adam staring at his sister.
    Now he avoided Opal’s glance as she asked why in favor of glowering at Pete. He had nothing left to lose, after all. You couldn’t have just shot me and left it at that?
    â€œWhy does any man stare at a woman?” The disbelief had left Elroy’s voice. “He likes what he sees.”
    â€œDon’t be ridiculous.” Opal’s scoff sounded genuine.
    Wait. Why would that be ridiculous? Adam opened his mouth and shut it again as she said something about his waiting for her to leave so he could find his cow. Not that he believed he’d be getting out of this one, but he wouldn’t get in the way of her efforts.
    Pete did a fine job of that, for him, as he accused Adam of gawking—and looking brainless while doing it. Yep, the youngest Speck was starting to make dying at peace a real challenge.
    Opal, for her part, still protested that Adam didn’t look at her like a man looked at a woman, ending Ben’s patience.
    â€œHe’s a man, ain’t he?”
    â€œNo!”
    A growl burst from Adam’s throat before he could stop it. Of