Read Online Two Wanted Men [Badlands 2] (Siren Publishing Menage Amour) by Elle Saint James - Free Book Online Page A

He sent her a scorching glare of disapproval over her suggestion.
    “What else is there to be done? The doctor is useless. If she can help Justin, then I want her to. Unless you can do something to help him.”
    “I’m not a doctor, either.” Ben rolled his eyes to the ceiling once more before he followed them all into the back room. Miranda was glad she’d taken the extra time to clean up down here after taking care of Luke’s wound.
    “Well, she’s been around him for all this time. Surely, she’s learned something.” The mayor turned to her. “Haven’t you?”
    “Yes.” She nodded to add validity to her claim. “I can help him. I promise.”
    The mayor motioned the both of them to the back room. Ben went first, followed by Mayor Harris. Miranda turned to look over one shoulder at the stairs in time to see Reese duck his head back into the darkness of the stairwell. She didn’t miss the grin on his face, either.
    At least two of the men in the house tonight thought she could be a doctor. Now if she could just prove it to the other two in the back room.

Chapter Six

    Reese kept himself hidden as the parade of townspeople came into Miranda’s home to find aid from the worthless doctor. They were lucky Miranda could help. Having dislocated his left shoulder a few years back, he commiserated with the injured boy, and hoped they’d let Miranda fix him up.
    The sheriff was bucking for a fist to his mouth if he insulted her again. It had been agony staying in the shadows on the stairwell as he’d condemned a woman’s right to be a doctor to her face. Reese had slipped down the first flight of stairs silently to peek into the room from the landing to listen. He’d seen the back of the sheriff’s head and Miranda’s downcast expression when he told her women weren’t supposed to be doctors. Bastard .
    “Hold him tight.” Miranda’s voice drifted to the staircase from the back room. “This will hurt at first, Justin, but once it’s back in place, you’ll feel much better.”
    Reese flinched inwardly remembering his own injury when he heard the sound of the boy’s shoulder going back into the socket. To his credit, the boy had been fairly quiet during the process until she fixed it. The final snap back into place to fix a shoulder injury hurt like a son of a bitch and the boy screamed. He’d seen more than one full grown man faint dead away before the procedure was completed.
    Miranda’s seductive voice asked, “Is that better?” Reese pictured her lovely face.
    “Yes. Much better.” The boy’s adolescent voice cracked twice saying those three words. “Thanks, Miss Miranda.”
    Reese abandoned his perch on the landing midway between the two sets of stairs when Luke opened the door to Miranda’s bedroom and padded over close to the railing.
    “What in the hell is going on down there?” he whispered.
    “Some kid dislocated his shoulder. Miranda just snapped it back into place,” Reese murmured. The pride in his tone surprised him. He certainly understood prejudice having been a lawman for the better length of his adult life. He’d certainly seen it on more than one occasion.
    “Ouch.”
    “Yeah.”
    Below, they heard further murmured voices growing louder as Miranda, the obnoxious sheriff and the mayor walked into the parlor. Over the sounds of her snoring father, the mayor quietly thanked Miranda.
    “I truly appreciate your help with Justin’s shoulder.”
    “I’m happy I could help, Mayor Harris,” Miranda graciously answered.
    “Don’t know what we would have done if you hadn’t been here.”
    “Well, I’m always here. If you ever need any more doctoring done, I’m happy to help.”
    The mayor walked to the foot of the stairs prompting Reese and Luke to edge away, but they remained within listening distance.
    “I’d like to talk to you about taking on some responsibilities from your father.”
    “What?” The sheriff’s strident voice intruded. “She can’t be the