Brazen Read Free Page B

and were
cheering her on.
    Casey reined in abruptly and was laughing in exhilaration when Pete caught up to her moments later.
    "I told you Raven was the best!" she declared proudly.
    "You may have won this time, but you had a head
start," Pete countered.
    "I won. That's all that matters," Casey insisted.
    "Winning is everything to you, isn't it?"
    "That's right," she said, still grinning at him as she dismounted and stroked her stallion's neck adoringly.
    George, one of the hands, came to take Raven from
her.
    "Thanks." She handed the reins to him, then glanced
up toward the house. She was surprised to see a horse
tied up out front.
    "Who's up at the house with Pa?" she asked.
    "I don't know. I was busy working and didn't see anybody ride in," George answered as he led Raven away.
    "I guess I'd better find out what's going on." It wasn't
often they had company.
    "You go on for now, but we're going to race again,"
Pete insisted, dismounting.
    "Why would you want to lose to me twice?" Casey
asked with good-humored arrogance as she started off
toward the house.

    Pete chuckled to himself as he watched Casey go. She
was one helluva female. He knew the boss regretted not
having a son, but Casey had proven herself time and
again to be as good as any man when it came to riding
and shooting. Pete respected her gumption and her abilities. He even respected her decision to dress like one of
the hands in pants, shirts and boots when she was working on the ranch. She was a woman who knew her own
mind. He was still smiling as he turned back to tend to
Lightning. She won today, but he would have his rematch.
    "Where were you early yesterday afternoon, Jack?" Sheriff
Montgomery asked, eyeing the stocky, middle-aged
rancher suspiciously as they stood face-to-face in the parlor of the Bar T ranch house. The bad blood between the
Turners and the Donovans was common knowledge, and
that put Jack Turner at the top of the list of people Montgomery needed to check out regarding Frank Donovan's
shooting. Not that he had any proof Jack was involved.
When he'd ridden out to the Circle D the day before to
speak with the wounded rancher, Frank had had no idea
who'd ambushed him.
    "Where do you think I was? I was out working my
stock," Jack replied sarcastically. "Shouldn't you be back
in Hard Luck enforcing the law? What do you want with
me?"
    Montgomery ignored Jack's questions. "You got any
witnesses who can vouch for you?"
    "Ask my men. They can tell you." His gaze narrowed
as he looked at the sheriff.

    "I'll do just that," Montgomery told him as he started
from the house to seek out the ranch hands.
    "Wait a minute, Sheriff," Jack growled harshly, and he
was gratified when the lawman stopped and looked back
at him. "What's this all about?"
    The sheriff looked him straight in the eye as he answered, "Somebody shot Frank Donovan yesterday."
    "What?"
    "You heard me. He was shot in the back,
robbed and left for dead."
    Jack frowned. Tm not denying I've got no use for Donovan, but 1 didn't shoot him."
    "I'm just going to make sure of that."
    "How is he?" Jack asked, following him.
    "He's alive," was all Montgomery answered as they left
the house.
    "Sheriff Montgomery?" Casey was startled as she came
face-to-face with him on the front porch.
    "Miss Turner." He nodded to her but kept walking toward the corral where Pete and some of the other men
were working.
    Casey looked at her father as the sheriff moved off. "Pa?
What is he doing here?"
    Jack was disgusted as he quickly explained what he'd
learned.
    "And the sheriff thinks you did it?" she asked, both
shocked and worried.
    "Pete and the boys will tell him where I was. There's
nothing to worry about."
    "I hope not."

    They waited together on the porch, watching as Sheriff
Montgomery spoke at length with the men. When the
sheriff started back toward the house, Pete came with
him.
    "Are you satisfied now, Sheriff?" Jack asked angrily.
    "Your men covered for you,