Caleb's Blessing Read Free

from one guy to the next. You'd think I just told them I was thinking of hiring a rustler.
    I heard it all, from ‘this is no place for a female,’ to ‘this is going to be nothing but trouble.’ Yeah, like I didn’t already know that shit.
    "This isn't going to be any trouble because no one is going to touch her, that's rule number one, she's off limits. Anyone of you fucks even think of breaking that rule will be off this ranch no questions asked.”
    That started the snickers and the ribbing, which I chose to ignore before I started knocking heads together. When they started to wind down I held up my hand for quiet.
    “Next, before we get to any of that, this one is hiding from her ex. Apparently he left her for dead and was doing a stint in the pen, until the assholes that be decided to release him early for good behavior or some shit."
    "What the fuck kinda bullshit is that?" Max kicked a pebble out of his way.
    "That's why I never had much respect for the law, a bunch of corrupt boot licking fucktards is what most of them are."
    "We know Mark, you've told us about a million times over the years. Now I want you lot to come up to the house so I can introduce you so she knows who you are.
    I guess it goes without saying that I want all of you to keep an eye out for any strangers.
    Drake didn't say anything about the asshole showing up here and there's no reason to think he'd find her, but we're not gonna take that chance, you with me?”
    They all gave their assent though there were still a few grumbles, pretty much what I expected.
    “I'm gong to see about getting a picture of this prick so we know what we're dealing with.
    I don't need to tell you, if you see this bastard on my land shoot to kill, we'll figure shit out later.
    He almost killed her the last time he went after her, the only reason he'd be coming here is to finish the job; we're not going to let him."
    Especially not when I was all but ready to brand her.

Chapter 4
     
    AMANDA
     
    Merciful heavens he's the Marlboro man, only ten times better. Long, muscular, with a wild mane of dark hair and the brightest pale grey eyes, with just a speck of black in the middle.
    I know, I know, everyone seems to think that because of my experience with Lance Woods that I'm supposed to be off men, but I'm not that stupid.
    I know all men aren't deranged assholes, just as I knew at eighteen when my own dad was pressuring me, that I shouldn't be marrying Lance.
    First of all, I wasn't in love with him. I was probably the only girl my age who felt such indifference to the town’s designated heartthrob.
    I found him to be a pompous, overbearing blowhard, and really never saw what everyone else saw in him.
    While the rest of them were planning out their futures with their high school sweethearts, I was just biding my time until I reached eighteen.
    I wanted to get out of our dead-end town as fast as my feet would carry me, but my dad had other ideas.
    Lance came from the most well to do family in our town and for the locals that qualified him for princely status.
    My dad had threatened me with everything but death after I’d turned that snake down and he’d gone around me to ask him instead.
    I would’ve ran if I had anything to run to, not to mention I had no money or real resources of my own. So in the end, I did as I was told.
    It was the worse year and a half of my life, from beginning to end, and I guess the reason why so many thought I would be put off men.
    There had been no lead up to the abuse. Just out of the blue one-day wham, right across my cheek.
    I think the first time he blackened my eye it was because some guy had looked at me. That was on our honeymoon.
    After that, it became a regular occurrence. It didn’t take me long to realize that there would be no help forthcoming from his parental unit since his own mom sported a few shiners of her own from time to time.
    It was another kind of hell getting away, small towns aren’t known for getting too