Jude & that Barratt Man by Calle J. Brookes

Author:Calle J. Brookes
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781940937458
Publisher: Lost River Lit Publishing, LLC

Jude tried to listen as Hughes interrogated the boy, but he’d led the boy into the smaller room off to the side where house goods were kept. She wasn’t just going to stand there and let a man she barely knew take care of her.

The man had no right to step in and take over her problems. Hers and Jacob’s.

Although if there was any man strong enough to take on Justice Wharton, she suspected it was Hughes Barrett. He certainly had the resources for that. Wharton only had about nine or ten men on his payroll at any one time.

She’d seen at least three times that at the Barratt Ranch.

That had her more than a little unsettled when she thought about it. Her nieces would be well guarded, at least.

She pulled her little one closer, not wanting her girl to be frightened.

That was something she and Jacob agreed on. They didn’t want the kids having to be frightened by things they didn’t understand.

Although Jude barely understood what was going on herself.

All she wanted to do was settle in with her brother and help him raise the girls. Have him help her raise hers.

They could count on each other. Always could.

She couldn’t count on Hughes Barratt for anything but making more trouble for her.

He’d already proven that.

The merchant moved closer to Jude’s side. He leaned down until he could speak near her ear. “I’m pleased to meet you. Don’t worry about any trouble that might be following you. Hughes is good at taking care of trouble. Has a way about it.”

“I…doubt he’s seen the trouble that’s coming my way before.”

“Oh, I think he can handle it just fine. There ain’t much that Hughes can’t. One of the best men I know.”

Jude just nodded, though she didn’t believe it at all.

Of course, the instant those damned sons of his had forced marriages on her nieces—whether they’d those unions had been consummated yet or not—the girls had become Barratts.

From what Jacob had told her, there was a darned lot of Barratts in this county. Maybe, maybe that would be enough. Maybe with husbands of their own to protect them, Wharton would back off. He was nothing more than a bully, afraid when a more equal man challenged him. Wharton might just back down a bit.

Unless Wharton wanted an outright war.

As much as Jude was angry at what Hughes Barratt’s boys had done to her girls, they didn’t seem the type that a smart man would go up against easily. Young, strong, healthy—they knew how to take charge. Most men, good men, protected their wives—she suspected the Barratts would doubly so.

They didn’t seem like evil men, not like the Whartons. Maybe just a bit misguided by that arrogant father of theirs.

Maybe, maybe it would be enough. But as for her.… She looked at the merchant again and shot him a stubborn look. “No Barratt man’s going to fight my battles for me.”

She looked at her daughter. All of seven years old and so, so beautiful.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.