Read Wyoming Bold (Mills & Boon M&B) for Free Online Page B

voice. It was soft and clear, like a prayer in the wilderness. “Hello,” he replied softly. “Are you better?”
    “Much. Thanks again for your help. The doctor called in a prescription for me at the drugstore,” she added. “He says it will help prevent the headaches, if I can tolerate it.” She laughed. “I’m funny about medicine. I can’t take a lot of it. I used to take feverfew for migraine, and another herb, but they weren’t working.”
    “Modern medicine to the rescue,” he mused.
    “Modern medicine is just a reworking of ancient Native American and indigenous folk medicine wrapped up in pills,” she pointed out.
    “Have it your way.” He smiled, then paused. “When the snow melts a bit, how would you like to go over to Catelow and have supper at that new Mediterranean eatery everybody’s talking about?”
    Her intake of breath was audible. “I’d love to,” she said with flattering quickness.
    He chuckled softly. “I like Greek food,” he said. “Well, I don’t like resinated wine, but that’s another thing.”
    “What is that?”
    “The wine?” he asked. “It’s an acquired taste, a wine with resin in it. It’s quite bitter, but I’m told that many people like it.”
    “Sounds uncomfortable.”
    “To me, too. But I love the food.”
    “I like spinach salad with goat cheese.”
    “So do I.”
    She laughed. “We have things in common.”
    “We’ll find more, I imagine. I’ll call you in a day or two and we’ll set a date. Okay?”
    “Okay!”
    “Call us if you need anything.”
    “I will, but we’re fine.”
    “Okay. See you.”
    “See you.”
    He hung up, feeling very proud of himself.
    * * *
    A FEW   MINUTES   later, he walked out to the barn, where Cane and Mallory were talking to Darby about arrangements for a new bull they’d purchased. They turned when he came in, wearing a huge grin.
    “You win the lottery or something?” Cane joked.
    “I’m taking Merissa out to eat,” Tank replied.
    There were several shocked expressions.
    He glared at them. “She won’t turn me into a toad if she doesn’t like the food,” he said sarcastically.
    “That isn’t what worries us,” Cane said quietly.
    Mallory moved forward. He put a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Look, it isn’t that we don’t like Merissa. But we know very little about her family. There have been some stories, some very unpleasant ones, about her father.”
    Tank frowned. “What stories?”
    Mallory glanced at Cane and back at Tank. “Well, that he beat one of his hands almost to death,” he said.
    Tank was shocked. “He doesn’t live there anymore.”
    “I know,” Mallory said. “But...”
    “But you think maybe Merissa’s like that?” Tank said through his teeth.
    Mallory removed his hand. “I’m doing this badly,” he groaned.
    Cane moved forward. “Nobody knows where he is,” he said. “There’s a warrant, a standing warrant, for his arrest on assault and battery charges.”
    “If you get involved with her,” Mallory seconded, “and he comes back...”
    Tank understood, finally, what they were saying. He relaxed. “You’re worried about me.”
    They both nodded. “We heard all sorts of things concerning him. He was possessive about his daughter. She was just ten at the time, and he was violent toward anybody who tried to talk to her.”
    “I wonder why?” Tank asked.
    “There were also rumors about what he did to her mother,” Mallory added solemnly.
    “To Clara?” Tank was shocked. “But she’s a woman!”
    “A man like that doesn’t care,” Cane said coldly. “Our doctor told me, in confidence once, that he’d treated Clara for some potentially fatal injuries.” He looked at Mallory with a question in his eyes.
    “Tell him,” Mallory said.
    Cane drew a breath. “Merissa was brought in with Clara, with a concussion and a broken leg,” he added. “The doctor said she tried to save her mother.”
    Tank leaned back against a stone pillar with a