Bobbi Smith by Halfbreed Warrior Page A

be hearing from me,” Fred said once he’d mounted up.
    “Good.”
    Fred’s expression was grim as he rode toward the main house to pick up the last of his pay.
    “It ain’t gonna be the same without Fred around,” Tom remarked, watching him go.
    “I wonder what he meant when he said we’d be hearing from him?”
    “I don’t know, but I bet we find out soon enough.”
    Randi sat in her father’s study, listening as he told her what had transpired down at the bunkhouse.
    “The fight was ugly, and I fired Fred,” he finished.
    “You didn’t fire Hawk?” she asked, surprised.
    “No.” His answer was terse.
    “Why not?” Randi knew how strict her father was about making sure the ranch hands followed his rules.
    Jack’s expression grew even more serious as he faced his daughter. “There’s something you don’t know about Hawk.”
    “What?” Randi was puzzled by the strange way he was acting.
    “You know Hawk was recommended to me by a friend up in Dry Springs. Well, that friend was Sheriff Spiller. I’d written to him and let him know how bad the rustling was, and he sent Hawk down here to help.”
    “Hawk’s a lawman?” she asked, amazed by the news.
    “No, but Hawk has worked regularly with Sheriff Spiller in the past. Whenever the sheriff needed help tracking down criminals, Hawk got the job done. At first I didn’t want anyone to know why I’d hired him on, but now that’s all changed. I had to tell Wade the truth, so he could figure out a way to keep peace in the bunkhouse. Since Wade knows, I figured I’d better tell you, too. Just don’t spread it around. The fewer people who know what Hawk’s here for, the better.”
    Randi had respected Hawk before, but now she thought even more highly of him. “I won’t say a word, Pa. I promise.”
    “Good.”
    They heard a knock at the front door, and Randi got up to go answer it. She opened the door to find Fred standing there.
    “Where the hell is your old man?” Fred demanded crudely.
    After what her father had just told her, Randi wasn’t surprised by Fred’s open hostility, but she was surprised by how battered he looked. If he looked this bad after the fight, she wondered how Hawk had fared.
    “My pa’s—” she started to answer him.
    “Right here,” Jack said sternly as he came out of his study to confront the troublemaker. “Randi, you go on.”
    Jack didn’t want her anywhere around right now; there was no telling what Fred might say—or do.
    Randi wanted to go out to the stable to look in on Angel, so she went outside, leaving her father to handle the angry ranch hand.
    When she’d gone, Fred faced his ex-boss, his fury evident.
    “You’re making a big mistake firing me, Jack. You shouldn’t be favoring that half-breed over me.”
    “You know the rules, and you knew what would happen if you broke them.”
    The ranch hand was seething. “You’ll be sorry for this.” The threat in his words was plain.
    Jack pinned him with an unwavering regard. “No. I won’t. Here’s your money.”
    Fred didn’t hesitate. He snatched the cash from Jack’s hand.
    “Now ride on out of here and stay off the Lazy S,” Jack ordered. “I don’t want to see you around anymore.”
    “Go to hell, Stockton!”
    Fred stalked out of the house, slamming the door behind him as he left.
    Jack Stockton’s day was coming.
    He was going to see to it.
    Randi was on her way to the stable when she rounded the corner of the building to find Hawk washing up at the watering trough. Almost as if he sensed her presence, Hawk stopped what he was doing and glanced her way. It was then that she saw the cut above his eye and a bruise forming along his jawline.
    “Are you all right?” she asked worriedly. “I heard about the fight. Do you need anything?”
    “No, I’ll be fine,” he answered.
    “If it’s any consolation to you, Fred looks a lot worse.”
    “Good.” He managed just a slight grin at the news.
    “I’m glad, too. Pa told me