Miller was a bully and a drunk. The kind of man who felt powerful only when he was tearing others down. Bo had thrown him off the Callahan ranch two years ago for mistreating horses and hadn't missed him since. "Well, well," Miller drawled, reining in his horse at the edge of Kelly's property.
His eyes moved between Kelly and Bo with calculating malice. "Ain't this cozy? The rich rancher and the poor widow playing house." "State your business, Miller," Bo said coldly. "Then get off this property."
"Free country, ain't it? Woman's got no husband to tell me otherwise." Miller's gaze slid to Kelly, and Bo felt his jaw tighten at the disrespect in the man's eyes. "Heard in town you've been spending nights out here, Callahan. Got folks talking, wondering what kind of arrangement you two have worked out regarding that debt."
Kelly's face went pale, then flushed with anger. "How dare you?" "I'm just saying what everyone's thinking," Miller interrupted, his tone mock-innocent. "Wealthy man, pretty widow, convenient way to settle accounts. Hell, maybe Callahan's getting the better end of that deal after all."
Bo moved before conscious thought caught up with action. He crossed the distance to Miller's horse in three long strides, reached up, and dragged the man from his saddle. Miller hit the ground hard, the air whooshing from his lungs, and before he could recover, Bo had him by the shirt front, lifted half off the ground. "You want to repeat that, Miller?"
Bo's voice was deadly quiet. "Because I didn't quite hear you. Thought maybe you said something insulting about Mrs. Bishop, but I must have been mistaken, because no man with half a brain would be stupid enough to insult a widow in front of me." Miller's eyes widened with fear, but alcohol and bravado made him foolish. "Everyone knows what's going on here, Callahan."
"You can dress it up however you want, but—" Bo's fist connected with Miller's jaw before the man could finish. Miller went down like a felled tree, blood spraying from his split lip. His two companions reached for their guns but froze when they found themselves staring down the barrel of Bo's Colt, drawn so fast they hadn't even seen him move. "Anyone else want to share their opinions?" Bo asked pleasantly, though his eyes were chips of ice.
The two men shook their heads mutely, hands carefully away from their weapons. "Good. Now you're going to pick up your friend here, get on your horses, and ride back to town. And on the way, you're going to think real hard about the difference between what you think you know and what you can prove."
"You're going to think about how Mrs. Bishop is a decent woman trying to provide for her children, and how I'm here because I choose to be, helping a neighbor in need the way any decent person would." Bo holstered his gun and hauled Miller to his feet, then shoved him toward his horse. "You're also going to spread the word in town that anyone who has something to say about Mrs. Bishop's reputation can come say it to my face. You tell them Bo Callahan said so. You got that?"
Miller, still dazed, nodded as his companions helped him into his saddle. "Got it." "And Miller, I catch you on this property again or hear one more word of gossip about Mrs. Bishop from your mouth, I won't be so gentle. Clear?" "Clear," Miller mumbled through his bloodied lip.
The three men rode off considerably faster than they'd arrived, leaving Bo standing in the yard with adrenaline still coursing through his veins and his knuckles starting to throb. He turned to find Kelly staring at him, her expression unreadable. "You didn't have to do that," she said quietly. "Yes, I did."
Bo flexed his hand, checking for broken bones. None, but he'd have some bruising by morning. "No man talks about you that way. Not while I'm breathing." "You realize what you've done, don't you?" Kelly's voice was strained.
"You've just confirmed every ugly rumor that's going around. When word gets back to town that you punched Frank Miller over me, people are going to assume—" "Let them assume whatever they want," Bo interrupted. "I know the truth. You know the truth. Anyone whose opinion matters will know the truth."