Heartfield Ranch (Communities of Discipline Book 2) Read Online Free Page A

pretty old-fashioned. And like I said, if you don’t like it, you can leave. Does that sound alright, Miss….”
    Karen held her hand out. “Betty. Betty Linden.”
    Clay shook her hand. “Pleased to meet you, Miss Linden. I’m Clay Sanders. If you want to get your bags we’ll get you over to Heartfield so you can get settled in.”
     

Chapter Four
     
    Jake Witmer and Adam Blye regarded their wives from across the table. Ann Marie and Sarah were at least sitting together, which was a start. But their body language suggested there was work to be done before the rift between them would be healed.
    From time to time, the women shifted uncomfortably on the wooden bench, and all four seated at table were aware of why. The effects of the spankings were still evident.
    “We all know what’s at stake here, don’t we?” Adam asked. “You gals are going to have to learn to get along.”
    “I want to,” Ann Marie said.
    Adam looked at his wife. “And you?”
    Sarah shrugged. “I guess,” she said.
    “You guess?” Jake bristled. “Sarah, Ann Marie hasn’t done anything to you that I can tell. Now, I’m not excusing her behavior of yesterday. She was wrong to rise to your bait, and she paid for it. But from what I can tell this just boils down to a matter of jealousy.”
    Sarah looked up and glared at Jake, then turned to Adam. “You gonna let him talk to me like that?”
    “I can’t get too upset if what he says is true,” Adam replied. “Sarah, you and I have discussed this, and I’m as baffled as he is about your animosity towards Ann Marie.”
    “We have to work together,” Adam continued. “It can’t be stressed enough. Whatever threat you perceive in Ann Marie is in your mind alone. We all have our special talents, our  unique strengths….”
    Sarah slammed her hands down on the table and stood. “Just stop it!” she cried. “We don’t all have our ‘unique strengths,’ or at least not equally. I wasn’t raised like this. I was raised in the city.”
    “So was I!” said Ann Marie.
    “Well, maybe so,” Sarah shot back, crossing her arms. “But it comes easier to some people than others. I was just getting into the groove here, and the next thing I know it’s Ann Marie this and Ann Marie that. If this were a cheerleading competition I could compete. But we’re talking about farming, and it’s kind of hard to match up to an equally pretty girl who doesn’t mind getting dirty.” She turned away, beginning to cry. “I thought I could do this, but now…”
    “That’s the problem,” said Jake. “You seem to think you have to compete. But you don’t Sarah. This isn’t a tournament. It’s a community. Jealousy has no place here. That’s a burden of outsiders. You’ve got to learn to get past it, or…”
    “Or I’ll get kicked out, apparently.” Sarah turned hurt eyes on her husband. “Isn’t that what you threatened me with last night, Adam? Banishment? We’re married, but you’d just cast me aside? And you call that community?” She turned to Ann Marie and scoffed. “That should make you happy.”
    “It doesn’t,” said Ann Marie. “And besides, I’m sure Adam didn’t mean it, did you Adam?”
    “Ann Marie…” Jake shot her a look of warning, and she knew right away she’d said too much.
    “Oh, he means it,” said Sarah, walking to the window and looking out. “Apparently the men here love Heartfield more than they love their wives.”
    Adam walked over to Sarah and took her shoulders, turning her towards him. “That’s not true and you know it,” he said firmly. “This place reflects my values, Sarah - values that are lost in the outside world. If we can’t make it in here, we won’t make it out there. You knew who I was when you came in, when we married here. I won’t ask you to stay, and I won’t let you if you can’t accept the way things are here. But by the same token I won’t go back out to this twisted society and turn my back on what I