In Too Deep Read Online Free Page A

of your old life. I’m tired of being a burden.”
    â€œYou’re not a burden.” Julia stepped away from Audra, swinging her body a bit to block her from Lily. “Rafe, say something.”
    â€œThere’s some sense in what she says, Julia.”
    â€œRafe!” Julia clenched her fists.
    Ethan hoped she didn’t clench her whole body and squash the baby. Then he noticed he had a pretty tight hold on Maggie, too. He didn’t want the little one to grow up back East. Still, that was no reason to strangle her. He forced his arms to relax.
    Rafe slid one arm around Julia’s shoulders. “We’ll have lived here a while by the time our children get old enough to wander around. We’ll know the caves well by then and can block off the dangerous ones. But right now, with Maggie so young and speedy, and Seth so drawn to the caves . . . Audra’s right. It’s dangerous.”
    â€œSo I’ll get packed up then, and you’ll take me to town, Rafe?” Audra sounded determined.
    â€œHe will not!” Julia took another step back.
    Ethan wanted to help Julia escape with the baby. Thinking of Audra leaving didn’t sit right. She had no place to go. They could put her on a train back to her father, but who was to say the man would take her in? Or maybe he’d take her in and marry her off to the next varmint who had some kind of hold on him.
    â€œNo, I won’t take you to town, but I think you should move to the Kincaid Ranch.” After Rafe spoke, the only sound was the buffeting of the mountain breeze.
    Julia thawed first. “What? She can’t do that.”
    â€œI have no place at the Kincaid Ranch, for heaven’s sake.” Audra’s mouth started working next.
    â€œWhat would she do there?” Ethan went from worrying about Audra to being scared to death of her.
    â€œThat’d be great.” Seth reached for Maggie.
    â€œI’ll keep her for now.” Ethan dodged Seth’s hands.
    â€œAudra can be the housekeeper.” Rafe nodded as if everything was settled.
    â€œAudra can’t live in a house with two men,” Julia snapped.
    â€œI most certainly can’t.” Audra moved to Julia’s side. “It wouldn’t be right at all.”
    â€œShe can if she’s married to one of ’em.” Rafe had eyes like a gray mountain fog when he was determined, and Ethan saw that color right now. Not a hint of blue anywhere.
    â€œI’ll marry you, Audra.” Seth grinned like a pig in slop.
    â€œNot you.” Rafe turned to Ethan as if picking a wife was just another order Rafe could give. “Ethan.”

Chapter
2

    Julia had married a lunatic.
    â€œThat sounds great, as long as she’s at our house.” Seth was even crazier than Rafe.
    Audra waited for Ethan to say something equally crazy so she could peg the whole family as madmen.
    â€œI’m not marrying Audra.” Well, at least one of them had some sense. And for once he didn’t have a smile on his face.
    â€œWhat’s wrong with Audra?” Rafe asked.
    Audra kind of wanted to know the answer to that, too.
    â€œI’m not marrying Ethan. I’m not marrying anybody. Rafe Kincaid, you can’t just pick a husband out for someone because it makes life tidier.”
    â€œSure I can.” Rafe gave her a look that seemed to be . . . pity. Like he pitied her for being alone? Or did he just pity anyone who didn’t immediately see that he was the one who should organize the whole world?
    â€œNow, Rafe,” Julia said, patting him on the arm, “Audra doesn’t want to marry either one of your idiot brothers.”
    â€œHey!” Ethan said.
    â€œMy brothers aren’t idiots.” Rafe crossed his arms and glared at his fiery redheaded wife.
    Seth said, “Can Maggie and I go hunt around in the cave again for a while before you marry one of us and we go