Do Not Forsake Me Read Online Free PDF

parents had brought Lloyd around, but it was mainly Jake who’d managed to get through to him, reminding him he had a son to live for, a son he never wanted to disgrace…the way Lloyd once felt his own father had disgraced him. He never wanted those same hard feelings between himself and his son, Stephen.
    Now he had to face the fact that he was a widower with a six-year-old son to raise. He’d loved Beth desperately, but she was lost to him. Stephen was his whole life now. The boy stayed with his grandma Randy when Lloyd and Jake had to go out on a manhunt, but he couldn’t expect his mother to keep doing all the raising. The woman had been through hell over years of living with a wanted man who’d ended up in prison and now lived the life of a U.S. Marshal. A loving grandmother she was, but she needed some peace.
    Lloyd knew deep inside that he needed a new wife, someone who would be a good mother to Stephen. Beth would want that too. Katie Donavan Lamont had those qualities, and it didn’t hurt that she was beautiful. He’d been seeing her a few months now, had taken her to the spring dance in Guthrie and stolen a kiss or two, but memories of Beth had held him back from allowing serious feelings, and his job often kept him away for days or weeks at a time, making it difficult to develop a closer relationship. Still, he was pretty damn sure Katie would marry him if he asked.
    â€œLloyd!”Patrick Donavan came out of the cabin to greet him as Lloyd halted his horse at a hitching post.
    Lloyd nodded as he dismounted. “Hello, Pat.”
    â€œSure ’n’ you came at a good time, boy!” Lloyd had to grin at the man’s strong Irish brogue. “The wife and Katie just took a couple of pies out of the oven. Come on in. You look tired. You been out riding with your pa again?”
    Lloyd towered over the much shorter but very stocky man as he tied his horse. “I have,” he answered. He loosened the rawhide string that held his long hair away from his face. “I left Pa back at Winter Point. We had quite a shoot-out with some bank robbers who’d holed up in No Man’s Land—Jack Buckley, two of the Bryant boys, and Brad Buckley’s uncle, Stu Forbes.”
    He pulled his hair back better and retied it, thinking how he really should cut it. But constantly being on the trail made it difficult to keep a decent haircut, so he’d just let it grow, and now it was midway down his back.
    â€œWe chased them out of there, and they took shelter at a ranch west of here,” he continued. “The worst part is, they attacked the rancher’s daughter in the worst way. You can imagine the rage that put in Pa’s gut. By the time he and I got through with them, they were in bad shape. Jack Buckley is dead. I knew Pa could take them on into Guthrie on his own, so I rested up a bit and decided to take the fork and stop here before I go home.”
    â€œSure ’n’ I’m glad you decided to visit,” Pat answered. “We’ll feed you good and put you up for the night. You can get all the rest you need before going on into town. We’re heading into Guthrie tomorrow ourselves. You can ride with us. We’ll feel plenty safe with the likes of a Harkner man along.”
    Lloyd shook his head as he followed Patrick into the house. “I didn’t come here to eat your food, Pat.”
    â€œAh, boy, it’s not a problem. The wife will be makin’ a good supper soon.” Pat reached up and patted his shoulder. “When Katie saw it was you comin’, she tore off her dirty apron and hurried up to the loft to fix her hair.” He gave Lloyd a wink. “Come on in.”
    Lloyd grasped his arm and gently pulled him aside. “Hold up, Pat.”
    Pat frowned and folded his arms. “What is it, son?”
    Lloyd removed his hat and glanced at the doorway, then back at Pat Donavan. “Actually, sir, I came here