“There are five of us at Bristlebrook, darlin’. We’ve had women there before and it . . . Well, it don’t work too well. Not when there’s the chance she’s the last woman we’ll ever see, you understand? Too much jealousy. Whole heap of drama. Whether you can pull your weight or not, well, that isn’t really the problem.” Beau’s voice has taken on that slow, coaxing tone again, like he’s worried I’m going to bolt. I’m not altogether sure I won’t. “We decided after the last time that if we had a woman under our roof again, she’d belong to all of us. Equally. Or she couldn’t stay.”
