Read Online Jackrabbit Junction Jitters by Ann Charles - Free Book Online

purse on the counter; the
keys to her old pickup were in her hand. “Jessica, come on!” she yelled over
her shoulder. “We gotta go.”
    Mac handed the crinkled letter to her. “What’s this?”
    “What’s what?” Ruby smoothed the piece of paper, her gaze
moving down the page. Her cheeks blushed as she read. When she looked back at
Mac, lines etched her forehead. “Where’d you find this?”
    He glanced at Claire. Ruby’s eyes followed.
    Claire felt her own cheeks redden. “I’m sorry, Ruby. I didn’t
mean to snoop. I found it yesterday when I was in the office trying to find a
reason for the break-in.”
    “It’s okay, hon’,” Ruby told Claire and then handed the
letter back to Mac. “You know what it is.”
    “Yeah. Somebody wants the Lucky Monk.”
    Claire blinked. “The lucky what?”
    “The Lucky Monk,” Ruby said. “It’s one of Joe’s old mines.”
    “Shit.” Mac tossed the letter on the counter.
    “Now Mac, this is no concern of yours. I can handle it.”
    He raked his hand through his hair. “Does Harley know?”
    “No, and he doesn’t need to find out. Deborah already thinks
I want him for his money. Him helpin’ me out of this mess will just cement that
idea in her head.”
    Last spring, Gramps had nearly bought Ruby’s mines in order
to give her the cash to dig herself out of near-bankruptcy. In the end, though,
they’d agreed he’d make her a loan, allowing Ruby to keep the mines and her
dignity.
    Jess pushed through the curtain. “Mom, have you—” She
paused. Her eyes narrowed as she studied Ruby, then Mac. “What?”
    “Nothin’, sweetheart.” Ruby’s smile looked brittle. She
grabbed her purse from the counter. “You ready to go?”
    “No, I can’t find my library books.”
    “We’ll return them another day.” Taking Jess by the arm,
Ruby propelled her toward the door.
    “Fine, but they’re due tomorrow.” Jess slammed outside. The
bells over the door jingled in her wake.
    Ruby turned back to Mac. “Don’t worry about this. I have it
under control.”
    Mac dug his keys from his pocket. “Sure you do.”
    “What are you doin’?” Ruby asked as he walked over and opened
the door for her.
    “Driving you to Yuccaville. I want you to explain to me how
you have this ‘under control.’”
    “Now, Mac—”
    “Let’s go. Besides, I want to hear all about this break-in
that has Claire digging for bones again.” Shooting a wink back at Claire, he said,
“Stay out of trouble, Slugger.”
    Claire watched the three of them rumble off in Mac’s truck.
In just four short months, they’d become more of a family to her than her own
flesh and blood. Leaving them would cut deep, and playing with knives always
made her armpits clammy. 
    Christ, she needed a smoke. She stared at the packs of
cigarettes lining the display shelf next to the cash register. Nobody would
know if she bought a pack and slipped out back for a few minutes …
    Groaning, she grabbed Jess’s copy of the latest glam
magazine from under the counter and settled onto the stool. She’d picked a hell
of a year to try to quit smoking.
    Three nicotine-free hours later, Claire looked up as Kate
breezed into the store, along with a gust of hairdryer-hot air. “What are you
reading?”
    Claire lowered the copy of Ohio: Travel Smart—one of Jess’s
missing library books. “A book.”
    “Jeez, Claire. If you’re going to run, don’t move to Ohio.”
    “What do you have against Ohio?”
    “Who’s moving to Ohio?” Gramps swished through the curtain,
wiping his hands on a dishtowel.
    “Claire.” Kate pointed at the book.
    “What?” Gramps snatched it from Claire’s grip, holding the
copy under his nose. “Why? Is Mac being transferred?”
    “No. I was just …” Claire paused, biting her lip. Gramps
didn’t know about Jess’s Cleveland plans, and Claire didn’t want to be the one
who let that rattlesnake out of its tank.
    “She’s thinking about leaving Mac.”
    Gramps