Read Online Grizzly Fury by Jon Sharpe - Free Book Online

I go,” Cecelia said.
    â€œI could get in trouble.”
    â€œAnyone says anythin’, you send them to me and I’ll box their ears,” Cecelia returned. “Now shush or I’ll box yours.”
    The bartender opened his mouth to respond but closed it again and shook his head.
    â€œMorning, fellers,” Moose said. He was grinning and looked fit to bust with the news he wanted to share. “You’ll never guess what I did.”
    â€œYou partnered up with Cecelia,” Fargo said.
    Moose’s jaw fell. “How did you guess?”
    Rooster snorted. “It was easy, you lunkhead.”
    â€œDon’t insult my man,” Cecelia said, “or you’ll answer to me.”
    â€œYour man?” Rooster repeated. He looked from Moose to her and back again, and laughed. “Damn, Moose. When you partner up, you really partner up.”
    Fargo almost laughed, too, when Moose blushed.
    â€œEnough about us,” Cecelia said. “We came here to talk.”
    She turned to her offspring. “Abner, Thomas, Beth, I want the three of you to go sit by that wall there and don’t let out a peep until I call you.”
    â€œYes, Ma,” the oldest boy said, and he and his siblings dutifully obeyed.
    â€œNow then,” Cecelia said, pulling out a chair. “Moose, you sit here.”
    The big bear hunter sank down as meekly as a kitten and placed his rifle on the table.
    â€œAin’t life grand?” Rooster said.
    Cecelia claimed the last chair and speared a finger at Rooster. “I ain’t dumb and I won’t be teased.”
    â€œHe’s teasing you?” Moose said.
    â€œHe’s teasin’ us,” Cecelia said. “But never you mind. He’s your friend so we’ll let it pass.” She sat back. “Now then. I don’t believe in beatin’ around the bush so let’s get right to it. Moose and me did a lot of talkin’ last night—”
    â€œIs that all?” Rooster interrupted her, and winked at Moose.
    Moose did more blushing.
    â€œConsarn you.” Cecelia’s hand came from under the table. She had produced a derringer from the folds in her dress, and thunked it down, saying, “Mr. Strimm, I am tryin’ to be polite. You’re an ornery cuss so you can’t help bein’ contrary but there is only so much I’ll take.” Rooster went to say something but she held up her hand. “I ain’t done. You poke fun at us but you have no idea what it’s like to be a widow alone with three small children, and how hard it is to find a good man willin’ to accept you and them. And I do mean good. Not someone like you who’d poke a gal and go his merry way but a man who’d stick. So I’m tellin’ you. Make fun of my Moose again and I’ll shoot you.”
    â€œI’m your Moose?” Moose said.
    â€œYou are after last night.”
    â€œOh.”
    â€œWell now,” Rooster said.
    Cecelia looked at Fargo. “How about you, mister? You don’t say much, do you?”
    Fargo raised his glass. “Here’s to the happy couple,” he said.
    â€œNow that’s better.” Cecelia smiled. “And we thank you. But Moose and me didn’t come here to talk about us. We’ve got a plan to collect the bounty but we can’t do it alone and Moose said we should ask you two first because he likes you.”
    â€œAsk us what?” Rooster said.
    â€œIf you’re willin’ to settle for a thousand dollars as your share. We figure that you two and us two and maybe one more ought to be enough, and that comes to a thousand each.”
    â€œI don’t know,” Rooster said. “I had my heart set on twentyfive hundred.”
    â€œA thousand is still a lot. And we’re bein’ generous, seein’ as how it’s our plan.”
    â€œWhat is this plan of yours?” Fargo asked.
    â€œIt’s a good one,”