Read Online Lee (The Landon Saga Book 6) by Tell Cotten - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tell Cotten
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there,” Jeremiah suggested.
“I reckon we should,” I said flatly.
“I’ll do it,” Brian offered.
Nobody said anything as Brian walked over to the desk, and it was silent as he counted. After he was done, he neatly arranged all the bills into several tall stacks.
“Mr. Wisdom, we owe you ten thousand and fifty-two dollars,” Brian announced.
“Please, call me Jeremiah,” he said, and added, “I like round numbers. Let’s just make it an even ten thousand, shall we?”
“It’s your money,” Brian said.
“A man could get killed carrying that much cash around,” Jeremiah figured.
“It’s happened before,” Brian agreed.
“Not only do I have your ten thousand, but I also have ten thousand of my own. That’s twenty thousand.”
“You’re a rich man,” Brian sounded tired.
“That safe you mentioned. Could I leave all twenty thousand there and pick it up in the morning?”
“That would be fine.”
“Good,” Jeremiah smiled and stood. “I’d also like a room.”
“See Amos at the bar,” Brian instructed. “He’ll get you settled.”
“How much for the room?”
“No charge. You’re our guest.”
Jeremiah nodded and turned to go.
“Thank you. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Brian managed to mumble something as Jeremiah left.
We didn’t speak as Brian opened the safe and put Jeremiah’s money in. It was too painful to watch, so I grabbed a cigar, trimmed it and lit it, and then took a long, deep puff.
“Do we have ten thousand to cover it?” I finally broke the silence.
“We’re a little short,” Brian replied quietly.
“Tomorrow’s payday too, ain’t it.”
“It is.”
I sighed and leaned back in my chair.
“What’ll we do?”
“Only thing we can do is to go to the bank in the morning and get a loan. We don’t need much. Just enough to cover everything for a week or so.”
“Don’t forget about Mr. Tomlin’s steers,” I reminded. “We haven’t paid him yet.”
“I’ll borrow enough for that too.”
“What a mess,” I sighed.
“That about describes it.”
“I’m sorry, Brian.”
He shrugged.
“If I was you, I’d have done the same thing. When you put that full house down on the table I thought you’d won for sure.”
“It was a nice feeling, if only for a brief moment,” I recalled.
“Do you think he cheated?”
“I have my suspicions.”
“But suspicion ain’t proof,” Brian pointed out.
“I know,” I muttered. It was silent, and I added, “Well, things can’t get any worse.”
“You said that once already.”
“I did, didn’t I,” I admitted.
Brian nodded and moved towards the door. I stood, put out my cigar, and followed after him.
“Things will be better tomorrow,” I said as we walked into the lobby.
Brian grunted in response.
Chapter twenty-one
We turned in early.
It only took Brian a few minutes to start snoring, but I tossed and turned.
I kept replaying the hand over and over in my mind, and I finally came to the conclusion that Jeremiah had cheated. Problem was, I didn’t know how. I had watched him deal those last two cards off the top of the deck, clear as day.
I was still thinking about that when I heard a faint noise from downstairs. I sat up in bed and listened. A few seconds passed, and I heard something again.
I crawled out of bed and pulled my pants on. Next, I grabbed my Colt, eased the door open, and stepped out into the hallway.
I looked down into the lobby, but it was pitch black and I couldn’t see a thing.
I heard a noise again, over by the main door, and it sounded like somebody was opening the outer oak doors.
With my Colt in hand, I walked down the hallway and eased down the stairs. The boards creaked underneath my feet, and I winced.
I could see a silhouette of someone standing in the doorway. The person was tall and wide, and he had his back to me. I wasn’t sure, but it looked like Brock.
Being as quiet as possible, I left the stairs and walked towards
“I reckon we should,” I said flatly.
“I’ll do it,” Brian offered.
Nobody said anything as Brian walked over to the desk, and it was silent as he counted. After he was done, he neatly arranged all the bills into several tall stacks.
“Mr. Wisdom, we owe you ten thousand and fifty-two dollars,” Brian announced.
“Please, call me Jeremiah,” he said, and added, “I like round numbers. Let’s just make it an even ten thousand, shall we?”
“It’s your money,” Brian said.
“A man could get killed carrying that much cash around,” Jeremiah figured.
“It’s happened before,” Brian agreed.
“Not only do I have your ten thousand, but I also have ten thousand of my own. That’s twenty thousand.”
“You’re a rich man,” Brian sounded tired.
“That safe you mentioned. Could I leave all twenty thousand there and pick it up in the morning?”
“That would be fine.”
“Good,” Jeremiah smiled and stood. “I’d also like a room.”
“See Amos at the bar,” Brian instructed. “He’ll get you settled.”
“How much for the room?”
“No charge. You’re our guest.”
Jeremiah nodded and turned to go.
“Thank you. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Brian managed to mumble something as Jeremiah left.
We didn’t speak as Brian opened the safe and put Jeremiah’s money in. It was too painful to watch, so I grabbed a cigar, trimmed it and lit it, and then took a long, deep puff.
“Do we have ten thousand to cover it?” I finally broke the silence.
“We’re a little short,” Brian replied quietly.
“Tomorrow’s payday too, ain’t it.”
“It is.”
I sighed and leaned back in my chair.
“What’ll we do?”
“Only thing we can do is to go to the bank in the morning and get a loan. We don’t need much. Just enough to cover everything for a week or so.”
“Don’t forget about Mr. Tomlin’s steers,” I reminded. “We haven’t paid him yet.”
“I’ll borrow enough for that too.”
“What a mess,” I sighed.
“That about describes it.”
“I’m sorry, Brian.”
He shrugged.
“If I was you, I’d have done the same thing. When you put that full house down on the table I thought you’d won for sure.”
“It was a nice feeling, if only for a brief moment,” I recalled.
“Do you think he cheated?”
“I have my suspicions.”
“But suspicion ain’t proof,” Brian pointed out.
“I know,” I muttered. It was silent, and I added, “Well, things can’t get any worse.”
“You said that once already.”
“I did, didn’t I,” I admitted.
Brian nodded and moved towards the door. I stood, put out my cigar, and followed after him.
“Things will be better tomorrow,” I said as we walked into the lobby.
Brian grunted in response.
Chapter twenty-one
We turned in early.
It only took Brian a few minutes to start snoring, but I tossed and turned.
I kept replaying the hand over and over in my mind, and I finally came to the conclusion that Jeremiah had cheated. Problem was, I didn’t know how. I had watched him deal those last two cards off the top of the deck, clear as day.
I was still thinking about that when I heard a faint noise from downstairs. I sat up in bed and listened. A few seconds passed, and I heard something again.
I crawled out of bed and pulled my pants on. Next, I grabbed my Colt, eased the door open, and stepped out into the hallway.
I looked down into the lobby, but it was pitch black and I couldn’t see a thing.
I heard a noise again, over by the main door, and it sounded like somebody was opening the outer oak doors.
With my Colt in hand, I walked down the hallway and eased down the stairs. The boards creaked underneath my feet, and I winced.
I could see a silhouette of someone standing in the doorway. The person was tall and wide, and he had his back to me. I wasn’t sure, but it looked like Brock.
Being as quiet as possible, I left the stairs and walked towards
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