Read Online Love Finds You in Last Chance, California by Miralee Ferrell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Miralee Ferrell
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his lanky frame rose. “I’ll let you know if I find anything.”
Samuel kept his head down for a full minute after Alex stepped into the room, his gaze intent on a chunk of ore he turned slowly in his hand. A heavy magnifying glass hovered in one large hand, and he studied the rock from several angles before carefully placing it back on the table and raising his eyes.
“Miss Travers. May I help you?”
Alex stood in front of the desk, her hands clasped in front of her. “Good day, Samuel. I understand that my father brought in some ore a few weeks ago. Do you have the report?”
Samuel adjusted his eyeglasses and reached for a stack of papers on the corner of his cluttered desk. “Hmm. Ben Travers. Let’s see…” He shuffled through the stack, one paper at a time, placing each one down before peering at the next.
Alex gritted her teeth and clenched her hands to keep from grabbing the stack and flying through them herself. Samuel might be thorough, but he wasn’t known for his speed. A snail could flounder across the street before Samuel finished considering whether to step off the boardwalk.
He reached the last several pages and his hand paused in its search. “Ah…here’s the paperwork. I knew I’d find it eventually.” He pulled his eyeglasses from his face and waved them in the air. “I distinctly recall Benjamin bringing the samples in. However, he asked that I not disclose the results without his permission.” He shoved the eyeglasses back into place and gave Alex a suspicious look over the rim.
She did her best to school her features into somber lines and not roll her eyes. “As you might recall, my father is no longer with us. He can’t give his permission, and as I’m his daughter…” She braced her fingertips on the edge of the desk, leaned forward, and smiled. “I’m sure you won’t have a problem giving me the report.”
Samuel cleared his throat. “I suppose it would be appropriate, as you’re his only kin.” He adjusted his eyeglasses then glanced down at the paper and back up at her. “Hmm… Fred, my assistant, notes here that it was already picked up. Well now”—he rubbed his chin and squinted at the paper—“Fred writes that your pa gave us permission to give it to another gent.”
Alex jerked upright. “What other gent? Uncle Joe?”
“I’m not sure. Fred didn’t clear this with me.” Samuel shoved his chair back from the rough-hewn worktable and set his eyeglasses down.
He swung around and stared at the door in the back of the room.
“Fred. Come on out here.” His bellow filled the room and Alex winced.
The door opened and a young man with a dirty mop of light brown hair shuffled into the room. He glanced at Samuel then his gaze darted to Alex. A wash of red crept up his neck and flooded his cheeks before he dropped his head and stared at the floor. “What’cha needin’, sir?”
“Got a question for you.” Samuel thrust the paper at the boy. “I found this receipt with your name on it. Says someone stopped in here with a paper from Ben Travers. You wrote down”—Samuel waved the paper under Fred’s nose—“that he picked up the report on the ore. That right, boy?”
Fred’s eyes rose to the level of the paper under his nose, and he stared at the words. “Yessir.”
Alex tried to still her pounding heart. “When exactly was this?” Who had asked after her father’s business? Had he empowered someone besides Uncle Joe? If so, why didn’t Joe or she know about it?
“Hmm…let’s see.” Samuel scratched a spot on his fleshy cheek. “It don’t say here on the paper what day he came by.” He jerked his attention back to the red-faced young man. “Fred. You’re not supposed to give out paperwork ’thout showin’ me first. ’Sides, I told you to always date these things. It’s important to date ’em.” He shook the paper again and Fred took a step back.
Alex moved forward and lowered her voice. “Fred, do you remember who the
Samuel kept his head down for a full minute after Alex stepped into the room, his gaze intent on a chunk of ore he turned slowly in his hand. A heavy magnifying glass hovered in one large hand, and he studied the rock from several angles before carefully placing it back on the table and raising his eyes.
“Miss Travers. May I help you?”
Alex stood in front of the desk, her hands clasped in front of her. “Good day, Samuel. I understand that my father brought in some ore a few weeks ago. Do you have the report?”
Samuel adjusted his eyeglasses and reached for a stack of papers on the corner of his cluttered desk. “Hmm. Ben Travers. Let’s see…” He shuffled through the stack, one paper at a time, placing each one down before peering at the next.
Alex gritted her teeth and clenched her hands to keep from grabbing the stack and flying through them herself. Samuel might be thorough, but he wasn’t known for his speed. A snail could flounder across the street before Samuel finished considering whether to step off the boardwalk.
He reached the last several pages and his hand paused in its search. “Ah…here’s the paperwork. I knew I’d find it eventually.” He pulled his eyeglasses from his face and waved them in the air. “I distinctly recall Benjamin bringing the samples in. However, he asked that I not disclose the results without his permission.” He shoved the eyeglasses back into place and gave Alex a suspicious look over the rim.
She did her best to school her features into somber lines and not roll her eyes. “As you might recall, my father is no longer with us. He can’t give his permission, and as I’m his daughter…” She braced her fingertips on the edge of the desk, leaned forward, and smiled. “I’m sure you won’t have a problem giving me the report.”
Samuel cleared his throat. “I suppose it would be appropriate, as you’re his only kin.” He adjusted his eyeglasses then glanced down at the paper and back up at her. “Hmm… Fred, my assistant, notes here that it was already picked up. Well now”—he rubbed his chin and squinted at the paper—“Fred writes that your pa gave us permission to give it to another gent.”
Alex jerked upright. “What other gent? Uncle Joe?”
“I’m not sure. Fred didn’t clear this with me.” Samuel shoved his chair back from the rough-hewn worktable and set his eyeglasses down.
He swung around and stared at the door in the back of the room.
“Fred. Come on out here.” His bellow filled the room and Alex winced.
The door opened and a young man with a dirty mop of light brown hair shuffled into the room. He glanced at Samuel then his gaze darted to Alex. A wash of red crept up his neck and flooded his cheeks before he dropped his head and stared at the floor. “What’cha needin’, sir?”
“Got a question for you.” Samuel thrust the paper at the boy. “I found this receipt with your name on it. Says someone stopped in here with a paper from Ben Travers. You wrote down”—Samuel waved the paper under Fred’s nose—“that he picked up the report on the ore. That right, boy?”
Fred’s eyes rose to the level of the paper under his nose, and he stared at the words. “Yessir.”
Alex tried to still her pounding heart. “When exactly was this?” Who had asked after her father’s business? Had he empowered someone besides Uncle Joe? If so, why didn’t Joe or she know about it?
“Hmm…let’s see.” Samuel scratched a spot on his fleshy cheek. “It don’t say here on the paper what day he came by.” He jerked his attention back to the red-faced young man. “Fred. You’re not supposed to give out paperwork ’thout showin’ me first. ’Sides, I told you to always date these things. It’s important to date ’em.” He shook the paper again and Fred took a step back.
Alex moved forward and lowered her voice. “Fred, do you remember who the
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