Read Online Peppermint Sticks for Susie by Joannie Kay - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Joannie Kay
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yard goods table is neatened. Those are my normal tasks because Mr. McGregor says I do it better than he does, which is the truth," she said with an impish grin. They set to work, talking across the store. When a customer came in, they ceased talking of private matters and Jenny waited on them.
One farmer came in and urgently needed feed and Jennifer knew she couldn't lift the heavy bag. The man was in a big hurry and Jenny called out, "Alex, could you help me with this?" She explained what she needed and where it was located and he went to find the feed while the farmer ran to the bank across the street.
"Now I've got you all alone, bitch, and you're gonna pay for Mort dyin' like he done! You come with me." Lefty Bridges reached for her with his bandaged hand and Jenny slapped his injured hand with all her strength. He screamed loudly and then took a swing at her with his right hand. Jenny ducked, and ran from him. Lefty knocked things off of the counter to reach for her again, this time with his right hand, which was now holding a knife. "I'll cut you up right here and now, bitch. I don't care who sees you underneath me, neither!"
He slashed at her again, only to scream in frustration as Alex put the bag of feed between his knife and Jennifer. "Drop the knife!" Alex firmly ordered.
"Damn you! Damn you to hell!" Lefty swore at Alex. He knew he was no match for the other man. "She's got to pay!"
"You're the one who is going to pay. Attempted murder should get you at least forty years in the state penitentiary."
"I ain't goin' to no damn prison! Not over no damn woman!"
"Want to bet?" Alex said softly. He put his gun to Lefty's back and said quietly and firmly, "Start walking to jail. I'm sure the Sheriff has a cell all primed and ready for you."
Jennifer was shaking now that the danger was over. The farmer returned and saw the store and his eyes widened in shock. "Miss Jenny, are you alright?" he asked.
"Friend, will you stay with her until I take this one over to the jail?" Alex asked, concerned for Jenny.
"Sure I will," the man promptly answered. "Now, don't you cry, Miss Jenny. You're safe now. Lucky that man was in here with you while Angus is out."
"I'm sorry about your feed," Jennifer stammered. "It's all over the floor, and I know you are in a hurry!"
"Not in so big a hurry I need to rush off while you're scared," the man said softly. When Jennifer started crying, he put his big arms around her and hugged her as he would one of his own daughters.
Angus walked in then and roared, "What be going on here?"
"Calm down, Angus. One of the cowboys came in here and tried to kill her; that new fella in town took him off to the jail. I promised to stay with Miss Jenny until he comes back."
"What cowboy was it, lass? I'll see to it he's fired and sent away from here for good!" Angus was furious.
"It was Lefty Bridges." Jennifer started crying in earnest. "He was waving a knife around and trying to slash me. If Alex hadn't stayed here I would have been dead by now. Why would that horrid man blame me for what happened to Mort Smith? They were the ones who attacked me, and Alex saved me then, too. Why does Lefty think it is okay for him to treat me like that in the first place?"
"Now, lass, dinna fash yourself over it. You be safe now and your mon dealt with keepin' ye safe. Do ye want to take the afternoon off?" Angus asked, and when she shook her head 'no', he asked, "Are ye sure, hinny?"
"Yes! Alex will be even more upset with me now that he was proven right. I was supposed to wait on him to walk me here this morning, but I didn't want to be late, so I walked by myself. Alex is not happy with me for disobeying him."
"He's plannin' to skelp you, isna he?" Angus asked gently, and when she nodded, he said, "Well, dinna worry, lass. No one has ever died from a lesson. It only proves the mon cares about you."
Alex walked back into the store then, straight to Jenny, and pulled her close to hug and offer comfort. "He
One farmer came in and urgently needed feed and Jennifer knew she couldn't lift the heavy bag. The man was in a big hurry and Jenny called out, "Alex, could you help me with this?" She explained what she needed and where it was located and he went to find the feed while the farmer ran to the bank across the street.
"Now I've got you all alone, bitch, and you're gonna pay for Mort dyin' like he done! You come with me." Lefty Bridges reached for her with his bandaged hand and Jenny slapped his injured hand with all her strength. He screamed loudly and then took a swing at her with his right hand. Jenny ducked, and ran from him. Lefty knocked things off of the counter to reach for her again, this time with his right hand, which was now holding a knife. "I'll cut you up right here and now, bitch. I don't care who sees you underneath me, neither!"
He slashed at her again, only to scream in frustration as Alex put the bag of feed between his knife and Jennifer. "Drop the knife!" Alex firmly ordered.
"Damn you! Damn you to hell!" Lefty swore at Alex. He knew he was no match for the other man. "She's got to pay!"
"You're the one who is going to pay. Attempted murder should get you at least forty years in the state penitentiary."
"I ain't goin' to no damn prison! Not over no damn woman!"
"Want to bet?" Alex said softly. He put his gun to Lefty's back and said quietly and firmly, "Start walking to jail. I'm sure the Sheriff has a cell all primed and ready for you."
Jennifer was shaking now that the danger was over. The farmer returned and saw the store and his eyes widened in shock. "Miss Jenny, are you alright?" he asked.
"Friend, will you stay with her until I take this one over to the jail?" Alex asked, concerned for Jenny.
"Sure I will," the man promptly answered. "Now, don't you cry, Miss Jenny. You're safe now. Lucky that man was in here with you while Angus is out."
"I'm sorry about your feed," Jennifer stammered. "It's all over the floor, and I know you are in a hurry!"
"Not in so big a hurry I need to rush off while you're scared," the man said softly. When Jennifer started crying, he put his big arms around her and hugged her as he would one of his own daughters.
Angus walked in then and roared, "What be going on here?"
"Calm down, Angus. One of the cowboys came in here and tried to kill her; that new fella in town took him off to the jail. I promised to stay with Miss Jenny until he comes back."
"What cowboy was it, lass? I'll see to it he's fired and sent away from here for good!" Angus was furious.
"It was Lefty Bridges." Jennifer started crying in earnest. "He was waving a knife around and trying to slash me. If Alex hadn't stayed here I would have been dead by now. Why would that horrid man blame me for what happened to Mort Smith? They were the ones who attacked me, and Alex saved me then, too. Why does Lefty think it is okay for him to treat me like that in the first place?"
"Now, lass, dinna fash yourself over it. You be safe now and your mon dealt with keepin' ye safe. Do ye want to take the afternoon off?" Angus asked, and when she shook her head 'no', he asked, "Are ye sure, hinny?"
"Yes! Alex will be even more upset with me now that he was proven right. I was supposed to wait on him to walk me here this morning, but I didn't want to be late, so I walked by myself. Alex is not happy with me for disobeying him."
"He's plannin' to skelp you, isna he?" Angus asked gently, and when she nodded, he said, "Well, dinna worry, lass. No one has ever died from a lesson. It only proves the mon cares about you."
Alex walked back into the store then, straight to Jenny, and pulled her close to hug and offer comfort. "He
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