Read Online Seth (Prairie Grooms, Book Three) by Kit Morgan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kit Morgan
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you’ve got to believe me!”
“ I need time to think about this,” Ryder said. “This is too much for me to take in right now.”
“ Well, you’re gonna have to take it in sooner or later. Besides, what are you going to do when the sheriff comes back with your friend and throws him in jail?”
“ I’ll believe it when I see it,” said Ryder. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the pillows, a determined look on his face.
Seth shook his head. “You just ain’t gonna listen to me, are you?”
“ Nope.”
Seth started for the door. “Well, I guess there’s no help for it. I’m gonna get on back to the hotel; if you come to your senses, come find me, okay?”
Ryder glanced at him and nodded, with a solemn look on his face. Seth knew his brother was working everything over in his head. Thoughts that Cutty had any ill intent toward him would be hard for Ryder to accept. Worse, he’d have to face the fact that he’d been betrayed by someone he trusted.
Seth left the Wallers’ house more than a little concerned. He’d never had to convince Ryder of anything before. His little brother had always trusted him in the past, and that trust had saved their lives more than once over the last few years. To keep that trust they had to believe in each other, but this whole business with Cutty was going to put their trust to the test. Seth sighed as he walked back to the hotel, and tried to think of something else. Eloise suddenly came to mind, and he felt his chest tighten. He was surprised that just a few hours apart from her could make him feel this way. Should he ride out to the Triple C and see her? No, he had work to do at the hotel, and needed to get things done. The sooner he got his work out of the way, the sooner he could see Eloise. Then another thought struck. He didn’t have her full trust yet. That was made obvious by their discussion at Preacher Jo’s house the day before.
A cold knot formed in Seth’s stomach as he continued down the street. Seth Jones didn’t like his trust to be broken.
When Seth returned to the hotel, he was surprised to find Eloise and Constance there. They were having tea in the main dining room with Sally Upton and her sister, Mary Beth. Eloise looked up and smiled at him as he approached, and the sight warmed him.
“ Well, howdy, ladies,” he said. “Fancy meeting you-all here.”
“ We thought you might join us,” Eloise said. “We've been wondering where you ran off to.”
“ Well to be honest, I’ve been out at Ryder’s place looking for clues.”
Const ant scrunched her face up. “Looking for clues? I already told everyone what happened; what makes you think you’re going to find anything else?”
Seth shrugged. “Like I said, I just thought I’d have a look around, see for myself if maybe there’s something you all missed.”
“ I'm sorry you made the trip,” said Constance. “It’s a long ride out to our place and back. I’m afraid it was all for nothing.”
“ I wouldn’t say that,” said Seth. “I found quite a few interesting things out there.”
“ What things?” asked Eloise.
“E nough evidence to tell me that your friend, Cutty, had a lot more to do with this than meets the eye.” He stared at Constance, and watched her slowly put her teacup back on its saucer with a small clink. It was the only sound in the room.
“ What do you mean?” she finally asked.
“Maybe you ought to go talk to your husband,” he said.
Constance looked back and forth between her sister and Seth, and then stood. “Don’t mind if I do.”
Constance left the dining room and disappeared around a corner, into the lobby. Seth listened to the faint sound of the hotel’s front doors open and close at her departure. Once the dining room was bathed in silence again, he sat.
“What was all that about?” asked Eloise.
“ Just what it looks like,” he said. “I found evidence that tells me Cutty was the one behind it
“ I need time to think about this,” Ryder said. “This is too much for me to take in right now.”
“ Well, you’re gonna have to take it in sooner or later. Besides, what are you going to do when the sheriff comes back with your friend and throws him in jail?”
“ I’ll believe it when I see it,” said Ryder. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the pillows, a determined look on his face.
Seth shook his head. “You just ain’t gonna listen to me, are you?”
“ Nope.”
Seth started for the door. “Well, I guess there’s no help for it. I’m gonna get on back to the hotel; if you come to your senses, come find me, okay?”
Ryder glanced at him and nodded, with a solemn look on his face. Seth knew his brother was working everything over in his head. Thoughts that Cutty had any ill intent toward him would be hard for Ryder to accept. Worse, he’d have to face the fact that he’d been betrayed by someone he trusted.
Seth left the Wallers’ house more than a little concerned. He’d never had to convince Ryder of anything before. His little brother had always trusted him in the past, and that trust had saved their lives more than once over the last few years. To keep that trust they had to believe in each other, but this whole business with Cutty was going to put their trust to the test. Seth sighed as he walked back to the hotel, and tried to think of something else. Eloise suddenly came to mind, and he felt his chest tighten. He was surprised that just a few hours apart from her could make him feel this way. Should he ride out to the Triple C and see her? No, he had work to do at the hotel, and needed to get things done. The sooner he got his work out of the way, the sooner he could see Eloise. Then another thought struck. He didn’t have her full trust yet. That was made obvious by their discussion at Preacher Jo’s house the day before.
A cold knot formed in Seth’s stomach as he continued down the street. Seth Jones didn’t like his trust to be broken.
When Seth returned to the hotel, he was surprised to find Eloise and Constance there. They were having tea in the main dining room with Sally Upton and her sister, Mary Beth. Eloise looked up and smiled at him as he approached, and the sight warmed him.
“ Well, howdy, ladies,” he said. “Fancy meeting you-all here.”
“ We thought you might join us,” Eloise said. “We've been wondering where you ran off to.”
“ Well to be honest, I’ve been out at Ryder’s place looking for clues.”
Const ant scrunched her face up. “Looking for clues? I already told everyone what happened; what makes you think you’re going to find anything else?”
Seth shrugged. “Like I said, I just thought I’d have a look around, see for myself if maybe there’s something you all missed.”
“ I'm sorry you made the trip,” said Constance. “It’s a long ride out to our place and back. I’m afraid it was all for nothing.”
“ I wouldn’t say that,” said Seth. “I found quite a few interesting things out there.”
“ What things?” asked Eloise.
“E nough evidence to tell me that your friend, Cutty, had a lot more to do with this than meets the eye.” He stared at Constance, and watched her slowly put her teacup back on its saucer with a small clink. It was the only sound in the room.
“ What do you mean?” she finally asked.
“Maybe you ought to go talk to your husband,” he said.
Constance looked back and forth between her sister and Seth, and then stood. “Don’t mind if I do.”
Constance left the dining room and disappeared around a corner, into the lobby. Seth listened to the faint sound of the hotel’s front doors open and close at her departure. Once the dining room was bathed in silence again, he sat.
“What was all that about?” asked Eloise.
“ Just what it looks like,” he said. “I found evidence that tells me Cutty was the one behind it
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