Read Online Slocum and the Warm Reception by Jake Logan - Free Book Online Page A

stay put. Will I be able to find you in the same spot as before?”
    It took every bit of restraint Slocum could muster to keep from knocking the lawman onto his ass. It took even more to keep from glaring at the sheriff in a way that would betray what was truly running through his mind. After a few tense moments, Slocum nodded and said, “Yeah. Same place.”
    â€œGood. I’ll want to have a word with you soon.” With that, the sheriff turned sharply around and headed outside.
    The liveryman looked Slocum up and down, sputtered a few halfhearted syllables, and then rushed to catch up to the sheriff.
    Their footsteps were still fading when Slocum turned back to his horse and continued strapping the saddle to its back.
    â€œWell,” Vivienne said, “at least we can spend a little more time together tonight since you’ll still be here and all.”
    â€œSorry, but I must be moving along.”
    â€œBut . . . he just said you were to stay put.”
    â€œI heard what he said,” Slocum replied. “Don’t mean I have to abide by it.”
    At first, Vivienne seemed shocked to hear such a thing. Then, a little grin flickered across her face. “He’s the sheriff. You’re just gonna tell him one thing and then do another?”
    â€œI suppose . . . if that’s what you want to call it.” After cinching in the last strap, Slocum nodded and said, “On the other hand, I don’t suppose there’s any other thing to call it. I tried to help by bringing that dead robber to him and damn near got tossed into jail for it. That sheriff of yours is a strutting little jackass who’s too wet behind the ears to know how to get his job done. If he had any sense at all, he would have organized a posse to go after that Ellis Jaynes fella a long time ago. Instead, he sits back and waits for someone else to bring a killer down. For all we know, there’s already more men hiring on new gunhands to terrorize the same stretch of road.”
    â€œIf he’d formed a posse now to check on that,” Vivienne asked, “would you have joined?”
    â€œProbably. Too many times, I’ve been the only one that seems concerned about bringing a killer to justice or protecting those who were hurt by men like Jaynes. It ain’t my lot in life to just ride around and do jobs for men who are too damn lazy, stupid, or cowardly to get their own hands dirty. I’ll lend a hand where I can and help when it’s needed, but I ain’t about to do your sheriff’s bidding and I sure as hell ain’t gonna set aside my business just because some little asshole with a badge pinned to his shirt tells me to.”
    Vivienne approached him and took hold of his shirt so she could pull him down and plant a kiss onto his lips. When she was through, she said, “You don’t care for lawmen very much, do you?”
    â€œAs a general rule, not as such. After you run across so many crooked ones, it spoils you on the rest. There have been a few that were good enough, but they seem to be in the minority.”
    â€œI know what you mean. I guess our sheriff isn’t much for impressing. Do you think he’s crooked?”
    Now that the saddle was in place, Slocum checked his gear. Next came the saddlebags, which he draped across the animal’s back, where they belonged. “I haven’t seen anything to make me think he was crooked. I’d say he was just in over his head. No,” he corrected himself. “More like too ignorant to know he was in over his head. Either that or proud. Whichever it is, I don’t make it a habit to suffer men like that. If I had nothing else to do, I might stay just to see how this pans out. Since I’ve got my business to tend to, I suppose this means we’ll be parting ways.”
    â€œWhatever you think about the sheriff,” Vivienne said in a soft tone, “I would have liked you