Read Online Taming of Jessi Rose by Beverly Jenkins - Free Book Online Page A

the men gave him challenging looks in reply, but no one said anything.
    Atkins hustled over to his post. “What’s the message?”
    Griff scribbled out what he wanted sent and to whom, then handed the slip of paper to the clerk. Atkins’ eyes widened as he read the what Griff had written.
    â€œBut these men are—”
    â€œFriends,” Griff responded sagely. “Something a man can never have too many of. Is there a problem, Mr. Atkins?”
    â€œNo, no,” the short bald clerk stammered. “I’ll send these off right away.”
    One of the men by the stove said, “Reed Darcy’s not going to like this, Atkins.”
    Griff turned slowly around and in response answered, “I’m not here to be liked, just to work for Miss Clayton.”
    â€œI’ll tell him you said that,” the man retorted.
    â€œPlease do,” Griff responded.
    Griff swore he saw Atkins smile, but the man’s face was blank when he asked Griff, “Would you like to wait for verification from the agents on the other end?”
    â€œYep.”
    Atkins tapped out the message. Griffin wasn’t sure where his friends, Neil July and Neil’s twin brother, Two Shafts, were living at this particular moment, but was certain the telegraph agent down in their hometown of Brackettsville would get the word to them. The other man, a friend from Dallas named Vance Bigelow, would hopefully be easy to find as well.
    Verification that Griff’s messages had reached their destinations came back a few moments later. Both operators wired back that they’d pass Griff’s information along.
    Griff touched his hat in parting to the men sitting around the stove and headed out the door. By law, telegraph operators were not supposed to reveal theirmessages to anyone other than the recipient, but Griff knew that even before he walked the short distance to where the gelding stood tied and waiting, Atkins would have told everybody in the office that Blake was wiring for reinforcements. Griff just hoped they’d come.
    As he rode down Vale’s main street, Griff pondered the problem of supplies. The Clayton stores were very low, but with no one around willing to take Clayton money they couldn’t be replenished. He wondered if the boss lady would mind him taking a trip over to Fort Worth? Surely Darcy’s influence didn’t reach that far. Once there he could buy everything they needed.
    As he passed the Darcy Hotel, his thoughts returned to Jessi Clayton. She certainly didn’t carry herself like any whores he’d ever known. She was way too serious, for one thing, and had given him no indication that she was free with her favors. This morning she seemed just as shocked by his nudity as any other properly raised woman. Had she really been Calico Bob’s woman? The Jessi Clayton questions were stacking up again, but for the moment there didn’t seem to by any solid answers.
    Joth was still cleaning his room when Griff got back.
    Griff stuck his head in the door and asked, “How’re you coming?”
    Joth looked up, glum. “If hogs can live in a sty, why can’t I live like I want?”
    â€œMainly because you’re not a hog,” Griff quipped, giving him a look as he stared around the room. Hogs would certainly have felt comfortable, Griff had to admit. There were things everywhere: books and more books, stuffed in bookcases and stacked on the window seats. There were two telescopes, a microscope, and two saddles and their accompanying tack up on top of a barely visible desk resting against one wall. On the top of an equally barely discernible nightstand were jars of insects resting precariously atop a collection of glass-framed mounted moths. “If you add one more thing to this room, you’re going to have to move your bed out.”
    â€œYou sound like Aunt Jessi.”
    â€œThen forget I said that.”
    Joth grinned.
    Griff grinned