Read Online Whispers on the Wind (A Prairie Hearts Novel Book 5) by Caroline Fyffe - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Caroline Fyffe
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she could sell then. She hadn’t thought ahead to have extra copies of Great Expectations available for purchase, in case some customers showed an interest. She’d put in an order to have in two to three weeks.
Tabitha leaned back in her chair. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Or a month. Or even a year! She couldn’t get discouraged. She had to have faith.
She went to the shelf for her feather duster. She had things to do besides speculate on possibilities that may never happen. And that went as well for Mr. Wade. She still didn’t know his past, but she did know a little more about him than she had yesterday. And if he actually did come in for reading lessons, she’d get to know him even better.
CHAPTER NINE
L et me see that!” Kendall Martin roared, grabbing for the document as Hunter pulled the note out of the angry bartender’s reach. “It’s a fake! I don’t owe you nothin’. You’re not gettin’ the Bright Nugget! I built this place on my own. Now get out of this office before I throw you out on your backside.”
Hunter had known this wouldn’t be easy before he’d stepped through the batwing doors. No man wanted another staking claim to his livelihood. He understood that, but he had to think of himself as well. He’d done the job for Quincy Malone, and the once-rich land baron owed him a bundle. Kendall Martin had owed Malone, and hadn’t paid up. If he had, he wouldn’t be in this predicament. This was the only property Malone had left to give. It was so insignificant, he had completely forgotten about the saloon until Hunter had made him search the safe hidden away in his closet, from top to bottom.
“You may have stopped paying, but you still owed Malone. And Malone owed me. It’s as simple as that. Signing this over was Malone’s way of paying off his debt to me. I can’t say it any plainer. We’re partners. Equal in every way. Get used to it!”
The two had been standing face-to-face in the small liquor storeroom Kendall called an office for the past twenty minutes, yelling at each other. A droplet of sweat trickled down Hunter’s temple, but he stayed the impulse to brush it away. Martin might mistake any quick movement for him going for his gun.
Martin’s face relaxed. “We’ll take it to the sheriff. See what Preston has to say. He’s not going to let some stranger waltz in and take over.”
“Good idea. Let’s go.” Hunter knew the signed document was legal and binding. There wasn’t a thing Martin could do to change the inevitable.
Martin threw open the door and stormed out. Philomena watched with wide worried eyes as Hunter followed the bartender out the front door.
Sheriff Preston’s head jerked up when the bartender angrily threw open his office door, banging it against the wall with a loud crack. Hunter had met the sheriff the night before in the restaurant. “What’s this?” Preston barked. A large dog by the woodstove pounced to his feet and growled.
“What in God’s name is wrong with you, Kendall?” The sheriff’s gaze followed Hunter as he went to one side of the sheriff’s desk, and Martin the other.
Martin jabbed a finger in Hunter’s direction. “He’s trying to hoodwink me. Says he has documentation stating he’s now half owner of the Bright Nugget! He’s a liar and a fool if he thinks I’m going to turn my life over to him just like that! It’s a forgery, and—”
“Just settle down, Kendall, until I have all the facts,” Preston said, glancing over at Hunter and then back at the red-faced bartender. He gestured to the chairs in front of his desk, but the two remained standing, so he stood as well. “What claim do you have on the Bright Nugget?” he asked. “Explain everything to me the same as you did to Kendall. Don’t leave anything out.”
Hunter nodded. “I did a large job for a businessman in Soda Springs by the name of Quincy Malone. A contract that took more than a year to complete. When I returned for the pay that was
Tabitha leaned back in her chair. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Or a month. Or even a year! She couldn’t get discouraged. She had to have faith.
She went to the shelf for her feather duster. She had things to do besides speculate on possibilities that may never happen. And that went as well for Mr. Wade. She still didn’t know his past, but she did know a little more about him than she had yesterday. And if he actually did come in for reading lessons, she’d get to know him even better.
CHAPTER NINE
L et me see that!” Kendall Martin roared, grabbing for the document as Hunter pulled the note out of the angry bartender’s reach. “It’s a fake! I don’t owe you nothin’. You’re not gettin’ the Bright Nugget! I built this place on my own. Now get out of this office before I throw you out on your backside.”
Hunter had known this wouldn’t be easy before he’d stepped through the batwing doors. No man wanted another staking claim to his livelihood. He understood that, but he had to think of himself as well. He’d done the job for Quincy Malone, and the once-rich land baron owed him a bundle. Kendall Martin had owed Malone, and hadn’t paid up. If he had, he wouldn’t be in this predicament. This was the only property Malone had left to give. It was so insignificant, he had completely forgotten about the saloon until Hunter had made him search the safe hidden away in his closet, from top to bottom.
“You may have stopped paying, but you still owed Malone. And Malone owed me. It’s as simple as that. Signing this over was Malone’s way of paying off his debt to me. I can’t say it any plainer. We’re partners. Equal in every way. Get used to it!”
The two had been standing face-to-face in the small liquor storeroom Kendall called an office for the past twenty minutes, yelling at each other. A droplet of sweat trickled down Hunter’s temple, but he stayed the impulse to brush it away. Martin might mistake any quick movement for him going for his gun.
Martin’s face relaxed. “We’ll take it to the sheriff. See what Preston has to say. He’s not going to let some stranger waltz in and take over.”
“Good idea. Let’s go.” Hunter knew the signed document was legal and binding. There wasn’t a thing Martin could do to change the inevitable.
Martin threw open the door and stormed out. Philomena watched with wide worried eyes as Hunter followed the bartender out the front door.
Sheriff Preston’s head jerked up when the bartender angrily threw open his office door, banging it against the wall with a loud crack. Hunter had met the sheriff the night before in the restaurant. “What’s this?” Preston barked. A large dog by the woodstove pounced to his feet and growled.
“What in God’s name is wrong with you, Kendall?” The sheriff’s gaze followed Hunter as he went to one side of the sheriff’s desk, and Martin the other.
Martin jabbed a finger in Hunter’s direction. “He’s trying to hoodwink me. Says he has documentation stating he’s now half owner of the Bright Nugget! He’s a liar and a fool if he thinks I’m going to turn my life over to him just like that! It’s a forgery, and—”
“Just settle down, Kendall, until I have all the facts,” Preston said, glancing over at Hunter and then back at the red-faced bartender. He gestured to the chairs in front of his desk, but the two remained standing, so he stood as well. “What claim do you have on the Bright Nugget?” he asked. “Explain everything to me the same as you did to Kendall. Don’t leave anything out.”
Hunter nodded. “I did a large job for a businessman in Soda Springs by the name of Quincy Malone. A contract that took more than a year to complete. When I returned for the pay that was
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