Read Online Yellowstone Memories by Jennifer Rogers Spinola - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jennifer Rogers Spinola
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heaved a ragged sigh of frustration. “Or maybe both.”
“No, both is impossible.” Jewel set the rake against a gate and offered Wyatt a stiffly dried cloth she’d hung after washing. “If he’s a liar, then there’s no way someone could—”
“You know what I mean.” Wyatt scowled. “I’m in no mood for parsing verbs now, if you don’t mind.”
One of the young stable hands paused, feed bucket in hand, and Wyatt glared at him until he scampered out of sight. Then he took the cloth and sponged his dirty face, borrowing a bit of water from the water trough to moisten the cloth and scrub his filthy boots.
“Well.” Jewel wiped her hands and leaned the rake against the log wall. “It sounds like you’ve made up your mind.” Her breath misted like a fine veil, dissipating slowly.
“Look. I’m tired of these games.” Wyatt snatched his hat and banged it against his boot to knock off the dirt. “I’ve been digging all day long, two days straight, and nothing.” He slapped the hat back on his head. “Show me the letter now, or I’m calling it quits.”
“You’ve been digging?” Jewel put her hands on her hips, and her cheeks flushed. “You didn’t tell me.”
“You haven’t showed me the letter yet!” Wyatt flung out his arms.
“You should have told me where you thought the gold was, and we could have discussed it together. But you disappeared for five days without telling anybody where you’d gone, and what was I supposed to think?” A flicker of hurt flashed across her face, but she covered it quickly, picking up the rake again and pulling it across the stable floor in staccato strokes.
“Look.” Wyatt put both hands up, trying not to look at her. Those flushed cheeks and red-and-blue beaded earrings glittering under her dark hair. “I didn’t intend to do any searches without you, all right? It just happened. I was in the right place at the right time, and what was I supposed to do?” A vein in his neck pulsed. “Ride all the way back here to the ranch and ask your permission?”
“So … it just ‘happened.’ ” Jewel kept her back turned. “I’m not sure how that’s supposed to work. Have you ever heard of one partner digging without the other?”
“Jewel. Listen.” Wyatt strode across the stable and grabbed her elbow. “Miss Jewel,” he faltered, reddening and dropping her arm. Horrified at his own boldness. “Ma’am. I apologize.” He ducked his head and scrubbed his dirty forehead with the palm of his hand, trying to gather his words and his sense. “I heard a few things in Cody, and I thought I’d check ‘em out. The old Monarch Inn on the Crescent Ranch? Ever heard of it?”
“No.” Jewel smoothed her sleeve where he’d touched her and continued raking.
“It had a big chair that locals called the ‘Throne.’ But there’s nothing there. Absolutely nothing.” He looked out over the stable, shaking with exhaustion and frustration. “I wasted my time.”
“Look here, Mr. Kelly.” Jewel advanced toward him, pointing her finger straight at his chest with such spunk that he involuntarily put his hands up. “You shouldn’t have done anything without telling me first. I think I know where the gold is, and you didn’t bother to ask.”
“You know?” Wyatt stumbled backward, knocking his hat sideways against a plank.
“I thought of it after you left, and it makes perfect sense. But you haven’t told me why you went to Cody.”
He straightened his hat and kept his eyes averted. “On business.”
“Whose business?”
“Personal business.”
“Fine. Don’t tell me.” She folded her arms. “But don’t expect any clues from me either, if you’re not willing to tell me everything, fifty-fifty. You can figure out where the gold is on your own. But I think I know.”
She turned to walk away, and Wyatt just stood there, hands on his hips. “They’re looking for you, you know,” he called after her. “I thought you’d appreciate
“No, both is impossible.” Jewel set the rake against a gate and offered Wyatt a stiffly dried cloth she’d hung after washing. “If he’s a liar, then there’s no way someone could—”
“You know what I mean.” Wyatt scowled. “I’m in no mood for parsing verbs now, if you don’t mind.”
One of the young stable hands paused, feed bucket in hand, and Wyatt glared at him until he scampered out of sight. Then he took the cloth and sponged his dirty face, borrowing a bit of water from the water trough to moisten the cloth and scrub his filthy boots.
“Well.” Jewel wiped her hands and leaned the rake against the log wall. “It sounds like you’ve made up your mind.” Her breath misted like a fine veil, dissipating slowly.
“Look. I’m tired of these games.” Wyatt snatched his hat and banged it against his boot to knock off the dirt. “I’ve been digging all day long, two days straight, and nothing.” He slapped the hat back on his head. “Show me the letter now, or I’m calling it quits.”
“You’ve been digging?” Jewel put her hands on her hips, and her cheeks flushed. “You didn’t tell me.”
“You haven’t showed me the letter yet!” Wyatt flung out his arms.
“You should have told me where you thought the gold was, and we could have discussed it together. But you disappeared for five days without telling anybody where you’d gone, and what was I supposed to think?” A flicker of hurt flashed across her face, but she covered it quickly, picking up the rake again and pulling it across the stable floor in staccato strokes.
“Look.” Wyatt put both hands up, trying not to look at her. Those flushed cheeks and red-and-blue beaded earrings glittering under her dark hair. “I didn’t intend to do any searches without you, all right? It just happened. I was in the right place at the right time, and what was I supposed to do?” A vein in his neck pulsed. “Ride all the way back here to the ranch and ask your permission?”
“So … it just ‘happened.’ ” Jewel kept her back turned. “I’m not sure how that’s supposed to work. Have you ever heard of one partner digging without the other?”
“Jewel. Listen.” Wyatt strode across the stable and grabbed her elbow. “Miss Jewel,” he faltered, reddening and dropping her arm. Horrified at his own boldness. “Ma’am. I apologize.” He ducked his head and scrubbed his dirty forehead with the palm of his hand, trying to gather his words and his sense. “I heard a few things in Cody, and I thought I’d check ‘em out. The old Monarch Inn on the Crescent Ranch? Ever heard of it?”
“No.” Jewel smoothed her sleeve where he’d touched her and continued raking.
“It had a big chair that locals called the ‘Throne.’ But there’s nothing there. Absolutely nothing.” He looked out over the stable, shaking with exhaustion and frustration. “I wasted my time.”
“Look here, Mr. Kelly.” Jewel advanced toward him, pointing her finger straight at his chest with such spunk that he involuntarily put his hands up. “You shouldn’t have done anything without telling me first. I think I know where the gold is, and you didn’t bother to ask.”
“You know?” Wyatt stumbled backward, knocking his hat sideways against a plank.
“I thought of it after you left, and it makes perfect sense. But you haven’t told me why you went to Cody.”
He straightened his hat and kept his eyes averted. “On business.”
“Whose business?”
“Personal business.”
“Fine. Don’t tell me.” She folded her arms. “But don’t expect any clues from me either, if you’re not willing to tell me everything, fifty-fifty. You can figure out where the gold is on your own. But I think I know.”
She turned to walk away, and Wyatt just stood there, hands on his hips. “They’re looking for you, you know,” he called after her. “I thought you’d appreciate
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