Read Online Cotton's Law (9781101553848) by Phil Dunlap - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Phil Dunlap
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bank, can’t it?”
“Not the kind Havens intends. You see I know him from way back. He’s done his treachery before, in other towns. Folks lose their land, cattle, homes, and savings. People usually die before he’s done.”
“Heavens. I didn’t realize he could be such a threat. What are you going to do?”
“The trouble is, he doesn’t do anything illegal himself. He has others do it for him. He just steps back and watches the bodies fall. One of those bodies
could
be me, or Jack. At least I’m certain that’s his plan.”
“Why would he want to kill you?”
“Because I’m what stands between him and another successful town takeover.”
Emily’s pretty face grew pensive. Her eyes flashed with anger at the thought of another man in her life possibly being gunned down. And she had no intention of allowing that to happen. She had men working for her, and they could all ride and shoot with the best of them. If she needed to marshal her own army to save the man she loved, so be it. Emily Wagner was tough-minded. Even after what she’d been through during the short time she’d been in the territory, she had few doubts that she and Cotton, together, could weather any storm. And by damn, she meant to do just that.
As they swung slowly back and forth to the squeaks of ropes being stretched from their weight, she watched Cotton out of the corner of her eye.
What is really going through his mind?
she wondered. Will I ever get close enough to him for us to plan and dream as one?
Jack was finishing his meal at the hotel when he heard his name being called. He continued to stab a piece of beef and slipped it into his mouth. He was still chewing when he looked up to see a woman he thought he’d never lay eyes on again. He almost choked. Delilah Jones was a dark-eyed beauty he’d met before returning to Gonzales and taking up with Melody. The shock on his face brought a smile to hers.
“Yes, Jack, it’s me. Did you think I’d come to some ignominious end after you left town?”
Jack stood up, pulling out another chair at his table.
“I’m certainly glad you didn’t, Delilah. Damn it’s good to see you. Please join me.”
She sat with a rustle of her satin skirts, resting a parasol on the edge of the table. She leaned forward, just to tease him with a hint of her soft, white bosom, then leaned on one elbow and stared directly into his eyes. He became so flustered he forgot to call a waiter over.
“If I’m to join you, I suspect I should order something so as not to give the impression of vagrancy. Don’t you think?”
“I, uh, yes, yes, of course. How foolish of me. Waiter!”
“Sir?” the waiter said from across the nearly empty dining room.
“The lady will be joining me. Could you please bring a menu and a glass of wine?”
“Of course, sir.” The waiter left briefly, returning in seconds with a bottle of wine and a menu scribbled on a piece of paper. Jack handed her the menu, such as it was, noticing that she raised her eyes questioningly at the misspellings that accompanied the evening’s fare.
“The food’s real good, even if the menu’s a bit rough. I can recommend the beef stew.”
Delilah nodded at Jack’s choice and handed the menu back to the waiter. “I’ll have what he suggested. Thank you.
“So, Jack, what are you up to these days? Still shooting up towns? Or just trying to drink them dry?”
A resentful look came over his face. He chewed his lip for a second as he thought out what words he dared let slip out of his mouth. His relationship with this woman had been stormy at times, but his jealousy of the attention she got from nearly every man who saw her was what finally led her to dissolve their plans for something more permanent. He was crushed by her rejection over what he figured was a trivial matter, a normal reaction of one man to another who might be viewed as a rival. Not that his relationship with Melody hadn’t had its ups and downs, but he knew from
“Not the kind Havens intends. You see I know him from way back. He’s done his treachery before, in other towns. Folks lose their land, cattle, homes, and savings. People usually die before he’s done.”
“Heavens. I didn’t realize he could be such a threat. What are you going to do?”
“The trouble is, he doesn’t do anything illegal himself. He has others do it for him. He just steps back and watches the bodies fall. One of those bodies
could
be me, or Jack. At least I’m certain that’s his plan.”
“Why would he want to kill you?”
“Because I’m what stands between him and another successful town takeover.”
Emily’s pretty face grew pensive. Her eyes flashed with anger at the thought of another man in her life possibly being gunned down. And she had no intention of allowing that to happen. She had men working for her, and they could all ride and shoot with the best of them. If she needed to marshal her own army to save the man she loved, so be it. Emily Wagner was tough-minded. Even after what she’d been through during the short time she’d been in the territory, she had few doubts that she and Cotton, together, could weather any storm. And by damn, she meant to do just that.
As they swung slowly back and forth to the squeaks of ropes being stretched from their weight, she watched Cotton out of the corner of her eye.
What is really going through his mind?
she wondered. Will I ever get close enough to him for us to plan and dream as one?
Jack was finishing his meal at the hotel when he heard his name being called. He continued to stab a piece of beef and slipped it into his mouth. He was still chewing when he looked up to see a woman he thought he’d never lay eyes on again. He almost choked. Delilah Jones was a dark-eyed beauty he’d met before returning to Gonzales and taking up with Melody. The shock on his face brought a smile to hers.
“Yes, Jack, it’s me. Did you think I’d come to some ignominious end after you left town?”
Jack stood up, pulling out another chair at his table.
“I’m certainly glad you didn’t, Delilah. Damn it’s good to see you. Please join me.”
She sat with a rustle of her satin skirts, resting a parasol on the edge of the table. She leaned forward, just to tease him with a hint of her soft, white bosom, then leaned on one elbow and stared directly into his eyes. He became so flustered he forgot to call a waiter over.
“If I’m to join you, I suspect I should order something so as not to give the impression of vagrancy. Don’t you think?”
“I, uh, yes, yes, of course. How foolish of me. Waiter!”
“Sir?” the waiter said from across the nearly empty dining room.
“The lady will be joining me. Could you please bring a menu and a glass of wine?”
“Of course, sir.” The waiter left briefly, returning in seconds with a bottle of wine and a menu scribbled on a piece of paper. Jack handed her the menu, such as it was, noticing that she raised her eyes questioningly at the misspellings that accompanied the evening’s fare.
“The food’s real good, even if the menu’s a bit rough. I can recommend the beef stew.”
Delilah nodded at Jack’s choice and handed the menu back to the waiter. “I’ll have what he suggested. Thank you.
“So, Jack, what are you up to these days? Still shooting up towns? Or just trying to drink them dry?”
A resentful look came over his face. He chewed his lip for a second as he thought out what words he dared let slip out of his mouth. His relationship with this woman had been stormy at times, but his jealousy of the attention she got from nearly every man who saw her was what finally led her to dissolve their plans for something more permanent. He was crushed by her rejection over what he figured was a trivial matter, a normal reaction of one man to another who might be viewed as a rival. Not that his relationship with Melody hadn’t had its ups and downs, but he knew from
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