Read Online Tag, You're It! by Penny McCall - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Penny McCall
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treasure, Donovan, people who know how to survive in the wilderness." Matt's gaze traveled over Tag's completely unsuitable clothing. "If none of them found the treasure, what makes you think you can?"
"He claims to have some new information," Alex said when Tag remained mulishly silent. "And he seems to think he can convince me to be his guide."
Matt's face went almost to scarlet, his fists clenched.
"You talking about the Lost Spaniard?"
Matt jerked the rest of the way to his feet, but he only gave Tag a last furious glare before he turned toward the door leading to the cells. A rail-thin man with a gray-shot beard and ratty clothes was standing there, looking like death warmed over.
"What're you doing here, Trankey?"
Joe Trankey, town lush, put one hand on the doorjamb and when that didn't completely steady him, grabbed the other side. "Got drunk last night. You wasn't around so I came over and slept it off. What're we paying taxes for anyway, when you're not around to do your job?"
Matt crossed the room and caught him by the collar, half dragging, half supporting him to the front door and depositing him on the boardwalk outside.
"You can't do this to me," Trankey yelled, kicking at the door and winding up on his butt for his efforts. "I'll call the capital," he said as he climbed unsteadily to his feet. "I'll call Homeland Security. I'll call your mother."
Matt just shook his head and sat back down.
"Maybe you shouldn't blow that off," Tag said, "him calling your mother."
"Unless he has a direct line to the afterlife he's not getting anywhere near my mother."
"He wouldn't waste the time anyway," Alex added. "By now he's down at the diner, telling anyone who will listen that there's a guy in town who claims to have some new information about the Spaniard."
Tag shrugged. "I don't care who he tells."
"You will." Matt crossed his arms and smiled. "Just wait and see."
Chapter Six
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"SO," TAG SAID TO ALEX AS THEY LEFT THE SHERIFF'S office, "breakfast?"
"No." She started off down the boardwalk to where she'd left Jackass tied up at an old-fashioned hitching post across the street.
Tag kept pace a couple of steps behind her, telling himself he was doing it to annoy her. But his eyes were on her backside. It was pretty cold, and he still wasn't wearing a coat, but he kept his eyes on her ass and didn't notice the frigid temperature. "I'm buying."
"It's the least you could do after I saved your life. Twice."
"You didn't have a choice. Someone like you doesn't leave a man in the snow to die."
"That doesn't change the fact that you're still alive because of me." She stopped at the corner, waited until his eyes lifted from her backside to her face, then shook her head and stepped off the curb.
Tag didn't miss the way one side of her mouth turned up before she caught herself. "You must be hungry after all that hard work," he called after her.
"I have to get Jackass settled."
"Is that a yes or a no?"
Halfway across the street she turned back to him, maybe not the smartest move, but there wasn't a lot of traffic in Casteel. Hell, there was no traffic in Casteel. Except for the pickup truck that roared around the corner on two wheels, engine racing, heading straight for Alex.
She froze, mouth open, eyes wide. Tag took a running leap and hit her broadside, his momentum carrying both of them out of the pickup's path to sprawl in a heap against the market on the opposite side of the street, arms and legs tangled, Alex mostly on top.
She lay there a few seconds, heart galloping so hard her chest and neck hurt, and little black dots dancing in front of her eyes. Eventually the cold of the slush soaking through her jeans worked its way around the terror. 'That was close," she said to Tag, pushing up with the heels of her hands braced on his chest.
He didn't open his eyes.
"Tag?"
Nothing.
"You did it this time," she muttered, stripping off her gloves and trying not to notice that her hands were
"He claims to have some new information," Alex said when Tag remained mulishly silent. "And he seems to think he can convince me to be his guide."
Matt's face went almost to scarlet, his fists clenched.
"You talking about the Lost Spaniard?"
Matt jerked the rest of the way to his feet, but he only gave Tag a last furious glare before he turned toward the door leading to the cells. A rail-thin man with a gray-shot beard and ratty clothes was standing there, looking like death warmed over.
"What're you doing here, Trankey?"
Joe Trankey, town lush, put one hand on the doorjamb and when that didn't completely steady him, grabbed the other side. "Got drunk last night. You wasn't around so I came over and slept it off. What're we paying taxes for anyway, when you're not around to do your job?"
Matt crossed the room and caught him by the collar, half dragging, half supporting him to the front door and depositing him on the boardwalk outside.
"You can't do this to me," Trankey yelled, kicking at the door and winding up on his butt for his efforts. "I'll call the capital," he said as he climbed unsteadily to his feet. "I'll call Homeland Security. I'll call your mother."
Matt just shook his head and sat back down.
"Maybe you shouldn't blow that off," Tag said, "him calling your mother."
"Unless he has a direct line to the afterlife he's not getting anywhere near my mother."
"He wouldn't waste the time anyway," Alex added. "By now he's down at the diner, telling anyone who will listen that there's a guy in town who claims to have some new information about the Spaniard."
Tag shrugged. "I don't care who he tells."
"You will." Matt crossed his arms and smiled. "Just wait and see."
Chapter Six
Previous Top Next
"SO," TAG SAID TO ALEX AS THEY LEFT THE SHERIFF'S office, "breakfast?"
"No." She started off down the boardwalk to where she'd left Jackass tied up at an old-fashioned hitching post across the street.
Tag kept pace a couple of steps behind her, telling himself he was doing it to annoy her. But his eyes were on her backside. It was pretty cold, and he still wasn't wearing a coat, but he kept his eyes on her ass and didn't notice the frigid temperature. "I'm buying."
"It's the least you could do after I saved your life. Twice."
"You didn't have a choice. Someone like you doesn't leave a man in the snow to die."
"That doesn't change the fact that you're still alive because of me." She stopped at the corner, waited until his eyes lifted from her backside to her face, then shook her head and stepped off the curb.
Tag didn't miss the way one side of her mouth turned up before she caught herself. "You must be hungry after all that hard work," he called after her.
"I have to get Jackass settled."
"Is that a yes or a no?"
Halfway across the street she turned back to him, maybe not the smartest move, but there wasn't a lot of traffic in Casteel. Hell, there was no traffic in Casteel. Except for the pickup truck that roared around the corner on two wheels, engine racing, heading straight for Alex.
She froze, mouth open, eyes wide. Tag took a running leap and hit her broadside, his momentum carrying both of them out of the pickup's path to sprawl in a heap against the market on the opposite side of the street, arms and legs tangled, Alex mostly on top.
She lay there a few seconds, heart galloping so hard her chest and neck hurt, and little black dots dancing in front of her eyes. Eventually the cold of the slush soaking through her jeans worked its way around the terror. 'That was close," she said to Tag, pushing up with the heels of her hands braced on his chest.
He didn't open his eyes.
"Tag?"
Nothing.
"You did it this time," she muttered, stripping off her gloves and trying not to notice that her hands were
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