Lone Star 03 Read Online Free PDF Page B

glance. Brad Close seemed to have aged ten years since she’d seen him last, though that had been only two or three months earlier. Now his face showed lines that had not been visible the last time she’d talked with him. His clothing seemed to hang on him instead of fitting snugly, and the spark that had always lurked in his ice-blue eyes had been extinguished.
    Glancing at Close’s horse, her expert eye noted the animal’s ribs outlined under its hide, and the twitching of its hind-leg muscles, signs of many days of rough travel.
    â€œYou must have had a hard trip,” Jessica said. “Let’s ride on to the house together, it’s only a few miles. You’ll stay for supper and the night, of course.”
    â€œNo, Jessica. I thank you for asking me, but I’ve got to get on home. I wasn’t aiming to stop long, just a few minutes to rest my horse and have a little visit with you. We can talk all we need to here, and then I’ll ride on to my place.”
    â€œI’m not going to take no for an answer, Brad,” she told him firmly. “I don’t know how long you’ve been in the saddle, but it’s time you got out of it and rested.”
    Close’s fingers were busy rolling a cigarette, and Jessie noticed that his fingers were trembling. She said nothing. He licked the thin paper cylinder to seal its edges, then touched a match to it and blew a thin stream of blue smoke before he replied.
    Slowly, nodding as he spoke; the Box B owner said, “Maybe stopping over ain’t such a bad idea at that, Jessie. Seems like I use up what little zip I got left sooner than I used to.”
    â€œUnless you’d rather stay here and rest a few minutes, we can start for the ranch right now,” she suggested.
    â€œLet’s just do that. You’re right about me having a hard trip. I was down south of the border, and the news I’m coming back home with ain’t good. Then I got to thinking about what your daddy used to say—that bad news ain’t as bad when you got a friend to tell it to—so I swung over this way.”
    â€œI’m glad you did. Father always valued your friendship, and I know you two spent quite a lot of time together before ...” Jessie stopped, seeking to avoid the words that had been on the tip of her tongue, and finally concluded, “When he was here at the ranch.”
    â€œYes. And I miss that man mortally, Jessica!” Then Close added hurriedly, “Not the way you miss him, of course, but in my own way.”
    â€œWe all miss him in our own way,” Jessie said. She paused for a moment, waiting for Close to begin. She could tell that he needed help, but was too proud to ask outright. She went on, “Why don’t you save your bad news until we get to the house and you’ve had a drink. We’ve still got a lot of that whiskey you and Father liked so much.”
    â€œNow that’s the best offer I’ve had all day. We won’t be able to move fast, though. This old hoss is tireder than me.”
    â€œYou’d better take one of ours to go the rest of the way, then. Leave yours, and Speedy will have him back in good shape when you’ve got time to pick him up.”
    Jessie and Close talked little during the rest of the short ride to the ranch. She waited until Close had washed up and they were sitting in the big central room of the main house. Only after the old rancher had swallowed one good drink of the smooth, aged bourbon she poured him, and she’d refilled his glass, did Jessie bring the conversation back to his problems.
    She said, “If you’d like to tell me your bad news, Brad, I’m listening.”
    â€œWell, it’s not anything new.”
    â€œFather used to say there were only two things that bothered a Texas rancher, drought and rustlers.” Jessie smiled, but her face grew serious instantly and she said, “I know we’ve had