Taming of Jessi Rose Read Online Free PDF Page A

finished your breakfast?”
    The kid, still staring Griff’s way, shook his head no.
    She told him gently, “Then you need to do that and get to school.”
    Griff could almost touch the affection in her voice. After last night’s encounter, he’d not thought her capable of such softness.
    The boy looked up at her and said, “Okay, but I’m not wrong about him.”
    He gave Griff one last look, then went on inside.
    After they were alone, she asked, “Is my nephew correct?”
    â€œAbout what?” The minute the words came out of his mouth he wanted to take them back. She was smarter than that and so was he.
    â€œYour identity,” she replied.
    Griff knelt to reroll his bedding. “Does it matter?”
    â€œYes. I like to know with whom I’m dealing.”
    â€œI served my time,” he said, by way of explanation.
    As if that was all she wanted to know, she stuck out her hand like a man. “Name’s Jessi Clayton. Thanks for backing me last night.”
    â€œGriffin Blake.” He shook her hand.
    â€œThere’s coffee and food on the stove.”
    He found her dark beauty a fascinating contrast to her manner, and her handshake as firm as any man’s.
    â€œWhere are you headed?” she asked then.
    â€œNowhere in particular. Looking to make my way down to Mexico eventually.”
    â€œGood luck then,” she stated, in a voice that imparted both dismissal and departure, then went back into the house. She didn’t ask at all about Bob’s possessions.
    Griff shook his head. He sensed it was not going to be as easy to infiltrate her life as Dix and Judge Parker assumed it would be. He also wondered what a beautifulwoman like her had been doing with a murderer like Calico Bob.
    Griff went inside. As he wondered where she’d gone, he followed the smell of bacon to the back of the house and found the kitchen. At the table sat the boy.
    Griff didn’t say anything as he poured himself a cup of coffee.
    The boy said, “My name’s Jotham. Everybody calls me Joth.”
    Griff offered a small smile. “Pleased to meet you, Joth. I’m Griffin Blake.”
    â€œThat your true name?”
    â€œYep. How’d you know about my other names?”
    â€œI collect Wanted posters. Got maybe three of you.”
    â€œWhy do you collect them?”
    â€œMy pa’s Calico Bob, and it’s the only way I know what he’s been doing. I don’t see him much. I heard you say last night that he was dead.” He paused. “Is he really?”
    Griff observed the boy. Had Joth been the person Jessi Clayton had called down to alert last night when Darcy’s men had come calling? Since Griff had yet to meet anyone else in the household he could only assume it to be true. A boy had no business in the middle of this, but then, Joth had been the one to write to Dixon for help in the first place.
    â€œYes, son, he is.”
    He didn’t think it was his place to be discussing something like this, but the boy had asked and Griff had been eleven once too—he wouldn’t have wanted to be lied to.
    â€œYou ever met my pa?” the boy asked softly.
    Griff studied Joth and wondered how the boy felt about the death. He sensed a sadness behind the spectacled eyes. “A couple of times, yeah, I did.”
    Evidently Joth had no intentions of revealing his truefeelings, at least not to Griffin because he then changed the subject. “You planning on staying around here a while?”
    Griff took a sip of the strong coffee and found it good. “Maybe. I’m looking for a job.”
    â€œYou could work for us, except we can’t pay you. Aunt Jessi and I don’t have a lot of money. We could sure use the help, though.”
    â€œWith what?”
    â€œReed Darcy. He wants to take our land.”
    Jessi Clayton entered the kitchen then. Once again Griff noticed how beautiful she was. “Jotham,