The Legacy of Copper Creek Read Online Free PDF Page A

sober.”
    Whit grinned. “I’m not surprised. It’s a hell of a far-fetched story. What was his reaction?”
    “He told me Suit-and-Tie couldn’t be a lawman around there. He was the only officer in Red Rock besides the chief, and neither of them wore a suit and tie in their lifetime, except to weddings and funerals. Then he calmly told me that if I wanted to protest the fine, I could hire a lawyer and appear the following week before a judge.”
    “So you paid the fine.”
    She nodded. “I didn’t see that I had any choice. I couldn’t spend a week in Red Rock.”
    “Why?”
    “I had to get out of there. I was afraid that Suit-and-Tie was tailing me.”
    “Tailing you? I guess that proves one thing. You watch a lot of cop shows on TV. All right. You paid your fine. By check?”
    “Cash. It took almost all I had left, and then I got out of town as fast as I could.”
    “And then?”
    “I was looking for a place to spend the night when I saw Suit-and-Tie again. He drove past while I was waiting for traffic to clear, but when he spotted my car he turned around. I saw him in my rearview mirror and knew I had to disappear. I drove like a maniac until I lost him. Then I turned onto a dirt lane and just kept driving until I ran out of gas.”
    “At which point you started walking up a mountain until you found this place?”
    She got to her feet and began to pace. “When you say it like that, it sounds stupid. But honestly, I was so afraid of seeing those evil eyes again, that’s what I did. The dirt road I was following led to an old abandoned ranch. When I realized there was nobody around to help me, I just left my car where it was and called the car rental agency to tell them the approximate location of their car. They said there would be an additional fee on my credit card for picking up the car. I figure by the time they’re through with additional fees, my bank account will be maxed out.”
    “And you got here by…?”
    “Walking. I just kept walking up these hills. And here I am.”
    Whit studied her before biting back a smile. “That’s good, Goldilocks.”
    Her head snapped up. “Good?”
    “You tell a whale of a tale.”
    “But you don’t believe it.”
    “Not a word of it. But you told it really well.”
    “Thanks.” She gripped her hands together and gave a sigh of annoyance. “I had all night to rehearse.”
    “Yeah. That’s what I figured.” He carried his mug to the coffeepot simmering over the fire and filled it before turning. “Okay. So you’re here for whatever reason, which you don’t care to share with me, and now that you’ve been found out, what’s your next move? Is there a Plan B?”
    She shook her head. “I don’t have one.”
    He glanced out the small window, where a curtain of snow was falling. “I’m sure by the time we’re able to leave, you’ll figure it out.” He managed a lazy smile. “All that work has me revved. How about a game to pass the time?”
    She had the look of a deer in the headlights before she composed her features and shot him a glare guaranteed to freeze a man’s blood. “Sorry. I’m not into games, Cowboy.”
    When he realized her misunderstanding, he muttered, “You must have been hanging out with some pretty bad dudes.” He crossed to a cupboard and held up a deck of cards and a board game. “I was talking about poker or Scrabble. You play, don’t you?”
    She looked so relieved, he couldn’t help smiling.
    “I played when I was a kid.”
    “Even better. Let’s start with Scrabble.” He took a seat at the wooden table and opened the board before digging into a bag for a handful of letters, laying them out in front of him. “How about a penny a point?”
    “I don’t have any money left.”
    “It doesn’t matter. I’d be happy to accept your IOU. It’ll make it more interesting.” He studied the letters. “Take a seat. First one able to make a word gets to start.”
    As she sat and reached into the bag of letters, a