Sweeten the Swindler by Adams Dallis & of Blessings Brides

Author:Adams, Dallis & of Blessings, Brides
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, sweet romance, historical western romance
Publisher: Dallis Adams
Published: 2018-03-28T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

"I need this job. Don't make me break your arm."

Jake perked up as he heard Worley Bodman, Pasley's foreman and hired bully, utter the threat in a low tone to a young miner by the name of Timmy Tanner.

This was the kind of dirt Jake needed to help bring down Geary Pasley. Would Maxine hate him for revealing the rotten core that comprised her uncle? She already knew that Pasley had ordered Bodman to blacken Jake's eye because of his interest in courting her. His black eye was pretty much healed—a least it was more of a yellow hue than purple. But was she ready to believe that her uncle would be responsible for roughing up miners who couldn't pay their bills?

If his conversation with her yesterday gave any hint to her reaction he would say yes. She would despise him. She might not ever talk to him again, especially if she discovered he was running cons of his own. But he must go forward with his plans, and take advantage of any given opportunities. And this was much better than breaking into Pasley's office. After all, if Pasley was smart, he would have gotten rid of the original blueprints, which would be proof that the idea was David's. For Jake to break into the place would most likely be in vain.

He smothered his doubts. Instead, he told himself that bringing down Pasley would help Maxine in the long run. At least she would know the truth.

Although the foreman stood several feet away from Jake when he had whispered the intimidation, Jake's sharp hearing had picked up on the words. Too bad timing wasn't better. On the other hand, he supposed he didn't have to watch the card game to see his plan unfold.

His plan had started about an hour ago when Theo Caper, Jake's friend from Cojocaru's Medicine Show, lured Tanner and his two miner friends to play poker at the far table. Shortly afterward, Roxanne Boone—the waitress from the Forty-Niner—walked over the threshold, the same time she did every Tuesday and Thursday. And, just like last week, Roxanne joined in on the poker game. Jake had hired Theo to further his cause—that was, to get more entrenched into Maxine's good graces. And that involved Roxanne, one of Maxine's best friends.

He'd wanted Maxine to accept him. No, not only accept him. Not anymore. To accept his courtship. To become enamored of him. Why?

As he watched Theo discard cards that would have given him a flush, purposely losing the hand, he finally admitted the truth to himself; he wanted her for more than just a way to avenge his brother.

He was beginning to care for her more than he liked to admit. The realization bothered him so much that he'd almost gotten up to leave the Pearly Gates for a walk to clear his head. That was when Varney had emitted a sharp, low bark, and then had looked up at him with those almost-human-like eyes, as if ordering him to stay instead of the other way around.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.