Jake removed his duster and let it fall over the back of his wooden chair. “Sadie, you tell Mary Ann that if she wants to flaunt something, have her come back out here and flaunt it in front of Jeff. He’s the one who needs a woman. I already have one.”
Jeff laughed again as Jake introduced him.
“Sadie, this is Jeff Trubridge, and he’s going to write a book about me. What do you think of that?”
Sadie studied Jeff a moment. “You want to write a book about that worthless, no-good outlaw?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Well, you’d do better writing about his beautiful wife. She’s got some stories to tell, I’m sure of that. I’ll bet she could tell you things that would curl your toes.”
Jeff nodded. “I’m sure she could, Sadie. I wouldn’t think of writing about Jake without including the woman who has stood by him all these years.”
“Well, thank you, Jeff,” Randy told him.
“Stood by him?” Sadie frowned. “Have you really looked at the man? What woman wouldn’t stand by that? I wouldn’t have had any trouble doing it. And that son of his is even better looking.”
Jake picked up his coffee cup. “Sadie, you’re worse than that waitress of yours.”
“Yeah? Well, if anything ever happened to this wife of yours, half the women in this town would be showing up at your door with food and anything else you need, and you know it.”
Jeff noticed Jake sobered a little too much at the remark. “Well, let’s hope that doesn’t happen anytime soon, because I’d just as soon keep the woman I’ve got.”
Then Jeff remembered Jake’s remark about Randy having some unusual pain of late. Brian was supposed to come and see her yesterday. Had they learned something new?
Sadie laughed and touched Jeff’s shoulder. “Mr. Trubridge, you look like a nice young man who just might do a fine job of writing that book. You just be fair about it. Jake isn’t as bad as some folks say, and not as bad as he pretends to be. Otherwise this beautiful woman with him wouldn’t have stuck it out so long, handsome or not.”
“I already figured that out,” Jeff told her.
“Jeff’s breakfast is on me, Sadie,” Jake spoke up.
“Jake, you don’t have to—”
“Sure I do. I’d be dead if you hadn’t warned me those men were waiting for me inside that jail.”
“You mean you saved that no-good’s life?” Sadie asked Jeff.
Jeff shrugged. “In a way, I guess.”
“Well then, your breakfast is on me,” Sadie told Jeff, patting his shoulder. “What will it be?”
They gave their orders. While they waited, more well-wishers came forward, including Juan, who came inside with a heavyset Mexican woman on his arm.
“Jake!” He walked over and shook Jake’s hand, rattling off a conversation in Spanish. Juan’s wife reached out to Randy and Randy grasped her hand.
“Señora, Jake will be all right now, sí?”
“Sí, Rosa.”
“I am glad. Juan, he thinks Jake walks on water, you know?”
Randy squeezed her hand. “Oh, I can assure you, he doesn’t.” Both women laughed. “Juan is a good friend,” Randy added.
“Sí, señora.”
Their food arrived. Juan and his wife sat down at the table next to them, and Jeff watched the interaction between Jake and a few more townspeople who greeted him as they arrived at the restaurant.
More people like the man than he’ll admit, he noted. As intimidating and vicious as he’d been that first day Jeff saw him, as well as the day of the shooting, Jake was now affable and relaxed. They were nearly finished and getting ready to pay when everything changed.
The door opened, and a big man with a beard and a shotgun walked inside. He wore a floppy hat and a wool coat, and he walked right up to Jake’s table. Everyone in the restaurant quieted and Jeff lost his smile. The big man nodded to Randy.
“Mrs. Harkner.”
Randy looked up at him, and Jeff caught the disdain and dread in her countenance. “Good morning, Hash.” She looked at Jake, definite worry in her eyes.
Jeff swallowed. He had a pretty good idea this man was related to the Buckleys or the Bryants. The man turned his attention to Jake.
“Jake,” he said in a near growl. “Jessie Buckley sent me to fetch Brad for her.” He said the words slowly, deliberately. “I’m told he’s got to go home in a wagon because he still can’t stand up—on account of you practically killing him all them days ago when you brung in Marty and Jack and the others. You know by now that Marty Bryant escaped, and you can bet you’ll pay now for what you’ve done to both families.”