Slocum Giant 2013 : Slocum and the Silver City Harlot (9781101601860) by Jake Logan Read Free Book Online Page A

listen.”
    â€œUnless I want to?” She saw the disappointment on his face an instant before a poker mask dropped down.
    â€œDo what you please on your own time.”
    â€œI won’t, Sheriff. That wasn’t the real me taking men to my bed for money, no matter what the other womenfolk in town say. Letting my son starve wasn’t going to happen.”
    â€œYou have any trouble, call me. Or I just hired me a new deputy who’ll stick close to Silver City. His name’s Tucker, but he goes by the moniker of Dangerous Dan. He’s a real character, but he comes well recommended.”
    â€œTucker,” she said. “I’ll remember that. If I ever have to holler for help. Excuse me a second, Sheriff.” She scooped up a bung starter and hurried to the end of the bar where two men stood, faces inches from each other, knives in their hands as they shouted.
    Marianne never hesitated as she swung the wood mallet. The flat head connected with the nearest man’s forehead, staggering him back a pace before he collided with another patron and both fell to the sawdust-covered floor. The other man looked startled, then laughed and pointed the tip of his knife in the fallen man’s direction. Marianne strained to swing the mallet backhanded. She knocked him out with the blow to the side of his head.
    â€œA drink to whoever drags both of them outside,” she said. Without even raising her voice, she got four men scampering to do her bidding.
    Marianne looked over her shoulder. Sheriff Whitehill smiled ear to ear.
    â€œYou’re gonna do just fine,” he said. He stepped over a chair that had been knocked on its side and went into the cold night air.
    Marianne caught her breath. She liked the sheriff and didn’t want him to go, but he had a way of meddling in her affairs. Whether he was sweet on her or just determined to be helpful to someone in need presented a question she couldn’t answer.
    â€œHey, bartender, can you fix me up one of them fancy drinks like the rich folks back East drink?” The grizzled miner looked first left and then right to be sure he had an audience. The hubbub in Lonely Cuss died down to see if the miner could stump her.
    â€œWhat’ll it be? But you got to be willing to pay double for anything really fancy.”
    â€œI kin pay!” The miner dropped a leather sack on the bar. From the melodious tinkle, Marianne knew it held silver coins. “Give me a Silver Salud!”
    Marianne nodded as if she knew exactly what he meant. For all she knew, he’d made up the drink on the spot to see what she’d do.
    â€œI got the fixings back here,” she said, looking at the rows of bottles on the back bar. “Before I fix it, are you a gambling man?”
    â€œWhat’s that? Well, I done set in on a poker game or two in my day.”
    â€œAnd he danged near lost his eyeteeth, too! He’s a terrible gambler!”
    â€œSo, bet or not?” she asked.
    He looked at her suspiciously and asked, “What’s the nature of this here bet?”
    â€œYour friends will blindfold you. You’ll sample two drinks and you got to tell me which is the Silver Salud. You guess right, the drinks are on the house. You guess wrong, you pay for a round for everyone in the Lonely Cuss.”
    Marianne stood back and let the arguments and laughter ripple through the dozen men crowded close to the bar. If the miner had intended to back down, he couldn’t now with the others pressing him into the bar.
    â€œI’ll do it, but you got to make the best goddamn Silver Salud you ever did make.”
    â€œI’ll let everyone else watch,” she said. “You boys blindfold him. You got a lot riding on him not seeing.”
    â€œHal ain’t never bought a drink for no one before. I want to see this.”
    Willing hands whipped a couple sweaty, dirty bandannas around the miner’s eyes. Marianne waved her hand in