by A. T. Butler
“No, sir, Mr. Farnsworth. I won’t, sir.”
“And you boys.” He addressed Santos and Jacob. “When will you need me to testify? I’ll walk all the way to Tucson if it means seeing this man hanged.”
“I’ll send word when I know for sure, Mr. Farnsworth. We’re not expecting the circuit judge before next week sometime.”
“Next week it is, then. I’m grateful to you both. Mighty grateful.” He shook both of their hands. “It’s a damn shame, though. That man did get my mine producing more than it has in years. And now I need to rebuild my office on top of it all.”
“But, Mr. Farnsworth,” Jacob said. “Would you want that mine producing if it meant he was stealing from or threatening your workers?”
The man looked thoughtful, shrugged, and said again, “It’s a damn shame.”
Abby had snuck through the office door and directed two of the miners to move the bookshelves back away from the windows. Despite her long road to get where she was, Abby had the temperament and skills of a born manager. Now, without the threat of Daly, Jacob had no doubt she’d make her hotel into the finest and busiest in all the Territory of Arizona.
“You don’t have to leave, do you, Mr. Payne? You sure you don’t want to stay?” Abby said, sauntering over to him. “I think Jasper’ll be needing a new candidate for sheriff right soon.”
“That’s mighty kind of you, Mrs. Courtland.”
“Abby. Please.”
Jacob grinned. “Abby. I’m sure whoever steps into that role will be much obliged for your advice and support. But it’ll be enough for me to stay one more night and have supper with you.”
Also by A.T. Butler
Blood on the Mountain — the fourth adventure in the Jacob Payne series — is now available!
In the mountains of eastern Arizona Territory, bounty hunter Jacob Payne’s skills are required to rescue a teenage girl.
Flora Kimball has been kidnapped from her family’s farm, right under her father’s nose. The neighbors of Elk Springs refuse to help, content to leave her to her fate. When Jacob learns of the tragedy, he teams up with a family friend to go after the outlaw and his captive.
Despite overwhelming odds, a skittish horse, and uncertain allies, Jacob vows to bring this girl home safely and unharmed …
Blood on the Mountain is fourth in the Jacob Payne series of western novels. Each book is a standalone story. They can be read out of order, but reading experience is enhanced if the series is read consecutively.
CHAPTER ONE:
“Your deal?” Jacob Payne asked as he tossed his cards into the middle of the poker table. This had never been his game and he was tempted to just get up and leave, but couldn’t quite resist trying one more time. He, Edwin and two strangers had been playing for a couple hours already and Jacob was still running just about even. One more hand could let him walk away with some real cash.
“Yep,” Edwin responded, pulling all the cards toward him.
“This is my last hand,” Jacob announced.
There was a short lull while Edwin gathered the deck to shuffle, but no sooner had Jacob breathed a sigh of relief than one of the strangers, the one with the mustache, brought up his complaint again.
“Look, I’m just sayin’ … Them Mormons should stay with their own kind.”
“They’re not hurting you,” Jacob said for what felt like the fortieth time. “The man and his family have a homestead miles away from here, aren’t coming to bother you or preach to you. What under the canopy is the actual problem?”
“It’s just not right,” the man said. He leaned his chair back on just the rear legs so he could reach the spittoon. His gob of yellowy brown saliva fell about an inch short and dribbled down the outside of the metal container. “He’s got five wives, I heard. And each one of ‘em has a passel of kids. It ain’t right.”
“Now, how does that work, exactly?” Edwin asked with a grin. “Do the wives all sleep in the same bed? Do they have different rooms? Or do they each get their own house and the fella has to move between each one?”
The mustached stranger—Jacob thought his name was Abe—grimaced. “I don’t know,” he insisted.
“Did you even meet the man?” Jacob asked.
Abe was speechless for only a moment before sputtering. “I didn’t need to meet him to know. I heard. And it’s not right.”
Jacob sighed. It was impossible to argue with someone who didn’t have any actual point. “You about ready for that next hand?” he asked Edwin.
The dealer grinned and nodded. The other stranger had remained silent this whole time, but at least his aim with tobacco was better. Jacob eyed him surreptitiously as they played. Abe had called the silent one Lucky, but there was no telling if that was the name he always went by or just one of seven different aliases. As a bounty hunter, Jacob had to keep his suspicions always at the forefront, not taking anything at face value and sinister possibilities everywhere.
Either way, the nickname seemed apt. Lucky had quietly added to his cash over the evening. Jacob didn’t always mind losing, but he didn’t like seeing one man win that big and that consistently. It took all the fun out of the game.
But he kept his mouth shut.
As the cards landed in front of him, Jacob gently lifted up the corner to see what he had been dealt. Four of spades, Jack of diamonds, three of clubs, nine of diamonds, seven of hearts.
He kept a close eye on the others as they placed their bets. Lucky seemed confident, but Jacob hadn’t been playing with them long enough to be able to read any signs of what kinds of cards they may have in front of them.
Going around again, Jacob drew three new cards, keeping his diamonds but not getting anything new worth a damn. Jacob looked at his dwindling cash, and reached a decision. Besides, he didn’t want to stick around and listen to more of Abe’s griping.
“That’s it for me,” he said, dropping his cards on the table. “This has been a rich evening, boys.”
Abe grinned. “C’mon, stay a bit.”
“And give you all more of my money? I don’t think so.” Jacob clapped Edwin on the shoulder as he passed. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You off to the cafe?” Edwin asked with a wink.
Jacob paused. He hadn’t actually put the idea to himself, but as soon as Edwin mentioned it, he realized that was where he was heading. Having a drink by himself, or maybe in the company of a certain waitress, sounded like the perfect way to end his evening.
“That’s what I thought,” Edwin said with a laugh when Jacob didn’t answer.
“Good night,” the bounty hunter said pointedly on his way out the door.
The San Xavier Cafe was only a short block away from the Golden Saddle Saloon where he had been playing. Tucson was growing, and there was even a rumor that they’d get their own newspaper later that fall. Jacob walked purposefully through the dim streets. The sun had just set. The sounds of drinking and the beginnings of evening entertainment surrounded him.
He was getting a little tired of this heat. All the Arizona locals had warned him. He’d laughed it off. But they were right, and he was wrong. His first summer in Arizona had been a shock. When he was on the trail of an outlaw, focused and determined, he could easily ignore the discomfort. On days like this, however, when he was still trying to find a suitable horse to purchase or waiting for a new tip to come in, the heat was all he could think about. It overwhelmed him and influenced every decision.
With the sun below the horizon, the evening was cooler. Jacob took off his hat as he stepped through the door of the San Xavier Cafe and fanned his face a little. He spotted an empty seat at the bar, and was sure to catch the waitress’s eye as he sat down.
Bonnie Loft made her way across the room to him with a shy smile. Her dark, almost black, straight hair was pulled back off her face in a low bun, but the tiniest wisps had fallen out to frame her face. Every time she unconsciously reached up to push a strand back behind her ear, he smiled at the gest
ure.
“I haven’t seen you all day, Jacob,” she said teasing. “Did you not eat today?”
She ran her small hand across the broad expanse of his back as she crossed behind where he sat. Her touch was casual and fleeting, but Jacob knew she wasn’t friendly like this with all her customers.
The old Irish bartender appeared in front of Jacob with a neat whiskey. “Usual, eh, Payne?”
“Thanks, Mickey.”
“It breaks my poor heart to see you drinking such dodgy rubbish.”
“I know.” He grinned. “One day we’ll go back to Dublin and you can show me the real stuff.”
The western adventure continues in Blood On The Mountain — available in Kindle and Kindle Unlimited
Jacob Payne Series:
Trouble By Any Name
Danger in the Canyon
Justice for Jasper
Blood on the Mountain
Outlaw Country
Death By Grit
Desert Rage
Arizona Legacy
Jacob Payne Box Set: Books 1-3
Other Western Novels by A.T. Butler:
Hawke’s Revenge
About the Author
I grew up in the southwest—California Missions, snakes and constant threat of drought weaving the backdrop of my childhood.
But it wasn’t until I moved to Texas a few years ago that the magic and mythology of the American West began to seep into my soul.
I’d love to write about Jacob Payne for a long time. …
If you enjoyed this book, a review on your favorite retailer would be greatly appreciated.
Be sure to sign up for my newsletter for all the updates on future books.
- A
Justice for Jasper is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright 2018 by A.T. Butler
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Created with Vellum
