AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The suggestion made Kieran’s skin itch. No distractions. No attachments. But he couldn’t afford to raise red flags with the crew and draw tighter scrutiny from their foreman. “I don’t have much money,” Kieran said, hoping that would give him an out.
Rueben snorted. “No money needed. We play for bragging rights only.”
Well, fuck. There went that excuse.
“And remember,” Rueben said, “Harry has plans, so we’re fending for ourselves tonight.”
Kieran recalled the way the guys had razzed her over lunchtime about going on a date while Dylan had dropped his gaze to his plate. He didn’t need to be on the ranch long to notice the guy’s infatuation with the lovely redhead. Harry waved off their ridiculousness and assured them there were plenty of leftovers on hand if no one felt like rustling something up on their own.
“We’ll order pizza and scrounge up some snacks. It’s a great time. Happens every Saturday at seven at the original homestead.”
“Sounds fun,” he lied. “Who all plays?” With Harry gone, it might be a good time to search the big ranch house if Cash was distracted with poker. It wasn’t like he could come right out and ask Cash what his connection was to his ex-boyfriend, and he didn’t expect an honest response if he did. Kieran needed irrefutable evidence tying them together. How many chances would he get to look around the big ranch house unimpeded?
“Ivan, Dylan, Owen, Tyler, and me,” Rueben said.
“What about Cash?”
Rueben slowed the truck and signaled for a turn. “Sometimes, but he’s gone again this weekend.”
Again?Interesting. He embraced his good luck rather than press for more information about Cash. “Not Finley either?”Damn it. Why the hell had he asked about him? Rueben chuckled, and Kieran looked over in time to catch his sly grin before it faded. He debated on correcting Rueben’s assumptions about his interest, but if he did, he’d only validate the guy’s suspicion, not dissuade it.
“Nope. Finley’s usually out on the town Saturday nights.” Rueben’s countenance darkened as if a giant cloud had blocked the sunshine. A quick glance out the windshield showed a perfectly sunny afternoon. “Well, that was the case until about six months ago.”
Before Kieran could ask what happened, Rueben shook his head as if he’d heard the unspoken question. Then again, it would’ve been a natural reaction if someone had spoken out of turn and let something slip they hadn’t meant to reveal. Kieran had learned several things about Rueben in the twenty-four hours he’d known him. The man might talk a lot, but it was never mindless chatter, and he wouldn’t hurt a fly, let alone someone like Finley, and divulging personal information would definitely fall under that umbrella.
“It’s not my story to tell, and I was wrong to say that,” Rueben said, bolstering Kieran’s opinion of the man.
“And it’s none of my business,” Kieran replied, though he had to wonder who he was trying to convince. Rueben’s obvious distress bothered him on a few levels. Kieran shouldn’t care, but he did. He shouldn’t want to ease the man’s mind, but he did. “No harm, no foul.”
Only a day after leaving Arrowhead, his carefully cultivated control was slipping away. He pictured it in his mind, a steady rope to grasp hold of, but it turned into a tendril of smoke as soon as Kieran reached for it.Poof.Frustration simmered in his gut, and if he wasn’t careful, it would boil over and ruin his carefully laid plans.
“So anyway,” Rueben said. “What do you think about poker night? You in?”
Not if he could help it. “Let me think about it,” Kieran replied instead of betraying his real thoughts. At least he hadn’t lost control of his mouth. “Tell me about Last Chance Creek.”
“I don’t know much,” Rueben replied. “I’ve only been here a year. I was born in Los Angeles, but my family moved to Denver when I was ten.” Kieran was curious about Rueben’s past and the crime or crimes that landed him in lockup, but he didn’t ask. Rueben deserved the opportunity for people to know the man he’d become, not who he’d been at a low point in his life.
“Last Chance Creek is a pretty little place,” Rueben continued. “Used to be a mining town during the big gold rush. Looks like a set for a Western movie. There’s not a ton of shopping in town, but there’s a general store attached to the feed mill, but I think they’re overpriced. My first stop after arriving was a neat thrift shop. The owner always has a good variety of options and sizes. Finley asked me to stop by the feed mill and pick up a small order. You can wait for me in the truck, and we’ll head downtown together afterward or you can take off on your own.”
“I think I’ll head over to the thrift shop and check it out.” Kieran didn’t want to hurt Rueben’s feelings, but he really needed some quiet time. Keeping his guard up around some people was harder, and it drained his battery faster.
“No problem,” Ruben said, then told him where to find the secondhand shop.
The feed mill was at the edge of town. Its front was a throwback to a bygone era where people would’ve rolled into town on wagons or horses instead of pickup trucks. Its rear was modern concrete with multiple bays for easy loading. Rueben backed up to one and killed the engine.
“Want to meet me back here in an hour? I’d like to take a nap before poker tonight so I’m extra sharp.”
“Sure,” Kieran replied, though he doubted he’d need that much time.
Walking down Main Street in Last Chance Creek felt like traveling back in time because each storefront mimicked the Old West style of the general store. Well, all except the large casino at the end of the block. The color of the building matched the others and fit in well. It looked like a hotel some weary traveler might stay at after a long trek across the country. The neon sign out front, though designed to look old, clashed with the rest of the town. It was more Bugsy Siegel than John Wayne.
The streets were more crowded than Kieran expected for the middle of the week, especially in front of the casino. The thrift shop, This and That, was located between a bookstore that caught Kieran’s eye and an old-fashioned soda shop. He wanted to spend cash in all three, but he needed to budget wisely. He’d start with necessities and reevaluate afterward.
A kind-eyed man with more hair on his chin than his head looked up from a paperback and smiled. “New in town?”
“Just passing through,” Kieran said. It was close enough to the truth. He’d put Colorado in the rearview mirror once he received the answers he deserved. “I forgot a few items, and I’m looking to replace them.”
The clerk shut his paperback with a snap. “You’ve come to the right place.” He grabbed a paper bag off the stack on the counter and extended it to Kieran. “All you can fit for ten dollars.”
