Sweet Home Colorado (The O'Malley Men) by C.C. Coburn Page A

old
place.”
    “So that’s Grace Saunders?” Rusty asked. “She sure has grown up
some. Didn’t you two date in high school?”
    Jack had forgotten that Rusty had opened his bar and grill
while Jack was still in school. He’d had a soda fountain back then, too. Jack
and Grace had spent more than a few afternoons there.
    “I’d rather not talk about it, if you don’t mind,” Jack said,
refilling his mug and moving to a booth—away from the bar so he wouldn’t have to
endure any more questions. Rusty was a great guy, but being a local bar owner,
he knew and passed on a lot of gossip.
    “I’ll take my eggs over here,” Jack said, grabbing a copy of
the newspaper and indicating he needed space to read it as he slipped into a
booth. Fortunately, the place started to fill with patrons and Jack didn’t see
Rusty until he placed the plate of ham and eggs in front of him.
    “Enjoy,” Rusty said, and disappeared into the kitchen.
    Jack decided he’d eat breakfast at Maria’s café in future.
Maria could be every bit as nosy as Rusty, but since she didn’t start her shift
until the children were at school, he’d miss having her stop by the table to
interrogate him.
    * * *
    A HALF HOUR LATER and stuffed with food and
coffee, Jack turned in at the gate.
    Al’s truck was already parked out front. “Morning, boss,”
Tyrone greeted him as he mounted the front steps. “What do you want me to do
today?”
    “Morning, Tyrone. I hear you’re looking for some work at
Rusty’s?”
    Tyrone’s normally open expression grew a little alarmed. “You
don’t mind, do you? I wanted to save for a car. There are some real bargains in
the paper,” he said.
    “No, I don’t mind at all, Tyrone. I admire your initiative. But
run it by Judge O’Malley first. And before you buy a car, let me know and we’ll
go check it out together. I’ll have a local mechanic make sure you don’t buy a
lemon.”
    Tyrone’s face split into a huge grin. “Thanks, boss.
Man...you’re somethin’ special. You know that?”
    Jack clapped him on the back. “You’re a hard worker, Tyrone. I
admire that in a person, so I’m happy to help out. How about if you go and ask
Al what he wants you to start on today?”
    Tyrone nodded and disappeared inside.
    “That was a nice thing for you to do.”
    Jack spun around. Grace was leaning against the railing. He’d
been so involved with Tyrone, he hadn’t even noticed her arrival. He took in her
outfit. She wasn’t wearing overalls, but she was at least better covered than
yesterday. A shirt unbuttoned over a scoop-neck T-shirt, jeans and the
steel-toed boots. The tight-fitting jeans could have
left a little more to the imagination. But he’d get her working so hard today,
Grace might regret not wearing something more loose-fitting and comfortable.
    “He’s a good kid,” he finally answered. “I’ll go out of my way
for anyone who wants to get ahead in life.”
    Grace climbed the stairs and came to stand right in front of
him. “I hear you go out of your way for a lot of people.”
    “You don’t want to believe everything you hear in this
town.”
    “Not even from Mrs. Carmichael, the florist?”
    “When did you meet her?”
    “I stopped by to get some flowers to cheer up my hotel room. We
got to chatting. Seems she’s a big admirer of your family, especially your
brother Will, in spite of his friendship with her husband’s pig.”
    Jack laughed. Will and Louella and their strange friendship was
a source of amusement and sometimes consternation around town.
    “Don’t be surprised if he stops by here one day with Louella
tagging along. They hang out when he’s in town. Otherwise, she gets up to
mischief, and then Mayor Farquar gets into trouble with Becky.”
    Grace held up her hands. “Whoa there, go back a couple of
steps. Why does the mayor get into trouble with Becky?”
    “The mayor is Mrs. C.’s husband and he owns Louella. He and
Becky don’t exactly see eye to eye on