Read Longarm and the Wyoming Woman for Free Online

come around. I know that for a fact.”
    Longarm shook his head with amazement. “You’re quite a woman, Addie. I can’t believe I was lucky enough to meet you.”
    â€œI’m the one that was lucky,” she said. “You saved me and the money. Money that my father desperately needs to hire attorneys, and maybe even someone who is good with a gun.”
    â€œWho is he up against?”
    â€œA terrible, ruthless, and cold-blooded killer named Wade Stoneman,” Addie said, her voice taking on a hard edge. “I’ve never met him, but Father says he is taking over Buffalo Falls and every ranch that he can lay his bloody hands on through any lawless means necessary. Have you ever heard of the man?”
    Longarm drained his wineglass and refilled it. “I’m afraid so. I have not only heard of Wade Stoneman, but I once worked with him.”
    Addie’s wineglass slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor. But she didn’t bend to clean it up; she just stared at Longarm. “Custis, you can’t be serious!”
    â€œI’m afraid that I am.”
    Longarm bent to pick up pieces of glass and to help Addie clean up the mess, but she grabbed him and said, “Are you . . . are you a friend of his?”
    â€œNo!” He lowered his voice. “Wade Stoneman was a deputy United States marshal when I first came to work as a new federal law officer. I was assigned to learn under Wade because he was the best. But then he crossed the boundaries of the law again and again, so that I could see that the man was without a conscience. After he killed a few people without even attempting to arrest them, I asked to be assigned to some other senior federal agent. Wade never forgave me for that and swore that he’d been betrayed. He had thought of me almost as a younger brother. He taught me things that have saved my life. But I never wanted to be like him and I never have been.”
    Longarm decided that Addie had had enough troubles today and it would do her no good to learn about the two boys that Wade Stoneman had gunned down for stealing an old, broken saddle.
    â€œHere,” he said, finding another wineglass and refillingit for her. “We can talk about Stoneman later and I’ll tell you more if you want . . . but I’m not sure you want to hear stories about how ruthless and cunning that man can be.”
    â€œHe’s the one that is after my father.”
    â€œAddie, let’s sit down for a minute. I have something to tell you. Something important.”
    Longarm led the young woman over to the couch, and then he sat down next to her and thought a moment before he said, “After I left you this afternoon, I went to my office and was told by my boss that I need to go to Buffalo Falls and investigate Wade Stoneman.”
    â€œAre you serious?”
    â€œI’m afraid so. A telegram came to my boss’s office begging for help. There was no signature, but maybe it was from your father.”
    â€œIt wasn’t,” Addie said with certainty. “My father never begged for help from anyone. The telegram had to come from someone else in Buffalo Falls.”
    â€œIt doesn’t matter. The point is that I’m going there and I’ll be leaving on the train tomorrow.”
    â€œThen I’ll leave with you!”
    â€œI’d rather you waited a week or two,” Longarm told her.
    â€œBut why!”
    â€œYou’d be a distraction for me. I’d be thinking of you and worrying about Stoneman and what he might do to both you and your father.”
    Addie set her glass down, and then she set his glass down on the table and looked into his eyes. “Custis,” she said, “I am overwhelmed by you and the way that you just made love to me.”
    â€œAddie, that—”
    â€œPlease! Let me finish. But I can’t stay here in Denver while you go to Buffalo Falls. And don’t you see that the