Longarm and the Colorado gundown

_{The boy’s face turned red. He spun around and practically bolted out of the room. Longarm and Leah waited until he was gone and well out of hearing before they broke into laughter.}

_{Chapter 34}

_{Leah really didn’t mind if the whole world knew about her interest in the tall deputy. Come morning she insisted that they go down to breakfast together and the hell with anything that might be said about it. It was an invitation that Longarm would have declined if he could, but not the sort a gentleman could reasonably refuse. They parted only long enough for him to go to his own room for a quick shave, agreeing to meet in the hotel dining room in twenty minutes.}

_{When Longarm walked into the dining room, Leah was already there. She was not alone. He would have backed away except that she saw him in the doorway and motioned him forward.}

_{“Deputy Marshal Custis Long, this is Mr. Ellis Farmer. Mr. Farmer is—”}

_{“Oh, Mr. Farmer and I have already met,” Longarm said with a tight smile that was pure politeness extended for Leah’s sake. Longarm hadn’t liked the editor of the Snowshoe Independent when they’d first met, and he hadn’t found any cause to change that opinion since.}

_{“How nice,” Leah said.}

_{Farmer’s expression showed that he was somewhat less pleased with it than the lady was. Apparently he thought about as much of Longarm as Longarm did of him.}

_{“Sit down, dear, before your coffee gets cold.”}

_{Longarm grunted and took a seat directly across the table from Farmer where he could stare some daggers at}

_{the big-mouthed, lying, rabble-rousing sonuvabitch. Farmer didn’t care for that, and quickly began to examine the weave in the tablecloth under his nose rather than meet Longarm’s eyes.}

_{“I can see that I’m interrupting your breakfast,” the newspaperman said.}

_{“Nonsense,” Leah chirped, oblivious to the hackles that were rising on both sides of her. “I have no need to keep secrets from Longarm, Mr. Farmer. Please go ahead with your explanation.”}

_{“I... really, Miss Skelde, I would prefer to do this some other time.”}

_{Leah shrugged. “If you wish.” Her offhanded manner said Farmer’s business wasn’t all that important to her.}

_{“I do, thank you.” Farmer stood, bowing over Leah’s hand and doing his best to ignore Longarm. “Later this morning if that would be convenient?”}