Page 36 of Rafe

Jade took a bite of the heavenly stew, deciding to check with the boy after they had all eaten.

Rafe waved to Sassy, who flounced over happily, completely abandoning the customers she had been talking with.

“How can I help you?” she asked him, leaning on the table to reveal more of her ample cleavage, and batting her eyes.

“We’re looking for a guest at the inn,” Rafe said. “And I’m betting you know them all.”

“What makes you say that?” the waitress drawled.

“I would guess that you get attention from every single person who walks in that door,” Rafe suggested.

She giggled back at him.

Tally stared openly at the two of them, and Jade had to hide her smile. The kid was getting an unintended lesson in manipulation.

And Jade was getting a lesson in self-control. Though it was getting harder to hold in her anger instead of easier.

“The person we’re looking for is a smaller woman with big glasses,” he told her.

“Oh sure,” Sassy said. “That’s Risa Zyy, the surveyor.”

“Surveyor?” Rafe asked politely.

“Yeah,” she told him. “There’s been a whole lot of hubbub about land use lately. She’s here to draw up the plots or something. At least that's what she said.”

“Is she around?” Rafe asked.

“Who, Risa?” Sassy asked, as if they hadn’t just been talking about her. “Nah. She hired one of the inn deer and sleighs. Had to go out to the far west end to do some surveying she said. Won’t be back until day after tomorrow.”

“She mention which farmers she was visiting?” Rafe asked.

“Nope,” Sassy replied. “But I know one of ‘em for sure would be Tag Pricketts. He’s been going on forever about expanding his land.”

“Thank you so much, sweetheart,” Rafe told her.

Jade barely suppressed a growl, surprising herself.

What was getting into her?

“Anytime,” Sassy giggled, oblivious to the jealous woman beside her. “What do I get in return?”

Jade gritted her teeth and begged herself not to challenge the woman to a fist fight.

Rafe produced a few paper credits from his pocket and slid them to Sassy.

The waitress looked a little disappointed, but she snatched them up anyway, and shoved them in her cleavage.

“Next time I’ll hold out for a drink,” she said teasingly before making her way back to her other customers.

“Okay, we have a plan,” Rafe said, turning back to Jade without making a single comment about what had just happened. “It’s a long trip, so we’ll head out west first thing in the morning. I’m sure we’ll find her out there, and we can ask around about Tag, too.”

Rafe headed off to take care of their bill, and Jade turned to Tally.

“Hey, are you staying at home?” she asked carefully. “Or do you need a place to crash?”

“I’m at my dad’s place,” he said. “He left a will, so I don’t have to worry about fighting for ownership.”

“Good,” she said. “Do you have enough to eat at home?”

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