Dorothy Garlock - [Dolan Brothers] Read Online Free Page A

nowhere.
    “Does it have to be done tonight?”
    “In the morning. The press starts rolling at noon.”
    “Is Adelaide all right?”
    “Seems to be.” He said it in a way to cut off any other inquiry.
    “I was going to ask her to recommend a place to stay. I’ll stay at the hotel tonight and talk to her tomorrow.”
    “Mrs. Ramsey has a room for you. Adelaide spoke to her this morning.” The big man’s amber eyes went from Kathleen to Johnny.
    “I’ll take her there, Paul.”
    “I’d be obliged, Johnny. Adelaide’s worried about her—”
    “There’s no need for her to worry. Tell her I’ll be here in the morning.”
    Kathleen glanced at Johnny. When she had time she would try to remember everything Hod and Molly had said about him. For now she welcomed his help.
    Paul pulled the shade and closed the door behind them. Out on the sidewalk, Johnny’s hand gripped her elbow.
    “Have you eaten?”
    “Did you hear my stomach growling?”
    “Is that what I heard? I thought it was thunder.” He smiled down at her, and both of them were suddenly embarrassed. His hand dropped from her arm and he stepped back. “How about one of Claude’s hamburgers?”
    “Sounds heavenly.”
    They walked the block to the well-lighted diner that had been converted from an old streetcar. Kathleen was thankful for the tall, broad-shouldered presence beside her in this unfamiliar town. She cast a glance up at him; and into her fertile mind sprang the image of a perfect male hero from one of her stories: strong, handsome, a champion of the underdog, yet gentle with his woman.
    Music from the jukebox blared through the open windows of Claude’s diner. Kathleen recognized the familiar voice of Gene Autry, the Oklahoma cowboy, singing a song he had made popular.
“In a vine-covered shack in the mountains, bravely fighting the battle of time, is a dear one who’s weathered life’s sorrows, that silver-haired daddy of mine.”
    Several people sat on the stools at the counter that ran the length of the eatery. Behind the counter was the grill, a stove, shelves of dishes and tin Coca-Cola and Red Man chewing tobacco posters. A man in a white apron, a striped shirt, and a black bow tie yelled out as they entered.
    “Hi, Johnny. Come right on in and set yourself down.” The man’s voice reached them over the sound of Autry’s singing.
    “Hi, Claude.” Johnny placed his hat on a shelf above the row of windows, ran his fingers through his hair to smooth it, and ushered Kathleen to one end of the counter. He waited until she was seated on a stool beneath the overhead fan before straddling a stool beside her.
    Claude, wiping his hands on his apron, came down the counter. His round face was flushed and his bright blue eyes twinkled. Long strands of dark hair were combed over the near-bald spot on his head.
    “Howdy, ma’am.”
    “Hello.”
    “This is Miss Dolan, Claude. She’ll be working with Adelaide over at the
Gazette.
Claude White, the chief cook and bottle washer at this greasy spoon.”
    “Glad to meet ya, miss. Adelaide’s been needin’ somebody to give her a hand over there. Paul’s good at printin’, but ain’t never heard that he was worth a tinker’s dam at writin’ up a story. Well, now, that’s said, what’ll ya have?”
    Kathleen looked at the menu board above a shelf of crockery, then at Claude, and smiled.
    “I’m hungry enough to eat everything up there, but I’ll have a hamburger and a piece of raisin pie.”
    “What will you have on your hamburger?”
    “Everything but onions.”
    “I’ll have two hamburgers and a bowl of chili,” Johnny said.
    “Onions, Johnny?” Claude lifted his bushy brows.
    “No.”
    “You usually have extra onions. Guess that tells me what I wanted to know.” Claude winked at Kathleen and turned back to his grill.
    Kathleen glanced at Johnny and saw his eyes narrow, his lips press into a firm line, and knew that had the deep suntan not bronzed his face, it would be