Merry Cowboy Christmas (Lucky Penny Ranch #3)(30)

“I’ll take care of it all,” Jud said. “It’s my first day to sit here with you fellers, so I’ll buy it all today.”

“Thank you,” Herman said seriously. “You’d do well to get to know these guys, Truman. They’re the hardest workin’ crew I’ve ever seen.”

“When hell freezes over, I might think about it.”

Jud caught Fiona’s eye and winked. He could hardly wait until everything settled down that night so he could tell her about the morning.

“So is there anything I can do for you so I could get you to work for me some morning?” Herman asked.

Jud took a sip of his coffee. “Nothing I can think of, but I’ll keep it in mind.”

“I’m ready now to show you that I’m not too old to take a hike. Where is it we’re goin’?” Truman said abruptly.

“Back behind Audrey’s Place,” Jud said. Truman was jealous of Herman and that was something Jud could file away for later use for sure.

“On the Lucky Penny? I said I wouldn’t step foot on that place,” Truman declared.

“You goin’ back on your word to help me after I did my part?” Jud asked seriously.

“I give my word and I’ll do it, but I think you tricked me and I don’t like that.”

“You don’t have to like it, Truman. I didn’t like getting out there in that goat pen or lifting all that heavy hay, but I did it anyway, so we’ll be even when we take care of this. Right now I’m going to pay our bill and I’ll meet you in the truck.”

Fiona figured up the amount and made change for the twenty-dollar bill Jud laid on the counter. “What is going on?” she whispered.

“I’m melting ice.” He grinned.

“By fighting with him?”

“Can’t be too easy on him or he’ll figure out what I’m doing. Bring cookies to my room and we’ll talk later,” Jud said.

“Deal,” she whispered, and placed the change in his hand.

Truman drove back to the house, parked the truck, and glared at Jud. “It’s your party from here. Where do we go?”

“See that clearing over there behind the yard fence?”

“Why’s it there?”

“Because Toby wanted to make a path for some reason. I expect he found that old well and wanted to check things out,” Jud answered.

“That where we’re going?”

Jud nodded.

“Then let’s get on with it. Can’t imagine why you’d want to talk about that place. It’s as unlucky as the rest of your ranch.” Truman bailed out of the truck, turned up his shirt collar, and pulled his black felt hat down tight on his head. His ears stuck out the sides like Elmer Fudd’s. Judd half expected him to start stuttering as he took off at a pace that kept Jud moving right along.

The old coot was trying to prove that he was still twenty years old. If he dropped dead from a heart attack, Dora June would shoot Jud.

“Hey, slow down. It’s not that far that you have to run,” Jud yelled.

Truman stopped until Jud caught up. “Younguns! Y’all can’t keep up with us old folks in anything. I know exactly where we’re going,” he panted. “There’s an old well back here and it ain’t good for nothing. Never was. Just another thing that went wrong on the Lucky Penny. What do you want me to tell you about it? That it produces water. Well, it don’t.”

Jud led the way back to the clearing where the well sat over in the far corner. He removed the board and looked down into the blackness. “Why doesn’t it have water in it? Why drill a well if you haven’t done your homework and know there’s a water table down there that’s got good water?”

“Because the folks that live on this ranch ain’t got sense. It was back before I was born when they sunk this well. My daddy told me the story about it. The folks had notions of building a house here for some of their kin. A grandma or a mother-in-law. I don’t remember that part. I remember wondering why in the devil they’d want a house this close to that old brothel, though.”

“Why did they stop drilling or digging or whatever they were doing?” Jud asked.

Truman cut his eyes around at Jud. “Why are you so interested in this old well?”

“It’s part of the Lucky Penny history and I want to know all I can about the ranch.”

“My dad said they hit rock. Limestone about forty feet down and plumb give up. They should’ve filled it in but I guess the next owners used it to hoodwink their buyers into thinking there was water over on this part. Ain’t never been water in that thing, so if you’re planning on irrigatin’ with it or pumpin’ water out for your cattle, you’re shit out of luck.”

“Some days you get good news; some days you get bad news. Thanks, Truman, for telling me about it,” Jud said. “I’m going on over to relieve Blake from the bulldozer now. You want to come help us mow down mesquite? I’ll let you drive my equipment. I’m not stubborn and mean like you.”

“Hell no! I ain’t helpin’ y’all do a blessed thing and I’m moving out of that old brothel soon as the damned insurance settles and Dora June and I decide whether to build or buy a house,” he said.