Free Silver Nights With You (Love in the Sierras Book 1) by Sawyer Belle

you’re claiming as I happen to know that eighteen cents on the pound is on the high end of the scale, not the low.” He fixed Ephraim with a knowing stare.
    “Well, now, that depends on the buyer, doesn’t it?”
    Morgan sighed. His respect for the man’s bargaining powers was starting to savor of contempt. He rubbed the tip of his nose with his thumb thoughtfully, then sat forward and put his palm on the table with an air of finality.
    “Three thousand five hundred dollars, and that is my final offer. If that’s not good enough I’ll keep my money and wait for you to clear out.”
    Ephraim smiled, his white crooked teeth flashing through the dark mesh of his beard and mustache. He thrust out a hand.
    “I’d say thirty-five hundred is more than fair,” he agreed.
    “Yeah,” Morgan drawled as he shook the hand. “More than fair. You’ll have to accompany me to Virginia City for the money. It’s in the Bank of California but there is an agent in Virginia City. You have the deed?”
    “That I do. We’ll need at least two weeks to pack up and prepare the caravan. Will you grant us that much?”
    “I’ve waited this long. I suppose another fortnight will be fine.”
    “And you’ll have to drive the cattle down from the mountains yourself. We won’t have time to do it for you. I can meet you in the city tomorrow at noon, if that will work for you?”
    “That’ll do nicely. Just bring the deed.”

Chapter 5
     
    Lila descended the stairs with a smoothness that belied the stiffness in her body. She slept solidly a full twelve hours and just left her father, who had eaten the breakfast she took him and was now shutting his eyes for the first time since they arrived. She carried the empty plate down the stairs and held a few crisp greenbacks in her hand. Though she was loath to leave the house without her father, he encouraged her to make use of their delay and purchase a new dress in Virginia City. Her stomach was making unladylike noises in need of food.
    She went unnoticed by David, Val and Ellie as they huddled around a newspaper on the dining room table. She opened her mouth to greet them but stopped as she heard David reading aloud.
    “ With wood-colored hair scattered like a dervish dance atop her head, the daunting Lila Cameron greeted me in the parlor of Miss Ellie Copper’s boarding house in Gold Hill. This was no fettered female, my friends, but a full-figured powder keg stuffed into trousers and vest. Eyes as fierce as a desert storm challenged my occupation and indeed threatened to strike me down when my tone was not to her liking.
    “ As I stood face-to-face with the region’s first female assassin it was not difficult to imagine such ruthlessness felling a wayward robber. Do not look for tears or wails of feminine weakness, however. When asked whether Miss Cameron suffered any fear or trepidation during or since the stage coach robbery, she responded with a hearty ‘Don’t be absurd. I am thrilled!’”
    Lila gasped. All three heads popped up and turned to see her standing there, a fist balled around her money, face a furious red.
    “Lila!” David said, quickly folding the paper up. “When did you come down here?”
    “Carry on, David,” she said tightly. “I am curious to hear the rest of this tall tale.”
    “It’s nothing,” he dismissed with a shallow chuckle. “Just local…”
    “I said read on!”
    “How about some breakfast?” Ellie injected. Lila marched up to the table, set the plate down and reached around David to grab the paper from his hand. She unfolded it and found the article, reading aloud where he had left off.
    “Witnesses described the heroism of Miss Cameron who defied death itself to save her companions and her father, the old and feeble doctor. She lent credit to the assistance of local miner, David Gardner, with an almost unholy and adolescent gleam of infatuation in her eye.” Lila stopped, the words having made her momentarily speechless before