Ruffskin Read Free Page A

tugged down the brim of his cap as he quoted in reply, "On the beach."
    "Where does a wise man hide a leaf?"
    "In the forest," Grim answered. "So what beach or forest are we looking for?"
    "The same one Peyton went to when he came here," Johnnie replied.
    "You think Hudson came here and tried to settle in all legally?" Grim asked. "He may as well have called up his pack and said 'come and get me'."
    "Until today it worked for Peyton," Johnnie said and quoted, "He never once thought it probable, or possible, that the minister had deposited the letter immediately beneath the nose of the whole world, by way of best preventing any portion of that world from perceiving it."
    Grim grunted. "No one ever tries that trick with me."
    "No," Johnnie said tartly, "but you certainly feel free to employ it yourself."
    Grim winced. "Good point. So our runaway wolf registered here and clearly received permission to stay. But did he use his real name?"
    "That I doubt," Johnnie said. "If he had, Peyton would have noticed, and I think he was avoiding Peyton at least as much as his pack. Of course, this is all supposition for the moment."
    "As if you're ever wrong," Grim said and smiled at him. "Very clever, Highness. I was simply going to see if I could follow any residual energies I might pick up from the watch he left and hope they led me to a larger trail."
    Johnnie savored the bright smile, so freely offered, because not so long ago Grim had not been much for smiles like that—not with him. "Not a bad idea, either," he said. "We could split—"
    "Don't even think about it, Highness," Grim said. "I'm not stupid enough to leave you unsupervised, even if I thought your father wouldn't slay me for it. You attract life threatening situations like flowers attract bees."
    Johnnie smirked. "You mean I attract death?"
    Grim lifted his eyes to the sky and pointedly ignored him, instead fussing with the Rolex on his wrist, no doubt put there for safekeeping and easy access while he tried to follow whatever it offered. He was obviously unused to the weight and feel of it and probably uncomfortable just with the idea of such an expensive watch in general. 
    The kind thing would be to leave him alone about it. Johnnie harassed him. "I hope you're not expecting one of those for your birthday."
    "What?" Grim asked, taken aback. "No—of course not, Johnnie!"
    Frowning, Johnnie leaned up and kissed him. "I was teasing you, idiot shepherd."
    Grim scowled. "There's nothing wrong with being a shepherd."
    "I certainly approve," Johnnie replied. "But, if you want a Rolex—"
    "I don't," Grim said hastily, firmly. "I hate fancy crap."
    Johnnie bit back a smile and decided he would have to buy Grim a piece of 'fancy crap' for Christmas. Or maybe Halloween, that seemed rather more apropos. But all he said aloud was, "Good, because I bought your birthday present last week and returning it to buy a silly watch would have seemed extremely gauche."
    Grim's eyes snapped to him, flaring ever so briefly with white light. "You got me a present? What is it?" he demanded, looking surprised and delighted and so boyish Johnnie couldn't remember how to speak for a moment.
    When he could remember, he turned and strode off down the street, taking the umbrella with him. Looking over his shoulder, he quoted loftily, "Patience, and the mulberry leaf becomes a silk gown."
    "I am a kind of burr. I shall stick," Grim quoted in retort, and then caught up with him.
    "Now who is quoting Shakespeare?" Johnnie muttered. "Take us to the offices of admittance."
    "Yes, Highness," Grim replied, but the tone of his voice said that the matter of the present was not over yet, only postponed. He held Johnnie close, and then they vanished.
    They reappeared in front of a rather plain looking office building on the west edge of the city not far from the shoreline, though it was too rocky there for good beaches.
    Grim slowly let him go and tugged at the brim of his cap. "So what now?"
    "Ask if they've