For the second time in a week, once Ben left for school with Elizabeth, another funeral was held in the cemetery behind the old main house. Again, Kevin spoke a few words over Buck Martin's grave.

As they walked away, Cole nodded toward the two graves away from the main grouping. "What about - those two?" he asked.

"I'm going over there to say a few words," Kevin told him. "If you want to join me -?"

Cole shook his head. "No, I don't think so."

Nick put an arm around Cole's shoulders as they walked back toward the house. "We need to discuss the ranch over in Taos," he said.

"I don't want it," Cole told him. "I don't care if I ever see it again."

Jess nodded. "We thought you'd feel that way," she told him as Lily went back toward the house with Kate. "Nick suggested that we might sell the ranch and put the money into a trust for you and Caleb," she said.

"That would be fine," Cole told her in a distracted tone.

"Are you all right, Cole?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just -" he waved back toward the cemetery, "all this has just made me remember what happened yesterday."

"That's understandable," she said. "I need to get Caleb into the house - I think he needs a new diaper," she explained, glancing at Nick.

"We'll be along in a minute, darlin'," he assured her.

"Ma -" Cole said, causing her to stop and look at him expectantly. "Don't worry about me. I'll be okay."

"Worrying is part of being a mother," she told him before turning toward the house again.

Cole looked up at Nick once she was out of earshot. "She reminds me of my mother," he told Nick. "She was strong, too."

"Jess is probably the strongest woman I've ever met," Nick confirmed. "The day I found her was the best day of my life."

"But my mother lied to me. Never told me the truth -"

"She was most likely trying to protect you."

"Or him," Cole pointed out. "Why are we going back to the house? I thought I was going out with - I don't know whether to call him 'Boss' or 'Kevin' or 'Uncle Kevin'," he sighed.

"He'll answer to any of those. So it's your decision. I don't think *he* would mind the 'Uncle', though. As for your going with him - not today, I'm afraid. The sheriff wants to talk to you about yesterday."

"Oh." Cole stopped and looked at Nick. "Do I have to? I'm sure you told everything that happened -"

"I did. But he needs to write a report and needs your story as well."

"He knows that - well, that Buck Martin -"

"Yes. He's known since I went in to talk to him the other day. I need to look in at the saloon, too. Besides, I think it's time for you to see Providence. And for Providence to meet you."

"I don't know -"

"You think that once they know about Buck, they won't like you."

"I wouldn't blame them, but -"

I think that you are going to be surprised by the people of Providence, Cole."

"Are -Ma and Caleb going with us?"

"Not today. We'll all go on Sunday morning for church."

Cole stopped again. "Church?" he shook his head. "Do you go?"

"Every Sunday since I arrived in town. Before that, I could count on one hand the time I had darkened a church door after I left home."

"But - you run a saloon - and play cards -"

Nick laughed. "As I said, you're going to be very surprised. Tell you what - if you'll agree to go to church for - say - four Sundays, and then decide you'd rather not go again, then you can stay here on Sundays and work on the ranch - as long as *you* can explain why - to Ben."

Cole's eyes narrowed, but he was halfway smiling as he answered. "That's not fair, Pa." Ben had been over the moon about his new 'cousin' during breakfast, having all kinds of plans for the two of them over the summer vacation. "Okay," he said, taking Nick's outstretched hand to shake it. "It's a deal."

"Pedro!" Nick called out, seeing the man standing outside of the barn. "Can you get our horses ready, please?"

"Sure thing!"

======================

Nick was at the front door, putting on his gunbelt, when Cole came into the entrance hall. "I hadn't even realized that you weren't wearing it earlier," Cole said.

"I don't usually when I'm just here at the house. But when I go into town, I do." Nick looked at Cole. "I picked your gun up from where you dropped it yesterday -" he took Cole's gunbelt from the wall - "if you want to wear it -"

Cole stared at the belt and gun before shaking his head. "No. Maybe -Maybe around the ranch when I'm working, but -"

"It's your decision, son," Nick said, returning the belt to the hook on the wall.

Jess stood on the landing, watching the scene unfold, knowing exactly how Cole was feeling, and resolved to talk to the boy later, to try to help him understand that a gun was simply a tool.

======================

As they rode into town, Nick saw the curious glances sent their way, and realized that Elizabeth had accomplished her task of correcting the earlier 'rumor'. "Everyone's watching us," Cole said.

"Are they frowning in disapproval?" Nick asked, smiling at Betsy Collins as she came out of the cafe.

"No, most of them seem to be smiling," Cole acknowledged as they turned the horses in toward the Livery Stable before going to the Sheriff's office.

Inside of the office, Nick introduced him as Cole Everett, and Lucas treated the boy like a long lost friend, hearing his story about the killing of his father and the shooting of the Cochran brothers with patience. "Everything's in order from what I can tell. Your story is the same as Nick's - no reason for an inquest. What would you like done about the rewards offered for Buck Martin, Cole?" he asked, and Cole paused.

"I don't care about the rewards."

"Then I'll contact the authorities and let them know that they can handle it however they deem suitable," Lucas nodded. Standing up, he held out his hand. "Welcome to Providence, Cole. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Back outside, Nick pointed out several places - including Jess' office and the saloon. "Lily's Place?" Cole questioned.

"Lily owned it before I came to town."

"Lily? Ben's ma?!"

Nick chuckled, nodding. "I bought in for a half interest, and when she married Kevin, I started running it full time."

"So you spend every evening there?"

"Not since Jess - your Ma and I got married. I work mostly on Friday and Saturday evenings, and come in to play cards a couple of other nights." He took his pocket-watch out to check the time. "It's still early enough that I think it will be all right for you to come in," Nick decided. "But I'd prefer you not to come in during the hours that we're open, okay?"

"Sure," Cole said as they opened the closed double doors and went inside. "I don't think some of those people out there like that I'm in - here," he finished, looking around. "I've never been in a saloon before. The school was on our side of town, so except for going in for supplies when I had to -" his voice trailed off as Jake appeared from the back door.

"Boss!" he said before seeing Cole. "Who's this?"

"Cole Everett, this is Jake Smith. Co-manager and bartender - and friend."

Jake shook Cole's hand, looking at Nick. "Cole - Everett?" he questioned.

"Jess and I are adopting him and his baby brother, Caleb."

Jake nodded. "Seems I heard something about that while I was having breakfast."

"Long story. I'll explain later," Nick nodded, winking at Cole. "Where's Eban?"

"Not in yet, but he should be soon. I got some coffee on -"

"Thanks." Nick guided Cole over to the table near the back doors as Jake brought the cup of coffee. "Can I get you something, Cole?"

Cole looked at Nick, who shook his head and grinned before answering for the boy. "Sarsaparilla. Should be some back there -"

"I keep it for Eban," Jake nodded, going over to get a bottle from under the counter. "Here ya go."

"Thank you, Mr. Smith," Cole said, removing the cork.

"Make it, Jake. Not sure I'd answer to 'Mr. Smith', it's been so long."

The doors opened again, and Eban entered, stopping as he saw Nick and Cole. "Boss! Didn't expect to see you so early!"

"Thought it was time I at least looked in on the place," Nick replied. "Eban Sutton, I'd like you to meet Cole Everett." As Eban extended a hand, Nick added, "My son."

======================

"What's that at the end of the street?" Cole asked Nick after they had finished lunch at the cafe.

"The Founders Day Monument," Nick answered, leading him out to stand at the edge of the base. "John Donager convinced twenty families to stay here and start the town. This commemorates their decision."

"Wow," Cole sighed, looking at the bronze figures before bending to start reading the plaque. "That's a lot of families. So, Ma and Uncle Kevin's father started the town?"

"With their help," Nick confirmed, nodding toward the plaque. "And there's also your Aunt Elizabeth - who you've met, and her twin sister, Amanda - who's married to the town's minister - they live just down there in that white house beside the church."

"That's a big family."

Nick nodded in agreement. "When I met them, there were four of them. Kevin, Jess, Elizabeth and Amanda."

"And Aunt Elizabeth is going to marry Dr. Mitchell?"

"That's right," Nick said.

"There are an awful lot of things for me to try and remember," Cole sighed, shaking his head as they turned back toward the livery stable.

"You will in time. No one expects you to remember everyone's name or details. Give it time."

=============================

"Well? What did you think of Providence?" Jess asked after the two of them returned home.

"It's smaller than Taos," Cole said. "But from what I saw, I liked it." He looked up at the portrait. "I guess that's your Pa?"

"Yes. John Donager."

"What was he like?"

"Careful, Cole," Nick warned as he held Caleb. "That's one of her favorite subjects."

Jess slapped playfully at his arm. "Oh, hush. If you want to get to know him, Cole, I have some of his journals in the study - written from the time that he and my Ma and the other families started West until my Ma's death a few years later. You're welcome to read them, if you'd like."

"I can recommend them," Nick said. "I've read several of them. They've given me a whole new perspective about the man."

"I think I'd like to read them," Cole said.

"And in the next week or so," Jess said, "I'd like to show you around the place - Pa called it the 'Grand Tour' when he took Kevin and I out."

Cole grinned at Nick. "And you said she hadn't seen it all."

"Did you really?" Jess questioned her husband, but his only response was a crooked grin. "Well, I have. It's been awhile, but I have. It will help you with landmarks while you're working out on the range with Kevin."

As Caleb started to fuss, Jess reached over to take the baby from Nick, but he shook his head and stood up. "I can handle it. You sit there and get some rest, darlin'."

"He probably wants his bottle," Jess told him, and Nick sighed.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, winking at Cole as he headed toward the kitchen.

"Why don't we go outside?" Jess suggested to Cole. "I could use some fresh air." As they passed through the entry hall, she said, "Just a minute," and stopped to straighten gunbelt hanging on one of the hooks.

"Whose gun is that?" Cole wanted to know. "It wasn't there earlier."

"It's mine," Jess told him, running her fingers over the ivory grip. "Pa got it for me not long after he taught me to shoot." Turning toward the door, she took his arm. "Let's go, shall we?"

Outside, Cole stood on the porch, looking out into the distance before the wild horses in the corral started making noise. "They're restless," was Cole's comment.

"Kevin said that he wanted to start breaking them tomorrow. Have you ever ridden a wild horse?"

"No. He told me that you had, though."

"And I had a broken arm to prove it," Jess said. "I think Pa would have tanned my hide if I hadn't been hurt. Not that I wouldn't have deserved it - he told me not to try and ride the animal, but I was determined to prove that I could do it."

Cole fell silent again, and Jess was about to bring up the gun - when he said, "Pa told me that you - had to kill someone to save his life." His voice was so quiet that she had to strain to hear the words.

"Yes. She was threatening to shoot him when she turned and fired at me - I had no choice except to return fire."

"Was that the first time you'd had to -"

"To kill someone?" Jess finished as his words trailed off, and he nodded his head, sitting down on the top step. Jess sat down next to him. "Yes. I'd fired close to others - usually at their feet, as a warning, but I never had to actually shoot at anyone."

"You still wear the gun, though?"

Jess nodded "If I'm riding a horse. If I'm in a buggy, I keep it in the footwell, in case I need it for protection. There are a lot of bad things out here, as I'm sure you know." She smiled. "The only day that I don't wear it or carry it is Sunday for church. Plus, Nick and I both carry derringers - he calls his his 'hold gun'." Cole frowned for a moment, then nodded.

"For when he's playing cards."

"Yes." Jess placed her hand on Cole's arm. "Right after Belle - died, I wasn't sure about touching a gun. Probably like you are now. And it's your decision, Cole, but - you have to remember that if you hadn't done what you did yesterday, both you and Nick could be dead today, too. Nick's sure that one of those men was about to shoot you in the back."

"He told me the same thing. I think - well, the thing that worries me is - well, what if I end up like -"

She put her arm around his shoulders, "Oh, Cole, honey, if that were possible, you wouldn't be as confused as you are. Some people just develop a taste for killing. It - feeds something inside. That's the thing to watch out for. As long as you feel the way you do right now, you'll be okay."

"Finding the two of you - I told Pa that you remind me of my Ma - strong and determined. But he's the same way. I've never known anyone like him."

"The closest I've ever come was my Pa," Jess told him.

"I'm looking forward to reading those journals."

"Why don't we go back inside and I'll show you where they are?" she suggested, standing up.

=======================

Jess mentioned her idea about taking Cole on a tour around the ranch during dinner, and Kevin said it was a good idea. "But I have an even better one: why don't we make it a father and son trip? Nick and Cole and me and Ben. We could take a week and show them both around the place. I know we were gone a month with Pa, but I can't manage that much time. I think we could do it in a week."

"That would be wonderful!" Ben declared.

"It would be," Elizabeth agreed. "I always wondered why Amanda and I never got a 'grand tour', but I'm not sure either of us would have enjoyed it. All that dust."

"You up for it, Nick?" Kevin asked.

Before Nick could answer, Lily spoke up. "What about Ben's arm?" she asked.

"We could take the chuckwagon for supplies, and Cole, Nick and I could trade off driving the wagon and riding our horses," Kevin told her. "Well, Nick?"

Nick had seen Jess begin to pick at her food as the conversation moved away from the idea of her taking Cole on the trip - or perhaps Nick and her. "I think it's a good idea," he said at last. "What about you, darlin'?" he asked Jess. The quiet lift of her shoulders told Nick all he needed to know. She was angry.

But Elizabeth obviously missed the signs. "At least Kevin can cook meals on a campfire," she said. "If Cole and Jess had gone, they would have ended up having beans and bacon three times a day."

Everyone else chuckled at the old joke, except for Cole and Jess. Cole did smile and say, "I like beans and bacon."

Jess dropped her napkin into her plate and stood up, announcing, "Excuse me, but the baby needs changed."

"She seemed upset," Cole said to Nick.

"She'll be okay," Nick assured the boy. "It's an old family joke. When other girls were learning to cook and sew and keep house, Jess was helping out on the ranch or studying the law."

"We've teased her about her lack of cooking skills for as long as I can remember," Kevin nodded.

==========================

Jess was rocking Caleb when Cole tapped on the bedroom door and peeked in. "Can we talk?" he asked.

"Of course. Come on in."

He came into the room and sat down on the window seat, peering at the baby. "He's already getting bigger."

"He's a good baby. Do you want to hold him?"

Cole shook his head. "Not right now. Ma, are you okay? You seemed upset when you came upstairs."

"I'm just tired," she told him. "I suppose they're downstairs planning the trip?"

"We were - but Aunt Lily said that she refused to let Ben go until Dr. Thad says it's okay. Aunt Elizabeth said that he could do that when he comes to dinner on Sunday after church - along with what sounded like half the town."

Jess finally laughed. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure it's just your Aunt Amanda and her family -"

"I just wanted to tell you that - well, if you'd rather I not go on this trip without you -"

She sighed. "You should go. And Kevin's right: it should be fathers and sons. Growing up, I spent the first twelve years of my life insisting that I could do anything Kevin could do. Except for church, I refused to wear a dress until I was twelve. And even then, I didn't want to do it. As soon as I got home on Sunday, that dress came off and I was back in jeans and shirts and boots."

"I'm looking forward to the trip, honestly."

==================

Nick wasn't surprised to find the room was dark when he entered later that evening. He had considered riding into town for a couple of games of cards, but knew that was a coward's move. After getting undressed, he verified that Caleb was still sleeping before getting into the bed. Turning onto his side, he waited for Jess to say something, to give any kind of sign that she was still awake, but there wasn't one.

He could tell that she wasn't asleep, though, but the way she was breathing. "Are you still angry?" he asked. When she didn't answer, he said, "Jess, darlin', I know you're awake."

She turned over onto her back. "I wasn't angry," she insisted. "It's only - well, it was my idea to begin with, and Kevin just took over -"

"You couldn't have gone, Jess," he told her, nodding toward the cradle. "You have a responsibility -"

"I know. And I don't regret making that choice," she assured him. "I might have been a little disappointed, but I knew that I couldn't ask Cole to wait until Caleb was older before taking the trip. It wouldn't have been fair to him."

"And the joke at your expense about cooking?" Nick asked.

"Now *that* I'm not sure I can forgive," she said, but Nick heard the humor in her voice.

"Well, darlin', after having been forced to eat your beans and bacon on our way to and from Sutton's Creek,-"

"Forced?" she questioned, quickly lowering her voice as she turned to look at him. "I don't remember any complaints, Nick Everett -" suddenly she was on her back, and Nick's mouth was on hers. Jess' arms wound around his neck as the room became silent once more.

=============================

"Looks to be busy tonight," Jake said to Nick as he wiped the bar.

"Something going on in town?"

"A couple of drummers got off the the train yesterday -"

"Not the shoe salesmen - what were their names? Henry and -"

"Charlie," Jake supplied, laughing. "Nope. They haven't been back. One of these is a dress salesman. The other sells men's suits."

"At least they're not in competition with each other. What else?"

"Some cattle buyers, said they're just passing through."

"To where?"

"*That* they didn't say."

"Hmm. Seems to me that someone buying cattle would have been in touch with the Diamond D, and I don't recall hearing Kevin mention selling any cattle. He is looking to buy some, but -"

"That's kind of what I thought." He glanced up as the doors opened, causing Nick to turn in that direction.

"Thank you for the buggy ride, Eban," Rose said. "And the picnic. Next time, I'll find a way to make it myself."

"I bet your cooking is even better than Ma or Grace's," Eban said before looking past Rose to see Nick and Jake. "B-Boss. You're in early this evening."

"Eban and I went on a picnic," Rose told them. "Excuse me. I have to go get ready for work." She gave Eban another smile before crossing the room and climbing the stairs.

Nick picked up his cup of coffee. "Why don't we go over here and sit down, Eban?" he suggested.

Eban hesitated, but followed him over. "Is there a problem, Boss?"

"No, not that I'm aware of, anyway. I hear that you and Rose have spent almost every afternoon together this week."

"Ma said it was okay before they left on their trip," the young man told him.

"And you're also spending more time here while we're open - is that a good idea?"

"You're worried that I'll get upset watchin' Rose talking t'other men, aren't you?"

"It doesn't bother you?"

Eban shrugged. "Don't know why it should. It's her job. It's not like she's going to see any of them away from here. And if you're worried about my drinkin -I don't drink whiskey or beer - only sarsaparilla."

"All well thought out arguments," Nick nodded. "You would have been a good lawyer." Nick studied his coffee before continuing. "As Rose's employer, I have to ask - what are your plans?"

"Plans?"

"Are you going to ask her to marry you?"

"Yes."

"What are you waiting for? If I were you, I'd be finding a place to build a house to live in - since I don't think you plan on living at the hotel after you get married."

"Already got the land," Eban told him. "Down past the new town clinic/hospital. Tryin' to get the house planned out."

====================

"School's out!" Ben yelled as Elizabeth pulled the buggy to a stop. He stood and jumped to the ground, causing Elizabeth to hold her breath.

She released it once she saw that he landed on his feet, she said, "Benjamin Donager!"

"Sorry, Aunt Elizabeth," he said before running up the steps and into the house. "Ma?!" he called, continuing into the parlor, where his mother and Aunt Jess were sitting. "School's out!" he announced. "See? No books!"

"I see," Lily told him as Elizabeth followed him into the room. "Hello, Elizabeth."

"Hello. I'm going up to wash up," she announced.

"Where's your report card?" Lily asked her son.

He pulled it from his back pocket, leaving Lily to sigh as she straightened the card. "Let's see: Reading, A; Spelling, A; Penmanship, A minus; Arithmetic, A; History, A -" she scanned down the rest of the card, reading the note written by Mrs. Drummond. Closing the card, she said, "Very nice."

"Nice?" he questioned. "I got all A's again! Did you hear that, Aunt Jess?"

"I heard," Jess nodded. "Of course, there was one A minus -"

"One. Just one, and that was for writing. I sometimes get in a hurry and forget to use my cursive letters."

Lily finally broke down and hugged her son. "I'm so proud of you, Benji."

"So am I," Jess told him.

"Where's Cole?" he asked. "I need to tell him! And I need to tell him that I talked to some of the boys his age about him -"

"What did you tell them, exactly, Ben?" Jess wanted to know.

"Just that he was my new cousin, that you and Uncle Nick adopted him and his baby brother. Is that okay?"

"That's fine," Lily assured him.

"Who did you talk to?"

Ben thought for a moment. "Let's see. Jaycee Grover and Sam Crane, and Corey Garnett."

They were all good boys to Jess' knowledge. Jaycee worked at the train station/freight depot with his grandfather. Sam Crane was known around the area for his leatherwork, something learned from working with his cobbler grandfather. And Corey Garnett helped his father on the family's farm. "I'm sure he'll meet them on Sunday morning."

"Are Pa and Cole at the corral?" he asked, already heading toward the door. "I heard the hands over there -"

"They are - you be careful!" Lily called after him, shaking her head. As Jess laughed, Lily narrowed her eyes. "Just you wait. Let's see how you feel when Caleb gets to that age."

"I'm sure I won't have any reason to worry about him," Jess told her. "Now if we're talking about Cole -"

"You're worried about his making friends, aren't you?"

"He's worried that the other kids will find out about his father and that it will cause problems. I think he's wrong - that he might have to answer some questions, but from what I've seen of the local boys that should be the end of it."

"I know that we worried about Benji when he started school, but - he made friends quickly."

"But he wasn't a teenager. That can be - difficult, even without all of the baggage that Cole's carrying." Jess picked up Caleb from his cradle. "I think that we're going down for a few minutes to watch them try to break those horses. Do you want to come with us?"

"No, thank you. Every time Kevin gets bucked off of those things, I get chills. Once of these days, he's going to hurt himself."

=======================

"Ride him!" Cole yelled along with the rest of the hands as Kevin sat astride a bucking bronc.

"Ride him, Pa! Ride him!" a young voice joined in, and Cole glanced down to see Ben standing there beside him.

Suddenly the horse went one way and Kevin went the other, rolling away and coming up at the fence. While a couple of hands grabbed the horse, Kevin joined Cole and Ben. "You're wearing him down," Cole said. "Are you okay?"

"The older I get, the harder those landings are," Kevin said with a grimace. "Hey, son. Is it that late?"

"We got out early," Ben told him. "Mrs. Drummond said she wanted to get home and packed so she can leave on the train tomorrow to go see her sister." With a grin, he held up his report card. "Look at this!"

"Your report card, hmm? Let's see -" He looked it over, then held it out to Cole before lifting Ben up. "Good job, Ben!"

"I'm impressed," Cole told him. "I might be needing your help with my lessons next year."

Ben giggled. "You going to ride again, Pa?" he asked Kevin.

"Not right now. Need to catch my breath after that last ride." He looked at Cole. "You want to give it a try?"

Cole looked around at the hands, seeing their faces, some doubtful, some expectant. He had a feeling that if someone were taking bets, they would be split evenly between yes and no. The horse that Kevin had ridden was pawing the ground, as if challenging him as well. At last, Cole nodded. "I'll give it a try. But if I break my arm or leg, we'll have to cancel the trip. And answer to my folks."

"You can do it, Cole," Ben said, and Cole ruffled the boy's hair before taking the gloves that Kevin was holding out to him.

Kevin gave him some instructions about staying loose and not letting the ride surprise him. Cole nodded as they covered the horse's eyes and he got onto the animal, grabbing the reins. "Okay, let him go!"

At that moment, Jess arrived at the corral with Caleb in her arms. All around them, the hands were shouting, urging Cole on. Standing just behind her brother and nephew, Jess watched her older son ride, and found herself calling out softly. "Stay on him, Cole," over and over, her voice rising each time. Finally Kevin heard her voice and stepped back to stand with her. "Was this your idea?" she asked him. "Stay on him!"

"I asked. He made the decision -" suddenly the horse went still and Cole leapt off as the hands all cheered, slapping him on the back as he moved toward the fence.

Seeing Jess, he stopped, taking his hat off again as he continued forward. "Ma -"

"You were great," she told him, putting her free arm around him.

"Uncle Kevin wore him down before I ever got on him," he insisted.

"That was great, Cole!" Ben declared.

"Promise me something, though," Jess said and waited for him to look at her. "Don't do it again unless you tell me before you do it, please? I'm not big on surprises."

"Yes, ma'am," he promised, then extended both arms. "See? No broken arms."

"He did better than you your first attempt," Kevin observed.

"My *only* attempt, you mean. Your Pa is *not* going to believe this," she told Cole.

==================

"Your pot," Leroy said, tossing his cards down in disgust. "Wish I knew why I keep coming back to try to beat you," he told Nick.

"Reason's not important, my friend. Just keep bringing your money in, and I'll be glad to keep taking it," he said with a grin. That grin faded as he saw two men enter the saloon and sit down at a table. "Excuse me," Nick said. "Time for Leroy to win some money."

Crossing to the bar, he told Jake, "Are those the cattle buyers you were telling me about?"

"That's them," Jake nodded. "You know 'em?"

"I might. Been a few years. You keep an eye on them. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Jake nodded as Nick went through the back door, and out into the alley, making his way over to the Sheriff's office. As he approached the door, he heard Lucas' voice.

"You looking for me?"

Nick turned to see Lucas coming from the cafe. "I need to talk to you about something."

"Let's go inside, then." In the office, he sat down at the desk. "What's the problem?"

"I'm not sure that there is one - but have you seen the two men who came in on the train yesterday?" Nick asked, sitting in the other chair. "The ones who say they're cattle buyers?"

"I saw them, haven't talked to them as yet. Why?"

"I've seen them before. It's been awhile, but the last time I saw them, they were telling people that they were advance men for a wild west show. By the time they left town, they had conned quite a bit of money from the locals."

"I'll make it a point to talk to them tomorrow, then. I don't think they caused any trouble last night when they were in the saloon -"

"Not that Jake mentioned. I just thought you should know that there might be a problem."

"Thanks for the heads up. Anyone ever told you that you have all the instincts of a lawman?"

Nick shook his head. "It comes from having spent so much time in saloons and gambling houses, Lucas," he said. "Tends to expose one to the more - lawless side of society. Until I came to Providence, anyway." He stood up. "I'd better get back over there. Leroy's probably ready to lose some more money."

====================

"Still no date for the wedding?" Jess asked Elizabeth after supper.

"We're talking about the week after Doc and Ma get back to town," she said.

"That's four weeks - if they get back when they're scheduled to," Lily pointed out. "You'll need a dress -"

"Amanda and I can alter hers for me to use," Elizabeth told her. "We've already discussed it."

"So the two of you are going to plan the wedding without any help?"

Hearing Jess' question, Kevin stood up. "If you ladies will excuse me, I'm going to go see what Cole and Ben are up to out in the barn." He wasn't surprised when none of the women acknowledged his quick retreat.

"Of course not, Jess. But she is my sister -"

"So am I."

"My *twin* sister. She and I did most of the planning for her wedding to Andrew, so -"

"It makes sense for the two of you do most of the planning for this wedding," Lily agreed. "You know she's right, Jess. Just because your maternal instinct is starting to kick in -"

"I've always had maternal instincts when it came to the twins," Jess replied, standing as she spoke to pick up Caleb, who was becoming fussy again. Looking around, she realized that Lily and Elizabeth were both looking at her, and sighed. "Okay. I'll show up for the wedding - just tell me when. The rest of it - it's in your hands."

"Mine and Amanda's, you mean."

Mariana came into the room. "I have more coffee, if you want some."

"No, I'm done," Lily told her. "Thank you."

"I sent Cassie home - she was tired. I'm not sure how much longer she'll be able to work before her baby comes," Mariana told them.

"She's not like you were, Mariana," Jess observed.

Mariana had had both of her sons within a year and a half of each other, and except for a couple of weeks after the births, had worked the entire time. "Not many girls are, Miss Jess."

"I was eight years old and I remember watching Mariana standing at the stove with a baby on one hip and the other one -" Jess thought for a minute. "Mariana, whatever happened to that pen that Pa and Pedro made for Max?"

Max was the older son, who was currently in the US Cavalry. His brother, Albert, was working on a ship out of California. Neither had taken to ranch life, and left home to seek his fortune.

"A pen?" Lily questioned. "For a baby?"

"It was four panels made of chicken wire and wood that were fastened together with hinges to make a square. It made a place where Mariana could put Max and know that he was safe and not getting into trouble."

"I imagine that it's in the attic, Miss Jess," the housekeeper said. "You used it for your sisters, remember?"

"That's right, I did. I'll have to go up and look for it."

"I'll leave the coffee on the stove and then go home, if there's nothing else -"

"No, you go on home," Elizabeth told her. "I'll finish things up in the kitchen. Thank you."

Once Mariana was gone, Lily shook her head. "A pen for babies. I have never heard of such a thing."

================

"Are you sure he won't mind my still being up?"

Jess smiled at Cole, shaking her head as they sat in the parlor, waiting for Nick. "Not once he hears the reason - and I want to see the look on his face when you tell him." She put a hand on Caleb's cradle, rocking it gently to keep him asleep. Lifting her head, she smiled. "Listen."

Nick entered the house and paused when he realized that there was still a light on in the parlor. Continuing across the entry hall, he opened the door. "Jess. Cole? Is everything -" he looked down at Caleb. "What's going on?"

Jess stood up and came over to give him a kiss. "Cole has something that he wants to tell you."

"What?"

"I - well, I uh - rode a bronc this afternoon -"

"And he *broke* him!" Jess finished, seeing Nick's shock and surprise at the news.

"You -" he looked at Jess. "You let him do it?"

"He was already on the horse when I saw him," she said. "But he did it."

Nick's smile split his face. "Good job, son," he said, pulling Cole in for a quick hug. "I'm proud of you. At least one of us was brave enough to do it."

"I just wanted to tell you - I'll go on up to bed now. Night, Ma. Pa. Night, Caleb," he added before heading for the stairs.

"I didn't expect that," Nick told Jess once they were alone except for the baby. He pulled her close. "He really did well?"

"He insisted that Kevin had worn the bronc down, but from I saw, the animal still had plenty of energy left." She looked up at him. "You look tired."

"I am, a little. We were busy tonight. Probably busier tomorrow night. End of the month - payday for the local ranches and farms."

She stooped to pick up Caleb. "Let's go up to bed."

"That's the best offer I've had all evening, darlin'," Nick sighed, putting his arm around her.

=========================

"I talked them over breakfast this morning," Lucas told Nick the next day. "They claim that they've heard that the Diamond D has a standing order with the Army, so they were going down south on the stage to see some of the other ranchers down there and find out if Rocking B or the Chaparral are looking to sell, and then they might stop back by to talk to Kevin on their way back north."

"Does that make sense to you, Lucas?"

"I have no reason to doubt their word, Nick. They haven't done or said anything here in Providence that I can arrest them for. They were on the stage when it left a little while ago."

"Maybe they've reformed," Nick suggested. "But I doubt it. Kevin and I are taking the boys on a tour of the ranch -"

"Don't you mean that Kevin's taking you *all* on a tour of the ranch?" Lucas questioned with a chuckle.

Nick grinned. "Well, you could be right. But we'll be out on the range all week."

"I doubt anything will happen. I'll keep an eye out in case they circle back for some reason."

=======================

Jess carried Caleb down the stairs on Sunday morning, calling behind her. "Ben and Cole, it's time to go!"

Nick sighed as he waited at the door. "You go on out with the others and I'll round them up."

"We're here, Uncle Nick!" Ben said, following Cole down the stairs.

Cole was attempting to fasten the string tie around his neck. "I can't get this thing straight, Pa!" he declared. "I've tied it ten times, and every time it's crooked! I don't see why I have to wear it anyway!"

Nick stood in front of the young man. "Stand still," he said, reaching out to make quick work of the tie. "There. You ready now?"

"I'm still not sure about this, Pa," Cole said. He caught Nick's glance down at Ben, who looked confused at Cole's uncertainty. Cole reached out to rub Ben's hair, saying, "But I'll go."

Nick steered them out to the surrey, where both boys sat in the third seat with Elizabeth. "We get another person, and we'll have to get a bigger surrey," Nick said as he got up into the seat beside Jess.

"Well, once Elizabeth gets married, we'll have one less," Jess pointed out, smiling at her sister.

"Are we ready?" Kevin asked.

"Let's go," Nick answered.

=======================

As the surrey pulled around the monument, Cole looked around. "Wow," he said. "All these people are going into that little church?"

"It's bigger than it looks," Elizabeth told him, smiling as Thad appeared. "Good morning," she said as he helped her down.

Thad let Cole lift Ben down. "Cole. Hi, Ben. How's that arm?"

"It barely hurts anymore," Ben told him, looking around. "Excuse me. Com'on, Cole."

"Benji," Lily said to him, "Don't make Cole late for church - and don't be late yourself."

"Yes, Ma," he replied, grinning at Cole as they moved over to where three young men were standing. "Hey, guys, this is my cousin that I told you about. Cole Everett." Ben told Cole, "This is Jaycee Grover, and Sam Crane, and Corey Garnett. Excuse me," Ben said. "I have to talk to Pete. Hey, Pete!"

The four young men stood there, obviously unsure about what to talk about. "Where are you from?" Jaycee was the first to ask.

"Taos," was Cole's answer. "We had a small ranch to the west."

"Ben says that you've got a baby brother?" Sam wanted to know.

Cole nodded. "Caleb. He's over there with Ma."

Sam sighed. "Lucky for you, getting adopted by her and Mr. Everett."

"Ben says that it wasn't luck," Cole told them, and saw them all grin, nodding as he explained, "Says I was blessed. Both Caleb and I."

"He's always saying that," Corey explained. "We all grew up going to this church, but that kid - he took to it like a duck to water."

"He's a good kid," Cole said, his tone faintly defensive.

"Hey, we didn't say that he's not. We all like Ben," Jaycee told him.

Nick called out. "Cole?"

"Talk to you later," he said to the boys. "My Pa's calling." He moved away to join Nick.

"Everything okay?" Nick asked, his hand on the back of Cole's neck as they walked toward the church.

"Sure. We were just talking, getting to know each other."

=======================

After church, Jaycee and the other boys met up with Cole on his way back to the surrey. "Hey, you want to get together one day this week and maybe go fishin? Corey's got a place on his family's farm -"

"I'll be out of touch this week - Uncle Kevin's taking Pa and me and Ben on a tour of the Diamond D."

"Oh," Sam said. "What about the week after?"

"It would have to be on a Saturday - I'm working at the ranch as a wrangler -"

"That's ok," Corey told him. "Jaycee works with his grandfather at the train station. Sam works at his grandfather's shoe shop doing leatherwork. And I help my Pa out on our farm. Saturday is usually our only free day, too, unless something's going on. We can discuss it next Sunday before or after church, I guess. It was nice meeting you."

"Same here," Cole told him, smiling as he turned toward the surrey in time to see Elizabeth getting into the doctor's buggy. Climbing into the wagon, he was still smiling when Jess turned to look at him.

"You're in a good mood," she noted.

"Yes, I guess I am. The guys asked me to go fishing with them before long."

"Where is -" Kevin asked, looking around before calling, "Ben! Let's go!"

Ben ran toward the carriage, and Cole helped the boy up into the seat. "Sorry. I was telling Pete about our trip."

"*If* you get to go," Lily reminded him. "Remember, if Dr. Thad says no, -"

"He won't," Ben said with confidence.

"You planning something?" Cole asked Ben once they were on the road and the adults were talking.

"I talked to Dr. Thad right after church," Ben whispered. "He said he didn't see any reason why I shouldn't go. Now, he just needs to convince Ma of that."

"Think he can do it?"

Ben nodded.

========================

Nick offered to take the surrey around to the barn, asking Cole to help him. "You start unharnessing the right side, I'll take the left," Nick told him. As they worked, Nick asked, "So, how was it?"

Cole didn't have to ask what he meant. "It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, honestly," he said. "I liked the music. Aunt -Amanda plays the piano well. The woman playing the organ was good, too."

"That woman is Amanda's mother in law, Mrs. Lee. She'll be here for dinner."

Sighing, Cole shook his head. "I'd forgotten about that. Who else is going to be here?"

"Well, Amanda, and her husband, Brother Andrew - the preacher, and their baby, Jonathan."

"And his mother."

"She's a widow, so she usually has Sunday dinner where they do. You know Thad. And you met Bro. Andrew as you were leaving the church."

"Yeah. Still, that's a lot of people for a kid who usually spent his time alone or with just one other person when I wasn't at school. And the school I went to wasn't very big, either."

"Speaking of school -"

"The guys," Cole said. "They seem okay. I only talked to them for a few minutes, though."

"They're all good boys. What are you going to tell them?"

"About - my father?" Cole questioned, and Nick nodded. "I don't know."

=============================

"Is it okay, Pa, if Ben and I go out to the barn?" Cole asked as dinner was finished.

"It's fine with me," Nick told him.

"Change out of your Sunday clothes first, Benji," Lily said.

"I was going to suggest the same thing, ma'am," Cole said. "Excuse us," he said, leading Ben out of the dining room.

"Such a well-mannered young man," Rebecca Lee commented as Andrew pulled her chair out. "Thank you, dear."

Nick stepped forward to offer her his arm into the parlor as she continued to speak watching Jess carry Caleb into the other room. "Amanda tells me that Cole and his brother are the son of -"

"Mother," Andrew sighed. "Does any of that matter? They're both here with Jess and Nick now."

Jess nodded in agreement. "Nick sent a telegram to Judge Maxwell, asking him to come to town at his earliest convenience to make the adoption legal. Until then, I don't think anyone will object to their using the name of Everett."

"Of course they won't," Mrs. Lee agreed, taking a cup of coffee from Lily. "Well, I knew right away that *something* wasn't right. There was no way your being with child could have been kept secret - and certainly no way that Martha and Mark wouldn't have known about it."

Amanda sighed. "As soon as we got away from the house that day, she said as much, and I -"

"She refused to break your confidence," she told Jess and Nick. "But she did promise to tell me the whole story as soon as you gave her permission to do so."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Lee," Nick began. "But -"

"It was vitally important that Cole and Caleb's father not know that Caleb had been born," Jess finished. "He would have refused to leave without them both had he known. I do apologize for -"

"What hurt me, Jessica, was that you didn't trust me - after all this time." She waved her hand, as if clearing the air. "It doesn't matter now, it's water under the bridge. And he's a perfectly handsome child - even if he doesn't have your father's eyes."

"It was all my fault, Mrs. Lee," Jess told her. "Nick and everyone else just - went along."

"Oh, I knew that much, dear. It had all the earmarks of one of your - schemes."

"Schemes?" Nick questioned, and Jess squirmed slightly.

"Oh boy," Kevin muttered.

"Do you mean that she hasn't told you about how she was forever playing pranks on people when she was young? Especially on her teacher -"

"Nary a word," Nick said. "Pranks? What sort of - pranks?"

"She emptied the inkwells on the desks and refilled them with water," Kevin said, ignoring his sister's warning glare.

"I had help with that," she reminded him.

"But it was your idea, dear sister."

"I knew about that one," Elizabeth said as Thad chuckled. "What else?"

"Well," Mrs. Lee said, "she filled the top drawer of my desk with frogs - and if that wasn't enough, put a frog inside every desk in the room. To this day, I have no idea where she found so many frogs!"

Everyone was laughing at the idea of frogs everywhere in the schoolroom, and Jess spoke up. "We had a big rainstorm just before that day - and there were frogs everywhere. It wasn't difficult to round them up."

"And I lost track of the times she wrote things or made marks on the blackboard - I went in one morning and found the entire thing covered with '101010' ad infinitum." She left about," she held up a thumb and finger showing a small nub, "this much chalk, and had hidden the new sticks."

"But someone found them in the back of the classroom," Jess pointed out.

"You," Kevin said, "if I recall correctly."

Jess stood up with Caleb. "Now that I've entertained all of you, I'm going to take Caleb upstairs to change his diaper. If you'll excuse me."

Mrs. Lee frowned slightly. "I do hope that she wasn't upset."

"She wasn't, Mother Lee," Amanda assured the woman.

"I really never realized that Jess did those kind of things when she was young," Lily said to Kevin. "You didn't -?"

Before Kevin could respond, Mrs. Lee spoke up. "Kevin was always quiet - but he also tended to follow his sister's lead into trouble on occasion. The prank with the chalk was the only one that I recall your father being upset about."

Kevin nodded. "He wasn't happy with her having wasted so much chalk - he had her stay after school for a week, cleaning the board and the erasers, and she still had her chores to do here when she got home."

"What about the ink? Wasn't that wasted?" Thad wanted to know.

"No, we put it into a metal bucket so that it could be put back into the inkwells. So little to none was wasted."

====================

Jess was sitting, rocking Caleb when Nick came up to the room and stood there against the door with a grin on his face. "Hi, trouble maker."

"I suppose there were more stories told after I came upstairs?"

"Oh," he said, crossing the room, "so there *are* more stories to be told?"

"I walked into that, didn't I?"

"Uh huh. Just promise me that you won't tell Cole about any of it."

"Oh, I don't know. It could be an object lesson for him about what *not* to do." He sat down on the window-seat, reaching out to take Caleb's tiny hand. "So, I have to ask - why?"

"Why did I do it? Well, it started out because all of the kids were saying that I was Mrs. Lee's pet. Best student, handing out papers, helping grade the papers of the younger kids - You know what? Even after I did all those things, she *still* let me do those things for her."

"She likes you."

"Has Lily talked to Thad yet about the trip?"

"I think she's waiting for Amanda and Andrew to take Mrs. Lee home."

"That's probably true - and a good idea."

"I need to gather a few things to take with me."

"Kevin wants to leave early - Are you sure you'll be able to get up that early?" she teased.

"I might - if someone lets me get some sleep tonight," he told her, leaning in to give her a kiss.

========================

"Well, Thad?" Lily asked, watching as he put Ben's freshly splinted arm back into the sling.

"It's looking good," he told her. "I don't see any reason why he shouldn't go on the trip - he won't be riding a horse, and with three others around him, he should be fine."

"What if he falls, or -"

"Lily, he could fall here - or going to town - Kevin and Nick both know how to re-splint the arm - and I'm pretty sure that Cole could do it if necessary."

Cole, standing behind Thad, nodded, but remained silent.

"You're sure?" she asked again.

"Lily, honey," Kevin said, putting his arm around her shoulders. "He'll be fine. All we need is your approval -"

Lily drew a deep breath, looking at her son. "Okay. You can go."

"Yippee!" Ben yelled, coming over to give her a one-armed hug. "Thank you, Ma! Thank you!"

=======================

Jess put the baby in his cradle, then moved over to the dresser to brush her hair, watching Nick as he lay in the bed. He had come upstairs a few hours earlier since Kevin's plans called for them to leave at four a.m. Blowing out the lamp on the dresser, she removed her robe and slipped into bed, snuggling up to Nick, pressing light kisses against his shoulder.

He didn't respond, and she decided that he'd meant it when he told her was going to get some sleep, so she stayed where she was, putting her arm around his waist, burying her fingers in the dense hair of his chest. Another kiss on his back, and she murmured, "A week's a long time." She smiled as he grabbed her hand and kissed it.

"I was wondering if you'd thought of that, darlin'," he whispered, turning over to pull her into his arms.

"I thought you wanted to get some sleep," she said.

"Sleep? I've heard that it's highly overrated."

=======================

"If you need any help, Hank and Robert will be here -" Kevin said as the group prepared to set out the next morning. "And Pedro -"

"Kevin, I might have a baby to take care of, but I can still take care -"

"Of yourself," Kevin nodded. "I know. But just in case you *do* need help with something - or need us, they'll be able to find us. We're going to start along the northwestern boundary. See you in a week."

Jess waved after them, moving to put her arm around Lily as the other woman put a handkerchief to her eyes. "They'll be fine, Lily," she said. "Come on, let's go back inside. I don't know about you, but I'm going back to bed for a little while."

Lily nodded. "I guess. Caleb's still asleep. And I bet Katie will be asleep again pretty soon."

======================

"What are you doing?" Lily asked Jess as she stepped into the attic doorway.

"Looking for something," was Jess' answer from the furthest reaches of the room. "Is Caleb okay?"

"Cassie told me that he's sleeping," Lily said, changing Kate to her other arm. "What is it that you're looking for?"

"I found it." Jess grunted. "But it's too heavy for me to drag downstairs. I'll have to wait -"

Lily frowned as she heard Jess jump back quickly, muttering. "Jess?"

"Rats," she explained, and Lily started looking around her.

"Come back downstairs, Jess. Please."

Jess came back toward the door, wiping her hands. "I might as well. I'll need to talk to Elizabeth about making a new mattress anyway."

"A mattress for what?"

Jess closed the door and turned the key in the lock as she said, "That pen that I was telling you about, remember? I'll need Nick and Kevin to get it moved downstairs -"

"Oh, that. There was a mattress?"

"It had cotton batting inside and tied onto the bottom of the pen to give the babies a soft place to lay. I won't need it for Caleb for awhile yet - but you could use it for Kate."

"I can't see myself putting her into a pen," Lily said. "Who made the original mattress? You certainly didn't -"

"No, Mariana made it with Olivia's help. Trust me, Lily. Once you see it, you'll wonder how you managed without it." She could see that Lily wasn't convinced. "Say you're working on some sewing and Kate's awake. What would you do?"

"Probably put the sewing away until she took a nap."

As they came onto the landing, there was a knock on the front door, and while they were coming downstairs, Mariana appeared to answer the summons.

"Hello?" she said.

"Hello. We'd like to speak to Mr. Donager."

"Mr. Donager isn't here," Mariana told them as Jess approached.

"I'll handle it, Mariana," she said, moving to the door. "I'm Mr. Donager's sister, Jessica Everett, Mr -"

The first man, a tall, thin man with a ruddy complexion and brown eyes, said, "Frank Dawes, Mrs. Everett. And this is my partner, Arthur Runyon. We're cattle buyers and hoped to speak with Mr. Donager about some cattle that he was looking to buy." Runyon was short and stout, with a balding head and blue eyes. Both were well dressed, giving the air of being prosperous businessmen.

"My brother wasn't expecting you until next week -" Jess began, but stopped as a gun appeared in Dawes' hand.

"Step back, Mrs. Everett," he said, entering the house with Runyon close behind, a gun in his hand as well.

"Who else is in the house?" Runyon asked, pointing his gun toward Lily. "Let's go into the other room," he suggested, nodding toward the parlor.

"Just us," Jess answered, moving into the parlor, her arm linked with Lily's. "I mean, the two of us and our children -" she indicated Caleb in the cradle beside Cassie. "And Mariana, who opened the door, and Cassie. What do you want, Mr. Dawes?" she asked, tucking Caleb's blanket in before turning to confront the man. She was angry with herself that she had chosen not to put the derringer into her pocket that morning.

"We'll discuss that in a moment. No men around?" The question set Jess' teeth on edge.

"Only Mariana's husband, Pedro, and he's in the barn, most likely. The rest of the hands are out working."

"Why don't you ladies sit down?" Runyon suggested, clearly the least trusting of the two. "So that we can talk."

Jess nodded at the others. "Look, Cassie's expecting a baby.-"

"We have no intention of harming any of you, Mrs. Everett - as long as you cooperate."

"I'll ask again: what do you want?"

"You have a safe here, I believe."

Jess stared at Dawes in shock. "You're after the safe? There's nothing in it -"

Runyon shook his head. "Oh, come now, Mrs. Everett, a ranch this size needs money to run."

"It's in the bank," Lily said, trying to help.

"Not all of it. I'm sure that you know that he's planning on buying some new breeding stock - and has some cash here to pay for it, since the seller wants cash in hand." Dawes' smile was one of amusement.

"Let me guess: you and your - partner are the sellers," Jess told him.

"We are indeed. Since we don't have any breeding stock to sell, we have to use this method to get our hands on the money."

"My brother's the only one who knows the combination," Jess said. "So you might as well leave -"

"As legal agent for the Diamond D, Mrs. Everett, I have no doubt that you know the combination."

"You've done your research," Jess told Mr. Runyon.

Runyon lifted his shoulders. "So, where is the safe?"

"In the study," Jess told him. "Go back into the entry, then to your right -"

"Why don't you show me," Dawes suggested, "While Mr. Runyon stays here with the other ladies?"

"Jess," Lily said, reaching out to her.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Donager," Dawes said. "As I said, if you all cooperate, we'll be gone quickly and you'll all be fine. Shall we, Mrs. Everett?"

Jess led him into the study, pointing to the large safe in one corner. "There."

"Open it," he told her.

Without a weapon, Jess knew her best option was to give them the money and hope that they would keep their word and leave without harming anyone. So she knelt before the safe, turning the knob. "My husband told me that you two were in town," she told him conversationally.

"I thought he might have recognized us that night in the saloon," Dawes told her. "By the time he gets back, we'll be long gone."

Jess opened the safe. "There you go."

"Take that cashbox out - and if you take anything else out, none of you will be alive when your men get home." She bypassed the pistol that Kevin kept in the safe for emergencies, and picked up the metal strongbox, lifting it out. "Put it on the desk and open it." She did as she was told, revealing the cash inside. "Close the safe again - that way you're not tempted by that gun." He grabbed the money. "Back out there, now."

"Did you get it?" Runyan wanted to know, and grinned when he saw the money in Dawes' hand.

"Now, Mrs. Everett, if you would please be seated there with your sister in law -" Jess sat down as instructed, taking Lily's hand in hers, feeling it tremble.

"What now?"

You're going to stay right here." Runyon went to the doors to the dining room, closing them and twisting the key off in the lock before joining Dawes at the other door. "If you manage to get out of the house, we'll shoot," he warned as they backed out of the parlor, closing those doors. A second later, they heard that key being broken off, then the front door closing.

Mariana ran toward the dining room doors with Jess, and between the two of them, they broke the doors open. "They said to stay here," Cassie reminded them as Lily moved to keep her calm by putting Kate into her lap and Jess sent Mariana over to sit with her.

Jess told Lily, "Go into the entryway through the kitchen and look out of the front windows as they ride off. Don't move the curtains."

"What are you going to do?" Lily asked.

"Go upstairs and change my clothes," Jess told her.

She sighed. "You're going after them, aren't you?"

"What do you think?"

"Do you want Pedro to go after Kevin and Nick? Or the hands?"

"No!" Jess said in a firm tone as she started up the back stairs. "Once I ride out, send him into town to get the Sheriff."

==================

She came back downstairs by way of the front stairs, asking Lily in which direction the two men had gone. "To the south. Jess, is this a good idea? Going after them alone?" she questioned as Jess lifted her gunbelt from its hook and started putting it on.

"Even if we sent for the men, they'd never catch them by the time they got home," Jess pointed out. "When Pedro gets back with Lucas, tell him which way I went, and he can follow me."

"And how long should I wait before I start to worry?"

"It shouldn't take long to catch up to them. And without having to worry about other people being hurt, it shouldn't take long to capture them."

"Be careful," Lily said.

"I will." She went through to the side dining room door and into the parlor. "Keep an eye on Caleb for me, please?" Jess asked a now calm Cassie before she left the house by the kitchen door and headed toward the barn. Pedro was surprised to see her in riding clothes, and even more surprised when she led Midnight out of this stall.

"You're going for a ride, Miss Jess?"

"I am," she nodded, letting him lift the saddle onto the horse before saying, "I can finish this. Miss Lily needs you in the house." She saw him give her a confused look before heading toward the house, probably because he saw the rifle that she slid into the saddle's scabbard. Tightening the cinch, Jess got into the saddle. "Been awhile, hasn't it, boy?" she asked as he pranced a little. "Come on. We have work to do."

====================

As she rode, Jess said a prayer, asking for God's protection on her quest, and for her aim to be true.

The tracks were easy to read down here - and Jess wondered if either man knew that this was the wrong direction to go if they wanted to hide their trail. The south had less hard pack, and the sand took prints easily. She knew that they would probably be watching for someone following, so she deliberately held back a little, wanting them to think they had successfully escaped with the money.

Deciding to take the higher ground, Jess rode Midnight up onto the southern ridge, which gave her a view of the area. It didn't take long for her to spot two riders moving south, and taking their time doing so. "That's right, boys," she muttered, "make it easy for me."

She shadowed them using the ridge until they stopped and Dawes lifted a canteen to take a drink. Grabbing the rifle, Jess went to the rocks and fired off a shot - sending the canteen flying, and the two men back to a full gallop.

Jess returned the rifle to the holder and got back onto Midnight's back, kicking him to send him on his way. "They know we're here now," she said. "But they don't know where we are."

====================

"You see anyone?" Runyon asked as they rode.

"No. Did you?"

"No. We need to get going -"

"Can't go any faster," Dawes said. "I wonder how many there are out there?"

"Can't be many," Runyon said. "They said it was only one man there - the old lady's husband. Maybe it's him."

"I have an idea. If it *is* just one, we can handle it. You keep going south - I'll cut back and maybe we can trap whoever it is between us."

=====================

Jess saw the two horses part, and was close enough this time to use her handgun to get a shot off at the second rider - which she could tell was Dawes on the roan. The surprise of the shot sent him off the horse, and Runyon came back to him, probably because Dawes still had the money.

She was enjoying this too much, Jess decided, and spurred Midnight to get close enough to fire another shot, this time as Dawes was picking up his hat. "Okay!" he called out, still trying to figure out where she was. "We give up!"

"Toss your guns away!" Jess called back, "Raise your hands!" She saw their confusion and disgust as they realized they'd been captured by a woman. "Don't make me tell you again, gentlemen!" She punctuated her words with another pistol shot right beside Runyan's highly polished boots. This time, there was no delay, and they lifted their hands.

Jess rode up to them on Midnight, her pistol still at the ready. "You!" Dawes spat.

"I told you that we should have hit her in the head," Runyon fretted.

Taking the rope from her saddle, Jess tossed it at Runyon, who flinched while catching it. "Tie his hands. Tight." Once that was done, Jess lifted her leg over the saddle horn and slid from the saddle. "Now, get the rope from your horse. Stand there, hands together."

Runyon let her put the pistol back into the holster and get the rope before he pushed her away. "Run, Frank!" he yelled, turning toward his horse.

"I wouldn't move if I were you, gentlemen," Jess said, pulling out her derringer and taking a shot that sent a bullet along the sleeve of Runyon's coat. Switching hands, she drew her handgun and tucked the smaller gun away again. "If you're going to make this difficult, Mr. Runyon," she said, "I can always put a bullet in your leg to slow you down."

Runyon sighed and turned again, his hands together.

==================

Lucas saw the three horse heading toward him and pulled his own mount up to wait as he shook his head. Some things were never going to change, he decided, as he watched Jess herding the two men back toward him.

"Were you worried, Sheriff?" she asked when they reached him.

"Not for a moment," he assured her. "Lily said they stole some money?"

Jess reached inside of Dawes' coat, saying, "Excuse me," and pulled out the money. "Right here. Five thousand dollars."

Lucas shook his head again. "You know, I hope I get to hear how you explain this to Nick."

"It's not natural," Dawes muttered. "Never seen a woman do what she did -"

Lucas set about making sure their hands were well tied. "You two are going to be lucky if Nick doesn't find a tall tree -" he told the partners.

"Now, Sheriff, don't intimidate your prisoners," Jess chastised. "Nick won't hang them," she said, and saw the men sigh with relief. "But he might take a few potshots," she finished with a grin as the two men looked worried again.

=======================

After assuring Lucas that she would be in town the next morning to give a full statement - and would bring the statements of the others with her, Jess returned to the house, parting ways with Lucas on the road.

Lily came running out of the house as she approached. "You didn't catch them?"

"I caught them. Lucas is taking them in to the jail. Let me take Midnight back to the barn and I'll be right in."

=======================

Jess entered the house to find Pedro trying to repair the lock on the parlor doors. He stopped and shook his head at her. "Miss Jess, you should have told me what you were doing. For you to go off by yourself -"

As he chided her, she unfastened her gunbelt and hung it up again. "I needed you to get the Sheriff," she told him. "He's got the bad guys now, so it's all good." She bent to look at the lock. "Can you fix it?"

"This one, is no problem. The one into the dining room -" he shook his head.

"Do you need help here?" she wanted to know.

"No, I can take care of it."

Jess smiled and went down the hallway and through the kitchen to get into the parlor, where Mariana was laying a cool towel on Cassie's forehead. "Are you okay, Cassie?" she asked, going over to the cradle where Caleb was laying, waving his hands and feet and cooing.

"She was a little faint," Lily explained, watching Jess pick up Caleb. "I was just telling Mariana to help her home."

Jess nodded, smiling at the baby in her arms. "That sounds like a good idea." She sat down on the sofa as Caleb's tiny fingers touched her face, and Lily sat next to her.

"Are you okay?" Lily asked.

"I'm - not sure. I was fine - until I picked Caleb up. I'll be fine," she finally said.

"Being a mom changes things, doesn't it?"

"A little, yeah. Where's Kate?"

"She fell asleep right after you left, so I took her upstairs to her room. I was about to go check on her when you got back."

The doors rattled and opened to reveal Pedro standing there. "The lock is pffft!" he declared, "but the doors open and close, at least."

"Thank you, Pedro," Jess told him. "Mariana took Cassie home - and I left Midnight in the barn -"

"I'll go unsaddle him," Pedro told her.

"Give him extra oats. He deserves it." She saw him shake his head as he passed through the dining room doorway. "I'll get Hank to take care of those when he gets in for the day," she called after him. "I'll need you and Cassie and Mariana to write down what happened here today before I go into town tomorrow," she told Lily.

"I'll go check on Katie," Lily told her, "and then go over to Cassie and tell her."

======================

Jess had just changed clothes and gotten Caleb into his cradle when she heard the sound of a buggy coming to a stop in front of the house. Lily was still at Cassie's, and Mariana was making a fresh pot of coffee.

"Jess?!" The tinge of panic in Elizabeth's voice caused Jess to smile.

"In here," she called, standing up as her sister and Thad entered the parlor.

"Sheriff Decker came into town with those two men and everyone was talking about how they tried to rob -"

"Slow down, sweetie," Thad told her. "Take a breath." He looked at Jess. "She's been like this all the way out here," he explained.

"Everything's fine, Elizabeth," Jess said in a reassuring tone, patting the sofa as she sat down.

Thad looked at the splintered doorway. "Are you sure about that?" he asked, and Elizabeth gasped.

"What happened to the door?"

"Oh, that," Jess shrugged. "Mariana and I did it. It was the only way to get out of this room safely."

"I think you'd better explain," Elizabeth told her older sister.

======================

Jess had taken Caleb to town in the buggy, paying a call on Amanda while there, and retelling her 'adventure' more than once when asked about it. By the end of the week, the only thing still left to be repaired were the new doors into the dining room.

When Cole pulled the wagon to a stop, he and Ben were both grinning from ear to ear - and looking very tired.

"Glad to be home?" Jess asked as Kevin lifted Ben to the ground and Nick got down from Spirit.

Nick gave her a kiss, touching Caleb's cheek. "I know I am," he answered.

Jess ran a hand over his cheek. "I thought you took your straight razor," she told him as Lily took note of her husband's beard.

"He and Uncle Nick decided to see who could grow a longer beard while we were gone," Cole told her, jumping down to give her a hug as well and to touch Caleb's nose.

"And Aunt Jess and Ma are the judges," Ben announced.

Lily handed Kate to Kevin, who frowned, unused to her father with a beard, and reached out for Lily to take her again. Everyone laughed. "You need to shave, Kevin," Lily told him, "if you want her to have anything to do with you."

"What about her Ma?" he asked, bending down to kiss her.

"I might be able to get used to it -" she said, then shook her head. "No. I prefer you clean-shaven."

"I'll take care of the horses," Pedro said. "Welcome home, Mr. Kevin, Mr. Nick."

"Thank you, Pedro." Kevin looked around. "Where is Elizabeth?"

"She and Thad decided to wait in the house," Jess told him.

Mariana and Cassie were waiting at the kitchen door, and Jess was aware that they followed the group into the dining room. "Something's missing," Kevin said as they entered the room. "The doors. Where are the doors into the parlor?" he asked.

Everyone turned to look at Jess. "Well, Jess?" Elizabeth asked with a slight smirk as she came over to welcome the men home.

"Why don't we all sit down?" Jess suggested, putting Caleb into his cradle. "It all started on Monday afternoon. There was a knock on the front door . . ."

"You went after them all by yourself?" Cole asked after the story was told. He looked at Nick. "Pa? Did she - really -?"

Nick nodded. "She did."

"Wow!" Cole gasped, obviously impressed.

"It's not the first time she's done something like that," Kevin told the young man.

"And it probably won't be the last," Nick noted, ignoring the look that Jess gave him.

"Those men sent me a telegram saying that they wouldn't be here until next week, so I had the money here to give them when they arrived."

"You weren't really going to buy stock sight unseen, were you?" Elizabeth asked.

"Of course not. I was going to insist on delivery before making payment. It's a game that cattlemen play, trying to lower or raise the prices."

Ben smothered a yawn, but asked, "What about the competition?" he asked. "The beards!"

Jess and Lily studied the two men, and then nodded to each other before coming to a decision. "It's a tie," they said at the same time.

Lily stood up, taking Ben's hand. "Come on, Benji, you're asleep on your feet."

"Wasn't on my feet," he told her. "Was sitting down."

"You're about to be in your bed," she told him.

"Supper."

"I'll wake you up for supper," she promised.

Nick stood up. "I'm going to claim the shower first," he announced. "I wouldn't feel right, going to the supper table of some of Mariana's good food with this on my face and covered by a layer of dirt."

"I'm next," Kevin told him.

==========================

Tired from the trip, Nick was already in bed when Jess entered the room. He had brought Caleb up with him, saying that he wanted to shave and spend a little time with his other son, leaving Jess free to answer Cole's questions about capturing Dawes and Runyon.

Making sure that the baby was asleep and didn't need to be changed, she undressed before getting into bed. It was nice, having Nick beside her again - even if he was fast asleep. Maybe she could sleep tonight, she decided, putting her arm around him and snuggling up behind him. "I missed you," she whispered, closing her eyes.

"I missed you," he said, rolling over so that she was in the crook of his arm.

"Are you angry with me?" she asked him, looking at him.

"Why would I be angry? You risked your life to catch two men who had stolen money -"

"I couldn't do anything while they were here," she told him. "It would have put Lily and Mariana and Cassie and the babies at risk," she insisted. "I knew that the safest way to handle it would be to go after them on my own. I had every confidence that Lucas would be right behind me, and he was -"

Nick stopped her with a kiss. "Shh," he said at last. "I understand." He ran his hand through her hair. "But it's not just you anymore, darlin'. There's Caleb and Cole to consider - and me."

"The same can be said about you, Nick," she countered. "You could be shot while playing poker - or by a drunken cowboy -"

"If you had the chance, would you make the same decision?" he wanted to know.

"Yes. I may be your wife, and Cole and Caleb's mother, but I'm still me."

Nick smiled. "And I wouldn't except anything else, darlin'," he told her, kissing her again. "Just promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

"That you won't represent them in court."

"Well -"

"Oh, Jess," he sighed, shaking his head.

"I considered it," she told him. "But this time, I stopped myself."

"Good girl," he said as he kissed her again.

==================================

Kevin left the house after supper and went out to the bunkhouse to talk to Hank. The head foreman looked concerned when he saw Kevin at the door. "Hi, Boss. Been expecting you." He stepped back for Kevin to enter the separate room at the end of the bunkhouse. "Coffee?" he asked, holding out the pot after pouring a cup for himself.

"No, thanks."

"Guess you want to know why we didn't go get you after what happened."

"I do."

"Well, we were all out working. Robert's crew was with the herd, and we were finishing up the fence. By the time we got in, it was over. I asked Miss Jess if she wanted me to send someone out to tell you and Nick, but she, well-" he hesitated, pulling at his ear. "She said she would fire me *and* Robert if we did any such thing. So from the next day on, we split the crew up into thirds. One went to the herd, one to finish the fencing, and the third stayed here to break the rest of those horses. That kept at least ten of us here all week."

"None of you were at the corral when we came in," Kevin pointed out.

"We finished the horses yesterday, so we left two men close in to keep watch, and split that crew again."

"I can understand Robert being worried about his job - he's got a wife and baby on the way. But Hank -"

"Guess I'm just more intimidated by Miss Jess than I am you, Boss," he said with a grin.

"You're right that there wasn't much you could have done about any of it - and you and Robert handled it about like I would have." Kevin stood up, holding out his hand. "Thank you."

"Thank you," Hank replied, shaking Kevin's hand. "See you tomorrow."

==========================

"Hey, Cole!"

Cole turned to wave as Jaycee called his name, only taking a second to get Ben out of the carriage and ask his folks' permission to go talk to his new friends. "Don't be -" Jess began, but Cole nodded.

"Late for church. I won't be," he told her and hurried to where Jaycee was standing with Sam and Corey. "Hi!"

"How was the trip?" Sam asked.

"It was great. We didn't go everywhere, but Uncle Kevin showed us most of the landmarks and property markers. Guess you heard about what my Ma did?"

"What?" Corey asked. "Oh, you mean her chasing down those two con men?"

"I couldn't believe it when I heard about it," Cole told them. "I've never known a woman who would do something like that."

"We got bits and pieces, Jaycee said. "But you know the full story. So spill!"

"Cole!"

He sighed as Nick called his name. "I gotta go."

"Think you could get away after dinner to go fishing?" Corey wanted to know.

"I'll let you know after church," he told them.

====================

"Ma, Pa," he asked as soon as they came out of the building, "would it be okay for me to go fishing with my friends after dinner?" he asked, nodding to where the others were waiting.

"I don't see why not," Jess said. "We don't have anyone coming to dinner today - except for Thad," she said as he passed by with Elizabeth on their way to his buggy. "And he doesn't count, since he's practically family anyway."

"I'm gonna go tell them," he said, hurrying away.

"You know what they're going to spend all afternoon talking about," Nick said as he watched the boy reach his friends.

"At least they'll have the truth and not gossip," Jess told him.

"I don't know. Cole seems to think you can do no wrong. I could see him embellishing the story."

"Nick! Miss Jess!" Lou Smith called out as he came from the church. The telegrapher was waving a piece of paper. "I tried to catch you before church, but I was late - This came for you last night -"

"Thank you," Nick said, opening the telegram to tell Jess, "It's from Judge Maxwell. He'll be here on the early train tomorrow to handle the disposition of the con men and the adoption proceedings." He looked to where Cole was still laughing with his friends.

Jess smiled at the news. "So by this time tomorrow, Caleb and Cole will be *legally* ours."

==========================

"I got another one," Cole announced, lifting his pole to swing a fish over to the bank.

"Okay, it's time spill, Cole," Sam said. "You're already up four fish - you talk and give us a chance to catch some."

"What do you want to know?"

"What really happened the other day?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I heard that your Ma shot both men."

"I heard she just shot one," Jaycee told them.

"She didn't shoot either one," Cole answered. "But she did shoot *at* them a few times."

Corey's eyes were wide. "She missed?!"

"Nope. She wasn't trying to shoot them, just capture them."

Jaycee shook his head. "My dad told me that she could shoot, but I didn't believe him."

"Have you seen her shoot?" Sam wanted to know.

"No. Haven't had the chance. I've only been here for two weeks," he reminded them.

==========================

Nick entered the Sheriff's office while Jess, Cole, and Caleb waited at the station for the train to arrive the next morning. "I'd like a moment with your prisoners, Lucas," he said.

"Judge'll be here soon."

"Train's not due for another fifteen minutes," Nick said.

Lucas nodded and opened the door into the cell area. "There you go." As Nick started inside, Lucas cleared his throat, holding out his hand.

"You don't trust me, Sheriff?" he asked, taking out his six gun and putting into that open hand.

"And the hold gun, please."

Sighing, Nick handed over his derringer before continuing in to the cells. Dawes and Runyon stood on the other side of the bars, watching him. Dawes gave a half-hearted grin. "Well, hello, Everett. It's been awhile."

"Not long enough," was Nick's comment.

"Look, we didn't hurt anyone -" Dawes began.

"But you scared the - devil out of those women - and one of them is going to have a baby."

Runyon spoke up. "We didn't know that when we -"

Nick forced himself to calm down. "You realize that there's no one in this town to give you legal representation."

"You're a lawyer," Runyon pointed out.

"And it was my wife's family that you tried to rob -"

"That we *did* rob," Runyon clarified, and Dawes sighed, shaking his head.

"Shut up."

"The only reason you got out of there with that money was because my wife didn't want to endanger anyone else. She could easily have taken you both out - as she proved later."

"That is some woman you married, Everett," Dawes said, his tone one of admiration. "Look, is there anyway you can help us? I mean, I know that we're going to end up in prison -" Runyon groaned and sat down on the bench, his head in his hands, "but isn't there something you can do?"

"Let's see. If you insist on a full trial - the entire story about how you two were captured by a woman will become public record. You'll become the laughing stock of the prison. You have four witnesses to the theft. If I were you, gentlemen, I'd be inclined to throw myself on the mercy of the court and ask the judge for leniency. You won't get it, but it won't hurt to ask. Maybe he's having a good day."

"Thanks," Dawes said, sitting down on the opposite bench.

"Don't mention it," Nick told him, turning to call out, "Okay, Sheriff, I'm ready!"

"Good timing," Lucas said as he unlocked the door and Nick came out. "I just heard the train whistle for the five mile." He glanced through the door and chuckled. "What did you say to them? They look like they're heading to the hangman."

"No, just to prison," Nick told him. "I'd better get out there. Oh, Lucas, if Jess asks -"

"I haven't seen you this morning," Lucas told him.

"Thanks."

==========================

"Where did you disappear to?" Jess asked Nick as the train was approaching.

"I wanted to see if Eban was in his room."

"Since when is Eban's room in the Sheriff's office?" she wanted to know as the train arrived.

Nick grinned and lifted his shoulders, grateful that Otis Maxwell was ready to get off the train as soon as it came to a stop.

"Uncle Otis!" Jess said, giving him a hug. "It's been too long."

"I've been busy," he said, shaking Nick's hand before turning to Cole and the baby in Jess' arms. "And this is Cole," he said, shaking Cole's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. You can call me Uncle Otis," he told the young man.

"Yes, sir. Uncle Otis."

"And this," Otis said, taking the baby from Jess, "has to be young Caleb." He gave the baby back into Jess' care. "I hear you had some excitement last week."

"It was nothing," Jess said.

"Nothing?" Cole questioned. "She single-handedly captured two con men," he said, and then realized he had spoken out of turn. "Excuse me, sir. But she did."

"You're quite right, young man," Otis said. "Jess is one of a kind." He put his arm around her shoulders. "Why don't we go over to the cafe so I can get some coffee?"

==================

After a cup of coffee, they adjourned to Jess' office, and the Judge asked to speak with Cole alone for a few minutes. Nick saw the look of uncertainty on the boy's face, and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. He's harmless - mostly. It'll be fine. And we'll be in the other room."

Cole nodded as Nick and Jess left the room, leaving him alone with Judge Maxwell. "You're nervous."

"A - little, I guess," Cole confirmed with a nod of his head.

The Judge sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk, and indicated that Cole should take the other one. "Why don't you sit down and get comfortable?" Once they were both seated, he said, "Now, What I'd like to know is do you want to become Jess and Nick's son?"

"Yes, sir."

"Why?" Cole frowned as if he'd never considered the reason until that moment.

"They're great. They both seem to care about my brother - they were both willing to risk their lives to keep him safe." He told the Judge about his step mother's death in childbirth - and how Jess and Nick had told everyone that Caleb was their son to protect him from his father, knowing that if Buck had discovered the truth, he would have tried to kill both of them.

"You didn't think that they were concerned about you as well?"

"I wasn't sure - not until I realized that Pa - Nick, would have gone up against my father if anything had happened to me. That's when I realized that they might really want a kid who's father -"

"Who's father was a hired gun?"

"He was a cold blooded killer," Cole said in a firm tone.

"You don't think that he loved you?"

"I guess, in his way. But I didn't really know him. Most of my life before I was ten was spent with my mother, watching her work herself to death while my father was always gone. After she died, Father was there for a couple of years, but then he was gone again - and finally brought his new wife home, only to leave us alone again. For Nick and Jess to take a chance on someone like me -"

Judge Maxwell sat forward. "Cole, Jess and Nick don't believe that a child who's parent has done something bad will necessarily follow that same path. Especially if that child has people who care about him, who love him, and who want to help him keep on the right path."

"Like Jess and Nick," Cole said, and the Judge smiled.

"They're good people, and they'll keep you on the right path - if you're willing to meet them halfway."

"They are good people. I've never met anyone like them."

"I've known Jess since she was ten years old." He paused. "There's something else for you to consider."

"What's that, sir?"

"Being part of the Donager family can be tough. People expect a certain standard - do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Cole nodded. "I think so, sir. People will be watching me - what I do, how I do things."

"Do you think that you can handle that?"

"I can only say that I'll try my best, sir."

The Judge stood up and walked around the desk to sit down behind it. "Would ask Nick and Jess to come in here, please?"

"Yes, sir," Cole told him, getting up from his chair.

"And you stay as well."

"Ma, Pa, would you come in here, please?"

"What I have to say, I want all of you to hear," Otis said once Jess was sitting down in the chair with Caleb. "Being a parent is a enormous responsibility. And that responsibility is there all the time - the older a child gets, the more parenting you'll have to do. You've both had different relationships with your own parents. Jess, you've had a taste of parenting in helping to raise your sisters - but ultimately that job fell to your father until his death."

"I'm aware of that, Your Honor," Jess agreed.

"And Nick, your relationship with your father has, I hope, made you realize how important that relationship is for a child - especially for a young man who's faced the things that Cole has faced."

"After having spent most of my life with a father who never really cared about me as a person, I understand it only too well, sir."

Reaching into his pocket, Otis Maxwell pulled out the adoption papers, dipping the pen on the desk into the inkwell before signing them. "There. You are now officially and legally a family."

=====================

"So it's all official now, huh?" Sam asked Cole as he worked on a new pair of boots.

"All legal and everything," Cole nodded, watching as his friend stitched the leather. "That looks hard to do."

"It can be. Depend on the layers. This one's not too bad. I don't usually do boots - I prefer making gunbelts and saddles -" he pointed to a saddle sitting across the shop and Cole moved over to examine it.

"Wow. This is good."

"Thanks. Guess your folks are over in court?"

"They are. We all had lunch at Aunt Amanda's, and then they said they didn't need me in court, since I wasn't at the house when those two tried what they did." Cole examined the needlework on the saddle as he asked, "Is Judge Maxwell really Ma's uncle?"

"No. He was one of John Donager's best friends, though. I think Grandpa told me that her sisters are his god-daughters. Why?"

"Just curious. He told me to call him 'Uncle Otis'. Doesn't feel right, calling a judge 'uncle'."

Sam nodded. "I hear you. But he seems nice. He always says hello and asks about my Grandpa when he sees me."

=============================

Judge Maxwell called court into session, handling several small cases before the Sheriff led Frank Dawes and Arthur Runyon out of one of the side rooms and before the bench.

Maxwell read from the paper in front of him. "Territory of New Mexico against Frank Dawes and Arthur Runyon for theft at gunpoint." He looked at the two men, his eyes narrowed. "How do you plead?"

"Guilty," both men told him.

"Do you have an attorney?"

"N-No sir," Dawes answered. "We would like to - throw ourselves on the mercy of the court, Your Honor."

Jess, sitting beside Nick, turned to look at him with suspicion as he shrugged and smiled.

"Very well. The court accepts your plea of guilty and sentences you each to five years at the territorial prison." Lucas took them out, and the Judge looked around. "Since that was the final case on the docket, court is hereby dismissed."

Jess turned to Nick. "I wonder where they got the idea to do that?" she asked.

He grinned. "Well, I'll admit to the idea. I told them it was to keep the fact that you captured them out of the record - but it was also so that Kevin wouldn't have to sit in court and admit that he'd fallen prey to a couple of con men."

"Ah." Jess shook her head. "I don't ever want to hear you tell *me* not to counsel a client -"

"They weren't clients," he pointed out.

" - *or* a would-be client to do that, Nick, darlin'."

He stopped and his head whipped around to her. "Say that again. -" Then he shook his head as he touched her cheek. "On second thought, darlin', I'll ask after we're home." Jess' soft laugh in response made Nick's jaw tighten. He took her arm and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Minx." The look she gave him caused him to groan softly.

"You okay, Nick?" Kevin asked as Jess moved away with Caleb to talk to Lily.

"I'm fine. But your sister -" he sighed and shook his head, ignoring the knowing grin on Kevin's face.

==================

Over dinner at the Diamond D, Otis barely waited for the blessing to be said before asked Elizabeth and Thad, "So, have the two of you set a date for the wedding?"

"I told you that he'd bring it up tonight since he didn't mention it at lunch," Elizabeth told Thad.

"Doesn't matter when I brought it up," Otis told her. "I would like an answer, please." He paused as Mariana brought a plate of biscuits in and put it on the table. "You've outdone yourself as usual, Mariana."

"Thank you, Judge," she replied with a wide smile.

In case Elizabeth thought he had forgotten his question, he fixed his eyes on her once again, and she said, "Well, Doc and Ma are supposed to be back from Sutton's Creek in two weeks - we think about a week after that."

"I'll have to check my calendar when I get back, but I believe that I'm free in three weeks - I guess it will be on that Saturday?"

"Yes, sir," Thad answered.

"Then I should be able to be here- that is, if I'm invited?"

Elizabeth rose and went around to give him a hug. "Oh, Uncle Otis, you know very well that I wouldn't dare be married without you there to give me away."

Amanda sniffled suspiciously as her husband gave her his handkerchief. "We're going to have to get started on plans, Elizabeth."

"Why?" Elizabeth wanted to know. "We only had a month to plan Jess' wedding. I think three weeks is more than enough time for this one."

=========================

As Nick passed Cole's room later, he was surprised when the door opened and Cole appeared. "Can we talk for a minute, Pa?"

"Of course," Nick agreed, entering the room. "Is something wrong?"

"No. At least, I don't think so. I mean -"

Nick stood watching as the young man fidgeted nervously. "Cole, son. Just say whatever it is. I want you to feel that you can talk to me about anything."

Cole took a deep breath. "It's just - well, the Judge- Uncle Otis, he told me that - being part of this family, well - people expect things. And I don't want to make a mistake that -"

Nick shook his head and chuckled, sitting down on the bed. "Trust me, son, nothing you do can possibly top some of your Ma's stunts. Take what she did this last week, for instance. Riding off by herself to capture two men - and succeeding. You've heard about some of the other things she's done. Do you really think that no one blinked an eye when she decided to become an attorney and didn't get married until much later than all of her school friends did?"

"I hadn't thought about that."

"Then there's your Aunt Lily - the widow of a gambler, with a son, running a saloon?"

"When I first heard that Uncle Kevin had adopted Ben, I was surprised. Until that moment, I'd thought he was their son."

"He is. Now. Just like you're our son. And then there's me. A itinerant attorney, a gambler, and again - a saloon owner. I had two things in common with John Donager: being a gambler, and loving his daughter."

"He was a gambler?"

"Not in the same way that I am, but what else do you call what he did? He took a huge gamble to stay here and start this ranch and to convince those families to stay here to start a town. Now, Jess - your Ma, does say that he enjoyed a game of cards from time to time - and he taught her to play just as well."

Cole's eyes grew wide. "She plays poker, too?"

"She does indeed. We've only played two handed, but she beat me. Not sure how well she'd do at a full table -"

"Wow."

"Now, are you still worried about messing things up?" Nick asked.

"No. I think I'll manage now."

Nick stood up. "I think you will, too. You'd best get to sleep. You have an early day tomorrow. Kevin says he has to make up for missing today."

"Night, Pa," Cole said.

"Night."

Nick left the room and moved down the hallway toward the room he and Jess were sharing with Caleb. He was surprised to find the lights out, and decided that Jess had gone to bed early. He made a quick check on the baby, then got undressed and cleaned up before getting into the bed. Turning on his side, he pulled Jess close to him.

"I thought you'd never get here," she said, and then added, "darlin'."

Nick groaned softly and pulled her closer still.

======================

When Thad arrived the next morning to get Elizabeth, Jess was outside to meet him. "I know you and Elizabeth have been starting your rounds after you pick her up - but could I talk to you about something?"

"Of course you can. What's wrong?"

"I don't know that anything *is* wrong," she told him as they entered the house. She was holding Caleb, and indicated the study. "Why don't we go in here?"

"Jess?"

Once the door was closed, she turned to look at him. "I'm worried about Caleb."

"What about him?" Thad asked, taking the baby from her to look him over, using the leather sofa against one wall.

"He barely cries. I hadn't even thought about it until Lily mentioned that I was blessed that he didn't cry a lot -"

Thad clapped his hands once, and the infant jerked and his eyes widened, and he whimpered. "He heard that," Thad told her.

"I know you seemed surprised after he was born, since he'd been trapped as a breech for so long -"

Thad pulled a covered needle from his coat pocket and uncovered it. Picking up Caleb's foot, he gently pricked the sole, and Caleb did cry, but not loudly. "He responds to pain, and that's a good thing. His appetite -?"

"It's been fine." She told him how much milk the baby was drinking. "He's gaining weight - you can see that. And I have to change him regularly. Everything seems fine there."

"Well, as of right now, I'd have to say that he's fine. When he starts to get fussy, if you can, let him go a little longer than you probably have been. It could just be that he's one of those rare babies who doesn't cry a lot - at least right now. That could change later. We'll just keep an eye on him."

"Thad?" They both heard Elizabeth's voice as she looked for him.

"I don't want to keep secrets from my nurse," Thad said.

"I know. You can tell her, I suppose. I'd hate to worry Nick if there's no reason -"

"What would your reaction be if the tables were turned?" he asked. "Tell him, Jess."

She nodded. "You're right." Wrapping Caleb in his blanket again, she watched as he opened the study door.

"I'm here, Elizabeth," he said.

"What were you doing in the study? Jess?"

"I'll tell you about it while we're going to the Covington place," he said. "Talk to you later, Jess."

"Thank you. Have a good day, Elizabeth." She went out onto the porch to wave as they drove down the road.

==========================

After Jess told Nick about her fears concerning Caleb's hearing, she fell into his arms, crying. "Jess, darlin'," he said at last, "You don't know that his hearing is bad. He stares at you when you start talking to him, doesn't he?"

"Yes."

"And I've heard you singing a lullabye -"

"Trying to sing," she corrected. "You know that you sing better than I do. Something else that you can do better," she sighed.

"He responds to that, too." She nodded. "Even if his hearing isn't perfect, he can hear a little. Why don't we wait and see what happens when he's older? He's not a month old yet." He stood with her beside the cradle where the baby was sleeping.

"You're right. I don't know why I reacted this way -"

"Because you love him and want the best for him. Now, would you mind if I go help Jake and Cara out this evening? Not until close, but -"

"Long enough to play cards," Jess finished, finally smiling.

"You know me too well, darlin."

"Go. Tell Leroy I send my regards."

"I love you."

"And I love you, darlin'," she replied, accepting the kiss he gave her with equal passion of her own.

"You know exactly what that does to me, don't you?"

"As you said, I know you *very* well."

==========================

"Uh, Boss," Jake said as Nick and Eban looked over the books, "You've got company."

Nick looked up to see Cole standing just inside the swinging doors, as if uncertain about coming any further. "Come on in, son."

"Hi, Cole," Jake said.

"Hi. Sorry, Pa, I know you said you didn't want me in here during business hours, but I just - wanted to stop in and talk to you. Uncle Kevin asked me to come in and pick some things up at the feed store. They told me that they'd be finished loading the wagon in a few minutes, so I thought -."

"It's okay." Nick looked at Eban. "Can we finish this later, Eban?"

"Sure. Hi," he told Cole, moving over to the bar.

Cole was obviously trying not to look at the girls, but they were all smiling at him. Nick pulled out the chair for Cole, seating him with his back to the room. "Sit," he said. Returning to his own chair, he asked, "Now, what's going on?"

"Ma told me that she's worried about Caleb's hearing."

"She and I discussed it - I'm sure she told you that we don't want to keep secrets from you. Especially about your brother. Did she tell you that we don't know for certain that there's a problem?"

"She did. But I can't help but think that maybe if I'd driven the team a little harder, found help sooner -"

"Cole. Son. Nothing you did caused Angie's death. You said that she was the one who insisted that you both leave the ranch like you did."

"I could have said no -"

"And ended up dead when those two came back," Nick pointed out. He shook his head. "You have no reason to blame yourself. And don't worry about Caleb. The best thing you can do for him - and yourself - is pray." Cole's heavy sigh caused Nick to sigh as well. "It's not a bad word. Give it a try."

"Seems strange for you to talk about prayer while you're -" he waved a hand around the room, "well, here."

"Does, doesn't it? You'll understand when you're a little older." Nick paused. "I noticed that you're not wearing your gun -"

Cole shook his head. "It's in the wagon. I took it off before I got into town."

"There's nothing that says you can't wear it in town."

"I know that. But, well, I'd rather not become dependent on having it. Maybe later, I'll feel more comfortable -"

"I understand," Nick said. "Now, I'm sure they have that wagon loaded."

"Yeah." He stood up. "I'll see you later."

"I'll try to be in before you get to bed." Nick watched him go, shaking his head.

"He's adorable, Nick," Cara said.

"He's going to be a heart-breaker just like his Pa," was Lisa's comment. "That dark hair and those blue eyes," she popped opened her fan and used it.

"Back to work, ladies," he said, waving Eban back over to the table. "Let's get this finished before Leroy gets here."

============================

Jess smiled as Ma Hawkins held Caleb, saying, "I still can't quite wrap my head 'round all that's happened since Doc and I left for Sutton's Creek. We were only gone a month, and so much happened - you and Nick tyin' t'make ev'ryone think you'd had a baby, and you capturin' those two con men - then adoptin' young Cole and this one. He's a sweetheart. Not to mention those two finally settin' the date and gettin' hitched," she said, nodding toward Elizabeth and Thad as they danced around the room.

"That will teach you to go off and leave us alone, Ma," Jess told her, reaching out to take Caleb, but Ma turned away, obviously not yet ready to give him up. "Didn't you say that they're looking for a doctor up there?"

"They are. Doc said he'd git in touch with the medical school that Thad went to, t'see if any of their graduates want t'come out."

"That would be nice." Jess saw Nick approaching from the other side of the hall, and waited for him to join them.

"I thought I'd ask my lovely wife if she wants to dance," he said.

"You two go on," Ma told them. "I'll watch the baby."

"Ma -" Jess began, but she shook her head.

"It's for sure that those two sons of mine in Sutton's Creek ain't gonna give me any grandchildren anytime soon. Eban ain't married yet, and until Grace gets herself a baby, I'm gonna treat this one as if he was my own - Cole, too, if he'll let me. Ev'ryone in town knows that it was the two of you that got me to Providence, and I think of you both as my kids 'cause of it. So, if y'don't mind -"

Jess shook her head. "I certainly don't," she said, turning to Nick. "And I don't think Nick does either."

"Not at all. It'll be nice for the boys to have a grandmother around." He leaned down and kissed Ma's cheek.

"Now, sir," Jess told Nick, "I believe you mentioned something about dancing?"

He bowed and held out his arm. "By all means, Mrs. Everett."

As they joined the dancers, Nick saw Jess looking over at Ma and Caleb. "Relax, Jess, darlin'. She's had experience with babies."

She smiled up at him. "I know. I had no idea that she would react this way. She's doting on that baby."

"You heard her. Ma adopted the two of us, just as we adopted Cole and Caleb."

"I just realized - that makes Eban your brother."

Nick laughed. "So it does." He watched as Eban and Rose danced by them. "Apparently Ma's okay with Eban's plan to marry Rose once that house is finished."

"Either that, or she's hoping he'll change his mind before that happens."

"He won't. I bet that they'll be married before Christmas."

"What's the bet?" she asked with a smile.

"Let me think about it - if you're serious."

"Oh, I'm serious," she assured him. "How about this? If they're married before Christmas - I'll serve you breakfast in bed for a week."

"Which means that if they're not married by then, I'll have to serve you breakfast in bed," he answered. "Okay, it's a bet."

"You're sure? You know how early I get up most days - and if you work the night before -"

"I'll manage, darlin'," he assured her. "*If* I lose."

"Don't count your chips too soon, darlin'," she told him.

"Never," he assured her, narrowing his eyes before grinning crookedly. "I love you."

"I love you."

The End

Jess, Nick and the rest will return in the next installment of "The Donager Saga".