Andrew had listened to the conversation taking place in the room just down the hall and quickly moved to the door in order to hear the voices better. He smiled as Billy came to his defense once more, and bit back the anger as he heard Standish’s voice. The two men could mean trouble for him, but he knew he could convince his brother of almost anything. All he needed to do was stick to his story and not trip himself up. Cross hurried back to the bed when he heard Emmett Lawson tell the other’s he’d speak with him first. Closing his eyes he got his breathing under control just as footsteps sounded in the hallway. Keeping his head turned away from the window, Andrew Cross took a deep breath and readied himself for the best acting job he could manage.

“Looks like he’s sleeping,” Billy said when they were all inside the room. He moved to his brother’s side and gently touched his shoulder. “Andy, Emmett is here and he wants to talk to you.”

“B…Billy,” Andrew mumbled as he turned towards his brother’s voice.

“Right here. How do you feel?”

“Side hurts,” the injured man answered.

“I know, but we need to hear your side of things,” the older man explained.

“Okay,” Andy said and looked at the two men behind his brother. Swallowing nervously he looked at Standish and began to tremble. “Why’s …he here? S…shot me!”

“Easy, Andy, he doesn’t have a weapon and he won’t get anywhere near you!” Billy assured the younger man.

“Andy, we’re here to get to the bottom of this and that means Standish has a right to tell his side of things. Now, how about telling me what happened?”

“I…I,” Andy grabbed for his brother’s arm as his words caught in his throat.

“Easy, Andy, just take it slow and it’ll be okay. I won’t let anything happen to you,” Billy explained as O’Neil joined them in the room.

“Keep h…him away!”

“We will,” Lawson said and motioned for the conman to stand back from the bed.

“Billy gave me the money for the payroll and I was goin’ to the bank. I was so glad that Billy trusted me and I wanted ta make ‘im proud. I don’t know how far from town I was when him and Larabee ambushed me.”

“That, Sir, is a lie…”

“He shot me…”

“The first time I saw you was at the card game where you lost…”

“He’s lyin’, Billy! Ya gotta believe me!”

“Easy, Andy, like I said I’m going to listen to both sides of the story and so is Emmett.”

“It should be easy for you to verify my story,” Standish explained calmly. “There were two other men involved in the card game and they can tell you I won the money from this man fairly. Chris and I left immediately after the game because Andy did not like losing and seemed intent on putting several holes in my hide.”

“That’s a lie! You and Larabee shot me and stole the money!” Andy repeated, crying out as he grabbed at his side.

“All right, that’s enough!” O’Neil said as she helped Billy restrain his brother.

“Do you know the names of those men who played cards with you?” Lawson asked softly as he led Standish out of the room.

“I remember one man was named Clyde, but that’s the only name I heard.”

“Probably Clyde Roberts and if he was there then the other two were probably Hank Larkin and Jacob Kennedy. When I get back to town I’ll check out your story,” Lawson said as they stopped in front of Larabee’s room.

“Thank you, Sheriff, I believe we’ll be vindicated as soon as you speak to any of those men or the bartender at the saloon.”

“Truth of it is, Standish, I believe you without even speaking to those men. Andy Cross has been known to lose more than his shirt in a card game. I don’t think I need to speak with Larabee right now, but when he’s awake I’d like to have a word with him.”

“I’ll let you know when he’s available. Would you mind sending a missive to JD Dunne when you go back to Swift Creek?’

“Certainly, just write it out for me and I’ll take care of it,” Lawson said as Jennifer O’Neil exited Andy’s room and walked past them into Larabee’s.

“Fine looking woman,” Emmett said softly.

“Indeed, a man could do much worse,” Standish agreed and wondered at the look on the sheriff’s face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jacob Kennedy knew he was dying, but he could not give in to the pain until he made it to someone who would listen to his story. He’d staggered along on two feet until blood loss sent him crashing to the ground. Lifting his head he managed to lift himself onto his hands and knees and began to crawl along the old trail.

“Arm…leg…arm…leg…arm…leg…” he moaned as he forced his body to obey his minds commands, but felt as if he was losing the battle. With a cry of pain and rage he dropped back to the ground, unaware of the blood leaving his body and soaking into the thirsty ground.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Carl Lewis knew he’d have to return to the ranch before long, but the bright moon overhead gave off a radiant light that made it possible to continue on the trail. So far the trail was still readable, and again he was amazed that the trail led towards the mountains instead of south towards Swift Creek. Turning his horse around he began to make his way towards the Cross ranch when a sound to his right caught his attention. He listened for the sound to be repeated and heard a painful groan from somewhere deeper in the brush.

“Is someone there?” his question was met with silence for several long seconds, but the moan came again as he dismounted. In spite of a reputation of not being a nervous man, Lewis drew his gun and quickly draped the horse’s reins over a low hanging branch before moving towards the area the moans emanated from. He spotted a man’s body lying in the clearing and frowned as he watched what the man was doing. One arm would move forward as if grasping for something then the leg would move and the body would move several inches as a moan escaped from the prone form.

“Hey, Mister, are you hurt?” Lewis laughed at the absurdity of his own question and quickly looked around. Once he was sure there was no one else in the area he moved to help the injured man. Moving forward he placed a hand on the injured man’s shoulder and was shocked when the trembling body tried to defend itself.

“A…Andy…shot…Andy…arm…leg…arm…leg…”

“Easy, Jacob, I got ya. I’ll get ya back to the ranch and Dr. O’Neil will have ya good as new in no time.” Lewis explained as Jacob’s bloodied right hand reached up and latched onto his shirt.

“P…please…dying. T…tell Billy…tell him Andy s…shot.”

“Yeah, we know Andy was shot, Jacob, but he’s going to be all right. The doctor’s probably already got ‘im fixed up.”

“No…not Andy shot…shot me…Andy…’

“You’re not making sense, Jacob,” Lewis said frowning as he tried to make sense of the injured man’s rambling. He watched as the tightlipped mouth tried to form the words and wished there was something he could do to ease the man’s pain.

“Andy s…shot me…”

“What?” Lewis asked incredulously, not wanting to believe what he was hearing yet somehow, he knew it was probably true.

“Shot me a…and H…Hank.”

“Why would he shoot you two?”

“L…lost m…money in a c…card g…game…Billy b…be mad.” Kennedy shifted in Lewis’ grasp, gasping as blood bubbled up in his throat and seeped past his lips.

“Hang on, Jacob, you’ll be okay.”

“N…no, I w…won’t, m…make sure B…Billy knows w…what A…Andy d…did…”

Carl knew the man was dead and closed the unseeing eyes before looking towards his horse. He knew the man was beyond help and that he needed to get back to the ranch and tell Billy what Jacob Kennedy’s dying words were. He’d bring the wagon out in the morning to take the body into town. Saying a silent prayer he stood and hurried to his horse and headed back to the ranch.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Billy stood on the porch looking out over the land he loved. This was a place where a man could raise a family and give them the things they needed, to do what was right. No matter how hard he tried he still had doubts about his brother’s innocence and wished there was some way he could know for sure. His father had often spoken of family ties and Billy tried to hold the family together, but Andy’s jealousy had often twisted things until the ties were unraveling.

“Billy, are you okay?”

“Rose, I thought you were sleeping.” Billy said, pulling his wife into an embrace to help ward off the night chill.

“I was, but you know I get lonely when you’re not with me. I love you,” Rose said, smiling as she reached up to kiss her husband. She felt him respond and wondered at the feeling in her stomach.

“I love you, Rose,” Billy assured her as he turned her so that they both looked out over the darkened land. “Someday, our children will look out like this and know what it means to have family. They’ll be tied to each other as much as they are tied to this land…this life.”

“And they’ll love it here as much as we do.”

“I hope so.” The two moved to the porch swing and sat down beside each other as they listened to the sounds of the night. “How is Larabee?”

“He’s the same. Jenny managed to get some of the stew into him and it stayed put. Ezra is sleeping on the floor. You know he just doesn’t seem the type to sleep anywhere but a feather bed!”

“Yes, he does dress like a dandy…wonder how he and Larabee met.”

“Perhaps they’ll tell us. Did you notice the way Emmett was looking at Jenny? Perhaps our sheriff and doctor…”

“Rose, don’t start matchmaking. Remember the disaster at the last party?”

“Yes, but that was not my fault. How could I have known Shamus should have been called shameless? But Emmett seems to be pining away for Jenny.”

“I know Jenny, Rose, and I just don’t see her having much interest in Emmett, but who knows what’ll happen. Maybe she’ll take a liking to one of our guests,” Billy said frowning as he heard the sound of a horse coming into the yard.

“Who could that be?” Rose asked standing beside her husband.

“Looks like Carl…”

“Carl…at this hour!”

“I know Dave said he rode out not long after we found Andy, but I thought he came back long ago.” The two stood side by side and waited for the rider to stop in front of the house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Andy had awakened to the sound of soft voices and knew his brother and sister in law were outside on the porch. Moving carefully he made his way to the window and pulled the curtain slightly back. The cool night air sent goosebumps scurrying across his skin, but he listened to the couple talk until he spotted the rider coming towards the house. He squinted into the night and breathed a sigh of relief as he recognized one of the ranch hands. He was about to go back to bed, but something about the man’s voice caught and held his attention.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Billy, I need to talk to you,” Lewis said, dismounting quickly and climbing the three steps from the ground.

“What’s wrong? Where have you been?” Billy asked slightly irritated with his friend.

“After you and Frank brought Andy into the house I took a ride and backtracked his trail.”

“Why would you do that?” Cross inquired.

“Billy said he was robbed on the way into town. If that was the truth why was he riding in from the north? Swift Creek is south of us, Billy. Not north…”

“Well maybe he got turned around…he was shot…”

“I thought that too, Billy, but I found Jacob Kennedy out there…he’d been shot…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Andy smiled as he realized he could easily cover for this. With Jacob and Hank dead there was no one who could ruin his plans. The bartender could be bought off and so could anyone else who had witnessed the card game. He listened as the newcomer continued and his worst fears were realized. Looking around the room he spotted his gun hung over the end of the bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“That doesn’t mean anything! Probably doesn’t have anything to do with what happened to Andy,” Cross said as his wife held tight to his arm.

“Jacob said Andy shot him…”

“No…”

“Yes. He said Andy shot him because he knew the truth about how Andy lost the money. He was playing cards, Billy! Andy was playing cards and lost the payroll money!”

“He could be lying!”

“Really? When does a dying man lie? There’s nothing he could gain by saying Andy shot him! He wanted you to know the truth, Billy!”

“Damn it!” Cross seethed as he thought about the two injured men upstairs. How could Andy lie so easily and how had he really been shot? He slowly walked down the steps and moved towards the barn.

“Billy…”

“Not now, Rose. I gotta think about this,” Billy said as he stuck his hands into his pocket, giving the impression of a man who had just lost his best friend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Andrew Cross was as angered as his brother, but he wasn’t about to give up. Standish had won the money and probably still had it on his body somewhere. All he had to do was take the money and leave the ranch, as was his original plan. He grabbed his gun, checked to make sure it was loaded, pulled on his boots, moved towards the door, and looked into the dark hallway. No sound reached his ears and he knew his brother was still outside as he slipped into the corridor and made his way towards the guest room at the top of the stairs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rose knew her husband was in turmoil about the news he’d just heard and she understood his need to be alone and think, but she also knew they needed to face facts. Andy had indeed lost the payroll in a card game and now they had the proof. Emmett Lawson had ridden back to town, but would be returning in the morning and she knew he would have more questions to ask.

“He just needs time, Mrs. Cross,” Lewis explained as the other man entered the barn.

“I know, Carl, but…” she hesitated before taking a deep breath.

“You don’t trust Andy.”

“I know he’s Billy’s brother, but they’re as different as day and night. Billy has always worked hard for everything…Andy seems to think everything should be handed to him on a silver platter.”

“Yeah, always was that way. Do you want me to ride into town and get the sheriff?”

“No, thank you, but he’ll be back in the morning. He was already here and spoke with Andy and Ezra Standish. You might as well go get some sleep.”

“I will, but if you need me for anything.”

“I know, Carl,” Rose said smiling as she strode purposefully towards the barn.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Chris opened his eyes and fought back the last dregs of sleep as he shifted slightly on the bed. He was growing tired of lying propped up on his left side, but at least he could see without too much effort. The moon shone through the partially open window and bathed the sleeping form huddled in the corner in a soft white glow. Standish was turned towards the wall, his legs drawn up and a pillow tucked tightly underneath his head. Chris licked at dry lips in an effort to moisten them and wished he could reach the glass on the table, but it was impossible to do so. Any movement sent jolts of pain through his battered body, but he tried to lever himself up on the bed. Finally successful he managed to slide his legs over the edge and had to close his eyes as the room spun rapidly.

‘Stubborn fool!’ Jackson’s words echoed in his head and brought a small smile to his face.

“Yeah, I hear ya,” Larabee whispered as he reached for the glass of water and drank what was left in it. Still thirsty he reached for the pitcher beside it and awkwardly poured water into the glass. He drank greedily, stopping only when he heard a sound from the doorway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Billy, I’m sorry,” Rose said as she watched her husband rub down his favorite Pinto.

“You don’t need to be sorry, Rose. You’ve done everything you can to make Andy feel welcome and if I hadn’t been so stupid I would’ve noticed how he treated you and kicked him out long ago.”

“He’s your brother, Billy, and family ties run deep.”

“Yes, they do and I finally realized my ties are with you. Andy severed the ones we had a long time ago and it’s about damn time I faced up to it. Come on.”

“Where are we going?”

“I want to make sure Andy doesn’t try anything before Emmett returns.”

“You really think he’d do something?”

“I wouldn’t put it past him and right now Standish and Larabee are without their weapons. I figure I’ll take Andy’s gun while he’s sleeping and make sure it’s out of his reach.” He placed the brush on the shelf and reached for his wife before heading out of the barn and heading towards the house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chris frowned as he watched a dark shadowy form enter the room. The moon caught the silver edge of a gun and instincts kicked in as his mind and body reacted to the threat. Without thinking he dove at the figure and impacted with the newcomer as he cried out.

“Ezra!”

Standish barely had time to register the cry as two bodies rolled across the floor, struck him and rolled away once more. Blinking back the last vestiges of sleep he tried to comprehend what was happening. Muffled grunts and a sharp moan registered at the same time he realized one of the figures was Chris Larabee. Quickly gaining his feet he instinctively reached for the weapon and cursed when he remembered giving them to Billy Cross.

Ezra knew he had to get between the two men and get Larabee’s attacker away from him. The moon caught the barrel of the gun as the two men fought for the upper hand. Knowing Chris’ life was in imminent danger the gambler grabbed for the gun and tried to deflect it away from his friend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jennifer O’Neil heard someone cry out and the unmistakable sound of something hitting the floor. Thinking that one of her patients might have fallen out of the bed she grabbed her robe and pulled it on. Pulling open the door the doctor heard the sound of a struggle from Larabee’s room and she raced towards it as the front doors opened and Billy and Rose Cross rushed inside. She pulled the door to the guest room open just in time to see Standish grab for the weapon and cry out as a bullet entered and exited his body. The force of the impact drove the conman away from the still fighting men. She entered the room, Billy and Rose close on her heels as she reached for the gun. There was no time to register what was happening as Billy grabbed for the gun at the same time and was finally able to wrench it from their grip. Knowing Rose would retrieve it, he threw the gun across the room and reached for his brother’s arms in an effort to pull him off Larabee.

“I’ll kill you and Standish!” Andy screamed as he battled his brother. His hands quickly wrapped around Larabee’s throat and cut off the blond’s air supply.

O’Neil had torn a piece from her robe and pressed it against the bleeding wounds to Standish’ shoulder. She wanted to help Billy, but she needed to stop the blood gushing form the gambler’s body. She didn’t know what was fueling Andy Cross, but it seemed to give him more strength than a normal man would have.

Rose picked up the gun and pointed it at Andrew Cross, but her hands shook so much she could barely hold it. She heard several of the hands enter the house and called out for them as Billy reached up and grabbed the gun from her hands.

“Andy, let him go!” Billy said as tears formed in his eyes. With Larabee’s struggles weakening he knew there was nothing else he could do as he brought the weapon down on the back of his brother’s head and Andy slumped against Larabee.

“What the hell?” Dave White cursed as the lamp he lit illuminated the room and its occupants.

Jenny took control and began giving orders as Carl Lewis and Chet Miller hurried into the room, guns drawn and ready.

“Carl, you and Chet take Andy back to his room and make sure he stays put! Rose, take your husband downstairs and get him some coffee…strong coffee. Dave, get over here and keep pressure on this while I check Larabee!”

“I can h…help!” Billy stammered as Carl and Chet lifted his brother’s body between them.

“Billy, right now I need you to do what I say. You’re in shock…”

“I’m okay, Jenny, and you need all the help you can get.”

“All right, Billy,” Jenny acquiesced and turned to her friend. “Rose, I’m going to need lots of water and bandages!”

“I’ll be right back!” Rose said glancing at her husband to make sure he really was okay. His smile was there, but she knew he was worried about his brother. Turning away she hurried out the door to get everything O’Neil needed.

“Dave, keep an eye on the bleeding!”

“Will do, Doc!” White answered as he watched the physician kneel beside the prone form of Chris Larabee.

“Billy, his arm is going to need to be reset, but I need to look at his back first. Can you turn him and hold him on his side for me?” She watched as he followed his orders and knew his mind was on his brother in the other room. Whatever had happened she knew this man was being eaten alive by what he’d been forced to do and her heart skipped a beat as their eyes met and she was reminded of the feelings she still harbored for him. Forcing her mind back to the injured man she checked the wound to his lower back and wasn’t surprised to see fresh blood spreading across the bandage.

“Will he be all right, Doc?”

“I don’t know, Billy. He was just starting to mend and now this. Those bruises around his neck could mean swelling and if that happens it’ll cut off his air and I’m just not equipped for that! Look, I need to get him back on the bed so I can get a better look at him.” She heard a raspy moan from her patient and watched as pain filled eyes opened and tried, unsuccessfully to focus on her.

“Doc…Ez…”

“Just lay still, Chris. Ezra’s okay,” O’Neil explained. “Let’s get him to the bed!”

“All right, but let me take most of his weight!” Billy ordered as they fought to get the injured man on his feet. By the time the trio was standing, Larabee had paled even further and a grey cast had taken over his face.

“Ease him down on his left side,” Jenny ordered and glanced at the second injured man as Frank entered the room with several towels and a basin of water.

“Rose said you’d need these!”

“Thank you’ Frank. Put them on the table and help Dave get Ezra’s clothing off and get him lying down. As soon as I take care of Chris I’ll need to stitch those wounds!”

“Sure, Doc!”

“Doc, Ezra…”

“He took one in the shoulder, Chris…”

“N…need to h…help him!”

“Yes, I do, and I will, but right now we need to get you taken care of. Your back is bleeding again and I need to make sure it’s stopped. Dave is taking care of Ezra until I can get to him! Billy, just keep him on his side!” Jenny ordered as she removed the bandages and silently cursed as she took note of the ravaged wound. For the next half hour she cleaned and re-stitched Larabee’s wound and placed a poultice to draw out any infection there.

Rose scurried between the kitchen and the bedrooms as she brought up coffee and hot water. She asked how the two men were and saw the hurt in her husband’s eyes as he came to stand beside her.

Jenny finished her examination of Larabee and decided to wait on re-setting the arm until she had a chance to look over her other two patients, three if she included Billy Cross. The man was holding it together, but he could lose it at any time and she had to be ready if that happened. Lifting the blankets she covered the now unconscious blond and moved to examine the conman.

“All right, Dave, let me take a look.” She ordered as she knelt beside the injured man. Both entrance and exit wounds needed to be cleaned and she gently checked to make sure there were no hidden problems. The man’s arm didn’t seem to be broken and she hoped there were no complications as she cleaned the wounds and stitched them both. She quickly bandaged the shoulder and used several strips of cloth to immobilize the arm. She reached down and like she’d done with Larabee she pulled a blanket up over the injured man and stood up. Turning around she stared into the face of the one man she couldn’t and wouldn’t lie to.

“Are you going to check on Andy now?” Billy asked, but there was no anger or remorse in his voice.

“Yes,” Jenny answered simply and walked out of the room. She knew Billy and Rose were following her as she entered the room of the third patient. As the three entered Andy’s room, Carl and Chet moved out of the way.

“He’s so pale,” Rose whispered as Jenny pulled a chair over to the bed and sat down.

Jenny checked the wound to Andy’s side and quickly cleaned and re-bandaged it before asking Billy to turn him so she could check the head wound. As he was turned she saw the evidence of blood on the pillow and looked up into Billy’s eyes once more.

“How bad?” Billy asked as he watched her probe the wound.

“It is going to need stitches…”

“Damn, I didn’t mean to hit him s…so hard.”

“Billy, now you listen to me and listen good because I’m not going to watch you destroy yourself with grief over this. If, and I do mean if Andy doesn’t make it, it’s because of what he did, not what you did. You saved a man’s life in there…two men in fact, because I’m damn sure Andy was going to kill them both!”

“I know, Jenny, and there’s more, but it’ll keep until after you’re done with him,” Billy said and waited for the physician to finish with his brother. When she put the last stitch in she reached for the blanket only to find Billy was already tending his brother.

“Jenny, why don’t you go down to the kitchen and get something to eat?” Rose suggested and moved to her husband’s side. She heard the other woman leave and looked at her husband. No matter what happened Billy Cross would lose his brother, because the younger man had brought a death penalty upon himself for murder and attempted murder. Sighing she reached for her husband as the butterfly sensation began in her stomach once more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Billy heard his brother’s moan and was instantly at his side. Six hours had passed since they’d discovered him in Larabee’s room and neither man had awakened. Jennifer O’Neil was in with Larabee and Standish while he remained near Andy. He didn’t know whether the younger man was going to make it and guilt continued to gnaw at his gut as he watched the eyelids flutter and finally open.

“B…Billy.”

“I’m right here, Andy, just take it easy and you’ll be okay,” the older brother soothed.

“N…no, B…Billy…need to…to tell you….”

“You can tell me later…”

“No, now…m…might not h…have l…later. I…I was w…wrong…lied to ya. L…lost money in…in card…game. Shot Larabee in t…the back. Pa’d be m…mad…”

“Pa wouldn’t be mad at you, Andy,” the older man said as tears misted his eyes.

“Yeah…yeah, he w…would. Al…ways said d…don’t s…shoot no…body in the b…back. I…I’m s…so sorry.”

“Larabee’s going to be okay, Andy, and so will you.”

“Not g…gonna be okay, b…but need ya t…ta know it a…ain’t yer f…fault. Good brother…the best…I l…love ya. F…forgive me, Billy, forgive me,” Andy whispered, his hand reaching for his brother as his eyes began to close.

“Andy…Andy!” Billy knew his brother was gone and felt the overwhelming guilt of what he’d done. His shoulders shook with the force of his sobs and he felt soft hands reach out and take his face in them.

“Billy, Andy is right, you are a good brother and you’re not at fault for this,” Rose said as tears clouded her eyes.

“I killed him, Rose. I k…killed my own brother!”

“No, you didn’t Billy. Andy made his choices and he knew they were wrong. You heard him say he shot Chris in the back and that your father would’ve been very disappointed in the choices Andy made. You did everything for your brother, Billy, and I won’t let you blame yourself for saving an innocent man’s life.”

“I…”

“Saved Chris in the only way possible. Andy knew he did wrong that’s why he asked for your forgiveness. Do you forgive him?”

“God help me, Rose, yes I forgive him…I forgive him everything…”

“Then you have to forgive yourself. You did the only thing possible, Billy, and I won’t let you live your life blaming yourself for what happened. Andy made his choices and they were wrong!” She held him as he sobbed out his pain and grief and let her own tears fall. It would be a long time before Billy Cross forgave himself for his brother’s death, but she would be there every step of the way, reminding him the guilt was not his to harbor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emmett Lawson knew his friend was feeling guilty over what he’d been forced to do. Shaking his head in dismay he reached for the second shovel and began to dig the grave for the youngest Cross. The family was all buried on a small hillock overlooking the ranch and this would be Andrew Cross’ final resting place. Between them they soon had the grave dug and the casket was placed inside as Reverend John Willis stepped forward to say the final words over the dead man.

Rose stood beside her husband as the minister threw dirt on top of the coffin. She felt tears sting her eyes as Billy’s body seemed to tremble and she could do nothing to help him. When the holy man moved back several hands moved in and began filling in the grave once more.

“Billy, lets go back to the house.”

“Not yet, Rose. You go ahead and I’ll be there as soon as we’re finished here.”

“Billy…”

“I just need a little time, Rose,” he explained as he took her hands in his and kissed her gently. “I’m okay…or I will be, but I need to do this okay?”

“All right, but don’t stay here too long,” Rose said and knew she had some news that would ease some of the pain she saw in her husband’s eyes. Jennifer had confirmed her suspicions and although they had lost a member of their family, another would be born in seven months. Kissing him once more she turned away and walked slowly back to their home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ezra winced as a part of his mind recognized the pain and discomfort shooting through his upper body. There were voices speaking softly somewhere near him, but he was unable to make out what they were saying. He was fully aware now of the pain in his shoulder, but was confused as to how he’d been hurt. Not knowing where he was or what happened, he didn’t want to give away the fact that he was awake. Listening intently he heard a familiar name and suddenly the confusion lifted and he tried to sit up.

“Chris…”

“He’s okay, Ezra,” Jennifer O’Neil explained as she moved to check on her second patient.

“No…no…he’s hurt. Shot!”

“Yes, he was, but if you’ll look across the room you’ll see he’s okay,” the physician explained and shifted enough for the injured man to check on his friend.

“His fever is back and he’s got a few new bruises, but we’re doing everything we can to make sure he’s going to be all right. Now, how do you feel?”

“Terrible, I believe I have a distinct dislike of foreign objects becoming em…embedded in my body.”

“Yes, well all the more reason not to let it happen,” Rose explained as she stood and walked to the table. She poured water into a cup and added laudanum to help ease the pain that showed on his face. “I want you to drink this.”

Ezra did as she ordered; frowning as he recognized the distinct aftertaste, but drank what was in the cup anyway. When she smiled and tucked the blanket around him he tried once more to look around her.

“Is he really all right?”

“He’s better than I thought he’d be at this point,” O’Neil answered honestly.

“How long was I unconscious?”

“Thirty two hours,” the physician answered.

“What happened with Andrew Cross? Is he…”

“He’s dead. Billy and Rose buried him earlier today, but he told Billy the truth about what happened.”

“God have mercy on his soul.”

“Yes,” Jennifer agreed as Emmett Lawson looked through the open door.

“How’s he doing, Doc?”

“He’s going to be okay,” the physician answered.

“Good, just thought he’d like to know I sent the telegram for him,” Lawson explained.

“I am indebted to you,” Standish began as the drug quickly took hold and he felt himself slipping towards sleep. He heard the newcomer ask about Larabee and frowned when he heard the worry in the woman’s voice, but could not find the energy to ask her what was really wrong.

“How’s Larabee?”

“He’s burning up,” O’Neil answered as she moved quickly back to the bed where her second patient lay bathed in sweat.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Not really, Emmett, until this fever breaks there’s not much anyone can do. I’ve had to drain the wound in his back a couple of times and to be honest I’m worried about whether or not he’ll have use of his legs. The bullet wound was too close to his spine and with the attack by Andy, it just shook everything up again and until he wakes up I won’t know the extent of the damage.”

“You’re doing everything you can, Doc, no one can expect any more.”

“Thanks, Emmett,” the physician said as she took the cloth from the basin and slowly bathed her patient’s face. She’d been taking care of this man for several days now and for some reason her body was reacting to his nearness. She recognized the yearnings of a woman for a handsome man and wasn’t sure she could distance herself from her feelings.

“Doc, are you okay?” Lawson asked.

“I’m fine, Emmett,” she answered a little too quickly and smiled at the sheriff as he leaned against the wall. She’d been aware of his interest in her for some time, but right now she didn’t reciprocate those feelings and wasn’t sure she ever would.

“Would you like me to bring you something to eat?”

“Sure, Emmett, that would be great.”

“I’ll be back in a few minutes. Oh, I sent a telegram to Four Corners before I came out here and let Sheriff Dunne know about what happened.”

“Good, because these two will need someone with them on the trip back,” O’Neil said and heard the sheriff leave the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JD read the missive again before hurrying across the street to the jail. He knew Buck and Nathan would be there and that Nate was probably checking on the two prisoners they’d arrested the night before. The wounds were nothing serious and the two men would be released as soon as they paid for the damage they’d done to Gloria Potter’ store.

“Hey, kid, what’s the hurry?” Wilmington asked as Dunne entered the jail.

“I got a message from Sheriff Lawson in Swift Creek. Ezra’s been shot!”

“What? I thought it was Chris who was shot!” Jackson asked as he placed a bandage over the newly stitched wound in the prisoner’s forehead.

“They both were! He doesn’t give any details. Just said both men were shot and would probably need an escort back here,” the young sheriff explained.

“Damn!” Jackson said. “JD, go tell Josiah and Vin and meet us back here in half an hour.”

“Are we going to go get them?” Dunne asked.

“Someone has to!” the healer explained as the sheriff hurriedly exited through the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chris opened his eyes and swallowed painfully aware of the abuse Andrew Cross had done to his body. He looked across the room, surprised and concerned for the gambler and tried to sit up, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned to see the physician standing next to his bed and forced a thin smile to his face.

“He’s okay, Chris, a little sore and he’ll be unable to use his left arm for some time. Now, how do you feel?”

“S…sore,” Chris hardly recognized the sound of his own voice and was grateful when a glass was held to his mouth and he drank the cool water.

“I bet. You’ve been through a lot in the last few days and it’s going to take some time for your body to heal. I don’t want you talking very much until the swelling around your neck goes down!”

“W…what h…”

“I said no talking. I’ll explain everything in a few minutes, but first I want to ask Rose to bring you up some broth,” O’Neil said and hurried to the door.

Chris was lying still in the bed and let his mind wonder about the event that led to this point in time. Several images fought for dominance and the sound of a gunshot echoed over and over in his mind. A flash of blood, a cry of pain and the sudden sensation of choking caused him to shift too quickly and he bit back his own painful cry.

“I thought I told you to lie still,” O’Neil said as she rushed back to her patient’s side. She reached for the glass of water on the table and helped him drink his fill. “Better?”

“Y…yeah.”

“Good, now be quiet and listen. Andrew Cross is dead, but before he died he told his brother the truth. You and Ezra are both in the clear, but Andy did manage to shoot your friend and nearly choked you to death before he died. I don’t’ think there’s anything major wrong with your throat, but the swelling is going to make it hurt when you talk or drink. Now it’s very important that you start eating and drinking as much as you can because it’ll help you gain your strength back. Okay?”

“O…okay,” Larabee ground out as he looked towards the still sleeping gambler.

“He’s going to be fine, Chris, but right now I want you to do something for me. I need to see if you can move your legs?”

“Try,” the blond said and concentrated on moving both legs. The right moved easily, but it took all his depleted supply of energy to move the left one a fraction of an inch. He looked at the physician hopefully and fought back the fear he felt encircling his mind.

“Chris, that was very good. I know you probably don’t believe that, but right now I’m just glad to see any movement at all. The wound to your back was already swollen and Andy’s attack aggravated it even more. I fully expect you’ll make a complete recovery, but it is going to take time.”

“Jenny, I brought some broth and lemonade,” Rose said as she entered the room and placed the tray on the table.

“Thank you, Rose,” O’Neil said and turned back to her patient as the blond tried to put on a brave front. “So feel like drinking some broth?”

“Y…yeah, I think s…so.” It took nearly twenty minutes to get the broth and lemonade into her patient and although it was only a small amount of both, Jenny hoped it was enough to start Larabee on the road to recovery. She watched as the tension left the injured man and knew he was asleep as Rose came over and stood beside her.

“Have you told Billy the good news yet, Rose?”

“Not yet, I was going to tell him yesterday, but it didn’t seem the right time with burying Andy and all.”

“Yes, well, I think this is the type of news that could really help Billy come to grips with what’s happened. You two have been trying for so long and I think maybe you both need to leave the grief and pain behind and look to the future. This baby is your future and I think it’s a sign of the love you share.”

“I’ll tell him tonight,” Rose said with a smile before leaving the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rose smiled as she moved towards her husband and wrapped her arms around the strong body she loved to feel next to her. She sighed contentedly as Billy pulled her into a tight embrace and looked into her eyes.

“I love you, my Irish Rose.”

“I love you too, Billy,” Rose whispered softly as the sound of the crickets all but disappeared.

“Honey, is something wrong?”

“No, at least I don’t think so, Billy, but there’s something I need to tell you and I’m not sure if now is the right time.” She felt tears in her eyes as her husband lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. They stayed, frozen in time until a smile began to form on Billy Cross’ face.

“Rose, are you…are we gonna have a baby?”

“How? Billy, how did you know?”

“Pa said that when a woman is with child she gets this glow on her face and a twinkle in her eyes and right now you have both. Please, Honey, tell me.”

“I wasn’t sure if the time was right…I mean with Andy’s death so close I was afraid...”

“Oh, Rose, don’t be afraid…don’t ever be afraid!” he said as he lifted her into his arms and swung her around, laughing delightedly as he kissed the woman he loved more than life itself. “A baby…our baby!”

“That’s right…our baby and it ties our family together again,” Rose said as he carried her into the house and up to their room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ezra had finally convinced Jennifer O’Neil that he no longer needed to lie down. It had been three days since he was shot and although there was still a lot of pain and discomfort he knew he’d had worse. Sitting in the chair beside Larabee’s bed was something he needed to do. Chris was awake now and O’Neil had gone to get them both lunch and Ezra smiled as his friend wrinkled his nose at the idea of broth.

“Maybe you’ll be more fortunate this time,” Standish tried and saw the irritation on the blond’s face. This marked the first time since Andrew Cross attacked them that Chris was awake and showed only a minor fever. With his slow recovery came the gunslinger’s impatience that was showing through loud and clear.

“Yeah, right! Last time someone said that to me I ended up on a liquid diet for a month!”

“Now, Chris, we both know you’re embellishing…”

“I’m not embellishing anything, Ezra, I’m tired of broth! I’m tired of lying here! I’m tired of…”

“Hurting so much,” Standish said and saw the truth in Larabee’s eyes. The gunman hated for anyone to see him hurting and often fought to keep from showing just how much pain he was in.

“When did you get so damn good at mind reading?”

“It doesn’t take a mind reader to know when someone is hurting, Chris. It takes a friend.”

“Yeah…yeah, it does,” Larabee agreed and forgetting about the broken ribs took a deep breath. “Shit!”

“I’m sure…”

“Ezra, I’ve brought dinner for both of you,” O’Neil said, entering he room and placing a tray on the table. “Chris, before you eat…”

“Don’t you mean drink?” Larabee asked unable to hide his irritation.

“Actually, no, I mean eat. Rose has made a special stew just for you and I do hope you intend to thank her for the trouble she’s gone through.”

“Damn, sorry, just tired of all the liquid sh…stuff,” the blond said as Ezra moved out of the chair and the physician took his place.

“I’m sure. Now I want you to move your legs for me…think you can do that?”

“Think so, still hurts, but not as bad.”

“Good. Okay start with the right one,” O’Neil ordered and knew Standish was watching Larabee’s movements as closely as she was. They both breathed a sigh of relief as the gunslinger moved his right leg with little or no trouble. “Okay, now the left.”

Chris concentrated on moving his left leg and although it hurt more than the other he managed to move it a little. With a groan he shifted it further and finally lay breathlessly against the pillows.

“Well done, Chris. Now do you fell like sitting up a little more?”

“Hell yeah!” Larabee answered and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.”

“No need to be. I can understand your excitement. Just hang on to my arm and I’ll help you sit up. Ezra, would you place the pillows behind his back?”

“Gladly,” Standish said and did as the physician said. He watched as the woman placed the tray on Larabee’s lap and handed him the spoon.

“Thanks, smells good,” the injured man said and watched the conman move to the chair set up beside the small table. The gambler was agile with both arms and Chris knew it wouldn’t be long before he was back at the tables looking for a game. Ezra could shuffle one handed easier and better than most could with two and the gunslinger watched as Standish flexed the fingers of his injured arm. Chris began eating, but at the same time he watched his friend and fellow peacekeeper and knew the younger man would indeed be fine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buck, Nathan, and Vin rode across the mountains towards Swift Creek. Wilmington and Tanner rode their usual mounts while Jackson drove a team of horses that pulled the wagon he rode in. The decision on who would go was an easy one since Nathan’s medical knowledge would be needed. Vin and Buck would go because they knew how to handle the gunslinger better than any of the others. The town loomed ahead as the three men rode in silence, having talked about everything during the first half of the journey.

“Vin, you and Nathan head over to the restaurant while I check in with the sheriff,” Wilmington suggested.

“All right, Buck,” Jackson agreed, excited at the proposition of eating a decent meal after the long ride.

Buck nodded to both men and rode the short distance to the jail before dismounting and looping his reins over the hitching post. He hurried over to the door and pushed it open. A dark haired man sat behind the desk, a cup of coffee in his hand as he leaned the chair back against the wall.

“Somethin’ I can do for ya?”

“I’m looking for Sheriff Lawson…”

“Ya found ‘im. Speak your peace!”

“Name’s Buck Wilmington. We came from up Four Corners way.”

“Ah, your sheriff sent a telegram that you boys were coming,” Lawson said, standing and offering his hand. The two shook and after a couple of seconds of sizing each other up, Emmett spoke. “Your friends are doing better. Dr. O’Neil said they’d be ready to travel before long. Larabee is being a little stubborn…”

“A little? I doubt that. Ain’t no one as stubborn as Chris Larabee when it comes to what’s good for him. Nate’s always complainin’ that Chris makes him work twice as hard as anyone else.”

“Yeah, I don’t doubt it for a minute. You boys might as well stay in town and head for the Cross place tomorrow. Ain’t much daylight left and well the trail can be rough in the daylight and even worse at night when you don’t know the trail.”

“There a hotel in town?”

“No, but Mrs. Grady has a boarding house next to the restaurant. The livery at the end of the street will gladly look after your horses for ya.”

“Thanks, Sheriff, how do we get to the Cross place?”

“It’s north of here. I was plannin’ on headin’ out there first thing in the mornin’ so you’re welcome to ride along with me.”

“Thanks, Sheriff…appreciate it,” Wilmington said. The two men walked out of the jail and headed towards the restaurant.