Chapter 17

Evangeline sat up in bed when she heard the door to her room slam.  Expecting to see Joshua standing by her bedside, she was shocked to find instead a pretty blonde woman in her late twenties standing there awkwardly holding a bundle of linens in her arms.  She wasn't sure who this woman was until she saw the beginnings of a purplish shiner under her left eye.  It was Sally the saloon girl staring at her.  Only today she wasn't wearing the gaudy low cut dress, and her hair wasn't piled on top of her head with tacky  feather plumes sticking out of it.  She wore a simple navy blue skirt and a white blouse.  Her blonde hair hung loose about her shoulders in soft waves.  Her face was devoid of the garish rouge and lip stain.  Evangeline couldn't help but think that she was so much prettier without all the tawdry trimmings and trappings.  But what was she doing here?

There was a moment of awkward silence as the two women stared at each other, not knowing what to say.  It was Sally who finally broke the ice,  "Hello, I'm Sally. Thaddeus asked me to bring you these."  She laid the bundle on the bed at Evie's feet.

"Thank you."  More awkward silence.  "What is it?"  she asked as she sat up.

"Oh, it's some of my hand-me-downs.  But they've been washed.  A pair of bloomers, a corset,  a shift and some petticoats.  He said you didn't have any.  And there's some monthly necessities too.  I cut up an old quilt the moths got a hold of just the other day, so they've never been used."

Oh, wonderful. Now the whole town probably new she had recieved her monthly friend.  "That's very kind of you."   Still more awkward silence.   " And how do you know Thaddeus?"

"Oh I made his acquaintance last night.  He felt so bad after you hit me that he said he just wouldn't be able to sleep if he didn't make me feel better.  And boy did he make me feel better."  She fanned her suddenly flushed face with her hand.  Evie's face became flushed too, but from embarrassment.

She quickly changed the subject.  "I'm terribly sorry about that.  I don't usually drink alcohol.  I'm afraid I wasn't quite myself last night."

"Oh, honey, think nothing of it.  Thaddeus told me all about what happened to your folks and your brother.  And about that terrible man who tried to kidnap you and sell you across the border.  You must have been terrified.  Believe me, if anybody deserved to tie one on and get drunk....sweetie it's you."

Was there anything he hadn't told her she wondered.  "Just how much time did you spend with Thaddeus?"

A coy, dreamy look came over her face and she laughed provocatively, "Not nearly enough time if you ask me?  If your Joshua is half as virile and talented then I can't blame you for wanting to defend your territory last night."

"My territory?"  Evie asked, blushing slightly at Sally's reverence to her night with Thaddeus.

"Your man, sweetie.  Believe me, if I had a man like that in love with me, I'd take any woman's head off who looked at him too."

"He's....he's not my...uh....he's not in love with me, I mean."

Sally threw her head back and laughed.  "Honey, let me ask you something.  Did he risk his neck numerous times to save you?  And has he done things that were uncomfortable for him just to make you feel better?  And did he turn down an evening with the most beautiful, available, and willing woman in the entire town of Alpine, namely myself, just so he could sit by your bedside and watch you sleep.   And did he or did he not clean you up and put you to bed after you yacked up all over the place.   Well,  I know for a fact he has done all of those things, because Thaddeus told me all about it.  So unless you are blind or just a fool, that man is one hundred percent head over heals in love with you."

She didn't know what to say.  She hoped it was true.  Oh, how she wanted it to be true.

"And from the look of things when we walked in he's been showing you just how he feels too.  I must say the good Lord was generous."

Evie's mouth hung open a moment before she covered her mouth with her hand.  She'd never heard such brazen talk before.  Especially not from a woman.  And how did she know what had been going on before she walked in.  Joshua had left her room before the came in she was sure.  She couldn't be sure but she thought that last remark was referring to Joshua's.....her face went crimson.

"Well, honey it's nothing to get embarrassed about.  Men and women doing what comes natural is part of my business you know."   She walked to the dresser and studied her reflection in the mirror.  She continued as she fussed with her blonde hair,  "And who could blame a girl in your situation for giving in to such a handsome, hot-blooded manly man like your Joshua.  Especially when he's crazy for you."

Evie's curiosity was piqued now.  Just how much had Thaddeus told her?  "So what else did Thaddeus tell you?"


Sally flopped herself down on the foot of Evie's bed,  "Where do I begin?  He told me all about conversations he and Dimples had while you were asleep.   That's how I know he's in love with you.  Thaddeus said so himself.  He said your Joshua was like a different person when you were missing.  Why, he was a complete mess.  So worried that they wouldn't find you before that dirty old man had a chance to violate you.  He wouldn't eat, he couldn't sleep, barely said three words for a whole day.  Thaddeus said he had to talk him out of murdering the man."  Sally laid back on the foot of Evie's bed and stared at the ceiling.  "That's so romantic.  You are one lucky girl.  To have a handsome prince charming type come to your rescue and sweep you into his arms and carry you off to safety."  She propped herself up on her elbows.  "Is that how it happened?  Did he sweep you into his strong arms and kiss you breathless after he rescued you?"


Now it was  Evie's face that took on a  dreamy look.    "Yeah, he did.  But not until he beat Harlan's face bloody.  I thought he was going to kill him with his bare hands.  But it really wasn't so romantic.  Mostly it was scarey.  But I've never been so glad to see anybody in my life as when I saw him riding out of those trees.  I knew I was going to be alright when I saw him.  I knew he'd save me.  I don't think there's anything he can't do."

"I got that feeling about both of those boys.  They seem very strong and capable as well as good looking.  They are quite a pair,  Mr. Dimples and Mr. Blue eyes."

"Yes, Thaddeus  does have pretty blue eyes.  Dimp....uh, I mean  Joshua's  eyes are brown.  They remind me of warm molassess.   I don't think I've ever seen eyes so expressive before.  He can speak without saying a word, using only his eyes.  Every emotion he's feeling comes through them.   And when he smiles and those dimples pop I just get all quivery in my stomach."

"Well, now, it seems you've got it just as bad for Dimples as he has it for you.  Why, you should see the way your face lights up when you talk about him."

Evie smiled shyly, suddenly glad to have another woman to talk to.  How many times had she wished  her mama was here so she could ask her about so many things.   Or just so she could share the joy she felt at having all  these newly discovered feelings.   "Is it that obvious?"

"Afraid so, honey."

"I just wish I had the nerve to tell him how I feel."

"You mean the two of you ain't told each other at all how you feel?"

She shook her head.

"Well you two wouldn't be the first couple to do the deed before you said the words."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, honey, you two were right in the middle of....haven't  the two of you....."  The perplexed look on Evie's face was still there.  "Has he dipped his pen in the ink well yet?"

What was she talking about?   A vision of Joshua sitting at a desk dipping a pen in ink to write on paper came into her mind.  "Do you mean has he written me a love letter?"

"Honey, are you that stupid?"   Unable to find a suitable euphamism she just blurted it out, "Are you still a virgin?"

Evie's eyes flashed angrily at the other woman, "Well, of course I am."

Sally fell back on the bed with a heavy delirious sigh while she mellowdramatically clutched her hands to her breast.   "That is soo romantic.   That he was able to be alone with you out in the wilderness all that time and not lay a hand on you, just to protect your virtue.   He must really love you."   She sighed another dreamy sigh, then raised herself on her elbows again.  "But from what I saw when I walked through that door, it's just a matter of time before he's not gonna be able to keep his hands off you."

Again Evie blushed.

"Didn't your mama ever explain to you what happens between a man and a woman.  What happens to a man's body when he's...you know....?"

She nervously shook her head.  This day was just getting better and better.  She had gone from discussing her monthly curse with, of all the people in the world, Hannibal Heyes.  She rolled her eyes at that thought.  And now she was discussing what came natural between a man and  woman with a woman of ill repute.  All she needed to make her day complete was Kid Curry explaining to her where babies came from.

Seeing Evie's embarrassment and uncertainty, the older, more experienced woman, felt moved by her innocence.  Sally's  innocence had vanished long ago.  Taken from her would be a better way to put it.  She had not known what to expect that very first time a man had lain with her.  She had been scared and unsure.  And when it was over she had felt dirty and used.  This pretty young woman sitting here now was on the verge of having her first experience with a man.  Emotionally and physically.  And she was completely ignorant about anything that went on between a man and a woman.  And now she had lost her mama.  Sally felt suddenly quite maternal towards the younger woman and she felt obligated to not let her first experience be a regrettable one like hers had been.  "Well, it sounds like I got here just in time."  She rose from the bed and poured them each a cup of coffee.  "Now, we're gonna have ourselves a little talk.  First I want to hear all about everything that happened up 'til now.  I want all the details.  How he saved your life and tracked you down and rescued you from that beastly man.   I guess we really should decide first though how you're gonna tell him that you love him.    Maybe you should just walk up to him, grab that cute little behind of his and say,   'Honey, you're my knight in shining armor.  I don't know how I would ever survive a day without you.  I love you.'   Oh, that's good.  And so romantic.  You can use that if you want.  And then I'm gonna teach you a few things.   If there's anything I'm an authority on it's men.  And I think maybe you need all the help you can get."

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

He paced.  He sat.  He paced.  He sat.

"What do you think they're doing in there?"  He paced some more.

"I don't know, Heyes.  If it'll make you feel better knock on the door and find out.  Anything to make you stop with the pacing.   And the sitting."

"They've been in there a good long while."

He crept to the door.  He nervously turned the knob.  He opened it a crack.  And was surprised to hear the lilt of female laughter floating in the air.  He turned puzzled brown eyes to the blue ones across the room as he quietly closed the door again.

"See, I told you she was probably ready to get rid of us for a while."

"Yeah, I guess so."  He tried not to sound dejected but his disappointment shown through.

"Come on, Heyes, let's get out of here.  Sounds like the girls are doing fine.  We've got a telegraph to send."

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

Hannibal Heyes stood at the counter of the telegrapher's office, pencil in hand.  But the paper was blank.

"Well, this is a first,"  Kid said, seeing the empty sheet of paper.

"What?"

"You - at a loss for words."

"How do you tell somebody that their kin folks are dead?  And not just dead...murdered.  Brutally.  I don't think I can do it, Kid."   He laid the pencil down but continued to stare at the blank page.

"No, Heyes what you can't do is figure out how you're gonna be able to hand Evangeline over to anybody else.  And not sending that telegraph is your way of not having to do it.  You've got way too invested, just like I warned you not to.  Now you've gone and got her falling for you just as bad as you have for her.  It's no good Heyes and you know it.  That girl is headed for a world of heart ache and disappointment  if she stays with us.  And I told her so this morning."

"You did what?"  he asked, more than a little annoyed.

"I told her the truth about how we have to live.  Always dodging the law and doing without.  She needed  to know the truth before we set out for Red Rock tomorrow.  It ain't fair Heyes to let her think she's gonna have some kind of fairy tale life with you.  Because we both know that it ain't gonna happen."

"Well, you know what else is not fair?   Us always having to give up what little happiness we find.  I'm sick of it, Kid.   Maybe I don't want to do that this time.  Maybe it's time we started thinking about settling  down somewhere and trying to have a normal life."

"Do you hear yourself?  You know we can't count on being able to settle down anywhere.  The minute we do, somebody always spots us.  Without our amnesty you know that a normal life just ain't in the cards for us.  And I'm beginning to think we're never gonna get it.  Do you really think you can settle down with her and have a home and a family and make an honest living, and nobody will ever come along that will recognize you?  And the two of you will live happily ever after?    You can't tell me that you honestly believe that could happen."

"She makes me believe it can happen, Kid."    His face had a melancholy veil and his words were laced with bittersweetness.   He dropped the pencil on the counter and headed for the door.  He dreaded  having  to tell her that word was being sent to her family.  He wasn't going to tell her that he had been the one to send it.  "You send the telegragh if you want.  Her family is in Nashville.  Her oldest aunt is named Elizabeth Kensington.  Mrs. Stuart Kensington.   I'm going to get me a drink, then  I'm going to spend some time with Evie."  As he stepped through the doorway into the dusty street he added, " What little I have left."

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

Kid found Heyes at the bar,  a half empty mug in front of him.    He knew what his friend was feeling.  He'd been there himself.  He hadn't wanted to put Michelle on that stagecoach that took her to meet a train.  The train  that would carry her a thousand miles away to New Orleans.   But he had done it.  Not because he had wanted her to go.  Just the opposite. He had wanted her to stay and see what kind of relationship he could build with her.  But it was something that had to be done.  And it wasn't fair to Michelle to subject her to the kind of life they were forced to lead.  He had known that and Heyes had known that.   So what then was so different this time?  Were his feelings for Evie so much deeper than his had been for Michelle?  He was beginning to think maybe they were.  Heyes had never answered the question with any certainty when he'd asked him if Evie was that girl for him.  But Kid was starting to see that she was.  And when Hannibal Heyes had a plan in mind and his heart set on something there wasn't much that could keep him from having it.  And if he didn't have it he was almost impossible to live with.

"Heyes,  I'm sorry I told Evie all those things, but you should have told her yourself by now.  I know you want to protect her but not telling her is the same as lying to her and I don't think that's fair to her.  If she's going  to be traveling with us then she needs to know what to expect.   And it appears she's going to be traveling with us for a while."    He gave his partner's shoulder a slight nudge so he would turn and face him.  "You never did really answer my question, Heyes.  Is Evangeline that girl for you?  The one you ain't gonna be able to give up.  The one you'll never get over is she leaves or if you have to leave her?"

He looked into the clear blue eyes of the only other person he loved in the world besides the young woman across the street.  "Yes, she is.  But it don't change how things are between you and me.  I want you to know that."

"I do know that.   And just so you know, I'm sick and tired of it too.  Never getting to stop for a while and just...be.  But it's part of the penance we have to pay Heyes.  And it's all the more reason why you should want to see her go with her family so she don't have to worry about that.   We're wanted men, Heyes.  And unless our amnesty deal pans out,  we've got to go it alone.  But for now, we're not alone.  We're responsible for her and she's depending on us.  And who am I to keep you from enjoying some happiness.  Lord knows we don't get too much of it.  So, if she's what makes you happy, then I won't stand in the way.  I'll help you take care of her and we'll just deal with her family if and when they come along."

Heyes was surprised.  He had expected Kid to fight him all the way about this.   He placed an affectionate hand on his friends shoulder.  "Thanks, Kid.  I know it's not fair to her,  and I know I should have told her the truth about how we have to live sometimes before you had to.  But I just can't bring myself to do or say anything that makes her sad or uncomfortable.  She's cried half the  time I've known her.  I don't want to see her cry anymore.  I want to see her laugh and smile.  And I want to be the one that makes her laugh and smile.   And besides that I just don't think I can give her up just yet.  I just can't do it, Kid.  I can't explain it but I just need to be where she is.  I need to see her and touch her.   You understand?"

"Yeah, Heyes, I understand.  You're in love with her.  Why don't you just admit it?  Why can't you say it?"

"Alright, fine.  I....I love her."   The weight of the emotional avalanche he'd been buried under was finally lifted.  He emotionally exhaled.  "Whew.  Boy it's weird saying that."

"Not half as weird as hearing you say it."

"I knew I'd been keeping you around all these years for some reason."

"Oh, yeah and what's that,  besides keeping you alive?"

"Telling me the truth.  Even when I don't want to hear it."

"That's what being friends and partners is all about ain't it.   I just hope you're sure about this Heyes.  That what you're feeling is really love and not just feeling obligated or feeling sorry for her."

"No, I felt those things in the beginning but it changed somewhere along the way.  I changed, and she changed too.   At first  I had it all figured out.  I planned to hand her over to you and let you pamper her like you're so good at doing.  While I sent word to he family. And then we would just hand her over the them.  I thought it was going to be a quick and easy thing to do.   But now.... And you know after she's had to live like we do for awhile she might be begging us to send her back east to her family."

"I've seen the way she looks at you, Heyes.  I don't think that's too likely."

"Yeah, you think?"   He couldn't keep the goofy smile off his face.  Thinking that she felt the same way about him as he did about her made him feel like a kid again.  He hadn't felt like a kid since he was...well, a kid.  When his parents had been alive.  He'd felt like an adult from the moment he'd realized his and Jed's parents were dead.  He knew he'd have to be the one to take care of them both.    His childhood had ended that day.  And it made him fee angry and bitter.  But when he was with Evie all that seemed to disappear.  He loved that about her.

"Now, I ask you, would a woman who wasn't in love with you not come up swinging if she found out you had undressed her and saw everything.  And please don't tell me you didn't see anything or that you tried not to look.  I know better.  And when she found out who we really were, she didn't bat an eyelash.  She almost seemed proud of the fact that we're wanted outlaws.  That's got to be love.  And how many women would let a man in the same room with her when she's doing that woman thing she's doing right now?  Let alone touch her?  And it was pretty obvious you touched her.  Face it, Heyes, it don't take a genius to figure out the girl's head over heels in love with you."

"Think I should tell her how I feel?"

Kid pondered a moment.  "Yeah,  you should tell her."

Heyes pondered a moment.  "How?"

They both pondered a moment.

The barkeep, a middle aged man with a huge mustache  that connected to his sideburns, had heard bits and pieces of their conversation.  Seeing their dilemma, he offered some advice.  "You know boys, when I fell in love with my sweetheart, Ester, I hugged her up one day and said, 'You're the prettiest thing I've ever seen.  You're the best thing that's ever happened in my whole sorry life.  I'd be lost without ya.'  Then I kissed her and said, 'Sweetheart I love ya.'"

The boys looked at each other and shrugged.  Kid slapped his partner on the back as he headed for the door.  "Come on, Heyes, let's go find your girl."

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

And find her he did.  When they walked into the hotel room,  Evangeline and Sally stood by the open French doors leading to the balcony outside.  Sally had brushed Evie's silky hair and pulled it away from her face with her grandma's hair combs.  She had changed into the one dress she had left that was wearable, the tight fitting lavender print dress of her mothers.  With the corset and petticoats on underneath the dress, her hourglass figure was even more pronounced.  Her waist was tiny, her hips and breasts full and rounded.  She was the most stunning sight Hannibal Heyes had ever seen.  As she stood there in the door way with the slight breeze blowing her hair and her skirts, she took his breath away.  He knew for sure then that he loved her.   There was no feeling of obligation or pity.  Only love.

"My goodness you ladies look absolutely beautiful,"  Kid finally said after both men stood transfixed for a moment by the two lovely women.

"Why, thank you, Thaddeus,  you're not looking so bad yourself,"  Sally flirted.

Evangeline couldn't move or speak.  Every time she saw Joshua and he looked at her the way he was looking at her now, she couldn't breathe right.  But then again it may be the corset she was wearing.  No, it was him.  Because she hadn't worn a corset since she'd left her family's ranch.  And she'd felt the same breathless feeling on more than one occasion when he'd looked at her that way.  For a moment she forget that there were two other people in the room.  She heard voices but nothing they said registered in her brain.  She was completely lost in his eyes.  He hadn't said a word since he came in but he'd told her how beautiful she was just the same.

"What do you say?"  Thaddeus asked.

 Evie and Heyes, both startled from their love struck stupors, said together, "What?"

"I said how about we all sit and play a game of cards.  Just to pass the time."

Sally clapped in approval.  "Oh, let's play whist.  That's my favorite."  She crossed the room and took Thaddeus' hand.  "You'll be my partner of course."

"Of course,"  he said as he lead her to the round table in the corner.

Heyes approached Evie, and took her hand.  Their eyes never losing contact.  "Shall we?"

"By all means, lets do."

As he led her to  the table, Heyes whispered to her, "You don't know how to cheat a whist too, do you?"

She did.  Heyes and Evie won all eight matches.

When they tired of cards, Sally talked Evie into reading the poem Thaddeus had told her about.

Vainly he strove to rise; and Evangeline, kneeling beside him, 
Kissed his dying lips, and laid his head on her bosom 
Sweet was the light of his eyes; but it suddenly sank into darkness, 
As when a lamp is blown out by a gust of wind at a casement. 



All was ended now, the hope, and the fear, and the sorrow, 
All the aching of heart, the restless, unsatisfied longing, 
All the dull, deep pain, and constant anguish of patience! 
And, as she pressed once more the lifeless head to her bosom, 
Meekly she bowed her own, and murmured, "Father, I thank thee!" 
Still stands the forest primeval; but far away from its shadow, 
Side by side, in their nameless graves, the lovers are sleeping. 
Under the humble walls of the little Catholic churchyard, 
In the heart of the city, they lie, unknown and unnoticed; 
Daily the tides of life go ebbing and flowing beside them, 
Thousands of throbbing hearts, where theirs are at rest and forever, 
Thousands of aching brains, where theirs no longer are busy, 
Thousands of toiling hands, where theirs have ceased from their labors, 
Thousands of weary feet, where theirs have completed their journey! 
Still stands the forest primeval; but under the shade of its branches 



Dwells another race, with other customs and language. 
Only along the shore of the mournful and misty Atlantic 
Linger a few Acadian peasants, whose fathers from exile 
Wandered back to their native land to die in its bosom; 
In the fisherman's cot the wheel and the loom are still busy; 
Maidens still wear their Norman caps and their kirtles of homespun, 
And by the evening fire repeat Evangeline's story, 
While from its rocky caverns the deep-voiced, neighboring ocean 
Speaks, and in accents disconsolate answers the wail of the forest.

Sally was weeping.  Heyes was pensive.  Kid was mad.

"You mean all those years of searching for him and she finds him just as he's about to die."

"I'm afraid so,"  Evie offered apologetically.

"I think it's the most romantic thing I've ever heard,"  Sally hiccuped out between sobs.

"They only got to see each other for a minute after they finally get back together, before he up and dies."   Kid shook his head in disbelief.  "She should have just married that other fella."

"Oh, don't ruin it by saying something like that,"  Sally griped.

"Don't get all upset, Sally.  Would you care to accompany me to the dining room to find out what's on the menu for supper tonight?  I think, Joshua here had something he wanted to discuss with Evangeline."

"Oh, that's right.  She had something she wanted to discuss with him as well, right sweetie."

The two headed out the door leaving Heyes and Evie alone.

"I guess I'm the only one who sees the beauty of the ending and not just the sadness,"  she said as she lay the book aside and crossed to the open French doors.

The sun was getting low in the sky.  It must be near four o'clock, she thought.  A crisp breeze still billowed in making the curtains dance.   He followed her to the doors.  "No you're not the only one.  She finally found what she was looking for.  Nothing else would have satisfied her.  If she hadn't found him before he had died, she would have died looking.  She loved him that much."

"I know how she feels."   She walked onto the balcony and braced her hands on the railing.  She felt like she was going to faint.

"You do?"

This was her opportunity.  Just tell him you love him.  God, she needed air.  I can't say it yet.  Not until I'm calmer.  Change the subject.   "Thaddeus said you had something you wanted to discuss with me.   What is it?"

What should he do first - tell her about the telegraph or that he loved her?  He wasn't sure.  Would she notice if he flipped a coin?  Her back was to him but, yeah, she probably would.  Most people want the bad news first so...."Thaddeus sent a telegraph to your kin folks back in Nashville.  I hope your not too upset.  But it really is for the best."

She thought about that for a moment.  She didn't really know how she felt about it.  Right now she was too preoccupied with what she needed to tell him and how it was making her so nervous she couldn't breathe.

"Is that all?   Don't worry about it.  I'm not upset."

"Then why are you breathing so heavy?"   He came up behind her and twirled her around to face him.
"Because I...I....I have something I need to tell you," she said lowly and breathlessly.

"I have something else I need to tell you too."   He took a deep breath.  You've got a silver tongue, Heyes.  Just use it.  It's just three little words.  He took a step closer.  Smiled down at her and said, "Evangeline Ruth Webb,  I love you."

She stared at him, stunned.  Had he really just told her he loved her.   In that moment it was as if every prayer she had ever prayed had been answered.  Every wish she'd ever made had come true.  The fear that he didn't return her love was gone.  Her nervousness at telling him she loved him was gone.  So why then was she still finding it so difficult to breath?

"Hannibal Heyes....I love you, too."   She swooned.   He caught her before she hit the floor, then gently laid her back onto it.

"Gee, if I'd known I was gonna have this kind of affect on you I would have waited a little longer before I told you."   He thought she was faint from the excitement and nervousness.

"Don't get the big head just yet, Mr. Heyes,"  she gasped out.  "If you don't get this corset off me, I'm going to pass out.  It's cutting off my air."

He helped her sit and he began the tedious task of unbuttoning her dress down the back.

"Hurry, please,"  she rasped.

He frantically pulled at the tight laces, wanting to rid her of it before she suffocated.

Kid and Sally chose that exact moment to reenter the room.   To see Hannibal Heyes on his knees astride Evie's legs, leaning over her back, eagerly tugging at the laces of her corset.

"Boy, those two didn't waste any time did they?  Remember what I taught you, honey."

"Sheesh, Joshua couldn't you have at least put her on the bed first,"   Kid quipped.

"Oh, come on!   We're not....I was just.....oh, forget it."   A frustrated Heyes finally loosened the corset enough that Evangeline was able to draw some deep breaths.  "Better now?"

"Better."  She removed the loathsome garment and tossed it in Sally's direction.  "You may have that back.  Thanks anyway."

Heyes helped her to her feet then helped her to button her dress back.   "Please excuse us,"  he said as he closed the doors,  leaving them alone on the balcony.  "Now where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?"  he asked in his deep silky voice, as he gathered her close in his arms.

"I think you were about to tell me that you'd die without me and you'd crawl across the desert for me and....."

"Oh wait,  a wise man told me to say this.....he cleared his throat.  "You're the prettiest thing I've ever seen.  You're the best thing that's ever happened in my whole sorry life.  I'd be lost without ya.  Sweetheart, I love ya."

 She threw her head back in a hearty laugh.  "That's funny, because I was given some sage advice as well."  She reached around and behind him, and boldly grabbed his cute little behind in both her hands.  His eyebrows rose in surprise.  Then she cleared her throat.  "Honey, you're my knight in shining armor.  I don't think I could ever survive a day without you.  I love you."

"Seriously, though,"  he said as he gazed into her silvery blue eyes.  "I am so in love with you."

"And I am so in love with you.  But I am sorry you won't be getting your amnesty though."

"I won't.  And why is that?"

"Because you've committed a terrible crime, cowboy.  You've stolen my heart."

"Well, that's one crime I'm more than willing to do the time for."

With new found joy they stood on the balcony and hugged each other.  Then kissed each other.  Then hugged some more.  And kissed each other some more.  What magical words 'I love you' were.  They gave one license to kiss and touch and hug and hold as freely and as often as you liked.   For the two of them the whole world became a four foot by eight foot rectangle of wood, suspended ten feet over the dusty streets of Alpine, Texas.

Until a loud and not too subtle voice from the other side of the French doors yelled,  "Geez, will you two hurry up.  What's taking so long?   A man's gotta eat don't he."

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


Dear Reader,
Think that's the end?  Think it's all love and happiness from here on out?   HA!  Think again.  Did you ever know these boys to have it that easy?  Every time they get rich they very soon after get busted.   That seems to be the case in matters of the heart as well.    Sorry but there's more to come.  We've still got a way to go until I get to the end of this tale.   Plus our couple still have some heavy duty romance to get down to.   I hope you'll come along for the ride.  I'll try to make it good for you.
Thanks to everyone who is reading.

Peace.  Out.

Karen

Love ya, Peter.

Soundtrack Selection for Chapter 17

They're finally gonna say it y'all!!!!   Hope to have Chapter 17 posted by tomorrow night.  Maybe sooner if I can get all the kinks out and the little details sorted.  I'm not a county music fan in general, I'm an old metal head from way back, but I do love certain country songs (some of which I have already used in the soundtrack). And I do love this song.  It's makes me feel good.   And since our couple are ready to take that crucial step of saying the words I thought this song would be appropriate.  Enjoy!   

That Face, That Beautiful Face

   Thanks, God. 

A Shout Out to Germany

This is a video to give a shout out to my awesome German readers.  They rank second only to my American readers in number of views on my blog.  It's a great song that fits our couple perfectly and it's by (who else for a shout out to Germany)  The Scorpions,  "You and I."

If your from Germany click the +1 button at the bottom.  

Chapter 16

This chapter contains an NC 17 moment.  If you are not 17 years old, don't read any further.  If you are over 17,  be warned that you might fall deeper in love with Hannibal Heyes if that's possible.   So proceed at your own risk.  And after this warning,  I expect this chapter to break a record for views on my blog.  I tried to be tasteful and sensual at the same time.  Let me know how I did.

Karen

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


"How long you gonna wait before we go get breakfast?'

"I don't want to just leave. What if she wakes up while we're gone?"

"She's a big girl, Heyes, I'm sure she'll figure out where we are.  Or you could leave her a note if you want."

"Nah, you go ahead.  I want to be here if she wakes up.  I gotta hunch she ain't gonna be feeling too good."

"Ain't you hungry?"

"I'll go after you get back.  If she's still asleep.  And would you tell somebody to bring up some coffee.  She's gonna need it."

Kid just nodded.  He had his hand on the doorknob when he stopped.  "Heyes. we gotta make some decisions you know.  We need to be contacting her family.  Why don't I go on over to the telegraph office and send word to them right now.  We can tell them to forward any messages to Red Rock in care of Big Mac. "

Heyes said nothing.  He sat in the chair in front of the secretary, his hands clasped together, elbows on knees, staring at the floor.  He knew Kid was right.  Her family had to be notified.  But he knew it wasn't what she wanted.  And he wasn't sure it's what he wanted either.  But it was the only practical and sensible thing to do.

"Let's wait 'til we get to Red Rock."

Kid could see that his partner was torn.  Torn between doing what he knew was right for Evangeline and what he selfishly wanted.  "Alright, Heyes we'll wait until Red Rock.  But then we've got to get word to them."

"I know, I know.  Don't forget the coffee."

Once Kid was gone he went to sit by her bedside.  She had endured more  heartache in the last week than most people saw in a lifetime.  She deserved some peace and happiness for a change.  But he was afraid she wasn't going to be happy when she found out they were going to contact her family.  He would tell her tomorrow when she was feeling better.

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

The sunlight coming through the windows was like daggers in her eyeballs.  Her head hurt, her body hurt, even her hair hurt.   Her mouth was so dry she had to peel her tongue from the roof of her mouth.  Why did she feel so horrible?

"Mornin'."

She rolled over slowly, and shielding her eyes against the blinding sun, looked up into a pair of bright shining blue eyes.  Thadd...no, Jed....no Kid.....oh whatever, she thought and flopped back over taking refuge from the sunlight under the quilt that topped her bed.

"Got you some coffee."

She just moaned.

"You better have some of this coffee.  It'll make you feel better.  Believe me I know.  I've had my share of hangovers in my day."

Another moan.

"Come on, now.  I told Heyes I'd get some of this down you if you woke up before he got back."

She poked her groggy head out from under the quilt and turned concerned eyes to Kid.  "Where is he?"

"He went to get breakfast.  I went earlier, and he stayed here waiting for you to wake up.  He finally gave up on you.  I told him I'd watch you.  And this time I wouldn't let you get out the door on me."

A confused look came over her face.  Then realization.  Then she covered her face with her hands.  "Oh,  Lord.  I went in a saloon last night didn't I?"

"Yep."

"And I punched some girl in the face, didn't I?"
"Yep."

Another moan.  "My mother would be horrified.  And my father would have throttled my behind.   You both probably think I'm the most troublesome, ninny headed person you've  ever had the misfortune of rescuing."

"Well, now I wouldn't go that far."

"Is he mad?"

"No,  he's just concerned that you walked into a place like that. Saloons are no place for a pretty young woman to be.  Especially one that can't hold her liquor.  Here, take the coffee."

She sat up slowly,  took the coffee and sipped it.  "Are you mad?"

"Me?  Nah.  I'm mad at myself for letting you get away from me.  But actually it's the best laugh I've had in a long time."

"Well, I hardly think that me getting drunk and assaulting someone is funny, Jed."

The strange expression that crossed his face didn't go unnoticed, even to her hungover eyes.  "What's wrong?"

"Nothing.  It's just that when you call me Jed it makes me think about being home with my folks and my sisters."

"Would you rather I called you Thaddeus all the time?"

"It really doesn't matter,  but Heyes is probably right.  It's probably best if you use our aliases.  That way you're not tempted to call us the wrong thing in front of the wrong people.  Especially if you plan on drinking very much wine."

"I don't think you have to worry about that.  I'm swearing off any kind of liquor.  This is only the second time in my life I've had it and both times it was disasterous."  She continued to sip her coffee which seemed to be easing her headache.   "It seems such a shame though not to be able to call you the names your parents gave you.  They are both such grand names.  Hannibal and Jedediah.  No wonder you're both on your way to becoming living legends with such legendary names."   She looked up from her cup of hot coffee to see Kid Curry standing and staring out the window onto the street below. "Something else is  bothering you.    You  look like you just lost your best friend."

"I think maybe I have."   He turned a forlorn half smile towards her.

Evangeline was taken aback by his words. Surely this strong confident deadly gunman wasn't feeling insecure because of her relationship with his friend.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that my partner cares about you.  Probably more than he should.  And you care about him too, don't you."

"Of course I do.  I don't know what I would do if anything ever happened to him.  But there's one thing I've understood from the very  first moment Joshua mentioned your name to me.  And that's that you two come as a pair.  Your like shoes or gloves.  You have to have both of them or they don't work like they're supposed to.  If you take one you've got to take the other or it just doesn't work.  I know that and I understand it.  The two of you share a bond that could never be broken.   I don't even think he could pull his boots on in the morning if you weren't around."

"That's true we do share a bond that most people will never understand.  But you understand it.  You know what it's like to lose everything and to be alone.  And the one person who was there to share that experience and that grief is the one person that you're gonna want to cling to.  The one person that makes you feel not alone.   The one person you'll never want to lose."

"And your afraid of losing him?"

"No.  I'm afraid of you losing him."

"I don't understand."

He knew Heyes wasn't going to like it when he found out he'd told her what he was about to tell her, but she deserved to know the truth.  "Living outside the law when you've got an unpenatrable hideout like Devil's Hole is one thing.  But trying to live a law abiding life while the rest of the world thinks your still outside the law, and you don't have a sanctuary like Devil's Hole to go to, well, now that's a whole different story.

"Until our amnesty comes through, we have to live like gypsies.  Moving from town to town, trying to find honest work.  And just when we think we've found a place we can stay put a while, somebody will ride into town that we used to ride with or that we recognize as a passenger on train we've held up.  So we have to pack up and leave.  And we can't just go into a town and check into a hotel like normal people.   We have to check out the sheriff's office first, make sure we don't know him or any of his deputies.  And if the sheriff is somebody we've run into before, we have to keep on going to the next town.  No matter how tired we are, or how hungry, or what the weather is.  We keep riding until we come to a town where we don't recognize anybody.  And those are the times when we've got money.  If we're broke we  have to sleep outside, eat whatever we can find or shoot.   You know how tired you were of sleeping on the ground when we came into town last night?   And how bad you wanted a bath?"

She nodded.

"Well, me and Heyes have had to go for weeks at a time, with no bath, no bed and nothing to eat but berries we found growing wild outside.  It's a hard life most days for us, Evie.  And I haven't even told you about the times when we do get spotted by somebody who knows us and we have to high tail it out of town, watching over our backs hoping there's not a posse on our tails.  We've had to leave town before without going back to our hotel room to get our stuff.  Those are the times when it's really fun.  Then it's not just hard,  it's dangerous.  And it's no kind of life for a young woman."

She had never even considered the kind of hardships they must face on a daily basis, being wanted while trying to live straight and honest lives.  Her time with Joshua out on the trail, though born out of lose and grief, had been so magical that it had never occurred to her what life would be like after they arrived back in civilization.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is....if you've got your heart set on a white picket fence kind of life with Hannibal Heyes......the odds are against it Evie.  The only way either one of us can even hope to settle down and have a family, is if we get our amnesty.  And the longer we wait the weaker our hopes get that we're ever gonna get it.  And I care about you, and about him too much to watch the two of you get attached to one another and then have to watch you get your hearts broken.  And I'd sure hate it if something happened to us and you were left to fend for yourself.  We could be arrested or even killed.  We're worth the same dead as we are alive."

His words visibly shook her.  She felt suddenly like a deflated balloon.  All the wind was gone from her sails.  She longed for Josua's reassuring presence.  She wanted him to hold and tell her everything was going to be alright.  But he wasn't there.  She needed to be alone.  She threw off the covers and began to make an  appearance of  eagerly  gathering soap and towel.

"I'd best be getting up.  I'd like to wash up and get changed if you'll excuse me."

"I'm sorry I had to upset you.  I just think you deserve to know what to expect.  And you need to consider your options for the future.  You've got a family you know.  I'm sure they would like to get to know you."

He went into the adjoining room and closed the door behind him.  She sat on the edge of the bed and stared hopelessly at the wooden floor.  How naive and stupid she was.  All this time she was foolishly thinking that she would just trail along behind Joshua wherever he went.  He would protect her and provide for her.  Even after she found out that he was the notorious outlaw Hannibal Heyes, she still had that same dillusional dream.  She had never once given any thought to how dangerous it might be.  Or how much of a liability she would be to them.  She might accidentally give them away to the wrong person and cost them their future.  Or their lives.  We're  worth the same dead as we are alive. She vigorously shook her head to rid her mind of those words.   She pictured the two of them riding hard to escape a relentless posse that was  shooting at them as they tried to get away.  Then she pictured Joshua trying to shield her from the bullets and getting shot himself.  Again she shook her head to banish the unwanted vision.   She didn't think she could live with herself if they were captured or killed because she had slowed them down.  She wished he were here now so she could ask him why he hadn't prepared her for the harsh reality of his world.  And why Thaddeus had had to do it. But she suspected that it was for the same reason he hadn't told her who really was in the first place.  He didn't think she could handle it and he didn't want to burden her with the truth.  He thought he could protect her from it.  He had promised her he wouldn't leave her at the first sheriff's office they came to.  She believed he wouldn't.  But she now believed that regardless of how he felt about her,   he would have to eventually leave her.  For her own sake and theirs as well.

She poured water  into the basin and washed her face.  It was still sore from the backhand she'd taken from Harlan.  And her hand was sore, too.  From the right hook he'd given to the saloon girl. And her legs were achy.  From riding Jenny so many  hours yesterday.  And her head hurt.  And her stomach was queazy.  No doubt from the hangover.

She pulled her dress off over her head.  She had slept in it all night and it was wrinkled and smelled like vomit.  Gee, I wonder why?  It was the only dress she had left that actually fit her. The red floral print calico had never been one of her favorites.  The dress Harlan had forced her to wear was ruined, stained with mud.  Her brother's shirt was nothing more than rags now.  And her mother's dress was almost as revealing as Sally's had been last night.  Why had she left her skirt, blouse and petticoats behind that very first day she'd been with Joshua.  She had been so distraught she had changed out of them and left them lying by the river's edge.   She had a trunk full of beautiful skirts, blouses and dresses inside her family's wagon.  But they were gone forever she was sure.   Oh, well she had little choice.  She laid her brothers britches out on the bed and decided she would ask one of the boys if she could  borrow a shirt.  They would be riding again in the morning anyway.   She stripped off her camisole and her bloomers and was met with an unwelcome surprise.   "Oh, no.  Not now,"  she groaned in dismay.  When was something going to go right for her.  The immature child that still lingered inside of her screamed, "This isn't fair!"   While the mature young lady her mother had taught her to be was saying,  "Just deal with it.  You've been through far worse."    The immature child and the mature young lady warred with each other for a moment before the pouting immature girl finally won.  She found Gabe's tattered shirt.  This would have to do.  She put her under clothes back on, climbed into the bed and buried herself under  the covers.   She refused to face another thing,  especially the prospect of giving Joshua up.

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

"She awake yet?"

"Yeah, she's washing up and getting dressed,"  Kid told Heyes as he sat by the window and cleaned his Colt.

"How's she feeling?  She drink the coffee?"

"Yep.   And I don't think she feels too bad.  She seemed fine to me."

"How long has she been changing?"

"A pretty good while.  She should be done by now."

Heyes knocked lightly at her door.  "Evie?  You decent?"

No response.  He looked questioningly at Kid, who shrugged.

He knocked again as he cracked the door.  He stuck his head in slightly.  She was lying on her side in the middle of the  bed  facing away from the door covered up to her neck.

"Hey, I thought you were getting dressed."

"Go away," she mumbled.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing. Just go away."

He crossed the room to her bedside.   "Are you sick?  Do you want me to get you anything?"
"I'm not sick.  Just go away."

"Are you hurt?"  He moved to pull the quilt from under her chin.

"NO!  I don't want you looking at me!"  she yelled as she clutched tightly to the quilt and turned further into the mattress.  "Please get out."

"Are you in pain?  Is it your hand?  Do I need to get the doc?"   He was starting to get worried.

She sighed heavily, knowing he wasn't going to relent and leave her alone.  "Yes I'm in pain, and no it's not my hand and no I don't need a doctor.  Just please go away, Joshua."  For the love of God please just go away.


"You're in pain?   Where?"  he sat on the edge of the bed.   "If you don't tell me where you hurt how can I make it better."

"You can't."

"No I can't if you don't let me try."

"Fine.  I hurt here."   She threw back the covers and placed her hand low on her abdomen.  "I have cramps."

She wore only her under clothes.  And she was holding her belly.  Cramps?   It took him a moment to comprehend what she was saying.  When the realization came he silently mouthed the word "Oh," to himself.  Oh, great, now what was he supposed to do, or say.  He wasn't sure.  He rose silently from the bed and hurried back into the other room.

"She alright?"

"Not exactly."

"She sick?"

"Not exactly."

"What's wrong with her?"

"She's....uh, well, she's....doing that lady thing....you know that thing that ladies do.... every month."

Kid stared at him, perplexed.  Then it sunk in.  "Ooohhh.   Oh.  What do we do?"  Kid asked with a panicked look on his face.

"That's what I came in here to ask you."

"Me?  How do I know what to do?"

"You're the lady's man right?"

"Well that part of the ladies ain't exactly my specialty, Heyes."

"Mine neither."

"Wait,"  Kid snapped his fingers and pointed at his friend, " I've got an idea.  I'll be back in a bit."   Kid grabbed his hat and headed out the door.

Heyes turned nervous eyes towards the adjoining bedroom.  This was the first time he'd really been alone with her since the Kid had come looking for them, and it wasn't the first time since he'd known her he hadn't wanted to be alone with her.  Only this time he wasn't afraid of what he might do to her.  He was afraid of what she might do to him.   He didn't know what to do when a woman was... doing that.  But he had heard horror stories from men in bunk houses and saloons.  He remembered one man describing it as walking blind folded in a field full of rattlesnakes. You had to tread cautiously.  One wrong step and.... Think Heyes,  women are like safes.  If they're particularly difficult to crack you have to be a little more patient, listen more carefully and be a little more delicate with the handling.  Eventually their door would swing open.  And if not you get a good bunch of dynamite....no, that won't work.  So, patient, attentive, delicate.  Piece of cake.  


He crept cautiously back to her bedside and sat beside her.

"Why are you still here?"  she sounded annoyed.

"I had to go talk to Kid for a minute."

"You didn't tell him did you?"

"Well, I...I...."

"You did!  Oh!  How could you?  I didn't want you to know, let alone Thaddeus."

He stretched himself out beside her and spooned her against him.

"Don't touch me."

"I can remember a time not too many days ago when somebody was begging me to let her sleep snuggled up next to me."

"That was before.  I wasn't having my monthly curse.  Don't you find it disgusting?"  She couldn't believe she was even discussing this particular subject with him.  No self respecting woman talked about such things, especially to a man.

He propped his head up on one elbow and looked down at her profile.  "No, I don't find it disgusting.  It's just part of being a woman, right.  And I think I'm beginning to like the fact that you're a woman more and more."   In fact he found her current condition to only accentuate her femininity and made him feel utterly male.   He felt an almost primitive need to protect her and stake a claim to her.

"Show me again where it hurts."

She placed her hand on her abdomen.  He folded back the quilt and slid his hand over her hip and in under her hand.  "Here?"  She nodded.  He began to move his hand in slow circles over her painful pelvis.  Patient, attentive, delicate.   "Better?"  Again she nodded and he felt her turn slightly towards him, giving him better access to her tender swollen belly.

"Your hand is  warm.  Warmth always makes it better."  Her voice was barely above a whisper.

He withdrew his hand to pull the quilt back over them adding to the warmth.   She immediately missed the warm massaging of his large hand and wished it back.  She had been so ready for him to leave her alone earlier.  She had felt shamed and embarrassed.  But he had put her at ease and had helped to sooth her pain.  She felt no embarrassment now.  It felt right and natural.

He couldn't resist the temptation of her slender throat that lay exposed to his gaze and he nuzzled her there, inhaling the womanly scent of her.   He let his hand find its way back to her waist, and around to her stomach.  He encountered the top edge of her white bloomers.  With the subtlety and grace of an experienced pick pocket, his hand lifted the edge of her bloomers and eased its way down to splay across her bare abdomen before she had a chance to protest.

  She drew in a ragged breath.   She should have protested.  It was down right scandleous to be lying snuggled with man while she had her monthy curse.  But his heated, calloused, manly hands, caressing her made her feel so good, she didn't really care.  And so she turned even further towards him, practically onto her back and allowed him free access to her hurting flesh.  He began anew his circular caressing.  He looked down into her beautiful face, pinched in pain.  As she continued to minister to her hurting belly, her expression went from pained, to relaxed to seductive.  Her eyes fluttered open to find him watching her intently.  His eyes glazed over with a look of male possessiveness.  His wonderful warm hands had worked magic on her cramping womb and now she felt completely at ease.

This man, this beautiful man - how had she ever thought him merely handsome -  he was simply beautiful.  He  had now seen her at her very worst in every possible way.   When he'd  found her she had been unconscious.  He'd seen her hysterical.  He'd wiped her tears when she was wracked with sorrow and grief.  He's seen her too frightened to sleep alone.  He'd seen her dirty and he'd seen her clean.    He'd seen her laugh, cry, scream. act like a brat and a jealous drunken idiot.    He'd fed her, clothed her, protected her.   He'd touched her in ways no man had ever touched her before and kissed her like she would never be kissed by anyone else.  And now as she lay here in the midst of the most private feminine experience a woman could have, he was here with her trying to comfort her and ease her pain.  He  wasn't running scared like most men would have.  On the contrary,  he was going out of his way to alleviate her embarrassment and discomfort, in spite of his own.  Just like he always did.  She didn't know what came over her then,  whether raging hormones or the undeniable charismatic presense of the man himself, but she was overwhelmed with the urge to nurture and care for him like he was always doing for her.   She reached and touched his face.  She moved her hands over his thick dark brows,  his feathery eyelashes, his cute nose, his full lips, and finally that dimple.  She laid her hand gently on his cheek as she caressed that beloved dimple with her thumb.  It felt like every nerve ending in her body was on fire when he turned his lips to kiss the palm of her hand.

This woman was going to be the death of him.  She was slowly torturing him to death with the looks she was giving him.  Did she have any idea what it was doing to him to have her touch him like this while she looked at him like that.  He doubted if she did.  She was too inexperienced and still so innocent.  But she was learning.  Fast.  He was completely baffled at this own behavior where she was concerned.  She had somehow become the exception to every rule he and the Kid had  set for themselves when it came to women.  There had never been a shortage of available and willing women in their lives, but being outlaws, they had always understood that you enjoyed them while you could and then you moved on.  Their partnership and their freedom came first.  But when Evangeline Webb had happened into his life, the rules had changed.  He had changed. Everything had changed.  And it was starting to scare the hell out of him.  But it didn't scare him half as much as losing her.  His intention was to plant a gentle kiss on her palm and leave her bed.  That was the wise thing to do.  But the contact of his lips to her skin,  and her quivering intake of breath when it happened, started an avalanche of emotions that he could not contain and they came crashing down on him in wave after wave of intence feeling.  He wanted to teach her everything he knew.  And protect her from things she shouldn't know He wanted to love her, protect her, make a life with her.  Her soft lips were parted slightly in anticipation, and he didn't make her wait any longer, as he brought his mouth down hungrily upon hers.

It was like they were back inside that cave again, just the two of them, picking up where they had left off.   All the desire he had aroused in her then had been unfamiliar and a little frightening.  But now fear was replaced by curiosity and boldness.  She raised her head from the pillow and met his descending  mouth.  It was a purely carnal kiss at first.  Voracious in it's intensity.  It was like they were each trying to consume the other.  Desire and need were in the forefront.  Then something changed.  And it became an excercise in giving for both of them as each tried to convey to the other the depth of their feelings in the single act of touching mouths.  Instead of consuming each other they were feeding each other.  Everything that Thaddeus had said to her earlier, ceased to matter in this moment as she completely lost her self in the sensations he evoked in her with his mouth on hers and his hand on her belly.   Could anything be more wonderful than this, she thought.

Her question was answered when his hand, his oh so magical hand began a leisurely trek up her belly, past her navel and under the hem of her camisole.  Yes, there was something better.  She knew his intention and welcomed his seeking touch.  She arched her back in anticipation of his hand on her breast which was now heaving with desire.   Then from the adjoining room came the sound of a key turning in the lock, and the spell was broken.

  He jumped from the bed and away from her as if she were suddenly made of hot coals and he had been scalded.  Before her passion clouded mind could even make sense of what was happening, he'd went into the next room and closed the door, obviously not wanting her to be found in a compromising position.

Heyes barely had time to close Evie's door and make an attempt at acting natural, before the other door swung open and Kid Curry stepped in from the hallway, followed by a pretty blonde woman carrying a bundle in her arms.  He had not, however,  had time to conceal the physical evidence of the moment he'd just shared with Evangeline.

"Aw, no,"  Kid groaned turning his head away and putting up his hand as if to shield his eyes from a blinding light.

"Oh, crap,"  Heyes grumbled turning his back to them his face going beet red.  He pulled his shirt tail out to try and  conceal the telling bulge.

"Oh, my,"  said the blonde with an appreciative smile.

"Uh, she's right in here. Her name's Evangeline, she's a real nice girl.  You'll like her."   Kid practically shoved the blonde through the door to Evie's room before he closed it, not too lightly.

"Well, I don't guess I have to ask what's been going on since I left."

Heyes didn't answer.  He just kept his back to the Kid and stared out the window.
"Geez, Heyes, you sure work fast.  I was only gone ten minutes.   What the devil are you thinking?"

"Kid, I told you, when it comes to her I don't think, I just... react."

"You do know what that kind of reacting leads to don't ya?"

"For me usually a cigar and a good stiff whiskey,"  he smarted under his breath.

"Ha ha, real funny.  But it also leads to babies.  And girls with ruined reputations.  Is that what you want?  To ruin her life?"

"Of course not!  I just can't help myself.  You know I've always been the epitome of self control.  But with her, I just can't control myself.  It's like finding a safe full of money out in the middle of nowhere, Kid, and it doesn't belong to anybody and you know you can crack the combination easy.  Would you be able to resist?"

"She's not a safe full of money, Heyes.   She's a nineteen year old girl.  A nineteen year old girl who's completely dependent on you."

"I know that,"  Heyes threw back a little defensively.  He was feeling more that a little ashamed of himself.  Not only for compromising Evie but for having been caught doing it.

"Not only that, she's in love with you.   She wouldn't say no to you about anything right now.  How far would you have taken things if we hadn't walked in when we did?"

His silence spoke volumes.

"That's what I thought.  Well, that settles it.  I'm not leaving the two of you alone for a minute and we're sending that telegraph to her kin folks today.  I'll send it as soon as Sally gets done with Evie.  I'll walk her back to the saloon."

"Sally?  From the saloon?  That was her?  You mean you just left those two in the same room together?"   Heyes was reaching for the doorknob when Kid stopped him.

"Relax.  I took care of it.  She's here to help with the uh...situation.  I figured we needed female help.  And I got to know Sally pretty well last night, so I asked for her help and she was more than willing.  Just let them have some time together.  She'll probably be glad to have some female company for a change."

He relented though he didn't like it.  He began to pace the floor in front of Evie's door.    He stopped several times to put his ear to the door.  He didn't hear anything.  Maybe Kid was right.  He'd just sit and wait.  And pray he wasn't going to have to bust in a stop a cat fight.

Soundtrack Selection for Chapter 16

"Leather and Lace"

Is love so fragile, and the heart so hollow,
Shatter with words, impossible to follow.
You're saying I'm fragile.  I try not to be.
I search only, for something I can't see.
I have my own life, and I am stronger than you know.
But I carry this feeling, when you walked into my house,
That you won't be walking out the door.
Still I carry this feeling, when you walked into my house,
That you won't be walking out the door.

Lovers forever, face to face.
My city, your mountain.
Stay with me stay.
I need you to love me
I need you today.
Give to me your leather
Take from me my lace.

You in the moonlight, with your sleepy eyes.
Could you ever love a man like me?
And you were right, when I walked into your house,
I knew I'd never want to leave.
Sometimes I'm a strong man, sometimes cold and scared
And sometimes I cry.
But that time I saw you, I knew with you to light my nights,
Somehow I'd get by.
First time I saw you, I knew with you to light my nights,
Somehow I would get by.

Lovers forever, face to face.
My city, your mountain
Stay with me stay.
I need you to love me.
I need you today.
Give to me your leather.
Take from me my lace.

Words and music by the incomparable Stevie Nicks.  I wanted to be her when I was a kid.

A perfect song for our couple.  

A Song for Pete

Thank you, Peter.  This song is for you.

To My Readers

Alas, the time has come that my postings have caught up to my writing.  All the chapters I have posted so far, with the exception of 14 and 15 were already finished months ago.  Before I posted one thru thirteen  I only had to do some minor tweaking and research.  But now I am in the process of writing the remaining chapters.  I have been posting about one chapter a week, but that probably won't be the case from now on.  I won't compromise the quality of the story just to post every week.  I will not post the next chapter until it is complete to my satisfaction.  I hope all of you who have been reading have enjoyed what I've written so far.  It has been a labor of love for me for nearly a year.  And I don't know what I will do with myself when it is finished. It has practically taken over my life. My thoughts are consumed with ideas for the next chapter and funny lines the boys would say.  Okay,  you can say it,... heck I'll say it.... OBSESSED!  But until it is finished,  I will continue to write, and I hope you will continue to read.  And I hope it will be worth the wait.

The pictures are for you Clarissa.  Hope you've got your fan handy. ;)

Peace, Love, and Blessings to you all,
Karen
and as always....love you Pete.

Chapter 15

The rushing Pecos river wound noisily southwestward towards the Rio Grande.  Fluffy white clouds floated lazily eastward against a brilliant blue sky.  A westerly breeze set the surrounding trees into a synchronized swaying dance.  And the late afternoon sun shone down on two weary ex outlaws as they rested by the fireside in the clearing, waiting for the unconscious young woman lying nearby to awake.  Heyes watched  her, while the Kid watched Heyes.   Kid had taken a short nap and lay awake now observing his friend.

Hannibal Heyes was in love.  There was not question about it. He'd never said the words out loud, but just like Evangeline had told him, some things didn't have to be said, they were understood.  And Kid Curry understood.  After saving her life twice, his feelings for Evangeline had gone from theory to absolute fact. At least from Kid Curry's view.

"Hey, Kid?  You awake?" Heyes asked never taking his eyes of Evie.

"Yeah, I'm awake, Heyes."

"Do you think she's gonna be mad?"

"She might be a little upset at first, but when she understands that you had to get her clothes off to...."

"No, no, I mean about you and me.  Who we really are.  Me  lying to her this whole time.  I think she's gonna be mad."

"You've  saved her life, Heyes.  Twice.  Don't you think that's gonna soften the blow just a bit."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Not to mention the fact that I think she's just about as in love with you as you are with her.  So I'm pretty sure she'll forgive you."

Heyes head snapped sideways to stare at his partner.  Could it be true?  Could Evangeline be in love with him?  Women had claimed to be in love with him before.  But they had really been in love with their romantic notion of being in love with an outlaw.  He didn't think any of them had ever really loved him.  None of them had ever really taken the time to get to know who he really was.   They had always been swept up  in the glamour and excitement of being romanced by the most wanted man in the west.  The leader of the most notorious gang  west of the Mississippi.  But Evie.... she had only known him as Joshua Smith. She had no prior knowledge of who he really was or the things he'd done when she met him.   He knew she felt gratitude towards him, but love?

"I don't think you're gonna have to wait much longer to find out."

Heyes turned his eyes from his partner to the sleeping girl.  She was starting to stir. Had it only been a week ago that he'd sat by the fire in the night waiting for her to regain consciousness, just like now.  Only this time, he wasn't bracing himself for hysterical grief.  He honestly didn't know what to expect from her this time.  "Considering we did save her life, maybe she won't be too upset."

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

She had been out for a couple of hours when she started to stir.  She blinked her blurry eyes open.  She felt incredibly warm.  And light, like a feather on the breeze.  She was so warm.  There was a fire nearby, the early evening sun beat down on her, and she was wrapped tightly in a blanket.   She moved to sit up and throw the blanket off her.

"No! Don't!"  The two familiar male voices shouting in tandem halted her movements.

"Joshua?  Thaddeus?  What's the matter?"

"Don't take the blanket off just yet,"  Joshua said.

She glanced down at the blanket.  Then lifting the edge of the blanket she peeked underneath.  Her mouth fell open.  She turned wide eyes on the two men sitting there with guilty yet apologetic smiles on their faces,  and gaped at them.  "I'm.....naked."  She whispered the last word.  She saw her clothes and shoes hanging near the fire to dry.

"You were all wet remember.  After we pulled you up from the bluff over there,"  Joshua explained.

Everything came back to her now.   She remembered it all.   The death of her parents and her brother.   The week with Joshua.  The last two days with Harlan Mathis.  Mathis falling to his death.    "He's dead, isn't he."

"Yes, he's dead.  He won't hurt you or anybody else ever again."

She gazed up at the face of the man speaking to her.  That face.  She also remembered that face.  She loved that face. How had she ever thought him merely handsome.  He wasn't handsome, he was beautiful.   How could a person so sweet with a face that innocent and beautiful,  possibly be responsible for countless train and bank robberies?  Especially with those dimples.   Yes, she remembered that too.  What he'd told Harlan.  Who he and Thaddeus really were.  She hadn't wanted to believe it.  She had thought he was making the whole thing up just to intimidate the evil man he faced.  But when she'd asked him if it was a lie, she had seen the truth in his eyes.  It all made sense.  Everyone knew Heyes and Curry were extremely loyal partners, never far apart.  That Heyes was a near genius at the poker table.  And Curry was faster than anybody with a gun. She had witnessed all three of those points. And the stories about being in Devil's Hole.  Yes, it all fit.  But what was she going to do about it?  Did it really matter? That they were notorious outlaws, wanted dead or alive?  No, not really.  She loved and trusted both of them.  She knew she would always be safe with them.  That they had lied to her all this time?  Yeah, that one kind of ticked her off.

She took in a lung full of the cool evening air, and exhaled it slowly.  Then she turned accusing eyes on her two companions.  "Which one of you undressed me?"

The two ex-outlaws looked nervously at the ground and hemmed and hawed until finally , "I did,"  Heyes admitted while Kid pointed at his partner and mouthed the words "He did."

"But I didn't see anything,"  Heyes added quickly  in a less than convincing tone.

"Well are you two going to sit there and squirm or are you going to get me something to put on so I can get up and fix us some supper."

Both boys exhaled, having avoided a tantrum that most women would have thrown.  "I'll get you some clothes,"  Heyes said smiling.

"I'll get the cooking vessels,"  Kid said with a hungry look on his face.

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

They were enjoying their meal in silence.  Evie hadn't said a thing to them about being Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry.  They were beginning to think maybe they were off the hook.

"Hey, Kid, do you think maybe she forgot about who we really are?"  Heyes whispered around a mouthful of food so only the Kid would hear.

“Is it difficult?”  Evie asked, surprising the ex-outlaws.

Both men stopped chewing and looked in unison first at her and then at each other.

“Is what difficult?”  Kid asked.

“Robbing a bank.”

Heyes began coughing as he choked on the mouthful of food he had been chewing.

“Well I guess that answers that question,”  the Kid said  so only Heyes could hear.

"And what about the trains.  Is that difficult as well?"

Both men sat mute with their heads lowered like two children caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

"And what about telling the truth?  Is that difficult?  Apparently it is because I've been with the two of you for three days now, and with you for over a week  and it never occurred to either of you to mention the fact that you're Hannibal Heyes and you're Kid Curry?"

 Thaddeus was the first to get the nerve to speak.  "That's not exactly the kind of information we go passing around to just anybody, Evie."

"I didn't think I was just anybody?"  She looked Heyes dead in the eye, before throwing her half eaten meal to the ground and storming off.

The partners eyed each other briefly before Heyes rose to follow after her.  She was walking briskly, arms folded across her chest towards the river.  She stood near the edge and shuddered a little remembering how it felt to dangle over that edge not long ago,  when he came up behind her.

 "I know you're mad, but..."

"Mad?"  She turned to him, a wounded look in her eyes.  "I'm not mad.  Well, maybe I am a little but mostly..... I'm hurt.  Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't ever tell people who I really am when I meet them Evie, surely you can understand why."

"Even after all that we've been through together.  And it's not like you didn't have plenty of opportunities.  I even asked you how you knew so much about outlaws, and  you told me it was because you knew some.  Knowing the whole time you were one.  And not just any outlaw. You're one of the most wanted men in the country.  Responsible for God only knows how many robberies.   And you let me go on about being afraid to go to Devil's Hole.  You could have told me then that you lived there.   What were you afraid of?  That I would turn you in?  I hope you know me better than that by now."

"I know, I'm sorry.  There were times I thought about telling you, but you were dealing with so much already."

"All the things you told me about your childhood, and your parents being killed and being sent to the home....was any of it true?"

Now he was a little hurt, and it showed in his eyes.  "Yes, it was all true.  The only thing I told you that wasn't true is that my name is Joshua Smith and that his name is Thaddeus Jones,"  he pointed to the Kid with his thumb over his shoulder.  "Everything else was true."

She turned away from him.  She wanted to be mad at him a little longer.  But the hurt look in his dreamy brown eyes was weakening her resolve.  Now she wanted to throw her arms around his neck and kiss his dimpled cheeks all over and forgive him and tell him how much she loved him.  But she didn't. "When were you going to tell me?  Were you ever going to tell me?  Or were you just going to let me go on making a fool of myself forever?"

He smiled as he walked up behind her.  She was softening up, he could tell.  "A fool is the last thing I'd call you."  He boldly put his hands on her small waist.

"You didn't trust me enough to tell me.  That hurts my feelings. And you didn't answer my question.  When were you going to tell me?"

"Alright, I honestly don't know when I was going to tell you."  He took his boldness a step further and encircled  his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.  "I was just waiting for the right time.  But now I don't have to wait for the right time because you already know that I'm Hannibal Heyes."   He placed gentle lips to her temple and to her swollen bruised jaw.

She let her head fall back against his shoulder as she folded her arms across his that enclosed her waist.  She closed her eyes as he  gently swayed her slightly back and forth  She hadn't realized how much she had missed having him so close to her until he was there, enveloping her in his warm embrace.  "What were you planning to do, just drop me off at the next sheriff's office and leave me behind?"

He spun her around to face him and looked deeply into her eyes,  "Hey,  I hope you know me better than that by now.  I would never leave you like that."

He was doing it again.  Probing into her soul with his eyes.  How could she possibly stay mad or hurt at him.  She knew now why her mother forgave her father anything.  If he told her right now he was responsible for the entire civil war and the Lincoln assassination she would have forgiven him.  And she believed him.  And she trusted him.   "You promise?"

"I promise."

She threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly to her.

"Does this mean I'm forgiven?" he asked, hugging her tightly back.

"Yes, I forgive you.  But from now on no secrets.  I would never do anything to hurt you or betray your trust."   And I love you, she wanted to add.

"Doesn't it bother you even a little bit that I'm a wanted man?"

"I guess it will only bother me if you get caught."

"Well, we'll have to do our best to keep that from happening."

"We've got a lot of things to figure out don't we?"

"We'll figure 'em out together, alright?"

She nodded and smiled up into his dimpled face,  before he lowered his lips to hers sealing his promise with a tender kiss.  They walked back to the fire hand in hand.

The three sat and watched in awe as the sun put on a breathtaking display of color before it finally disappeared behind the trees to their west.   Evie sat flanked by the two ex outlaws as they explained their amnesty deal with the governor of Wyoming.  Now she knew everything.  And she was delighted that they had made the decision to go straight.  Although she didn't think it would have made any difference to her if they would have told her they were going to clear out the entire Denver Mint tomorrow.  In fact, as she looked at Joshua's beautiful face beside her, she figured she  would have probably asked them what she could do to help.

"I've just got one dilemma though."

"What's that?"  Heyes asked  her.

"What do I call you?"  She looked at Kid,  "I don't even know what your real name is.  Unless your mother was extremely unimaginative."

"My real name is Jedediah.  Everybody called me Jed until I was about nineteen.  Heyes still calls me Jed when he's feeling particularly nostalgic. "

"I don't think I want to call you Heyes.  And I got the distinct impression that you don't want anybody calling you Hannibal."

"No I don't,"  he said emphatically.

"Aw, come on, Heyes, don't you want her to call you what Laura Thompson used to call you back at the home."

"Shut up Kid."

"What did she call him?"  Evie asked with amused enthusiasm.

"Kid...don't."

"She called him 'Hannie'."

"Awww, that's so sweet.  May I call you Hannie?"

"No, you may not,"  he glared at his partner to  let him know pay back was inevitable.  "Anyway I think it's best if you just keep calling us Thaddeus and Joshua.  That way we won't have to worry about you letting it slip in front of the wrong people."

"Alright then, Joshua and Thaddeus it is.  I guess we better get some rest now.   I don't know about you two but I'm exhausted. "

Kid yawned.  "Who takes first watch?"

Heyes reached into his pocket and produced a silver coin.  "Call it."

Minutes later,  she crawled into her bed roll and waited for Hannibal Heyes to crawl into his behind her, while Kid Curry watched over them as they slept.  She had never felt this safe and protected in her entire life.  Or this happy.

"Good night, Jed."

"Night, Evie."

“Good night, Hannie.”

She heard his exasperated huff.  “Now see what you’ve started?”

“Aw, come on Heyes, she’s just joshin’ with ya.”

“Well, how would you like to be called that stupid sounding name?”

“It could be worse Heyes.”

“Oh yeah. How?”

She didn’t hear Kid’s response.  She was drifting off.  The sound of their lighthearted bickering was like a lullaby to her and she drifted off into the most peaceful, dreamless sleep she had ever known.

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

The ragtag threesome rode into the small town of Alpine at dusk the next day.  They had decided to take their chances with the sheriff, hoping he wouldn’t be anyone they had ever come across.  And they were all so road dusty and saddle soar they didn't really care.  But to their surprise, as they rode through town, they discovered that Alpine had no sheriff.  There was a sheriff’s office with a one cell jail, but the sheriff had died last year and the town had not bothered to hire a new one.  They all breathed heavy sighs of relieve as they rode through the dusty streets toward the only hotel in town.  They would wait until they got to Red Rock to inform the sheriff of all that had happened.

The sinking sun was the cue for the local ladies of the evening to come out onto the balcony of the rooms they inhabited above the only saloon in town, which was across the street from the hotel.  A town as small and remote as Alpine, rarely had strangers visiting, especially two young handsome men like the ones who just rode in with a girl.  Sally and Lucy watched as the three rode wearily into town and towards the hotel.  “Howdy, boys,”  they called to the two strangers as they waved their feather boas and batted their painted eyes.

Evangeline eyed the two painted ladies with the skimpy clothing with reproach.  Were they speaking to Joshua and Thaddeus?

The boys dismounted and Heyes came to help Evie from Jenny’s back.  When she was safely on the ground his hands lingered at her waistline a moment and he flashed his beautiful dimples down at her.

“Hey blondie,  if you’ve got the money honey, I’ve got the time.  Why don’t you come up and see me?”   the dark haired Lucy crooned.  Kid just smiled and waved.

“You, too, Dimples,”  called the blond haired Sally.

“Is she talking to you?”  Evie inquired, a little miffed.

“Don’t pay any attention.  They always do that when it starts getting dark.”

“Hey, Dimples,”  Sally called out again, “you ever feel like trading in that raggedy little thing for a real woman, you let me know, you hear.”

“She’s talking about me, isn’t she?”  Evangeline glanced down at her disheveled, dirty self.  No wonder she'd called her raggedy.  But they didn't know her or what she had been through.  It made her angry.  And how dare she flirt so blatantly with a man who, for all she knew, was hers.  She gave the woman a “how dare you” stare with her hands on her hips, that only produced a barrage of laughter from the flirtatious soiled doves.  When she opened her mouth to really let them have it, she was silenced by Heyes hand over her mouth.

“Don’t bother.  They’ll just keep laughing at you. Besides we’re used to it.  Happens in every town we stay in.  Forget about them.  Let’s go in and get a room then find Mr. McCreedy.”

“I can’t wait for a bath,”  Evie said.

“I can’t wait for a thick steak and soft bed,”  Kid said.

“I can’t wait for a cigar and good stiff whiskey,”  Heyes said.

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

Three hours later, they sat in the hotel dining room, all bathed and changed, eating steaks with all the trimmings, courtesy of Patrick McCreedy.  They shared with their bespectacled benefactor the harrowing details of their adventures out on the trail.  Mr.  McCreedy had in turn informed them that the two surviving gang members had been apprehended a couple of days ago and were now awaiting trial in Austin, as soon as they both healed up.  Mac bought the hotel’s finest wine to celebrate their safe return.   Evangeline, not accustomed to drinking alcohol, after two glasses was quite tipsy.  And after a third was down right drunk.  The boys escorted her back to their adjoining rooms, where she collapsed on her bed in a wine induced sleep.  She had managed to bid them both a slurred good night before she succumbed to her intoxication .

“Why don’t you go on over.  You never did get that whiskey you wanted,”  Kid said to his partner who now stood at the window  watching the saloon across the street.

“Nah, I don’t want to leave her.  She might wake up and need something.”

“I’ll be here.  I’ll watch her.”

Heyes walked to the door that led to the adjoining room where Evie was sleeping.  The door was ajar as she had requested.  He peeked in and she was sound asleep.

“You’ll keep an eye on her?”

“Sure.  I won’t let her out of my sight.”

“Alright.”  He grabbed his hat from the hat rack on the back of the door.  “I’ll just have one.  Or maybe two.  I’ll be back soon.”

“Take your time.  I’d say she’s out for the night, so play a little poker if you want.”   Heyes didn’t hear that last part.  He was already out the door.

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

He was nursing his second whiskey as he leaned with both elbows against the bar.  The first he’d downed in one quick shot.  Boy, he’d needed that.  And it was good to have some time alone.  He closed his eyes and absorbed the smells and sounds that came standard with all saloons.  They were familiar and comforting.  Familiar was good.  Because lately, everything he’d said, done and felt were vastly unfamiliar.  He had never felt for anybody what he felt for Evangeline.  And he’d needed these few quiet moments to himself to come to terms with just what and how he felt.  But even though the time alone was much needed, he found himself even now, wanting to hurry back across the street to be where she was.  To watch her while she slept.  To be there if she awoke and needed him.  He turned briefly and scanned the room.  The smoky room was filled with two of his greatest weaknesses,  bad poker players and voluptuous women.  But tonight neither one held as much appeal as watching a slightly tipsy nineteen year old poetry reading young woman sleep.  What was it about her?  He didn't know.  He just knew that when he had first found her, he was waiting to get rid of her so his life could continue like it always had.  But now....he was dreading to be apart from her and he felt in many ways like his life had just begun.  He turned back to lean on the bar.  He was anxious now to get back to her.   As soon as he finished this one, he’d head back to the hotel.

He was just downing the last of the whiskey when a pair of female hands came from behind to caress his shoulders, and a warm soft body was pressed against his back.  "Hello, there, Dimples. Remember me?  My name’s  Sally.   I knew you'd be around to see me sooner or later.  I'm sure glad you made it sooner and not later."  The deep, seductive  female voice belonged the the busty blond that had called to him from the balcony earlier.  She brought her mouth close  to his ear and purred  "You know it ain't everyday that men as good lookin' as you and your friend ride into this town.    Why not come up to my room and let me take care of all your worries?  I don’t think that little thing you rode in here with knows how to handle a stud like you.   Whadda ya say, Dimples?"

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

Evangeline awoke to a dark and silent room.  How long had she been asleep.  She stretched and rubbed her eyes.  "Joshua?"  she called out. Ouch!  The sound of her own voice made her head woozy.

When silence greeted her she rose and the room tilted sideways.  With a slight stagger she made it into the adjoining room the boys shared.  Thaddeus was sitting in the chair next to the window sound asleep.  Joshua was not here.   Where could he be?  She looked at the pocket watch lying on the bedside table.  Eleven p.m.  Where would he go this time of night?  She walked to the window and pulled back the curtains.  The saloon.  She glanced at Thaddeus and knew he was out for a while.  She crept back to her room, donned her stockings and shoes and slipped silently out the door.

She approached the saloon doors with only slight trepidation.  She glanced nervously down the street in both directions.  Her mother would have been appalled to see her even standing in front of a saloon. But for some reason she didn't care what her mother would have thought.  It must be the wine in her veins, she decided.  Or perhaps her father's gambling blood in her veins was finally revealing itself.   She could hear the sounds of talking and laughter, and a twangy piano that was in bad need of tuning.  And she could smell the beer and whiskey.  Her heart was pounding as she dared to sneak a peek over the top of the heavy wooden bat wing doors.  Several tables were surrounded by men playing cards.  The twangy piano was in one corner, being played by a middle aged man, while a heavy set red head wearing a gaudy low cut dress attempted to sing along to "Beautiful Dreamer."   Several men stood at the bar drinking or ordering beer and whiskey.  And about half a dozen women in revealing dresses caroused about the room in search of any man who would take an interest.   An angry scowl washed over her face when she spotted the blond who'd spoken so rudely to her  and flirted so vulgarly with Joshua earlier that night.  She had herself draped all over some poor man, who obviously wasn't interested in her affections.  Hey,  he had a hat just like....her vision went green and then she saw red.

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

Two weeks ago, Sally's invitation would have been too much for him to resist.  Especially after a week like the one he'd just had, but for some reason her invitation just didn't interest him.  Who was he kidding.  He knew the reason and  that reason was sleeping in room 202 of the Alpine Inn across the street.  Heyes turned himself slowly, intending to politely refuse Sally's invitation.  He turned just in time to see Sally spin on her heels to face the person who had just tapped her on the shoulder.  Then he saw the right hook that caught her in the jaw and sent her flying side ways onto the floor at his feet.  All eyes in the saloon came to rest on the young woman who stood there in the middle of the room wincing and shaking her hand in mid air.

"Evangeline!  What the.....where did you....why the devil....."

He stepped over Sally's prone body, now surrounded by her fellow lady's of the evening.  He took some paper bills from his pocket and threw them on the floor beside the stunned women.  “Sorry ladies, this is for your trouble.”   Then he took Evangeline by the arm and hurried her out of the saloon.  They almost ran into Kid as he came running up on the board walk in front of the saloon.

"I thought you were gonna watch her!"

"Sorry.  I dozed off for a few minutes and when I woke up she was gone.  What happened anyway?"

"Take a look inside and you'll see."

Kid took in the scene inside and was able to fill in the blanks without any help.  Evangeline had come into the saloon just in time to see Sally offering her "goods" to Heyes.   Obviously not liking what she saw, and being filled with drunken bravado she had  punched the girl right in the jaw.  She was out cold.   Kid turned to see Heyes examining Evangeline's bruised right knuckles.

"What were you doing in there?"  Heyes asked her angrily.

"I was looking for you,"  she slurred.

"Well, you don't ever go into a place like that again.  And you don't go  around slugging people in the face."

"She had herself draped all over you,"  she threw back.  "And besides she had it comin' for the way she talked to me earlier.  And the way she was flirtin' with you.  Of all the nerve..."

"Was that right hook something else your father taught you?"  He found a tender spot on her hand causing her to suck in her breath.  "Sorry.  Maybe that will teach you not to go around punching innocent ladies in the face."

Her mouth hung open in disbelieve.  He was defending that....that.... oh she wanted so badly to say that ugly word, but she didn't.  "Innocent lady?  You  mean you're going to stand here and lecture me about how to properly treat a...a.....tramp...like that."

"Heyes we better get back to the hotel before people start taking an unhealthy interest and start asking questions."

They hurried back to the hotel room.  Once inside Heyes sat her on the edge of the bed where he leaned with both hands on either side of her.  "What I'm going to lecture you on is not drawing unnecessary undesired attention to yourself.  When you draw attention to yourself, people get curious and start asking questions.  That's something two wanted men can't afford. You understand?  Now we'll have to leave town first thing in the morning instead of resting here for a few days."

Her remorse at her actions was written all over her face.   She slapped both hands across her mouth, her movements exaggerated due to her inebriated state.   "Oh, no.  I'm sorry.  I didn't realize.  I've ruined everything."  She looked like she was going to start crying.

He was immediately sorry he'd lectured her at all.  In her inebriated state she was far too emotional.  He should have waited until morning.  He was just about to tell her it was alright and no harm had been done when she began to heave.

"Kid get me the pot, quick!"

Kid came with the chamber pot just in time for her to lose her supper into it.  In minutes she was out again.   Heyes removed her shoes and washed her face with a cool cloth.

"She's got a lot to learn, Heyes,"  Kid said as he leaned against the door jam of Evie's room watching his partner tend to the beautiful young woman with tender care.

"Yeah,  I know."

"Did she really lay that girl out with a right hook?"

Heyes cracked a smile he'd been suppressing since he'd watched her slug Sally.  "She sure did."

The boys looked at each other and busted out laughing.

"Well,  I think maybe I'd better go on over there and see what I can do to improve our relations with those ladies.  Kinda smooth things over, if you know what I mean.  Maybe we won't have to leave in the morning after all.   Besides, I don't think she's gonna be up to traveling tomorrow.  I think there's a hangover in her immediate future."    He waved silently to his partner as he left the room to go across the street to the saloon.

Heyes sat on the edge of her bed for a long time, thinking.   Living on the lamb with wanted men required certain knowledge and skills.  Was it fair to ask her to live this kind of life?  Right now, there wasn't any other choice.  But she was a smart girl and she would catch on soon enough. Yes, she had a lot to learn.  But she was in luck. Hannibal Heyes was an excellent and all too willing teacher.