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The warmth of the sun on her face caused Molly to stir before a sense of
panic filled her. She was always up well before the sun which meant she
was late in starting her day. Mr. Cole would be angry.

“Hold on there, honey,” came a deep voice she struggled to place. A pair
of hands kept her from sitting upright. Molly opened her eyes to see
Nathan Jackson's face. Concern filled his dark eyes and it all came
rushing back to her; bringing a meal for him and his patient, the
encounter with the man named Jonah and Ian.

Sweet Jesus. Ian.

Her intention to throw herself up and out of the bed she was laying on
must have shown on her face because his hands tightened on her arms,

“Ms. Crowley...”

“Let me up,” Molly demanded. “I want to see him. I want to see my
brother.” If her demand coupled with her declaration surprised him at
all he didn't show it.

“He's restin' which is what you should be doing,” he responded. Molly
let the statement sink in.

“Resting?” she echoed. “He's not...he's alright?”

“A few steps removed from alright but...”

“But not...gone...” Molly couldn't bring herself to say the word. Even
the euphemism seemed too much like tempting fate.

“No. Jonah got him here just on time. You should know though I ain't a
doctor. Just do what I can to heal folks.” He stood and walked over to a
table that sat underneath a window. Molly sat up and swung her legs over
the side of the single bed she now realized was more like a cot.

“I've seen the result of some so-called doctors efforts,” Molly
responded. “There's hardly enough space in the room for their egos and
their patients.”

Molly stood and for the first time got a better look at the figure in
the bed in the room. Except for the bandages on his arms which lay on
top of the quilt he could be sleeping.

“How long since you last seen him?” Nathan's voice was quiet.

“Years,” Molly whispered. Molly ran her hands down the front of her
dress smoothing it out, doing the same with her hair. She rolled up her
sleeves.

“What needs doing?” she asked, turning to face Nathan.

“Ms. Crowley, you don't need...”

“Mr. Jackson,” Molly bit out. “I have traveled the length of an ocean
and a country to find my brother and been through hell and back between.
If you think I am leaving this room without assisting you in his care
you are sadly mistaken. Now I ask you again. What needs doing?”

he sound of Molly's voice filled Nathan's clinic. Through her chatter,
Nathan got a better sense of what she'd been through in an effort to
search for her brother. 'Hell and back between' was the term she'd used
and it sounded not like much of an exaggeration. She worked as she
talked; folding, scrubbing, mending. Ms. Pressman had come to assure her
that the hotel was making due but Nathan got the sense Molly could have
been fired on the spot and she'd have hardly cared.

Nathan believed that people who were unconscious, even deeply so, could
hear those around them. He watched as Ian began to stir more and more as
if he could sense his sister was near him. Nathan learned quickly that
Molly Crowley was not to be handled. She'd insisted early on that he was
to call her Molly even as she still called him Mr. Jackson until he
likewise insisted she call him Nathan. She wasn't the least bit
disrespectful and deferred to, in her words, his expertise. Lord how he
didn't want to prove her faith in him wrong. She seemed to have come by
nursing much like he'd come by healing, by watching and doing. Nathan
had heard her mention a foundling hospital.

Late the end of that first night, as they both tried getting some rest,
a voice came from the bed, just above a whisper. Where it had Nathan
thinking twice about what he was hearing, it had Molly bolting upright
out of the cot she'd been laying in. She turned up the lamp next to the
bed.

“Ian?” the hope in her voice nearly brought Nathan to tears.

“Kathleen?” Ian's voice was raspy but at it's sound Molly let out a
laugh. “Can that be you, love, or have I met the angels?”

“Ian Crowley, you are as ever a caution.” Nathan stood and saw as Molly
placed her head on her brother's chest. “I dared to hope, dared and near
bargained with the devil himself.”

“Aye, I'd heard you. Stories fit for a pint of Da's. And more I'm sure
where that came from besides.”

“So many more. But you, my scamp of a darling brother, must rest,
because I want to hear yours. I want to know how an Irishman and an
Indian became friends.”

“It might be enough that we both know what it is to fight for land taken
out from under our feet.”

“It might be, but I know there's more. So rest now my love.” Before
she'd even finished speaking, Ian was again asleep.

Molly fairly skipped down the main road toward the post office. She'd
written to her family in New York and to Mrs. Pressman that Ian had been
found. She knew her family especially would want the news right away but
the cost of a telegram was too dear so a letter would have to do. She
saw the now familiar figure of Vin Tanner ahead. He stood nursing a cup
of what Molly presumed to be coffee, one leg casually crossed over the
other as he watched the town slowly wake. He touched the brim of his hat
when he saw her and Molly made her way over.


“Good morning, Vin, she called out in greeting.


“How's Ian this morning?” Vin asked. In the days since Ian had woken,
Vin never failed to ask after him when he saw Molly.


“I haven't been to see him yet. He's slowly starting to get up and about
and Nathan said he should be able to leave the clinic by the end of the
飞别别办.”


“I heard he and Jonah plan to go into business together.”


“He's told me his plans. Jonah seems a good sort if not a bit of a
caution. As plans go it's not the worst he could come up with. Ian seems
to like it here...in the West I mean.”


“What about you? You plannin' on stayin' on then?” Molly wondered if she
imagined the sound of hope in his voice.


“I am. For the time being anyway,” she responded.


“I'm glad to hear it,” Vin said. Molly felt her face heat as she excused
herself to continue on her errand.


Molly emptied the pail of the dirty water and set it next to her. She
wiped her hands on her apron as she took a few steps out of the alley.
She didn't think she'd ever get used to so much open space. Normally her
view was clear for miles around. The last few days it had been broken up
by tents and wagons of all kinds that had set up camp just outside of
town. It was a theater troupe planning to stay for a couple of weeks to
perform various plays. Mr. Cole was expecting an increase in business as
people traveled to Four Corners to take in the shows.


“Molly?” a voice called from the alley. Molly turned and walked back to
see Shawna leaning out the side door to the hotel. “You got an early
start,” she commented, nodding to the pail Molly retrieved. “Breakfast
is nearly ready but coffee is on,” she said.


“Well if the two of you aren't the perfect sight to behold on this
glorious morning,” Ian's teasing brogue came from the opposite end of
the alley. Shawna ducked her head and blushed as Molly rolled her eyes.


“You, Ian Michael Crowley are a caution,” she scolded turning to her
brother. He used a cane but was getting stronger with each day. He made
his way to them.


“I overheard something about breakfast and coffee,” he said, directing
his attention to Shawna.


“Which you can get the same as everyone else in the dinning room,” Molly
said.


“Yes, but I don't get the pleasure of your company in the dinning room,”
Ian winked at Shawna. Molly remembered her brother as a harmless flirt
that could give Buck Willmington a run for his money and clearly that
much hadn't changed.


“Shawna and I have work to get on with,” Molly motioned for Shawna to go
back inside and followed shutting the door in her brother's laughing
face.


“Brothers,” Molly muttered turning her attention to Shawna.


“Please don't pay any attention to him. He fancies himself to be
charming. If he ever gets to be too much, let me know,” Molly assured
the other woman. “Now you said something about coffee.”



Later that afternoon after the lunch service, Molly was straightening
out dinning room in preparation for dinner when she heard the bells on
the front door of the hotel.


“Excuse me,” a man stood in the doorway of the restaurant. He was
dressed in a long-tailed dinner jacket and held a top-hat in his hands.
Not a sight Molly was used to seeing in the early afternoon of Four
Corners.


“Are you the proprietress?” he asked. “No one was at the front desk.”


“My uncle stepped away but perhaps I could be of assistance?” Eva's
voice came from just behind him.


“Madam,” he gave her a low bow. “I would beg the use of one of your
front windows to advertise our shows. Mrs. Travis is printing some signs
for us and I'm asking several businesses if they'd allow one to be hung
耻辫.”


“I would have to confer with my uncle but I don't see why not,” Eva told
the man. He bowed to her again and left.


“Are you planning to go see one of the shows, Eva?” Molly asked after
the door closed behind the man.


“I may. It's been a while since I've seen a play,” Eva responded. Vin
Tanner passed by the window, caught sight of Molly and touched the brim
of his hat to her as he passed by. As it always seemed to whenever he
paid her attention, Molly felt her face heat. She realized that Eva had
been speaking but Molly hadn't heard a word she'd said.


“I'll make sure my uncle can do without you if you'd like to go. Or if
you're asked to be escorted,” Eva said knowingly.

Vin saw Ezra come out of the alley holding a woman in his arms and saw
it was Cassie. He watched him head in the direction of Nathan's place
and hurried over.
"What happened?"

"She's fainted," Ezra responded, heading up the stairs. "Perhaps we need
to fetch her brother." At that, the nearly semi-conscious woman began
stirring. "Hush, now, you're fine," Ezra said just as Nathan opened the
door to his clinic.

"What happened?" Nathan echoed Vin's earlier question.

"I have no idea which is why we're at your doorstep."

"Someone needs to go fetch Chris," Nathan said as they entered his
clinic and Ezra brought Cassie over to the bed.

"Not...Chris...not...yet," Cassie seemed to use all her energy to get
the words out. The men exchanged a look.

"I'll go get Molly," Vin said and left the clinic.

Vin hurried toward the hotel. He saw Chris coming from the direction of
the boarding house.

“You seen Cassie?” Chris asked him as he approached. “She's normally at
the boarding house about this time of day but she's not there.”

"She's...at Nathan's,” Vin responded. “Ezra brought her.”

“Why did Ezra have to bring her? What happened, Vin?” Vin knew all too
well the warning tone that was in Chris's voice.

“Maybe you'd best just go see for yourself, but Chris she's fine.” Vin
watched Chris hurry off and take the stairs up to Nathan's clinic two at
a time.


Molly took the kettle off the stove and carefully poured the water into
two large pails. She'd already brought the tub into her room. Vin
appeared in the doorway of the kitchen.

“Vin, is everything okay?” she asked.

“It's Cassie,” he said. “She fainted in the alley. Ezra saw her and
brought her to Nathan's.” Thoughts of her bath vanished as Molly moved
to take her apron off.

“I should go to her,” she said.

“I think she's bein' looked after. I ran into Chris on my way here. I
don't know there's anything you can do.” Molly nodded.

"You're probably right. I'll do what I can in the morning for breakfast
if she's still not well.”

“Need any help with that?” Vin asked, nodding at the pails full of
water.

“That's kind of you but I couldn't possibly impose,” she responded
taking the handle of one of the pails at the same time he did. His hand
ended up over hers. It was warm, calloused and sent a shiver through her
body.

“It...it ain't imposin',” Vin responded. Molly stepped back and took the
handle of the other pail. She led him up the back stairs and down the
hallway to her room. She set her pail down and turned to reach for the
one Vin held. “This your room?” he asked.

“It is,” Molly responded. “So you'll understand this is where we have to
part company.” Vin looked like he wanted to say something but instead he
just set his pail down next to the one she carried. “Thank you,” Molly
said, opening the door to her room. Vin touched the brim of his hat to
her. Molly griped the door frame as she watched him walk away using it
as an anchor to keep from doing something foolish like stopping him,
calling him back. She'd been affected by a longing for a man before but
she knew better than anyone that a woman carried the burden – sometimes
literally – for the consequences of intimacy outside of marriage. Even
if they didn't lay together all it would take would be the wrong person
to see him leave her room and she'd be the one to face the result. He
stopped just at the top of the stairs and turned to her.

“Good night, Molly,” he said to her, hesitating the slightest before
descending the stairs. Molly carried the pails into her room and emptied
them into the tub before undressing and lowering herself into the water.



The mood in the town was festive as it got closer to the day the troupe
opened their shows. Ian sat with Jonah in the restaurant finishing up
breakfast. Ian sipped his coffee and watched his friend who’d been in a
perpetual state of pleased with himself since he’d gotten the preacher’s
permission sit near them at a performance.


“You might want to rein in your pleased as punch look when we go
outside. Someone might see and tell the girl’s guardian you might have
different intentions,” Ian said as they stood to walk out of the
restaurant.

“Maybe you should worry about your own house,” Jonah retorted as they
stepped out into the morning and walked toward the livery.


“You mean Molly?” Ian asked. “Molly’s sensible.”


“You’re sure?” Jonah asked as they walked past the alley, he nodded
toward it. Molly stood next to the side entrance to the hotel with Vin
Tanner. Close to him, enough that her skirts covered the toes of his
boots. He sipped from a steaming cup.


“What have you heard about him?” Ian asked. Jonah just chuckled.


“Thought she was sensible?” Ian choose to ignore the tone in Jonah’s
voice.


“Mornin’, Kathleen,” Ian called down to his younger sister. He didn’t
miss how quickly they stepped back from each other.


“Ian, Jonah,” she called in greeting. Vin touched the brim of his hat to
them as he handed the cup back to Molly and walked toward the back of
the alley and around the corner. Molly stepped back inside the hotel.


“I’ll meet you later,” Ian said distractedly.


“Where you off to?” Jonah asked.


“To learn more about Vin Tanner.” Ian ignored Jonah’s chuckle as he
walked toward the telegraph office.

Molly walked back down toward the Saloon where Vin along with Buck
Wilmington and JD Dunn were getting ready to ride out to search for Eva.
She’d spent a considerable amount of time convincing Eva’s uncle he
should stay at the hotel and let the town’s protectors search. She then
closed the kitchen for lunch with his blessing while she made packets of
food for the three men to take with them, nearly tripping over her
brother with every step. If she’d thought him protective before, he was
insufferable now.


Vin approached her as she made her way down the boardwalk.


“Did you get any rest?” Vin asked. Molly shook her head.


“I’ve got food for you and the others,” she nodded toward where Buck and
JD were and handed Vin the sack of food. He took it, his hand tightening
over hers.


“Please find her,” Molly implored.


“We will, they couldn’t have gone far,” Vin responded.


“Please be safe,” Molly said, her focus on his hand over hers.


“We’ll bring her back,” Vin said. “While we’re gone, stick close to
Ian,” he nodded behind her and Molly knew her brother had followed her.
Molly nodded and stepped back, letting go of his hand. Vin touched the
brim of his hat to her and walked back toward his horse.


“Molly,” Ian’s voice came from behind her.


“Not now,” Molly said. “Ms. Weather's will be expecting the hotel to be
spit-spot when she returns.” She walked back toward the hotel.

Jonah walked back inside the livery and began pacing, doing his best to
ignore Cheyenne’s horse whose own behavior was getting the other horses
riled up. He knew those men meant every word they’d said. If he was even
30 seconds late bringing Molly to them, Cheyenne would pay.

“Jesus, Mary and Joseph, what’s gotten into them?” Ian’s brogue came
from the doorway.

“Storm might be comin’” Ian replied. He watched Ian go to Wind’s stall
and begin talking to him. Normally the only person who could approach
the horse was Cheyenne but he seemed to still a bit for Ian. Jonah
wondered if Ian had learned more about Vin. He’d seemed on a tear about
it when Vin had escorted Molly to the theater troupe’s performance.

“You learn anymore about Tanner?” Jonah asked.

“Nothing more than we already knew. Besides, Molly’d have my hide if she
knew I was going behind her back. So far he’s been the gentleman she’s
claimed him to be and I suspect he knows I’d call him out if he
weren’t,” Ian responded. Jonah had resumed his pacing. “What’s eatin’ at
测辞耻?”

Jonah didn’t respond except to walk out of the livery afraid if he
didn’t, he’d reveal to his friend exactly what happened which would only
serve to get Cheyenne killed.



As plans went, it wasn’t a very good one. But he was running out of
time. It was early in the morning, sun just starting to rise but he knew
Molly would be awake. Vin’s wagon was in the same alley the door to the
restaurant’s kitchen was. Jonah couldn’t risk knocking and waking him.
Slowly he twisted the doorknob and quietly pushed the door open. The
smell of brewing coffee filled the air and he quickly closed the door
lest that also stir the tracker.

Molly stepped through the swinging door between the dining room and
kitchen. She gave a start when she saw Jonah.

“Mother of Christ, Jonah! You scared the life out of me! What are you
doing here?”

“I need your help,” Jonah said. “I know you’ve got experience nursin’
and as a midwife. Couple just outside town, seems it’s her time and her
sister ain’t here to help her yet.”

“I’ll help of course but we should also get Mr. Jackson,” Molly turned
for the door and Jonah reached out to grab her arm.

“We can’t…”

“We have to. Strictly speaking I’m not a midwife, I’ve only assisted at
a birth a few times.”

“Strictly speaking she won’t want Nathan,” Jonah hoped that the
implication of prejudice wouldn’t be enough for Molly to refuse to go.


Jonah had once heard Ian say that God looked after fools and children.
He assumed that was the case now as he made his way outside with Molly
and helped her up on a horse behind him. She’d wanted to leave a note
but Jonah assured her he had no intention of sticking around a birth and
he’d come back to town to tell the others where she was. He rode east,
toward the ravine and cave he was certain Abe and the others would be.

The ride was short and as he approached the location, he turned slightly
south to a stand of trees and stopped. He had to be sure Cheyenne was
still...that she wasn’t…

“Jonah?” His name from Molly’s lips held about a thousand questions.
Jonah dismounted and reached up to help Molly do the same. He found his
hands drifted down from her arms to her hands and he squeezed them in
his own as much to reassure himself as her. There was good in this
woman. He could see where Tanner would be so taken with her, why Ian
wanted to move heaven and earth to be reunited with her.

“Cheyenne was taken,” he said. Confusion passed Molly’s face.

“Taken? To the woman in labor?” Jonah shook his head.

“There is no woman in labor. She was taken, and the men who took
her...the men who took her are...they’re a bad sort, Molly.” Jonah felt
the tension in Molly’s hands even as her expression changed as an
understanding something was wrong took hold. Still, her goodness showed
itself again when she asked,

“Why didn’t you tell Mr. Larabee and the others? We could have gotten
Vin…” she was pulling from his grasp.

“Because, Molly, they warned me not to.”

“Well what on earth did you bring me here for?”

“A trade.”

“A trade?” she echoed back.

“You for her because they want Vin Tanner. They know Vin will come for
you.” If the situation weren’t so desperate he’d have been impressed at
how fast Molly’s demeanor turned. She twisted from his grasp and hauled
off with a right hook that’d have done her brother proud. Jonah dodged
it and grabbed her around the waist knocking her to the ground harder
than he meant to. He took advantage of the wind being knocked out of her
to grab her wrists with one hand above her head and cover her mouth with
the other. She kicked, her skirts preventing any real damage but he
still pressed his body into hers in an effort to stop her fight.

“Molly, stop,” he hissed in her ear. “You keep fighting me you’re gonna
get hurt and I don’t want that.” She stilled but her entire body
vibrated underneath his. He’d have taken it for fear if he didn’t see
blue murder in her eyes. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.
But I had to do what they said. I won’t let anything happen to Cheyenne,
you hear me? Molly?” She nodded her head and slowly Jonah relaxed his
grip and got off of her. He walked back over to the horse and took a
length of rope out of the saddle bag feeling her eyes on his the entire
time. He came back and crouched down. She was sitting up, propped
against the tree. Her hair had started to come out of the combs she’d
always pulled it back in and he noticed a small bruise forming on her
face.

“Are you hurt?” he asked.

“Would it make a difference if I was?” she retorted.

“Listen to me,” Jonah said, grabbing a hold of her hands and tying the
rope around them. “These men, these men like fight, they like spirit and
spunk if only so that they can break it. When I bring you to them, you
can not fight them. You stay quiet, you stay meek and they’ll talk a
good game but they’ll leave you be. Do you understand me?” Jonah helped
her stand.

“I am certain I’ve faced worse than them and survived,” Molly said.

“That’s the thing, Molly. You haven’t. Let’s go.”


Molly continued to look out at the men who were gathered around the
fire. Most of the horses were gathered close to the small patch of
grassland nearby and all were still saddled. Molly didn’t know how to
ride but she knew Cheyenne did. They just had to do something about
getting out of the wagon they were in. Somehow she had to get to Vin.
She didn’t understand what these men, specifically the one called
Wheeler wanted with him but it hardly mattered. As if she’d spoken his
name out loud, he turned his attention toward her. Jonah’s words of
warning about being meek and submissive echoed in her mind. Meek and
submissive wouldn’t have survived the hunger in Ireland and meek and
submissive would have made it impossible to live in Five Points never
mind what she’d done for Brighty…


She turned behind her to see Cheyenne still seated on the floor. Molly
had only spoken to the girl a handful of times and got the sense she
didn’t know much English and the few French words Molly had picked up in
her time as a maid weren’t going to be enough for this situation.


“Do you know where we are? If we could get to a horse, could you get us
back to town?”


Cheyenne shook her head.


“No, you don’t know where we are or you don’t understand me?”


“Jonah will come,” she replied softly. Clearly she’d seemed to take what
Jonah – or Abraham as Wheeler had called him – had said about coming
back at face value. “Bring Josiah and Vin.”


“Vin can’t come here,” Molly responded her tone harsher than she’d
intended. “That man, Wheeler, wants him. Do you know why?” Again
Cheyenne shook her head. Either she didn’t know or didn’t understand
Molly’s question. Either way, the situation they were in hadn’t changed
and never mind that Molly didn’t know how to ride, she wasn’t going to
leave Cheyenne behind.


“Jesus, Mary and Joseph,” Molly muttered not wanting her frustration to
give way to fear neither wanting to take either out on Cheyenne. Somehow
they had to get away and keep Vin from Wheeler.


The horse moved at a dead run but to Molly the world moved in slow
motion. Everything at the camp happened so fast – the men from town, her
brother, Jonah all fighting Wheeler and his men. Having never mounted a
horse on her own in her life, Molly found herself in the saddle of one
and before she could wonder at how to proceed, Ian mounted behind her.
“Ian, stop,” she shouted. He either didn’t hear her or was choosing to
ignore her. “Ian,” she grabbed a hold of the reins knowing enough that
pulling back on them would cause the horse to stop. The horse slowed and
then stopped.

“Are you daft?” Ian shouted at her. Molly struggled to get purchase
enough to dismount off the horse.

“Get me down,” she demanded. She felt Ian shift behind her and then he
was helping her off the horse. As soon as her feet touched solid earth,
her knees buckled.

“Jesus Christ, Kathleen, we need to get to town,” Ian said, moving her
back toward the horse. Molly found strength enough to shake him off and
took several steps toward the direction they’d come from.

“Where are they?” The faintest thrumming of hooves against the earth
filled the air. It could be the others from town. It could also be
Wheeler. A man like that denied what he felt owed wouldn’t hesitate to
take it back and rain hell down upon anyone in his way.

“We have to go. Now.” Ian’s voice held panic and Molly turned toward
him.

“We can’t leave. Not until we know.” Molly turned back toward the rise.
She’d marveled in her weeks at Four Corners the openness of this place.
Not since she’d been crossing the ocean had she seen anything like it. A
breeze kicked up carrying the sharp, clean smell of the grass and sage –
a scent she’d come to associate with Vin. The sky was starting to turn
golden as afternoon was turning to early evening and caused the
approaching figures to appear in shadow. The thrumming was getting
louder the closer they came.

“Mother of Christ,” Ian muttered behind her. One rider broke off and
moved ahead of the others and Molly knew it was Vin. Questions had
filled her mind starting with the instant that Jonah told her Wheeler
wanted him but doubt that he’d come for her never had. She watched him
dismount a few feet from her and fought down the urge to run into his
arms.

“You should be in town,” Vin said. “We don’t know it’s safe yet.” The
others came up just then.

“Wheeler?” Ian’s voice asked.

“Alive when we left,” Mr. Sanchez responded. “Vin’s right, we best be
gettin’ to town.”


When he should have moved to do what Josiah said, Vin found himself
unable to move. At a distance, Molly and Cheyenne had looked none the
worse for wear – disheveled and dirty but unharmed...and alive. Vin
didn’t blame Ian for wanting a pound of flesh from either him or Jonah
or Abe or whatever his name was. He’d have lost all respect for the man
if he hadn’t. All Vin had cared about was getting to Molly. She stood
before him now, her long red hair half in and half out of the combs she
used to pull it into a roll on her head – a chignon he’d heard ladies
call it. The fanciful sound of the word belying how common the style
was. Common on all but her. They’d taken to walking in the evening after
her work was done back behind the buildings where they could be alone.
They’d shared a lot about each other and he’d told her things he’d never
spoken aloud to another soul. Except for the one thing that really
mattered – the one thing that he knew could put her in danger.

“Molly…” he heard the raw sound of his voice that usually meant he'd had
a long ride on a dusty, hot trail. He had a thousand questions but only
one that mattered and before he could ask it, Ian put himself between
them.

“Kathleen, now,” Ian's words were for Molly but the look he was leveling
was for Vin. They were far from done and didn’t Vin know it.