Chapter One

The once light blue sky was quickly disappearing as the huge black clouds rolled in, and thunder could be hear rumbling off in the distance as the long haired stranger to Modesto walked out of the small boarding house. The man would have stayed in his room with his wife only, he'd seen a man he knew enough about to feel like he needed to keep an eye on things. After telling his wife who he had seen and where he was going, the stranger hurried across the road and down the street. Just as he stepped through the brown swinging doors the rain began to pour down. However, he paid no attention to the weather as he looked around the establishment. Round, brown tables sat in the middle of the room while a few square and rectangular shaped ones were set against the south and west walls. The bartender, a thin white haired man wearing dark pants, white shirt and a brown vest stood behind the bar. With the exception of a couple of pictures, the walls were practically bare. It wasn't hard to spot the red headed man-as the room only had a few patrons. He was sitting at one of the longer, rectangular tables that sat near the south wall. There were three other men sitting with him.

Since he was sitting with his back to the wall, Nick easily saw the six foot stranger walk into the bar. The man's hair was long and pulled back in a ponytail while his beard and mustache looked like their owner should think about a trip to the barber. However, when the man looked around and then started walking towards the table next to the one where he was playing poker, Nick found himself bracing himself-though he had no clue as to why. However, Nick's attention was drawn away from the stranger who was now seated at the other table when the man who had introduced himself as Timothy Jones threw money down on the table. "I'll take your bet and raise you five."

The game continued on, and Nick almost forgot about the stranger at the other table. In fact, he would have only he and his friends had lost almost all their money to 'Mr. Jones', who asked them if they wanted to go one more round or call it quits. Before Nick or his two friends could answer, the stranger was leaning back in his chair and speaking. "You've already cheated them out of close to a hundred dollars, Parker. I'd say that was enough."

"Cheated!" Nick barked while his friends whipped their heads to the side in order to see who had spoken. "What do you mean cheated, and did you call him Parker?'

"His name is Parker Jensen." The stranger stood up, took a few steps and stopped next to the table. He wasn't surprised by the look of fear that had appeared in Parker's eyes. When the man tried to speak, the stranger cut him off.

"Pick up the cards and shuffle them." The stranger looked at Nick, who did as he was told simply because he wanted to see if the man standing by the table knew what he was talking about…even though he suspected the stranger did as the accused party seemed to be sweating all of sudden.

"Now what?" Nick asked the stranger, though he and his friends were glaring at the accused.

"Lay three cards, face down, on the table." The stranger instructed.

Even as he did as the stranger instructed, Nick just knew what was coming; he was right too.

The stranger reached for the first card, telling everyone what the card was. He was correct…as he was the second and third times. "As you can see gentlemen, the deck is marked." The stranger stepped back.

"Why you no good…" Nick's friend-thirty year old Kyle Hill-jumped to his feet and would have lunged at the one called Parker only the stranger intervened. "Doesn't this town have a sheriff and a jail?"

"No!" The one called Parker jumped to his feet and tried going for his gun. Both Nick and the stranger pulled their pistols out before Parker could clear leather. He froze, though he did not move his hand off his weapon.

"Don't try it, mister." Nick spoke through clenched teeth. He then told the would be thief to slowly remove his pistol and to drop it to the floor.

Parker did as he was told, all the while glaring at the stranger who had ruined his plans. It made no difference as the man was not fazed by the crook's reaction to being caught. "Kyle, why don't you and your cousin take this man to the sheriff."

"Be glad too, but he tries anything I'll shoot before I ask any questions." Kyle and his cousin were soon leading Parker Jensen out of the saloon.

"Thanks, mister," Nick, turned towards the stranger only to realize the man was sitting back down at the table he'd been sitting at before. He walked over and again thanked the stranger. "You know him?" Nick nodded towards the saloon entrance.

"Crossed paths with him a time or two," the stranger answered after running his fingers through his thick beard. He then surprised Nick by asking him if he knew where the barbershop was. After what Nick had thought when the stranger walked into the saloon, he couldn't help but grin.

"Bartender there does both," Nick gestured towards the bar. He then asked for the stranger's name. "Kind of be nice to know who I'm in debt too."

The stranger didn't answer at first. Then, as he slowly stood up, he replied, "Folks call me Jeremiah. Now, if you excuse me, no beard should ever look like a bird could use it as a nest…nor should a man's hair be as long as his wife's. Well, not in my opinion which means I'm breaking my own rules. And then, I best get back to the boarding house before my wife thinks something's happened to me." As he started to walk away, Nick stopped him.

"If you ever need a job or anything, go to Stockton, to my family's ranch. All you have to do is ask for me, name's Nick Barkley."

If the stranger hadn't had his back to Nick, the famous Stockton rancher would have looked into the stranger's blue eyes and seen the look of one who had a fight going on inside him. As it was, the man nodded and thanked Nick-and then walked away.

As Nick watched the man leave, he wondered why the man's blue eyes, and now his walk, reached out and grabbed him. He knew he'd never seen the man before. However, having already thanked the stranger and offered him a job if he needed one, Nick turned around and climbed the stairs. He'd rented a room from the bartender and needed to get to sleep. Because he was climbing the stairs, Nick didn't see the stranger turn and watch him until he disappeared into the room.