Chapter 2

Nick and Heath were talking about this man Butler all the way home that evening, even as they came into the front door. Willing to talk about it after he had thought about it more, Heath told Nick that they had known each other at the last place Heath worked before coming to the Barkleys, in Corning. They had been friends once, until Butler's dark, senseless anger came out over a saloon girl he manhandled. Heath had rescued her. Butler had goaded Heath into a gunfight. Heath had shot Butler's gun out of his hand.

And humiliated him.

"It was right after that I got word my mother was dying," Heath said as they came in the door. "I left even before Butler's arm healed."

"Was he a professional then?" Nick asked.

"Gunfighter? No," Heath said. "I don't know when he turned into that. Could be he did it because I humiliated him, I don't know. But he was a different man today than I remember."

"He wants to kill you, you know."

"Who wants to kill you?" Victoria had overheard them, and her eyes were like fire. No one threatened her family – no one.

"No one important, Mother," Heath said. "Somebody I knew before I came here is in town. He'll give up and take off before too long."

"You seem awfully sure of that," Victoria said, looking doubtful.

"I am," Heath said.

"What are you going to do? How are you going to avoid him?"

"I won't go into town for a while, at least not until Suzanne gets back," Heath said, hanging his hat and gunbelt up on the rack in the hallway.

Suzanne had gone to visit her cousin having a baby in Modesto. She wasn't expected to be back for a week or so, but Nick said, "What are you going to say to Suzanne when she gets back?"

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

"You're sure he won't come here after you? He came today."

"He won't come here to kill me. He wants to kill me in a fair fight, in public. I won't let him have the chance."

Nick exchanged doubtful looks with his mother. "Where's Nancy?" he asked quietly as Heath went into the living room.

"Napping," Victoria said. Then she held Nick by the sleeve before he could follow Heath and said, "Don't you go interfering on this, Nick. When you go to town, you give this man a wide berth."

Nick looked at Heath, who had his back to them, then back at his mother. He nodded, even though he didn't want to. Being married was making him more cautious, he admitted to himself. But as he walked with his mother into the living room, he said, "I could talk to Jarrod, see about maybe getting a restraining order."

"I doubt he could get one, Nick," Heath said. "Seems to me he'd have to have something more than somebody calling me out to get a restraining order."

"We could ask him."

"Go ahead. Ask him. Meantime, I'm not gonna lose any sleep over this."

Heath poured a whiskey and offered it to Nick. Nick took it.

Victoria just took a deep breath and sat down on the sofa. Something about this left her very uneasy.

"Wine, Mother?" Heath asked.

"No," Victoria said. "Scotch."

XXXXXXX

Jarrod heard the horse coming in while Maggie was busy in the nursery feeding J. J. He took a look out the window and saw his brother Nick dismounting. Jarrod opened the door and let him in.

"Morning, Nick," he said. "What brings you by?"

Nick looked around for Maggie. "Got a problem. Can we talk?"

"Sure," Jarrod said, and he motioned Nick to sit down at the kitchen table. "Coffee?"

"No, I'm not staying that long," Nick said and sat. "Heath had a visit from an old friend yesterday, one who doesn't like him anymore."

"At the ranch?" Jarrod asked, sitting down.

"Yeah. Man's name is Butler. He looks like a professional gunfighter."

"Around here? We haven't had a professional around here in a long time."

"Well, his grudge is personal. Seems he and Heath got into a tiff in Corning before Heath came here. Heath outdrew him and shot his gun out of his hand. Heath thinks he's humiliated and came looking for him to get his pride back."

"He's been looking for Heath for five years? That's quite a grudge."

"Yeah, it is. I was wondering if we might get a restraining order or something, maybe give Fred Madden a reason to run him out of town."

Jarrod shook his head. "If all Butler's done is call Heath out, if he hasn't tried to hurt him or anything – not likely I can get a restraining order. And not likely he'd go very far if Fred ran him out of town, from the sounds of it."

"Well, Heath thinks he can wait him out, but I don't know. I didn't like the looks of the guy."

"I can go to town, see if he's there. Maybe get something more out of him to hang a restraining order on, but I don't know if it's gonna do the trick or not."

Nick got up. "Well, go talk the man, would you? Maybe you can get some ideas once you hear him out. He's out to kill Heath for sure, and I'd bet Heath couldn't outdraw him now. He looks like he's been practicing."

Jarrod stood up as well. "I'll ride in. Come on back at the end of the day, and I'll let you know what happened."

"Thanks, Jarrod," Nick said and headed out the door.

As Jarrod closed the door, Maggie came in from the nursery. "J.J.'s playing in that crib your brother made for him. I heard Nick. So, you're going into town?"

Jarrod nodded. "I think I'd better go have a talk with this Butler guy, if nothing else."

Jarrod headed for the gun cabinet and took his gunbelt out of it. As he strapped it on, Maggie said, "You will be careful, won't you?"

Jarrod turned and kissed her with a smile. "Of course I will. Don't worry. I don't get goaded into gunfights."

Maggie still looked concerned.

Jarrod kissed her again. "Please don't worry."

"All right," Maggie gave in. "Shall I expect you for lunch?"

"Well, if I can get something out of this guy that gives me reason to try for a restraining order, I'll do that, and that might take me beyond lunch. But if I'm not home when Nick gets here later, send him to town with some bail money." He smiled.

Which made Maggie give in and smile. "Giving Nick the chance to bail you out would make his day."

"Wouldn't it, though?" Jarrod said and headed for the door.