Amend Chapter 3

The next day came early and hard for both Charlie and Sara. The stages had come much sooner than anyone had expected and Sara found herself rushing around to keep up with the large crowd. She found out they would be staying over for a few days and was glad at the increased commerce.

She was extremely glad Charlie was there, he had already helped her with getting the last of the liquor restocked that morning, as she had already been busy with customers, and he had also separated a fight that probably would have ended very badly.

Once the flow of people had evened off Charlie went out to start fixing up the small stable. Sara had the small hardware store deliver some supplies, and he ended up working right through lunch.

She heard heavy footsteps coming down the stairs and saw her father moving slowly to the bar.

"You know you shouldn't be up." Sara said rushing over too his side, attempting to offer some support, but he waved her off.

"Nonsense I feel fine, at least better than I was."

"Still you need your rest."

"And so do you, now go take a break, I can handle the bar for an hour or two." He said as he walked slowly to the bar area.

Knowing he wasn't in the mood for her to argue Sara sat down her rag, and kissed him on the cheek. He smiled as he watched her head into the kitchen. Then he turned his attention back to the customers.

Sara sat down and enjoyed a small lunch as she listened to the murmur coming from the people in the salon, and then she heard the sound of a hammer. Realizing he hadn't stopped working she grabbed some food for him and headed out the back door.

"Wow, I don't think it's looked this nice in here...well since I can remember." Sara said admiring Charlie's handiwork.

Charlie didn't say anything as he finished nailing up the board he was working on. He had been relieved that he didn't have to do anything really extreme as he didn't really have the experience to mess with anything structurally. But his days of working on a ranch, though distant were paying off for once.

Charlie turned around wiping the sweat off his brow, "There something you want?"

"Just an excuse to stay out of the bar for a while." Sara said walking further into the stable.

Charlie went for another board, but was stopped when Sara dropped a small bundle on top of it. He looked up at her questionably.

"You missed lunch." Sara said as she took a seat on one of the barrels on the opposite wall.

Charlie opened it up to find a small loaf of bread, an apple, and some jerky. "Thanks"

"Don't mention it."

Charlie sat down on another barrel and started to eat. He looked over at Sara, who was absentmindedly staring out of the door. His eyes traveled over her body, and part of him wished he didn't have to keep up appearances and could take advantage of an ever-growing desire. Sensing his stare and being quite unnerved by it she turned to face him.

"If you please I would prefer you not stare." Sara said trying to keep her voice calm as she looked directly into the greenest eyes she had ever seen.

"And why would I want to look elsewhere?" Charlie asked coolly, liking the blush he was receiving.

Sara panicked; she was starting to feel the same way she did every time she caught Johnson looking at her. Like she was a piece of meat in front of a hungry wolf, only there to be possessed and used. She quickly averted her eyes and left without another word, leaving a bemused Charlie finishing off the food she had brought him.

He had thought he might have had a chance; slim but maybe a chance at getting something more than a place to hide out for a few days. His smirk left his face when he remembered her comment the day before about the deputy. Charlie wasn't blind and realized the predicament 'his' Sara was in; a single girl, at a good marrying age, with an ailing father, a business, and out on the frontier.

She was between a rock and a hard place, and was starting to feel trapped in her life. Those were the thoughts running through her head as she walked back into the main building. Just when she had started to trust this Charlie fellow he had to start acting like the Deputy. And now she was even more terrified. He father didn't have much longer to live, a few months at the most. And as soon as he passed she wouldn't be able to push Johnson away like she had been, with excuses of having to take care of her father. Saying she didn't want anything to do with him only brought forth a laugh, and him saying something along of the lines of 'that's what you say now'.

The implications of those words had caused her a few nightmares, and she had considered making plans to go live with a distant relative and work as a maid. Of course she couldn't leave yet and that tortured her.

Charlie had completely finished everything that he could do in the barn by dinner, and discreetly walked into the kitchen. He knew he couldn't afford to be seen by too many people as someone just might happen to recognize him. He was sitting there eating a small tray of food when Sara walked in.

Charlie looked up and sensing her unease, and honestly though he didn't know why feeling a little guilty about it decided to make amends.

"I'm sorry about earlier."

Sara's head snapped up in his direction.

"I was out of line, and I just want you to know you don't have to worry about me."

Sara just nodded and retrieved the bottles she had come in for, and left without another word, completely shocked at Charlie's apology. She hadn't really figured him for the anything more than the tough guy, who didn't care what he did to other people. She had, and assumed her father had figured out that he was an outlaw to some degree. Nothing else made sense, but the way he was acting wasn't quite in keeping with her view of what an outlaw would do.

Charlie spent the rest of the evening looking out of the small window in the kitchen, while Sara minded the bar all the while trying to figure out the puzzle of a man that had shown up in her life. Finally she managed to haggle the last patron out of the bar well into the night. Charlie came out and helped her clean up some of the mess from the unusually busy day.

When they were finished and Sara had made sure everything was closed up Charlie finally turned up to the stairs, exhausted from the amount of work he had put in. Sara came up quickly behind him and stopped him as he was just opening the door to his room. He looked down at her small hand resting on his arm before his gaze traveled questionably to her face.

"Thank you."

"Its part of the deal isn't it."

"I'm not talking about helping me clean up, though I guess I could thank you for that as well."

Charlie looked at her, a little confused.

"Thanks for at least pretending like you cared about how I felt."

"Who said I was pretending?" Charlie said the words before he could even think about what he was saying, and had to fight the urge to bang his head against the wall…hard. He had no idea what had possessed him to say that, and from the shocked look on Sara's face, he figured he had just dug his grave even deeper. But afraid he might say something even dumber he simply averted his eyes and left her standing alone in the hall.

Shocked Sara stood there for a few moments before making her way to her own room, a small smile gracing her lips before she closed the door.

A/N

YAY update!! Enough said, sorry took so long hopefully once school lets out for summer they'll come faster.

Ok, Just realized I never put up a disclaimer (stupid things that they are), so this goes for all chapters ante and post…I do not own anything related to or in 3:10 To Yuma.



OH!! PLEASE REVIEW I don't care if you completely hate it...please tell me something!! And thanks to those who have reviewed…you guys rock my socks. An impressive thing since I'm not wearing any right now