Chapter 4: Promises

At the first sign of light, Mary leaned down and brushed her lips against the corner of Chris's mouth. She had been watching him sleep studying the hard lines of his face softened slightly by deep, peaceful rest. In his sleep, he had pushed the blankets down around his waist exposing his taut chest and the well demarcated "V" his stomach muscles formed before disappearing beneath the covers. She memorized every line and every scar that marked his lean, sinuous form. She ran her fingers over the puckered scar where Ella's hired gunman had found his mark. Chris stretched and opened his eyes. A beautiful smile, one Mary had only glimpsed before, graced his face. "Mornin'," he said and reached for her pulling her to him for a lingering good morning kiss.

"Good morning," she echoed. "Want some breakfast before you go?"

Chris looked toward the window. It was later than he expected and he knew the others would be ready to ride soon. "No thank you. Maybe just a cup of coffee."

Mary untangled herself from Chris and started out of bed. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back down to him rolling over on top of her as he did. She squealed in surprise. They looked at each other for a long, sobering moment. "I'm gonna' miss you," Chris whispered.

"Just come back home to me. We have a life to start."

"Mary, I want you to keep your eyes open while I'm gone. If I'm not back before Billy's done with school, promise me you'll go to Orin's. Don't bring him back here."

"Chris,"

"You know what she's capable of. Promise me, Mary," he said giving her that all too familiar hard stare of his.

"I promise."

"Nathan and Ezra will be here to keep an eye on the town. You need anything, you find one of them."

"I will," she assured him with a warm smile. "How will you find Ella?" Just saying her name left a bitter taste in Mary's mouth.

Chris rolled to his back and Mary followed, propping herself up on her elbow at his side. "She has a spread eight days north of here. We're gonna' take it slow." He hesitated and folded his arm behind his head. "She talked about it before... when I was there." Mary's eyebrow arched ever so slightly in response. "That's where she'll be."

Mary tried not to react. She had, after all, forgiven him and moved on. "What's the plan?"

"Me and Vin are gonna head north-east. JD, Buck, and Josiah are headin' west. We'll meet up with 'em in Pike Ridge. She'll be waitin' for me to come and get her."

"To be with her?"

"I hope so... else this won't be easy." He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and let his hand fall back to hers where it lay lightly on his chest.

"You better go," she said in a whisper fighting back the tears that suddenly threatened to spill. She turned away from him quickly, hoping he wouldn't notice.

Downstairs, Chris stepped through the door of The Clarion to meet the rising sun. Mary followed him onto the wooden walkway. Chris turned back to her slowly, hat in hand, and lifted her chin needing to look into her eyes one last time before he left. He kissed her tenderly leaving a lingering fire low in her gut. "I love you, Mary."

Buck slapped Vin hard on the shoulder with the back of his hand. "Would you look at that," he said pointing across the street toward The Clarion News. "Don't that beat all!"

Vin watched as Chris backed away from Mary letting her hand fall from his as the distance grew between them. Vin let loose with a hearty grin, happy to see his friend moving toward happiness. Chris traveled quickly across the street to the livery to saddle up. His four fellow gunmen were waiting on their mounts when he emerged. "Boys," he said with a nod, fully aware that his and Mary's goodbye did not go unnoticed.

"Mornin' Chris," Buck said with a hint of mischief in his voice and unable to keep his goofy grin in check. "Sleep well?"

"I did... you?"

"Can't complain. You uh..."

"Don't start," Chris warned good naturedly. Buck snorted while the other boys did their best to keep their grins in check.

"I'm glad for ya' pard."

Chris acknowledged Buck's approval with a slight upturn of his lip.

"Ride safe gentlemen and stick to the plan."

"Will do," Buck promised. "See you soon."

With that, Chris and Vin headed east and the rest headed west out of town. Mary watched them ride off through the window of The Clarion. She prayed fervently for their safe return.

A half a days ride out of town, Vin and Chris stopped in Lodi Junction to eat a good meal and to fish for information. No one had heard of Ella, but the meal hit the spot. They lazily headed back to their horses and hit the dusty trail. They took it easy for the next several miles letting their food settle and their backs rest.

"So you and Mary, huh?" Vin asked, breaking the four mile silence.

"Yep, me and Mary," Chris answered before turning his head toward his friend.

"That's a good thing, you know," he said with half smile.

"She deserves better."

"Maybe... but the heart wants what the heart wants."

Chris just shook his head, always amused by Vin's quips of wisdom.

"Mary's pretty good at gettin' what she wants," Chris chuckled.

"I reckon she is," Vin mused. "You're a lucky son bitch, that's fer sure."

"Let's just hope that luck holds. Mary and the boy... they aint safe 'till Ella's dead."

Vin nodded. "I heard that."

Chris spurred his black gelding into a lope. Vin followed suit and the two disappeared into the shadows as the sun set behind them.

The journey to Pike Ridge was dragging on longer than Chris had hoped. A steady, cold hard rain had held them up three days in Gatlin. They were behind schedule, but Vin was right, sickness would slow them down even more. Anxious for the trail, they finally headed out one brisk, windy morning. The sun was out and the clouds had disappeared, but the wind was bone chilling and blowing against them. Chris stopped long enough to send word to Mary. "Leaving Gatlin. Love, C.L." The extra bit it cost to send the "love" was worth it he mused as he paid the telegraph operator. His pocket was lighter, but so was his heart.

Mary was walking with Ezra toward The Clarion, lost in conversation when he stepped ahead of her and blocked her progression nearly sending her straight into him.

"Ms. Travis. If you could peer discretely over my shoulder, please and tell me if you recognize the gentleman who is at present loitering in front of your newspaper office."

Ezra took Mary's elbow and she rose to her toes to peek over his shoulder. The small man standing in front of the clarion appeared harmless enough. He was wearing a dark brown, pin striped suit coat and pants and a silly little bowler hat perched high on his head. "No idea," Mary whispered.

"Hmm," Ezra said as he contemplated their next move. "Play along Ms. Travis, if you please." He wrapped Mary's arm in his and covered her hand where it rested. He began walking down the boardwalk at a leisurely pace seemingly content to simply be arm in arm with his lovely companion. "When we get closer, I want you to giggle."

Mary did a quick double take not sure she had heard him correctly. He assured her she had with a quick nod.

"Mr. Standish," she whispered as they walked. "I don't giggle."

"Right," he smiled slyly. "Then maybe you could simply bat your eyelashes and afford me a sweet, delicate smile. We are, after all, attempting to convey the illusion of two people who are quite in love."

"And why are we doing that, exactly?" she asked.

"Just in case our friend up ahead is, in fact, foe."

"He looks rather harmless, don't you think?"

"Looks can be quite deceiving, I'm afraid, and I did promise Mr. Larabee that I would keep you safe until he returned. I intend to keep that promise even if my reasons are purely selfish, I assure you. The wrath of Mr. Larabee is not something I relish facing especially should something happen to the woman he so obviously loves."

Mary did in fact giggle just a little at Ezra's last observation. Quickly recovering her senses, she asked, "So you think that if someone was sent here by Ms. Gains, that someone might be stopped if my affection clearly belongs to you and not to Mr. Larabee."

"I'll try anything, I assure you," he promised as they met the eager stranger standing outside of Mary's door. "Hello," Ezra nodded. "Could I be of some assistance, Mr…"

"Hello," the little man trilled, the top of his head just reaching Ezra's chin. "Is this your newspaper, sir?"

"Who wants to know, if I might ask? And why?"

"Oh, oh, of course. Jacob Miller, Sir. I'm a tailor by trade, and I'm thinking of opening a shop here in Four Corners. I couldn't help but notice your finely tailored coat, Mr... Uh?"

"Ezra. Ezra Standish.

"Mr. Standish," he nodded and turned his attention to Mary. "And Ms..."

"Travis. Mary Travis," Mary said and extended her hand in greeting.

Ezra sighed at Mary's introduction. She really was quite poor at playing along. He positioned himself just slightly in front of her in a protective stance. "While I appreciate the worth of a well tailored suit, more than most, I would venture, what does that have to do with The Clarion newspaper?"

"Oh, right. Well I was hoping to run an add asking the folks of your fair town whether or not they would be interested in a fine clothing store for both men and women," he said nodding to both Ezra and Mary in turn.

"I see," said Ezra. "And just..."

"Mr. Miller, if you would like to step inside, I would be glad to help you get started with your questionnaire. You'll have to excuse Ezra, here. He's a bit weary of strangers." Mary turned toward Ezra and straightened his tie with mock familiarity. "Ezra, dear, I think Mr. Miller and I can handle things from here. I know you have business to attend to at your own establishment."

"Yes well, if you need me..."

"I know where to find you."

Mary and Mr. Miller disappeared into The Clarion and Ezra was left standing alone on the sidewalk. He made his way to Nathan's clinic to report the presence of one Jacob Miller in Four Corners. As harmless as Mr. Miller seemed, Ezra had an uneasy feeling about the little man. He hoped it was merely Chris's voice inside his head making him overly cautious and not any real threat to Mary. There was something peculiar about the tailor and the timing of his arrival, just five days past Chris's departure, was just a little too coincidental.

A/N: More soon. Thank you for reading