Martes, once again, thank you for your comments. They are insightful and thoughtful. I purposely left it kinda of vague as to what happened between them after the kiss at the end of the last chapter. I want the readers to decide for themselves how far it went. But I do believe that Festus was a gentleman and would never take advantage of any woman and if anything did happen between them, it was by complete mutual consent and desire.

Kate stood close by Festus' side, looking over his shoulder at the sight of two men walking close to the entrance of their hiding place, scanning the ground intently. Her heart was beating so fast and so hard she was certain that not only could Festus hear it but the two men outside as well. Tightly gripping Festus' arm she silently prayed they would move on.

Festus understood her concern and fear, he felt it himself. But he wasn't about to let her know that. She was depending on him to protect her and he was bound and determined to do just that. Gently he pried her hands from his arm and pulled his gun. Motioning to her to move back and stay put, he parted the branches as quietly as he could, pushing his weapon through and waiting to see what would happen next.

It would be foolish to fire if he didn't have to. They could just get lucky and the two men find nothing and ride away, but he wasn't betting on it.

"You want to know what I think?" The taller thinner man with the short dark hair and mustache asked his companion. "I think you were seeing things. With that rain a couple nights back and as well as everything else, there's no possible way to know if they're anywhere around here."

His partner, shorter, older with a thinning patch of gray hair on the back of his head glared at him. "I never said I SAW them. But I didn't have to see anything to know they're here, somewhere. I've done this too long to miss anything. They're here, I tell ya."

Festus stood quietly, judging his chances of escaping without being seen or jumping the two men and fighting it out. Neither possibility looked too promising as it would be two against one. Then it dawned on him, he wasn't alone.

Silently stepping back, he turned his handgun around and handed it to Kate, with a finger against his lips. He then stepped over to his belongings on the cave floor and pulled his rifle. Motioning again to Kate to be quiet, he returned to the covered entrance of the cave and looked out again at the two men.

They were still intently scanning the ground around the entrance. He looked back at Kate and she instantly moved to his side. "You jes foller my lead." He whispered waiting until she'd nodded her agreement before looking back outside.

As soon as the men turned away and had their backs to him, Festus pushed through the branch covered entrance and raised his rifle. "Alright, you two. Holt it right there. Don't ya twitch nary a hair."

Both men froze for a second, but the younger thinner man moved his hand towards his gun. Instantly, Festus laid down a shot at his feet. "I done tolt ya to stop." He moved further out with Kate right behind, his gun in her hand and raised in trembling hands ready to fire.

"Now you two drop them there guns." When they didn't immediately comply, he hollered louder. "Go on, do it."

Reluctantly both men pulled their guns and dropped them to the ground.

"Mister, you're in a lot of trouble." The older man said. "That woman is wanted for murder. You're helping her makes you no better than she is."

Festus didn't reply as he moved closer to the two and kicked their guns further away from them. He didn't believe these men, or at least didn't want to believe them.

"Festus…" Kate started as she came up behind him. But Festus cut her off.

"Kate, pick them there guns up and put em over there, would ya?" Festus told her, without taking his eyes off of the two men. "Now, we don't aim ta do nothin' to you two, but we ain't about to let ya take her back to that there husband of hers."

"There is no husband to take her back to." Gray hair insisted. "She killed him. That's why we've been after her. My name's Zed Marsh and this is Bill Totten." He nodded to his partner. "We're deputies out of St. Louis sent to find her and bring her in."

"I don't believe ya." Festus growled. "I don't believe not nary a word. Now you two git over there against them there trees." He pointed his rifle at two slender elms behind them. "We's jes gonna tie ya to em and…"

"No, Festus." Kate spoke up from behind him. "It wouldn't work. They'll get loose and come after me again."

"Mebbe." Festus agreed. "But I'll have ya home afore they do and then yer uncle kin see to em."

"No." Kate said again, sadly and softly. "Neither my uncle nor my mother would have anyway what so ever of protecting me, Festus. I... it's just that... I just wanted to go home. I needed to go home."

Festus' eyes narrowed and twitched in her direction but he kept the rifle pointed at the two men as he tried to sort out what she was telling him. When the younger man started to pull his jacket aside, Festus rested his hand on the trigger. "I wouldn't do that, Mister."

"I was just going to show you the wanted poster on her." Totten slowly continued to reach into his pocket, despite Festus' glare, and pulled out a folded piece of paper that Festus instantly recognized as a wanted poster. But when he held it out to him, Festus wouldn't take it.

Kate, however, did step forward and pulled it from Totten's hands, opening it and moving back close to Festus, holding it up. "What he said is true, Festus." She sighed as she gave him a pleading look. "But what I told you is true as well. My husband was abusive and he did steal my inheritance from my father. I tried everyway I could think of to get away from him but he kept guards on me at all times, that is when he wasn't with me himself, hurting me."

Festus swallowed hard, not wanting to hear this. But he kept his silence and swiveled his rifle squarely at the older man's head when he started to move. "Don't." He warned.

Marsh froze, warily watching Festus and the woman he'd chased across two states and one territory. "You can kill us if you want, Mister." He shook his head. "But others will follow us. Sooner or later, someone will catch you two and you'll end up on the gallows beside her."

"Festus," Kate placed her hand on his arm. "He's right. You might as well let them take me. I don't want to see you hurt."

"Naw." Festus scowled at the her as well as the two men. "I ain't gonna. Tell ya what I will do though. They's a US Marshal, back in Dodge, name of Matt Dillon. He ain't one to shoot first like these two here ere. We's gonna take them and you back to Dodge. If'n what they say is right, then Matthew'll figure out what's to be did about this."

Kate nodded, grateful for Festus' kindness and glad that, though she would've willingly gone with them to keep him safe, glad that he wasn't going to let them take her. She had no doubts that these men wouldn't let her make it back to St. Louis unharmed.

"Now, you jes go ahead on into the cave, Kate." Festus gave her a brief yet softened look. "Start to packin' our belongin's and I'll get these two yahoos tied up. I ain't aiming to ride with them otherwise."

Nodding, Kate started to turn when she saw Marsh man reaching for his gun while Festus' eyes were trained on her. "Festus!" She screamed as she threw herself forward.

TBC

There are two more chapters to go on this and I have to give you all a tissue alert for them.