They were approaching the saloon where they were supposed to meet Cal and Buddy. "That's it there," Heath said. "I don't know about you, but I'm ready for a drink."

"Yeah, me too," Nick said. He was still turning things over in his mind. Heath. His younger brother. Mostly alone in the world until he came to them. A bleak and lonely childhood where he had worked incredibly hard, compared to his own idyllic boyhood. He thought for a minute back to playing Sir Lancelot, how carefree he had been.

He remembered actually complaining about some of the work Father made him do. Then he thought of Heath as a small boy, working before and after school. He was finally understanding some of what Jarrod said. He'd seen Jarrod and Heath talking one time, Heath's shoulders slumped, Jarrod putting a sympathetic hand on his back.

He wondered what memory Jarrod had gotten Heath to tell him. Then he understood that Heath would have never told him. He realized that Heath's expression when talking to him was neutral, guarded, careful. Suddenly, he wanted Heath to trust him like he did Jarrod. He knew they had a long way to go for that to happen.

They found Cal and Buddy at a table with a good start on a bottle of whiskey. Nick and Heath sat down and joined them. Nick poured himself and Heath a drink. Then Nick saw an old friend, Jeff Peterson, walk into the saloon.

Jeff saw him too and came over. "Howdy, Nick," he said. "Long time, no see."

"True enough, Jeff," Nick said. "How you been?"

"Good," Jeff said. "Pa's sending me to the cattle auction in San Jose."

"That's where we're headed too." He said, "Jeff, you've met my brother Heath."

"Hello," said Jeff.

"Howdy," Heath replied.

"And Cal and Buddy here work for us." The men all shook hands.

"So where are you from again?" Jeff asked Heath.

"Strawberry," Heath said.

"I see," Jeff said. Heath wondered what he thought he saw, but he didn't say anything. "Mining town, right?"

"It was," Heath said. "Not much left there now."

A couple of the saloon girls came over to their table. "Hey fellows," they said.

"Well, hello," Jeff said.

One of them looked at Heath. "Hey, cowboy," she said flirtatiously. "I remember you."

Heath looked at her and tried to remember who she was.

"You might not remember me. You were busy playing poker. But we girls don't forget a face like yours."

"Well, nice to see you again just the same," Heath said. He smiled at her. She leaned up against him and put an arm around his shoulders. "If you're playing tonight, I'll stick around and be your good-luck charm," she said.

"That's mighty nice of you, Miss..."

"My name is Alice." She grinned at him. "And you're Heath. Like I said, I definitely remember you." She smiled flirtatiously again at him. Another customer was waving to her, and she said, "I'll be back to check on you and your friends."

"Well, look at you," Nick said, smiling at his brother. He noticed Jeff was scowling. "That happen to you often?"

"Does what happen?"

"Women just come up to you like that."

"Well, it is a saloon, Nick. That's kind of what they're supposed to do. I don't take it seriously."

"But she remembered you from what…had to be months ago."

Heath shrugged. "I really don't remember that girl. She's right, I was focusing on the card game. I …" Heath stopped short. He had been about to say he needed the money, but he hated saying things like that in front of his father's family. "Well, I was pretty intent on winning that pot."

"Did you?" Nick asked.

"Yep. Some dude from back East. I could tell he just wasn't as good as he thought he was. I couldn't believe it when he laid his last hand down."

Jeff said, "What, did you grow up in a saloon?"

Nick looked at Jeff, surprised.

Heath looked at him too. He wasn't in the mood for this. "Nope." He poured another drink. This was Nick's friend, so Heath didn't want any trouble. He looked around and smiled at Alice. She winked at him. He moved his head, indicating for her to come over when she could. She came right away.

"Hey, sweetheart," she said.

He grinned at her. "Want to dance?"

"Of course I do," she purred.

Heath got up and took her hand.

Nick said, "I thought you didn't like dancing," looking at Heath slyly.

"Nah, I just said I don't like going to dances that much," Heath replied. "This is different." Alice was pretty, and he'd far rather dance with her than get into a fight with Nick's friend. He put his arm around her waist, and they moved off to dance.

Alice was more than happy to dance with Heath. He was very good looking, and polite, too. Her job was to get him to buy drinks, but she knew he and his friends already had a bottle at the table. Still, it was fun being twirled around by a handsome young man rather than the balding middle-aged drunks she was used to.

After their dance, Heath led her up to the bar. "What would you like?" he asked.

"I'd love a brandy," she said.

"A brandy for Miss Alice," Heath said. "And don't give her that watered-down mess." He knew how saloons operated. The girls were supposed to get the men to buy drinks for themselves and the girls, but the girls got watered-down drinks so they could keep working, earning money by dancing with the men and getting them to keep buying those drinks.

"And I'll take a whiskey," he said. He didn't want her to get any hassle from her boss.

"That's mighty nice of you, Heath," she said. "You didn't have to do that. You and your friends still have that bottle of whiskey on the table."

"I know you've got a living to make," he said sympathetically.

"Where are you from?" she asked. Maybe he'd come back more often if it wasn't too far.

"Stockton," he said.

"Not too terribly far," she smiled. "Come sit and talk to me. Unless you want to get back to your friends."

"Nah, that's all right," he said. "One of 'em is my brother. I see plenty of him. Two of 'em are hands on our ranch."

"Which one is your brother?"

"The loud one," he said, grinning.

"There's lots of loud men in here," she pointed out.

"Just keep watching. You'll know who I mean shortly." He grinned at her again, which gave her stomach butterflies. She didn't let herself get attracted to any customer very often. She had regulars that she knew well, and they were all right. Occasionally a really good-looking man came in. But rarely were they as handsome as this one. There was just something about him that was very alluring. And he was a sweetheart, too. She planned on having a good time tonight. She'd make this fellow want to stop and see her again.