Demons and Lovers (or The Devil's Luck)
Part Two
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He came awake slowly, body rebelling at the mind's need to insure that all was well. Confusion marked his expression for a moment, as he felt the soft feel of a mattress beneath his cramped shoulders and light touch on his brow of someone's fingers. Then, with a sense of calm, he remembered the day before, remembered returning and having the town step in to take care of them, of Inez....
Inez!
Green eyes shot open with shock, and he twisted around to look at whoever was brushing the hair from his forehead. His mouth fell open stupidly as he found her sitting on his bed, fully dressed, her fingers lazily caressing his face. She trailed a finger lightly down his cheek, her lips twitching into a smile at seeing him awake.
"Hi," she whispered.
His eyes got a little wider. Had they...? "In..." he croaked, then coughed, bringing his right hand to his mouth. He stopped when he saw the derringer rig still on it, and the fact that he still had his shirt on. Thank God. Not that he really believed his dreams anyway.
Nuts.
"Shhh," she whispered, taking her hand away. "Here, I brought you some food, and I expect you to eat it, since you missed dinner earlier." She stood and wandered across to the dresser and the tray she had placed there this morning. Lifting it, she waited until he moved into a sitting position on the bed before coming to play the tray on his lap. He took the glass of water on the tray greedily, downing it in one gulp.
"It's still night," she continued, watching as he drank the coffee on the tray more slowly. He was watching her warily. "It's only about an hour after midnight. But someone needs to stay at the clinic with Nathan and Josiah tonight, as both Sarah and Mary need to get home. Sarah's with child now," she smiled as Ezra broke into a large grin at the unexpected news, "and Mary's got her paper." Inez shrugged, indicating she thought the paper could stand one day of being late, but she knew Mary's priorities.
He swallowed, still watching her. Throughout her whole speech, he'd only had one question on his mind, "Inez, yesterday, did we...?" He trailed off, his mind questioning whether kissing her had been a dream.
"Did I kiss you?" she replied.
"You kissed me?"
"Well, you did kiss me back, I believe," she grinned, and his mouth fell open again. Then, just as suddenly, he grinned boyishly, and she laughed. Leaning forward over the tray on his lap, she kissed him lightly on the lips then stood.
"You should get over to the clinic," she said.
"Thank you Inez," he said, his tone expressing that he meant the words to encompass much more than simply waking him up and bringing him food. In response, she merely nodded.
"Now, I want you to eat all of that," she said. "I want it empty when I come to clean it away." She pointed at the tray, and he grabbed her arm with his left hand, preventing her from leaving.
"Will you go to dinner with me tonight?" he asked, a slight tremor of nervousness in his voice.
She blinked, blushing slightly, and smiled. "The saloon..." she began.
"Can survive one night without you," he insisted. "Please. Whatever you want."
She pursed her lips, remembering the blue dress that she had seen arrive yesterday at the Potter's when her own supplies had come in. Mrs. Potter always kept a few loose dresses on hand, just in case, and this one had been particularly pretty. With a few adjustments by the new seamstress in town, Miss Meg, it could easily be ready....
Finally, Inez nodded, then laughed as Ezra blew out the breath he hadn't known he was holding.
"Wear your navy jacket," she said, gently lifting her arm from his grasp. "And be by to pick me up at six." She offered him one more smile before taking her leave. Ezra ached to go after her, to pull her to him again and let her kiss once again take away all the pain of the last week, but he wasn't sure he could trust himself to ever let her go.
Still grinning stupidly, he attacked the food on the plate before him with a gusto reminiscent of Buck, not even caring that he was still extremely tired. He could sleep at the clinic.
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JD was rudely interrupted from a dreamless sleep by a hammering on his door, two hours after dawn had broken the horizon. Grimacing at sore muscles, he rubbed his right shoulder with his left hand as he moved to answer the door. Wrenching it open, he offered his best glare at whoever had the tenacity to wake him. Carl Weathers stood opposite him, dark eyes bright with worry, and JD instantly readjusted his expression to concern.
"What is it?"
"Trouble at the saloon. Couple of cowboys are bothering Inez."
"Where's Ezra and Buck?"
"Buck's still asleep in his room, I was going there next. Ezra's at the clinic. He relieved my Sarah there late last night." JD frowned at the news that Ezra probably still hadn't gotten any rest. Sighing, he nodded at Carl.
"Okay, got get Buck, then Ezra," JD reached behind him to pull up the straps of his suspenders, having not bothered to pull his pants off last night, and went to grab his rifle in the corner. Grabbing the still very dusty jacket sitting next to it, he almost ran out of the door.
Pushing out into the bright morning light, he jogged over to the saloon, quickly discerning the sounds of glass breaking and the yelling of an irate manageress. Tom Mitchell stood out front, hands gripping his rifle in a white knuckled grip, clearly waiting for JD to arrive.
"When Inez opened the storm doors to let in some air, these two trail types must've pushed their way in, despite her telling them that she wasn't opening for another hour," Tom said hurriedly. He pointed to the batwing doors, and at the awkward way they hung. "You can see they broke the latch on the batwings to get in, and maybe a hinge. Then they started to yell and began pushing her around, demanding she get drinks and food for them. When she still argued, they started getting the stuff themselves."
"How do you know...?"
"Me and Carl arrived when they started to yell. I been listening while Carl went to fetch you and the others," Tom looked a bit sheepish, indicating that he hadn't had the courage to try and face down the two cowboys on his own. JD nodded, not looking at Tom.
"Alright, you stay here and wait for Buck and Ezra," JD tried smiling at the obviously scared older man, then jogged up to the broken doors to peek inside. He could see that one of the cowboys was behind the counter, helping himself to whatever was behind the bar, while Inez was being held by another cowboy near the backroom. She was still fighting, but this one had one arm around her throat and another pulling her hair.
"Where's the food, harlot," the man was hissing. "We're hungry and we don't want no arguments from no woman."
"Go to hell," she spat back, trying to pull her head forward, but he pulled it back.
"In the back?" he said, ignoring her answer. "And you say you'll cook it for us? Whatever I want? On the house? Why how nice..." he licked her cheek, earning a scream of frustration from the manageress. She suddenly jumped up and stomped on the toes of his feet, causing him to yell and loosen his hold. Twisting, Inez got enough leverage to move and grab a bottle from off the counter, and, just as quickly, turn and smash it across his face. He yelled again, holding onto the side of his face, while his companion behind the bar pulled his gun to point at Inez as she stumbled away.
"Drop it!" JD yelled, jumping into the saloon, rifle raised. The one at the bar turned the gun on the kid, a dumb smile on his face, clearly not seeing a threat in one so young.
Inez fell to the floor, ducking behind a chair just as the rifle shot rang out. The man behind the bar cried out in pain, gripping his now bleeding arm, the gun uselessly falling to the floor.
JD shook his head, "I warned you," he said quietly, a smug smile on his face. The other man, still holding his now bleeding face, turned to try and duck through the back, only to find himself facing an extremely angry Buck Wilmington. The ladies man had come in via the backdoor and the kitchens.
"Going somewhere, peon?" Buck asked, smacking a frying pan across the top of the guy's head. Eyes rolling up in his head, the cowboy fell like a stone. Buck smiled mirthlessly and adjusted his bad arm inside the sling he still wore. Despite having used his good arm, the hit had wrenched his back again, and it began to ache.
Inez sighed in relief and got up from off the floor, just as Ezra pushed into the saloon followed by Carl and Tom. JD was still holding his rifle on the man at the bar, who was whimpering and glaring at the kid at the same time. JD nodded at Ezra, who was grimacing at the scene before him. In seconds, the gambler was by Inez, helping her up and letting her lean on him.
"This one's alive," Buck said, looking up from checking on the cowboy he'd decked. His face darkened when he saw Ezra hold onto Inez, as if he'd been the one to save the day. Ezra was oblivious, only having eyes for the woman before him.
"Are you alright?" the gambler was asking her. "I'm so sorry I wasn't here...."
"Oh please," she breathed, attempting to sound flippant, "it's not as if this sort of thing was unusual." Still, she hugged him tightly, betraying the fact that she was shaking. Then, as if suddenly aware that others were in the room, she let him go, though one hand stayed on his arm, as if she were afraid to let him go. He turned to look at the man behind the bar, his face twisted in a mask of anger.
"You want to fix them up Ezra?" JD asked, never taking his eyes from the cowboy.
"No," Ezra replied quickly, then he sighed in resignation at JD's amused glance. "Oh hell. Get them to the jail. I'll go get what I need from Nathan's."
"How are Nathan and Josiah?" the kid wanted to know.
Ezra looked at the boy, and nodded. "They'll be alright. Slept the whole night through, and Nathan's fever is finally gone. He should be up and about soon."
"Nice," JD smiled, clearly pleased. "Right, Tom, Carl, you grab that one Buck hit, and I'll take care of the ugly one here."
The cowboy behind the bar gripped his arm tighter, his eyes watering with pain, and spat in JD's direction. "Ugly?" he retorted.
"Call 'em as I see 'em, mister. Ain't seen too many uglier than you," JD snorted. "Now get moving," he indicated the man move with a jerk of his rifle. The cowboy frowned even deeper, then came out from the bar to head out the door. Tom and Carl walked up to Buck, who was still rubbing at his shoulder under his sling, and, between them, picked up the unconscious one. Buck followed them out slowly, and, as he passed Ezra and Inez, he caught him kissing her hand.
"You sure you are alright?" Ezra whispered.
"Fine, Senor. I've been through much worse, as you know." She smiled, and gripped his hand tightly. "Just make sure you don't forget about tonight," she told him.
Buck tripped on an upturned chair, using the movement to cover the sharp intake of breath he had at hearing that. Gritting his teeth, he followed JD and his captive out of the clinic.
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Ezra bandaged the cowboy's arm, assuring the man that the bullet had only grazed him, despite the graze being deep. As he fitted the man into a sling, he glanced across at the other one. The second cowboy had regained consciousness and was holding a compress to the side of his face where Inez's bottle had cut him. His eyes were glassy, but he was alert. Ezra glared at him, unwilling to do more than supply the soaked compress. The man could clean his own cuts.
Buck was standing in the jail, twisting the keys in his hand, waiting. JD had gone to help Inez clean up, while Carl and Tom had gone home to get some rest from having stayed up at the jail all night.
Finished, Ezra backed out of the cell, wiping his hands on a towel.
"I will be most pleased when Mr. Jackson regains his sensibilities," Ezra muttered, throwing the towel on the desk with some disgust as Buck locked the cell doors behind him. He sniffed at the noxious smell of linseed oil and milk on his fingers and grimaced.
"Well considering who put him in the clinic, I'd think you'd just be happy to know that he was going to recover at all," Buck snarled. Ezra stopped moving, his whole body going rigid.
Neither spoke as Buck walked around Ezra to the lean on the desk in front of him, arms crossed. The gambler was watching him quietly, his eyes wide open.
"It wasn't my fault, Buck. I had the Judge and those two kids to...."
"I don't want to hear it, Standish," Buck watched him like a hawk. "I do, however, want to know what your intentions are towards Inez."
Ezra startled and rocked back a step. "Inez?"
"You taking her out tonight?"
Shaking his head, Ezra took another step back, back in the direction of the cells. Inside, the two injured cowboys were listening expectantly.
"I...I don't see how that is any of your business, Mr. Wilmington."
"Not my business?" Buck roared, standing up to full height so he towered over the smaller man. Ezra took another step back, hitting the outer cell door.
"You know," Buck hissed. "You know full well how I feel about her."
"Buck, I..."
"Shut up!" Buck gripped his good hand into a fist by his side, a movement Ezra watched with a tightening of the jaw. If Buck hit him, he'd let him. The gambler would not defend himself. After everything that happened this week, if this was the only way he and Buck could resolve this, then it was a small price to pay.
"I know I may not be good enough to be with someone like Inez," Buck said, watching the man before him intently, "but I sure as hell know you ain't good enough for her either. And yet, even after what you did in Red Fork, you still have the balls to go in there and kiss her? You bastard! She deserves so much better than a self-serving weasel like you. What if it'd been her instead of Nathan, huh? Would it have made a difference?"
Ezra was breathing more heavily with each stinging word, their conviction bruising his still fragile heart with severe blows as sure as any fist. Buck had seen them kissing yesterday? Oh lord. "Please Buck..."
"No, no, I don't want to hear it, boy! You may wear the clothes of an adult, Standish, but you're still a hell of a lot younger than me, and you're going to listen to what I have to say." He took a step closer, and Ezra gripped the bars behind him.
"So how long've you been with Inez, huh? Seducing her behind my back for weeks, now, haven't you? You probably both been laughing at me for ages, what with my pitiful attempts to win her. No wonder she kept rebuffing me, cause all this time she was with you...." Buck's train of thought was all over the place, his anger, frustration and jealousy submerging all his reason and logic. In some small part of his brain, Ezra knew this, but the gambler's own psyche was too strained to think any clearer than his friend.
"Yesterday...was the first time, Buck. I swear. Please, you must believe me. I would never hurt you...."
"Well , you are hurting me. Just like you let Nathan get hurt," Buck smiled as Ezra visibly cringed. "What's the matter, boy? Can't face what a jerk you are? Well, neither can I!" Buck stepped forward to stand less than a foot from the younger man, staring down his nose at him. Ezra waited patiently for the blow with his eyes closed, his whole body tensing in anticipation.
"Get in the other cell."
Ezra opened one eye, then the other, and looked up at Buck. "What?"
"Get in there. You're going to rot in there all day until I figure out what I'm going to do with you."
Turning, Ezra glanced at the empty cell next to the one the two cowboys shared. Dust swirled in the sunlight that streamed in through the small barred window above the bed, and the odor of all the unwashed men who'd stayed in there assaulted his nostrils. He looked back at Buck.
"Can't you just hit me?" he asked.
Buck smiled thinly, lips curling away from his teeth like an animal about to strike. "I never hit first, Ezra. I only hit back. Now, get into that cell."
Ezra swallowed, "What about Nathan and Josiah. What if they need me?"
"There are others who can take care of them, now that we're home. Besides, you told JD that they're going to be fine. Josiah's more than healthy enough to call for help should anything change. Now, get in there before I throw you in there."
Ezra grimaced, but nodded. Resignedly, he watched as Buck opened the outer cell door and shoved Ezra in front of him. In moments, he had the other door opened and was indicating to Ezra to get inside.
"You're going to sit in there and think, Standish, about all the things you did wrong this week, all the people you hurt, and why you are going to stay the hell away from Inez. You got that?"
"Yes sir," Ezra mumbled, watching as Buck slammed the door behind him.
"Good," Buck gripped the keys in his fist and smiled wickedly. "I'll see you later then. And don't bother asking JD to get you out. I'm taking the keys with me," he let the iron keyring play around his index finger, the keys on it chiming dully together, then shoved them into his coat pocket. Repeating his earlier snarl-like smile, the ladies man turned to leave. At the doors to the outside, he looked back and nodded, more to himself than to his captive, as Ezra sat down on the musty cot.
"That one loves ya, don't he," the cowboy with his arm in a sling grinned. Ezra snarled back, and turned to face the wall.
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"Hey Buck!" JD jogged across the street from the saloon, working to catch up with Buck who was striding swiftly down to street towards Digger Dan's. "Buck, where are you going?"
"To get a drink, JD," the tall man replied angrily. JD frowned, not understanding the hostility emanating from the older man. He continued to have to jog slightly to keep up with Buck's long strides.
"Well, where's Ez? He gone back to the clinic? Inez was asking...."
"He's in jail, JD. And he's going to stay there."
JD came to an abrupt stop, not hiding his confusion. Buck, however, kept on moving. Breaking out to his reverie, JD ran to catch up with his best friend, grabbing him on the arm and spinning him around.
"What are you talking about, in jail? Why is he in jail?"
"Because he deserves it, now leave me alone." Buck turned back around, but JD moved to stand in front of him.
"For what? For what he did in Red Fork? Buck, he had to do what he did. He had no choice! They would have killed those kids and the judge if he hadn't covered them. Nathan deliberately let himself be a target so that Ezra could get them to safety. You know that."
"Do I?"
"Buck, don't be stupid. This is Ezra we're talking about."
"I know."
"Could of happened to anyone of us, Buck," JD insisted.
Buck looked at him. "But it didn't." The words came out before he was aware of them, and when he did hear them, part of him almost saw clearly. He'd had this exact same argument with Chris about JD after the kid had shot Annie...except now he was playing Chris's role.
JD frowned up at him, then shook his head. "I don't understand. I'm going to go let him out." He looked at Buck, waiting for an argument. Instead, Buck stared at the dirt at his feet. Snorting in disgust, JD made to step away when Buck suddenly reached out to grab JD's arm in a tight grip.
"He kissed Inez," he whispered, almost guiltily, as if in explanation. JD stopped instantly, turning slowly.
"Oh," it was the only thing he could think to say. He almost smiled, happy to know that Inez and Ezra had finally seen what he and the others had known for ages. Stupid as he may be around Casey, he wasn't nearly so blind or foolhardy when it came to the others. But seeing the pain on Buck's face, the smile never appeared.
He didn't realize that Buck still felt that way about the senorita. He had thought Buck saw what the rest of them did. That Inez, while fond of him, had never thought of him that way. She never looked at him the way she looked at Ezra. JD thought Buck was aware of this.
Obviously not.
"Buck...I'm sorry. But...Inez, she makes up her own mind. If she and Ezra...well, she wouldn't have just let him kiss her. More likely she kissed...."
"Stop," Buck shouted, loosing JD's arm. "She has no idea what sort of person he is. He's a snake, a cheat, a...a...a coward." His expression faltered as he heard the words he'd just spoken, hearing how false they rang even in his own ears.
JD just raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like it is you who doesn't know what sort of man he is, Buck."
Buck frowned, his reason breaking through for a moment. JD was right. Ezra wasn't any of those things anymore, if he ever had been. Buck knew in his heart that everything he was feeling and saying right now was wrong, that Ezra deserved as much from him as JD did. Damn it, he liked Ezra, liked him a lot. But then he saw Inez walking across the street to the Potter's, a look of anticipation and joy on her face, and his expression darkened. Glaring once more at the kid, he started walking away, heading once more to Digger Dan's.
"I'm going to go let him out, Buck!" JD called after him.
"I have the keys JD!" Buck retorted, intent once more on getting drunk and forgetting for a while. The kid's mouth opened, then closed. Staring after Buck, he shook his head, then started to run towards the jail. Inez saw him go, curious at why he was rushing, but the curiosity was soon replaced by the excitement of buying that dress...and her date with Ezra tonight.
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The kid charged into the jail, puffing slightly, and grimaced when he saw Ezra sitting curled up with his arms around his knees on the cot in the second cell. The gambler was staring blankly at the wall in front of him, rocking back and forth. The other two cowboys both appeared to be napping, their injuries having wiped out their energy.
Calming his breath, JD stepped forward to the outer cell doors and rested his arms through them. A quick glance at the empty post where they normally hung the keys told him that Buck hadn't been lying.
"Ez?"
The gambler didn't reply.
"Ez? I'm going to go and try and talk to Buck and get you out of here."
"Don't bother," came the terse reply.
"You don't belong in here. Buck's just jealous, Ez. He'll get over this."
"Hmm," came the non-committal reply. JD leaned his forehead against the bars separating him from his friend.
"Ezra, you don't deserve this. You do know that, right?"
Ezra hung his head, then turned his neck so he could see JD over his shoulder.
"Are you so sure I don't?"
"Yes. Without question."
Hanging his head against his chest again, Ezra couldn't help but smile. The boy's conviction was like a salve on a wound, even if Ezra hadn't quite reached that conclusion himself.
JD waited for a moment, to see if he would say more, then sighed when he realized that Ezra still didn't understand. Swallowing, he steeled himself, determined to fix the damage his jealous best friend had inflicted, even if it meant bringing up the one thing he least liked to talk about.
"Ezra...Ezra, do you remember when I shot Annie?"
The man on the cot flinched, and he turned surprised eyes to stare at his friend.
"Well," JD continued, "you remember what that did to me? I thought...I thought that it happened because it was me who had the gun. You understand? Almost as if I had done it on purpose, because, if I hadn't of tried to stop them, that if I hadn't fanned my gun, or, if I hadn't tripped in my haste to get out of the line of fire, if..." he paused, licking his lips. "If...." He frowned, aware that his train of thought had gotten away from him as the scene played out for what was probably the thousandth time in his head.
Ezra sat up straighter, turning so that he faced the kid leaning on the bars, though he still had his legs tucked up under him. "JD, it was an accident. A fluke. You could have said what if she hadn't been standing by the window to see what was happening, or, what if she'd gotten behind cover, or, hell, what if the thieves had shot you first?"
"Point is," JD said, looking at Ezra, raising his voice to warn him from interrupting again. "Point is," he repeated more quietly, "I knew it was an accident, see? I knew it then, just as I know it now, but...but I heard what the townsfolk were saying about me, and I saw the doubt in Chris's eyes, and, well, I convinced myself that they were right. That it was me. That if anyone else had been there, that Annie'd still be alive. It wouldn't have happened." He paused, taking in a shallow breath.
"JD, you don't have to...."
"But then I wouldn't have been on that stagecoach when Achilles attacked it. And he would have killed the people on it, I know. Iffin I hadn't been there then, he would have succeeded, wouldn't he? So, it was another, what did you call it? A fluke? It was another fluke that I was on that coach, but it was me that saved it. So the "what ifs"...that time, they worked out."
Ezra nodded. "Luck of the draw," he deadpanned. JD, who had been staring listlessly at the floor, looked back at Ezra with clear eyes.
"Do you understand what I'm trying to say, Ezra?"
The gambler frowned, not seeing the parallels. He shook his head. "What I did was not an accident, JD. I made a deliberate choice."
"No, you didn't. It was already out of your control by that point. Just like when I made the decision to try and stop those bankrobbers and pulled my gun. You can't control everything all the time, Ezra. You have to make decisions, and sometimes something awful happens as a result, but you have to live with it. You and Nathan made the decision to split up so that you could better protect those people and the Judge, Ez. After it was made, all you could do was what you did. Protect the people who couldn't protect themselves, and trust that one of us would arrive in time to help Nathan. And Buck did."
Ezra watched JD, and saw that this conversation seemed to be healing the old wound of the boy's as much as it was meant for Ezra. JD smiled suddenly.
"So you see, Ezra? What Buck thinks right now, the doubts he has? They aren't real, and, besides, he's wrong. Nathan and me, Ez, we know the truth. We know, because we know you. Once, long time ago, I let the judge put you in here 'cause I didn't know what kind of person you were. Well, I know now, and I'm going to do whatever I can to get you out."
Ezra shook his head, and, suddenly, started to laugh. JD grinned, and lifted his head to brush some of the hair out of it.
"Mr. Dunne, tell you what, so long as I'm playing Nathan's role in this town at the moment, I'm nominating you to play Josiah's."
"Really?" JD's grin widened. "What I said helped?"
"Yes, Mr. Dunne. I think, between you and Inez, I may actually finish this week with my soul intact."
Hearing the name Inez caused JD's smile to falter, but Ezra didn't notice as he was rubbing the tiredness from his eyes. The young sheriff nodded then, exuding the deep confidence of one destined to be a great leader, and stood up straight. Tipping his hat to Ezra, he said, "I'll go talk to Buck then." Ezra's eyes flew open again, and he shook his head.
"No...wait. Let him think for a while on his own, JD. Maybe he just needs some time. I know I do. I don't have to be anywhere until later, so I'm all right here, plus, I could use the rest. Fact is, I'd rather he be the one to let me out, unless there is no other recourse." Ezra shifted as he spoke, turning on the cot so his feet were on the ground again and his head leaning back against the back wall.
JD frowned, "You sure, Ez?"
Ezra stared up at the pockmarked gray rock of the ceiling, and nodded.
Still frowning, JD sighed. "I don't like this, Ezra."
"You don't have to, Mr. Dunne. And...frankly...I'm rather glad you don't." He smiled again, and JD returned it wryly. Ezra sighed, "Besides, I do have somewhere rather important to be tonight. Should Mr. Wilmington not return in time for me to get ready for this evening, then you may go and speak to him."
JD perked up at this, and nodded. "All right, Ez. I'll wait, but when Chris and Vin get back tomorrow, or if Josiah gets wind of this, I can't promise they'll be as patient."
Ezra's smile became more crooked as he thought of the others, wondering if JD was right. Probably he was, but Ezra was questioning everything at the moment, from his own soul to those of his friends, despite JD's words. Like Buck, he just needed the time to mull it over in his own head. The only thing he was sure of was that he would be there to pick up Inez tonight. More than anything, he wanted tonight to go right. Something this week would go right.
It had to.
Part Two
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He came awake slowly, body rebelling at the mind's need to insure that all was well. Confusion marked his expression for a moment, as he felt the soft feel of a mattress beneath his cramped shoulders and light touch on his brow of someone's fingers. Then, with a sense of calm, he remembered the day before, remembered returning and having the town step in to take care of them, of Inez....
Inez!
Green eyes shot open with shock, and he twisted around to look at whoever was brushing the hair from his forehead. His mouth fell open stupidly as he found her sitting on his bed, fully dressed, her fingers lazily caressing his face. She trailed a finger lightly down his cheek, her lips twitching into a smile at seeing him awake.
"Hi," she whispered.
His eyes got a little wider. Had they...? "In..." he croaked, then coughed, bringing his right hand to his mouth. He stopped when he saw the derringer rig still on it, and the fact that he still had his shirt on. Thank God. Not that he really believed his dreams anyway.
Nuts.
"Shhh," she whispered, taking her hand away. "Here, I brought you some food, and I expect you to eat it, since you missed dinner earlier." She stood and wandered across to the dresser and the tray she had placed there this morning. Lifting it, she waited until he moved into a sitting position on the bed before coming to play the tray on his lap. He took the glass of water on the tray greedily, downing it in one gulp.
"It's still night," she continued, watching as he drank the coffee on the tray more slowly. He was watching her warily. "It's only about an hour after midnight. But someone needs to stay at the clinic with Nathan and Josiah tonight, as both Sarah and Mary need to get home. Sarah's with child now," she smiled as Ezra broke into a large grin at the unexpected news, "and Mary's got her paper." Inez shrugged, indicating she thought the paper could stand one day of being late, but she knew Mary's priorities.
He swallowed, still watching her. Throughout her whole speech, he'd only had one question on his mind, "Inez, yesterday, did we...?" He trailed off, his mind questioning whether kissing her had been a dream.
"Did I kiss you?" she replied.
"You kissed me?"
"Well, you did kiss me back, I believe," she grinned, and his mouth fell open again. Then, just as suddenly, he grinned boyishly, and she laughed. Leaning forward over the tray on his lap, she kissed him lightly on the lips then stood.
"You should get over to the clinic," she said.
"Thank you Inez," he said, his tone expressing that he meant the words to encompass much more than simply waking him up and bringing him food. In response, she merely nodded.
"Now, I want you to eat all of that," she said. "I want it empty when I come to clean it away." She pointed at the tray, and he grabbed her arm with his left hand, preventing her from leaving.
"Will you go to dinner with me tonight?" he asked, a slight tremor of nervousness in his voice.
She blinked, blushing slightly, and smiled. "The saloon..." she began.
"Can survive one night without you," he insisted. "Please. Whatever you want."
She pursed her lips, remembering the blue dress that she had seen arrive yesterday at the Potter's when her own supplies had come in. Mrs. Potter always kept a few loose dresses on hand, just in case, and this one had been particularly pretty. With a few adjustments by the new seamstress in town, Miss Meg, it could easily be ready....
Finally, Inez nodded, then laughed as Ezra blew out the breath he hadn't known he was holding.
"Wear your navy jacket," she said, gently lifting her arm from his grasp. "And be by to pick me up at six." She offered him one more smile before taking her leave. Ezra ached to go after her, to pull her to him again and let her kiss once again take away all the pain of the last week, but he wasn't sure he could trust himself to ever let her go.
Still grinning stupidly, he attacked the food on the plate before him with a gusto reminiscent of Buck, not even caring that he was still extremely tired. He could sleep at the clinic.
________________________________
JD was rudely interrupted from a dreamless sleep by a hammering on his door, two hours after dawn had broken the horizon. Grimacing at sore muscles, he rubbed his right shoulder with his left hand as he moved to answer the door. Wrenching it open, he offered his best glare at whoever had the tenacity to wake him. Carl Weathers stood opposite him, dark eyes bright with worry, and JD instantly readjusted his expression to concern.
"What is it?"
"Trouble at the saloon. Couple of cowboys are bothering Inez."
"Where's Ezra and Buck?"
"Buck's still asleep in his room, I was going there next. Ezra's at the clinic. He relieved my Sarah there late last night." JD frowned at the news that Ezra probably still hadn't gotten any rest. Sighing, he nodded at Carl.
"Okay, got get Buck, then Ezra," JD reached behind him to pull up the straps of his suspenders, having not bothered to pull his pants off last night, and went to grab his rifle in the corner. Grabbing the still very dusty jacket sitting next to it, he almost ran out of the door.
Pushing out into the bright morning light, he jogged over to the saloon, quickly discerning the sounds of glass breaking and the yelling of an irate manageress. Tom Mitchell stood out front, hands gripping his rifle in a white knuckled grip, clearly waiting for JD to arrive.
"When Inez opened the storm doors to let in some air, these two trail types must've pushed their way in, despite her telling them that she wasn't opening for another hour," Tom said hurriedly. He pointed to the batwing doors, and at the awkward way they hung. "You can see they broke the latch on the batwings to get in, and maybe a hinge. Then they started to yell and began pushing her around, demanding she get drinks and food for them. When she still argued, they started getting the stuff themselves."
"How do you know...?"
"Me and Carl arrived when they started to yell. I been listening while Carl went to fetch you and the others," Tom looked a bit sheepish, indicating that he hadn't had the courage to try and face down the two cowboys on his own. JD nodded, not looking at Tom.
"Alright, you stay here and wait for Buck and Ezra," JD tried smiling at the obviously scared older man, then jogged up to the broken doors to peek inside. He could see that one of the cowboys was behind the counter, helping himself to whatever was behind the bar, while Inez was being held by another cowboy near the backroom. She was still fighting, but this one had one arm around her throat and another pulling her hair.
"Where's the food, harlot," the man was hissing. "We're hungry and we don't want no arguments from no woman."
"Go to hell," she spat back, trying to pull her head forward, but he pulled it back.
"In the back?" he said, ignoring her answer. "And you say you'll cook it for us? Whatever I want? On the house? Why how nice..." he licked her cheek, earning a scream of frustration from the manageress. She suddenly jumped up and stomped on the toes of his feet, causing him to yell and loosen his hold. Twisting, Inez got enough leverage to move and grab a bottle from off the counter, and, just as quickly, turn and smash it across his face. He yelled again, holding onto the side of his face, while his companion behind the bar pulled his gun to point at Inez as she stumbled away.
"Drop it!" JD yelled, jumping into the saloon, rifle raised. The one at the bar turned the gun on the kid, a dumb smile on his face, clearly not seeing a threat in one so young.
Inez fell to the floor, ducking behind a chair just as the rifle shot rang out. The man behind the bar cried out in pain, gripping his now bleeding arm, the gun uselessly falling to the floor.
JD shook his head, "I warned you," he said quietly, a smug smile on his face. The other man, still holding his now bleeding face, turned to try and duck through the back, only to find himself facing an extremely angry Buck Wilmington. The ladies man had come in via the backdoor and the kitchens.
"Going somewhere, peon?" Buck asked, smacking a frying pan across the top of the guy's head. Eyes rolling up in his head, the cowboy fell like a stone. Buck smiled mirthlessly and adjusted his bad arm inside the sling he still wore. Despite having used his good arm, the hit had wrenched his back again, and it began to ache.
Inez sighed in relief and got up from off the floor, just as Ezra pushed into the saloon followed by Carl and Tom. JD was still holding his rifle on the man at the bar, who was whimpering and glaring at the kid at the same time. JD nodded at Ezra, who was grimacing at the scene before him. In seconds, the gambler was by Inez, helping her up and letting her lean on him.
"This one's alive," Buck said, looking up from checking on the cowboy he'd decked. His face darkened when he saw Ezra hold onto Inez, as if he'd been the one to save the day. Ezra was oblivious, only having eyes for the woman before him.
"Are you alright?" the gambler was asking her. "I'm so sorry I wasn't here...."
"Oh please," she breathed, attempting to sound flippant, "it's not as if this sort of thing was unusual." Still, she hugged him tightly, betraying the fact that she was shaking. Then, as if suddenly aware that others were in the room, she let him go, though one hand stayed on his arm, as if she were afraid to let him go. He turned to look at the man behind the bar, his face twisted in a mask of anger.
"You want to fix them up Ezra?" JD asked, never taking his eyes from the cowboy.
"No," Ezra replied quickly, then he sighed in resignation at JD's amused glance. "Oh hell. Get them to the jail. I'll go get what I need from Nathan's."
"How are Nathan and Josiah?" the kid wanted to know.
Ezra looked at the boy, and nodded. "They'll be alright. Slept the whole night through, and Nathan's fever is finally gone. He should be up and about soon."
"Nice," JD smiled, clearly pleased. "Right, Tom, Carl, you grab that one Buck hit, and I'll take care of the ugly one here."
The cowboy behind the bar gripped his arm tighter, his eyes watering with pain, and spat in JD's direction. "Ugly?" he retorted.
"Call 'em as I see 'em, mister. Ain't seen too many uglier than you," JD snorted. "Now get moving," he indicated the man move with a jerk of his rifle. The cowboy frowned even deeper, then came out from the bar to head out the door. Tom and Carl walked up to Buck, who was still rubbing at his shoulder under his sling, and, between them, picked up the unconscious one. Buck followed them out slowly, and, as he passed Ezra and Inez, he caught him kissing her hand.
"You sure you are alright?" Ezra whispered.
"Fine, Senor. I've been through much worse, as you know." She smiled, and gripped his hand tightly. "Just make sure you don't forget about tonight," she told him.
Buck tripped on an upturned chair, using the movement to cover the sharp intake of breath he had at hearing that. Gritting his teeth, he followed JD and his captive out of the clinic.
___________________________________
Ezra bandaged the cowboy's arm, assuring the man that the bullet had only grazed him, despite the graze being deep. As he fitted the man into a sling, he glanced across at the other one. The second cowboy had regained consciousness and was holding a compress to the side of his face where Inez's bottle had cut him. His eyes were glassy, but he was alert. Ezra glared at him, unwilling to do more than supply the soaked compress. The man could clean his own cuts.
Buck was standing in the jail, twisting the keys in his hand, waiting. JD had gone to help Inez clean up, while Carl and Tom had gone home to get some rest from having stayed up at the jail all night.
Finished, Ezra backed out of the cell, wiping his hands on a towel.
"I will be most pleased when Mr. Jackson regains his sensibilities," Ezra muttered, throwing the towel on the desk with some disgust as Buck locked the cell doors behind him. He sniffed at the noxious smell of linseed oil and milk on his fingers and grimaced.
"Well considering who put him in the clinic, I'd think you'd just be happy to know that he was going to recover at all," Buck snarled. Ezra stopped moving, his whole body going rigid.
Neither spoke as Buck walked around Ezra to the lean on the desk in front of him, arms crossed. The gambler was watching him quietly, his eyes wide open.
"It wasn't my fault, Buck. I had the Judge and those two kids to...."
"I don't want to hear it, Standish," Buck watched him like a hawk. "I do, however, want to know what your intentions are towards Inez."
Ezra startled and rocked back a step. "Inez?"
"You taking her out tonight?"
Shaking his head, Ezra took another step back, back in the direction of the cells. Inside, the two injured cowboys were listening expectantly.
"I...I don't see how that is any of your business, Mr. Wilmington."
"Not my business?" Buck roared, standing up to full height so he towered over the smaller man. Ezra took another step back, hitting the outer cell door.
"You know," Buck hissed. "You know full well how I feel about her."
"Buck, I..."
"Shut up!" Buck gripped his good hand into a fist by his side, a movement Ezra watched with a tightening of the jaw. If Buck hit him, he'd let him. The gambler would not defend himself. After everything that happened this week, if this was the only way he and Buck could resolve this, then it was a small price to pay.
"I know I may not be good enough to be with someone like Inez," Buck said, watching the man before him intently, "but I sure as hell know you ain't good enough for her either. And yet, even after what you did in Red Fork, you still have the balls to go in there and kiss her? You bastard! She deserves so much better than a self-serving weasel like you. What if it'd been her instead of Nathan, huh? Would it have made a difference?"
Ezra was breathing more heavily with each stinging word, their conviction bruising his still fragile heart with severe blows as sure as any fist. Buck had seen them kissing yesterday? Oh lord. "Please Buck..."
"No, no, I don't want to hear it, boy! You may wear the clothes of an adult, Standish, but you're still a hell of a lot younger than me, and you're going to listen to what I have to say." He took a step closer, and Ezra gripped the bars behind him.
"So how long've you been with Inez, huh? Seducing her behind my back for weeks, now, haven't you? You probably both been laughing at me for ages, what with my pitiful attempts to win her. No wonder she kept rebuffing me, cause all this time she was with you...." Buck's train of thought was all over the place, his anger, frustration and jealousy submerging all his reason and logic. In some small part of his brain, Ezra knew this, but the gambler's own psyche was too strained to think any clearer than his friend.
"Yesterday...was the first time, Buck. I swear. Please, you must believe me. I would never hurt you...."
"Well , you are hurting me. Just like you let Nathan get hurt," Buck smiled as Ezra visibly cringed. "What's the matter, boy? Can't face what a jerk you are? Well, neither can I!" Buck stepped forward to stand less than a foot from the younger man, staring down his nose at him. Ezra waited patiently for the blow with his eyes closed, his whole body tensing in anticipation.
"Get in the other cell."
Ezra opened one eye, then the other, and looked up at Buck. "What?"
"Get in there. You're going to rot in there all day until I figure out what I'm going to do with you."
Turning, Ezra glanced at the empty cell next to the one the two cowboys shared. Dust swirled in the sunlight that streamed in through the small barred window above the bed, and the odor of all the unwashed men who'd stayed in there assaulted his nostrils. He looked back at Buck.
"Can't you just hit me?" he asked.
Buck smiled thinly, lips curling away from his teeth like an animal about to strike. "I never hit first, Ezra. I only hit back. Now, get into that cell."
Ezra swallowed, "What about Nathan and Josiah. What if they need me?"
"There are others who can take care of them, now that we're home. Besides, you told JD that they're going to be fine. Josiah's more than healthy enough to call for help should anything change. Now, get in there before I throw you in there."
Ezra grimaced, but nodded. Resignedly, he watched as Buck opened the outer cell door and shoved Ezra in front of him. In moments, he had the other door opened and was indicating to Ezra to get inside.
"You're going to sit in there and think, Standish, about all the things you did wrong this week, all the people you hurt, and why you are going to stay the hell away from Inez. You got that?"
"Yes sir," Ezra mumbled, watching as Buck slammed the door behind him.
"Good," Buck gripped the keys in his fist and smiled wickedly. "I'll see you later then. And don't bother asking JD to get you out. I'm taking the keys with me," he let the iron keyring play around his index finger, the keys on it chiming dully together, then shoved them into his coat pocket. Repeating his earlier snarl-like smile, the ladies man turned to leave. At the doors to the outside, he looked back and nodded, more to himself than to his captive, as Ezra sat down on the musty cot.
"That one loves ya, don't he," the cowboy with his arm in a sling grinned. Ezra snarled back, and turned to face the wall.
_____________________________
"Hey Buck!" JD jogged across the street from the saloon, working to catch up with Buck who was striding swiftly down to street towards Digger Dan's. "Buck, where are you going?"
"To get a drink, JD," the tall man replied angrily. JD frowned, not understanding the hostility emanating from the older man. He continued to have to jog slightly to keep up with Buck's long strides.
"Well, where's Ez? He gone back to the clinic? Inez was asking...."
"He's in jail, JD. And he's going to stay there."
JD came to an abrupt stop, not hiding his confusion. Buck, however, kept on moving. Breaking out to his reverie, JD ran to catch up with his best friend, grabbing him on the arm and spinning him around.
"What are you talking about, in jail? Why is he in jail?"
"Because he deserves it, now leave me alone." Buck turned back around, but JD moved to stand in front of him.
"For what? For what he did in Red Fork? Buck, he had to do what he did. He had no choice! They would have killed those kids and the judge if he hadn't covered them. Nathan deliberately let himself be a target so that Ezra could get them to safety. You know that."
"Do I?"
"Buck, don't be stupid. This is Ezra we're talking about."
"I know."
"Could of happened to anyone of us, Buck," JD insisted.
Buck looked at him. "But it didn't." The words came out before he was aware of them, and when he did hear them, part of him almost saw clearly. He'd had this exact same argument with Chris about JD after the kid had shot Annie...except now he was playing Chris's role.
JD frowned up at him, then shook his head. "I don't understand. I'm going to go let him out." He looked at Buck, waiting for an argument. Instead, Buck stared at the dirt at his feet. Snorting in disgust, JD made to step away when Buck suddenly reached out to grab JD's arm in a tight grip.
"He kissed Inez," he whispered, almost guiltily, as if in explanation. JD stopped instantly, turning slowly.
"Oh," it was the only thing he could think to say. He almost smiled, happy to know that Inez and Ezra had finally seen what he and the others had known for ages. Stupid as he may be around Casey, he wasn't nearly so blind or foolhardy when it came to the others. But seeing the pain on Buck's face, the smile never appeared.
He didn't realize that Buck still felt that way about the senorita. He had thought Buck saw what the rest of them did. That Inez, while fond of him, had never thought of him that way. She never looked at him the way she looked at Ezra. JD thought Buck was aware of this.
Obviously not.
"Buck...I'm sorry. But...Inez, she makes up her own mind. If she and Ezra...well, she wouldn't have just let him kiss her. More likely she kissed...."
"Stop," Buck shouted, loosing JD's arm. "She has no idea what sort of person he is. He's a snake, a cheat, a...a...a coward." His expression faltered as he heard the words he'd just spoken, hearing how false they rang even in his own ears.
JD just raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like it is you who doesn't know what sort of man he is, Buck."
Buck frowned, his reason breaking through for a moment. JD was right. Ezra wasn't any of those things anymore, if he ever had been. Buck knew in his heart that everything he was feeling and saying right now was wrong, that Ezra deserved as much from him as JD did. Damn it, he liked Ezra, liked him a lot. But then he saw Inez walking across the street to the Potter's, a look of anticipation and joy on her face, and his expression darkened. Glaring once more at the kid, he started walking away, heading once more to Digger Dan's.
"I'm going to go let him out, Buck!" JD called after him.
"I have the keys JD!" Buck retorted, intent once more on getting drunk and forgetting for a while. The kid's mouth opened, then closed. Staring after Buck, he shook his head, then started to run towards the jail. Inez saw him go, curious at why he was rushing, but the curiosity was soon replaced by the excitement of buying that dress...and her date with Ezra tonight.
________________________________
The kid charged into the jail, puffing slightly, and grimaced when he saw Ezra sitting curled up with his arms around his knees on the cot in the second cell. The gambler was staring blankly at the wall in front of him, rocking back and forth. The other two cowboys both appeared to be napping, their injuries having wiped out their energy.
Calming his breath, JD stepped forward to the outer cell doors and rested his arms through them. A quick glance at the empty post where they normally hung the keys told him that Buck hadn't been lying.
"Ez?"
The gambler didn't reply.
"Ez? I'm going to go and try and talk to Buck and get you out of here."
"Don't bother," came the terse reply.
"You don't belong in here. Buck's just jealous, Ez. He'll get over this."
"Hmm," came the non-committal reply. JD leaned his forehead against the bars separating him from his friend.
"Ezra, you don't deserve this. You do know that, right?"
Ezra hung his head, then turned his neck so he could see JD over his shoulder.
"Are you so sure I don't?"
"Yes. Without question."
Hanging his head against his chest again, Ezra couldn't help but smile. The boy's conviction was like a salve on a wound, even if Ezra hadn't quite reached that conclusion himself.
JD waited for a moment, to see if he would say more, then sighed when he realized that Ezra still didn't understand. Swallowing, he steeled himself, determined to fix the damage his jealous best friend had inflicted, even if it meant bringing up the one thing he least liked to talk about.
"Ezra...Ezra, do you remember when I shot Annie?"
The man on the cot flinched, and he turned surprised eyes to stare at his friend.
"Well," JD continued, "you remember what that did to me? I thought...I thought that it happened because it was me who had the gun. You understand? Almost as if I had done it on purpose, because, if I hadn't of tried to stop them, that if I hadn't fanned my gun, or, if I hadn't tripped in my haste to get out of the line of fire, if..." he paused, licking his lips. "If...." He frowned, aware that his train of thought had gotten away from him as the scene played out for what was probably the thousandth time in his head.
Ezra sat up straighter, turning so that he faced the kid leaning on the bars, though he still had his legs tucked up under him. "JD, it was an accident. A fluke. You could have said what if she hadn't been standing by the window to see what was happening, or, what if she'd gotten behind cover, or, hell, what if the thieves had shot you first?"
"Point is," JD said, looking at Ezra, raising his voice to warn him from interrupting again. "Point is," he repeated more quietly, "I knew it was an accident, see? I knew it then, just as I know it now, but...but I heard what the townsfolk were saying about me, and I saw the doubt in Chris's eyes, and, well, I convinced myself that they were right. That it was me. That if anyone else had been there, that Annie'd still be alive. It wouldn't have happened." He paused, taking in a shallow breath.
"JD, you don't have to...."
"But then I wouldn't have been on that stagecoach when Achilles attacked it. And he would have killed the people on it, I know. Iffin I hadn't been there then, he would have succeeded, wouldn't he? So, it was another, what did you call it? A fluke? It was another fluke that I was on that coach, but it was me that saved it. So the "what ifs"...that time, they worked out."
Ezra nodded. "Luck of the draw," he deadpanned. JD, who had been staring listlessly at the floor, looked back at Ezra with clear eyes.
"Do you understand what I'm trying to say, Ezra?"
The gambler frowned, not seeing the parallels. He shook his head. "What I did was not an accident, JD. I made a deliberate choice."
"No, you didn't. It was already out of your control by that point. Just like when I made the decision to try and stop those bankrobbers and pulled my gun. You can't control everything all the time, Ezra. You have to make decisions, and sometimes something awful happens as a result, but you have to live with it. You and Nathan made the decision to split up so that you could better protect those people and the Judge, Ez. After it was made, all you could do was what you did. Protect the people who couldn't protect themselves, and trust that one of us would arrive in time to help Nathan. And Buck did."
Ezra watched JD, and saw that this conversation seemed to be healing the old wound of the boy's as much as it was meant for Ezra. JD smiled suddenly.
"So you see, Ezra? What Buck thinks right now, the doubts he has? They aren't real, and, besides, he's wrong. Nathan and me, Ez, we know the truth. We know, because we know you. Once, long time ago, I let the judge put you in here 'cause I didn't know what kind of person you were. Well, I know now, and I'm going to do whatever I can to get you out."
Ezra shook his head, and, suddenly, started to laugh. JD grinned, and lifted his head to brush some of the hair out of it.
"Mr. Dunne, tell you what, so long as I'm playing Nathan's role in this town at the moment, I'm nominating you to play Josiah's."
"Really?" JD's grin widened. "What I said helped?"
"Yes, Mr. Dunne. I think, between you and Inez, I may actually finish this week with my soul intact."
Hearing the name Inez caused JD's smile to falter, but Ezra didn't notice as he was rubbing the tiredness from his eyes. The young sheriff nodded then, exuding the deep confidence of one destined to be a great leader, and stood up straight. Tipping his hat to Ezra, he said, "I'll go talk to Buck then." Ezra's eyes flew open again, and he shook his head.
"No...wait. Let him think for a while on his own, JD. Maybe he just needs some time. I know I do. I don't have to be anywhere until later, so I'm all right here, plus, I could use the rest. Fact is, I'd rather he be the one to let me out, unless there is no other recourse." Ezra shifted as he spoke, turning on the cot so his feet were on the ground again and his head leaning back against the back wall.
JD frowned, "You sure, Ez?"
Ezra stared up at the pockmarked gray rock of the ceiling, and nodded.
Still frowning, JD sighed. "I don't like this, Ezra."
"You don't have to, Mr. Dunne. And...frankly...I'm rather glad you don't." He smiled again, and JD returned it wryly. Ezra sighed, "Besides, I do have somewhere rather important to be tonight. Should Mr. Wilmington not return in time for me to get ready for this evening, then you may go and speak to him."
JD perked up at this, and nodded. "All right, Ez. I'll wait, but when Chris and Vin get back tomorrow, or if Josiah gets wind of this, I can't promise they'll be as patient."
Ezra's smile became more crooked as he thought of the others, wondering if JD was right. Probably he was, but Ezra was questioning everything at the moment, from his own soul to those of his friends, despite JD's words. Like Buck, he just needed the time to mull it over in his own head. The only thing he was sure of was that he would be there to pick up Inez tonight. More than anything, he wanted tonight to go right. Something this week would go right.
It had to.