The next morning after the shooting, Vivian was still lying unconscious in Sean and Marita's guestroom and Clay was still by her side. There was a knock at the door and Clay automatically said 'Come in'. It was Lexy. She had come over to Sean and Marita's that morning to help with anything that she could.

"Clay?" she said as she came into the room. "If you're hungry, I can sit with Vivian or bring you up a tray."

"No thanks Lexy" Clay said as he looked up at her. "I'm not hungry."

Lexy could see the sadness on her brother's face and hear it in his voice.

"Everything is going to be fine Clay" she said, trying to encourage him.

"I hope so Lexy" he said as he turned his gaze back to Vivian. "I hope so..." his voice trailed off as a tear slid down his cheek.

"If you need anything, I'll be right downstairs" Lexy said then backed out of the room and closed the door.

************************

There was a knock at the door and Marita went to answer it.

"Mrs. Logan" the sheriff tipped his hat.

"Sheriff" Marita said.

"Is Sean home? I need to speak with him."

"Yes he's here. Come in" Marita said with worry in her voice. "Is everything alright Sheriff?" Marita asked as she led him into the great room.

"That's what I'm here to find out Mrs. Logan" he said.

"I'll get Sean" Marita said then left the room.

Minutes later Sean came into the great room to find the sheriff seated in a chair.

"Sheriff" he said. "Do you have any news?" he asked as he sat down.

"Sean..." the sheriff started then hesitated. "I need to ask you a few questions" he said, then Marita came in and he hesitated again.

Marita sat next to Sean on the couch and both waited for the sheriff to continue.

"Go ahead sheriff" Sean said after a few moments.

"Miss Moore..." he said, then looked from Sean to Marita then back to Sean. "Miss Moore came by my office yesterday. She had been attacked, beaten up. And..." he hesitated a moment. "And she said that you did it" he looked directly at Sean.

"What?!" Sean exclaimed.

"She said you attacked her. Did you?"

"No! Sheriff..."

"I spoke with the hotel clerk... and he said you had stopped by there to see her" he said, then took a quick look at Marita.

"I did go by there sheriff" Sean admitted. "But only to confront her."

"About the shooting?"

"Yes!"

"Sean, this is a matter for the law to handle. You were out of line going to see her. And now she has accused you of attacking her and you have admitted that you were with her."

"So what?!" Sean said and stood up. "I didn't touch her sheriff!"

"Sean please..." Marita pulled on his arm to try and get him to sit down and calm down.

Sean sat down reluctantly. "I didn't touch her sheriff."

"It's your word against hers."

"Sheriff, she's lying. I did not lay one hand on her!"

"Someone did. She was bruised up and her clothes were ripped."

"Well I didn't do it!"

"You said you went to confront her about the shooting."

"Right" Sean said.

"Are you sure you didn't lose control..."

"No sheriff! I told you I didn't touch her!"

"She said you attached her because..." he looked at Marita again then continued. "She refused your advances."

"WHAT?!" Sean blew his top and shot to his feet. "Sheriff I can't even stand the sight of that woman!"

"Is there anything you can tell me that might prove that she is lying?" the sheriff asked. He had a feeling Miss Moore was lying but he needed proof in order to dismiss her allegation.

"I don't know what to tell you sheriff. I went to her room..."

*******************

The knock was loud and persistent. Bonnie wondered who in the world was pounding on her door. When she opened it, her heart began to beat wildly. He had come. Hopefully that drunk Charlie had done his job and now Bonnie would get what she wanted.

"Sean" she smiled at him, seemingly blind to the scowl on his face. "Come in" she said, using her most sexy voice.

"There's been a shooting at my home!" he said as he walked inside the room.

"Oh I'm sorry was anybody..."

"And I know you had something to do with it!" Sean turned and faced her.

"What are you accusing me of Sean" she said innocently. "I did no such thing! How could you think that?" she said. "Who was shot?" she said in the next breath.

Sean looked at her and saw the glee on her face and it took every ounce of control not to put his hands around her neck and choke the life out of her.

"You b..." Sean gritted his teeth as he took hold of his temper.

He wanted so badly to explode but somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that if he did he would be in jeopardy of losing his family. And that was something he was not willing to do, not even for revenge against Bonnie.

"Was your... wife shot?" she asked hopefully, her mind reeling off into a fairy tale land where she and Sean were together and living happily ever after.

That question nearly pushed Sean over the edge. He knew without a doubt that she was behind trying to have Marita shot. And once again within the space of a few seconds he had to choose between his family and revenge.

"The sheriff has arrested your gunman" Sean said in a deadly voice, void of emotion. "And you'll be behind bars soon" he said then turned to leave the room.

"Sean" she grabbed his arm. "What are you..."

"DON'T!" Sean snatched his arm away from her and turned a red-hot glare on her. "YOU EVER! TOUCH... ME AGAIN!" he said through gritted teeth.

Bonnie actually backed up a step as hot furious anger emitted from him. And for the first time she began to see the rage and total contempt Sean had toward her. It had finally began to sink in. He abhorred her. Her unstable, demented mind began to crack as that truth hit her fully. He did not want her, not now, not ever. Her fragile grip on reality began to loosen and she felt as if she would literally die if he walked away from her.

"But Sean..." she said as tears, real tears gathered in her eyes. "I love you!" she cried.

"I DON'T LOVE YOU! Can't you understand that?!" Sean shouted, wondering when she would get that fact through her head. "I NEVER HAVE! AND I NEVER WILL!!"

"But why?" she asked desperately as tears began to slid down her cheeks. "I... I need you. I can't live without you!"

"WELL" he said with coldness. "I can live without you! And I plan to!"

"Please Sean" she begged him as defeat showed in her eyes. "You can't leave me. You can't..." her voice trailed off as her tears continued to flow.

Sean looked at her and saw that she was finally accepting the fact that he did not want her. And he almost felt sorry for her. But then he thought about her attempt to have Marita shot and any pity he felt for her was instantly squashed. Sean looked at her with total disdain and hoped it would be the last time he saw her face. Then he turned and opened the door.

"Sean..." she called out to him and he slammed the door. "Sean!" he heard her cry through the door. "Sean!"

Sean walked away intent on going home to his family. Going home to Marita...

*******************

"That's it sheriff" Sean said after he told the sheriff what had transpired the day before in Bonnie's hotel room.

"You can't think of anything else she might have said to discredit her claim that you attacked her because she turned down your advances?"

"No" Sean said. "Wait a minute. When I went to the hotel, the clerk said that she had left me a note and a key to her room and that she was expecting me."

"Do you have the note?"

"No."

"Well" the sheriff said as he stood up. "I'll go have another talk with the clerk. And you need to stay away from her" the sheriff said, glad that he had something to go on to prove Miss Moore may have been lying about Sean.

"I will sheriff" Sean said. He was finally able to realize his mistake in going to confront her.

After seeing the sheriff out, Sean went into the kitchen to find Marita and Lexy setting the table for breakfast. Sean-Michael was standing under the table examining its leg. Sean went and sat down and waited for breakfast.

"Do you think the sheriff believed you?" Lexy asked when they were all seated and eating.

Sean looked at Lexy and could not help but laugh. She still listened in on other's conversations.

"I see you haven't given up ease dropping" he said with a slight laugh.

"Well, do you?" Lexy asked when Sean did not answer her question.

"I don't see why he shouldn't. I told him the truth."

Truth. That was something that was about to catch up with Bonnie.

To Be Continued...............