Thanks everyone for reading and responding! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Yash – Thanks for the compliment on my writing. I'm glad that you enjoyed the story the second time around.

Okay I'm posting two chapters this week, because I don't know if I'll get to post next week.

Chapter Fifty-seven

Sean paced in a private room of the Lexington jailhouse, waiting for the Sheriff to come in and question him, livid at this ugly twist of fate. He couldn't believe it, that just as things had gotten back on track with him and Marita this had happened. Sean sighed and closed his eyes, his heart panging and his anger rising at the thought of Marita learning about this latest complication, at the thought of the horror and heartache she'll undoubtedly feel. Damn Asa Winters he mused with ire. Damn him for getting in the way of his plans with Marita again, first it was the mess at the Assemblyman's Dinner; then the attack, and now this. Sean drew a deep breath, his anger still raging, but now etched with fear as he pondered the implications of this charge if it stuck; what would happened to him and his family and Marita. His soul ached at the angst that she would endure and how once again their dreams would be lost. "No I'm going to get out of this." Sean angrily vowed within, pushing the anxiety and pain out of his heart. "I'm going to get out of this and have the life that I want with Marita." He told himself once more, now praying that all would be well, that his pa would get Clancy like they'd discussed, and together they'd fix this mess.

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"This is absolutely outrageous!" Assemblyman Clancy asserted with fury and disbelief, as he continued to process what Ned Logan had told him several minutes before. "Sean would never shoot Asa Winters."

"Damn right he wouldn't!" Ned fiercely concurred as he stood in front of the man's desk. "But Asa said differently." He continued lividly. "He told Deputy Brunson that Sean was the one who shot him, which is a malicious lie." He seethed. "Sean was on the ranch, saving a woman's life at the time of the shooting. So there's no way in hell he could've done this!"

"I believe you." Clancy avowed, as he stood from his chair; then made his way across the room to the coat rack. "And I'm going to fix it." He said as he now slipped on his coat.

"How soon?" Ned questioned promptly, severely, having no thoughts of kindness or thanks, just wanting this mess resolved. "Because there's no way I'm going to let my son sit at that jail for another hour." He swore.

"My sentiments exactly." The Assemblyman concurred as he turned to look Ned in the eyes; his gaze serious and stern as he put on his hat. "Now let's go." He said; then quickly moved towards the exit of the room, with an encouraged, but still fuming Ned following closely behind.

Moments later...

Ned strode towards the Assemblyman's carriage, wrath in his eyes, still seething at Asa's allegation, livid that he would spew such a lie when he could be at death's door, vowing to make the man pay for this vicious lie, if he managed to escape the devil's deadly grasp. When suddenly words penetrated his rage, drawing his mind away from his vengeance on Asa. It was the paper boy yelling the headlines of the day... "Special Edition, get your special edition! Asa Winters Shot! Chambers Baby Girl Kidnapped!"...stunning Ned, stopping him cold in tracks...

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"I told you that I was at the ranch all morning." Sean repeated to the Sheriff, frustration etched in his voice. "I went riding at sunrise and when I returned there was a fire...one of our ranchmen's houses was in flames. And I...helped his family out of the burning house." He explained again, deliberately altering the truth, in attempt to protect Marita. "He was there." He said holding the Sheriff's stern gaze. "My whole family was there, as well as a number of ranchmen and servants. You can question them all. They'll verify what happened."

"I'm sure they will." The Sheriff sneered. "They're your family and your servants." He uttered stiffly. "But it doesn't matter what they say, because Asa Winters said something different."

"Asa Winters is a vindictive bastard who'll say anything to take me down." Sean retorted.

"I find it hard to believe that a man would tell such a tale when he could be breathing his last breath." The Sheriff fiercely repelled.

"Well then Sheriff I guess you just don't know how vindictive a bitter man can be." Sean countered strongly.

"And you would know about being bitter wouldn't you.?" The Sheriff contended cruelly. "Considering your waning status in the community."

"My waning status in the community?" Sean scoffed. "Last I check I'm still the Deputy Director of Regional Affairs."

"Not for long." The Sheriff rebutted. "This town is not going to let its public affairs be handled by a Negro lover." He deemed. "And you know this. You know that your days are numbered." He harshly accused. "And it's all because of Asa Winters, which made you so angry and bitter, that you decided that he needed to pay."

"You are so wrong." Sean disputed with fury and disgust.

"You wish I was wrong." The Sheriff asserted, ire in his voice. "You shot Asa Winters, and I'm going to do my damndest to make sure you hang..."

"Hang!" A woman exclaimed, interrupting the Sheriff's threat, prompting him and Sean to turn their attention to the entry of the room.

"Sir I'm sorry, I tried to stop her." A young deputy nervously stated as he followed Vivian into the room.

"Miss. Winters what are you doing here?" The Sheriff awkwardly asked, instantly standing from his chair.

"I'd like to ask you the same thing." Vivian questioned curtly – angrily.

"You shouldn't be he..."

"I'd like my questioned answered." Vivian demanded, halting the Sheriff's response. "Now what is going on here?"

"Ma'am I am trying to question the man who...shot your father." The Sheriff answered hesitantly, irritation in his tone.

"This man did not shoot my father." Vivian pronounced with stern assurance, knowing that it was the truth, determined to help Sean and in the process get him back.

"Your father said differently."

"My father is wrong." She declared, staring the Sheriff in the eyes. "I was with Mr. Logan and his family at the time of the shooting. Hence there is no way that he could've done this." She said, now turning her gaze to Sean, who sat staring at her, completely shocked that she was there and unsure of what to make of her attempt to help him.

"With all do respect ma'am I have a hard time believing your account." The Sheriff angrily countered. "Considering you have...reasons to try and protect Mr. Logan."

"Pardon me." Vivian immediately retorted, turning her eyes back to the Sheriff. "I resent your implication." She continued lividly. "No matter what Mr. Logan may be to me, I would never protect him if he'd tried to kill my father!" She said. "I'm here. I left my father who could be dying because you need to know the truth, and the truth is that Sean Logan did not shoot my father!" She exclaimed. "And if you don't let him go, and start looking for the real culprit who committed this heinous crime against my father, there's going to be hell to pay!" She threatened.

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2- hours later...

Sheriff Franklin's interrogation of Sean was over. After Vivian burst into the room, demanding that Sean be released, Ned had arrived shortly there after with Assemblyman Clancy and County Attorney Richardson, determined to settle this egregious error today. For he, nor Sean or for that matter Assemblyman Clancy, were going to wait for the process of justice to play out, which always took weeks, they wanted this fixed now. And that's what they got. Though County Attorney Richardson was one of many who was now bias against Sean after the fiasco at the Assemblyman's dinner, making no secret of his disgust over Sean's involvement with Marita and his feeling that he should no longer have his position as Deputy Director, he could still be a fair man, and he took his job as County Attorney very seriously, especially with Assemblyman Clancy looking over his shoulder. Thus after hearing statements from Ned and Sean, along with Vivian's corroboration, which carried a lot of weight, he concluded that there were no grounds to charge Sean with shooting Asa Winters and had ordered the Sheriff to let him go and do as Ms. Winters, the daughter of the victim had asked, and start looking for the real shooter…

"So what are you going to do?" Sean asked his pa in response to what he'd just told him – that Danielle had been kidnapped and that Jeremy was undoubtedly the culprit.

"I'm going to have to tell the rest of the family what I've learned." Ned answered, a hint of guilt and anxiety in his voice as they continued to walk down the street, away from the town jail, both relieved that the charges had been dropped, but Sean also yearning to see Marita. "Then I'm going to do what should've been done weeks ago." He said. "I'm going to tell the Chambers everything..."

"Sean!" They suddenly heard a woman call from behind, interrupting Sean's intended response, causing them to stop and turn to see that it was Vivian, who was upon them within seconds. "Can we talk?" She cautiously requested of Sean, after greeting a less than receptive Ned.

"I'll get the carriage." Ned stated, instantly gathering that Vivian wanted to speak with Sean alone. Then turned and walked away. For a moment Sean watched his father continue down the street, before he turned his gaze back to Vivian and spoke...

"What do you want?" He calmly asked, trying to keep the annoyance out of his tone, over her once more getting in the way of him going to Marita.

"Se..."

"I've already thanked you for speaking on my behalf, so what else is there to say?" He continued before she could fully utter a response.

"What else is there to say?" Vivian uttered with bafflement and hurt. "Sean my father's been shot. I...I need you with me." She struggled to state, determined to milk this situation for all she could and somehow bring Sean back to her.

"You don't actually believe that I'm going to accompany you home?" Sean scoffed as he stared at her in disbelief.

"Yes, I do." Vivian answered unevenly, steadily holding his gaze. "I know that you're angry with me, but things have change and..."

"Vivian nothings changed." Sean countered strongly, frustration etched in his voice. "It's over. We're over." He said; his gaze steady and severe. "And nothing, not your pa being shot, not you crying and pleading, is going to bring me back to you."

"No..." Vivian rejected; her heart fighting the truth in Sean's words.

"I'm sorry if this hurts you." Sean genuinely conveyed; his eyes still stern and fixed upon her. "But you have to accept the truth." He said. "There's no chance for us. There never was, and there never will be."

"How can you say that when you were planning to marry me?" Vivian asked, desperation and irritation in her voice. "When just a few days ago we were talking about setting a wedding date?"

"I had no intentions of marrying you." Sean confessed with brutal truth, ready to end this futile discussion, so that he could go home to Marita. "I was trying to spare your feelings." He severely resumed. "Trying to, prevent another episode like the one at the Assemblyman's Dinner." He said, which angered Vivian. "But once I learned that you were lying about your memory, my sympathy ended..."

"You mean your GUILT ended." Vivian retorted, struggling to keep her voice down, to not cause a scene. "Since I lied about my memory, that let you off the hook." She charged. "Made you believe that what you'd done was less despicable than what I'd done. But you're wrong!" She seethed. "Nothing will be more disgusting than you sleeping with that Negro!"

"I am not doing this." Sean fumed; then turned to walk away, knowing that this conversation was beyond civil and that if he didn't walk away now it would get more vicious, which was the last thing he needed.

"You're not doing what?" Vivian nastily replied. "Admitting that you want a filthy Negro over me!" She yelled, drawing the attention of the people who were passing by, causing Sean to stop and turn his gaze back to her, his eyes a fierce blue, filling her with deep dread, crushing her anger, making her tremble with fear that he would strike her across the face...

"Your father, is on his death bed, and you're here, arguing with me." Sean stated with an unsettling calm, holding Vivian's frightened stare. "That's why I will never love you." He avowed. "You're pathetic. And if I never see your face again, it would be too soon." He said, then turned and walked away, leaving Vivian devastated and humiliated, bitterly accepting that she'd never have Sean Logan.

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Marita quickly headed down the hallway of the Logan home, leaving the guest room behind, fighting through slight dizziness and nausea, and the horror she felt at learning that Sean had been taken to jail, determined to help him somehow. Though she knew that going to the authorities was out of the question; for they'd never take her word – a Negro's word, over a white man's, they would listen to other whites – servants and ranchmen, who could confirm that Sean was on the ranch when, according to the deputy, the shooting had happened. Marita sighed, her heart aching at how quickly her happiness had turned to grief, praying that she could help Sean, that she could somehow get him out of this mess, when just as she was about to round the corner at the end of the hall, Sean appeared in her path...

"Sean!" She asserted with shock; then instantly closed the distance between them, throwing her arms around him. "Are you okay!" She asked, intense worry in her voice as she held him firmly, desperately wanting him closer.

"I'm okay." Sean soothed as he gently wrapped her in his warmth, easing her worries and fears with his love. "I'm okay." He repeated softly, as he now tenderly stroked her back, thanking God that he was free, that he could hold her again.

"What happened?" Marita then asked, now pulling back to look him in the eyes. "Were the charges dropped?"

"Yes. My alibi is solid so they couldn't hold me."

"Thank God." Marita sighed, embracing him again, holding him tighter. "I was so worried. I mean with all that's happened..."

"I know." Sean quietly interjected as he closed his eyes and strengthened his arms around her, thinking how things could've gone so much worse at the jail. "I was worried too..." He said. "And I realized...I decided...that I don't want to wait." He declared as he slowly ended their embrace, now looking her in the eyes. "I don't want to wait to marry...I know that we agreed to hold off the ceremony until we got to Michigan." He continued as a speechless Marita briefly lowered her gaze, moved by the intensity of his eyes and his words. "But when I was being taken to jail..."

"You were reminded of how quickly things can change." She faintly asserted, finishing his thought as she lifted her eyes back to his face.

"Yes." Sean whispered as he held her stare. "Marita I'm tired of wasting time, waiting for the right moment for us to start our lives." He stated passionately. "We're ready now. So let's stop waiting." He said.

"Okay." Marita murmured with utter sureness and love, as she gently touched his cheek. "No more waiting."

"No more waiting." Sean quietly echoed, brushing a hair from her face; before he then kissed her lips; then embraced her once more.

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Ned was quiet. For a moment hesitating to continue to speak, contemplating withholding what he'd learned at the jail. He'd already told Alice, Lexy and Clay the good news about Sean, that the charges against him had been dropped. Now came the bad news he thought as he gazed at his children who watched him with confused and worried eyes, waiting for him to resume. Now he had to tell them what he knew, what he'd learned about Danielle, and how he was certain that her disappearance was connected to Jeremy's choice to leave. Alice and Lexy would be devastated he mused, his heart paining at the thought. And Clay would vent his disdain for the boy; then announce his vindication in reading Jeremy's motives right, which would set off an emotional explosion amongst his children. Ned silently sighed, hating what he was about to do, but knowing that he had to do it, before he then finally spoke, resuming what he had to say, telling his children what he now knew about Jeremy's disappearance...