Luke woke up in a soft bed with a cold cloth sponging his face and he groaned, "What...where…"
"It's all right, Lucas." Ellie Palmer was sitting next to the bed. "The doctor said you'll be all right."
He gazed at her apprehensively. "Ford?"
Ellie leaned forward. "Dead." She looked over her shoulder and lowered her voice. "Allison shot him, but we told the marshal you did it in self-defense."
"Go back a little." Luke sat up and pushed the pillows behind his back. "Allison?"
"Ford's wife." Ellie smiled grimly. "I told you Ford mistreated her. She finally couldn't take any more. Oh, she was magnificent! She cried, and she carried on about how much she loved her husband but she couldn't blame you for shooting him when he was trying to kill you. The marshal cleared you on her word alone."
"I thought Ford killed the marshal."
"There's a new marshal in town. You've been out for over a day. He seemed quite relieved when he arrived to find that everything was resolved. After all, he would have had to arrest Ford for killing the last marshal but now it's all settled. Ford's been buried and Allison ordered him a lovely pink granite tombstone."
"That was charitable of her," said Luke.
"Not really." Ellie laughed with genuine amusement. "Ford hated the color pink. The first time he hit Allison was because she was wearing a pink dress. He warned her never to let him see anything pink in the house again."
Luke laughed, then winced again. "That seems fitting." He rubbed his head. "What's going to happen now?"
The door opened and Allison Ford peered in. Seeing Luke awake and sitting up, she came into the bedroom with Johnny. Luke observed them with interest. Allison was taller than Ellie, willowy, with shining blond hair and keen grey eyes. Johnny...Luke caught his breath. The boy reminded him strongly of Mark. Perhaps that was not so strange, since he looked so much like Johnny's father and Ellie resembled Margaret in her smallness and brunette coloring. The boy was tiny, with unruly brown hair and dark eyes that looked directly at him with no trace of fear now. "Are you feeling better, Uncle Earl?"
"Sure, boy," said Luke. "I was just telling your ma I'm 'bout ready to ride on out."
"You're welcome to stay, Mr Bantry, for as long as you like," said Allison. "Ellie and I are planning to go into partnership on this ranch and we need all the help we can get."
"You don't need no help from me." Luke's heart was warmed but he spoke harshly. "I'm movin' on but I'll be back if there's trouble."
"There won't be." Allison's face was swollen and bruised but her voice was serene. "I have full title to this place, the hands have all agreed to stay on, and the townspeople have been very kind." She ruffled the boy's hair. "You were right, Johnny. Something did turn up."
"Yeah, well, clear out. I gotta get dressed. I got places to be." Luke frowned at the women and the boy.
"Very well, Mr Bantry. Won't you stay to supper?" Allison looked at Luke hopefully but he shook his head and she left the room.
Ellie stood up and smiled at Luke. "I want you to know you're the best...brother...a woman could have." She looked at her son. "Johnny, say goodbye to Uncle Earl."
The little boy came over to the bed with a puzzled expression. "How come my ma never told me about you if you're such a good brother?"
Luke regarded Johnny for a moment, then said softly in his own voice, "I guess because I made some pretty bad mistakes. I'm going to try and be better now."
"Will you really come back if we need you?" asked the little boy eagerly.
"If I can't, I'll send my friend Lucas McCain. You'll know him because he looks just like me. Good enough?"
"Good enough, Uncle Earl!" Johnny surprised Luke by throwing his arms around him and hugging him, then he caught his mother's hand and pulled her from the room.