Chapter 2—Familiar faces

Fiona finished getting dressed for the day and glanced in the mirror. She knew she needed to look for a job but thought that Saturday probably wasn't the best time to do that. I'll just wait until Monday, she thought. And enjoy my weekend.

She pondered about the day before. Fiona had been upset when the prisoner wagon had come flying into town, believing that Nathan had been shot. She liked Nathan and thought about him often. Perhaps a little too much since he seems to care for someone else. And the way Elizabeth ran and grabbed him, it sure looked like she returned his feelings.

Fiona had felt such relief when she turned and saw him walking up. Granted, he was in shock, seeing a fellow Mountie shot. But she was glad he was alive, even if all they could ever be was friends.

She headed downstairs trying to decide what to do with her day. As she entered the saloon, Gustave motioned her over to the bar. "This letter was dropped off for you this morning," he said to her, holding out the envelope. Fiona took the letter, glancing at the return address. She smiled and responded, "It's from my family in San Francisco. Thank you, Gustave."

She placed the letter in her bag to read when she got back to her room. Right now, she wanted to visit the dress shop.

###

Lucas had left the saloon early, deciding he would go out to where the drilling was taking place. If he was going to learn the oil business, he wanted to learn it from the ground up. His thoughts kept drifting back to Elizabeth as he rode, so he was glad when he finally arrived.

He saw men busy at work; at least that was a good sign. He also saw what appeared to be a foreman, so he called him over. "Lucas Bouchard, your new employer. I just bought Gowen Petroleum yesterday." "Albert Johnson," the man said with a friendly smile as they shook hands.

"Nice to meet you Albert. While I am not new to the business world, I don't know as much about the oil business as I would like. I was hoping you had some time to walk me through this side of things," Lucas stated.

"Absolutely. I've only been here a couple of weeks myself," Albert said as they began walking toward the drilling site. Albert started with a brief history of oil, and Lucas listened intently, wanting to learn as much as possible about his new business venture. Albert was quite experienced and knowledgeable- Henry had hired well.

Lucas planned to get to know everyone that was in his employ as well as increasing his own personal knowledge about the business. He believed that was a good step to getting the company in the black as soon as possible. He recognized quite a few of the men at the site as they sometimes played cards at the saloon.

Lucas had cleared his schedule today so he wouldn't be interrupted while getting to know all about petroleum. The last few days had been hectic and full of ups and downs.

He didn't need any more surprises showing up and disrupting his life.

###

Zeke had hurried to get Carson after the stranger fell down in the church. Carson grabbed Bill on the way and brought a wagon so they could easily get the man to the infirmary. They transported him quickly and took him inside.

"Did he say anything before he collapsed?" Bill asked Zeke as Carson examined the man.

"Not much. He was in a lot of pain. He did ask if I knew Lucas Bouchard," Zeke replied. Carson and Bill exchanged glances at that bit of information. "If you don't need me anymore, I'll head back over to the church." Zeke said his goodbyes and left the infirmary.

Carson finished his exam and looked at Bill. "It doesn't look like we will get any information from him for a while. He has quite a bump on his head. And those bruises on his ribs look like someone worked him over pretty good. I think he will be all right, but I will know more when he wakes up," Carson told Bill.

Bill nodded. "Well, I guess I need to go find Mr. Bouchard if we are going to figure out who this mystery man is," he said as he turned to leave.

Carson looked down at his new patient, "You are going to be just fine," he said aloud, checking the man's pulse as he spoke.

###

Elizabeth had decided to take a walk with Little Jack to the library. He always enjoyed looking at the books and she needed a distraction. She wondered if she might run into Lucas, but he didn't usually show up on Saturdays. Just as they turned the corner, she saw Henry headed in their direction.

"Good morning, Henry. How are you today?" Elizabeth asked, concern in her eyes.

Henry smiled and reached down to shake Jack's hand. "I'm doing okay. A little more rested this morning," he said.

"Lucas told me yesterday that he bought you out. I was wondering how you are feeling after that happened," Elizabeth enquired, worried about her friend.

Henry looked at the ground then back at Elizabeth and smiled again, "Actually, I am feeling good about it. I have to admit, I was pretty mad in the beginning when he wanted to be majority owner. But this morning I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I wish him well and hope he can get the company turning a profit soon. He's a good businessman, I'm sure he will have it in fine shape quickly. Of course, now I have to find some other way to pass the time," he said, then paused for a moment before adding, "Elizabeth, I know it's none of my business, but I heard about what happened yesterday. So, let me ask, how are you doing today?"

Elizabeth hesitated before answering. "I am okay, Henry. A little confused about some things, but I will figure it all out. Thank you for your concern, but you have a lot to think about without worrying about me."

Henry nodded, "I'm no expert in the love department, but I have eyes that can see pretty clearly. You have two men that care about you. I would go as far as to say one has deep feelings for you. I made a huge decision in the last couple of days that will impact what I do for the next few weeks or months. The choice you have to make will determine the course of your own personal happiness for the rest of your life. I would say your decision has many more repercussions than mine does."

Elizabeth pondered for a moment before answering, "You are a wise man Henry. Just out of curiosity, which man do you believe has deep feelings for me?"

Henry laughed and then answered, "The same one that you are falling in love with but scared to acknowledge it." She opened her mouth to argue, but Henry raised his hand, "Now let me finish, Elizabeth. I saw how devastated you were when you lost Jack. Most likely the fear of loss again is keeping you from moving forward. And keeping you in your comfort zone."

Henry paused, then continued, "You probably know that I had feelings for Abigail. I loved her for years. But I was too scared, or too proud, or too something to admit it and act on it. Now, she's gone. And I have many regrets. I don't want that for you. I've watched you with both men. What's obvious to me may take you a while to figure out. Hopefully not too long because I want to see you happy again. But it isn't my place to tell you who you should be with. That is for you to decide."

"Life would be much easier if someone could just tell us who to choose. Falling in love? Who said I was falling in love?" Elizabeth said with a nervous laugh. "Maybe you should get those eyes checked, Henry, but I do appreciate the advice. You gave me a lot to think about. I need to go. See you later." Henry waved at Jack who waved back as they separated and went on their separate ways.

Elizabeth was glad to see Henry, but she hurried away after their conversation. Love? Elizabeth wasn't in love. Wouldn't she know it if she was? She had been in love before.

She had to assume Henry was talking about Lucas. They had spent a lot more time together than she had with Nathan. She certainly enjoyed his company, but that didn't mean she was in love with him.

Falling in love with Jack had been easy. Well, sort of. They did butt heads quite a bit in the beginning. And it did take years before they would get engaged. But she loved him, she just wanted to be sure.

Elizabeth stopped suddenly when the words came to mind. Little Jack stood there staring up at his mama and squinting in the sunlight. Elizabeth looked at him and smiled, reaching down to pick him up. "You must be tired little man," she said with a kiss, "I'll carry you the rest of the way."

When they reached the library, Elizabeth opened the door and carried Jack inside, setting him down on the floor. He immediately ran over to the books on the shelves and started browsing. She watched him and sat down at the table, thinking of the words that had come to mind.

Lucas' words.

The ones he said to her in Union City when they were having dinner. He was telling her about his parents and how long his father had waited for his mother to make her decision to marry him.

She looked around at the library. Their library that they had worked on together. Then she looked over at her son, knowing that whatever she decided would affect him too. She needed to do some soul-searching. The kids were on vacation from school the next week and she planned to come here and write while Laura watched Jack. She had to get some more chapters written.

Perhaps she would find some clarity in the process.

###

Bill went to Nathan's office annoyed. He was unable to locate Lucas, and the stranger was still unconscious in the infirmary. He didn't like unanswered questions on his watch. He sat down with a huff, getting Nathan's attention, who looked over and spoke, "What's going on Bill?"

"There's a stranger in town. Over at the infirmary," he gestured as he talked. "Someone beat him up pretty badly and he's unconscious."

"Do we know anything about him yet?" Nathan asked, his curiosity peaked.

"The only thing I know about him is he asked for Bouchard before he passed out. I don't know what that means or how he knows him," Bill answered, his frustration showing.

Bill looked over at Nathan when he heard him snort. "What?" Bill said gruffly.

Nathan smirked, "Oh nothing. Just seems like Bouchard is involved every time something is off kilter around here."

Bill tilted his head, "Don't you think that's just a bit of an exaggeration, Nathan? He has been above reproach since that Amos Dixon incident. Pretty sure your view of him is clouded by something else. Maybe that unanswered question this morning?"

Nathan looked at Bill, then asked, "What did our saloon owner say about the stranger?"

"I can't find him. Mike said he had errands to run and would be back later. So, I guess I will have to wait a little longer to find out who he is," Bill answered. "And before you ask, I already checked his pockets for papers. Nothing."

"Then I guess we wait," Nathan responded. "But I sure hope Bouchard isn't bringing more trouble to our little town," he added.

"I think it's a little early for you to accuse an unconscious man of causing problems. Let's just see how it plays out. Bouchard should be back before long and hopefully can clear all this up. I have a feeling our guest is the victim here," Bill responded as he turned to the papers on the desk. "Guess I better keep myself busy until he returns."

Nathan nodded and went back to his reading.

###

Lucas enjoyed his time at the site, he and Albert hit it off well. He found out that Albert was living close to the drill site in a tent. He had fallen on some hard times before getting hired by Henry and had decided to save up his money for now. Lucas had wondered why he hadn't seen him in town in the two weeks since he had been hired. The weather was getting colder and he hated the thought of one of his men sleeping on the ground.

"Albert, I'll make a deal with you. If you could give me a few hours evenings and weekends at the saloon, I'll trade it for room and board at the hotel. What do you say?" Lucas asked just before heading back to town. He knew right away that Albert was a proud man and would never take him up on an offer of a room without working for it. And he could use the help now that he had bought the petroleum company.

"I appreciate that Mr. Bouchard. I just might take you up on that, gets really lonely here in the evenings when the men leave," Albert replied.

"Please, call me Lucas. Why don't you pack up and come in tomorrow? We are a bit slower on Sundays and I will have more time to show you what to do," Lucas said, pleased that Albert was receptive to the idea.

"That sounds great. Thank you for the opportunity. And a softer place to sleep," Albert said with a smile.

"No, thank you Albert. I can see you are a hard worker and I need the help. See you tomorrow," Lucas said as he mounted up.

It was time to get back to town.

###

Lucas was enjoying the nice day as he rode back. He had stayed a bit longer than he intended at the drill site and wanted to stop by the library before heading to the saloon for the busy evening he was expecting. He thought of Elizabeth as he rode, much as he tried not to.

Riding into town, he put his horse away at the livery and walked to the library. When he walked in and closed the door, he heard a slight gasp. He smiled as he saw it was the person of his thoughts.

"Lucas…hel…hello," Elizabeth said, stammering.

"Good afternoon, Elizabeth. I didn't expect to find you here."

"Actually, I was here earlier with Jack and left something behind," she said, rushing her words as if she were nervous. "I left him with Rosemary so I could run back and get my bag. I'll just be going."

Lucas nodded, "Don't let me run you off, Elizabeth. I just came by to grab a book to read after work," he said as he walked to a shelf and pulled out a volume.

They both stood there in uncomfortable silence, staring at each other, then spoke at once, "Lucas…" "Elizabeth…" Both let out a nervous laugh, then Lucas gestured to Elizabeth and said, "Go ahead, please."

The door opened and Bill entered quickly. "Bouchard, I've been looking all over for you. I saw you come in here a few minutes ago. Hello, Elizabeth." Elizabeth said hello.

"What can I do for you judge?" Lucas asked curiously.

Bill nodded at Elizabeth, "Pardon us, Elizabeth."

"No, please, I was just leaving," she responded.

"There's a man at the infirmary," Bill continued, looking at Lucas. "He came into the church and collapsed, but not before telling Pastor Zeke he was looking for you."

Elizabeth had been walking out the door and stopped when she heard what Bill said, turning back around.

"Did he say who he was?" Lucas asked.

"No," Bill said, "he's still unconscious. At least a couple hours ago he was. I thought maybe you could come identify him so I can put this to bed. Having strangers in town makes me nervous."

Lucas headed for the door, "Of course, let's go see who it is. Talk to you later Elizabeth," he said, his eyes lingering on her for several seconds. She broke their gaze and smiled then stepped aside as they left the library together. Elizabeth really wanted to follow them but realized she needed to get home. She would have to find out about Lucas' visitor later. Elizabeth locked the door and watched Lucas for a moment before turning for home, wondering how that conversation would have gone had Bill not interrupted.

Bill and Lucas walked in the infirmary door and saw Carson come around the divider. "Just the man I am looking for. Come on around, Lucas. You too Bill," he said as he motioned with his hand.

When Lucas walked around the divider, his eyes grew big as he recognized the man sitting on the bed. "Jonathan?" he asked, walking closer. The man's face broke into a grin, "Lucas! I have been looking all over for you!"

He walked over as Jonathan stood, then Lucas smiled wide. Suddenly, the two men embraced each other, and Jonathan grimaced in pain, "oof, careful there. Seems I have a busted rib or two."

Bill had stood there in silence, but decided he needed to speak up if he was ever going to find out who this stranger was. "Well, it's obvious you know this man Bouchard. Care to make an introduction?"

"Bill, this is my cousin Jonathan Davis. John, Bill Avery, our judge." Lucas watched as the men shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.

"You look like you had a run in with a grizzly bear, Mr. Davis. What happened to you?" Bill asked.

"Long story short, I was ambushed and robbed just this side of Benson Hills. I've been looking for Lucas for some time now and finally located him. Almost made it here, but two men jumped me on the road. Took my horse, my identification and the little money I had on me. I've been walking for a couple of days and finally saw the church. I guess I collapsed once I got inside. I woke up about an hour ago and the doc here has given me enough water to drown an elephant. I'm feeling a lot better now," John said, and took a breath, wincing at his sore ribs.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Bill responded. "Sounds like the same two we've been looking for the last few days. You are the third person they've had in their sites."

Lucas looked at Carson, "Is he well enough to leave? I can put him up at the hotel."

"As long as he gets plenty of rest and some good food. Lots of water. I'll come check on you tomorrow," Carson said, looking at John.

John shook Carson's hand, "Thank you so much Dr. Shepherd. I appreciate all you did for me. Let me know what I owe you."

Lucas thanked Carson then turned to his cousin, "Come on, you need a bath, a shave and some clean clothes. And lots of rest," He put his arm on John's shoulder and walked out with him as Bill stayed behind to talk to Carson.

"Hotel?" John said as they walked outside. "Sounds like you are doing alright for yourself, Lucas," he added with a laugh.

Fiona was walking by and smiled at Lucas, hardly noticing the man standing next to him. Just as she passed, John spoke.

"Ona? Is that you?"

Fiona couldn't believe her eyes.

"Johnny? Johnny Davis?"