Luke was waiting in the lobby of the Madera as Jennings came down the stairs. "I was hoping to get a chance to talk to you private before you left."
Jennings eyed the big man. "There's no hard feelings?"
"No." Luke smiled. "I just wanted to ask if you're sure you're making the right decision. Ranching's a hard life even for someone who's used to it."
"It's not like I have much of a choice." Jennings shrugged. "You heard Miss Bertie after she visited your ranch. She's determined to buy a hundred acres and raise cows of her own. If I don't run the place for her, she'll hire some stranger and she might get taken advantage of."
"I don't know about that." Luke grinned. "I'd say she was a pretty good judge of character. She had you pegged right."
"She did, didn't she?" Jennings said pensively, "I wasn't lying when I said I had a lot of time to think. All the way to Leavenworth I was expecting to be hanged, or at the very least imprisoned for the rest of my life. And there wouldn't have been a single person to even notice I was gone. Miss Bertie was right when she said I had no friends and I was a lonely man. I don't have to worry about that anymore."
"No, you don't, but you're braver than I," said Luke ruefully. "I love Miss Bertie but my nerves can only take her in small doses."
Jennings laughed. "Well, at least I'll never be bored."
Mark came into the hotel. "Pa, Miss Bertie wants to know what's keeping Mr Jennings."
"Not a thing." Jennings stuck out his hand and Luke shook it. "I hope I can count on you if I need any advice?"
"Any time," said Luke. "You take good care of Miss Bertie."
"I'll do my best."
They walked out together to the stagecoach where Miss Bertie was talking to Micah. "Mr Jennings, it's about time! The driver has a schedule to keep, you know."
"Yes, ma'am." Jennings took Miss Bertie's hand and helped her into the stage, then climbed in himself.
Miss Bertie stuck her head out the window. "Now Mr McCain, you know you and Mark and the marshal are welcome to visit us whenever you like."
Micah touched the brim of his hat. "If I ever get out to Santa Fe, I'll be sure to stop in."
"The same goes for me, Miss Bertie," said Luke. "I never get tired of your apple pie and your sweet smile."
"Me too!" Mark reached up and took Miss Bertie's hand. "You take care, Miss Bertie."
"I will." The stage started and she waved as it went down the street. Just before it turned, Jennings put his head out and waved his hat.
Mark, Luke, and Micah waved back, then the marshal sighed. "I feel the need of a strong drink. Join me, Lucas boy?"
"At ten o'clock in the morning?" Luke shook his head. "Mark and I need to get home. Lots of chores waiting. Some other time, all right?"
"Sounds good." Micah smiled at the father and son and headed for the saloon.
"Come on, son." Luke went over to their horses and swung himself into the saddle.
Mark followed and mounted up and they rode out of town. The boy was uncharacteristically silent until they were almost home, when he stopped his horse. "Pa?"
Luke turned Razor to stand next to his son. "Something troubling you, Mark?"
"Not exactly. I was just thinking about Miss Bertie and Mr Jennings." The boy said slowly, "I don't think Mr Jennings really changed."
"For Miss Bertie's sake, I hope he did." Luke's voice was very serious. "She got him to take a good hard look at himself. Not many men can do that without finding something they need to change."
"Oh, I know that." Mark was still trying to find the right words. "What I mean is, maybe Mr Jennings wasn't really a bad man to begin with. Maybe…" He looked at his father. "Well, maybe he just never had a chance to be a good man because nobody ever cared about him before and he didn't have anybody to care about. Maybe it's not so much he changed as Miss Bertie brought out the person he really is."
"I didn't think of it that way, Mark." Now Luke was the one who was thoughtful. "After we lost your mother, I felt like the whole world was against me. I don't like to think where I'd be now if there hadn't been you."
The boy smiled that smile his father loved to see. "You know that part in the Bible where it says all things work together for good to them that love God? Miss Bertie had Mr Jennings arrested, but now they can take care of each other. Like how we've always taken care of each other."
Luke felt a lump in his throat and he had to take a moment before he could say, "Just how did you get to be so smart?"
"Oh, I listen to you, Pa." Mark's voice was solemn but his eyes were twinkling.
"Is that so?" The big man leaned forward. "Now I think you're just trying to butter me up and get out of all the chores that piled up while Miss Bertie was here."
"Why, no, Pa!" Mark looked shocked. "I would never do that. Although…" He turned Blue Boy towards home and kicked him to a gallop. "Last one home has to wash and dry all the dishes!"
