Jarrod watched as Abby ate some more fried chicken while he drank his coffee. Mary had been able to visit a little but not as much as Jarrod had hoped. He needed someone he could trust to buy the train tickets for them and not ask any questions. He had a feeling he could trust Mary but he hadn't come this far to be turned in by some stranger or to be met in Oregon with the authorities.

He had been watching Mary since they arrived and she seemed so at ease with the other customers and always smiling. If he wasn't heading out of town or on the run...Jarrod shook his head to clear those muddled thoughts. First and foremost he had to keep Abby safe.

Abby pushed her plate away and said, "I'm done."

Jarrod looked at the plate and noticed she had not left a single crumb. What she did with all the food she was eating was beyond him. Maybe she thought once they left here it would be more fish and she was trying to get filled up on fried chicken.

"Was it good?" Jarrod questioned.

Abby smiled and said, "Yes."

"Good. Do you have a full tummy now?" The attorney asked.

Abby patted her tummy and said, "I think so."

Jarrod laughed again as he got Mary's attention. She smiled at him as she walked to the table.

"Yes?" Mary questioned.

"It would appear this young lady has finally filled her tummy with fried chicken." Jarrod returned her smile with his own dazzling one.

Mary turned to the shy little girl and asked, "Was it good?"

Abby simply nodded her head yes. Mary had tried in vain to get Abby to talk but she would only nod her head yes or no. She wondered why this little girl was so shy but knew it was none of her business. On the other hand her father was devilishly handsome and Mary loved to listen to him talk. Mary turned back to Jarrod and said, "Give me a few minutes and I'll get your check."

"Thank you," Jarrod said as he continued to smile at the pretty waitress.

After Mary left Abby whispered, "She likes you."

Jarrod frowned at Abby and said, "That is the second time you have said that about our waitress. Why are you saying that?"

"She smiles at you all the time."

Jarrod chuckled as he said, "You smile at me all the time so that means you like me?"

Abby shook her head no, "I love you."

Jarrod felt the lump in his throat forming as he answered, "And I love you too little lady."

Mary walked up and gave Jarrod the check. He looked at it and reached in his pocket to hand her some money, "Keep the change."

Mary's eyes got wide at the amount of tip Jarrod gave her and said, "This is too much, I can't..."

Jarrod interrupted her and said, "Yes you can." Jarrod got up and reached for Abby's hand and said, "Will we see you in the morning?"

Mary smiled as she replied, "Tomorrow is my day off."

Jarrod arched an eyebrow at her and looked at Abby who was grinning from ear to ear. "Well could we possibly take you out for lunch then?"

Mary returned Jarrod's smile and said, "On one condition."

Jarrod saw the mischievousness in her smile and asked, "And what would that be?"

"I don't even know your name or your daughter's name and before I accept an invitation don't you think we need to be introduced?" Mary paused for a brief second and added, "I don't count the meeting we had in your room as a formal introduction."

Jarrod blushed slightly and heard Abby giggle at Mary's statement. The waitress was enjoying his embarrassment but he decided to turn the tables on the feisty waitress. "Well I don't recall you complaining about my wet clothing." He arched his eyebrow at her and chuckled when he noticed she was now blushing.

Mary felt the heat rise up to her face and she imagined she was a bright red now but it was her own fault. If his daughter had not been present she may have said something unladylike but instead decided to accept defeat. "In my defense I was caught off guard. However that doesn't answer your earlier question about lunch tomorrow does it?"

Jarrod smiled as he looked at the pretty waitress. "Very well this little lady here is Abby and my name is Jarrod." Jarrod knew he could've been taking a chance by giving her their correct names but he had to see if he could trust her and it wasn't too much of a risk since he didn't give her his last name.

Mary smiled sweetly at Abby and nodded her head but noticed the little girl only smiled at her. She turned her attention to Jarrod once again and said, "Since we now have been formally introduced I would like very much to have lunch with you and this little lady." She heard Abby giggle while Jarrod smiled.

"I'll meet you and Abby in the hotel lobby at eleven tomorrow?"

"Sounds fine to us." Jarrod stretched his hand to Abby who gladly took it. He tipped his hat to Mary and said, "Until tomorrow Mary."

Mary watched as Jarrod and Abby walked out of the lobby and up the stairs to their room. She was glad he had asked her to lunch but she knew he would most likely only be in town for a few days. And what of his little girl? Where was her mother? Was he going to meet his wife? And why didn't Abby speak? Mary shook her head as she went back to work. She would enjoy tomorrow's lunch and not worry about anything else.

XXXXXXXXXX

Danny Wells was livid. Jarrod Barkley had disappeared with his daughter over a week ago and there had not been any sign of them. He hired The Pinkerton's to look for them but Barkley was covering his tracks very good. He had also hired a private investigator to look into his dead wife's background; she had told him she was an orphan but Danny had a feeling she lied to him.

Barkley's brothers were not following him as much but they were still there, he just never knew when they'd show up. He would rather they follow him all the time than just showing up from time to time. He had one of his men follow the Barkley women but the only thing they did was go to Barkley's law office, the newspaper office or the police station.

Danny sighed in frustration at the thought of the police station. He had told his men to take care of Sister Catherine and they hadn't and now she wanted to press charges against him. And to top it off his attorney quit. He thought seriously of handling his attorney but he had threatened Danny and he knew if anything happened to James he would be in more trouble than he was already in.

James tried in vain to talk Danny into giving up custody of Abby but he refused. Now he wished he would have listened to him. It was because of this brat he was in all this trouble. It wasn't like he was going to raise her; he had already found a boarding school out East to send her too. But she was his daughter and his property.

He remembered when Martha told him she was with child; Danny was furious. He didn't want children, never did. He actually thought about taking care of Martha but his parents were overjoyed they were going to be grandparents. Danny went along with the family but secretly hoped she would lose the baby but she never did. And when the doctor presented him with Abby it took everything Danny had not to throw her aside. If he was going to have a child it had better be a boy; what on earth would he do with a girl?

Danny never spent any time with Abby only putting up with her when his parents visited. He could count the times he spent with her on one hand. Some people were not meant to be parents and he was one of them. But Martha continued to push Abby on him with disastrous results.

Danny looked out the window and knew he didn't want Abby back but he would be damned if Jarrod Barkley beat him.