Jack peered out the jail window as he checked his revolver to ensure it was fully loaded. As expected, the street was empty after the rounds of gunfire pierced the morning air. Jack moved and then opened the door and placed his rifle just inside the doorway, holding his pistol at his chest.

"Jack?" Elizabeth called cautiously from the back room.

Jack turned toward the back room, "Please stay there, and do not come out here. Promise me."

"Okay, but please be careful," she implored.

"Just stay back there," Jack insisted.

Elizabeth slumped down against the wall, nervously petting Rip, "Please keep him safe," she prayed.

Jack stepped out onto the porch and then the door to the mercantile opened and Ned Yost appeared, "Constable! Hurry!"

Jack ran to the mercantile as Ned continued yelling, "We were robbed, they rode off…"

"We?" Jack went into the mercantile to find his mother on the floor, cradling Kate Thatcher in her arms.

"Jack, oh dear please help," Mary Thornton's distraught face looked up at her son. "She's been shot!"

Ned continued talking, "Those two came in here to rob me…"

"Mrs. Thatcher…let's get you out of here," Jack helped his mother up and they helped Kate Thatcher stand. "Mother are you okay?" She nodded.

"I need my husband," she cried, "I'm bleeding!" She kept touching her right arm, "Look, there's blood, they shot me!"

"Let's go back to the café," Jack led the ladies out, "Ned, get the doctor and meet us at the café."

Elizabeth came out of the back room and made her way to the window, "Mother! Oh no…" she ran out of the jail. "What happened? Oh my dear! Mother!" she yelled and grabbed her mother's hand as Jack was carrying her to the café.

"Elizabeth, I told you to stay inside," he was concerned the gunman was still nearby, "we'll get her to the café…"

"Please hurry," Elizabeth cried, "Mother you'll be okay…" She ran beside Jack and his mother.

William Thatcher threw open the door of the café, "Good heavens, what happened?" Then he noticed the blood on Kate's sleeve, "You're bleeding!"

"William! Someone shot me!" Was all Kate could manage, she kept repeating, "Someone shot me. They took my purse."

After the doctor cleaned her wound and bandaged her arm, he told Mary and Abigail, "Keep it clean and dry and she should be okay." Elizabeth sat on the edge of the bed holding her mother's hand.

The ladies tended to Kate's needs. Downstairs Jack continued questioning Ned Yost.

"Two of them came into the store, looking for supplies, they walked around. That's when Mrs. Thornton and Mrs. Thatcher came in. I had some supplies they had ordered in the back, I went to get the packages, the ladies were talking. Jack, I'm afraid those thugs may have heard the name."

"The name?" William asked.

"Well yeah, I greeted the ladies by name and of course Mrs. Thornton referred to your wife as Mrs. Thatcher, maybe they caught that. Assumed they had money with them," Ned said.

"Who were these men? Do you know them?" William asked.

Jack put his hand up, "Please let him tell us what happened, go ahead Ned."

"Yeah, like I said, the ladies were talking. Then I heard the men talking to them, I heard a scuffle, the women screamed and then gunshots, when I came out, they ran out the door."

"Have you seen them in the store before?" Jack asked.

"No, I don't believe so…I tried to talk to them when they came in, but they only one-worded me."

Jack looked at Bill, "Let's go," he turned to William, "stay here with the women, please don't go out anywhere."

"You best catch them, they can't get away with this," William said, "they shot my wife!"

"Mr. Thatcher, we will do everything we can to apprehend the men that shot your wife. You need to stay calm and make sure the women stay safely inside, will you do that?" Jack stood in front of him.

William nodded, "Yes, of course."

Jack and Bill headed to the jail to prepare for their search. Mrs. Thatcher and Mrs. Thornton had given Jack a good description of the men. They prepared their weapons and left the jail. Jack thought of Elizabeth. "I have to say good bye to Elizabeth," he told Bill.

At the café, Kate Thatcher moaned as she sat up in bed. "Elizabeth, I'd like to talk to your father, go and get him please."

Elizabeth quickly went downstairs, "Father, mother wants to see you," she noticed Jack not there, "Where is Jack?"

William Thatcher went upstairs to see his wife.

"He and Inspector Avery are in pursuit of the robbers," Ned Yost said.

"Jack went after them?" Elizabeth asked, anxiety in her tone.

"Well that's his job," Ned Yost replied.

"I know, but we don't even know who they were!" Elizabeth was frightened.

William came bounding down the steps, "Mr. Yost, I'd like to send a telegram."

"Certainly, let's go to the mercantile," Ned replied.

Elizabeth ran out past the men, heading for the jail. Jack was out front with Bill Avery, "Jack! Jack!" she yelled.

Jack looked to see her running toward him and felt his heart wrench at the thought of leaving her. "Elizabeth…"

She reached him and grabbed his arms, "Jack are you really going after them?" Her concerned tone enhanced by her heavy breathing.

"It's my job," he looked up at Bill already atop his horse, then took Elizabeth's hand, "come inside for a minute."

Elizabeth clung to the sleeves of Jack's coat, "Please be careful…" She then cradled his face in her hands and kissed him. He pulled her into his embrace and prolonged their kiss.

"You stay safe, take care of your mother, I'll be back before you know it," he tried to smile, but felt wounded by her tear stained face. "Don't cry, I love you and I'll be okay."

Elizabeth nodded and tried to smile, "I know. Of course you will be." She had to control herself. "I love you, please come back to me."

"Jack?" Bill Avery called from outside.

"I have to go," he kissed her again, put his hat on and led her out the door.

Elizabeth stood on the porch and forced a smile, "Stay safe…both of you."

Jack nodded, forcing down the lump in his throat.

Once out of town, Jack and Bill Avery stopped to decide which direction they would pursue, "Even though Ned said they headed this way, they could be anywhere. We should split up here," Bill said.

"We should," Jack was writing in his book, "remember the purse they stole from Mrs. Thatcher is blue with white beading."

"Do you think they knew the Thatcher's were in Coal Valley and were looking to rob them?" Bill asked.

"Maybe, but more than likely they just wanted to rob the store. One of them may be familiar with the name Thatcher, and they just happened upon her." Jack said.

"She does look the part. Nice clothes and jewelry," Bill said.

"Yeah and put her in a store and I'm sure they thought she had a purse full of money," Jack shook his head.

"Thank goodness your mother wasn't hurt," Bill said.

Jack nodded, "I'm grateful for that."

"Jack, I'll meet you on the north road to Calgary, if not before," Bill tipped his hat and headed east.

Back in town, William Thatcher returned to the café, "Beth!" he yelled as he ran up the stairs, "Beth, pack your things, we're leaving."

Elizabeth froze, "Leaving? Where are we going?"

"I just wired Mr. Harris in my office and told him to arrange for a carriage to pick us up as soon as possible."

"To go where? Where are we going?" Elizabeth's breathing was rapid.

"Home, we're going home," he said, "maybe we could rent a rig and meet the carriage…" he wondered aloud.

"Home? Father we can't just pack up and go…" Elizabeth kept moving out of the way as her father scurried around the room picking things up.

"Elizabeth!" He used her formal name when he was angry, "your mother has been robbed and shot and needs appropriate medical care," he tried to keep his voice down, "she needs to be seen by a real doctor and to stay someplace safe. This is obviously not the place."

"But father, this was an unusual incident, these things don't happen here often," Elizabeth pleaded.

"Look what happened to you and your sister! Now this with your mother," he raised his voice, "don't tell me these things don't happen here. We're leaving."

"We're safe here," she cried.

"Who is going to keep us safe?" He stared at his daughter.

"Jack will. That's his job…."

"Jack isn't even here, he's off on a wild goose chase looking for the men that almost killed your mother."

"Father, I can't just pack up and leave."

"Beth," he grabbed her arms, "do you realize your mother could have been killed? Do you not see that?"

"Of course I do," she looked down.

"Listen to me, I'll need your help in caring for your mother on the trip. I know you want to be here, but at least come with me and help me get her home safely."

Elizabeth's heart was pounding, she thought of Jack and then of her mother. She looked at her father and nodded.

As her father prepared for the trip home, Elizabeth sat at her desk upstairs nervously twirling her pen, wondering where Jack was and hoping he was safe. What would he think of her going back home? The thought of Jack coming back to Coal Valley and her not being here upset her. She had to write him a note about the circumstances.

My dearest Jack,

I hope you are safe and have arrested the thieves who hurt both our mothers. While my mother is recovering, my father felt strongly that my mother needed additional medical attention and could best get that attention at home. He needed my assistance in getting my mother home. It breaks my heart to leave Coal Valley, especially without saying good bye to you. I will return, I promise you, as soon as mother is healed and comfortable. I miss you now and I can't imagine how I will survive without you. You are always in my heart.

All my love,

Elizabeth