James overheard the conversation and then watched the tall marshal walk to the jail with Billy at his side. The deputy took the horse across the street to the stable. James saw his opportunity a and made a mad dash across the street to the landing leading up to the town doctor's office. His mind wad set on one thing, and that was Lilly.

James stood at the bottom of the staircase for what seemed like an eternity. His heart pounded in his chest as his mind refocused on Lilly. He carefully placed his left hand on the banister and clutched and with a quick look behind he moved quickly up the stairs. James paused at the top and took another look up and down Front Street. Quietly he turned the knob and entered the office. He let out a long sigh of relief when he found noone there. He closed the door behind him.

James made his way to the back room where he found Lilly. She was sound asleep and James debated with himself about waking her up. He knelt next to the bed and looked at the woman he so desperately wanted to have as his wife. He searched his mind to find the reason that she was so resistant - that of course was before she became pregnant with his baby.

Slowly he reached out and touched her hair. She smiled and slowly opened her eyes thinking it was either Billy or Festus that was fussing with her hair. She jumped. "Hey baby...easy..." James said in a soothing voice. But his voice didn't matter to Lilly as she had hoped that he had left her and Billy's lives for good. "James? What are you doing here?" she asked calmly.

"I came back for you. I overheard that mangy deputy tell Billy he brought you here before he and the marshal had a date. Stupid kid..." he continued to play with Lilly's hair.

"Billy's here?" She stopped his hand and held it tight.

"Yeah...that's what I just said. Why?" James looked strangely at her.

"No reason, I guess. Just hope he doesn't have too much trouble with the law, that's all..." Lilly looked up to the ceiling.

"Well, it's you and me now. I stashed the money away. Not even Billy could find it." He smiled.

"Oh, James..." she wanted to tell him that she didn't love him and really never did but she couldn't find the inner strength. Instead she smiled slightly at his words.

He were both interrupted by the sounds of foot steps coming up the stairs. There were two different voices. One was the hill billy deputy - the other was older and more refined. James stood sharply and looked around the room in somewhat of a panic.

The outside door opened to the office. "Doc. Ya jist gots ta understand. I gone through my whole born put together and I ain't never felt what I'm feel fer Miss Lilly right now. You gotta know when someone special comes along ya jist have to say something..."

Doc nodded. "Yes, Festus, I know exactly what your saying. It happened once or twice for me too. But..."

"But what!? The deputy interrupted.

Doc sighed and ran his hand over his mustache. "I just..." he looked at Festus like he was a little boy. "I just hope you don't get hurt. You don't know anything about Lilly..."

Festus nodded and removed his hat. "Wall that's true, but I figure part of marring is kinda getting to know someone too..." Festus rotated his hat in his hands. Doc's eyebrows rose with Festus' comment. "Can I go in to see her?" Festus asked meekly.

"Just don't wake her, or get her excited..." Doc looked at the deputy like a watch dog. "I'll pitch you out on your ear, if you do!"

Festus just huffed at the doctor and turned to the back room. "Hey! Doc said you was likely to be asleep!"

Lilly looked up at Festus and couldn't say a word as James stepped from behind the door and crashed the porcelain water jug over his head. Without a word, Festus dropped to his knees and rolled to his back - flat out.

Doc heard the noise and quickly moved to the back room. "Lilly!?" He rushed in and saw Festus on the floor. He started to moved to his fallen friend when James stepped forward and landed a solid punch to Doc's left eye, spilling the doctor backward onto the floor next to his desk. Doc groaned and held his face as James rushed passed him and out the door. "I'll be back for you Lilly!"