A dozen expressions flashed across Lucas's face as he tried to find the words to answer his son, Mark going on before his pa could say anything.

"I know it wouldn't be much of a marriage… Jenny and me have never thought of each other in that way. …But if we were legally married, if she lived here on the ranch… Jenny could avoid the ridicule and embarrassment she would have to deal with on her own. …She could still be close to Micah, and the Wallers would be able to watch their grandchild grow up. As long as we got married right away, I think she's early enough along that folks would believe that she just went into labor early. I would get another job in town if that's what it took to support them; I'm not asking you to have to be the one to do that. …But I'm only seventeen… so I know I'm going to need your permission before anyone will marry us."

Lucas blew out a deep breath as he tried to wrap his head around everything he had just been told. His initial reaction having been diffused, he studied his son for several moments, finding himself bewildered, warmed, and pained by Mark's proposal.

"…Son, I understand what you're trying to do… I know you care a lot about Jenny… that you want to help protect her. …But trapping yourselves in a marriage is no way to do that."

"But-"

"Hear me through, then you can respond."

Mark hesitantly nodded, the amount of knots in his stomach growing.

"Everything I'm going to say is putting aside the fact that I would never want you to live a lie. …I can appreciate how you think marrying Jenny might save her embarrassment. But remember what you said… neither of you have ever thought about each other that way. …No matter how much of an act you would try to put on… Son, there are just certain things that you would never be able to fabricate. People would see that something wasn't quite right between the two of you. …You also have to remember that it was no secret that Jeffrey and Jenny were courting. Even if folks were told Jenny went into early labor, there would be questions and rumors and raised eyebrows. Whether they thought the baby belonged to you or Jeffrey, people would still know something happened, and that a marriage took place to cover it up. …I know right now you're thinking about Jeffrey, and Jenny, and the baby. I know you want to do what you can for them. I know your intentions are good and I'm proud that you're not worried about what this would do to your own reputation… but you can't ignore the impact this would have on your life. I'm not trying to be harsh on Jenny or Jeffrey, but they did make their own decisions. Even if Jeffrey hadn't died… as much as they would have tried to cover things up… the truth would have come out and they would have had to live with the consequences. …Mark, marrying a woman you don't love… you're going to make yourself miserable, no matter what terms you and Jenny agree to… especially if you both went into it knowing you'd never have anything more than friendship. You would never be free to fall in love, to have a family of your own… to give your heart to someone else. Right now that might not seem like such a big deal… but what happens in three years when you meet the girl you were supposed to marry? …What happens if Jenny meets someone else? …There are so many things you can do to help Jenny… to be a friend to Jenny. To look out for her on behalf of Jeffrey. …But you'll never be able to be a husband to her, because you don't love her. It wouldn't be fair for either of you to pretend otherwise."

Mark thought about his father's words, his gaze dropping as a sense of embarrassment came over him. "…I guess you must think it was stupid to suggest."

"…Not stupid, Son. You just lack an understanding of the complexities of marriage, as anyone your age would. Your heart's in the right place… you just need to find another way to go about helping Jenny. …Do the Wallers and Micah know?"

Mark shook his head. "Jenny decided it would be best to tell Micah on her own… then I was gonna go with her to tell the Wallers. …She's scared, Pa."

"I don't blame her… especially without having Jeffrey to support her any more." A few moments passed as Lucas thought over the last few days. "…I guess you were right… Jeffrey really was going to marry her."

He nodded. "Jenny said they were gonna move up to Santa Fe for a year so folks wouldn't know. …Do you think it would have worked?"

"For some. A few would have probably still had their suspicions. …How long have you known?"

"…Not long enough… I should have figured it out when Jeff came by Friday morning. Jenny started to tell me Saturday, but… we… we were interrupted when they brought Jeff into town. …I kinda put things together when Micah and Lou came in to tell us Jeff had died."

"…Why didn't you come home?"

Mark shrugged. "I don't know… I guess I wasn't ready to talk about it. …For a while I thought about going with the posse… but then I realized that Micah would never let me stay and I wouldn't be able to keep up if I tried following them. I went to the livery for a while and then… then I went to see Jeff. …After that I just couldn't face anyone… so I started walking and ended up at Miller's Pond."

"I'm sorry I didn't come check on you sooner… I assumed you were helping Lou catch up from the time you were down."

"…I didn't really get much of anything done yesterday… I was thinking about going back into town tomorrow to finish up."

"Mark, I'm sure that's the last thing on Lou's mind. It's alright to take some time after what happened."

"I know, but… I need something to do other than sit around and think about it. …Besides, I want to check on Jenny, too."

"…Alright. I just want you to be careful. You can try to help her, but remember that it's not your responsibility to carry her." A few moments passed before Lucas stood. "It's getting late, we better turn in."

"…I'll be in after a while."

The rancher briefly looked his son over, nodded, then walked inside the house. He put up the dishes from supper and straightened the front room, occasionally looking out the window to see Mark lost in thought. He ached for his boy, for the grief he saw in his eyes. He thought back to his conversation with Henry, wishing he had been firmer, wishing he had been able to make the man understand his concerns. He recalled his discussion with his son the night before, realizing once again how close he had been to being in Henry's shoes. Realizing how thankful he was that his son had listened.

The next morning, Lucas stepped from the bedroom to see Mark standing in front of the sink, wiping a tear from his face. He walked up behind his son, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.

"…Mark, why don't you stay home today? We can take the buckboard out to check fences."

The young man shook his head as he reached towards the pump. "Thanks, Pa, but I'll be alright. Besides, I'm sure there's still plenty for you to show Dirk and it'll be faster if you're on Razor."

Lucas turned Mark towards him, studying his eyes. "It's alright to grieve, Son. It takes time. …I know how much Jeffrey meant to you and it's only natural to need to work through that loss."

"…I know. …Guess it don't really make all that much sense, but when I'm in town… it just seems like he's closer."

"I understand. What time do you think you'll be home?"

Mark thought for a few moments before answering, "I reckon about five… maybe a little later."

"Just as long as it's before dusk. …I'm sure the people responsible for Jeffrey's death aren't anywhere near here… but I want you to be careful just the same."

"I will be."

"I'll get the team ready for you."

"Thanks, Pa."

Upon arriving in town, Mark found that the store was closed up and quickly made his way to the hotel kitchen.

"Lou?"

"Mark, what are ya doin' here?"

"I was gonna finish up the inventory at the store, but it's closed up."

"I'm not openin' up until this afternoon. I certainly wasn't expectin' ya ta come in today… you should take some time after everythin' that happened."

"Thanks, but I could really use the distraction. May I get the key from your desk?"

"Are ya sure this is what ya want ta be doin' today?"

"…Like I said, I need the distraction."

"Alright…"

"…How's Jenny?"

Lou let out a sigh as she shook her head. "Beside 'erself with grief and scared ta death… mornin' sickness is startin' ta come around on top of that. …I'm glad she told ya, Mark… she's goin' ta be needin' a friend."

"I know. …Has anyone heard from the posse?"

"Micah wired and said the territorial marshal is takin' over… they should be back sometime today."

"Has she talked to you about when she's gonna tell Micah?"

"No, but if she doesn't get ta feelin' bet'r, I don't think it'll be anytime soon."

"…I just hope she has a chance to tell him before he figures it out. …I better get over to the store. See you later."

Mark retrieved the key from the front desk and made his way to the store. Despite his initial attempts to distract himself, the young man found his morning filled with memories of his years with Jeff. A smile played on his face as he remembered Jeff and Jenny's first meeting; how riled Jenny had gotten and how Jeff ended up eating his words.

Several hours into his task, Mark heard a knock on the back door and opened it to find Nils on the other side.

"Mornin' Nils."

"Mark," he greeted. "I'm sorry to bother you, but Lou said you were working back here and could help me. I just used my last size six nail and I have a number of horses to shoe today."

"Come on in, I'll grab a box for you."

"Thanks." As the blacksmith stepped inside, Mark made his way across the room and began looking through a crate. "…I was surprised to hear you were in town today… didn't expect to be seeing much of you for quite a spell."

"…I wanted something to keep me busy. I still won't be able to ride the range for a while."

"I forgot about that… how have you been feeling?"

"I get a little sore if I'm not careful and my head starts hurtin' for no reason once in a while, but overall it hasn't been too bad."

"How long does Doc think that'll keep up?"

"He hasn't said, but he doesn't want me riding for at least another month. No hard riding for a month or two after that."

"Any word on Willie?"

Having found the box of nails, Mark shook his head as he walked back towards Nils. "Pa said they finally got a warrant out for him, but I'm starting to doubt that anything will come of it. …And as long as he's not hurting anyone else, I'd rather just leave well enough alone… we've got enough going on without Willie showing up."

"…Well, if there's anything I can do to help, let me know."

"Thanks. And thanks for letting me work with the horses Saturday… I needed it."

"You were the one doing me a favor; you're welcome to work with them any time. Will you put this box on my bill?"

"Sure. See you later."

"Bye."

A little before noon, Mark made his way to the cafe to get something to eat. He then walked over to the hotel and made his way up to Jenny's room, knocking on her door a number of times before taking the back stairs to the kitchen.

"Lou, I'm sorry to bother you, but have you seen Jenny? I tried her room, but there was no answer."

"I saw 'er go out a while ago, but I don't know where she went. Ya could try Doc's."

"Thanks."

Mark headed outside and towards the doctor's office, briefly knocking on the door.

"Come in."

As the young man stepped inside, Doc looked up from his desk.

"Mark, what can I do for you?"

"Have you seen Jenny? She's not at the hotel."

Burrage slowly nodded, leaning back in his chair as he let out a deep breath. "She came by a little while ago, right before Micah got back… when she left, she was headed to his office… I think she was getting ready to tell him."

"…How do you think he reacted?"

"…Lou's not the only one around here with an Irish temper… but I'd like to hope he'll be a bit more gentle given the last few days. …Might be a good idea for you to check on her."

"Thanks."

Mark said goodbye and hurried over to the marshal's office. He had barely gotten through the door when he felt a firm set of hands grab his shoulders, shoving him backwards. The young man moaned as his head snapped back against the wall, his brow furrowing in confusion when he looked up to see Micah's angry eyes staring back at him.

"Boy, you've gotta lot of nerve walking in here after what you've done!"

"What are you-" Before Mark could finish the question, the marshal's fist came up, striking the young man just below the eye. He fell sideways, the desk catching him in the ribs and knocking the wind out of him. Mark gasped for breath as a hand again grabbed his shoulder, Micah preparing to hit him a second time.

"You're a disgrace to the McCain name!" The impact of the marshal's second blow sent Mark sprawling to the ground. He struggled to turn himself onto his back, scrambling backwards as Micah approached him once more. The marshal grabbed the boy's arm and roughly pulled him to his feet, pure rage in his eyes. "You go anywhere near my niece again, I'll find a reason to lock you up, and I'll make sure it sticks!"

Before Mark could comprehend what had been said, Micah opened the door and threw him out of the office. "Get out of here before I forget I'm wearing a badge!"

The young man landed with a thud as the jailhouse door slammed shut behind him. Seeing flashes of color and light, Mark struggled to his feet, using the hitching post to steady himself as he made his way back to Doc's.

"Mark, what happened to you?!"

The boy involuntarily moaned as Burrage helped him into a chair. "…I took your advice…"

"What are you talking about?"

"I went over to check on Jenny… Micah…"

"Did something happen to Micah?"

Mark raised a hand to his temple as he shook his head. "Micah just came at me…"

"Micah did this to you?!"

He nodded, sharply inhaling as the doctor touched below his eye socket.

"What on earth for?!"

"That's what I want to know…"

"Wait here, I'll be right back." Doc hurried over to the hotel, entering through the kitchen door. "Lou, I need a slab of cold meat and…" He stopped, seeing Jenny sitting on the stairs. "Jennifer, do you have any idea why your uncle would want to hurt Mark?"

"Hurt Mark?!" The young woman stood, shock crossing her face. "Oh, no… no…"

"Jenny?" Lou asked, handing the doctor a piece of meat.

"I thought… I had no idea he would… oh, Mark!"

Ignoring the calls of Lou and Doc, Jenny ran to the doctor's office, her heart sinking as she saw Mark's swelling face.

"I'm so sorry… I… I never would have thought… Mark, I'm sorry!"

"Sorry? Why would you be…" Mark quieted, Micah's words coming back to him. "…Jenny, just what did you tell him?"

"I… I never thought he would do something like this; I… I thought it would be better this way! He seemed a little upset, but by the time I left…"

Doc walked inside behind Jenny, looking between the two before asking what was going on.

Mark took the slab of meat from the doctor and held it to his face as he answered. "Jenny was just about to tell me why Micah decided to use me as a punching bag."

"…He was so angry when I first told him… he started asking who the father was, and… Mark, he never liked Jeff! He was always hinting about you and me courting, so I thought…"

"So you thought you'd tell him I was the father?!" Mark winced in pain, regretting how loudly he had spoken.

"I thought he would take it better!"

"He knew you and Jeff were courting," Mark argued. "What would make him ask who the father was?"

"…Because before… before Jeff… died… Mark, he wouldn't stop expressing his concerns about my seeing Jeff. …I thought if I told him you and I were spending some time together… he would stop… and he did!"

"Jenny!" Again, Mark quieted, closing his eyes as pain shot through his head.

"You said you would do anything to help me!"

"To make sure you had what you needed," he corrected. "There are a lot of people I would have been willing to let assume I was the father of that baby, but your uncle isn't one of them!"

Seeing Mark again grimace in pain, Doc stepped between the two. "Alright, that's enough, I need to take care of my patient. You two can finish discussing this later. Jennifer, I need you to leave. And I suggest you go over to your uncle's office and tell him the truth. Telling a lie like that to make things easier on yourself is inexcusable."

"…Mark, I…"

"Not now, Jennifer. You need to go." As the young woman left the office, Doc turned his attention to his patient. "What all happened in there?"

"…When he grabbed me and pushed me up against the wall, my head went back and hit it pretty hard. Then when he punched me the first time, the corner of the desk dug into my ribs… second time I fell to the ground… and then I landed pretty hard when he threw me out of the office."

The doctor opened Mark's shirt, quickly noticing the discoloration of the area that had been injured. He continued examining the boy's torso, finally reaching for a jar of arnica and rubbing it across Mark's rib cage. In time, he took the piece of meat Mark held and began tending to the swollen eye.

"How does your head feel?"

"Not great, but I've had worse."

The doctor nodded, finally stepping back as he crossed his arms. "I want you to go lay down in that back room while I make some calls around town. Once I get back, I'll take you home in your buckboard and then ride on to the Severs'."

"…Thanks, Doc."

That evening, Lucas rode into the yard, surprised to see the team in the corral and their gear hanging on the fence. He took care of Razor before making his way inside where he found a note on the table.

Luke

I'll let him give you the details, but Mark sustained a few injuries in town. I sent him to rest in the bedroom and didn't have time to put the equipment up in the barn. Mark should be fine, just make sure he takes it easy and has plenty of quiet. I left witch hazel for the eye and arnica for his ribs; I'll be back to check on him in a few days. I wouldn't advise bringing him into town until everyone's had time to cool down.

Doc

The rancher quickly strode across the floor, opening the bedroom door to see his son sitting on the edge of his bunk, cradling his head in his hands.

"Mark, what-" Lucas stopped short as Mark looked up at him, revealing his swollen, bruising face. "Son, what happened?!"

Mark again rested his head in his hands, letting out a deep breath as his pa sat down beside him. There were so many things he had expected to feel after what had happened, but the urge to cry wasn't one of them. His entire frame tensed under his father's hand, the lump in his throat making it difficult to breathe.

"…Mark?"

He slowly looked up at the opposite wall, wiping away the lone tear that had escaped his eye. Lucas waited a few moments before reaching out to take his son's chin in his hand, gently turning Mark towards him. "…Who did this?"

Mark's voice was tight as he answered, more tears glistening in his eyes. "…Micah."

Shock and confusion shadowed the rancher's face as he blankly stared at his son. "…What?"

"…Jenny told Micah I was the father."

Mark could sense the anger welling inside of Lucas. Under normal circumstances, he would begin pleading with his pa to calm down, insisting he was alright. But this was different. He wasn't. Even more than the physical pain, the emotional exhaustion of the last few days had worn Mark beyond what he could handle. And taking a beating at the hand of the man he considered a grandfather had broken something deep inside of him. There wasn't one fiber of Mark's being that felt the urge to jump to the marshal's defense.

The rage that had first flashed across the rancher's face was quickly replaced by concern for his son as more tears slipped down the boy's cheeks. Struggling to put aside the anger he felt, Lucas wrapped an arm around Mark, pulling him close.