Chapter 7

New Trouble in Town

ABBY'S POV. CONT.

It's been about a month now since Tennessee confessed and it's been the greatest. He really loved me for me and treated me with respect. He was so sweet and a complete gentleman to me. Of course I had to tell Sonia, but to my surprise she already knew. She had heard me say goodnight to him and kiss him goodbye a couple times. But she promised to keep the secret a secret. It wasn't a big deal, she liked Tennessee anyway, and trusted him to treat me right. And he had told Steven and Jared once they got back, they had said they knew this would happen eventually.

Over all it's been great. He would still pull heists, but I had come to understand that he only stole from the crooked rich people here in this town, people I wouldn't have expected would be crooked. It was different from what I did, but we both fought for the same thing, and that was justice, we just had different methods is all.

Whenever we were in public and he would pull a heist, I would give chase and act like I still despised him, but once we were out of sight of other people, we were as sweet as could be to one another. We usually went to this one spot were we could watch the sunset and we would just talk and enjoy being with each other, or we would go back to the clock tower while no one saw us. And I'll admit, there would be some, ahem, kissing involved, but nothing more than that. I was really getting used to this…

Right now I was at a town meeting there was some big meeting that I had to go to. I had no idea what was going on, but it seemed important. Just then an armadillo walked onto the stage with a sheriff's outfit and badge and spoke.

"Hello ladies and gents, I am Toothpick, your new sheriff." he spoke with a Spanish accent, that was stronger than sheriff fox's.

"What are you going to do about our gold and that no good bastard Tennessee Kid Cooper?" one women asked.

It took so much for me not to speak out at that comment.

"Don't you worry nothing bout it ladies and gent's!" he stated. He was on stage and was walking around like he was some kind of hot shot.

"I will catch Tennessee Kid Cooper, and lock him up, and by sundown the day after tomorrow, he will be hanged!" he stated.

I gasped quietly. He was going to hang Tennessee?! No! he was planning on robbing the bank tomorrow. I had o warn him.

Unfortunately, I had to stay after to formally greet him along with sheriff Fox. I could tell he didn't like this new sheriff either. I mean arresting someone is one thing, but hanging them is another.

"Welcome to Sunset Valley Toothpick." I said forcing a smile, as I shook his hand.

"Why thank you. I look forward to catching that outlaw." he said.

I felt my jaw tighten as I spoke.

"Good luck." I said.

I left quickly and headed back to the hideout.

"Tennessee!" I called as I burst in, panting from having run the whole way.

"Abby? What's going on?" he asked worried. Jared and Steven looked at me funny.

"Tennessee! You can't rob the bank!" He looked up at me finally and perked up his ears at the word's 'can't' and 'rob'.

"Why not?" he asked.

"They just hired a new sheriff named Toothpick! Please I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Abby, I'll be fine. I promise you." he said, cupping my face.

"But they said they were going to hang you! Please…" I said, tears coming to my eyes.

Steven and Jared took this moment to leave and give us privacy.

"Abigail, listen, I promise that I will be fine. And after I'll meet you here." he said.

"Tennessee…" I trailed.

"Trust me." he said, looking into my eyes. His grey ones into my own brown eyes.

I could see that there was no stopping him. He was so stubborn sometimes, but that was one thing I loved about him.

"Okay." I said, defeated, as he kissed my cheek.

THE NEXT DAY.

I had gone back to the hideout in a last attempt to stop him, but to no avail. He was set on this, but I still had a bad feeling about this.

"Tennessee, please reconsider. You don't have to not do the heist at all, just postpone it. Please!" I reasoned, but he wouldn't listen still.

"Abby, we went through this yesterday. I'll be fine." he said.

"But-" he then cut me off.

"Listen, I'll do the heist, get away, like always, and meet you back here after. I promise." he said, hugging me.

He grabbed his things and got ready to go.

"Tennessee…" I tried in a final attempt.

"Trust me Abby." he asked as he kissed me softly. "I love you." he said.

"I love you too, Tennessee." I said, as he jumped out and to the rooftops of other buildings.

"Please come back to me safely, Tennessee." I said to myself.

Just then Steven and Jared walked in.

"He'll be okay Miss Abby." Steven assured me.

"Yeah, you know that he always gets away." Jared stated.

"I know but still. I have a bad feeling about this…" I said, as I left and said goodbye to them.

LATER

I knew this would happen. Tennessee had been arrested by Toothpick! I told him not to go through with this heist.

I had heard about it only an hour after he had left. I had heard that Toothpick arrested him, before he had even reached the bank and thrown him in jail. The robbery had even still happened and Tennessee was charged, even though he was already in jail! That wasn't right!

After I had heard what happened, I went right to the jail. I had a few questions for Toothpick.

"Sheriff Toothpick?" I asked as I walked into his office.

"Oh, hello Ms. Evanson. I heard about your parents. So sorry." he said.

My heart strings tugged.

"Thank you. I have been taking over in there absence. But I had a few questions about how you arrested Cooper." I said.

"Oh yes! Very good, yes!" he asked.

"Well, I had heard that he was charged, even though he was already in jail when it happened. Why was he charged if he couldn't have been there to do the crime?" in asked.

"Who else could it have been Ms. Evanson?" he asked, raising a suspicious brow.

"I'm not sure. Might you know who else it could have been?" I asked.

"If I didn't know better, I would say you think I did it Ms. Evanson." he said.

"Not in the slightest, but you did arrest him before Tennessee even reached the bank." I stated.

"Tennessee…? Do you have some kind of relation to him Ms. Evanson?" he asked suspiciously.

"No, why?" I asked, making sure he couldn't read me.

"Well, you used his first name. why not just Cooper?" he asked.

"I have called him by his first name before. I will admit I have know him for years. But since the night I met him, I have been trying to do nothing more than arrest him and throw him in jail." I said, which wasn't a lie.

"And now?" he asked.

"The same." I stated simply.

He looked at me suspiciously still.

"I may be trying to throw him in jail, but I do still know that if he was arrested and in jail while the robbery took place, and he's been charged, it isn't fair." I said.

"You have been trying to put him in jail for years. Why do you care about the details. He doesn't mean something to you does he?" he asked.

"No he doesn't." even if I didn't mean it, that hurt to say, "And even though I have been, I still have morals and know what's right and what's not. The details matter to me." I said, getting annoyed.

"Well, he is to be hanged tomorrow. It is set and it can't be stopped. But think of it as getting justice for all of his past crimes." he said.

"Very well. I wont bother you anymore. Goodbye." I said leaving the room.

He tipped his hat and I left.

I headed to the cells, and looked until I saw Tennessee. Once I found him, I just stood there and looked at him with an annoyed face and my hands on my hips. After a minute he looked up and saw me. He smiled nervously.

"Hey Abby." he said nervously.

I just continued to look at him.

"Well it seems I have gotten myself into quiet the sticky situation…" he stated.

I still said nothing.

"I know. I should have listened to you. You were right. I'm sorry Abby." he said, lowering his head.

I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"What am I going to do with you, Tennessee?" I asked.

"Not really sure." he said smiling a bit.

"I'm going to get you out of here. I promise. It's my turn to save you." I said.

I crouched and getting right in front of the bars. He got next to the bars in front as well, until we were nose to nose through the bars. We entwined our fingers together and stared into each others eyes.

Just then I heard people coming. I turned and looked, then looked back to Tennessee.

"I have to go." I said sadly.

"I know. Go. I'll be okay."

"That's what you said the first time." I said.

"You know what I mean." he said.

I kissed him softly through the bars for a sec then smiled him.

"Bye…" I said, not wanting too.

"Bye, love." he said, I nearly broke down.

I could here the voices coming closer. After saying goodbye once more, I left. This just wasn't right. It didn't make any sense! I needed to figure a way out of this for Tennessee, and fast. Otherwise, I was going to lose the man I love…

OKAY SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE. PLEASE REVIEW BUT DON'T FLAME. I HOPE YOU ALL LIKED. PEACE OUT!