"Okay, here I am. Tell you what, it's a darn good thing that bathroom's close cause… well it just is. Say, are you all sure you wouldn't like some coffee or something? I got some peanuts there in a dish if you'd prefer. The chocolate's all gone from them, but the peanuts is still good. I can't eat em. They get stuck in my dentures. No? Okay. Just asking.

Now, where was I? Oh, yeah, the stranger and the Marshal. What? What do you mean I haven't mentioned the Marshal? Really? Well, trust me. He'll come into this story in just a little bit.

Well, anyway. The tall, good looking stranger sat in that bar for maybe two hours or more just watching Miss Kitty and flirting with her every time she come near. Like I said before, he didn't cause no trouble and he didn't push but he made it known he was interested.

Miss Kitty, though she was polite and all, just went about her business and paid his interest no heed. Well, that was until Grady Hicks come in. Now Grady was a low down, no count fool that didn't have the sense God gave a goose on his good days. And when he walked into the saloon that night, you could tell it wasn't one of his good days.

His shaggy blonde hair was all dirty as was his ragged clothes. One look into his bloodshot blue eyes and you could tell he was already drunk before he ever set foot in the Long Branch. Miss Kitty was in the back of the saloon when he came in or I can guarantee ya she'd a sent him right on back out when she got a whiff of him.

But she didn't catch sight of him until he'd already spotted her and was heading in her direction. "Hey, Kitty!" He yelled with glee. "Ain't ya glad to see me?"

"NO!" Miss Kitty shook her vehemently. "I'm not. What are you doing in here, Grady? It smells like you've already had enough for one night."

"Why, I come to see you, Darlin'." He grinned and snaked out a hand, grabbing her arm and pulling her tightly to him. "I figured you and me could maybe, have us a drink or something upstairs." He leered wildly at her, making his intentions clear.

"Let the lady be." A deep beautiful voice suddenly spoke up. "It's pretty obvious she wants nothing to do with you."

All heads swiveled to see the tall handsome stranger as he stood and dropped his hand close to the butt of his gun. He was making his intentions clear too, ya see. You know, thinking back on it, I don't reckon, I ever saw anyone, sides the Marshal, and my husband of course, ever look so good as that man did as he stood there demanding that Grady leave Miss Kitty alone.

I mean, not only was he just down right gorgeous but he was so… so… oh, what's the word? You know. He was… he was… Heroic! That's the word. He was heroic as he stood there and there weren't too many there that night that wasn't impressed by it.

I sure was. Dang, he was a sight, standing there ramrod straight with his shoulders squared and his head high and that hand just a hovering over that pistol. Lord, I wanted to swoon and I'm not the swooning type.

Huh? Oh, Miss Kitty wasn't doing too much at all there for a second or two. I think she was as stunned as the rest of us. And then there was the fact that she was hurting pretty bad too. You see Grady had him a real tight hold on her arm and when she tried to jerk it free, he wrenched it behind her back and pulled it up tight. I was afraid for a minute or two he was going to break it. I think she was too.

But finally, I guess she decided a broken arm would be worth getting away so she pulled her leg up a might and just stomped down as hard as she could on his right foot. You talk about a man howling? Oh, Lord he just outright yelled. But he also let go of her arm and she got herself away from just as quick as a wink, which is exactly what Mr. Hero was waiting for.

The second Miss Kitty was away from Grady, the tall handsome one, took a step forward, raised a fist and punched old Grady so hard his teeth rattled. As soon as Grady went down, he stepped over him and went straight for Miss Kitty. "You alright, Miss?" His voice was as smooth as butter, I tell ya.

Miss Kitty nodded as she rubbed her arm where old Grady had gripped it so hard. "I'm alright." That's when she actually paid more than just scant attention to her rescuer and she smiled brightly. "I sure want to thank you, Mister. I appreciate it."
"Shoot, Ma'am." He shrugged. "I didn't do too much. For a lady like you, I'd done a lot more than that if need be."

Now it was right that second that the Marshal pushed his way into the saloon and took in the spectacle of Miss Kitty grinning up into the beautiful hazel eyes of this gorgeous man and he was a grinning back. Sam had gone and fetched him, you see. When the Marshal got there, he didn't look none too happy.

"Kitty?" He kept his voice neutral and low but the way he was a looking at her said what he didn't. "What happened here?"

Now stop right there. I see that look on your face and you're wrong. Miss Kitty didn't shrink away from the stranger when the Marshal walked in and she didn't look guilty of nothing, cause she wasn't. She didn't do nothing wrong at all. And neither did that handsome man. But the Marshal didn't know that at first and boy if looks could harm, that stranger would've been in a world of hurt.

"Oh, it's nothing, Matt." Miss Kitty sighed. "Just Grady pulling one of his usual stunts. But Mr…" She looked questioningly at the man and he graciously swept his hat off of his head and bowed slightly to her.

"Cole Travers, Ma'am. At your service."

"Mr. Travers, here, challenged him and then knocked him out." I'm not sure but I still swear she looked kinda amused at the gallant way he acted and the jealous look the Marshal gave him and he did look jealous. Not murderous jealous mind you but he sure didn't look happy either, no matter what Mr. Travers did for Miss Kitty.

Well, that was until he tore his eyes off of Mr. Travers and looked down at Miss Kitty. It was then that his expression softened and he relaxed a little. She always did have that effect on him. Of course, just cause he was looking all doe eyed at her, didn't mean he wasn't paying attention to nothing else.

I'll tell you what, that man had... Oh no. Lord, I swear I'm gonna throw them pills away. Either that or move the bathroom in here where it'd be more convenient. You all stay put. I'll be right back and finish this little tale. Oh and don't be shy, go ahead and eat them peanuts. There may still be some chocolate on some of em.

TBC