"Lucy!" a voice exclaimed and it shook her awake. Coming to, Lucy's nostrils were filled with the smell of smoke and she jumped backwards until she realized what was happening.

Jack had appeared next to her at the grill, shutting off the stove and scooping what was left of the charred meat aside. Jack looked concerned, "Lucy, you alright there?" he gave his innocent youngest Bondurant smile.

Lucy rubbed the bridge of her nose, "Yeah…I'm fine," she waved a hand, "Sorry about your lunch…" she said, grabbing the other half of the meat that was going to go back to be kept, but she headed for the grill again.

Jack seemed uncomfortable, "I was just telling you the story of that shoot-up in town…and the next minute I realize you ain't awake…." he said, taking the meat from her hands but not yet putting it back on the stove.

Lucy sighed. She waved a towel in the air to try to get the smoke to clear; she then opened the nearest window. "I'm sorry, why don't you tell me again?" she smiled cheerfully, "You have my full attention."

But Jack hesitated.

They weren't alone in the room.

Forrest had appeared through the door, he took his hat off, wringing it in his hands, he then motioned with his head for Lucy to follow and he disappeared into the next room.

Lucy patted Jack on the shoulder and followed Forrest where he proceeded to shut the door. "Forrest, I'm sorry…it won't happen again…& I can pay for the meat I ruined…" She started but he shook his head.

"Not about that," he replied. He slid an envelope across the table to her. Furrowing her brow, Lucy looked inside. "Forrest, I can't take this…" she put it down.

"'s Howard's wages," he told her, "For you and the baby."

"But Howard told me he owed them to you," Lucy replied, feeling her anxious gut wrench return.

"He does…" Forrest nodded slowly, his southern drawl much like molasses. "If I'm not mistaken …he owed them to you first," he explained.

Lucy's eyes averted downward. "But…Forrest…we're livin' here already…I know what Howard must owe you…"

"That money is yours & that'll be the end of it," Forrest placed his hat back on his head, "I'm going to-" but the baby's cries broke through the store walls.

Lucy stood from her chair, her hand touching his arm she kissed his cheek, "Thank-you Forrest, it means the world," she said before she swept from the room for the stairs.

Forrest headed back into the dining area where Jack had just finished cleaning up the lunch mess. Jack seemed elated to see him, "Forrest, Forrest you ain't never going to believe what I saw in town today…" he dug into his pocket but Forrest shook his head, "Got work to do," he said before he left the County Line.

Jack sighed and retrieved the bullet casing from his pocket; he'd go show it to Cricket Pate.

It was a couple hours before Lucy could finally put the baby down again. Lucy was past her point of exhaustion and was for sure to be wide-awake for the next couple of hours. She meandered back downstairs. Looked like Hal was running things, the boys weren't around and she'd been upstairs with the baby. Hal kissed the top of her head before he returned to flipping a burger for what seemed to be himself.

But when Jack walked in, Lucy's stomach fell to the floor.

"What happened?" Lucy asked, the boy holding back a cry. His right eye was bruised and bloody, along with his nose, lips, and ear. She rushed from behind the counter and lead Jack to a seat at the bar, "'m fine…" he muttered, unable to look at her.

"No, sweetie, you ain't fine," Lucy wiped her hands on her apron, "Hal…get me some warm water, a cloth, and some rubbing alcohol," she said, "Needle and thread too…oh & some whiskey!" she called as the man began to search for her demands.

"Jack…what happened to you?" she asked, moving a strand of matted hair to the side so she could examine his injuries. He glanced at her, knowing he should be stronger than this, but her look of genuine concern, like the mother & sister he'd lost so long ago caused him to open up, "Some…law-man…Charley Rakes…he was bullyin' Cricket…" he explained.

Lucy took the warm water and cloth from Hal and began to clean his wounds. "What kind of lawman attacks a kid like you?" she muttered. She asked Hal to sterilize the needle.

Jack shrugged, but instead of answering her question, "I ain't a kid…" he muttered, but his shoulders were shrunk forward in defeat.

"I know, sweetie…but to a lawman you're a kid…" she explained, cleaning the deepest wounds to see if anything needed a stitch up.

"He wanted to know where the still and the money was," Jack finished, wincing as the alcohol burned his wounds.

Lucy took a deep breath. It finally happened. She took solace in knowing that no one had gotten the better of Howard since he was a kid, but that didn't mean this new, zealous lawman was above pulling the trigger. "Hal, honey, could you go find Forrest, please?"

"No," Jack grabbed her arm, he finally looked into her eyes, pleading, "He can't see me like this..."

But it was too late. The screen door creaked open and both Howard and Forrest entered the restaurant.

"Why don't you go on upstairs?" he suggested gently to Lucy. Lucy's fingers were holding a cloth to the gash on Jack's ear, she hesitated: "Forrest, he's gonna need some stitches," she said quietly.

Forrest nodded, "Go on upstairs…" he repeated.

Lucy sighed. She looked at Jack whose eyes begged her to stay, but admitted defeat at the same time. She handed Jack the cloth and looked at Howard who nodded towards the stairs.

Lucy sighed, "Don't go too hard on him," she whispered as she passed the boys for the stairs, "He was defendin' Cricket…" but she picked up her skirts and ascended the stairs to her baby.