A/N This Chapter is supposed to take place four days after Landon has left Stockton. As far as I know, the town I mention does not exist..nor would a town be that close to Stockton back then (don't know about today). Only, I'm taking writer's liberty.

Chapter Thirty Two

The streets of Hawkston were extremely dark as Kyle Jensen moved cautiously through the back, and side, alleys of the town. He had originally planned on being in Stockton long before now, but a blasted bounty hunter had decided that he was going to bring the wanted man in one way or the other. That being the case, Kyle had spent the past four months trying to shake the man off his trail. Along the way Kyle had managed to add armed robbery to his record, something he again blamed on Steve and John. After all, 'if they hadn't gotten him fired, he could have supported himself'. It was a lie he continued to tell himself as he managed to pry open the back door of Hawkston's café which had been closed for hours. He was hungry and meant to get a good meal without having to pay for it.

Once he had the brown door-which looked as if it needed another coat of paint-open, Kyle slipped inside. He was elated to see he was in the kitchen portion of the café. With only a single cook stove, a table, just enough cabinets and drawers to hold the café's supplies, the room wasn't very big. Still, there was enough space for Kyle to walk around in. He couldn't help but think of his grandmother's kitchen as he poked his nose into some of the cabinets; her kitchen was eerily similar. It didn't take long for him to get what he was looking for. He might have been tempted to eat his find right then and there only he heard someone opening the front door. Grabbing the canned beans and the pastries he'd found, along with a folded map that happened to be on the counter, Kyle hurried out the back door. By the time he reached the far end of the alley, he could hear the sound of a pistol and a man shouting. 'Must be the owner,' Kyle thought as he disappeared around the corner.

Since his presence was now known, Kyle made his way away to a wooded area that lay roughly three hundred yards from the edge of town. Then, making his way further into the woods, Kyle found a place to set up camp. Wasting no time, he soon had a small campfire going and had the beans cooking. He then unfolded the map and held it as close to the flames as he could without actually setting on fire, hoping to find it was one he could use. That was another thing that had slowed down his travels…he had taken wrong turns as he tried to shake the bounty hunter. He let out a triumphant cry and yelled "YES!" as he looked over the map. However, when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps, he hurried and folded the map, slid it into his coat and pulled his pistol out of its holster. He didn't want to be caught off guard.

"No reason for that," Landon, who had left Stockton with the intentions of going to Oregon to pan for gold, stepped closer to the camp he'd spied as he was traveling.

"Don't know about that," Kyle lowered the pistol, though he did not put it back in its place nor did he let go of it.

"Just looking for bite to eat," Landon didn't want to pay for a meal if he could get one free.

Kyle hesitated, but then nodded to his left. "I guess I can spare a bit." He gestured towards his horse. "I got a tin plate and a spoon in that bag." He pointed to a small brown bag that hung on the side of his saddle, "I always carry a spare set. You can use them." He then asked where Landon was going.

"Oregon," Landon said as he retrieved the items down and held the plate out while Kyle dished out some of the stolen beans. "Where you heading?"

Due to the bounty hunter that very well could still be on his trail, Kyle wasn't going to answer that one, not specifically anyway. "South, looking for work, maybe try my hand at ranching."

Landon studied the man before him; the man had a harsh look about him. That being the case, and not knowing Kyle's intentions, Landon decided he'd go to Oregon knowing he'd sent trouble Barkley's way. "If you go to Stockton, you could try your hand at the Barkley Ranch. They're short a man; I know because I quit due to this trip to Oregon." He wasn't about admit to being fired.

Barkley….Kyle felt his blood boil all over again. "Who's the foreman…Steve Brighton?" Kyle asked, thinking that surely Jarrod would give Steve some important job on the ranch.

Since he'd never seen any reason to delve into Steve's business or formed any friendship with him, Landon hadn't made it his business to find out what was going on with 'that family'…as he'd often called the Brightons when talking about them. In fact, with Lily and Paulette leaving before Jarrod arrived home with John…and without Steve…Landon actually thought there was a separation or divorce going on. "Mr. Brighton was never foreman of that ranch; Duke McColl and a man by the name of John Summers, who the two Barkley brothers are claiming as their long lost brother, share that job. Don't know where Mr. Brighton went," Landon answered the only way he could. Because he had his eyes on his food, Landon missed the shocked looked that leapt onto Kyle's face.

"You are following three birds, but I tell you this…give that hunt up. One bird will have flown the coop before you ever reach your destination and the other two will be joined by another-even stronger than the one you have lost... run as fast as you can ... if you want to keep living and breathing on this side of the grass."The old woman's words came back to Kyle, and he felt shivers go down his back. Once again, he told himself that; maybe, just maybe the old woman knew what she was saying and that he should listen. And, once more, he pushed the thought aside.