Kick yer shoes off and set a spell :)

So excited to post this chapter today!

I'd like to thank the fabulous Madame "GeezerWench" for all her help and prereading for me! THANK YOU! :)

Jasper took one of the mules and rode toward the fort. He found Charlotte with the wagon; right where they had left her.

As soon as she saw Jasper alone, she was overcome with fear. She gathered her thick calico skirt in her hands and ran toward him. "Where's Pete!" she cried.

"He's fine," Jasper said. "He's at the doctor's house with the girl. We found her. He got punched in the mouth, but the doc says he'll be fine."

Charlotte threw her hands up. "Land sake's, Jasper! Your eye looks horrible!"

"I'm fine, Char. Pete is asking for ya," Jasper said as he jumped down from the mule and hitched up the team. He was worried at what she would say when she saw her husband in bed, three sheets to the wind, and sporting gold teeth.

Jasper explained everything that had happened as they traveled towards the doctor's house. The wagon was almost empty, and the mules easily pulled it through the tall prairie grass. Jasper helped Charlotte down from the wagon, and they walked together through the front door.

"Oh, darlin', you came for me!" Peter exclaimed, throwing his arms wide open.

Charlotte flew across the room to him and gently touched the swollen side of his face, caressing him lovingly. "Are your teeth going to be alright?" Charlotte asked.

"I reckon. He hits really hard," Peter answered as he jerked his thumb toward the large Indian who was lying on the neighboring cot. "We made up though."

Jake didn't say a word as Charlotte stared him down. She was seething with anger and, even though she was only a small woman and the bronze-skinned man was huge, she was considering beating the living day lights out of him for punching her husband.

"I'm hurt bad, Char. Come give me some sugar." Peter boozily reached for his wife.

"What are you doing all roostered up, Pete?" She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Jasper, Peter, and finally the bottle on the table. "You should have known better than to give him whisky. You know he can't hold his liquor."

Peter watched his wife, in awe, as she told off his brother. Something about the way she moved when she was angry stirred something in him.

"You look so beautiful when you get all riled up. C'mere—don't be mad at me, honey." Peter grabbed Charlotte around the waist and pulled her onto his lap. "I just had a little whiskey for the doctorin'. Just somethin' to ease the pain." Peter stuck his nose in his wife's wavy blonde hair and breathed deeply, then whispered, "We found that girl and everything's gonna be better now. I'm gonna buy you a new dress." Peter was attempting to be sly as he ran his fingers around her sides grazing her breasts, but it was obvious to everyone what he was doing, as he groaned lustily into her neck.

Charlotte swatted his hands away and jumped up, embarrassed. Just then she noticed a kind-looking woman wearing a beautiful gingham dress standing by the back bedroom door. She had a gentle way about her as she walked towards Charlotte, her hands extended, welcoming her into her home.

Charlotte felt very self-conscious about her husband's drunken, blatant displays of affection and also about her trail-worn appearance. Her clothes were threadbare and dirty, and her hair was wind blown. She had been in such a rush to see Peter, that she had forgotten her bonnet. Her hands nervously fluttered over her hair as she attempted to tame her unruly locks as the woman introduced herself as Esme and showed her around her home.

It had been so long since Charlotte had been in the company of another woman, that she hardly knew what to do with herself. Esme led her to the back bedroom where Bella sat combing out her freshly washed hair. She introduced the girls to each other and offered to help Charlotte clean up.

Eventually, the women's laughter carried out across the house, into the front room where all the men were gathered. Doc Cullen had checked in on the women folk, and he returned smiling as he sat down at his desk.

"My wife and I would like to invite you all to stay for lunch, assuming you aren't outlaws?" Carlisle's light blue eyes glanced between the brothers.

Jasper spoke up quickly. "Thank you and no sir, my brother and I are farmers. We are traveling to stake a claim out in Oregon."

"We've traveled all the way from Texas!" Peter said proudly, interrupting his brother.

"That's fine, son. I just had to ask," Doc Cullen explained. "If Sheriff Swan finds me to be harboring outlaws, he won't spare me just because I happen to be a doctor." Carlisle Cullen wasn't a natural conversationalist like his wife. He absently flipped through a journal at his desk while the other men sat idly avoiding looking at each other.

Peter finally couldn't stand the silence any longer. "I can't wait to have some good ol' home cookin'," he said as he rubbed his empty stomach. "My wife sure is a good looker, but she ain't a good cooker."

Jasper shook his head in exasperation at his drunken brother and stood up. "For the time being, I'm going to look for Mr. Newton and collect the reward. I'll be back for lunch, sir. Thank you." Jasper tipped his hat to the doctor.

Carlisle smiled. "He usually can be found at his store or the saloon. They're not far from here. Just ride east of the fort—there's a worn path. You can't miss it."

Jasper rode by the fort. There were hardly any men around. They had all run off to look for the outlaws who had supposedly kidnapped Bella. The first place Jasper looked for Newton was the saloon. Jasper was surprised to see him behind the bar laughing and talking to the barkeep. A scantily dressed woman, who wore a feathered hat, stood by his side.

The woman locked eyes with Jasper and sashayed seductively over to greet him. "Howdy, cowboy. Can I get you a drink, or maybe you'd just like some company?" She smiled at him, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"No, thank you, ma'am. I came to talk to Mr. Newton," Jasper said as he tipped his hat and walked toward the well-dressed man that he recognized from that morning. Jasper noticed he was still wearing the same clothes, and they were clean. It was obvious that he hadn't been out searching for his fiancé.

Newton swallowed thickly as he watched the rough-looking man with the swollen eye approach the bar. "I'm Mike Newton. What can I do for you?"

"I'm one of the men that rescued your fiancé. How much have you heard about what happened?" Jasper asked.

Newton motioned for Jasper to join him at a corner table and called for a waitress to bring him some coffee. "What'll you have?" Newton asked.

Jasper removed his hat and ran his hand through his long, sweaty hair. "Whiskey. Thanks."

Newton looked down at the table, clearly uncomfortable. His voice was barely above a whisper. "Ben came into town rousing up a hunting party. Said Bella had been taken by some men, and that she looked pretty rough. Everyone knows now." Newton sighed heavily. "If Ben hadn't told everyone we could have kept it a secret, but now that everybody knows she was attacked, it creates a situation."

The waitress brought the drinks to the table and sat them down in front of the men, a cup of coffee and a full bottle of whiskey with a single shot glass. Jasper poured himself a shot as Newton took a sip of his coffee.

"This coffee is cold, woman!" He stood up quickly from his seat and tossed the liquid from the cup onto the floor. "Come clean this mess up," he ordered as he pointed angrily to the light brown puddle that he had created on the wooden slatted floor.

The waitress apologized profusely and hurried over to clean the mess with shaking hands.

"Dumb bitch. Coffee is supposed to be served hot. Go get me another one." Newton growled.

Jasper noticed a faded yellow bruise on the waitress' temple as she wiped the coffee from the floor with a dirty rag. Jasper decided he didn't like Mr. Newton very much, and he felt a burning, hateful feeling rise up inside of him. He threw back a shot, trying to drown it out. He didn't let Mike Newton see any sign of emotion in his eyes or voice. "I've just come to collect the reward. I'll take cash. My family is just passing through on the way to Oregon, so I need to collect it as soon as possible."

Newton squirmed back into his seat. "You'll have to wait 'til the sheriff returns before you can get paid. He's Bella's father, and since she's no good to me now, I expect he'll pay you."

Jasper took another shot. He was feeling bothered and impatient. "You expect he'll pay me? Listen buddy, you offered up the reward this morning, and don't think I haven't forgotten about the horse." Jasper slammed his hand down hard on the table.

"I remember offering a reward if Bella was found unharmed. From what Ben said, it sounds as though she's been ruined. Is that the case?"

Jasper ignored the man's question and took another shot. He was starting to feel his drink.

"So, you're not going to marry her now?" Jasper asked.

"No. I'm really quite relieved. Marrying her was more her father's idea."

"Ya don't say?"

"Yeah, he just wanted to pawn her off on someone and chose me. He knows me better than anyone—probably because he spends all of his free time here drinking." Newton crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm sure he'll be up here come nightfall, and he's good for the money."

Jasper considered Newton's words carefully, as he stared at the bottle that sat between them on the table. "I'll be back to talk with him then. You got a place I can clean up? Miss Esme invited me to lunch, and I'd like to look presentable."

AN: Yipee-ki-yi-yay !

(That's the noise I make when you review me)