The next week was busy for everyone. The first order of business was to arrest Bircken, Wolcott and Mayor Haven on a plethora of charges, including criminal conspiracy, three counts of attempted murder, and fraud, among others. The next move was up to the Town Council. This time they used their heads and offered the job of Sheriff on a permanent basis to Acting Sheriff Delgado Hernandez, who accepted the position. To avoid a lawsuit that could tie the town up in knots for years, they voted unanimously to turn over Conrad Sanders monetary assets to Molly Hooper, as compensatory damages for the destruction he'd inflicted on her property.
That gave Molly enough money to replace the equipment and supplies she'd lost in the fire, as well as the funds needed to start work on her barn and bunkhouse. Jason and Sam returned to the ranch and restored the corral fence; when that was done Grimes and Castor brought the mares down and the task of rebuilding began.
Molly and her foremen drove into Yuma to replace the bridles, saddles, harnesses and tools she'd lost in the barn. Noble got a new saddle and so did Galead, and Doc Bradley had a nice long visit with both of his patients. The stitches came out of Bart's hand and Doc pronounced himself pleased with the progress of Bret's shoulder and Bart's leg. They went to the sheriff's office and Bart signed the report that Del prepared, and the case of the crooked marshal was at last put to rest.
Molly was able to hire four more men on a temporary basis to help with the rebuilding, and they were set to begin work next week. She and her two foremen were supposed to have lunch together at the cantina, but Del asked her to dine with him at the new café that had just opened and she accepted. As the brothers sat in the cantina eating, they talked about everything that had transpired in the last few weeks and where they might go next. "Of course, it's gonna be at least another three weeks before I can ride anywhere," Bret remarked.
"Maybe four weeks for me," Bart reminded his brother.
"Kinda senseless for us to hang around here with nothin' to do, ain't it?"
"True," Bart agreed. "What did you have in mind?"
"How about Tucson for a while?"
"I wasn't real impressed with Tucson when we were there before." Bart had been more than happy to leave Tucson; he'd almost been senselessly killed by a saddle tramp that wouldn't believe he wasn't a card sharp.
"You didn't even know who you were when we were there. Besides, I heard it's gotten to be much friendlier to gamblers." Bret, of course, was referring to the accident in the Superstition Mountains that cost Bart almost a year of his life and left him more than half dead and thinking he was Doc Holliday.
"Yeah? Maybe we should give it a try. We sure don't need to stick around here and get in the way of true love."
"Hey," Bret reminded his brother, "they deserve a chance. I wonder how long it'll be before Molly convinces Del that he really doesn't wanna be sheriff?"
Bart considered that for a moment. "Alright, I'm willin' to give Tucson a try. But can we please be ourselves when we go? I think Hancock and Delacroix deserve a vacation. I miss the Maverick brothers."
"I'll make you a deal," Bret offered.
"What's that?" his brother asked.
"You be you and I'll be me."
"Brother Bret!" Bart said, and stuck out his hand.
"Brother Bart!" Bret responded, and they shook on it.
The End