NOTE – Some of the dialogue towards the end is taken directly from the episode. I have it in italics providing the format stays in place.

HONORABLE INTENTIONS

EPILOGUE

It was probably about five weeks after I fell in the river when Slim came and got me from where I was workin' in the barn. I'd heard the stage roll up but didn't take much notice – the stage line hired a man to ride with the driver to help change the teams while me and Slim were out of action.

"Jess!"

"What?"

"Where are ya?"

"Up here, fixin' them loose boards you been complainin' about all year."

I heard Slim make his way to the hay loft and leaned over the ladder to see what he wanted.

"You got a visitor."

"Aw, Slim… I'm kinda busy up here… Who is it?"

"Oh, I think you'll want to make time for this one, Pard."

I muttered a few words under my breath then climbed down and made my way to the ranch house.

"Jess?"

"Well I'll be dadgummed. Look at you."

I could hardly believe my eyes. Gladys Moore, all prettied up lookin' mighty fine in a fancy blue dress and one of them real nice hats like I seen in one of them lady's shops. Seems the last few weeks have been kind to her… real kind. I took off my hat and stood starin'. Wasn't till Slim elbowed me in the ribs that I realized my mouth was hangin' open and everyone was lookin' at me.

Gladys had turned a real becomin' shade of red and was lookin' down at her feet.

"Ma'am… you look right pretty. Are ya goin' somewhere special?"

"I was just saying to Mr. Sherman and Daisy… I've decided to head home."

"Well we certainly wish you all the luck in the world when you get back home."

"Thank you, Daisy. I never would have been able to do it if Jess here hadn't insisted I take the reward money for the Morgan boys."

Gladys smiled at me and it was all I could do not to shuffle my feet like some love-sick teenager. Still, I managed to answer her without getting all tongue-tied.

"If it wasn't for you, I'd likely be sitting on a cloud somewheres, playin' a harp."

"That'll be the day." Slim couldn't help makin' a wise crack.

Daisy chuckled quietly but turned an appreciative eye on Gladys. "Gladys, I tell you, if that hat you're wearing is a sample of those you're going to sell in your shop it will be a tremendous success."

"You mean she can get money for something like that?" Mike offered his opinion in that way only a kid can… reckon he was just sayin' what me and Slim were thinkin'.

"Mike! Take that bag out to the stage. You are much too young to have an opinion about women's hats."

Gladys smiled at Mike then turned her attention back to me. "Oh Jess… I don't know how…"

"Ah! Whoa now. You thank me one more time and I'm gonna eat all the flowers off that thing you call a hat."

"Well…" Gladys came towards me, wrapped her arms around my waist and I had no choice but to kiss her. She sure smelled good, and her lips… boy they were soft. I was kind of sorry when she patted me on the back and pulled away. But it was good to see her smilin' and happy. I had a feelin' she'd do just fine in Cheyenne.

"That was close, Pard. For a minute there I thought you were gonna go into the ladies' hat business." Slim was smirkin' at me in that way he does.

"Wait a minute, now. To know something about ladies' hats you have to understand women. That's one thing I don't think I ever will." I told him.

I turned to follow Daisy and Gladys outside, giving Slim a friendly clap on the arm… cept' I forgot he was still healin'. He damaged that bone a lot more'n he would a if he hadn't pulled me from the river.

"Sorry, Pard. Clean forgot."

Slim fixed me with a glare but his grin that followed told me I was forgiven.

We made our way out to the yard to say our final goodbyes. I sure was pleased Gladys took the money… and real pleased to see that hard edge of hers had been smoothed over some.

Thinkin' back to her fiery temper when she thought I'd backshot Morgan, I figured in a way she was just doin' the honorable thing… lookin' out for her man. Then them Morgan brothers Mac and Al… and that cousin… guess they were lookin' out for family, too. In the end I felt kinda bad that so many men had to die. Me… yeah… my intentions were good… just kinda went about it all wrong. Grif was a friend… I had to find his killer. If Joe Morgan'd come in without a fight, just explained things to Mort, well… all this needless killin' mighta been avoided. I reckon, in the end, all our intentions were kinda honorable… even the folk in Laramie when they was quick to believe them accusations about me being a backshooter.

"Jess?"

"Huh?"

Slim was studyin' me, frowning. "Where were you, looked like you were miles away."

"Nah… just thinkin' how things turn out sometimes. Slim… do you believe in fate? You know… how one thing leads to another then another? Like some kind of map all laid out? Showin' how things are s'posed to be?"

"Sure I do… it led you here, didn't it? And Daisy… and Mike. Some things are meant to be, Pard. Like your rear end back up that ladder mending those broken boards in the hayloft."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm goin'…" I turned to head back to the barn.

"And Jess?"

"Yeah?"

"I think fate worked out just fine when you landed here."

"Yeah..." I smiled. "Me too."

THE END