Rough Road Ahead

The weeks following the 4th of July celebrations were quickly taken up with the normal hustle and bustle of the town. The CC Gazette was growing, both in popularity and reach.

Shane was nervous after the obvious display of feelings between her and Oliver at the dance competition. How would the town react? Would she be seen as a home wrecker after all? What about Oliver? Would he think less of her for grabbing him, pulling him into her house and into her arms? Although there was absolutely nothing between them other than a growing friendship, his opinion of her mattered more than anything else in the world. He was the first person she consulted about everything. He was quickly becoming the most important person in her life. She also valued Rita, Norman and Eleanor's friendships, as they cared about her regardless of circumstances.

She hardly ever saw the sheriff anymore. He was spending a lot of time out of town. His trips to Denver City were becoming more regular. Apparently he was taking care of business, although nobody seemed to know what kind of business it was, including his own deputy Mr. Walker. Either way, no one missed him. In fact, the whole town breathed a collective sigh of relief when they saw him departing again for another few days.

On a Tuesday morning in early October, Mrs. Teresa Capodiamonte knocked softly on Shane's door. She had two young ladies with her named Kaitlin and Vanessa Atkinson. Shane welcomed them and took them upstairs for a glass of lemonade.

"Shane, I thought you, as a journalist, would want to hear these young ladies' story. Go ahead girls, you can trust Shane." The sisters looked at each other nervously. Shane smiled kindly at them and nodded, encouraging them to talk. Kaitlin took a deep breath and started.

"Our father died in a mining accident in Denver City two years ago forcing our mother to go and find work to keep us housed and fed. She got a job as a cook in a rich family's home. For a time, it seemed we were going to survive without too much trouble. Suddenly, she got sick and died about 6 months ago. Vanessa and I were then hired to be maids for the same rich family, doing that job and whatever else the housekeeper needed us to do." She paused and looked nervously at her sister and Teresa. "Go ahead, honey." Teresa encouraged.

"Well, unfortunately we caught the eye of the old man, our boss. He started chasing us around during the day as we cleaned the house. He used to surprise us and lock the door of the bedroom where we'd be working. It became imperative we get someone to talk to his wife. We mentioned it to the housekeeper, who seemed to be a decent woman. She was very nervous, but eventually she broached the subject with the lady of the house. She became furious with us and accused us of perverting her husband. The following day, two men came for us to apparently, take us to our new place of employment. It turned out to be a brothel. We were literally kidnapped with the blessing of the rich family to cover up the husband's perversion. We managed to escape through the laundry window and catch the first stagecoach out of town which headed here. So here we are!"

"Wow!" Shane said, appalled. "This is definitely a good article for an investigative journalist like me." Teresa agreed.

"Yes, I knew you'd be interested in hearing this story. However, in the meantime, we need to find these young ladies a place to live and some employment." Teresa said, considering options.

"Well, they can both stay here until something more long term comes up. However, I can't employ them right now as the newspaper is not making money yet." Teresa's eyes lit up as she remembered something.

"I think I know the perfect employers for each of them."

"Oh, really? Who?" Shane asked, enthusiastically. Teresa smiled and winked at her.

"Josh and Matt Jacobs! They are both in desperate need of assistants." Shane caught Teresa's meaning immediately and smiled. Teresa had a bounce in her step and an insatiable lust for life; of course she would try to match those young people... if she could. They wasted no time; the four of them walked to the doctor and apothecary's house. Both businesses ran their offices from home. The boys jumped at the chance to get two beautiful young ladies as assistants; Kaitlin with Josh and Vanessa with Matt. Once the employment contracts were agreed to and signed, Shane took them back to her house where they would board until something better became available.

Shane then officially interviewed the girls and grabbed all the names she needed to open up her own investigation against the prostitution ring running in Denver City. It was abhorrent to her that men were actually abducting young ladies and forcing them into lives of hopelessness and despair. Once she had all the details, she made her plan. She would go to Denver City to get hard evidence against all the people involved, expose them and get the local, state and national authorities involved as needed to handle corruption such as this.

She was very excited about her next move. This would be a breakthrough for her newspaper. She decided to walk over to the post office to share her plans with Oliver. She told him enthusiastically about the two new residents in town and her plans to tackle this challenge.

He listened attentively and did not interrupt. Once she finished, he simply and calmly said, "Miss McInerney, you can't go."

"What do you mean I can't go? That's what I do! This is what journalists live for, a chance to make a difference by exposing corruption."

Oliver nodded, and then added. "Yes, I understand, but what evidence do you have to indicate that you'd be any safer than the Atkinson girls?"

"Well, I'm not vulnerable for starters. I'd come from a position of power, not need."

He tried to hide a smile at how naive she was, but did not succeed.

"Mr. O'Toole, what's so amusing to you?"

"Miss McInerney, as I've mentioned to you before, you're not in DC anymore. Do you really think those men care whether you are a journalist or a peasant? The only thing they will care about is that you are a beautiful, desirable woman and most importantly, alone!" He pinned her so intensely with his eyes she felt her face burn.

Beautiful and desirable? Is that how he sees me?

"So, what do you suggest I do?"

"Drop it." He said flatly.

"No! I won't accept that. There must be another option. This is too big. Can't you see that? I can't know about this and do nothing."

"Miss McInerney, do you think those people are the only ones in the country doing something like that? What are you going to do? Go after every brothel in the country?" She felt her face burn again.

"No! But I will go after the one I can actually hold accountable."

He raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. He knew she wouldn't drop it and he'd have to fight harder to protect her from her own naiveté.

"What are we going to do then?" he asked, exasperated.

"We?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Miss McInerney, you are impulsive, reckless and uncontrollable. Your hair-brained ideas are, without question, the most distressing known to men."

She laughed and said, "And you, Mr. O'Toole never exaggerate!"

"I'll simply have to go with you then."

Her jaw dropped in disbelief. "What? Are you crazy?"

"If you go I go. You might as well accept it. There's no other option."

"Yes, there is. One that doesn't involve you coming with me."

"So, realistically speaking, here are your options: you either drop it OR write the article from here with the information you already have OR I go to Denver City with you." He was starting to get upset as he continued. "So help me God, there's no way you're going to Denver City to investigate a prostitution ring by yourself. Take it or leave it, Miss McInerney. I'm not budging!"

He stood up from his desk, walked around it and stood in front of her with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Oh, you are impossible, Mr. O'Toole." She said, angrily and stormed out of the office.

Shane was fuming.

What right does he think he has over me and what I choose to do? I don't answer to him or anyone. I'm a free and independent woman. If I want to go to Denver City, who does he think he is trying to stop me?

She walked the short distance from his office to her house blinded by angry tears. She arrived home and couldn't settle down. She was restless, angry and disturbed.

Why did she care so much what he thought about her decisions? Why did she hesitate to make a decision that went against his wishes?

Oh my goodness, I'm in love with the man!

It finally hit her like a ton of bricks and there was no escaping the truth now. She threw herself on her bed and sobbed.

Why Shane? How did you allow this to happen? What possible future do you have with him? This is a situation far worse than Steve!

She lay there for hours, feeling utterly defeated. The best thing she could do now was leave town and run away before her heart got shattered into a million pieces.

She had worked so hard to establish her newspaper and an independent life she was proud of. Could she abandon it now? No! She wasn't the quitting type! She was not going to run away, but she had to avoid him at all costs, she concluded.

As her anger cooled, she started to see the merit of writing the article from the safety of her own town. It was definitely a big risk to perform her investigation in a bigger, wilder town where she didn't know anyone, nor did she know whether the city authorities could be trusted.

She tackled the challenge with gusto. She poured all her frustrations into the article and was very pleased with her final result. She finished it in time for her next edition. She named both the rich family and the establishment involved; calling out the establishment also as a possible kidnapping hub. She pulled no punches!

Friday came and the newspaper was out. The die was cast. She prayed for God's protection, as she knew she was poking the bear and challenging the Devil himself.

On Sunday, she completely ignored Oliver at church. She hooked her arm with Rita and never let go. She didn't go to the inn for lunch either. Instead she remained at home and spent the day writing letters to her mother and her best friend Becky.

Another week went by. Another edition of the Gazette was out and another Sunday was spent with no interaction with Oliver. She was determined to forget him and push him out of her heart until such time as it learned to behave and not fall for married men!

On Monday she received the rifle and ammunition she had ordered through the mercantile. On Tuesday, she decided it was time to visit Joe and return his gun. She baked him a loaf of bread, a carrot cake and chocolate cookies. She also packed a jar of honey as well as some jam and an urn of lemonade. She set off for his cabin early in the morning.

###

Oliver was missing Shane most keenly. It had been 2 weeks since they butted heads over her reckless decision to pursue the ruthless people in Denver City. He decided to give her time to process through whatever she needed to. It was obvious she was avoiding him. However, he was immensely pleased he didn't have to chase her to Denver City. He thanked God she had finally acquired some wisdom and wrote the article from her office.

He had made an art out of watching her. He knew her routine... when she walked to the mercantile, or passed by his door to Mrs. Capodiamonte's shop, or went to the inn to visit Eleanor. Today, he saw her hire the wagon from Bobby Richard's stable and load it with what seemed like lunch or a picnic. She then headed out of town. Immediately, he started to worry.

He crossed the street to the mercantile and spoke to Rita. "Good morning Miss Haywith. Sorry to appear inquisitive, but would you know where Miss McInerney is going today?"

"Oh, hi Mr. O'Toole, she went to visit Mr. O'Toole to return his gun, since her rifle arrived yesterday."

Oliver thanked her and returned to the post office. He had a bad feeling niggling at the pit of his stomach, but he figured his dad would return her safely to town.

He kept an eye on her house to see when she arrived back. When 3 o'clock came and she hadn't returned yet, he could wait no longer. He hastily locked up the post office, saddled his horse, Meshach, and set off after her.

Shane enjoyed a very nice day with Joe. They were kindred spirits after all. They had a very nice lunch of roast venison with her loaf of bread, mashed potatoes and gravy and a piece of cake for dessert with lemonade. After lunch, they practiced shooting with her new rifle. Joe declared it to be a very good weapon. She lost track of time talking about Oliver. At one point, Joe asked her directly if she was in love with his son. She started to deny it, but then burst into tears. Joe hugged her and said he couldn't be happier with the prospect of having her as his daughter in law.

"He's married to another, Joe." She said, desperately.

"Details, honey, details! Don't worry about it. Love conquers all. Trust the timing!"

They talked until almost 3 o'clock. She then gave Joe a hug and left, assuring him she had marked the trail with strips of fabric so she wouldn't get lost on the way back. He laughed at her ingenuity and kissed her goodbye.

Shane had just exited the thick forest when she saw a rider in the distance as the landscape changed from forest to pasture land. She grabbed her rifle and made sure it was loaded. She held the reins nervously in her hands. As the rider approached, she was able to identify him: Sheriff Kimsickle!

"Oh hellooo there! Who do we have here, Missy? How good it is to see you."

Shane rolled her eyes and carried on, looking straight ahead.

"Oh don't be rude, Missy. Say hello." The sheriff angled his horse, blocking her way. The horse pulling the wagon immediately lowered his head and started to nibble on the green grass, welcoming the break.

"Get out of my way, Sheriff."

"Or what?" he asked, menacingly.

"I will shoot you."

He feigned surprise. "But why? I haven't done anything apart from saying a friendly hello." He dismounted and walked towards her. He seemed relaxed and unafraid of the rifle sitting on her lap. As she started to shake the reins to get the horse going again, as quick as lightning, he grabbed her rifle and pointed it at her.

"Get down from the wagon or I will shoot you and leave your body right here for the mountain lions to feast on." He said maliciously with all hint of any flirtation completely gone.

Shane stepped down, shaking with fear. All her bravado drained away. She looked around and there wasn't a single rock or tree nearby for her to hide behind. She prayed desperately.

"Mr. Kimsickle, what are you doing? You are the sheriff, not an outlaw. Please stop this madness."

"Well, Missy, I have been more of an outlaw than a sheriff for many years now. It's way more fun, you see. You also get more money and respect, strangely enough."

Shane was speechless. She realised there was no decency in this man to which she could appeal. She was completely at his mercy. Only God could save her now.

"And you, Missy, upset my clients with your article. That was foolish of you. You shouldn't have done that." He grabbed the rope from his saddle. With the rifle still aimed at her, he kicked the back of her legs, bringing her down to her knees. He quickly grabbed her hands and tied them behind her back.

"But everything is all good now! You will make a spectacular addition to the brothel in Denver City. My clients will then forgive me for losing the Atkinson girls." He laughed, and spat the tobacco he was chewing.

"I assume you have no training? Hasn't O'Toole volunteered to school you yet? The fool! Never mind, I'll train you myself. O'Toole is no good anyway; otherwise his wife wouldn't have come to me." He laughed, as if remembering something funny. "If the man thinks that kissing is all we did, he's even a bigger fool than I thought." He was happily chattering away and distracted, so he failed to see another rider approaching.

"SHERIFF, LET HER GO." Oliver yelled at the top of his voice. He had the rifle aimed at Kimsickle's heart, but Shane was too close to take a shot. If he missed his target, he might hit her instead. His hands were shaking. He'd rather not shoot at all.

As the sheriff turned surprised, he looked around frantically for the rifle resting against the wagon. Then Shane seizing her opportunity, stood up as quickly as she could and using all her strength, she rammed him with her shoulder, throwing him against the wagon. She then started a mad dash towards Oliver. "DROP!" Oliver yelled at her and she threw herself on the ground between him and the sheriff. Oliver fired one shot. The sheriff ducked behind the wagon. Oliver took careful aim as he saw him hiding behind the wheel and fired again. They both heard a loud yelp.

"Stay here, don't move." He ordered firmly. He quickly ran by her, got to the wagon and looked around it carefully. Kimsickle was on the ground, grabbing his right shoulder, shattered by Oliver's shot. He was crying.

Oliver, disgusted with the man, hit him in the head with the butt of his rifle. He then went directly to his horse, ignoring Shane as she lay on the ground, grabbed a rope and walked back over to Kimsickle. He was still unconscious from the blow to his head. He grabbed his hands and tied them securely. He then heaved him on his own horse, tying his hands to his feet around the horse's belly.

When he was finished with that, he looked at Shane, who was still in the same position on the ground, laying face down. He gently undid the knots tying her hands around her back and helped her to her feet.

She wouldn't look at him. She went right into his arms and sobbed desperately, holding on to him tightly.

"Shhhh…" He gently stroked her hair, trying to calm her down.

She was holding onto him as if he'd disappear if she let go.

Eventually he stepped back and looked at her intently. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" He asked, wiping her tears away with his thumbs.

She shook her head, as tears continued to run down her face. "No, he didn't, but he was going to." More and more tears gushed out. They hugged again, but this time it was him holding on to her tightly and protectively!

"Let's go home." He said holding her hand; he walked her to the wagon where he helped her to get in. He tied Meshach and the sheriff's horse to the back of the wagon and hopped up, turning the wagon towards Copper Creek.