Author's Note - Details from my previous GBU story, "Vengeance" will appear in this story from now on, though some elements will clash because I have not altered any parts of "Vengeance" to make it perfectly fit with this story.
Two weeks later, Angel Eyes was back on the trail, starting a new job. He was glad to go, as things had been tense between him and Emma ever since Lee had hurt himself. Lee was fine now and back to his old self, so the hired gun did not feel guilty for taking a new assignment.
If it had not been for their son, he'd have moved on long ago, as he'd not meant to get into a close relationship with Emma. He'd been satisfied with his solitary life. He could not say that he completely regretted how things had turned out, however. He loved the little person he'd helped to create and would never regret that. Still, there was something missing and he'd never been in love with Emma.
As he got closer to where his target was supposed to be, he put all that out of his mind. Allowing himself to become distracted would get increase the danger of being killed, so he mentally reviewed the details he'd been given for this job. He would think of other things once the job was done.
Fortunately, this assignment had been simple and straightforward, along with being well-paying. After he completed it, now flush with money, he realized he wasn't ready to return to Cactus Flats. It was time to reclaim his own life without Emma, though he still planned to visit his son periodically, and try to be as good of a father as he was capable of. Angel Eyes did trust Emma enough to properly care for their son while he was away.
About ten miles from where he'd made the kill, it began to rain. It wasn't raining hard, but he still wanted to find some shelter until the storm passed. A short time later, a saloon came into view on his right, with a livery stable to his left.
After leaving his horse at the livery, he went into the saloon, hoping they sold food as well as drinks. Striding inside, his eyes swept over every corner of the room until they rested on his friend, Jesse Bannister. Jesse was sitting at a table in a corner, playing poker with a few rubes.
"Bannister!" he called out, as he walked to where his friend sat. "Didn't expect to see you here."
"Have a seat, Sentenza," Jesse responded. "Always room for another player." Pausing to light a cigar, he added. "What brings you to this neck of the woods? You working?"
"I was," he responded briefly. "Done now. I'm ready for some relaxation. Poker sounds perfect."
Jesse wordlessly dealt him in and the next round began. The two exchanged glances, so Angel Eyes knew he would play his usual role helping his friend to fleece the other players.
The game proceeded uneventfully for the next hour or two as Angel Eyes wound down and relaxed. A saloon girl brought him some whiskey and a plate of sandwiches as he played, after which he smoked his pipe as they continued to play.
Just after he'd ordered another drink, there was a clattering commotion at the door. The gamblers looked up expectantly and didn't have long to wait.
An angry sodbuster soon stumbled in, his gun drawn.
Spotting Angel Eyes, he hurried over. "This is for my brother!" he exclaimed, then shot him in the left shoulder.
Responding immediately, Angel Eyes returned fire, killing his assailant with one shot. Glancing down at the sodbuster, he sneered, "Dumbass."
"Come on, let's get you out of here," Jesse told him. Turning to one man who'd been playing poker with them, he ordered, "Sanders, go get a buckboard from the livery and bring it out front here. In addition to the horses hitched to the wagon, get my horse and his and attach them to the back." He then described the two horses.
He told the bartender, "Get that stiff out of here and if you know what's good for you, you won't know what happened if anyone asks. You were in the back room when it happened, right?" Jesse then flipped him a twenty dollar gold piece.
"Whatever you say," the man responded. It was clearly self defense to him, but whatever Bannister wanted was fine with him.
Turning to the rest of them, Jesse said, "We'll continue this game some other time."
A short time later, the wagon pulled up out front. The man driving it came in to let them know it was ready to go, and said that it had stopped raining.
"Sanders, help me get him into the wagon," Jesse said.
"I can walk," Angel Eyes insisted.
"I know you can, but it's best if you don't strain yourself," Jesse explained.
As Sanders moved to comply, Jesse said, "You drive and I'll ride with him in the back."
"Where to?" Sanders asked.
"My place," Jesse said. "It's the closest safe place."
As the two men helped Angel Eyes into the wagon, Sanders told him, "The livery man lent us a few horse blankets to help keep him comfortable for the ride.
After the wagon had lurched into motion and begun proceeding slowly toward Jesse's home, about another ten miles down the road, Jesse asked Angel Eyes, "What was that all about at the saloon? Something to do with your most recent job?"
"Not sure," he said. "I did the job tonight, but there wasn't anyone there that I know of, other than the wife, and I made sure she'd gone upstairs and did not witness the kill. I'd waited in their barn to make sure there weren't any visitors when I did it." After taking a swig of the whiskey Jesse had brought along, he continued, "The only thing I can figure is that the wife saw me leaving and which way I went, then gave a description of me to him. The target's brother must have lived nearby and she no doubt went to him for help. There must have been some sort of delay, because the house was only about ten miles from the saloon and he should have caught up to me much sooner than he did."
"Sounds reasonable," Jesse conceded. "Maybe you should have killed the wife, too, and left no witnesses."
"I try not to kill the wives if I can help it," Angel Eyes told him. "Besides, I wasn't being paid to kill her."
"We'll be at my place pretty soon," he told him. "Rest a bit and save your strength."
Two weeks later, Emma became concerned when Angel Eyes still hadn't returned from his job. Because of the nature of his work, she never knew when a late arrival might mean that he'd made a mistake and gotten himself killed.
Lee had also begun to worry about his father's continued absence, periodically asking his mother where he was. Emma could handle his absences, but she hated to see how it affected their young son.
Tom had been staying with her since Angel Eyes had left, and he often spent time playing with his little nephew. It made Emma glad to see them together, as it gave her a bit of a break, and it gave Lee a positive male influence.
One evening, she went to the front room to ask Tom what he wanted for supper. As she came around the corner, she slipped on one of Lee's toys and came down hard on her bottom
"Are you all right?" Tom had jumped up to come help her.
Wincing as she unsuccessfully tried to stand, she said, "I think I've sprained my ankle. I need you to go get the doctor."
"Let me help get you on the couch before I leave," he told her."
Emma didn't have to wait long for the doctor's arrival after Tom had left to fetch him.
Dr Garrett came through the door with Tom about forty-five minutes later.
"I got here as quickly as I could, Mrs Sentenza," he said, setting his doctor bag on a table near the couch.
"Call me, Emma, please," she told him, smiling.
"Then you must call me Jeremiah," he replied, returning the smile. "Let's take a look at that ankle."
Tom wondered what kind of game his sister was playing, as he got the distinct impression that she was attracted to this man. He imagined that Angel Eyes wouldn't be pleased by such a development and knew that he was a man that one crossed at one's own peril. But he decided to mind his own business and keep it to himself. It wouldn't be Tom Baker broaching the topic to him.
After a thorough examination, the doctor told Emma, "The sprain isn't too bad, but you should stay off your feet for a few days." He wrapped her ankle snugly, then said, "Don't remove it until I can check it again in a few days. Let your husband fend for himself in the kitchen at least until the swelling and pain has subsided."
"Oh, he's away on…business," she reported. "He probably won't return until the leg heals."
"I see," Garrett replied awkwardly. He'd heard some of the gossip in town about the man who'd introduced himself as Sentenza, which made him curious about what that "business" was, but he knew better than to ask. Best to simply concentrate on his patient.
"I can stop at the mercantile when I go back to town and let your mother know what happened, if you like," he finally offered.
"Thank you, I'd appreciate that," she replied. "She'll come out and help me."
Over the next two weeks, Emma healed by staying off her feet as much as possible. Her mother came and stayed for about a week, mostly helping her take care of Lee.
Angel Eyes hadn't returned by the time Emma was completely healed. The weeks turned into months and there was still no word from him. He'd never been away this long before and her concern grew. But there was nothing she could do but wait, as he'd told her to never involve the sheriff or any other kind of lawmen in his business