Angel Eyes was nonplussed. Of all the responses Emma could have given to seeing him again after so long, this was one he hadn't anticipated. He kept his face impassive, not wanting her to know she'd caught him off guard.

They both looked at one another awkwardly for moment, then Lee rushed into the room, excited to see his father after so long.

"Daddy! Daddy! You're home! I missed you so much!"

Angel Eyes let his saddlebags down with a thud, then swept his little boy up into his arms. "I missed you, too, little man!" he said, hugging Lee tightly. "Were you good for your Mama while I was gone?"

"I was good," Lee assured his father.

After a long moment, he set Lee back down, then said, "I brought you something." Opening one of his saddlebags, he pulled out the hat and the the top. Placing the hat on Lee's head, he said, "Now you have a hat just like Daddy's."

Lee took the hat off to inspect it more closely, then looked at his father's hat. Recognizing the similarities, he grinned widely, then put the hat back on.

"I see you like it," his father observed, smiling. Picking up the top, he crouched down and said, "Here, let me show you how to use this."

He then placed the top on the floor and caused it to spin. Lee gathered close, fascinated. After watching his father demonstrate several more times, he wanted to try it himself. After several failed attempts, he finally got it to spin with his father's assistance.

After a few minutes, Angel Eyes stood up, leaving Lee to play on his own.

Having gone into the bedroom to get a change of clothes for him, Emma said, "Supper is almost ready. Why don't you clean the trail dust off you and get changed. By that time, supper will be ready."

"All right," he said, taking the fresh clothes from her, still mystified by her cool reception. A half hour later, he returned to the kitchen, now clean and freshly shaved.

Emma was just putting the food on the table when he returned. After dropping his dirty clothes on a chair just outside the kitchen, he sat down next to Lee. She sat down last, turning to assist their son with his meal.

The small family ate mostly in silence, though she sensed Angel Eyes had something on his mind he wanted to discuss. No matter, she was happy to eat a quiet meal with her own thoughts, with the only chatter coming from Lee.

After supper, he lit his pipe and relaxed as Emma cleared the table. Lee climbed onto his lap, leaning his head against his father's chest. The small boy soon became drowsy and fell asleep snuggling close to Angel Eyes.

"I should put Lee to bed," she said after she'd finished cleaning up.

As she reached for the boy, Angel Eyes stood up with Lee still in his arms. "I'll carry him," he growled.

Emma did not argue, but simply trailed behind him. He gently put his son down on his bed, as she changed the small boy into his night clothes.

As she pulled the covers over the drowsy child, Lee woke up to see his father looking down at him.

"You be here when I get up in the morning, Daddy, won't you?" he asked.

"I will, I promise, little man," he said, ruffling his hair. "You go to sleep now, and I'll see you at breakfast."

A few minutes later, the adults had returned to the kitchen. Emma automatically went to make more coffee, as Angel Eyes lit his pipe again.

After a short period of silence, he said, "We need to talk."

She set both coffee mugs down, then sat across from him. "I could tell you had something on your mind."

"There's no easy way to say this, so I'll get straight to the point," he began, heaving a sigh. "I've met another woman and we've fallen in love. I intend to marry her.'

"Were you really shot, or did you lie to me in that letter you sent with your friend?" she asked. "It seems to me that if you were recovering from a gunshot wound, you wouldn't have had the opportunity to meet a woman and develop a relationship."

"I didn't lie to you," he told her tiredly. "Anna is Jesse's sister and she took care of me when I was recovering. It isn't something I planned, but just happened naturally over the weeks."

"I'd always had the impression that you never wanted to marry anyone," she said slowly. "And I remember you once telling me that you might not recognize love for what it was if you ever experienced it."

"Things change," he said. After a long pause, he continued, "I don't mean to hurt you, but let's face it. Our relationship was never meant to be anything more than fun and games and neither of us was in it for love."

"You're right," she admitted. "But what about Lee? He deserves to have a father.'

"I know Lee coming along complicated things, but I love him as much as you do and I intend to do right by him," he assured her. "I'll continue to visit him and you both can keep living here as long as you need to. I'll support you both financially as usual. I want us to continue to get along for Lee's sake."

"I appreciate that," she said. "Lee is my biggest concern. As long as you continue to be a father to him, I have no complaints."

"I have only a few requirements,' he said. "I don't have any problem with you finding another man and getting married, but Lee will always be a Sentenza. I'm his father, not anyone else." After a moment of thought, he went on, "And for your own protection and Lee's, if anyone asks what I do for a living, you'll tell them I'm a bounty hunter."

"All right," she agreed.

Pleased with how the conversation turned out, he stood up and went to take his saddlebags to the bedroom.

With a gentle hand on his arm, she stopped him. "I think you'd best sleep on the couch from now on."

Raising an eyebrow, he pointed out, "We're still attracted to one another, so I figured why not continue with this when I visit."

"We are, but I don't want to get in the family way again," she explained. "I don't think your new woman would be very happy with you if that happened."

After taking his things to the front room, he abruptly told her, "I think I'll go into town to the saloon for awhile. I'll be back tonight and I'll spend a few days with Lee." He'd get his itch scratched there, which would help make those few days more tolerable.

"All right," she replied. "I'll fix a plate for you to heat up when you come back "

"Sounds good," he said before heading out the door.