Chapter 7

Shadow Valley, Texas 1870

The sheriff's office smelled of leather, gun oil, and stale coffee. Jimmy sat behind his worn desk, boots propped up on its scarred surface, when Megan and Isaac burst through the door. The floorboards creaked beneath their eager feet, their eyes wide with excitement.

"What kind of trouble are you two little varmints into now?" Jimmy growled, his gruff tone belied by the playful twinkle in his eye.

"Nothin'," Isaac answered, though his mischievous grin suggested otherwise.

Jimmy raised an eyebrow, when the door creaked open again. Buck's broad frame filled the doorway, and beside him stood a young woman Jimmy had never laid eyes on before.

He would have remembered her face, that was for certain. Warm bronze skin seemed to glow in the afternoon light, high cheekbones accentuating large, full lips, but it was her dark brown eyes almost black, that were laced with a mixture of nervousness and confusion.

"Halona, this here's Jimmy Hickok," Buck said.

Halona smiled hesitantly, her eyes drawn to Jimmy's worn gun belt. The polished handle of his revolver glinted in the sunlight.

"She was found near the border about a month ago," Buck explained gently, his hand resting protectively on Isaac's shoulder. "Thought you might've had someone asking after her."

Jimmy shook his head, studying Halona with keen interest. His chair groaned as he leaned forward. "Nope," he said softly. Then, turning towards the stranger, he asked, "Where's your husband?"

"I'm not married," Halona answered quickly. "I had just parked my car and—"

"Car?" Jimmy echoed, his brow furrowing as he glanced at Buck. The word hung in the air, alien and out of place. "Were you drinking?"

The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by the distant call of a mourning dove and the soft scuffing of Isaac's boots on the wooden floor. Halona stood there, caught between two worlds, the reality of her situation settling over her.

"Yes, but..." Halona rolled her eyes, frustrated. "Look, I'm not crazy."

"I ain't sayin' that," Jimmy soothed. "Just trying to understand. Maybe you wandered after a few drinks, took a tumble. Explains the confusion."

Halona wavered. "Maybe," she sighed and turned to Buck. "Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it."

"You gonna be alright?" Buck asked.

Halona's hand rested on the doorframe, cool wood beneath her fingers. "I'll be fine," she turned, looking over her shoulder, "Thanks again, for everything."

"If you're ever in San Francisco," Halona added, a smile lighting up her face, "make sure you look me up. I'd be happy to show you and the kids around the city."

Her eyes then fell on Jimmy. "Nice to meet you," she said, nodding in his direction.

With a final smile, Halona stepped out onto the wooden porch and made her way across the dusty street. She passed by a hitching post where a few horses stood lazily swishing their tails, eyeing her curiously. The general store's weathered sign swung gently in the breeze, and the faint tinkling of a bell announced a customer's exit from the saloon down the way.

Back at the office, Jimmy moved to the window, watching the out-of-place woman make her way through town. "Border's a few days ride," he mused aloud, more to himself than anyone else. Turning back to Buck, he asked, "What were you doing out there?"

"My brother found her," Buck explained.

"Whatever she's running from," he mused, "must be one heck of a story."

"She's a little…" Buck chuckled, "odd."

"Doesn't matter if she's got a few screws loose," Jimmy grinned. "When a woman looks like that, a little crazy can be endearing."

"Keep an eye on her, would you?" Buck said seriously.

"I'll keep both of them on her," Jimmy smiled with a devious wink.