CHAPTER: Eleven

Elenora was happy at this moment. Between her starting work at the school and Tim's work with the Marshal's they had little time together over the last bit. Mainly, they had been staying at their respective residences and meeting up for coffee in the morning together, if time allowed. But now, now Tim was spinning her around the dance floor of some dingy bar outside of Lexington. Some of his friends from the army had invited Tim and Elenora out to listen to an Alabama cover band.

When the current song had ended, Tim had dipped Elenora low to the ground. Letting out a laugh, Tim hoisted her back up and put his lips on hers. It all felt like she was a teenager again. Making out on the dance floor.

"GET A ROOM!" Came a shout from one of Tim's friends and Elenora just laughed as she pulled away from Tim to head back to the table. Tim, however, seemed to have a different idea and instead pulled Elenora back to him and once again claimed her mouth with his own. The kiss was passionate and Elenora felt her knees go weak, but Tim held her to him until finally he pulled his lips off of hers.

The two of them headed back to the table the group was sat at and Tim pulled Elenora into his lap when he sat down. Wrapping his arm around her and setting his hand down on her skirt covered thigh.

"Who would have thought Gutterson would have found someone as crazy as him?" Said one of the guys from across the table.

"You calling me crazy?" Elenora said with a large smile as she reached for her beer.

"Honestly, it is just nice to know you are real. We thought he was making you up. Arresting some naked girl in a fountain and then hooking up with her."

Elenora looked back at Tim with wide eyes. "Is that what you told them?"

"I might have embellished a little." Tim said, a sly smile on his face as he grabbed his own beer. He took a swig, and Elenora felt him settle back in his chair.

"As long as you haven't been showin' 'em that picture."

"Gutterson, you holdin' out on us?" Another one of the men, Steven, asked with a laugh.

"Ain't nobody ever gonna see that one but me," Said Tim. He turned his head and looked at Elenora. The look he was giving her was hard to decipher. She could not quite figure out what he was thinking while he looked at her.

Pulling her eyes away from him, Elenora looked at Tim's friends. "So you said crazy like him? What kind of stories you got for me?"

It was about an hour later when Elenora, who was dancing with Steven and watched as Tim reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. She did not miss the way he looked at the caller ID and then at her with a frown. After he got off the phone, he made his way down to the dance floor just as the song was ending.

"We gotta' go. Art called. Your grandfather is hiding out in the vet's bar and Art and your daddy can't get in to talk to him."

"Gotta go to show that super hero card of yours?" Tim's friend asked.

"Yup." Tim was holding Elenora's purse on his arm and used the other to present to Elenora. "I got the tab, so I'm ready to go when you are."

Elenora took her purse from Tim and smiled at Steven. "Thanks for the dance."

"Any time. You keep Gutterson in check there okay, it's nice having him back at the meetings."

When they hit the interstate, Elenora settled herself against the door so she could look at Tim. "I had fun tonight. Your friends are nice."

"They're assholes, but nice assholes at least," Replied Tim. His left hand gripped the steering wheel. "Sorry, I had to cut it short for work. Was really looking forward to taking you home tonight."

"Well, we will have a three-hour drive back after this. I'm sure we could make a pit stop somewhere." Elenora wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and Tim just let out a chuckle. "So, how do you wanna play this out when we get there? Am I hiding in the back, or are we coming up with some excuse as to why we are arriving together?"

"Honestly, I was just thinking we tell the truth. We went out with some friends for drinks out of town, and I wasn't just gonna leave you there." Tim looked at Elenora. "Honestly, it's kind of fun watching your daddy squirm. He's been asking lately if I've met this guy of yours. He says he is trying to be good and leave you be. Let you tell him when you're ready."

Elenora pulled up a leg and tucked it under herself as she watched Tim. "I'm impressed. He said he would give me some space. Didn't realize you two were becoming so friendly to one another."

The rest of the drive was filled with silence and idle chitchat, mostly to keep the both of them awake and focused, and once they got close, Elenora found her palms beginning to sweat and her heart began to beat fast. "Tim, I don't know if I can do this..."

"If you want to stay in the vehicle, you can. Just climb in the back seat and get some sleep. I saw you driftin' off over there, as much as I appreciate you stayin' awake with me. You can rest Nell."

They were within the town limits now, so Elenora unbuckled her seat belt and slipped through the center and into the back seat. Laying herself down on the fabric, she tucked her arm under her head and sighed. "This is kind of nice, actually."

"We're coming up on it now. I'll try not to be too long."

"Okay." Whispered Elenora as she closed her eyes. It was a minute or so later when she felt the vehicle come to a stop and Tim opened the door, hopping out.

She could hear footsteps outside and then Art's voice. "We interrupt anything?"

"I've been off the clock since five, so..."

"You drunk?" Art asked, his voice now sounding further away.

"I was headed in that direction, till this detour..."

Then it was just quiet. The only noises Elenora could hear were the passing vehicles and so she let herself drift away to sleep.

When Art Mullen had gotten up that morning, he decided that unlike every other morning he was going to try something different, there was a coffee shop on the other side of the Marshal's office that Elenora had told him about. She liked to study there, she said, it had an amazing brown sugar espresso. She thought he would like it, but Art just never seemed to find the time. Today, however, he had decided to find the time. It was early, six am, but Art knew they would be open from his prior conversations with Elenora.

So there he sat in a booth at the back. Coffee cooling on the table and a newspaper fanned out in front of him. He had been focusing on the international news section when he heard Elenora's laugh echo through the quite busy building. So when he had looked up, he had expected her to be laughing at something the young man behind the counter had said, but instead she was wrapped in his youngest deputy's arms.

Art picked up the paper in front of him slowly and held it up slightly as to partially cover his face as he watched the two. He could only see Tim's back, but he knew it was him, by the hair, stature and pistol at the man's hip. Elenora was leaning against his side, her head on his shoulder, and his arm was resting along her back and hip. She had a large briefcase bag on her shoulder, signaling she must be on her way to work. Art watched as they waited in line, talking to each other in what appeared to be easy conversation. When they turned to head to the pickup counter, Art raised the paper and instead watched their reflection in the large windows of the shop. He watched as Elenora stood herself chest to chest with Tim and the two kissed, with Tim's hands moving to the back of her neck.

So this was it, he thought, the great mystery of who Elenora was seeing. He knew he should not be surprised. He had a feeling something was happening ever since the night Elenora was attacked in the parking lot. Leslie had told him when Tim dropped Elenora off, he had stuck around for a bit, sitting on the bed and just watching her sleep. She had said it was the way Tim brushed the hair out of Elenora's face that told her that Tim was in love with her. Art wondered for how long it had been happening, and how they had been able to keep it so hidden, considering they had no qualms about going out in public together.

When Tim had shown up drunk and seemed not too keen on the fact he had been disturbed, Art wondered if that meant he had been spending the evening with Elenora. The young mans plaid shirt open, revealing his undershirt, was an unkempt, relaxed look Art was not used to seeing. That was a thought for later, however, as the three Marshal's sat themselves down at Arlo Givens table.

"How did you get in?" Arlo asked as he eyed Raylan.

"Deputy Gutterson served in Afghanistan." Raylan said simply as he motioned to Tim. Art watched the way Tim's eyes narrowed as he looked at the older man.

"He a mess-hall cook?" Arlo asked with a laugh.

Leaning back in his chair matched Arlo's stare. "Sniper in the Rangers."

Arlo looked Tim over. "So, he's the shit. The Afghan war, huh?"

"Yes, sir," Tim replied.

"Yes, sir. I like that. Yes, sir." Arlo spoke, his voice sounding somewhat amiable but also mocking. "So, what can I do for ya'll?"

"We're interested in Boyd Crowder." Art began.

"Isn't he out in the woods, uh, running a revival or something?" Arlo asked as he sat back in his seat.

Art leaned forward and rested his hands on the table. "Yeah, but we want to know if he's helping Bo Crowder and if Bo's reestablishing his business."

Arlo just scuffed. "Why would I know any of that?"

"Because you ran Bo's protection-and-collection business while he was in prison." Raylan said simply, as if it was well known news.

"I what?" The sarcasm rolled off Arlo in waves, and Art could tell this was not going to go well for them.

"You deny it?" Asked Art as he narrowed his eyes at Arlo.

"Hell, yes, I deny it. That's crazy. Why on earth would Bo do something like that?"

That seemed to be enough for Raylan as the man stood up from his seat. The chair legs scratched across the floor from the force. "Okay. We're done here."

"Mr. Givens, what we need you to consider..." Tim spoke after minutes of silence, but he was interrupted as Raylan grabbed the back of Arlo's chair and his face appeared next to his fathers.

"What I'm supposed to say is, we know you ran Bo's protection racket into the dirt. So it doesn't take a prophet to see the future from here." This caused Arlo to stand from his seat, with Art and Tim following suit. "Okay. You can either sit around, waiting to catch a bullet or..."

"What?" Arlo asked his son, the disdain dripping from his voice.

"Or you can accept protection from the Marshal's Service."

"How about we talk about my granddaughter. That Crowder kept her hidden from you, from me. Wonder if she turned out like you, an arrogant self righteous ass?"

"Don't you talk about my daughter." Raylan spoke as he pointed a finger towards his father. "How about instead we talk about Helen? You gonna forgive yourself if she gets caught in the crossfire, hmm?"

"You are no longer welcome here. Any of you." Arlo spoke, turning around and looking to Art and Tim. "Tell the truth." Arlo began as he looked back at Raylan. "You didn't honestly think you could turn me."

Raylan pushed his hat down a little farther on his head and sighed. "I came here as an officer of the law, because sometimes we have to make deals with lowlifes because we have our sights set on life-forms even somehow lower on the ladder of lowlifes than they. And why would you ever think I would let you anywhere near my daughter?"

The slap that sounded as Arlo's palm connected with Raylan's face was loud in the silence of the bar, and Art had to stick an arm out to hold Tim back as the young man pushed forward to intervene. Unsure if it was the why Arlo was talking about Elenora or the booze he had drank prior. It honestly was probably a little of both. "Mr. Givens, we're taking down the Crowders, and you can either go with them or not." Art said simply as he watched Raylan storm away from the group.

When Art got outside, he was greeted by the sound of his cell phone going off, and the sound of Raylan's. Then, as Tim appeared beside him, the young Marshal's as well. The three looked at each other before Art opened the phone to see a message reading 'double murder, think it was Boyd taking out more cookers.' There was also an address attached.

Art looked at Tim and then at Raylan. "I'm gonna ride with Deputy Gutterson. Raylan lead the way." Raylan headed off to the car, and Art walked to stand next to Tim. "You and I need to have a talk on this ride."

"Sir..." Tim began as he fished his keys out of his pocket and looked from Art to the SUV and back again. "There is something you should know."

"I got a pretty good guess, son."

"Well, then at least, be quiet cause she's sleepin'." Said Tim with a sigh as he and Art moved toward the vehicle and each carefully opened the doors and got in. Without waiting for Art to even do his seat belt up, Tim pulled out of the parking lot and headed out.

Once they were on the move, Art turned to look in the backseat, and there, curled up under Tim's blue Marshal's jacket, was Elenora. Fast asleep, using her hands that were laying palm to palm as a pillow. When he brought his head back to look at Tim, he found the young man staring out the windshield leaned back with one hand on the steering wheel.

"How long?"

"Since the night before she got the apartment." Said Tim simply.

"So that story you guys told, when Wallace had her?"

"Mostly true. Didn't actually catch her in the fountain. Met her at the bar, she asked me for a favor to help with getting the place. We've been going steady since," Tim said casually as he continued to stare at the taillights of Raylan's car.

"Steady?" Art questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Tim let his head lean to the right, and he let out a sigh. "Yeah, steady."

"So, this thing is serious?"

"Yup." Said Tim before glancing back towards Elenora. "Nell, you still sleepin'?" When now reply came, Tim pointed towards the glove box and gave Art a pointed look. "Open it."

Art did as he was told and reached forward to release the latch. Looking inside, he strained against the dim light of the cab, but he could make out a few loose pieces of paper, a notepad, a box of condoms, which he raised an eye at and a small black box. Plucking it from the depths of the dark hole, Art held it in his hands and looked at Tim. "Is this what I think it is?"

"We went to some house party, a graduation thing at one of her friends. I saw her there with her friends, having fun, a smile on her face. I thought it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. We talked a little on the porch. She asked me what I was thinkin' about, and honestly, I was imagining her leavin' me. Cause before that, all night, all I could think about was growin' old next to her. Didn't think about work, not about the war, just her." He rocked his head back and forth for a second. "Next day, I bought that."

Art stared down at a thin gold band, with a large round cut diamond and a scattered halo of about a dozen small diamonds. "Tim..."

"Raylan doesn't know."

Art closed the ring box and put it carefully back in the glove compartment. "I figured seeing as how you don't have a bullet hole in you. So, what are you gonna do?"

"Art, I wanna marry that girl back there. I just don't know how to ask her daddy's permission."