I don't know if this will show today or in a few days or what, but I'm finally finished. I just hope the site "fixes" the issues with posting stories and reviews for everyone's sake.

Coda

Alan attempted to help Adam place Thorne in the back of the buckboard but upon seeing Thorne's bloodied face, almost fainted again. He sat on the ground, his head lowered and Moss put off hitching the horses to help Adam. Sibella had put a pillow in the back and thrown a blanket over the side to cover a groaning Thorne. Then she helped Alan into the house while he bemoaned the fact that he never could bear the sight of blood.

"Maybe you should just shoot 'im, put 'im out of his misery," Moss said, referring to Thorne. "We could toss 'im in the sty and he'd be gone by morning 'cept maybe his teeth. That big boar might even eat them. And you best take care of that hand." Adam nodded, flexing his hand, and went to the pump and holding his hand under the gush of icy water, gritted his teeth at the stinging. Then he pulled out his bandana and wrapped it about his hand, awkwardly tucking in the ends.

"I'll just pour some whiskey on it later and drink some to help from the inside." Stiffness was setting in causing pain when he used the hand, but he was pressed for time. His plan was to take Thorne to Doc Martin and then see Coffee and report the theft of the jewels; he had found the small sack holding them inside Thorne's suit jacket and it gave Adam some satisfaction knowing Sibella's jewelry could be restored.

"Want I should ride along with you? If there's any trouble, well, with that hand the way it is, hard to pull the trigger—hell, hard to pull a gun. I got a shotgun loaded and waitin'."

"Maybe that's a good idea. Thanks." Adam said, resting against the buckboard. Now that the worst was over, now that Sibella was safe, weariness overcame him. Gathering himself, Adam pulled himself up to the seat,

Having left Alan recovering on the guest bed, Sibella, looked out her bedroom window. She went weak with relief seeing Moss climb in beside Adam and place the shotgun across his knees. She had been tempted to insist Alan ride with Adam, but he would have been more a burden than a help. Sibella had decided she would go with Adam, not that there was much she could do but at least she would be with him and besides, she was dressed for it; the waiting and worry was always worse than anything they could face together. But now Adam had help should trouble arise and she could wait with less anxiety than usual for her husband to return home.

~ 0 ~

At the Graham's door, Adam raised his hand to knock but seeing the bandana, quickly switched to his left. He knocked a few more times before he heard Esther's voice asking who it was. "It's me, Esther. Wake up Morgan and give him his crutch. I'm keeping my promise."

Morgan hobbled out to the buckboard. Moss sat and watched while the one-legged man, flanked by Adam and a woman in a robe, leaned over and stared at the man in the back. Then he spat on the man and thanked Adam for keeping his word. "Let me know when I can swear to what he did and who he is." And he put out his hand to shake Adam's who held out his left; they awkwardly clasped each other's hands.

Adam and Moss left an injured Culhane in Dr. Martin's infirmary. It was at the back of his house that also served as his office. His wife worked to clean Culhane's wounds after the doctor gave him a shot of morphine. Dr Martin told Adam to come to where a basin sat and poured astringent over Adam's knuckle and bandaged it, telling him to take it easy and not break another person's face for at least a month. Adam stepped out to the porch and the cold air revitalized him. Moss was sitting on the steps smoking.

Looking up, Moss said, "Rolled you one." He held it up.

Adam took the cigarette. "Thanks. I can use it before I wake up Sheriff Coffee." He sat on the step and Moss struck a match and held it while Adam leaned over until the cigarette caught. They smoked in silence, each with their own thoughts.

It was close to 3:00 am when Moss and Adam finally drove into the yard and although Adam tried to help Moss with the horses, Moss told him to leave it, and reluctantly, Adam did and headed to the house. He felt around in his pocket for the key but doing so with his left hand was awkward and he couldn't quite grip it. He was about to bang the door knocker when Sibella pulled the door open. Seeing Adam, she wanted to throw herself in his arms but he looked so weary, she refrained.

"I'm glad you're home." Sibella touched his chest and stepped back; once Adam was inside, she bolted the door. He took off his hat and Sibella helped him with his jacket, noticing he was favoring his right hand but it was now properly bandaged. Adam tried to work the holster buckle and Sibella softly said, "Let me do it," and awkwardly removed it. She reached up and brushed that stubborn lock of hair off his face. "Just like a little boy." Adam looked at her oddly. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're something else, you know that?" His face had a softness she never really saw except after lovemaking.

"What do you mean?" Sibella watched as Adam went into the drawing room and dropped into a chair. "Can I get you anything? Coffee, a glass of milk…whiskey?"

"I'd like a whiskey. I'd like one very much—two fingers." He rested his head and closed his eyes.

"Two fingers?' She was puzzled.

Without opening his eyes, Adam held up the first two fingers, one stacked over the other. "That much whiskey. Two Fingers deep." Sibella poured the glass, guessed what two of Adam's fingers were compared to hers, and took it to him.

She sat down on the low table to face him. Adam drank half the whiskey and then looked at her. "Sibella, I'm ashamed over what I did. With my own two hands, I almost beat a man to death and you seem to accept it; I can't, but you do. I wanted to kill Thorne, take his life and I know better, I know how valuable life is and yet, I was going to take his."

Sibella reached out and placed a hand on Adam's knee. "Thorne was going to shoot me, shoot Alan. You saved our lives."

"That I did, but he dropped his gun and I could have taken him in still sound of mind and body. But I didn't." Adam finished his whiskey but still gripped the empty glass. You know, when I was in college, I learned about the Age of Reason," Adam chuckled, "for all the good it did me. The basic philosophy is what separates man from animals is his ability to rise above instinct and apply reason, to think logically. Logic is king. Then a few years ago, before the war, something happened to me and…well, I found it wasn't that easy to rely on logic. Pushed far enough, a man reverts to his primal instincts to survive and becomes the animal he swore he never would and all the trappings of civilization fall away. I made myself a promise never to let hate take over again because when it does, a man can't think, can't reason and then he's lost. Tonight, I became that animal, I released it and I…."

Sibella dropped to her knees in front of Adam and took the glass from his hand. She sat back on her heels. "Adam, you're the man I love. I didn't even know what it was to truly love someone until I married you and you're greater than any girlish fantasy about men I ever had."

Adam looked at her, his brow furrowed. "But you know what I became. How can you…"

Sibella, a small smile about her lips, replied, "My darling husband, you became my hero and as for Thorne, well, I suppose he just fucked with the wrong man."

Adam went speechless and then he grinned. "Put a pair of trousers on you and you start cursing like a man. What's next? You demanding to be on top? You wanting to give me a smack on the ass with that hairbrush of yours?"

"We'll see." She coquettishly dropped her eyes.

"C'mere, wench," Adam said, reaching out for Sibella as she made herself comfortable on his lap, resting her head against his chest and hearing the steady beat of his heart. He enveloped her in his arms. "What am I going to do with you?"

Sibella toyed with his top shirt button. "I tell you what, husband. After you've had a good night's sleep, I'll be glad to show you what you can do with me…and maybe I'll even talk dirty." Adam chuckled and kissed her hair and felt that the beast inside him had been put to rest. But he knew it still lurked beneath the surface of Adam Stoddard Cartwright, the educated, logical, civilized man, just waiting for a reason to emerge.

~ Finis ~