As the door to the Cafe opened, Charlene's jaw dropped almost to the floor as she watched Jesse Logan enter. "Good Mornin', Charley!" Jesse beamed cheerfully. Then noticing her startled expression he asked, "What's the matter?" Then he gazed down at the front of his jeans, "Well, at least I didn't leave my fly open or something. What's eatin' you?" he asked blushing slightly as Emily walked out of the kitchen, scowling, no doubt overhearing his remark.

"What happened to you last night Jesse, and where did ya go? Why didn't ya help Dan and his men out?" Charlene asked poignantly?

"Just a moment, first things first." he said. Then gazing directly at Emily Cunningham he doffed his new hat, and grinning broadly, drawled, "Good mornin' Emily. You sure are lookin' a durn sight better these days. You feelin' up to cookin' breakfast fer a starvin' man?"

She said, "I know your just being nice, and trying to get rid of me so the two of you can talk, Jesse Logan. But I'll get your breakfast and leave the two of you alone. What will it be, the usual?"

"Yes ma'am, scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, grits, biscuits and a pot of that good coffee you always serve." Logan replied, cheerfully rubbing his belly in anticipation.

After Emily had returned to the kitchen to cook Jesse's breakfast, he explained what had taken place the night before to Charlene. Impulsively, she got up and hugged and kissed him. She said, "I'm really glad that nothing bad happened to ya, and that ya didn't leave just because ya didn't care about Dan or his men."

"Hellfire," Logan exclaimed, "Nothing bad happened? I got a lump on my head the size of Texas, I durn near got killed, and the lady says nothin' bad happened to me!"

She blushed and then punched at him playfully causing him to dodge backwards and grin even harder. She then asked, "What are ya gonna to do now, Jesse?"

"Well, I hope to heck I'm going to eat breakfast." he said.

"You know what I mean." she replied sternly.

"I plan to hang around town for at least another day, and see what is shaping up. Has Joe Bolton arrived yet?" he asked.

"No." she replied.

"Well, I intend to make sure that he doesn't end up getting goaded into a gunfight he can't handle like Dan did, if I can help it. I also intend to talk to that beaver faced fellow, Bucktooth Wilson. I've an idea he knows who shot at me. Maybe if I asked him proper, he might just tell me who it was."

"I doubt it." Charlene said, "He's lookin' ta make a reputation, and he really thinks he's fast with a gun. From what folks are sayin' about last night, he really is fast too. He will probably try ta take you so the others will have to respect him. I've seen 'em, and after last night, I'll bet he thinks he's the fastest man alive."

"Well," Logan said, "if he doesn't tell me who shot at me, he'll get his chance. Hell, he will anyway. I liked Dan, even if he did have more guts than brains. A man like Wilson isn't fit to lick his boots! You said you saw him, does that mean he is still in town?"

"Yeah, he is. But I meant that I've seen him before. He hasn't come in here this mornin'. I know he's in town because the hotel clerk was in here earlier and told Sheriff Orr that Wilson was still sleeping in his room. The sheriff said that he was going ta talk to Wilson and I guess that is where he went after finishin' his breakfast. That was over two hours ago though. Wilson could of left by now."

"Well, I doubt if he has." replied Logan. "Seems to me, that a greenhorn like that, would want to hang around the saloon awhile just to find out how much his reputation has grown, seein's how the law isn't after him for the killing. I'm sure Orr won't do anything other than warn him against starting something with Joe Bolton whenever he gets here. He may have even asked Wilson to leave, but I doubt he will, at least until he has strutted around like a peacock for a while. I expect I'll find him over at the Boar's Head after I've eaten." Logan said as Emily set his breakfast in front of him. Jesse dived into it as though he hadn't eaten in days.

"Be careful, Jesse." she cautioned.

"He laughed and after gulping down a mouthful of food said, "With Wilson? Don't worry," he grinned, "he's just one man, and inexperienced to boot. He'll be no problem."

"No, I know you can beat him, I'm worried about whoever shot at ya last night. You don't even know who it is! That gives him a big advantage."

Logan frowned. "Well, I have a pretty good idea who it was, and I doubt he'll try again this soon, and in broad daylight. He might, but I seriously doubt it."

As she was gazing at him, he noticed a tear running down the corner of her eye. "Hell Charley, what's wrong? I didn't know you loved that bucktoothed runt so much. Maybe I'll just wing him." he said, trying to lighten things a little.

"Quit actin' like a jackass Jesse. You know durn well I have no love fer that pile of horse crap." she said hotly. "No, its just that I got another piece of bad news today."

"Yeah, and what might that be?" he asked.

"Johnny's coming to town soon. He wrote me a letter sayin' so."

Jesse stopped eating abruptly and said nothing for a moment, then replied, "Well, you haven't seen him in about what, five, six years now? I 'spect you'd be anxious to see your brother."

"Don't give me that Jesse. He used to be your friend too, but what about now? What about Tommy and Josh Mason? How do I know he won't sign on with Morgan Tanner? I love 'em for some reason, but sometimes I hate him too. Ever since he left mom, wherever he's gone there's been trouble, and dead men."

Jesse smiled, cocked an eyebrow and said playfully, "Hmm, ya know Charley, some folks might say the same about me, and so far, we're still on pretty good terms."

"I know that, but you've pretty well stayed on the right side of the law, Jesse. Johnny, hasn't."

Jesse took another bite, chewed it, then said, "Well, now that he's pardoned, all of that could change."

"What about the Mason brothers, and if he kills one or both of 'em, what will YOU do Jesse?" she asked pointedly.

Jesse looked down at the floor and replied seriously, "I don't know, Charley, Hell, I just don't know. Let's cross that gully when we get to it. I promise you this, I'd rather be friends with your brother than enemies. Not only because of his ability, but because we once were close. I'll do what I can to avoid trouble, and I'll try to talk the Masons out of starting any. I guess though, I wish he had picked somewhere else to go too. Moose isn't going to like this much at all. Do you know when Johnny is supposed to arrive?"

"It could be any time this week. Maybe, even today. The letter had come to Emily, and she set it down and forgot about it while she was sick, along with a couple of others, that originally would have been sent on out to the ranch. You know, mom always writes Aunt Em and has her forward letters to me on ta the ranch so I don't have to come into town to get them. This one was actually a couple of weeks old when I got it, and it was sent from Nacogdoches. Johnny mentioned that he was going by the old house and would spend a day or two looking around and just rememberin', before starting out for Olsen's Falls."

"Have you told anyone else that Johnny's coming?" Jesse asked.

"Just Aunt Em." she replied.

"Well, why don't you keep it quiet, until I have a chance to talk to a few people, and maybe figure something out. Maybe it don't have to be a disaster."

Just then, Emily brought in a piece of apple pie. Charlene excused herself and went back to the kitchen in order to help Emily with the dishes. While he was eating the pie, Jesse begin going over his memories of Johnny Lancer.

Like Jesse, Johnny was also in his 20th year. He was also an expert with any kind of a gun. In fact, Johnny had taught Jesse a good deal of what he knew about pistol shooting when they were kids, although Jesse had learned much more on his own, and had improved immensely since that time.

Johnny and Charley had first come out to visit when Jesse had been nearly ten. Jesse had already learned how to shoot a rifle, thanks to Murdoch's tutelage. However, he had never shot a pistol before, at that time. Johnny, on the other hand, had already been taught how to use one by his own father by the time he had arrived. He showed Jesse, along with Shane and Brazos Murdoch, how to shoot one accurately. When he returned to the ranch three years later during the war, he had also become expert at the fast draw, which was rapidly becoming popular way of settling disputes in Texas, and elsewhere in the West.

Neither Jesse, Brazos, nor Shane had done a lot of practicing since Johnny had been gone. All three, had spent a year with an old mountain man friend of Mooses' up in the Wind River Mountains of northwestern Wyoming. The mountain man had little use for pistols and trained the boys primarily in the use of rifles such as his own Hawken 50 caliber. Thus at the time, of his second visit, Johnny was far better than any of them with a pistol. In fact, he was better than anyone on the ranch at any age. However, Jesse's skills with a long gun were superior to Johnny's then, as were those of both Brazos and Shane. Even so, neither Jesse nor the Murdoch brothers had yet practiced drawing a pistol and firing one quickly yet.

Just a few days before Johnny and Charlene had to leave for home on his second visit, Johnny had shown Jesse how to quick draw. Jesse had practiced and found that he too, was a natural. But when Johnny had left, he was still Jesse's superior. Jesse had gone on to become much better at it and by the next year, was better than anyone he knew. He had always wondered if he had ever surpassed Johnny's skill. He now hoped, he wouldn't have to find out the hard way.

Jesse had gone on to teach the Murdoch boys who likewise, became experts in their own right, as well as Josh and Tom Mason. Right now, either of the Murdoch boys could easily beat most gunfighters in the West, but Jesse doubted that they were as good as either him or Johnny.

Both of them were giants among men. Shane, stood six foot eight, broad at the shoulder and narrow through the hips. Brazos, though two inches shorter, was considerably heavier and even broader. He was thick around the middle, but there was very little fat. In fact, Brazos Murdoch was the strongest man Jesse had ever seen or heard of (short of Samson in the Bible). He was famous for his ability to bend horseshoes in his bare hands as though they were made of putty.

However, both of them were more renowned for their abilities with a rifle than a pistol. All three had gotten along famously with Johnny Lancer and his sister, Charley. All told though, Jesse had only known Johnny for about six months. They had written a couple of letters since Johnny's last visit, but because of the war, Indians and other natural difficulties, the mail service was dubious at best.

Johnny had also made close friends of the Mason brothers. Tommy, was one year older than he, and Josh, about a year younger. However, both had liked and admired Johnny who was constantly pulling pranks and telling jokes. They had wrestled, swam, and hunted together. It seemed to Jesse that fate had dealt them a cruel hand. Were it not for Johnny's shootout with Will Mason, things could be far different, and no doubt, Johnny could be a big help in the coming feud that seemed to be shaping up between the MT and Murdoch factions.

As it was, Johnny might very well end up on the other side, if the Masons intended to pursue their course of vengeance. Jesse hoped to catch Johnny before either of the Masons knew he was in town, and then, explain the situation and ask him to leave. He had little hope of persuading the Masons to forgive and forget. After all, were he in their shoes, he would probably feel the same way. It was a difficult situation, and he decided to follow his own advice to Charley, cross that gully when he got there.

He finished his meal which had been immensely satisfying. Charley returned to the dinning room and began to collect Jesse's dishes. He then paid for his breakfast, said his goodbyes, and began to head for the door. She halted him and ran from behind the counter kissing him full on the lips. "Be careful, Jesse. Please, be careful!" He assured he that he would and kissed her once again, then stepped out the door.

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