The air inside the shop was filled with oppressive heat and the scent of gunpowder and lead.

I was looking for Marston Jacobs, or Jacob Marston as he now jokingly called himself.

Seeing that he was not in his shop, I stepped back out onto the boardwalk of this sleepy little nowhere town in the Dakotas.

My attention was then drawn down the dusty road to the mercantile when the angry yell of a man reached my ears.

And then there he was. Marston Jacobs. He appeared amused as he stepped out of the mercantile and I wondered who had yelled. My curiosity was satisfied when Jeremiah stepped from the mercantile next with cuffs on his wrists and Pete holding his arm.

“See Marston!” Jeremiah exclaimed, his eyes glaring angrily at his brother, who had his arms crossed over his broad chest… and when I say broad, I mean broad! That man is roughly the size of an oak tree!

“What am I supposed to be seeing, Jeremiah?” Marston asked. I knew the men hadn’t noticed me so I simply stood back and watched them with amusement, though I made sure I stayed near the thick wooden banister just in case bullets began to fly. That tended to happen when Marston and Jeremiah disagreed.

“I told you having a lawman in the family was a bad idea! Dammit, if that girl of yours was mine, I would have said absolutely not when she talked about wanting to marry his ass!”

“Don’t be mad at Pete. You’re the one stealing from the mercantile.”

“I’ll let him go.” Pete said with a sigh and Jeremiah looked smug until Marston shook his head.

“No, he’s gotta learn his lesson about this stealing.”

“I wasn’t stealing!” Jeremiah insisted. “I was gonna pay for it later.”

“So that’s why you stuck that tobacco in your pocket while the clerks back was turned and then headed for the door?” Pete asked skeptically and Jeremiah spit onto the dirt and shrugged.

“I was buyin’ it on credit.”

“Let’s get to the jail.” Pete urged.

Jeremiah snorted. “Fine, I’ll just pick the lock and be home in time for Rose’s ham at supper.”

“Not that lock.” Marston countered. “I made that lock. It’s unpickable.”

“Damnation!” Jeremiah exclaimed as he looked down at the dirt. Then he glanced around them. “Where’s Duke?”

“I believe he went on to the house to let Delilah know you wouldn’t be home for supper.” Marston replied with a chuckle and Jeremiah began fighting against Pete.

“Let me go, lawdog! Please! I ain’t been hit in the head with that bible for a good solid week and I really don’t wanna get hit with it today!”

I decided it was time to let my presence be known. I had questions for Duke, Marston and Jeremiah and I did not want to be speaking through bars.

“Excuse me…” I spoke up as I stepped down onto the street. All three men instantly turned to look at me. “My name is….”

“Conleyswifey.” Marston spoke up before I could finish. “We’ve been wondering when you’d show up.”

“I’m here now. Do you men have a little while to sit down with me?”

“Of course we do.” A voice said behind me and I jumped and let out a squeak before turning and seeing Duke standing behind me. Tall, rangy and lean. A true vision of the old west.

“That’s great. Let’s go find a place to sit down and get this done.” I stated with a smile.

A short time later found the four of us, Marston, Duke, Jeremiah and myself sitting together on the boardwalk outside of the gun shop.

They allowed me to have the bench, Marston leaned against the banister and Duke and Jeremiah sat down on the steps leading to the street, though they turned sideways so they could look at me.

Once the pleasantries were out of the way, I knew it was time to get started.

Conleyswifey:

“Okay, boys, you all know how this works I’m sure. I have quite a few questions from folks that have read the stories of your lives and have things they want to know. I’ll ask you these questions and you HAVE to answer them.”

Jeremiah:

“Are we supposed to be scared?”

Conleyswifey:

*laughing lightly* “I am a little. Some of these questions make me a bit nervous.”

Marston:

“Don’t worry, we won’t hurt you. We’re not nearly as mean as we look.”

Conleyswifey:

*unconvinced* “Right. Well let’s get started. Remember some of the questions are a bit personal but you all agreed to answer them here with each other instead of separately.”

Marston:

“Let’s just get this thing going. Rose has a ham cooking and I want to get home to it soon.”

Conleyswifey:

“Yes, sir. I’ll start off with questions that are directed at only Jeremiah.

Jeremiah:

*chuckling* “See I’m more important.”

Conleyswifey:

“Riiight. Okay, first question comes from @dreamweaver18. Jeremiah when was the first time that you were shot by your brother and why did he shoot you?”

Jeremiah:

*shifts uncomfortably on the step*

Marston:

“Go ahead, Jeremiah. Tell the woman what she wants to know.”

Jeremiah

: “I’d rather not.”

Marston:

“Allow me then! My brother dearest decided that after we robbed a stagecoach and then went our separate ways, it would be a good idea to go to a lawman and turn me in, telling them where I’d gone. Of course he made sure to not tell them about his role in the robbery. Once I finally shook that posse off, which took a week fhard riding and trying to hide, I found his ass and put a bullet in it.”

Duke:

“But they’ve always fought. Fists mostly and the occasional knife.”

Conleyswifey

: *nodding with disbelief* “We’ll talk some more about that later.”

Jeremiah

: *grumbling* “Can’t wait.”

Conleyswifey:

“Alright, next question for you, Jeremiah and you had better answer this one. This question comes from @beautifulpinkroses, Jeremiah, why were you so selfish and jealous of the fact that Marston settled down when you are the one who would always settle down somewhere, considering it home?”

Jeremiah

: “Popping up a lean-to for a week is a hell of a lot different than shacking up with some woman and her kid.”

Marston:

*growls and stands up straighter* “Some woman and her kid?”

Jeremiah:

“Dammit, you know what I mean. I felt like I lost my damn brother when he caught the crazy and I was a damn fool because of it. Let’s move on to the next question now.”

Conleyswifey:

“Hey now, I’m the narrator of this interview. I’ll say when we’re moving on.”

Jeremiah:

*raises both brows and glances over at Duke* “Is this woman really speaking that way to us?”

Duke:

*seeming amused* “Sounds that way to me.”

Jeremiah:

“Well then, boss, lead the interview.

Conleyswifey:

“Next question.”

Jeremiah:

“But that’s what I said…..”

Conleyswifey:

*chuckles* @Aiwatts want to know, Jeremiah, did you learn a good lesson in life to not hurt or let down those who care for you?

Jeremiah:

*stands* “Where’s Pete? I’m ready to go to jail now.”

Marston:

“Answer the damn question, Jeremiah.”

Jeremiah:

“Fine. Yes. I learned my lesson, mama, and I’ll be a damned good boy from now on. Next question, please.”

Conleyswifey:

*rolls eyes* “The final question directed just for you comes from @LadyofDarkness. She wants to know: Jeremiah, did you ever realize, until you lost them, how much you needed or cared about Marston and Duke?

Jeremiah:

“I don’t need or care about them bastards!”

Marston:

*shaking his head roughly* “Hell no we don’t need and care about one another.”

Duke:

“Not at all.”

Conleyswifey:

“Okay, now you’re all lying and I’m losing my patience.”

Jeremiah

: “Are we bad interviewees?”

Conleyswifey:

*Sighs* “Yes.”

Marston:

“We’ll do better.”

Conleyswifey:

“Okay. These next questions are for Duke.”

Duke

: *Sits up a little straighter* “I’m ready.”

Conleyswifey:

“@PenvsSword wants to know how it was visiting Marston once the children were running around?”

Duke:

“I kept coming back didn’t I? I liked it. Marston settling down helped all of us, even though Jeremiah won’t admit it.”

Jeremiah:

*grumbles* “You’re just trying to get on her good side.”

Conleyswifey

: *shakes head* “Okay, Duke, these next two questions are a bit on the more sensitive side and I just ask you not to kill the messenger.”

Duke:

*Raises a brow* “It’s actually been a while since I’ve killed anyone. You should be alright.”

Conleyswifey:

“Somehow that doesn’t make me feel any better. Okay, @Marikaobscura wants to know, Duke, why did you leave Carol in the first place? Are men always so stupid? She also asks that you please don’t hunt her down.”

Duke:

*pain flashes in his eyes and he pulls out a cigar and lights it* “No, we’re not always that stupid, but I was. Didn’t appreciate what I had when I had it and ran scared. I don’t have any other excuse than that.”

Conleyswifey:

“@LadyofDarkness asked the same basic question yet she also wanted to know how you felt about that decision now.”

Duke:

“I’m too old to pretend I’m tough and unfeeling the way Jeremiah does. I feel like a fool for all the years I wasted. Luckily I got me a woman that’s tough enough to forgive me and I don’t plan on wasting another day I’ve got to be with her.”

Conleyswifey

: *misty eyed* “Duke, that’s beautiful. So it’s safe to say you’ve learned your lesson?

Duke:

“Yes, ma’am.”

Conleyswifey

: @tanichcaf want to know if you and Carol would ever adopt or do you just serve as grandparents to all the children running around?”

Marston:

“They don’t serve as grandparents. They are grandparents. Family is family, blood or not.”

Conleyswifey

: *smiles* “Did you hear that @tanichcaf? You just got me put in my place.”

Duke:

“We’re too old for adopting babies. We got plenty of children running around to keep us busy.”

Jeremiah

: “Y’all are making me look bad.”

Marston

: “You oughtta be used to that by now.”

Conleyswifey:

“Okay let’s try to stay on track! We’ve still got a lot of questions to go! Duke, @Aiwatts wants to know if you consider yourself as an older sexy all-man cowboy? Or if you think the ladies see you as an older, wiser sex pot. Because she does.”

Jeremiah:

*snorting angrily* “I’m not a bad catch myself! Why the hell didn’t anybody ask me something like that?

Marston:

“Because they got common sense.”

Jeremiah:

“Don’t think I won’t shoot you just because we’re in the middle of an interview.”

Marston:

“Don’t think I won’t shoot you back.”

Conleyswifey:

*lets out a long breath* “Duke?”

Duke

: *sits up a little straighter and blows out smoke slowly* “I’d never really thought of that but tell her I said thanks. I’m sure my wife would agree that I’m a good catch.”

Conleyswifey

: “I don’t even have a response for that and I’m already blushing at the thought of your final question but I suppose it’s time to ask it… Duke, @isadora wants to know that if you and Carol don’t work out do you think you could hit it up with her grandma? She’s sixty and still keeps it going.”

Marston and Jeremiah

*laughing*

Duke:

*flushing red and shaking his head* “I’m not sure what all those words meant but I understood enough… Uh, sure, if me and Carol don’t work out I’d be glad to show your grandma a good time.”

Jeremiah:

“I cant’ wait to get home and tell Carol! You’re gonna be up shit creek, Duke!

Duke:

“And you’ll be hit with a bible.”

Conleyswifey: “

Okay these next questions are for Marston. Marston, @speakandbeHeard wants to know how it felt to go from dangerous outlaw to family man?”

Marston:

“I’m still very much a dangerous outlaw. I’m just a dangerous outlaw that happens to have a family.”

Conleyswifey:

“Good answer. Hopefully the rest of the questions will go as easily.

Marston:

*nodding* “Yeah, me too.”

Conleyswifey:

“@booknerd8D wants you to describe your first meeting with Rose. Did you know instantly that she was ‘the one’?”

Jeremiah

: “Answer carefully, little brother. I’ll be sure to share your answers with your beautiful wife.”

Marston:

*glares at Jeremiah* “And I’ll be sure to share my bullets with your face.”

Conleyswifey

: “Am I doing an interview or wrangling ten year olds?”

Duke:

“Now you know how I’ve felt all these years.”

Conleyswifey:

“Marston, can you answer now?”

Marston:

“No, I didn’t know she was ‘the one’. I thought she was some man eating woman that prayed on rich old men and I didn’t like her. Wanted to bed her but didn’t like her.”

Conleyswifey

: “At least you’re honest.”

Marston:

*shrugs* “I’ll try to be as honest as I can.”

Conleyswifey:

@miebakaDima-Dede wants to know when you knew you were in love with Rose.

Marston:

“When I walked into that bedroom after being gone and saw her lying there so near to death. It hit me like a ton of bricks in that second.”

Jeremiah

: *bats lashes* “Aww, you’re so sweet.”

Conleyswifey

: “Be good. Now the next question comes from @LadyofDarkness and she wants to know if, the first time you left Rose and Langly, you were absolutely certain you would never see them again or if you felt like you would return at some point?

Marston:

“No, I was sure I’d left for good. I don’t think I need to go into what happened to change my mind since that’s the past and we’ve moved passed it but you all know what it was. I knew then that I’d never leave them for good again.”

Conleyswifey:

@WhiteYue wants to know if you felt guilty taking a dying mans money when he specifically told you to give ALL of it to his beautiful, young, vibrant wife? They also say that you are a cold hearted son of a gun.”

Marston:

“I’ve been called worse. And, no, I didn’t feel guilty. I never wasted time feeling guilty back then and I don’t waste much time on it now. Plus, I figure I’ve more than made up for that after all this time.”

Conleyswifey:

“Fair enough. Your next question comes from @MyBrutalRomance and they asked what you would do if Lucy was older and you found out she was dating… or courting, I suppose you would say.”

Jeremiah:

*laughs* “Did you see that vein just about burst from his head?”

Duke:

“ I saw it.”

Marston:

*clenches fists* “Do these people want to kill me with a question like that? Damn…. Alright, truth is I’ve already been through one daughter getting married but I don’t think it’ll be any easier the second time around.”

Conleyswifey:

“That leads us in to our next question which comes from @KeelyMasseyBarger. She asks, Marston, if you could pick a husband for Lucy would you pick an outlaw like yourself or a farmer?”

Duke

: “A farmer could never handle our Lucy.”

Marston:

“How about I pick out an outlaw that’s like the man I am now. Not the man I was ten years ago.”

Jeremiah:

“Ten years ago, you were more fun.”

Conleyswifey:

“Jeremiah…..”

Jeremiah:

*holds up his hands in surrender*

Conleyswifey:

Okay, Marston, @PenvsSword wants to know if you’ve ever gone sledding with the kids?

Marston:

“Of course I have.”

Conleyswifey: “

Okay and @EnchantedDawn wants to know if there are any good parenting tips that you have to share or that you’ve observed from the way Rose interacts with your children?”

Marston:

“Rose is a perfect mother. If all people had mothers like Rose than there would be a lot less bad men like me, Jeremiah and Duke in the world. She’s stern without being strict and she is more than just a mother to the kids. She’s their friend and they come to her when they have problems. Our kids are lucky to have her.”

Jeremiah:

“For once I agree with my brother.

Conleyswifey:

*smiling at Marston* “Well I happen to think that they’re lucky to have you too.”

Marston:

*Shifts his feet and simply tips his head.*

Conleyswifey:

“Okay, next question, and the final question for only you comes from @Aiwatts and she wants to know how, after all those years of being a father to Langly, did it effect you when he went out to sow his wild oats? How do you let them go?

Marston:

“I won’t lie, it hurt. It hurt bad. I probably wouldn’t have handled it as well as I had if it hadn’t been for Rose. She was strong with it all and knew that you don’t have a choice but to let them go and it’s best to let them go without a fight that way they feel more open to coming back.”

Conleyswifey:

“Okay, I know you all have a ham to be getting home to so I won’t keep you much longer. We’re nearly done, we just have a few questions that are directed at the group of you. Are you ready?

Jeremiah:

“Hell yeah. And this time I’m not gonna let them make me look bad.”

Marston:

“You don’t have to let us, Jeremiah, it just tends to happen.”

Conleyswifey:

“Next question! I feel like this one is appropriate given the way you’re behaving. @BlueRose96 wants to know from Marston and Jeremiah why you fight so much and why do you like to shoot each other?”

Marston:

“Because he’s a dumbass.”

Jeremiah:

“Because he’s an uptight bastard.”

Duke:

“They’ve always been like that. I’ve learned to just stay out of the way and enjoy the show because more often than not it’s quite entertaining.”

Conleyswify:

“Sibling rivalry at its finest. Okay our next question comes from @kaitiebugz and she wants to know who the boss is in all of your marriages. You or your wives.”

Marston: “

Rose.”

Duke: “

Carol.”

Jeremiah: “

Delilah.”

Conleyswifey:

*laughs* “Really? I thought you would offer more of an argument than that.

Marston: “

The men we are, the things we’ve done, the people we’ve hurt… We’re lucky to have women that love us anyway. We’d be fools to even pretend as if they’re not the bosses. Doesn’t mean I’d tell Rose she’s the boss, she might take advantage if she knew.”

Duke:

“She already knows.”

Jeremiah:

“Delilah’s the boss because she’s a violent little woman with a terrible temper and a heavy bible that she likes to use to hit me in the head.”

Conleyswifey:

“Seems like a good reason to me! Okay, @tanichcaf has several questions. The first was do you still fight and shoot each other or have your wives calmed you down and I think we already know the answer to that.

Marston, Duke and Jeremiah

: *chuckling*

Conleyswifey: “

And her next question is since you all live together in the house do you split the chores?”

Marston:

“You couldn’t get Jeremiah to do a chore if you put a gun to his head and told him he had to! The only person that can is Delilah so every now and then he’ll muck out a stall just to keep her happy.

Jeremiah

: “If I’m so damn bad why don’t you kick my ass out?”

Marston:

“Because you’re good to have around for target practice.”

Duke:

“Next question?”

Conleyswifey:

*sighs with exasperation* “Yeah I suppose. The next question is also from @tanichcaf. She wants to know what your favorite pies are.”

Marston:

*shakes his head* “I don’t like pie.”

Duke:

“Carols pecan pie. It’s the only thing that woman can cook and she cooks it well.”

Jeremiah

: “I like all pie. I don’t have a favorite.”

Conleyswifey:

Next question is for @Tyga_Goo1314 and she wants to know if you could all change one thing about yourselves or how your life turned out, what would it be?”

Duke:

“I would have stayed with Carol.”

Conleyswifey:

So that would be your do over?”

Duke:

“Yes. I’ve done so many bad things in my life that changing just one of them wouldn’t really make a difference so my only do over would be to fix the biggest mistake I ever made in my life. I would have stayed with Carol.”

Jeremiah:

“I don’t have just one thing I’d change. I would have drank less. I would have been a better brother, a better uncle, a better man. I wouldn’t have forced women against their will and I wouldn’t have murdered men in cold blood.”

Marston:

“I would have killed Vincent Sharp better the first time and saved my family a whole load of trouble.”

Jeremiah:

*laughs loudly* “Haha! My answer was finally better than yours!”

Marston:

*grinning* “I know. I gave that one to you. I felt bad.”

Conleyswifey

: “I think all of the answers were good. Now our next question is from @beauitifulpinkroses and she wants to know why do all three of you help each other out even though you said you never would?”

Duke:

“I’ll answer this one. I was raised to never care but I think its in our nature, as people, to care about one another. Or at least to care about those we love and deep down I’ve always loved these two boys. I found Jeremiah and then we went and picked up Marston and they became the sons I never had. Was I a good influence? No. But we made it and we’re still here together and that’s why we’ve always had each others backs. We put on a tough exterior for the rest of the world, that’s a must for self preservation in the life we lived, but we know we’re there for each other.”

Jeremiah:

“Aww Duke, you sound just like one of them sensitive men.”

Marston:

“You never did let us know we meant so much to you. Hell back when I found Rose I was worried you would hurt she and Langly just because you could. I didn’t know you saw me as a son.”

Duke:

*shrugs* “It wasn’t’ something I talked about.”

Conleyswifey:

“See you’re learning all kinds of things about one another. Now our final question comes from @EnchantedDawn and this one is for Duke and Jeremiah. EnchantedDawn wants to know if the two of you ever miss your old lives after living with your wives?

Duke:

*shakes his head* “No. I was getting too old for that life. Being settled down with Carol is where I’m supposed to be right now.”

Conleyswifey:

“What about you, Jeremiah?”

Jeremiah:

*looks threateningly at his brother and Duke* “Y’all better keep this to your damn selves.”

Marston:

“I’ll think about it.”

Duke:

“We won’t tell just so long as you don’t let anybody know I actually care about your ass.”

Jeremiah:

“That’ll have to do I guess.” *looks back at me* “I miss it sometimes. Not the women or the doing wrong! No I love my wife and I can actually look in the mirror now and not hate who I am but I miss the freedom of living on horseback from time to time.”

Marston:

“You’re more than welcome to leave Roses’ and my soup kitchen anytime you want. I’m sure she could find some other needy soul to use a bedroom.”

Jeremiah:

*grins* “But then Duke would miss me. I couldn’t leave him after hearing how much he loves me.”

Conleyswifey:

“Well I must say that this has been interesting! I thank each of you for taking time out of your day to talk to me and I can honestly say that you are not bad men. You might have done bad in your lives but I would trust each of you with my life if push came to shove.”

Jeremiah:

“You’re a brave woman.”

Conleyswifey:

*laughs* “Yeah probably.”

Marston, Duke and Jeremiah take turns shaking my hand and then make their way to their hitched horses. I watch them mount up and ride off out of town with the sunset shining on their faces.

They paint an impressive scene. Rugged gunfighters, dangerous outlaws, who know how to handle themselves. Men who have done unspeakable evil in their lives and yet somehow overcame that, overcame all their demons and the scars of their upbringings and have turned into a family with their wives and children.

I know I’m looking at three men that truly represent outlaw spirit and I find myself smiling at Marston’s retreating back as he rushes home to his Rose and her ham.