Callie slid into a clean tan work skirt and a dark blue blouse. She left most of her hair down but pulled some up into her braid to keep it out of her face. She pulled on her black ankle boots and then walked out of the boarding house and into the morning sunlight. She wanted to find Peter before she went to work and apologize for the way she had acted the day before. She knew that he just worried about her and wanted her to be happy.

She knew he did not think that Grayson was good for her but Callie had loved Grayson for her whole life and while she knew he did not love her back she wanted to see him and talk to him. She wanted to assure him that she did not believe the lies about him. She just hoped that James would be able to find him and bring him back to her.

She walked down the wooden boardwalk and then around the back of the town stable where the blacksmith shop was located. She saw Peter there just getting his coals heated up to begin his work for the day.

"Peter." she said and he turned to face her and smiled.

"Well hello there beautiful!" Peter said walking over to her and wiping his coal dust covered hands on his pants.

"So did you talk to Peggy Sue yesterday?" Callie asked. Peter nodded.

"Yes I did. I used my powers of charm and persuasion and now she's agreed to have dinner with me tonight." he replied. Callie smiled happily.

"That's great!" she said. Peter grinned his lopsided goofy grin and nodded.

"So what brings you out here this morning?" he asked. "Don't you have some windows you need to be crawling out of?" Callie stuck her tongue out at him and shook her head.

"I am not even going to encourage you by answering that question." she said. "I am here because I wanted to apologize for getting so upset at you yesterday." Peter shrugged.

"It's okay, I'm used to your temper." he said with a smile. "Besides, after you left I ate your soup." Callie laughed lightly.

"You eat like a horse. You better slow it down or you're going to be as big around as Toby Harlin in no time." she teased. Peter just laughed and patted his belly (which was just a bit pudgier than most).

"Naw.. Peggy Sue likes it." he said and Callie just laughed and shook her head. Then his eyes became more serious.

"I'm sorry about yesterday too, Callie." he said. "You know I love you and I just want you to be happy." He wondered if now would be a good time to tell her that Grayson was back around but decided against it. If Grayson wanted Callie to know he was around then he would tell her himself. Callie nodded.

"I know." she said. "And who knows, maybe one day a man will come along and sweep me off my feet and I'll forget all about Gray." Peter nodded but he didn't really believe that. Callie was the most loyal person he knew and she would be loyal to Grayson even though she had admitted to Peter that the idiot had said that he did not love her before he'd left.

"Well get to work then." Peter said wrapping her in a tight brotherly hug. "And no more jumping out of windows cuz I'd hate to have to beat somebody up for looking at my best friends bloomers." Callie blushed and slapped his arm and then left the blacksmith shop. She made her way back to the main road and was walking toward Annie's when her stepfathers voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Good morning, Callie." His voice was cold and made her skin crawl. She turned to look at him and saw that he was smiling at her. The smile didn't reach his icy blue eyes and it didn't take the harshness from his sharp features.

"Good morning." she replied. He walked close to her. Too close as far as she was concerned. Less than a foot separated their bodies. He reached his hand out and ran it down her arm. She shivered and pulled away.

"Is there something I can do for you?" she asked.

"I was hoping that I could take you out to breakfast." he said. She shook her head.

"I ate at the boarding house." she replied. "I was actually on my way to work." He frowned.

"You should come back home to me." he said. "I would take care of you and you would never have to work." Callie crossed her arms over her chest but quickly removed them when she saw how it caused his eyes to drop down to her large chest.

She cursed the German blood she had inherited from her grandmother. She was not built small and dainty like most other women in town. She was tall for a woman at nearly five feet and nine inches. She had big hips, a plump waist, a large chest and broad shoulders. Most men were turned off by the way she was built but for some reason her stepfather's eyes were always roaming over her in a way that made her stomach turn.

"How would you take care of me? The same way you took care of my mother?" she demanded. She saw the anger in his eyes but he hid it quickly and smiled as he ran a finger down her cheek.

"I would take good care of you, my little Callie." he promised. "You should marry me and find out what a good man I could be to you."

"I would kill myself before I would marry you. You are disgusting." she spat. This time he could not hide the rage that covered his face like a mask. He raised his hand and she knew he was going to slap her but suddenly his eyes were drawn to something behind her. She saw him look up and the anger on his face was replaced with fear. Callie was wondering what in the world was wrong with the man when the shadow fell over her. Someone very tall was behind her, blocking the sun. Thomas took several steps back while Callie turned around. She looked up and even though the sun was making it impossible for her to see his face clearly she knew who he was.

"Gray?" she gasped her voice barely more than a whisper. She felt her knees buckle but his strong hands closed around her arms and held her up. He gently moved her aside and took a step toward Thomas who appeared to be, quite literally, shaking in his shoes.

"Is there a problem here, Mr. Whitaker?" Grayson asked and though Callie could hear the anger in his tone, his voice was still the sweetest sound she had heard in five long years.

"N…N…No of course not." Thomas said. What the hell is this man doing here! He thought to himself. He had worked hard to convince this whole town that Grayson was a cold blooded murderer who had killed his own brother just for the hell of it so that Grayson would be forced to leave and would not marry Callie…. He wasn't supposed to have ever come back!

"That's good." Grayson replied. "Cuz for a minute there it looked like you and I might have a bit of a problem."

"Callie and I were just having a conversation about something we still are not quite able to agree upon." Thomas replied while smoothing out his black suit and curling his nose at Grayson's dirty flannel shirt and black trousers.

"A conversation huh?" Grayson asked looking down at the sniveling little bastard he hated more than anyone else on the earth. As far as he knew Thomas had never done anything to him personally but he had made Callie's life a living hell and for that alone Grayson would hate him forever.

"What was this conversation about?" Grayson said. Callie stepped between them then, finally recovering somewhat from her shock of seeing Grayson.

"It's not important." she said quickly. Grayson saw Thomas smile as if he thought he'd won some kind of battle and Grayson growled under his breath.

"When I see a man raising his hand to strike you because of a conversation the two of you were having then I happen to think that that conversation is very important." he said moving her aside again and turning his attention back to Thomas.

"So what was the conversation about?" he asked. Thomas squared his shoulders. If this humongous man wanted to know then he would tell him. Perhaps he could paint Callie in such a light that Grayson would no longer feel so protective of her. Thomas didn't particularly care for Callie but if he was ever going to get his hands on Frank Logan's money then he had to marry his daughter.

"Well you see Callie has been trying to get my attentions for the last few years. I fought off her advances at first of course since I was married to her mother but since my dear wife has been gone a year now I decided to make an honest woman out of Callie and marry her. The only problem is that now she is claiming to have no interest in me and will not even come out to the house."

"Why you lying sack of….." Grayson cut off Callie's angry shout by pressing his large calloused hand to her lips. Her eyes widened at the contact and she saw Grayson's green eyes widen as well before he turned back to Thomas and his eyes once again hardened and narrowed.

"You shouldn't spread lies around town about a lady." he said matter of factly as he began to fold up the sleeves of his flannel shirt. Thomas swallowed nervously. If this big man wanted to fight with him then he knew he wouldn't stand a chance. Thomas was not a fighter and Grayson easily had him outweighed by at least one hundred pounds of muscle.

"They are not lies. Of course she would say that they are because no woman wants people to know about her less than lady like behavior." Grayson cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulders. Nothing had ever made him fighting mad quite as quickly as hearing someone say bad things about Callie. He didn't believe for a second that Callie was after her stepfather. He knew more than anyone how much she hated the man.

"Well if you and Callie are done with your conversation, I am going to take her to breakfast." Grayson said working hard to keep from punching the man right in his crooked teeth. He had made a vow to learn how to control his temper a little better. Of course this was pushing his newly set limits.

"Of course." Thomas said. He was hoping that he had at least put a seed of doubt into Grayson's mind but judging by the look on his face all he had succeeded in doing was making the man want to beat him to a pulp.

Thomas looked over at Callie who was still staring at Grayson with what could only be described as stars in her eyes.

"My little Callie, we will finish our conversation at a later time." he said. Callie forced her eyes away from Grayson and glared at Thomas.

"I do not think we have anything else to discuss." she said matter of factly. Thomas acted as if he wanted to say something but Grayson cleared his throat and it changed his mind. He tuned quickly and walked away.

Callie looked back at Grayson and saw that he looked like a six foot, eight inch nervous wreck as he stood in front of her. She could see fear in his green eyes and she realized his face had not changed much in the last five years but yet he didn't look the same either. There was so much sadness and pain etched into his face that it literally made her heart ache for him.

"Gray, I missed you." Callie said coming out of the shocked daze that his sudden presence had her in and throwing her arms around his neck.

Grayson wrapped his arms tight around her waist and lowered his head so he could smell her hair. He smiled when he realized it still smelled of lavenders. It had always smelled of lavenders. Callie pulled away and looked up at him just in time to see the smile disappear from his face. She frowned.

"Did James find you?" she asked. Grayson nodded. His voice seemed to have taken a vacation and all intelligent thought processes had shut down at the feel of her arms around him and her body pressed against his.

"How have you been?" Callie asked. She wished that he would talk to her. It had been five long years since she'd seen him but she was pretty sure she could still read his face and right now he looked nervous and afraid. She wondered why he would be afraid of her.

"I'm alive." Grayson replied. "You?" Callie shrugged.

"I'm alive." she said. Grayson wasn't wearing a hat and he shoved his hand roughly through his dark blond hair and Callie recognized the aggravated/nervous gesture.

"I want to talk to you, Callie." Grayson said. Callie nodded.

"I want to talk to you." she replied. Before either of them could say something else Callie heard the whispers begin. She looked over at the mercantile and saw several men and women on the boardwalk. She heard the words 'brother killer' and 'murderer.' Finally one of the men got brave and stepped off the boardwalk and onto the street.

"You aren't welcome around here, Grayson Fields." he said. Grayson recognized him as Garth Corbin. Phillip's best friend.

"I don't want trouble, Garth. I just came into town to talk to Callie." Grayson replied.

"That's too damn bad!" Garth yelled stepping closer. Garth was tall himself at six feet, but still the top of his head barely reached Grayson's chin. "You can't just march back into town after all these years and not expect trouble."

"This is my home." Grayson replied. Garths face flashed red. Callie couldn't see Grayson's face from where she was standing in front of him with her back pressed against his chest but she could hear his anger in his voice.

"Leave Gray alone, Garth! He has every right to be here!" Callie exclaimed coming to Grayson's defense. Grayson felt a smile tug at his lips. Callie's temper was clearly still as bad as it had always been.

"Shut-up, Callie. You should have more sense than to…." Garth started but Grayson interrupted him.

"Don't you speak that way to her. If you have a problem with me then you take it up with me but you leave Callie out of it." he said. The tone of his voice left no room for argument.

"I should have known you'd stick up for Callie." Garth said looking back up at Grayson. "That's something your brother always talked about. He was proud of you, you know. He used to say, 'my little brother loves that Callie Logan and he's just waiting until she's old enough and he's going to marry that girl.' He was proud of you, Grayson. He bragged about how good a man you were all of the time.  I wonder if he even had time to realize he'd been wrong about what a good man you were before you pulled the trigger and splattered his blood all over that room?" Callie's mouth dropped at Garth's words. She could feel Grayson's entire posture change behind her as his body tensed and became as still as the oak trees he was always compared to.

She was about to give Garth a piece of her mind but Grayson spoke first.

"Why don't you go straight to hell, Garth?" he demanded and Callie could tell he was close to his breaking point. It wouldn't be much longer before Grayson attacked Garth. Garth however was not about to let Grayson attack him first. Garth didn't carry a gun and he was happy to see that today Grayson didn't have his either.

"After I send you there first!" Garth yelled and he pulled a long hunting knife from his belt and lunged, not caring that Callie was in the way. If she got hurt because she was defending this murderer then it was no less then what she deserved.

Callie let out a scream as Garth lunged. She was barely aware of Grayson's hands on her shoulders until he shoved her sideways and she landed on her stomach on the dusty street. She turned in time to see Grayson sidestep out of Garths way.

Most people assumed that because of his size, Grayson would move slowly and clumsily but instead he had the stealth and grace of a cat. Before Garth could turn to face him again, Grayson's fist came down hard on his back. Garth went down on his knees in the dirt. He turned, swinging the knife in an attempt to slice Grayson's legs but Grayson jumped straight into the air, dodging the knife and he kicked his foot out on the way back down, catching Garth's wrist and causing his knife to go flying through the air and land several feet away with a harmless thud.

Grayson grabbed Garth by the collar of his shirt and held him in place while he slammed his fist into his face. Blood began to pour from Garth's nose, soaking the front of his shirt and Grayson threw him back down and took a step away as the sheriff Potter came running over.

"Grayson Fields?" he said in shock. Grayson gave a small nod.

"Hello sheriff." he said. He looked over at Callie, prepared to help her up but realized that Peter Hanes had already pulled her to her feet and had an arm wrapped tight around her shoulders. Grayson felt a moment of jealousy but tried to push it aside. If Callie and Peter were a couple then that was just something Grayson would have to accept. After all, he was the one that had ridden away from her five years before. He turned his attention back to sheriff Potter who was helping Garth to his feet.

"What the hell happened here, Grayson?" sheriff Potter demanded. Before Grayson could reply Callie spoke up.

"Garth attacked us sheriff.  He probably would have stabbed me with that knife if Gray hadn't shoved me out of the way and then he just kept going at Gray." she said.

"Why you little…." Garth started toward Callie and he was a frightening sight with his blood covered face but Grayson stepped between the two of them.

"I think you're forgetting, Garth, that I've killed before and I won't hesitate to do it again if you make another move toward Callie." he said his voice so low and threatening that it made Callie shiver.

"Jesus, Grayson, I wouldn't have hurt her." Garth said taking a step back. "I was just going to tell her off."

"You aren't gonna be telling anybody off, Garth, because you're coming down to the jail." sheriff Potter cut in.

"Sheriff…." Garth started to argue. Sheriff Potter grabbed him roughly by the arm.

"You can come the easy way or the hard way, Garth, but either way you're coming. Grayson has just as much right to be in this town as you do and you know I don't put up with fighting in my town." he said. Callie kept her eyes on Garth and the sheriff until they disappeared into the jail and she was about go to Grayson when Peter grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him.

"Callie, this is what I was worried about. Grayson is bad news. He's only been in town since yesterday and already he's getting in trouble." he said. Callie's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean he came to town yesterday? You knew he was here and you didn't tell me?" she demanded. Peter shifted his feet and shook his head.

"I figured if he wanted to talk to you he'd find you himself. I didn't want you to know he was here and get your hopes up and then have him leave again without talking to you." Callie took a deep breath.

"The only reason I am not going to punch you in the nose is because you are my friend and I know you are just trying to protect me." she said. Peter grinned.

"Thanks, because quite honestly, you scare me a little bit." Callie slapped his arm but couldn't help the smile that came to her lips. The smile left when she saw the seriousness come back to Peter's face.

"Callie, I love you. You are my best friend. Grayson is bad news. He abandoned you and broke your heart once, don't let him do it again. Whether cold blooded or in self defense he did murder his brother, and he probably would have killed Garth today if sheriff Potter hadn't shown up. His temper is dangerous. What if he hurts you?" he said. Callie didn't know whether to slap him again or laugh. The thought of Grayson losing his temper and harming her was the funniest thing she had ever heard. She was not afraid of Grayson. But the reminder of his abandonment caused her heart to ache. What if he didn't love her? What if he wasn't here for her because he wanted to be with her but instead because he had just wanted to check up on a friend?

"Gray won't hurt me again." she said with much more certainty then what she was feeling. Peter looked over her shoulder.

"Really?" he asked gently. Callie turned and saw that the two of them were alone. The crowd had cleared and Grayson was gone.

"Where did he go?" Callie demanded. Peter shrugged.

"I don't know, I was talking to you." he replied. Callie felt her heart breaking. She brought her hand up to her chest, covering her heart in an attempt to ease the pain she felt there.

"But he said he wanted to talk to me…" she said quietly. Peter laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You know better than anyone just how good Grayson is at walking away." Callie turned and Peter figured he was about to get a very loud talking to but instead he was shocked when he realized that she was near tears.

"He probably heard you talking out of your backside and took off." she accused, barely keeping her tears from falling. Peter sighed and wrapped his arms tight around her in a hug.

"I'm sorry, Callie." he said. Callie bit her lip to keep her tears from falling as she pulled away from him.

"I have to get to work." she said. He nodded and was going to offer to walk her there when hoof beats came to a stop behind them. Callie turned to see Grayson seated on the biggest buckskin she'd ever seen. She craned her neck so she could look up at Grayson's face.

"Did you still want to talk to me?" he asked. Callie could not read his face. She could tell he was very carefully masking his emotions and keeping it blank.

"Of course I do, Gray." she replied. He nodded and held out his hand.

"I think we'd be better off talking outside of town somewhere." he said. "That is if you trust me." Callie looked at his hand. Somehow she knew that if she took his hand and got on that horse, her life would change forever.

She reached out without hesitation and took his hand in hers. She saw his eyes widen with surprise and then his whole face seemed to soften as he lifted her up and sat her sideways in his lap and wrapping his free arm tight around her.

"Grayson, if you hurt her I'll kill you." Peter warned. Grayson wondered what kind of relationship Peter and Callie had but decided it didn't matter. Callie had chosen him. He nodded at Peter and then he and Callie rode out of town.

888

Raymond Collier jumped to his feet when Thomas Whitaker stormed into his office, slamming the door behind him. Raymond sighed as he sat back down in his chair and removed his glasses.

"What can I do for you, Thomas?" he asked.

"Grayson Fields is back." Thomas replied as he paced the room. Raymond's eyes widened in surprise.

"Really? I never thought he'd be back."

"Neither did I but he is and of course he wasted no time in going after Callie." Thomas said as he threw himself down in the chair on the other side of Raymond's desk.

"Come on, Thomas, you knew she was never going to marry you." Raymond said matter of factly. Thomas sneered.

"Well if you would just change that will around I wouldn't have to marry that big bitch in order to get my hands on Frank's money." he said. Raymond shook his head.

"No. I have helped you out as much as I can by keeping the will a secret from Callie but that is as far as I'm taking it. That money and the home are hers on her wedding day. No matter who she marries." he added. Thomas snorted and slammed his fist down on the desk.

"I did not kill Frank Logan and marry that pathetic Susannah to wind up empty handed!" he said angrily. Raymond sighed and shook his head.

"Frank knew you were sleeping around with Susannah, that's why he changed the will. He wasn't about to leave anything to his unfaithful wife." Thomas snorted.

"I never would have married that useless woman if I had known that Frank left his money to Callie as a wedding present. Six long years I had to put up with that damn whore until I finally gave her enough laudanum to finish her off." Raymond shook his head. He knew Thomas was a dangerous man and it made him fear for Callie's safety. Of course Raymond knew that Thomas wouldn't kill Callie because he wanted her money and he would never get his hands on it if she were dead.

"Thomas, Callie is never going to marry you." Anger flashed across Thomas's face and he slammed his fist on the desk again.

"Oh yes she will!" he spat. "Is your cousin still a justice of the peace?" Raymond was caught of guard at the question but nodded.

"Yes." he replied. Thomas smiled.

"Good. Get in touch with him and get him to town."

"He's out in Virginia so it will take time." Raymond replied. "I still don't see how that is going to help you. Callie won't marry you."

"She won't have a choice. You're going to convince your cousin to marry us whether Callie is willing or not or else I am going to pay a little visit to Raymond Junior and his beautiful mother." Thomas said. Raymond felt both anger and fear fill him.

"You won't lay a finger on my wife and son!" he shouted. Thomas chuckled and stood up, smoothing out his suit jacket.

"Of course not, Raymond. Just as long as you and your cousin do what I want. I will marry Callie and I will have that money."

"Grayson will make her a widow just as soon as he finds out what you've done." Raymond argued. Thomas thought for a moment. Raymond was right of course. This plan would not work as long as Grayson Fields was breathing.

"I'll take care of Grayson." Thomas assured him. "Let me know when your cousin gets to town."