“Barbadine!?” Clayton exclaimed. “Y’all are taking me all the way to Barbadine?”

                Jonah nodded. “Yeah. They got more to offer than that tiny town a bit closer and your mama can get more for those furs there.”

                “I can’t hardly wait! I ain’t never been to a town as big as Barbadine before!”

                “I hate Barbadine.” Joe grumbled as she drove the cart. Jonah shook his head and smiled.

                “You hate any town that has more than thirty people and a bank.” He reminded her and Joe simply nodded because it was the truth.

                Jonah had other reasons for going to Barbadine. He was hoping the law there would know something about Scarlett and why she was free but more importantly where Jonah could find her. Jonah had a family to protect now and he wasn’t going to let that bitch take it away from him.

                “It’ll take us a good three or four days to reach Barbadine.” Reb complained. “My backside is gettin’ too damned old.”

                Joe laughed and threw him a sideways glance. “Ya could always ride on out to California and settle on down with yer wife. I’m sure she’s missin’ yer ass somethin’ awful.”   

                Reb grumbled as he adjusted himself in his saddle. “Ya were never ‘spose to mention that again, Jonah. I still can’t believe ya told her ass.”

                “I just can’t believe he didn’t tell me sooner.” Joe countered. Clayton rode up close to Reb and looked over at the man with a frown.

                Reb raised his brow. “What’s on yer mind, boy?”

                “You have a wife? What kinda woman married you?”

                “Clayton!” Joe exclaimed, though Jonah caught the laugh that was in her voice. Jonah rode up beside Clayton and smiled at Reb’s shocked expression.

                “It was a desperate one, Clayton. Lonely, homely and very very tall.”  He informed his son and Reb’s entire body convulsed in an involuntary shudder.

                “Dammit! Can’t we just agree to never speak of her again?!” Reb demanded, causing Clayton to giggle.

                “I don’t think Uncle Reb likes his wife. “

                “Oh I like her alright. Far away and completely out of my sight. Why by now I’d say she done married somebody else and never even thinks of me.”

                “Really?” Clayton asked and Reb grinned.

                “’Course not. There ain’t no gettin’ over a man like me.”

                Jonah was about to respond to that but Joe beat him to it. “Yer right about that, Reb. They ain’t made an ointment fer that yet.”

                “Ha. Ha. Ha. I see now why ya love the woman, Jonah. She’s a regular goddamned comedian.”

                “Among other things.” Jonah replied with a wink, then he turned his attention to his son. “Clayton, you stay alongside your mama, Reb and I are gonna ride on ahead for a while.”

                Clayton let out an irritated sigh.

                “I wanna ride with the men.” He argued. “I don’t wanna stay with the womanfolk like a baby.”

                Jonah chuckled at the disbelieving look on Joe’s face. “Clayton, your mama is tougher than any man I know. You should have a bit more respect for her than that.”

                Clayton sighed. “Yes sir. I’ll stay behind.” Jonah fought back a smile when he saw just how unhappy Clayton seemed to be about that.

                “I’ll try not to be too soft or bore ya too much, Cowpoke.”

                “Thanks mama.”

                Jonah was laughing as he rode on ahead and Reb followed after him. It wasn’t until they were far enough ahead to be sure that Joe and Clayton were out of sight and hearing distance that Jonah spoke.  

                “Reb, I wanna thank you.”

                “Fer what?” Reb asked with a frown as he stuffed a bit of tobacco in his jaw.

                “For riding with us. I know you’ve gotta be tired of hanging around with us but I appreciate the extra gun and set of… well the extra eye… to keep my family safe.”

                Reb grinned. “Y’all are constant entertainment.” He countered. “Hell I think I’m growin’ kinda fond of feelin’ like I have a family.”

                “You do have a family, Reb. Clayton loves his one-eyed bastard of an uncle that taught him all about the house where all the whores live.”

                The men shared a laugh and a companionable silence for a few moments and then Jonah shook his head.

                “I’m hoping to find out where she is and when I do, I’m going after her. I won’t be looking over my shoulder and worrying about people hunting down my wife and child for the rest of our lives.”

                “I know that, Jonah. And if’n ya hadn’t planned on goin’ after her, I was gonna do it fer ya.”   

                “And about Bart… “

                “Bart and I hadn’t much spoke in the last few years and after what he done to you, Joe and that boy, I feel like I never even knew the man. Hell back in the day we took care of each other, you, me and Bart. We had each other’s backs and took bullets to keep each other safe.  I don’t rightly understand what was goin’ on in the man’s mind to make him think it were alright to lie to Joe and keep the truth from ya like that. Maybe someday he’ll get the chance to earn back my respect but fer now he’s done lost it. I don’t ride with men I don’t respect and can’t trust.”

                Jonah nodded and tipped his hat to Reb in thanks. “Appreciate the support, Reb.”

                “Don’t mention it.” Reb replied with a grin. “But ya know since I’m havin’ yer back do ya think ya could convince that damned woman of your’n to quit bringing up that beheamoth of a wife I had?”

                Jonah laughed. “Reb, just as soon as I figure out how to control a single damn thing that woman does, I’ll be sure to make sure she never utters another word about your wife.”

                Reb grinned. “Much obliged.”

***

                “Let me shoot it, Uncle Reb!” Clayton exclaimed the next evening as they sat at camp about an hour before nightfall. Reb held up his pearl handled.38 caliber Colt ‘Lightning’ with a five and a half inch barrel and grinned.

                “You sure a little thing like you can handle my gun?” he teased. Clayton shrugged.

                “It’s smaller than pa’s.” he replied, glancing at Jonah’s .45 Colt Cattleman which had a seven inch barrel. Jonah chuckled and Joe crossed her legs indian style and nodded.

                “I’m sure Reb hears that quite a bit.”     

                Reb winked over at her. “How would you know, purty darlin’? Ya ain’t never took the time to examine my gun.”

                Joe glared at Jonah as he threw his head back and laughed and she fixed Reb with a warning look. “Don’t you call me pretty.”

                “But you are pretty.” Reb countered, clearly enjoying the fact that he’d found something to tease her over. Joe guessed she deserved it after teasing him so often about his wife since finding out about the woman. “Ain’t she pretty, Clayton?”

                Clayton nodded. “Yep. I sure think so.” Joe shook her head and scowled at her son, who grinned from ear to ear. “What do you think, pa? Is mama pretty?”

                Jonah took a moment, looking Joe up and down. Joe kept that scowl on her face, though she was sure that color rose in her cheeks as his eyes moved over her so thoroughly that he might as well have been caressing her body with his fingers.

                Then he shrugged. “Nope. Ugliest damn woman I ever did lay my eyes on.” 

                Joe smiled and scooted closer to Jonah so she could bat her lashes and rest her head on his broad shoulder. “And see, that’s why yer pa and I get along so good. He says all those sweet things a woman longs to hear.”

                Clayton rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Reb. “So can I shoot it? Can I? Can I?”

                “Is it alright with yer folks?” Reb asked, glancing over at Jonah and Joe.

                “I ain’t got a problem with it. Hell I’m surprised he don’t have one of his own already.” Jonah replied. Joe shook her head.

                “He don’t have one on his hip cuz he’s only four!”

                “He might as well be ten. That boy’s smart.” Jonah countered. Joe felt her temper rise.

                “Well he ain’t ten, he’s four, and you’ll not be filling his head with all that nonsense! A four year old ain’t got no damn use fer a six gun!”

                “Joe, I just think….” Jonah began but Joe cut him off.

                “Dammit, I‘ve worked hard to keep him safe all these years. He’s got me, he knows how to use a rifle and he carries a pocketknife. That’s all a boy his age needs. Now dammit I won’t argue ‘bout this no more.” It appeared as if Jonah wanted to say something else but instead he just shook his head and looked away from her.

                While they were still touching, Joe felt as if Jonah had moved miles away from her. Apparently she had done or said the wrong thing. Did Jonah honestly think it would be in the boy’s best interest to carry around a six gun on his hip?! Why all it would take would be one murdering pyschopath and Clayton would be dead. 

                “So can I shoot the gun or not?” Clayton grumbled and Jonah shrugged.

                “Ask your damn mama.”

                Joe sighed. “I never said ya couldn’t shoot it now, Clayton. I just said ya couldn’t carry one of yer own. Go ahead.”

                Clayton was bouncing with excitement as Reb showed him how to work the revolver. Joe sighed when Jonah pushed himself to his feet and walked off. Joe grumbled under her breath, cursed God for making her love a brooding man and Reb nodded when she threw him a glance before walking after Jonah.

                “Ya gotta quit stormin’ off every time ya get upset ‘bout somethin’.” Joe scolded when she found Jonah about one hundred yards from camp, leaning against the backside of a large outcropping of rocks.

                “I didn’t storm off. I went for a walk. Most of the time when I’m pissed about something I can walk it off and come back just fine. It’s better than getting into an argument over nothing.”

                “So what pissed you off?” Joe asked, standing beside him and chewing on her nail.

                “Nothing.”

                “Quit lyin’ to me, Jonah.”

                “Fine.” Jonah exclaimed as he turned to face her. “I’m about tired of hearing that you are all that boy needs. Or that you don’t need any help keeping him safe. Or that the two of you don’t need my opinion about things… I am your husband and that boy’s father and dammit what I say has to carry some weight.”

                “So you just want to ride on in and take things over? Have me lower my head and say ‘yes sir’ and ‘no sir’?” Joe demanded and Jonah rolled his eyes and chuckled.

                “No, that’s not what I’m asking for. You wouldn’t be the woman I fell in love with if you did something like that. I just don’t want everything I say to be treated like hot air.”

                “I don’t do that…..” Joe began to argue and Jonah shook his head.

                “You’re doing it right now. And earlier about the gun.. And countless other times over the last few weeks.”

                “The boy don’t need a goddamned six gun on his hip!” Joe argued and Jonah sighed as he turned away from her and leaned against the rock.

                “I know that. I never said he should have one on his hip but you didn’t even take the time to talk about it before you let your temper get the better of you and got angry.”

                Joe fell silent and looked out over the land surrounding them. She knew Jonah was right. She was just too stubbornly set in her ways to allow anyone else to have a say in what happened in her and her sons life… But it wasn’t just her son, it was also Jonah’s son, and it wasn’t just her life, it was their life.

                “So what do I do? Just let you make all the decisions?”

                “No, you stubborn, thick-headed, little pain in the ass.” Jonah grumbled. “But from now on if there’s something that you don’t agree with, or that we don’t see eye to eye on, how about we just tell the boy that you and I will have to talk about it instead of you stepping over me like that? I want Clayton to have respect for both of us and that’s not gonna happen if nothing I say ever matters.”

                Joe sighed and then relented with a nod. “Fine. I never meant to disrespect you in front of our son. I guess I just ain’t got no clue how this whole teamwork thing is ‘spose to work. I got use to takin’ care of myself and Clayton without havin’ to take anybody else feelin’s into account.”

                Jonah pulled her into his arms, holding her back tight against his chest and resting his chin on her shoulder. “And I’m sorry for that, Joe. We should have been partners in this from the beginning.”

                “We’re partners now.”

                “Yep and gonna stay that way.” Jonah  agreed. “Just so long as we don’t kill each other.”

                Joe smiled as she leaned into his embrace, loving the warmth that his body provided to her own and the way that she felt safer somehow, protected, when Jonah was holding her this way. Joe had never thought of herself as a woman who needed protection, and never would, but it was still nice to know that this strong man had her back. She needed to learn how to give up a bit of the reins to him and he needed to learn how to not be so damned sensitive but together they would eventually figure out this settling down way of life.

                The sound of Reb’s thirty-eight going off had Jonah’s warm breath tickling her ear when he chuckled. “Should we head back?”

                Joe shook her head. “No.” she replied quickly. “I would rather just stay like this awhile.”

                The thirty-eight went off again and this time it was followed by Clayton’s excited exclamations and Reb’s laughter.

                “We may have to pay Reb to stick around.” Joe stated as she turned in Jonah’s arms. Jonah nuzzled her neck, sending trembles down her spine.  

                “Why’s that?” Jonah whispered against her ear. Joe felt that familiar heat spreading throughout her body, radiating from her core.

                “So we can have more time for this right here.” Joe replied, pressing her body against his and feeling his arousal against her stomach.

                “I could always make us our own little camp for tonight.”

                “Just like old times?” Joe asked with a smile and Jonah grinned.

                “Better, my Josephine.” He assured her, and while Joe had her doubts that making love to this man could ever be better, the deep timbre and sincerity in his voice made her believe.