"Probably wouldn't hurt nothing if you bought another horse." Jack said matter of factly as he rode behind Hawke on Trigger. Hawke silently agreed.

"So where we going huntin at? Are we gonna be there soon cuz we've been riding a while." Hawke was all too aware that they had been riding awhile. Jack had talked nonstop for the first twenty minutes and had spent the next thirty whistling the most annoying tune that Hawke had ever heard.

"We are going to town."

"But you told Lily you were going hunting."

"Yes."

"So you lied to Lily?"

"You don't worry about it."

"Yes sir." Jack replied and went back to whistling. Hawke had never been so happy to see town as he was ten minutes later when they finally topped the hill and it came into view. Hawke jumped from the saddle and walked beside Trigger and Jack down into town.

Jack jumped down off of Trigger as Hawke pulled the horse to a stop beside the corral behind the livery.

"What are we doing?" Jack asked.

"Getting an extra horse for Allie and Lily." Hawke replied scanning the assortment of horses for sale in the corral. He looked at Jack out of the corner of his eye and saw him scanning over them as well.

"I need to go talk to someone. I will let you pick the horse." Hawke said turning away from the fence. Jack's eyes widened.

"Are you sure?" he asked. Hawke nodded.

"You know a thing or two about horses?" Jack nodded enthusiastically.

"Heck yeah I do! I was raised up with horses. Course it takes money to take care of one so it's been a few years since…" Hawke held up his hand to silence him.

"I trust you to pick a good horse for them." he said. "I also want you to pick one for yourself." Jack shook his head.

"Naw, I ain't got no money, Hawke." Jack said kicking at the dirt with his worn out boot. Hawke shrugged.

"Did I ask if you had money?" he said. "Pick two horses. One for the ladies and one for you. Get saddles and tackle too." Hawke reached into his pocket, pulled out fifty dollars and handed it to Jack before walking away without giving Jack a chance to say anything else.

Jack looked down at the money in his hand and then up at Hawke's retreating back. Two weeks ago Jack would have pocketed this money and took off. Fifty dollars was enough money for him to get a new set of clothes and food for a month….. Jack had often taken advantage of the kindness of strangers. He hadn't been lying when he had said he had stolen things in his life and it wasn't always food he had taken.

He had learned quick that for some reason most people liked and trusted him instantly and he had learned how to use that to get close enough to people to steal from them. He was a damn good thief so why then was he still standing here with Hawke's fifty dollars? His every instinct was telling him to take the money and run. He shifted his feet, let out a long breath and stuffed the money deep in his pocket.

888

Hawke walked into the stage office and was relieved to see that Percy Jenkins was not working today. Greg looked up and then shook his head.

"Hawke, you know Percy doesn't like you coming in here." he said shuffling some papers on his desk. Hawke looked around the empty office and then back at Greg.

"Do I have any messages?" Greg nodded and ducked down behind the counter for several moments.

"You're lucky this came while I was here because Percy probably would have thrown it away." he said as he stood back straight and held out an envelope to Hawke. Hawke nodded as he grabbed the envelope and then he walked back out onto the boardwalk.

Hawke opened the letter and took a deep breath. It was the letter he had been waiting for. Nathan was in Helena and heading toward Great Valley on the stage tomorrow. That meant that in three days Nathan would die and Hawke would kill him.

Hawke had never murdered anyone in cold blood but for Lily he would do what he had to do. She would not be safe as long as Nathan still drew breath. Hawke folded the letter and stuffed it into his pocket. He would slip out secretly the day Nathan was to arrive. He would tell Lily he was going hunting and he would wait for the man at his cabin.

Hawke started the long walk back down to the livery thinking about how he was going to kill Nathan. He would have to take the body deep into the woods and bury it somewhere that no one would find it and Nathan Yeary would simply become one more person that lost his life to the elements and disappeared in this harsh, unforgiving land.

As Hawke approached the livery, he wondered if Jack would still be there or if he was already making a run for it with Hawke's money. Hawke knew that testing the boy this way was not really fair and although Hawke liked him well enough, (despite the fact that he never seemed to stop talking) Hawke knew there was no way Jack could have lived all those years on his own and be as innocent as he seemed.

Hawke was worried that he had been right about Jack leaving when he did not see the boy right away as he rounded the corral but then he saw him coming around the barn leading Trigger and two other horses.

"Hey there, Hawke. I picked the palomino mare for Allie and Lily. I checked her out good and she seems awful gentle and she rides smooth. The buckskin gelding is for me. I'll get your money back to you for him one day, I promise I will. Here's your money that was left over." Jack said holding out the fifteen dollars he had left from the horses and tackle.

Hawke stared hard at Jack for several long moments as Jack shifted his feet uncomfortably. Jack had the feeling he had been being tested without knowing it and now he was going to find out whether or not he had passed that test.

Finally Hawke reached out and took the money. He thumbed through the bills before handing three dollars back to Jack.

"What's this for?" Jack asked. Hawke took the reigns away from him and pointed toward the mercantile.

"You cannot hunt with me with those boots." Jack looked down at his foot and wiggled his toe that was beginning to poke out of the big hole in his boot.

"Why not?" he asked while rocking back on his heels and grinning over at Hawke. Hawke just shook his head.

"Everything in the forest would smell your feet and run for their lives." he replied and Jack laughed loudly.

"How the heck do you do that, Hawke? You say the funniest darn things but you hardly ever crack a smile." Hawke just shook his head.

"Go get some new boots. We have to get home soon." Jack turned away from Hawke quickly and started across the road.

Home. Hawke had just said that his home was Jack's home. It had been so long since Jack had had a home that he had forgotten what it felt like. Jack walked into the mercantile and looked around at all the barrels and shelves full of merchandise.

It wasn't very often that he walked into a store with money to pay for whatever he walked out with.

Ed Hornsby's guard went up as soon as he saw the boy walk in. He was wearing dirty, tattered clothes, a gun on his hip and his eyes were taking in every detail of the store.

"Can I help you?" Ed asked.

"My names, Jack." the boy said with a friendly smile as he walked up to the counter and held out his hand. "I need me a new pair of boots." Ed shook his hand and felt a little more at ease.

"Well come on with me." he said walking around the counter. "I got some boots over in this back corner."

It only took about five minutes to find a pair of dark brown boots that fit Jack. He followed Ed back up to the counter and as Ed made marks in a book to document the sale Jack's eyes fell on some cinnamon candy in a barrel beside of him. He knew he didn't have the money to buy any but the damn stuff was just sitting there and there was a whole barrel of it. He knew Allie would love to have some and surely the store keep wouldn't miss just a handful.

Jack handed Ed the three dollars to buy the boots and while the store keep was busy putting the money away Jack grabbed a handful of the candy and stuffed it in his pocket.

888

Hawke caught sight of Doc Mason walking down the road as he stood outside the livery waiting on Jack.

"Doc!" he called out and Doc Mason walked over.

"Got yourself some new horses?" Doc asked. Hawke nodded and patted the buckskins neck.

"I needed a couple new ones."

"Yeah, you're getting yourself a big old family now aren't you?" Doc asked with a smile. Hawke nodded and Doc saw the happiness in his eyes.

"How is Lily?" Doc Mason asked.

"She is okay. The sickness is finally beginning to pass." Doc nodded.

"That's good."

"Where is your lawyer friend? He was supposed to be here days ago." Hawke asked. Doc raised a thick gray brow.

"Didn't Lily tell you about the talk we had the day Allie arrived?" Hawke shook his head and his eyes narrowed.

"No she did not. But she will as soon as I get home." Before Doc could say anything else their attention was drawn to the mercantile as shouts rang out.

"Get back here you damn thief!" They heard Ed Hornsby yell. Jack came running out of the mercantile with Ed on his heels. Deputy Franks had been walking down the road and Jack ran straight into his chest.

"What's going on?" Franks asked.

"The boys a thief." Ed replied huffing from the short run.

"A thief huh?" Franks asked. Jack fought against him but Franks held him tight. Hawke walked over and crossed his arms over his broad chest.

"What happened?" he asked looking straight at Jack. Jack's face reddened with shame and he wouldn't meet Hawke's eyes.

"Is he with you?" Ed asked Hawke. Hawke nodded slowly.

"Yes he is with me. What did he do?"

"Figures he's with you…" Hawke held up his hand and Franks mouth snapped shut.

"Jack, what happened?" Hawke asked again. Jack looked up at Hawke and flinched at the disappointed look in his eyes. In five years Jack had not had a single person care about what he did and he was overcome with guilt that he had let down Hawke. A man he was coming to like and respect very much. A man he had not wanted to disappoint.

"I took some candy." he replied quietly. "I didn't even think about what I was doing. I just thought that Allie would like it." Hawke stared hard at him for several moments and then looked over at Ed.

"How much does he owe for the candy?"

"Fifty cents." Ed replied. Hawke reached in his pocket and pulled out a dollars worth of coins.

"That should cover the candy." Ed took the money and then sighed.

"Let him go Deputy Franks."

"But he's a thief." Franks replied, eager to show Hawke Owen that he was the boss in this town.

"There wasn't anything stolen now. I got the money for it in my hands." Ed replied.

"Let him go, Franks. Ed's got the money." Doc Mason added as he walked up. Franks mumbled under his breath and released Jack.

"You steal again in my town and you'll pay the price." he warned the boy. Jack nodded and then looked up at Hawke.

"Thanks Hawke." he said pulling off his hat and running his hand through his hair. Hawke just shook his head and turned and walked away giving Jack no choice but to chase after his heels.