Chapter Two

"There's my beautiful, sombrero wearing lady!"

Jane rolled her eyes at the sound of her husband's voice filling the mid-morning air. Damn, she loved that man. Turning around, Jane beamed at the sight of Pete's gap-toothed smile as he walked down the muddy street toward her.

"Mama!" Pete sat a squirming four-year old Willie on his feet and the boy shot toward Jane like a bullet. She was laughing as she scooped the red-haired boy up into her arms. "I miss you, mama."

"You and your pa were only in the store for ten minutes," Jane reminded him.

Willie simply shrugged. "I still miss you."

"I missed you too, Monster."

"Did you miss me?" Pete inquired, wrapping his arm around her waist and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Like a toothache," Jane assured him as she leaned into his embrace.

"Can we see Nana Maria?" Willie asked hopefully.

"I reckon we probably ought to," Pete agreed. "She'd probably get awfully angry if we don't stop in for a visit."

Besides, I promised Jeb we'd pick up Preston's medicine," Jane added. "And I heard a little whisper of a rumor that Nana Maria would have some fresh baked cookies this morning."

Willie's blue eyes lit up. "Let's go! Let's go!"

With a laugh, Pete took Willie and propped him on his hip. "Hell yeah, let's go. We'd have already been there if I'd have known there were cookies."

The trio headed down main street. Jane paid attention to the faces they past. Most were familiar, some weren't. Jane was always aware of her surroundings—always a bit on guard for threats. She had lost a lot in her life—she wasn't looking to lose anymore.

Sun light shimmered off something across the street, causing Jane to turn her head. She stopped in her tracks. Blinked. Blinked again. Her mouth opened, then closed. No words would come and Jane couldn't seem to focus her thoughts.

The sunlight had been reflected off a shiny, silver button. A button with a gaudy tassel attached to it. The person wearing the shirt that held said button and tassel, had disappeared into the gun shop. Surely, Jane must have been seeing things. Surely, her eyes had been playing tricks on her.

"Come on, mama! Cookies!" Willie called impatiently.

Pete's voice was concerned as his hand cupped her elbow. "What did you see, honey?"

Jane shook her head. "Not what. Who."

Now Pete sounded on edge. His hand left her elbow and went to his gun. "Who?"

"Willie...."

"I right here, mama."

Swallowing hard, Jane met her husband's confused gaze. "Bigger Willie... Pete, I swear I just saw Willie go into that gun shop. Only...."

Pete's brow furrowed. "Only what? Jane, Willie's dead."

Jane rubbed at the back of her neck and her eyes went back to the gun shop. "Only this Willie had tits."

The widening of Pete's eyes was downright comical. "Well hell's bells! I gotta see that!"

Jane watched as her idiotic husband took off across the street at a run with a bouncing, laughing Willie in his arms. Shaking off her own shock and confusion, Jane followed after family, though at a much slower pace.

When she entered the gun shop and her eyes began adjusting to the change in light, Jane found her husband staring slack-jawed at a woman currently standing at the counter haggling with the store keep over the cost of the bullets she was purchasing.

Normally, Jane would backhand the man for ogling another woman, but not today. Today, Jane was ogling too.

The woman at the counter was, simply put, the female version of Willie. Hot-headed, proud, drank til he vomited, loyal until the end, had died so Jane could share life with Pete, Willie.

The woman had that same wild, dark hair beneath her hat, though it was quite a bit longer than Willie's had been. She had the same lean, rangy build with the addition of rounder hips, a fuller backside and a set of tits.

The woman had Willie's long, straight nose. His stubborn chin complete with a dimple and his big blue eyes. There were differences. Her skin was lighter, her cheeks softer and a healthy splotch of freckles covered her nose and cheeks.

The physical similarities were uncanny but what really demanded attention and confusion was the woman's attire. Willie had always been flashy—he'd been well known for his oversized gaucho pants, brightly colored shirts, silver studs, tassels, boots and hat. Willie had loved turning heads as he'd walked down the road—and it would seem this woman did as well.

Pete's voice was suddenly in her ear. "Hell, the person who designed them pants sold two pair."

"I told you I saw a Willie with tits," Jane whispered back.

It seemed 'little' Willie was growing impatient. He yanked on Pete's shirt. "Come on, pa! Cookies."

Throwing money on the counter and gathering up her purchase, the woman turned to face her onlookers. "You need to listen to your red-haired rugrat and move on now. I don't much appreciate having folks following me around and ogling."

"A person doesn't dress like that if they don't want to be ogled," Pete countered, a grin spreading across his face.

Clearly Pete wasn't offended by the woman's lack of manners but Jane was. She put her hand on her hip before shoving her sombrero off her head, letting it hang on her back. "There ain't no need to be so damn rude."

The woman snorted as she stepped forward, clearly sizing Jane up. "There is a damn reason. When people I don't know follow me around, stare at me, and whisper behind my back, I call that a reason."

Jane opened her mouth to form a rebuttal and then slammed it closed. Dammit, the rude woman was right. They had been following, staring and whispering. With a huff, Jane turned on her heel and strode from the gun shop. She heard Pete mutter an apology before he rushed to catch up with her.

"Who was that woman, mama?" Willie asked.

Jane shook her head. "I don't know, monster. Let's go get them cookies now."

Satisfied with that decision, Willie's eyes became focused on his Nana's house in the distance. "You okay?" Pete asked her quietly.

Jane swallowed hard, fighting back emotion. "It's been a long time since I've thought about him. She just really...."

Pete's eyes were tender as he put his arm around her and kissed her temple. "I know, honey."

Shaking off her melancholy, Jane smiled. "I love you, Pete Bardlow."

Willie rolled his eyes and tugged on Pete's red hair. "Papa knows you love him mama. You're married!"

Pete wiggled his brows. "How'd I get so lucky, Willie?"

His tiny shoulders shrugged. "Beats me."

"Hey you!"

Jane and Pete turned in unison when the woman from the gun shop called out behind them. She approached at a limping jog before fixing her studded hat and smoothing out her bright yellow shirt.

"If you're looking for a fight..." Jane began but the woman shook her head.

"Naw, I ain't lookin' for a fight. I actually have a question to ask y'all."

Sharing a glance with her husband, Jane frowned. "What the question?"

Sticking her thumbs through her belt loops, the woman cocked her hip to the side. "I just rode into town last night so I ain't familiar with no one here. I'm hopin' that since y'all are walking around town with a youngin, that means you're from around here."

"We live here!" Willie happily answered. "Nana has cookies."

The woman grinned—a grin that seemed so very familiar. "I love a good cookie now and then."

Willie nodded whole-heartedly. "Me too!"

"What is it you wanted to ask?" Jane questioned, eager to be away from the oddly familiar stranger.

Clearing her throat, the woman refocused her attention on Jane. "I'm looking for someone. I was told he lives somewhere around here."

The hairs on the back of Jane's neck stood up, though she wasn't entirely sure why. "Who are you looking for?"

"A man named Craig Crane. I was told I could find him and his people around here."

Jane stiffened. This woman was armed with weapons and had just purchased more ammunition. Now, she was asking about Craig and the family? Instantly Jane knew she needed to protect her family—but how?

An image of Gill flashed through her mind. If it worked for him.....

Moving quickly, Jane pulled her revolver as she stepped to the side of the stranger. The woman's eyes widened but before she could speak or react Jane brought the gun down on the woman's head, knocking her unconscious.

"Hells bells, woman!" Pete exclaimed before letting out a whistle. "What was that for?"

Jane holstered her weapon, fully aware of passerby's eyeing her warily. She wasn't worried about being in any trouble. Most folks left her family to their own devices and, the brand-new law in town, was nothing but an elected town Marshall named Silas Todd—who just happened to be an old friend of Maria's.

Jane spared a glance at the woman out cold in the dirt before turning her attention to her husband. She knew instantly that Pete wasn't happy about what she had done—which only served to annoy her. "I'm protecting the family, Pete. How many times has Gill done the same? Or Wyatt? I don't like the idea of a stranger in town hunting for my cousin."

"She dead mama?" Willie asked, his blue eyes wide as he stared down at the woman.

Jane offered her son a comforting smile. "No, she's just sleeping, monster."

Pete still seemed unsure. "Are you real certain it was necessary to do that?" he asked, nodding toward the woman.

Jane rolled her eyes. "Have you questioned Gill every time he's done it?"

His free hand raised in surrender. "Fair enough." Pete adjusted Willie on his hip. "Looks like the cookies are gonna have to wait, kid. We gotta get the sleeping lady to Uncle Gill's house before she wakes up."