DISCLAIMER: All the characters from the "Magnificent Seven" TV series are property of Trilogy Entertainment, The Mirisch Group, MGM Worldwide.

Hunters and Prey

Prologue:

She was no more than a girl when he first saw her and knew from that day on that she would be his no matter how life may change her later on. There is a moment in time where the world stands still for a man and in the milliseconds that make time speed past as pearls of tangible substance, he knew he had achieved the perfect clarity that would not come again. It was a revelation of almost biblical portions, often spoken about by poets and dreamed of by artists every where when a man finds in all the world, the woman destined for him and him only.

The first time he had seen Alexandra Styles, Randall Mason had felt that purity of emotion.

She was sixteen years old then, little more than a slip of girl with the fire of a thousand suns burning beneath her breast. Even then, her ability to turn the head of every man who came across her, whether young or old was present was great. Her father, the eminent but somewhat unorthodox Doctor William Styles was immensely proud of his only child and had raised her with the belief that she had the intellect to do whatever she wanted with her life. Mason often objected to that encouragement, for the world was not a kind place and the reality of women was something Styles had kept hidden from his daughter. She was unprepared for what lay beyond the secluded world shared with her father.

Styles was conducting the research for a book Randall knew he would never published but used as an excuse to travel the world with his daughter. They had met the first time in the Carribbean Islands where the sixteen year old beauty ran with the natives in the crystal coloured waters, basking in the freedom from propriety every other father would have enforced in the company of half naked heathens. Styles never cared about such things because his daughter was not like other girls.

She has a head on her shoulders, he used to say. She’s not silly like other girls.

To that Randall could not disagree because Alex as she preferred to be called, did not wish to make her debut into society and found all the womanly arts boring and trivial. Instead, she worked side by side with her father, watching him cut into bone, starting in wide eyed amazement at how he could reassure a patient with eye contact alone, how an amputation would not ruin their lives but save it instead. Styles was not just her father, he was her mentor and she learnt from him with an insatiable lust for knowledge. Randall watched her unflinching as she stood by and watched her father sew skin and flesh, never shaken by the sight of blood and death.

At seventeen, there was more steel in her than any woman he knew and Randall decided that Alex would his when the time was right.

They parted company when Styles moved on to England, deciding that his daughter had come of age. For the better part of the next decade. William Styles opened a small practice in London, using his influence and family name to win his daughter a seat a local medical college. Randall had followed her progress carefully, knowing that as a woman of questionable background, there were bound to prejudices. He watched in interest at how she would handle them and was unsurprised when she graduated six years later.

As soon as Alex had become a doctor in her own right, Styles promptly abandoned his practice and they were off again, this time she was more than just a casual observer in his research work. She took part in the studies, assisted him with his writings and made her father happier than he had ever been in his life. No one had been able to come between them for the relationship had been that close. Randall had suspected the bond would be difficult to break but knew that Styles’ love for his beautiful intelligent daughter would make no sacrifice for her too great.

It was heart warming to see how close they were and Randall felt a hint of envy knowing that his relationship with his very proper family had never even imagined this kind of affection. Alex adored her father and they journeyed across the roof of the world into China before crossing the heat of the Gobi Desert and disappearing into the savage world of the Middle East. Randall had no doubt that this would have continued until one of them dropped dead had he not intervened first.

They met again in Cairo, where the Giza was being overrun by treasure hunters posing as archaeologists who had discovered the awesome plunder of the great pyramids. This time, Randall was astonished by how womanhood had affected Alexandra Styles. The woman who now stood by her father’s side as the ever-dutiful daughter was magnificent where the young girl he had remembered had been merely breathtaking. Her ability to dazzle him was a fire inside his mind he could not shake and refused to.

He had waited a decade for her and he was unprepared to wait any longer. He wanted her at his side always, so that he worship her like that goddess she was. The madness that overtook him when he saw her again was all consuming and though he was a great deal older than her, Randall was certain he could make her happy. He merely required the chance to prove it. The house that he had built for her awaited them both in England. Randall had constructed it almost four years before, certain that she would accept for he was known to her and had enjoyed her company on occasion.

When she had been in England, there had been dinner engagements and parties where Alex had arrived at his arm and although the woman hated her and said snide things about her parentage, every man in the room burned with envy. It had been the greatest honour of his life when she had chosen him to be her first lover and the experience still warmed him at night, when the longing for became so acute that he could not sleep. When he approached William Styles for her hand, there had been no reason to believe that the old man would be anything but receptive of the offer.

Except that he was refused.

He was too old for Alexandra, Styles had said and more importantly, Alex did not love him. Randall remembered listening in growing rage as Styles made some obligatory speech to accompany the refusal, claiming that he wished something better for his daughter. He wanted the same kind of love that he had felt for Alex’s mother to reflect in her eyes when Styles finally chose a suitor for her hand. There would be no convenient couplings for Alex, Styles was adamant on that point. Randall was then given the indignity of the news that Alex merely saw him as a friend, no more than that.

Certainly not someone to whom she could give her heart.

Randall had come away from the meeting like a man possessed, knowing that Alex could love him if she was pried away from her father. Even as he left the suite of rooms occupied by father and daughter at the moment, dark thoughts were already starting to filter into his intense humiliation and his all-consuming desire for Alex. He believed that she could love him. After all, she had allowed him to take her maidenhead; did that not mean that she cared for him? Randall was certain that the refusal was based on her father’s selfish desire to keep his beloved daughter close instead of how Alex really felt. Randall became incensed by Styles’ callousness, to hide such a flower in the dark. It became his mission to free Alex from this captivity so that she could take her place at his side, in the house built for her, where his children could grow inside her. The vision was almost beautiful in its perfection.

It had been a simple matter arranging it, a wad of money to an upturned palm and quiet whisper in the right ear. Cairo at that time was for the buying and there was enough villainy in its bazaars and meandering streets to satisfy any desire, no matter how dark the intention. Randall was unaware of the specifics of the actual process, he was only aware of the end result. He knew nothing about the poison or when it might be administered, he only knew that within 3 days of his meeting with Styles, the man was dead.

Randall had been on hand to consol Alexandra who had been nothing short of devastated by the loss of her beloved father. He remained close by, taking care of the arrangements to have the body returned to England and all the other unpleasant chores that followed a death. For the first few days, she had walked around in a stupor of grief, unable to believe that Styles was dead. Randall felt remorse for her sorrow but knew that she was freed now and perhaps some day he might tell her of how he had delivered her from her slavery.

Then the most curious thing happened.

The night before they were to return to England together, she vacated the suite at the hotel and disappeared. Randall searched Cairo for days before learning that she had jumped a steamship back to Europe. He spent the new few months pursuing her across the continent, always arriving there a few days after she had left. Eventually, he learnt that her father had left her a sizeable inheritance but could not assure her a position in any medical facility in Europe. Randall had been correct in assuming that her background would keep her from gaining employment anywhere, despite her considerable skills.

In truth, he preferred it that way. Alex was to be his wife and nothing else. He wanted her to adore him and worship him as she had done her father. Randall would not tolerate patients stealing the time she should be spending with him. It was one thing to indulge her fantasies as a doctor but another thing entirely when it came to her role as his wife. He was aware that this among other things would require putting an end to when he found her but there was plenty enough time for that later.

Suddenly, the letters of inquiry across the various medical establishments around Europe came to an abrupt halt. Randall was almost beside himself as he searched everywhere for the elusive Alexandra Styles. Finally, out of desperation, he learnt the name of her father’s solicitors in London and demanded to know where she was, using his family’s considerable influence to wrestle the truth from her solicitors. The man had been reluctant to give the information but Randall could see there was concern in his eyes as well, that is concern for Alex’s well being. The solicitor did not know where she had gone. However, the bulk of liquid assets in her inheritance had been wired across the Atlantic, to America.

Randall has been astonished that Alex would travel to the one continent she had never set foot upon. Contacting the notable Pinkerton Agency in New York, he invested considerable money tracing where in the United States Alex might have disappeared. After almost two months of silence, he was finally rewarded with the information in his hotel room at the Wardorf Astoria. Alexandra Styles was currently practising medicine in a small town out west, in a particularly unsavoury part of it called the Territory.

Alex had bought herself a home and established a clinic and was doing what she always wanted. He supposed her father would have been proud. Styles always like practicing his vocation to the primitive masses. No doubt, the man would have delighted in knowing that his daughter had followed the same path.

Randall Mason glanced out the window of his train compartment, watching the herds of cattle in the distance, grazing on the dry grass of the sparse landscape while the mountains stared with equal indifference. Eagle Bend was only an hour away and after that, it would be merely a stage coach journey to the town of Four Corners. He had no doubt that Alex would be happy to see him although he questioned why she would hide herself in such a remote location. In any case, Randall hoped she was not too attached to anything in this provincial village.

It would only make it so much harder when she was forced to leave it behind.

Part One:

The Miracle of Birth….Not.

"Breathe!" Alex ordered the young woman lying on the bed before her. She was no more than twenty years of age and for Judith Dunlevy, this would be her first child. Labour had been difficult from the very beginning with the young woman unable to concentrate as she was too racked with agony to listen to any of Alex’s instructions.

"Please Judy." Mary Travis pleaded as she dabbed a cool cloth over the girl’s forehead. "You’ve got to listen to what Alex is telling you."

"It hurts!" She cried out. Her face was wet with perspiration and her gold hair had become a stringy mess of tangled strands. She lay in the bed with legs apart, awaiting the arrival of her child with rising terror, unable to understand how such a precious gift could only be borne of such terrible pain. Her fingers tensed around Mary’s hand as another contraction surfaced, eliciting another powerful scream of pain. The urge to push was overwhelming and with the scream came the familiar tensing of muscles that indicated that she was doing just that.

"You’ve got to stop pushing!" Alex cried out, aware that the dilation was not complete and the child could not make its appearance until then. "Breathe as I showed you." Alex repeated the breathing technique again, once Judith had stopped crying and had gained enough coherence to understand her words. "When you feel it coming, just breathe out slowly. You keep pushing and you’re going to damage the baby."

Judith nodded wildly, her hand grabbing the iron frame of her bed as she closed her eyes. Alex saw the perspiration running down her forehead before rolling down her cheeks to intermingle with the tears. The fear in her eyes was apparent and in that Judith looked no different from any other woman delivering her first child. Alex wondered would she still have that wide-eyed look of fear when it was her time? She shook the thought out of her mind and went back to the head of the bed so that she could examine the progress of cervical dilation.

They had been in here for the better part of two hours now. Judith’s husband was presently out on the range, herding cattle for some rancher and was absent at this critical moment in both their lives. The girl had no family in town, a situation Alex could appreciate and had called for Mary’s assistance when Judith’s water had broken. It was highly likely that the entire town of Four Corners was aware of the impending birth for Judith did not bear the experience well and the raw scream of her first labour was heard throughout the immediate area. Mary had sent JD Dunne to fetch Eric Dunlevy, who really should be here for this important occasion and because his wife would need the help when the child finally did arrive.

"Alex, is it going to be much longer?" Mary asked as she went to soak the small towel in the basin on top of the dresser. Although the experience was nothing new to her and Judith’s pain was all part and parcel of the process, Mary could not help wishing it was over so Judith would no longer have to suffer.

"No," Alex shook her head, aware of why Mary had asked. She was similarly concerned at the way the young woman was handling the labour. "The cervix is almost fully dilated. I would say another half hour if that." The doctor wiped the sweat running down from her forehead, glancing at the instruments lying within arms’ reach of her when the child finally did make its appearance. She hoped it was sooner than later because it did not seem Judith could handle much more of this.

"Are you okay?" Mary asked in concern, knowing Alex had put in a long day already. For some reason, Four Corners was having its share of injuries and ailments today and Mary was personally aware that Alex had been was run off her feet since dawn. The Indian village where Chano and Kojay hailed was currently suffering a severe bout of influenza and Nathan was at the reservation, tending the sick there while Alex was left with the sole responsibility of treating Four Corners in his absence.

"I’m a great deal better than poor Judith here." Alex sighed loudly as she saw Judith convulse again. She was about to open her mouth to repeat her instructions not to push when to Alex’s relief, she saw Judith performing the breathing exercises. The pain travelled from her swollen abdomen and constricted in her face, turning the girl’s normally pleasant features into a fist of crimson. Mary immediately hurried to her side, to let the girl’s use her hand for support.

"That’s good." Mary encouraged, stroking her hair to sooth the woman’s fragile state of mind.

"I didn’t know that it could hurt so much!" Judith wailed.

"Its that way for all of us." Mary said calmly, unaware that her soft voice was soothing in itself and that Judith was using it to focus in accordance with Alex’s instruction. "When I had Billy it was just like this." Mary continued speaking although the truth was, she remembered the experience as how she had hurled nine colours of hell at Steven, swearing incoherently in language that even now made her blush, demanding an answer why men should have the gall to escape such torture.

"Okay," Alex announced feeling a surge of excitement as the moment finally arrived for this strenuous event to reach conclusion. "You’re fully dilated, Judith. Start to push."

The woman let out a sigh of relief once given permission and immediately began straining hard. Her body tensed and relaxed as instincts older than she took hold of her senses. Alex watched patiently, watching through the blood and fluid for the first signs of the new life struggling to enter the world. Her heart was pounding faster, feeling some measure of satisfaction in being present at this moment. She was never prouder of her skill then when she was called on to herald new life into the world. Alex concentrated hard on the task before her, letting Judith’s cries fade into the background.

"I see the head!" Alex exclaimed as a slick of dark hair peered out the passage of birth canal. The head of the tiny form slipped past the walls of his mother’s womb smoothly before pausing when the force propelling it forward had exhausted itself. "One more, Judith!" Alex called out. "One long push!"

Judith let out a frustrated cry of exhaustion and then ground her teeth to strain again. The pressure of her muscles pushed the child forward, allowing the whimpering babe to slide wetly into Alex’s waiting hands. Immediately, Alex reached for the surgical scissors awaiting use on the tray before severing the umbilical chord. The child let out a plaintive cry in her arms and Alex found tears in her eyes as it announced its presence with a hearty wail. "It’s a boy!" Alex smiled as she placed the child on a blanket and cleaned some of the blood from its pink face and body.

"A boy!" Judith laughed through her exhaustion and allowed her head to lop back as she recovered from the experience.

"Mary, I need you!" Alex called and the newspaperwoman hurried to the doctor immediately. "You want to show Judith her son while I take of the rest of it?" The doctor smiled as she handled the noisy bundle to Mary Travis.

Mary smiled brightly as she took the child in her arms and regarded the tiny face weeping before her. It was hard not to come away from the experience feeling the same awe and wonder she had felt the first time that Billy was presented to her. Mary could share the uncharacteristic emotion that Alex was feeling. Her patients rarely affected Alexandra Styles but this was one of those occasions that demanded exception.

"I would be my pleasure." Mary said cradling the child tenderly as she went to Judith and presented the young mother with her first born child. The girl shuddered slightly at the sight of the small face staring at her. The baby had ceased its crying and regarded the woman before him with an innocent look of indifference that only made her cry. Tears of happiness ran down her cheeks as she stroke the child’s soft cheek with her finger. After a moment, she looked up at both Mary and Alex with a smile on her tired face.

"Thank you so much." She said softly, weeping her tears of happiness as she thanked the two women who had helped her make this moment possible.

*******

It was late afternoon in Four Corners but the town was still bustling with activity. In two days, it would be the anniversary of the town’s formation and the occasion was to be celebrated by a series of events designed to bring people out in droves and inspire investment by any passing visitors. As Alex made her way down the board walk towards her home, she saw the town committee members putting up colourful streamers and other garish decorations. A banner hung across the main street that announced the 12^th founding of Four Corners, with a brief list of events to celebrate the occasion. There was apparently something going on called a hog tying contest and a picnic basket auction, not to mention a dance to which she had no intention of attending. Still, the hog-tying thing seemed mildly fascinating and begged attendance just so she could see what it was.

As she continued down the boardwalk, she noticed shops being swept out and cleaned and everyone was making an effort to make the town tidier. She wondered why that was necessary actually, considering most of the people attending the celebration would be townspeople and they already knew what the place looked like clean or filthy. Alex knew she was being a little cynical but today, she could not help it. In the last eight hours, she had delivered a baby, mended at least five broken bones on five different people, made three house calls for ailing children, not to mention dealt with one drunk who had fallen off his bunk in the jailhouse and knocked out three teeth.

This was not a good day for her.

She had not progressed very far down the street, when she happened along the new Emporium that had only recently opened for business in the past week. It had been under construction for little over a month and from what Alex had been told was doing brisk business ever since the doors opened. She observed the store with its bright awning and its fresh paint and felt a passing curiosity that vanished as soon as she remembered who owned the establishment.

Although it had been almost six weeks since Alex and Ezra Standish had dissolved their relationship, it still stung every time Alex saw the gambler in the company of Julia Pemberton. It was not so much that she still pined for him, on the contrary as a matter of fact, it was knowing that she had lost him to someone like Julia that galled her so much. Deciding that she was only going to work herself up into a venomous mood if she kept her eye on the place, Alex faced front and continued walking. She would consol herself by putting up her feet and soaking in a hot tub for the rest of the day.

She had no more passed the store, when suddenly, she saw Vin Tanner riding through town like a bat out of hell. His eyes searched the streets as he rode past and Alex hoped that there was no crises coming to town that would require her replenishing her stocks on bandages and sutures. The seven men who protected the town had a tendency to attract trouble like a magnet and it was no wonder they had a full time physician counted within their ranks.

Alex watched him ride past, unable to ignore the look of worry on his face. He was hard to read at the best of times but the expression in his eyes appeared to be one of concern. When his gaze met hers with those dark blue eyes of his, Vin immediately nudged Peso in her direction and Alex immediately felt alarm flare in her chest. Was one of the seven hurt? She had not seen of the men today and was unaware of any trouble in town. She stepped off the boardwalk onto the street so he needed climb of Peso when he reached her.

"Alex." Vin dismounted the animal and tipped his hat slightly as he approached her, his dark eyes staring intently at her as always.

"Is something wrong?" She inquired.

"I need you to come out to Nettie Wells with me." Vin stated.

"What’s wrong? Is Nettie hurt?" Alex asked with rising worry. Nettie and Casey Wells owned a farm some distance out of Four Corners and performed most of the work on the property that should be undertaken by a number of farm hands. Unfortunately, Nettie was too proud to ask for help and too poor to pay for it. Alex knew Vin occasionally stopped there to do some of the heavier chores and hoped nothing unfortunate had befallen the feisty old lady.

"Nettie’s fine." Vin reassured her quickly "Dulcie ain’t though." He explained as he steered her towards Peso. He noticed that Alex had her doctor’s bag with her and was pleased knowing that they would not need to waste the time going to her house to retrieve it. There was little time to spare as it was.

"Dulcie?" Alex did not recognise the name as she found herself standing before Peso and no idea how she had been manoeuvred there.

"Dulcie’s baby is coming out wrong. She needs your help." Vin said quickly.

Another baby? Alex thought to herself. Was there something in the water that was sending every pregnant woman into labour today?

"A breach?" Alex frowned, knowing how dangerous that could be. "Help me up." She instructed and he put his hands on her waist and lifted her up to Peso. Alex tried not to blush as she felt his hands on her hips and remembered how delightful those gentle those hands had been when employed for a completely different purpose. Alex shook such thoughts out of her head and remembered that there was an emergency awaiting her at the Well’s farm.

With a sigh, Alex decided her bath was just going to have to wait.

Vin climbed onto the horse once Alex was settled in place. He could not keep himself from smiling slightly at the feel of her arms around his waist, remembering the last time they had travelled like this. He certainly hoped this short trip to Nettie’s would not end up like that three-day ordeal and checked the sky just to make sure. Fortunately, the clouds did not promise any of the downpour that had pursued them relentless during that journey. It was deep into fall and although the sun was shining, the chill whispering the coming of winter was markedly present in the air.

"How long into labour is she?" Alex asked as they started out of town. Strangely enough, she no longer felt the discomfort being in close proximity to Vin Tanner. When she had first broken up with Ezra, seeing the handsome tracker was more than she could stand. She was torn between running to him for comfort or slapping him because he was a man. Eventually, she decided to do neither.

"I don’t know." Vin confessed, savouring the feel of her body against his back. In the past six weeks, he had gone to great lengths to keep his distance, knowing it was all to easy for him to take advantage of her broken heart because of his own feelings for her. Vin did not want Alex on the rebound from another man and he could tell now that she had recovered from her relationship with Ezra. "I stopped there on my way back from the village and helped Nettie out with some chores. About an hour ago, she said Dulcie’s time was close."

They galloped out of town quickly, leaving the frantic preparation of Four Corner’s anniversary far behind. In truth, Alex did not mind a few hours out of the town limits to take in some peace and quiet. After the day she had, Alex knew she would enjoy a ride away from all the noise and people of Four Corners. There was even a part of her that did not mind taking that ride with Vin Tanner even though she still wanted her bath.

"So is Dulcie one of Nettie’s relatives?" Alex asked as her eyes took in the sight of the golden grass and the trees that covered the plains now that they were well and truly away from the civilisation of the town. Alex found herself starting to relax the more distance they put between themselves and Four Corners.

"No," Vin looked over his shoulder at her in confusion. "Dulcie’s is Nettie’s cow."

"A cow!" Alex exclaimed as her jaw dropped open in outrage. "You dragged me away from a hot bath because of a cow?"

"She needs your help." Vin said firmly, rolling his eyes because he knew this civility between them could not last. It never did. Sooner or later, they would be fighting about something. With a smile, Vin had forgotten how arousing that could be. "Nettie can’t afford to lose her." He insisted instead.

"I know that," Alex snapped. "But I don’t know anything about cows!" She complained. She dealt in human patients not livestock!

"How different could it be?" Vin looked at her innocently and decided this was absolutely the reason why he had not told her that Dulcie was a bovine in the first place. Dulcie was Nettie’s only source of milk and Vin knew how tough things were for the widow. He also knew that despite her protests, Alex would not hesitate to lend the widow a helping hand, no matter how undignified the situation.

Alex slapped him on the shoulder and was further infuriated when he let out a soft chuckle of amusement. "If that was your attempt to be funny, I am not amused."

"Look," Vin said in that silky smooth voice of his that indicated he was not joking about what he was about to say next. "You’re the only one who can help Dulcie."

Alex groaned visibly and buried her face in his back and she complained soundlessly into his buckskin coat. He was right of course and there was no way that Alex was going to let Nettie’s cow suffer such a terrible ordeal where its life could be lost. "I had plans," she sighed, looking up after a moment. "I was going to run a bath and soak for hours."

"You deliver Dulcie’s calf and I’ll run the damn bath for you." Vin said exasperated. "Hell I’ll even scrub your back if you like. Although you going to have to pay me extra for that." He glanced over his shoulder and delivered a perfectly devilishly smile that succeeded in his getting another sharp slap across the shoulder.

"You wish." Alex retorted but could not keep the smile for her lips.

*******

The next person who asked Chris Larabee if he was going to be escorting Mary Travis to the dance was going to be shot dead on the spot. Chris did not give a damn if he was meant to be the law in town or not. All day, he had been accosted by well meaning towns people who wanted to know if she would be entering a picnic basket in the raffle or if he knew if she had completed the list of contributors for the dance’s refreshment stand. He was being bombarded with all sorts of trivial nonsense just because he was now recognised as being her…. Chris could not even bring himself to say the word.

The word is beau, Larabee.

Chris winced as he entered the saloon, hoping that was the one place that would offer solitude from the madness that was taking place in the town. Whatever happened to those wonderful days when everyone was afraid of him and no one would say anything to him unless they could help it? The answer was plain enough even for him to see it. Since he was openly engaged in a relationship with a community leader, some twisted logic on the part of the townsfolk had decided that he was respectable too. Him, Chris Larabee, the original bad element himself. The humiliation was beyond expression.

Of course, Mary found this all very amusing. For some reason she delighted in his discomfiture every time one of these things happened. Each time, Chris had asked Mary to let her neighbours know that he did not care to go to church on Sundays and who gave a rat’s ass if it was proper Christian behaviour to spend most of his time in a saloon, she could only laugh. He tried to remember if being married to Sarah was even half as hard as simply courting Mary Travis and found that he could not make a distinction.

"Whiskey, Inez." Chris growled as he leaned against the bar. The saloon was half-empty because most of the patrons were outside engaging in some part of the preparations for the coming Anniversary celebrations. Even the seven were oddly absent from the saloon except for Ezra, Buck and JD. Josiah was asked to speed up work on his church so that a special service could be held there with a request to deliver a sermon for the occasion. Chris has never seen the preacher so flabbergasted in his entire life. Josiah had faced all kinds of threats since Chris had met him. Killers, outlaws, confederate fanatics and not to mention your odd bounty hunter but real terror flowed in Josiah’s eyes when he was told he was going to get an audience for his usually sparse sermons.

"Is there something the matter Mr Larabee?" Ezra inquired, taking solace inside his saloon because the street outside was too frantic for his liking.

"No whisky." He grumbled and received a dirty look from Inez who had yet to reach the shelf where the bottle was kept since he had only made the order a second ago. She grabbed an unopened bottle and placed a shot glass next to him.

"Thank you for your patience, Mr Larabee." She muttered and went back to serving the other customers.

"Sit in a spell Chris," Buck asked and kicked out a chair for the gunslinger with his foot. "We need a forth with Nathan at the village, treating all those folk up there and poor Josiah working himself into a state over this sermon he has to deliver."

"How far has he got?" Chris asked, picking his bottle and glass from the counter and approaching his friends at the table.

"Well," Ezra said with a faint smile, picturing the last time he had saw Josiah seeking inspiration for his big moment. "He has moved past the need to be poetic in favour of a more down to earth but accessible format."

"He hasn’t wrote a word," Buck translated. "When we left him he was passed out a pew with his nose in the chapter of the bible that says ‘thou shalt not drink’."

"He’s just thinking up all sorts of nice things to say that’s all." JD defended Josiah in the preacher’s absence. "I mean he could dreaming up all kinds of important stuff."

The three older men looked at each other with the same thought and then snorted in unison. "Right."

"You know," Chris sighed as Ezra began to deal out the cards. "I think I might go back to cabin and sit out this whole celebration. This town is being way to lively for my taste right now."

"I can attest to that." Ezra replied. "I tried to steal Julia away for some lunch and she practically threw me out of the store. The place was wall to wall with women buying outfits for this dance. Apparently, I was ousted in favour of an extremely good day at the til." With a smile he added. "A woman who loves money more than I do, God is indeed kind."

Chris shook his head unable to understand how that relationship worked at all. "A dance." He frowned, knowing that there was no way he was getting out of going to the event because Mary needed to be present and it was unthinkable that she ought to go unescorted. Perhaps if asked really nicely, she might let him off. A few seconds with that thought and Chris knew that Mary would have his hide to the wall if he made her go stag.

He missed the old days where he could shoot someone who pissed him off.

"Been awhile for you hasn’t it Chris?" Buck grinned, realising why Chris was so unhappy about the situation.

"Surely you can dance Mr Larabee?" Ezra looked at him in mild surprise.

"I can dance," Chris scowled at Buck, offering him a silent sarcastic thanks for bringing up that subject. "I just haven’t done it a while."

"Its easy Chris!" JD smiled; pleased to be able to say with confidence that was one skill he knew well, thanks to his ma who made sure he learnt. JD remembered the Christmases where they would dance to the carollers outside their windows.

"Don’t offer to teach me." Chris warned before anyone got it into their head to even think that.

"Are you escorting Miss Wells, JD?" Ezra asked, choosing to move on to a less volatile subject as he looked through his hand and began selecting his discards.

"Yeah," JD nodded. "And I ain’t letting anyone get her basket either." He said firmly. "I saw how that Bart Cook has been sniffing around her when she’s been in town. I just know he’s going to try and get that picnic basket first." There was such determination in his voice that even Chris was unable to keep a smile from stealing across his jaded features.

"Go get em, Sheriff." Buck laughed. "Actually, I haven’t asked anyone. Kind of safer that way cause then I get to pick and choose from a wide selection of poor, unfortunate wall flowers." He grinned with an evil gleam in his eyes that was purely Buck.

Ezra looked at Buck in a mixture of amusement and disgust. "Mr Wilmington, you have no shame." The gambler shook his head.

"Let’s just not talk about who has a monopoly on bad behaviour with the ladies Ezra," Buck stared at him with narrow eyes and Ezra immediate shrugged guiltily because it was the truth. Occasionally, his friends would choose to remind him of the situation with Julia and Alex.

"He’s got you there." Chris found himself agreeing.

"Alexandra seems quite recovered from that unfortunate situation." Ezra said clearing his throat, still looking uncomfortable in the face of that particular subject.

"She and Mrs Travis delivered a baby today," JD pointed out. "Got me to ride out and fetch Eric Dunlevy."

"What was it?" Chris asked curious, although he was sure Mary would fill him in on all the details later.

"A boy." JD replied. "Got a set of lungs on him too. Between him and Judith, they were both hollering to bring the roof down."

"Well," Ezra said remembering what Maude had to say on the whole subject of birth and labour. "As my dear mother once said, if you were force to eject something the size of a watermelon through an opening the size of a grape, you would have extremely good reason to scream."

"Ouch." Buck laughed as he saw JD trying to visualise the image in his mind and wincing when the picture finally formed.

Suddenly Ezra’s gaze shifted to the bat wing doors as two strangers entered the saloon. Both men were extremely well dressed with one of them wearing a gun belt that seemed inappropriate when compared to the rest of the outfit. The armed man was almost as tall as Buck, with white blond hair and lightly tanned skin. The unarmed man was so well attired that he made Ezra appear scruffy. He was about Chris’s height with dark gold hair that hung just above his shoulders and had the worn look of someone who did a great deal of travelling.

Chris watched the unarmed man’s eyes study the room with an expression that could only be considered distaste. His gaze met Chris’ briefly before moving towards the bar, which he and his companion approached slowly, as if they were sizing up the place before their gradual arrival at the counter.

None of the lawmen said anything but instinct had made them very aware of the new arrivals. Unconsciously, Chris’ hand had moved beneath the table to rest gently against his gun. JD seemed oblivious to it all, content merely to observe because it was not in his nature to expect trouble from every new face. Ezra no longer seemed interested in his cards but was maintaining the facade for the moment. Buck kept shuffling his cards but his eyes were stealing furtive glances at the strangers.

"What can I get you?" Inez greeted them politely, unaware about any of the lawmen’s suspicions but gathered that men dressed this well could probably tip the same way too.

"A scotch for starters." The unarmed stranger smiled at her with perfect teeth. "A whisky for my friend here."

"Certainly," she replied and went away briefly to fill the order.

When she returned, she served the two men their drinks and was paid with a handsome tip, the unarmed men spoke before she could go to her other customers. "Have you lived in town for long?" The man inquired, unaware that his conversation was being listened to very closely.

"Long enough Senor." Inez answered, hoping this was not some attempt at pick up. Rich and well dressed he may be but Inez really did not have time to think up a witty refusal at this time.

"I don’t suppose you would know if there is a lady doctor in residence here?" He asked smoothly in a pronounced English accent.

"There is." Inez nodded unwilling to give him any information until she knew who this man was.

The mention of Alex Styles’ name had perked the interest of everyone at the table, especially Ezra who was now burning with curiosity to learn the identity of this mysterious stranger.

"I am a friend of Alexandra Styles’ father," he continued, seeing that Inez did indeed know Alex and his long journey was not in vain after all. "I’ve come a long way to see her."

"Really?" Inez nodded. Unfortunately, if this man wanted to find Alex it was not going to be difficult and she saw no reason to lie to this man, especially if he was an old friend of the family. However, there was something about him that seemed familiar, perhaps a glint in the eye that made her naturally suspicious. "She has a clinic at the other side of town. If she is not making calls, that’s where she probably is. May I ask who you are Sir? In case I see her before you?"

"I never refuse an introduction to a beautiful woman." He said with a smile. "I am Randall Mason, at your service. This is my travelling companion, Mr Rihs."

"Are you staying in town long?" The question came from Chris Larabee who wanted to know what this man required of Alexandra Styles. Chris walked towards the counter and leaned up against it as he made a deeper study of this man now that his intentions were known. Chris considered himself a good judge of character and for some reason this stranger with his expensive clothes and charming smile put the gunslinger on guard.

"May I ask what business is that of yours?" Randall looked at Chris in question.

"Just being friendly." Chris replied. "Alex Styles is a friend of mine."

The moment Chris said that, the man’s eyes darkened for an instant. It was like a thunderstorm that had surface out of nowhere and vanished just as quickly. In less than a second, there was no sign of it anywhere in his face. "I see." He said pleasantly but Chris could sense the tautness in his voice. "May I inquire the nature of the relationship?"

"I think you best ask the lady that." Chris replied smoothly, knowing that he was being provocative but he wanted to know why this stranger was here because the hairs on his back were standing and that little voice that always seemed to know trouble was coming, was making itself very vocal in Chris’ mind about now.

The man named Rihs moved his hand towards his gun in an overt display of force, which Chris more or less ignored because Ezra, Buck and JD were watching the exchange closely and would cover his back if he needed it. Mason saw his companion’s action and spoke with that same oozing slickness. "Now Mr Rihs," he said reproachfully. "I am sure this gentlemen was just curious and acting on the benefit of Alexandra. If I were her friend, I would be cautious of any strangers coming to town and asking her whereabouts."

Chris did not want to tell the man that he was being ambivalent simply because Chris just did not like him but Mason’s explanation would serve for the moment. "We’ll pass it on that you’re looking for her." Chris said amiably.

"Much obliged." Randall downed the contents of his glass and then tipped his hat in Chris direction before motioning to his companion to make a discreet exit. They departed in very much the same way they had arrived, like an ill wind blowing. Chris watched them disappeared out the door before he turned to Ezra and the others.

"Where is she?" He asked simply.

"I saw her riding out with Vin." JD announced. "They were heading out of town."

"With Vin?" Ezra exclaimed with just a little too much interest. "I am surprised she would climb on a horse with him again after the last time."

"Is it me, or does that man make my skin crawl for no good reason." Inez remarked, her gaze still on the door.

Chris did not know why he felt so suspicious about Randall Mason when the man had done nothing to warrant such hostility but Chris knew people and something Mason just did not sit right with the gunslinger. After a moment, he finally answered Inez.

"It ain’t you."

***********

The sun had peaked in the sky when Vin and Alex finally arrived at the Wells place. After the day she had been forced to endure, the lethargic pace of ride out of town was exactly what she needed to recuperate. She felt so relaxed riding through the golden coloured plains with a glorious blue-sky overhead, Alex almost did not mind that she was taking this trip to play midwife to a cow. Besides, Nettie needed her help and Alex knew how much she meant to Vin Tanner.

Despite herself, Alex was struck by how natural it felt to ride with Vin like this. There was no reservation or inhibition when they were out in the open like this, away from the prying eyes of everyone who might take notice. However, being alone with Vin had its disadvantages as well. Like before, she was tantalised by the overpowering scent of him and for once did not feel embarrassed when she found herself breathing it in with some relish. Alex rested her head against his back and breathed him in like he was something intoxicating. This time, she noted that it was not the smell of wet buckskins but the scent of sweat against his skin.

Vin noticed the effect he was having on Alex in the sense that she was more at ease with him than she had ever been. Normally, she would fidget and shift uncomfortably in the saddle, as if touching him was some sin now that Ezra was no longer in her life and there was nothing to stop her from giving herself to him. However, this time was different. Occasionally, she would rest her head against his back, pressing her weight against his skin and making him so aware of her that he could barely remember where he was going. For over a month, Vin had stayed away from Alex while she recovered from the painful heartache of her broken relationship with Ezra. During the rare occasions when they came across each other, she would look at him strangely as if trying to decide what to was to be done with him. Vin had opted to stay away until she reached that decision.

However, during the trip to the farm, Vin had discovered that she no longer felt so conflicted about being with him and her ease was reflected in the warm familiarity between them. She did not seem to have any difficulty touching him and when she rested her face against him and breathed deeply, Vin had to fight the shudder of pleasure that rippled through him. Vin still warmed himself at nights with the memory of how they had almost made love in the cabin recently vacated by Agnes Doherty who had moved away to North Carolina to live with her sister. Vin ached to taste her again, remembering the tingle against his tongue when he caressed her skin. He wanted to hear that breathless whisper of his name from her silky lips as he….

Maybe it was not such a good idea to keep be thinking about that right now, Vin told himself when he suddenly felt his arousal taking shape in a way that was going to be impossible to hide. At least, not while she still had her hands around him and he could feel her breath caressing his neck.

Such thoughts were quickly brushed away when Vin saw Nettie and Casey who hurried down the track leading to the house upon catching sight of them. Judging by the expression on their faces, the situation with Dulcie had not improved and might have actually worsened. Vin had no doubt that Nettie and Casey had been anxiously awaiting his return ever since he rode of some hours ago to fetch Alex. He could see the marked lines across Nettie’s face that made her worry apparent and prompted Vin to dismount quickly so that he could help Alex down.

"Thank god you’re here." Nettie brushed past him and looked up at Alex who had also caught the urgency in Nettie’s eyes. She met Vin’s gaze momentarily and conveyed to him in a glance that she would do her level best to alleviate the widow’s concerns.

"She’s in a real bad way. I think the calf is stuck." Nettie continued. "I don’t think she’s going to last much longer."

Alex winced at the pain the animal must be going through fully aware of difficulties when it was with a human enduring the problem. It was an agonising ordeal that usually ended up costing both the mother and the child’s life. Alex knew she had little time to waste. "Vin help me down please." She asked the tracker, her voice taking that air of professional confidence.

Vin complied immediately, never more impressed with Alex when she was filled with such certainty about what she needed to do. Despite whatever doubts and concerns that may affect her personally; Alex always seemed capable of rising above all that whenever there was a patient requiring her help. He reached for her and gently set her down on the ground, exchanging a warm smile of thanks because her air of confidence was going a long way to relieving Nettie’s anxieties.

"Where is she?" Alex asked as she fell into stride with Nettie who was now making her way around the house to the rear of the property where the barn was situated.

"She’s been in her stall." Casey explained, with an edge of fear in her voice. It was Casey who tended to the animals on the farm and Dulcie had been her responsibility since the first time Aunt Nettie bought the calf from the sale yards. "You can help her can’t you?" Casey asked, trying not to sound like a child who was fretting about an animal but she could not hide the feeling in her eyes.

"I can’t make any promises." Alex said honestly because she did not know how severely the breach had affected the animal. "But I will try."

That reassurance was enough to bring a wide smile to the teenager’s face and she was indeed a lovely young woman when she smiled, Alex thought. It was never easy to tell with Casey Wells because she was always hidden underneath men’s clothes and her manner was decidedly masculine. There was no doubt that she feminine in every way that mattered for she had the intrinsic characteristics of a young girl that Alex remembered fondly in her youth.

It was not Casey’s fault of course that she lacked the social graces. Casey was struggling to do a man’s work on the farm. In her attempt to lighten the load of for Nettie and because her aunt had taught to be self sufficient, expediency had forced away any need for all the refinements that young ladies were supposed to have in this day and age. However, at rare moments like this when she smiled, Alex could well understand why JD Dunne was so enchanted.

They entered the barn and Alex immediately heard the sound of Dulcie’s agonised braying from the far end of the building. As she walked through, the familiar scent of animal spores and hay bombarded her senses. Eventually, Nettie led her to the stall at the far end of the barn. There were not many animals in Nettie’s barn, just some chickens and two horses. Alex assumed that one of them would be for pulling the wagon stored at the corner of the room. Suddenly, she understood why Vin was so determined for her to help Dulcie. Alex had the impression that the animal could not be easily replaced if it were to die. Following the sound of the animal’s desperate wailing, Alex reached the berth where Dulcie was kept and saw her lying on her side.

The calf that was making such a difficult entry into the world was evidence by its exposed hooves. It did not take anyone with more than a dose of sense to see that those were back hooves that was protruding outwards. It further concerned Alex that Dulcie was now so exhausted that the animal was no longer forcing the calf along the birth canal. Thus, there was no way of knowing if the calf still lived but Dulcie’s agonised wails forced away any inhibition she had that tending to a sick bovine was beneath her abilities. Alex circled the cow once before kneeling behind the animal to make a careful examination. It did not take her long to decide what she was going to have to do.

"The calf going to have to be turned around." She sighed after a moment. Rising to her feet, she returned to the trio who was staying out of her way beyond the stable doors while she was making her examination. It did not take long for her to decide on a course of action even though she did not relish having to perform the procedure. Still, it had to be done and she was the only one who could accomplish it.

"How?" Vin asked mildly fascinated by what she was going to do. He had seen animals give birth before, mostly horses and buffalo and usually a problem like this meant certain death. Most people would have been contented to put both animals out of their misery but Vin knew Alex would not subscribe to that course of action. She cared too much for Nettie to let that happen and he also knew she hated giving up on any patient, human or animal until she at least tried to save its life first.

"The old fashioned way," Alex replied, unbuttoning her sleeve and starting to roll the material up the length of an arm. "Do you have any flour?" She asked.

"Yes," Nettie nodded confused at the request "I’ve got some in the house."

"Good," Alex nodded and looked to Casey. "Sweetie, I’m going to need some. Go get me a cup at least."

The young girl looked bewildered by the request but nevertheless hurried out of the barn, bolting across the straw. As far as Casey was concerned, no request was too strange if it meant that Alex could save Dulcie and her baby. By now Alex had succeeded in rolling both her sleeves as far as it would go up her arms. The sleeves reached their limits, just below the curves of her upper arms. Alex brushed past Vin and Nettie and went towards her doctor’s bag. Reaching inside the worn case, Alex found the leather apron she used whenever she was required to perform surgery or any kind of procedure that would produce a great deal of blood. Donning the apron over her clothes, Alex entered the stall as Vin and Nettie held back, wondering how she was going to pull up this bit of bovine midwifery.

"What are you going to do?" Vin inquired almost afraid to ask since her bare arms was making him rethink the task he had asked of her. A woman should not be required to do such filthy work, no matter how necessary it was.

"Dulcie can’t give birth to this baby," Alex replied with a taut sigh. "She’s going to need help."

"I can’t ask you to do this." Nettie quickly responded. "You’re a doctor, not a vet."

"Nettie," Alex retorted impatiently. "What did you think I was going to do? There are no pills or tonic for this kind of problem. I’m going to have to go in there."

Nettie frowned because like Vin, she believed that this was no kind of work for such a refined woman as Alexandra Styles, even if she was a doctor. "It just doesn’t seem right."

Casey soon returned with the flour and Alex coated her arms with it liberally, so that she would have some grip when she conducted the slippery task ahead. Once she had shaken off the excess particles of white powder from her skin until only a thin veneer of it covered her arms, she stepped forward to Dulcie’s rear and got down on her knees. She slipped her skilled surgeons hands around the exposed hooves; she exerted some pressure against it and gently pushed it into the orifice one again. It was difficult at first as the life inside Dulcie tried to understand what was required of it. Alex was even sure it was alive to understand and the movements were not a result of Dulcie’s contracting placental sac. After a few attempts, the hooves were coaxed back into animal’s body and Alex’s hand plunged into its warmth.

Alex tried not to feel revulsion as she searched through the fluid and blood inside Dulcie’s aching womb. She had handled a man’s intestine in her hands ones and reminded herself that this was not different to that experience. This was a patient like any other patient. She only hoped no one had a camera and reminded herself to bring it up with Mary Travis the next time she saw the newspaperwoman, that this town really needed a vet. Her fingers touched the shape of the tiny life struggling to escape the body and immediately examined it for a pulse.

There was a faint heartbeat that would not last unless it was allowed to emerge soon. As Alex had suspected, Dulcie was too weakened by her ordeal and was no longer making any attempt to deliver the calf. Thus, it would be up to Alex to ensure the calf’s arrival. Working swiftly, Alex manoeuvred the calf inside the walls of the womb, slowly manipulating it through the flow of foetal fluids to its correct position. Alex had to pause and take a breath for the smell was a little hard to take and she took greedy gulps of fresh air before turning back to her patient. Finally, the calf was in satisfactory position and Alex inserted her second arm as Dulcie let out another painful groan.

"Don’t complain." Alex grumbled as she felt the calf’s hooves and closed her fist around them. "At least my hands aren’t cold."

"Vin, I need your help." She looked over her shoulder at the tracker who was watching her carefully.

Vin stepped forward, unable to imagine that Dulcie needed another hand since it was getting pretty crowded in there already. "I’m here." He said quietly, noticing the sweat running down Alex’s forehead and the weariness in her eyes. She really was exhausted and now he wished there had been some other way to solve this particular problem without dragging her out here. Still, it was too late now and the best he could do was help her finish this as quickly as possible and get her home to her hot bath.

"Hold me." She instructed, "just under the chest from behind."

Vin merely looked at her. "We don’t really have time for this." He teased devilishly.

Alex rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Will you just do it!" She growled and found herself smiling wryly at his ability to flirt at the most importune times. Vin got onto his knees and positioned himself behind her, sliding his hands just beneath her breasts while telling himself that this was no time to be enjoying the sensation. She obviously had a reason for asking him to hold her like this.

"I’m going to pull in a minute." Alex instructed, not only to Vin but also to Casey and Nettie who were paying close attention to what was happening. The look in their eyes indicated to Alex that it was necessary for them to be told what she intended. They were worried enough as it was. "When I tell you Vin," she glanced at the tracker. "Pull me back hard. We’re going to try and do this as quickly and smoothly as possible."

"Okay," he nodded all levity disappearing from his face now that he understood the seriousness of what she was asking. Dulcie could not take any more of this arduous labour and so it had to be brought to a close quickly or else both mother and calf would die.

Alex leaned forward and took a deep breath. With her hands already on the front hooves of the unborn calf, Alex secured her grip and eased backwards gently, pressing into Vin who took her lead and moved with her. Tugging gently at first, she felt the young cow sliding forward, fighting against the flow of noisome liquid and muscle walls rapidly contracting around it as the placental fluids bled onto the stable floor. There was more resistance as the calf approached the outside world and Alex found it soon required all her strength to keep pulling.

"I see it!" Casey cried excitedly as a pink snout and hooves appeared through the tight orifice of ringed muscle. Dulcie had tensed now and was making the delivery all the harder. Unfortunately, telling the bovine to practise it breathing was not going to work. Alex kept straining in tandem with Dulcie, trying to maintain her gradual pace until the time was right for a burst of speed.

The head began to emerge as more and more of the calf’s spindly leg became exposed. Once Alex caught sight of the first joint making it past the threshold, she called out sharply. "Now Vin!"

Vin yanked her back forcefully as Alex pulled the calf out in a slick whoosh of sound that made her fall backwards against the tracker. Dulcie let out a final bray of pain as her child was finally expelled from her body. For a moment, no one spoke as Dulcie lay her enormous head against the hay and rested from her ordeal. In the meantime, Alex found herself face to face with a pair of blank but grateful eyes that regarded her with curiosity following its dramatic arrival into the world.

Alex let out a sigh of relief as she saw the calf blink indicating that it had come through its birth alive and well. There had been a moment when Alex had thought that the inducement might have come too late. She was covered in placental fluid, blood and one very young calf that even now was struggling to stand now more than a foot away from her. Alex watched it stagger around while she rested against Vin for a moment, enjoying the feel of his body beneath hers for a few minutes and taking note of the taut muscle against her back. Suddenly, she had some idea of what he must have been going through during their rides. Vin’s arm remained around her waist and he sat up against her, breathing in the scent of her hair as they both enjoyed the miracle of life that was trying to stand on its ungainly legs.

"You did it!" Casey exclaimed in nothing less than delight as she ran forward and tended to the calf, ushering it towards Dulcie so it could begin the every important bonding process.

"You know something," Vin whispered softly in her ear as Nettie and Casey welcomed the new arrival into their menagerie.

"What?" Alex met his gaze.

"You really do need that bath." He chuckled.

Alex gave him a look and started laughing, for she was too pleased with her first bovine delivery to be mad at the remark. Besides, he was right. She did need a bath. "I’ll say this for you Tanner, you sure know how to show a lady a good time."

Part Two:

Past and Present

By the time Alex and Vin finally left Nettie and Casey, it was well into the night. While she did not get her bath, she did have the chance to get cleaned up as Nettie provided her with a wash basin, hot water and soap. Her shirt was well and truly soiled, so she borrowed one of Casey’s which was over sized since the girl had a tendency to knot the end around her waist. Alex decided this would serve to and found some warmth in the rough texture of cloth against her skin. While she far from refreshed, she felt somewhat civilised and ready for the ride home.

However, Nettie would not let either Vin or Alex leave before they shared supper for the widow seemed to think some sort of compensation was necessary for Vin’s chores during the day and Alex delivery of Dulcie’s calf. Nettie did not set a lavish table but the stew was tasty and warm, which as far as Alex was concerned was good enough for her because she was hungry. When she had days like these, meals were the last thing on her mind as she went from one home to another, dispensing her skills continuously. Normally, Nathan Jackson’s presence ensured that neither of them would be pushed to exhaustion. However, with both them being the only physicians in an area that included Four Corners, the Indian reservation, several smaller communities within its sphere, not to mention the numerous homesteads spread across the area, it was inevitable that the demand for their services was going to be great.

Alex would have gone to the reservation and tended to the epidemic run rife in the ranks of the Native Americans but Chris Larabee would not hear anything of it. Apparently, it was inappropriate for a woman of her stature to be going there alone, to say nothing of actually staying there to tend the sick. During the occasions, she had travelled to the place, Chris ensured she had company, much to Alex’s chagrin.

She wondered how Mary kept from strangling the man.

When they finally set out, the sun had well and truly set over the horizon and the sky above was nothing more than a blanket of stars. Alex gazed up into the sky as they departed; becoming lost in the myriad of lights twinkling overhead. She had travelled to many places in her life and always found the stars here to shine the brightest. She could not decided whether or not it just seemed that way to her because of her affection for this land or because it was true. It was a sobering thing to travel the world and find the one place that she could call home. How many times had she dreamed that experience?

"That was nice of you helping Nettie like that." Vin commented when they were some distance away from the farm. It was almost an hours ride to Four Corners but Vin was in no hurry to reach it and somehow he had the feeling that Alex was not either. She was so tired that he could feel her cheek resting against his back and Alex was more than just hanging on to him, it felt like she was holding him close, like one would hold a lover. He liked how that felt.

"Well," she sighed, her eyes closed as she let herself drift as she clung to him. "I like Nettie and you were right, she doesn’t have the resources to replace Dulcie if she had lost the animal. Besides, I know what Nettie means to you."

Suddenly Vin was struck with the insight that Alex had made this whole journey, endured the undistinguished task of delivering a cow into the world not because of Nettie but because of him. She was aware of how much Vin regarded the widow and knew that any distress to Nettie would upset him and so she had perform the task so that he would be spared that.

"She reminds me of my ma." Vin confessed, choosing not to let Alex know that he was aware of her motivations. Their relationship was still finding its feet and he did not want to push. It was enough for him that she no longer felt threatened by the possibility of something between them. The days when he plunged headfirst into a relationship with no idea of the woman he bestowed his affection upon, was over. Charlotte had taught him a valuable lesson in restraint. For a man who seldom liked to express his emotions, Vin was perfectly aware how passionate he could be when he finally let it overtake him. He had fallen in love with Charlotte for no good reason other than she had shown him the interest.

"How old were you when you lost her?" Alex inquired, realising she knew very little about Vin’s background. While she was not terribly curious for people were entitled to their secrets in her opinion, it did strike a chord because she had also lost her mother very early in life.

"Young enough to not remember very much about her." Vin admitted with a hint of regret.

"I remember my mother in bits and pieces." Alex replied, knowing this was a difficult subject for him and wanting him to know that he was not alone in his sorrow. "I remember that I had her hands and that she liked to laugh. My father adored her." Alex mused, missing the old man most profoundly now. "When he died, I finally understood why he always so sad when he thought about her."

"He meant a lot to you, didn’t he?" Vin replied, looking over his shoulder enough to smile at the sight of her resting against him.

"For a long time, it was only the two of us. He was an explorer at heart. He loved to travel and we went to places that aren’t even on maps any more. I saw more in the first twenty years of my life then I think I’ll ever see. He wanted to make everything an adventure." She laughed remembering her father and not realising until the first tear had rolled down her cheek how much speaking about him had affected her. She quickly wiped away the tear before Vin could see it because she was not ready to share that much of her soul with him yet.

Vin Tanner was still an unknown element to her, no matter how deeply she felt about him. After Ezra, Alex was unwilling to rush into another relationship, despite the powerful attraction she felt for Vin. Yet, despite all her attempts to keep her distance, she found it increasingly harder to deny that there was no doubt or hesitation with him. They had been so direct with each other that it was impossible to hide anything. In some way, this so far platonic relationship with the tracker was far more intense that the romantic one she had shared with Ezra.

"So are you going to the dance?" He asked her to her complete astonishment.

"No." Alex answered automatically, still somewhat surprised by the sudden change in direction of their conversation. "I never really enjoy those things. Besides, the entire town is going to make some comment about the fact that I’d be going without Ezra." Despite her common belief that her reputation was not something that had to be protected in an ivory tower, the whole town was aware that she and Ezra had gone their separate ways and that she had been rejected for Julia Pemberton.

"So you’re gonna stay at home feeling sorry for yourself cause Ezra’s with Miss Pemberton." Vin remarked with a hint of amusement.

"No," she protested hotly. "I’ve got things to do that night. I was finally going to get around organising my father’s papers in those boxes I never opened and maybe I’ll curl up in bed with a good book. I have lots of things to do that night." It was harder trying to convince herself than it was Vin.

"Sounds like it." He said sarcastically and only succeeded in making Alex feel all the more stupid.

"Its not going to work you know." She glared at him with narrowed eyes, even though he was facing front.

"What?" Vin said shortly.

"You know." She insisted, removing her arms around him and folding them instead.

"I don’t know." Vin replied casually, nonplussed by her annoyance. He had become accustomed to her moods by now to know what was the best way to handle her when she was all fired up like this. Being his usual unflappable manner went further to infuriating her than openly baiting could ever do. There was something of an art to it. That much Vin had learnt from Chris Larabee in his observation of the gunslinger’s relationship with Mary Travis.

"You’re just trying to make me feel bad so that I go to this thing."

"Am I?" Vin asked, glancing over his shoulder so that she could see the innocence in his intense blue eyes.

"Stop it!" She slapped him on the shoulder. "I’m not going."

"I’m not asking you." He pointed out. "I just asked if you had planned to."

"No," she retorted. "Its too much bother, I’d have to go buy a dress and then I’d have to put my hair up and then finally go to this thing without an escort. I think I will spare myself the bother."

"Why do you have to put your hair up?" Vin inquired. He hated the thought of that sheeny dark hair being confined in place by pins and clips. Vin could never understand the fascination of women who put themselves through the torture of braiding and trying to keep their hair up in some strange fashion. Mary Travis used to wear her hair up all the time and when she finally let it loose, Vin swore Chris Larabee had almost walked into a wall the first time he had seen her. The gunslinger had claimed he was drunk but Vin knew better.

"Because it’s the done thing." She replied, hating to justify her reasons for not going because they were weak ones.

"Since when did that matter to you?" He questioned.

"Okay," she groaned, deciding that he was not going to let her get away with this with any measure of dignity. "I don’t have to do my hair up but I don’t want to go any way!" She said exasperated wishing he would understand.

"Cause you’d be going on alone?" He ventured a guess.

"I have no trouble going myself." Alex said defiantly, wishing they would just get to Four Corners so that this whole embarrassing conversation would be at an end. However, there was no sign of the town lights in the distance, only trees and open plains that seem to run forever into the night.

"I’d take you if you like."

Alex narrowed her eyes and glared at him even though he was not looking at her because she suddenly realised how she had been manoeuvred into this position by his skilfully placed questions. How did he do that? She grumbled, hating being manipulated this way. "You might have just asked me you know." Alex sighed unfolding her arms and slipping them around his waist again, now that his intention was clear.

"It was more fun this way." Vin met her gaze with a smile of mischief.

"Can you even dance?" She looked at him sceptically, for this was not a skill that she had ever seen him display.

"A little." He answered honestly. "But I thought you didn’t like these things much."

"Then why ask me?" Alex asked, starting to get confused.

"Because I thought I’d take pity on you and get you out of the house for awhile. Can’t have you turning into a mean ol’ spinster woman, can I?" He was grinning even though she could not see it.

"Gee," Alex retorted sarcastically. "It’s a wonder to me why some girl hasn’t snatched you up yet. You’re such a sweet talker."

Vin chuckled, knowing that she was not at all insulted and this was part of the game they played instead of revealing to each other how they truly felt. "So, am I going to have get cleaned up for you or not for this dance?"

"How can I refuse such a charming invitation?" She sighed lying against him once more as the weariness overtook her again. Secretly, Alex knew she did not want to refuse but there was no reason for him to know that.

*********

Josiah stared at the blank page before him and would have sworn if it were not somewhat sinful to do so in the house of God. He tried to will the words that would normally flow from his mind like the pearls of wisdom he usually imparted upon his friends onto the page but groaned with frustration when no such miracle seem forthcoming after the second hour of trying. In truth, he had actually tried earlier that day and decided a bottle of whiskey might assist the creative process. All that succeeded in doing was give him a hangover and still nothing came. He was never very good at public oratories, even when he did preside over a parish.

He flipped over the bible before him and picked up the pencil once more, determined to make some sort of start on this undertaken. The special service was too days away and he had no idea what he was going to say before the congregation. He wished Four Corners had a real preacher, some one who was not afraid to get in front of an audience and to a fire and brimstone sermon that would inspire the townsfolk.

"Good evening preacher." A voice said politely behind him.

Josiah who was stretched out on a pew looked up and saw the stranger walk through the doors of the church. Josiah did not recognise him but his appearance gave the preacher the impression that he as not from these parts, or even from this country for that matter. "Good evening," Josiah rose to his feet. "What can I do for you?"

"I was just taking in the sights." Randall Mason remarked. "Not that there’s much to see."

"A fledgling township is never a great tourist attraction." Josiah answered smoothly, watching the man closely.

"Neither is your church." The man continued, allowing his gaze to wander across the length of the dilapidated church that was slowly being reconstructed by Josiah in a labour of love.

When Josiah first began the endeavour, the church barely had walls let alone pews and pedestals. Now it was fit to hold a service even if the aesthetics of the building could be improved. However, the residents who came into its walls for solace and comfort hardly noticed the threadbare state of the church, knowing only that it was a house of God. All other considerations in the face of that knowledge was incidental.

"God’s house is humble." Josiah replied, wondering what this stranger required of him. "What can I do for you Sir?" He inquired again, hoping that this time the man would get to the point. Josiah had a sermon to write or he could simply torture himself with for the rest of the night with writer’s block. Josiah had not decided which way he was going yet but he wanted to start doing it soon.

"I assume you know most of the people in town, I never met a shepherd who did not know his flock with some intimacy." Randall remarked, wiping some dust he had picked up from one of the pews onto his jacket with disgust.

"I know some people." Josiah said evenly, realising this man was after information. He did not look like a killer but he did appear dangerous and that made Josiah wish he was in close reach of his gun. The preacher tried not to bring weapons onto hallowed ground and left his gun strapped to his saddle. "Whom are you inquiring after?"

"A woman." Randall said, strolling through the aisle between the pews like a tourist, his eyes still studying the place closely.

."You are in the wrong place." Josiah retorted. "I believe the saloon is where you should be making such inquiries."

"A doctor." Randall declared with a hint of a smile at Josiah’s attempt at levity. "Her name is Alexandra Styles. Do you know her?"

Josiah studied the man closely, trying to decide what this stranger wanted with Doctor Styles. "I know Alexandra." He answered quietly.

"I’m an old friend and I would like to find her." He replied. "I have made the obligatory call to her clinic and home. She does not appear to be present, I was wondering if you might know who her friends are, so I may have some idea where she is. I have come a long way to see her."

"Alexandra has friends all over town. However, she is a doctor as you know and that could mean she might be anywhere. I suggest you return to your lodgings and wait for her to find you." Josiah said smoothly.

"This is a most uncooperative town." Mason frowned, not liking Josiah’s response. He was tired of waiting! He had crossed an ocean to find Alexandra and would not be stopped by the provincial peasants of this frontier shantytown. "You seem to react as if I were the enemy. I’m just an old friend dropping into say hello."

"I’m sorry," Josiah said turning his back to the man. "I can’t help you."

Randall glared at the preacher, seething in rage because his impatience was escalating into fires of fury he could not control. He wanted to see Alexandra and he wanted to see her now. He was unprepared to wait any longer. "I suppose I should be pleased that Alexandra has such close friends," he said with a smile that hid the hatred for this entire town with practiced control. "She seldom had a place to call home when she was younger. Her father was quite the traveller you know."

"So she’s mentioned.’ Josiah said watching the man closely, having caught the glimmer of black that had surfaced in his eyes even for that brief instant.

"It will be so much harder when she finally decides to come away with me."

Josiah looked at him. "Does the lady intend on leaving?" This was the first Josiah had heard of any intention by Alexandra Styles to leave Four Corners. It was hard to think of her as being gone. Alex was now apart of their group as Mary or Inez. He hated to think what effect this would have on Nathan Jackson who considered Alex a good friend.

"Not yet," Mason smiled as he walked out the building. "But she will."

Josiah watched him leave, disliking the man and his slippery manner. Instinct told him to be cautious of the stranger and Josiah felt apprehension for what his presence might mean for Alexandra Styles. There was something about him that felt almost predatory and the glint of hatred Josiah had seen in his eyes was a glimmer of darkness he knew all too well. Such men had no difficulty harming those around them and Josiah knew his presence did not bode well for the lady doctor.

Josiah waited until the man had been gone for some time before he decided on a course of action. It may well be that the stranger was telling the truth, that he was indeed an old friend of Alex Styles, but the seven lawmen had felt the same kind of protection towards the doctor as they did towards any one in their circle. He knew Chris would want to be appraised of this stranger’s inquiries or the ominous nature of his words.

Deciding that his sermon could wait since in honestly, it did not appear that the inspiration for a truly spell binding oratory was forthcoming at the present time, Josiah hurried out the church and went in search of Chris Larabee

********

Josiah found Chris in the jailhouse where he had been hiding out most of the day following an exodus from the saloon. It felt like the one place in town where Chris could find any peace and quiet. Although he wanted to call in on Mary, the gunslinger knew she was probably up to her ears in the preparation for the celebrations that would being in two days. He had remembered glancing through the itinerary of events schedule and was frankly amazed at how Mary was able to keep track of all of it. While he did not want to get caught up in Four Corner’s anniversary celebration, Chris was aware of how important the event was to the down.

Before the arrival of the seven, Four Corners was just another lawless town, running rife with drunks and outlaws who happened to breeze into town at regular intervals. Decent folk were uprooting and leaving in droves and the only one who had remained as an example to others had been Mary Travis. Chris thought fondly of the first time he laid eyes on her and knew from that moment perhaps, that his heart was lost even before he was aware it was missing.

Thanks to Mary, Chris and the others had stayed and Four Corners had prospered. He knew she wanted him to be part of the celebration but Mary was perceptive enough to understand that such things were simply not him. Chris had difficulty feeling enthusiasm for anything lately and had ever since he lost his family.

"Chris." Josiah walked into the jailhouse.

"Howdy Josiah," Chris greeted amiably, looking up from his book as he sat with his legs resting on the table and a half-empty bottle of whiskey on the corner of the desk. "How’s the sermon coming."

"Its moving along," he remarked and then felt a little guilty for lying. Nevertheless, Josiah pulled a chair up to the desk before taking a seat himself. Chris pushed a clean glass in his direction before Josiah poured himself a drink. "I just had a visitor."

Chris’ gaze met his in that subtle way that always seemed to expect trouble no matter how innocent the statement. "Who?" Chris lay down the book on his lap and sat up, removing his feet from the desk.

"Didn’t give his name." Josiah replied, "but he was awfully interested in Miss Styles."

Recognition flooded into Chris eyes as he remembered the face and the exchange in the saloon earlier today. Instinct had told him that Randall Mason was not simply going to disappear no matter who he claimed to be. Chris did not trust the man at all and he trusted him even less now that he knew the man had taken his questions about Alex’s life here elsewhere. "Randall Mason." Chris mused.

"You’ve met him." The preacher noted.

"Yeah." Chris nodded slowly. "We’ve met. He came in the saloon this afternoon looking for Alex."

"Is she in town?" Josiah inquired, seeing the concern in Chris’ face. This could be perfectly innocent but for some reason it did not feel that way.

"No," Chris shook his head in answer. "She’s out with Vin somewhere."

Josiah met his gaze and they both exchanged a faint knowing smile but said nothing, choosing to let innuendo speak for itself rather than actual words. "At least we know she’s safe."

"Until she gets into town." The gunslinger pointed out. Chris wondered how many people Randall had spoken to since his arrival in Four Corners. Alex was well known in town by now and information that he and Josiah had been reluctant to impart to Mr Randall Mason would be readily provided by gossiping townsfolk who liked nothing better than to talk to hear themselves speak. No doubt, Randall would know everything about Alexandra Styles life since her arrival in Four Corners by the time Vin brought her back.

"You got that same feeling?" Josiah asked.

"I do." He responded with slight tilt of his head. "I’ve seen men like him before and they usually bring trouble with them. When he asks for her, it ain’t just a question with him. You can see it behind his eyes, something…."

"She’s a grown woman." Josiah reminded Chris. Alex was almost as wilful as Mary Travis and Chris had to be terribly familiar with that kind of temperament by now. "She may tell us to mind our own business."

"She may," Chris agreed. "But since when do we ever listen?"

"Certainly not the man who went out there and dragged Mary Travis back from Sweetwater one time." Josiah grinned, watching Chris frown as he remembered the incident well. Especially the night that followed.

"Buck has a big mouth." Chris grumbled.

"I heard it from Vin actually." The preacher said with missing a beat.

Chris made a mental note to have a little talk with the tracker the next time Chris saw him. Hopefully, Vin would not be too much longer keeping Alex away from town. Chris wanted to talk to the woman to see if this Mason was truly a friend of hers because Chris just knew the man was bad news. Over the years, he had learnt to rely upon the instincts that alerted him to danger and the first time that he saw Randall Mason, Chris was almost deafened by the alarm bells that went off in his head.

No sooner than the thought had left his head, Vin Tanner made his appearance through the door of the jailhouse. The tracker appeared as he always did, oblivious to all the excitement that had taken place in his absence. Vin had just left Alex a few moments ago at her house and was feeling pretty pleased with himself that she had agreed to let him escort her to the dance. It was normally not the sort of thing he went in for but he hated thinking she would be hiding herself away because she did not want to face Julia Pemberton on Ezra’s arm.

"Where the hell have you been?" Chris asked rising from his chair before Vin had a chance to say hello.

"At Nettie’s." The younger man looked at Chris and Josiah with some confusion. "Was there trouble?"

"No," Chris sat back down after a second, wondering if he was over reacting a little. Vin had no idea what was transpiring in town during his jaunt with Alex today. There was no reason why he should not have done exactly what he had. "A friend of Alex has rode into town. He’s been asking for her."

Immediately, Vin’s good mood disappeared. "An old friend?" He wondered who the stranger was and what he wanted with Alex. Alex had come straight to Four Corners from England. Had there been time for her to make any acquaintances in that short time? "Is he American?" Vin found himself asking, unable to recall Alex mentioning any occasion where she had met anyone before her arrival in town.

"No," Josiah answered before Chris could. "Sounds English."

"That’s a long way to come." Vin mused; not liking this one damn bit at all. After making some headway in his relationship with Alex today, Vin hated to see it come to an end because of the unexpected arrival of some ‘old friend’. No man travelled an ocean to see a woman unless there was a very good reason for it and Vin had an idea of what that might be. He understood that he could just jealous and thinking irrationally but judging by the distaste of Chris Larabee’s face and the concern in Josiah’s eyes, his fears were justified.

"Where is she now?" Chris inquired impatiently.

"I left her at her place." Vin replied, his mind was still engaged in trying to remember who this mysterious friend of hers could be. She had never mentioned a man in her life other than her father. "She was helping Dulcie deliver her calf at Nettie’s."

"You had a doctor deliver a cow?" Josiah exclaimed in surprise, trying to picture Alex playing midwife to a stricken bovine.

"It was a breach." Vin retorted, feeling bad enough for putting Alex through that embarrassing situation.

Chris sighed, trying to decide on what he should do about this. He was in two minds regarding what course of action to take. For starters, Randall Mason could be exactly what he appeared to be, a friend of Alex’s who had come a long way to find her. As protective as the seven may feel towards her, in reality, they had no business interfering in her personal relationships. On the other hand, that Chris just knew the man was going to cause trouble, he just could not say why. "Not much we can do about it I guess," the gunslinger frowned unhappily as he sat down again. "We’ll just have to keep an eye on him."

"Why?" Vin met Chris’ gaze, getting the impression that something was being kept from him. "What has he done."

"Nothing yet." Josiah shared Chris’ concern over the situation. "But he just reminds of Don Paulo."

Vin’s eyes widened at the comparison. Inez had obsessed Don Paulo. In fact, he had chased her all the way to Four Corners from Mexico to exact his revenge upon her. Only Buck’s gallant determination to protect the lady had kept Inez from being dragged away into captivity. Paulo was determined to have her and his desire to possess the beautiful, Mexican woman was a madness he could not dispel. Vin had heard about men like that before but until he met Paulo had never guessed how much of a sickness such intense passion could be. If this stranger was anything like that, Vin would kill him first rather than allow him to hurt Alex that way.

"We’re just guessing." Chris quickly spoke up, seeing the look in Vin’s eyes. Vin was never more unpredictable when it came to a woman. The whole debacle with Charlotte had proven that much to the older man. Considering how Vin felt about Alexandra Styles, if he even suspected that this Randall was going to hurt her, Chris could not be certain of what the tracker might do to protect her. "Right now," he said to both Vin and Josiah, "we’re just going to keep an eye on him."

"And her." Vin prompted.

"Naturally." Chris nodded. "In fact, it might be an idea for you to go back to her place and tell her he’s coming, if he hasn’t got to her yet."

"Are we being paranoid?" Josiah finally asked, always the voice of reason in any situation.

Both Chris and Vin met each other’s gazes before replying in unison "No."

************

Alex was about to get into her bath when she heard the front door knock once more. Rolling her eyes in exasperation, she wondered if there was some hidden conspiracy to keep her from soaking for an hour or town. Fortunately, she had not stripped down to her bare essentials, so she was able to storm out of the bathroom and hurry to the front door. Hopefully, she could deal with whoever it was quickly before the heat seeped away from the warm water with its luxurious bath oils and soap.

"Yes?" She said unable to hide her annoyance when she pulled open the door a second later.

Her annoyance lasted for a second as she saw who was standing before her. The face was one from the past; catalogued in memory with those she thought she’d never see again. It was not an unpleasant surprise, but Alex was astonished nevertheless. Her mind thought back to the days on the Giza strip, with images of pyramids and balmy air caressing her skin with tiny particles of desert sand.

"Randall?" Alex let out hushed reply.

"Hello Alexandra." The man beamed happily as he took in the sight of her. Through the dim illumination of her front landing, Randall could tell that she had not changed in the slightest. If anything, she was more beautiful than ever.

"Randall!" She laughed and embraced him warmly, unable to believe that he was here. It had been almost three years since she had last seen him in Egypt. She had never thought she would see him again, certainly not after moving away to America.

When they parted, she quickly invited him into the house, all thoughts of her bath now completely forgotten. Although on this point, she could be forgiven for he was an old friend from a time when they were far and few between. Randall had been the first man she had ever made love to and although the experience was not everything she had wanted, she still valued his friendship.

"What are you doing here?" She asked after she led him to the parlour and disappeared to make tea. When she finally returned, there was a flurry of questions to be asked.

"I came to find you." He said with a smile, glad at the reception he had received.

"Me?" Alex exclaimed in surprise, unable to imagine he had travelled all this distance to seek her out. No one had ever sailed the Atlantic to find her.

"You disappeared." He said trying to hide the resentment from your voice. "I had no idea where you were."

Alex bit her lip guiltily knowing that she had behaved inconsiderately following her father’s death. However, her mind has been decidedly erratic at that point. For the first time in her life, she had been left without his guidance and required to fend for herself. She remembered with affection how Randall had taken care of everything, just as her father had. Perhaps, discovering that she was unprepared to go from the ministrations of one man to another had caused her to flee.

"I’m sorry Randall," Alex apologised, wondering if words would be enough to make amends for her irresponsible behaviour. He had obviously been very concerned about her welfare if he had come all this way to see if she was all right. "I was not in the best of minds when I left Cairo."

"I understand," he smiled as she started pouring him tea. "However, I must ask this. Why in God’s name did you come here? This place is hardly civilised let alone habitable."

Alex smiled despite herself because Four Corners was definitely a far cry from the grandeur of Europe and England and she could understand his ambivalence. "What other option was there Randall?" Alex met his gaze. "Without father, I was just a half breed woman with a degree that did not necessarily make me a doctor. I tried to find work but the closest I ever came to being recognised, as a physician was the polite refusals, to say nothing of the unanswered inquiries and the blank astonishment. I was tired of trying to prove to them I could be just as good when I knew I was better. There is a severe shortage of doctors in this area, I came because I could practice."

He supposed he should not be surprised that she would go to such drastic lengths to practice her craft. Alexandra Styles was always too spirited for her own good. It was her father’s fault, Randall supposed. "I can see the reasoning but this town is dangerous. I’ve spent the entire day here and found it to be riddled with malcontents and some very questionable types. This is no place for a woman." He pointed out.

Despite herself, she fought the disgust at that remark, reminding herself that Randall was a product of the Old World, where women were meant to organise social teas and never trouble their head with anything more strenuous than house hold duties. Randall came from one such family and so he knew no better. "You’d be surprised how well I’ve adapted." She said instead. "I’ve practiced more medicine here than I ever had in my life. People respect me here. I’ve delivered babies, fixed broken bones, conducted surgery and pulled more bullets from bodies than anyone should ever have to and you know what," she added with a smile. "I’m damn good at it."

"I always knew you would be." He offered a false smile of pride but in truth, Randall saw his problems escalating a hundredfold. There was no way she would leave this willingly and so he would have to resort to some creative thinking to extricate her from this place. "You seemed to have made a great deal of friends as well." He pointed out, thinking about the blond gunslinger he had seen earlier that morning. The one with the eyes that seemed to pierce straight through him as if he were transparent and guess every thought it in his head. Mr Rihs was at this moment, making inquiries about the black garbed American, trying to decipher just how close his affiliation to Alexandra actually was. "I was treated rather rudely by the crowd in the saloon."

Immediately, the seven came to mind. "How so?" Alex looked puzzled as she sipped some tea from her cup.

"They were most adamant about giving me as little information on your whereabouts as possible. Even the holy man in the local church was most hostile."

Alex laughed softly, trying to picture what would have been said to Randall. "You must excuse them," Alex said good naturedly, feeling somewhat touched that they would have gone to such lengths to protect her. It was very flattering in a strange sort of way. "Those men are the law in this town and I’ve occasionally put them back together when they’ve been in gunfights and other unpleasantness. After something like that, you tend become friends and they protect me like they protect one of their own, which does make a girl feel appreciated." She joked.

Randall understood all too well and his concerns were now validated. If he had to remove her by force, there was no doubt in his mind that these ‘cowboys’ would do everything possible to prevent it. "Is there nothing further in relationship other than friendship?" He eyed her critically, because he could not imagine any of these men keeping their distance from a jewel like her.

Alex immediately about Vin and then Ezra, before forcing away the thought from her mind. That was none of Randall’s business and she was no reason to tell him of it. "No," she lied. "They are friends and friends only." It was not exactly a lie. She had no idea how she felt about Vin Tanner at this moment or how he felt about her for that matter. The brief moment in Agnes’ cabin was weeks behind them with neither referring to the incident since.

However, Randall saw the flicker in her eyes and knew she was lying to him. It took all his control to hide the anger he felt that she might been involved with someone else in his absence. Whoever this rival was, he had no right to Alexandra Styles and Randall was certainly not prepared to give her up. He had waited for years to have this chance once again and he was not about to let her slip through his fingers when he was so close. "Its good to know that you will be safe." Randall smiled with false sincerity, his eyes never once betraying the rage he felt.

"So you came all this way just to see how I am?" Alex replied, genuinely touched by the gesture.

"I had to know if you were safe." He reached for her hand and held it, staring intently into his eyes.

"I’m glad you’re here." Alex answered graciously. "Its good to see you again, Randall." She extricated her hand away from him gently, feeling somewhat awkward at the turn of conversation with this one innocent gesture. "It is getting late. How about we meet for dinner tomorrow night?"

He was disappointed by the sudden dismissal but had to agree that it was considered inappropriate for a lady of her stature to be having male guests at this hour. Whatever she might be, Alex was a virtuous woman when one got right down to it and Randall found he could not refuse her request for him to leave without offending her gravely. At the moment, it served his purpose for him to remain in her good graces. "Of course." He said rising to his feet and reaching for his hat that was resting beside him. "I’d be delighted. At the hotel?"

"Yes," Alex nodded seeing him out of the parlour. "Seven o’clock."

"What will you do for the rest of the day?" He asked at the doorway, not liking the idea that he would not see her until sundown tomorrow.

"I have house calls to make and I might have to take a ride to the Indian village to see how Nathan, that’s the other healer in these parts to see how he’s coping with a influenza epidemic." She lied, knowing that Nathan had the situation well in hand and it would be rude of her to intrude, as if he required the assistance. Besides, with an influenza epidemic, it did not matter how many doctors there were, Nathan’s knowledge of herbs and alternative medicines were going to be of more use than her conservative skills. She just hoped the healer could keep the death toll down.

"I look forward to our next meeting." Randall said finally before disappearing out the door.

Alex watched him leave and could not understand why her pulse was racing. It was not a pleasant sensation.

**********

Mary Travis was in her office when Janet O’Leary made her appearance. Mrs O’Leary was one of those loud, annoying women who felt it her business to point out everyone’s shortcomings because she considered it to be her Christian duty. Her husband, a tiny man who seemed to become tinier every time he stood next to the large bulk of his wife ran the local hardware store and was seldom seen outside business premises. It was running joke among the locals of Four Corners that Mr O’Leary worked such long hours because ending the business day would require going home to his wife.

On occasion, Mary’s unconventional life style had often raised Mrs O’Leary's self righteous ire and the woman was never shy with letting Mary know her opinions when such conventions were tested. Mary had often found it was best to tolerate the woman for she was ultimately harmless and most of the community had learnt to ignore her self appointed role as the moral centre of Four Corners.

Today however, as Mrs O’Leary stormed through the front door of the Clarion’s office, wearing an expression that could only be described as outright fury, Mary wondered what could have possibly happened to offend this woman to such a degree. Her triple chinned face was the same colour as her lavender coloured dress and she almost looked strangulated in outrage. Seeing her huffed to Mary’s desk was enough to prompt the young widow to her feet.

"Mrs O’Leary, are you all right?" Mary asked coming out from behind the desk to greet the woman.

"I am most certainly not fine!" She growled and sat down on a chair near Mary’s desk, her arms folded as she propped them up on an unopened parasol.

"You seem terribly upset," Mary asked, hoping she would not have to play the game of prying the reason for the woman’s visit from her and thus prolonging the experience. "What has happened?"

She raised her chins (all three of them) with great dignity and met Mary’s blue-gray eyes with fire in her hazel coloured glare. "Mary dear," she said after catching her breath, for she was breathing hard because she had worked herself into a proper state prior to her arrival at the office. "I realise that as a widow, the opportunities to find a proper suitor might have dwindled. I cannot excuse you for being weak to the desires of the flesh in your youth but you might have made a better selection before bestowing your affections so carelessly."

"I beg your pardon?" Mary looked at her blankly, unable to believe what she had heard for a moment. Was this woman questioning her taste in men? Suddenly, it occurred to Mary was this was all about and further more what was coming. Trying to hide the involuntary wince that stole across her features, Mary took a deep breath before asking. "Has Mr Larabee offended you in some way?"

"He told me to my face to mind my own business and he was going to wear anything he damn well wanted to the dance tomorrow evening!"

Mary bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing as she tried to picture the scene. Of course, everyone in Four Corners was probably secretly applauding Chris if they had been present at the exchange. "I see." She nodded, straight faced. "How did the subject of apparel come into being?"

"Well," Mrs O’Leary shrugged stiffly. "I merely thought it my duty to point out that a young man courting a lady of your calibre should attempt to dress a little more appropriately than in those awful clothes he is always wearing. The man looks positively grim."

She had guts; Mary had to admit secretly. There were not many people who truly dared to go up to Chris Larabee and make such a statement to his face. Chris shot people for less and the fact that Mrs O’Leary was here instead of wearing a butt full of buckshot was a testament to how well Chris could restrain himself. Most people tended to be intimidated by Chris and stayed out of his way. Lately however, that had been changing enough to give the gunslinger considerable annoyance but generally, people preferred not to approach him unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Now Mrs O’Leary," Mary smiled sweetly, trying to pacify the woman. "You’ve got to understand that Mr Larabee wears black for a good reason."

"What possible reason could one have for traipsing about the place looking as if he were preparing to go to a funeral?" The woman retaliated, unimpressed by Mary’s attempts to explain Chris’ behaviour. "I think you are to close to the matter dear to make an objective opinion."

Mary stiffened, trying not to get angry by that allegation. As a journalist, it was her job to remain impartial. Shaking off the insult, Mary continued. "You are aware that he has lost his wife and son?"

It was not common knowledge but it was no secret either. Mary hoped Chris did not mind her using the truth to calm Mrs O’Leary down. She would explain it to him when he came over for dinner tonight.

"I had heard some intelligence of that nature." The woman grumbled, starting to see where the conversation might be headed. "I was not aware of the specifics."

"Well they died three years ago and Chris made a promise to mourn for them. That’s why he wears black." Mary explained quietly, wondering if that was not at all far from the truth. "He wears it in their memory."

"I see," Mrs O’Leary said sombrely. "I am not at fault of course, I had no knowledge of this. However, you cannot deny that he is coarse and has terrible manners. I do hope you consider these points if you choose to enter any long standing arrangement with him."

At that moment, the door swung open and Alexandra Styles made her appearance. "Hello Mary." She greeted and then noticed Mrs O’Leary sitting before the widow. "Hello Mrs O’Leary."

Not wishing her embarrassment to spread any further that it already had, since the entire town had been privy to her altercation with the foul tempered Mr Larabee, the woman rose to her feet and looked at Mary. "I take my leave of you Mary," she said raising her nose in the air in that pompous way that reached its fullest impact when she preformed it. "I hope you give some thought to our discussion. You are a young vital woman. I am certain you can do better than that violent ruffian."

"We go where our heart sends us." Mary said with a smile, with no signs of offence at the woman’s scathing opinion of Chris.

"Alexandra," Mrs O’Leary said in departure. "At least you had the sense to be rid of that scoundrel in the saloon."

With that she swept out of the room, leaving Alex and Mary staring after her, wondering whether the subject was worth discussing or discarding. When the door slammed shut behind her, Alex looked up at Mary. "What the hell was that about?" The doctor blurted out.

Mary shook her head and returned to her desk as Alex moved deeper into the room. "She took it upon herself to point out that Chris ought to add colour in his wardrobe."

Alex barely managed to stifle the laugh that almost escaped her lips but Mary nevertheless heard the snigger that emerged in its place. "It’s not funny." She retorted and then found herself giggling too because it was funny, hilarious as a matter of fact.

"How did you come her down?" Alex asked, not even needing to hear the rest of the story to know how Chris Larabee would have reacted to that particular critique.

"I told her that he’s still in mourning." Mary replied.

"Is that the truth?" Alex looked at her.

"Who know?" Mary shrugged throwing her hands in the air in a gesture of futility. "I have enough trouble trying to work out what he names his horse, let alone his dress sense."

Alex sat down in the chair Mrs O’Leary had recently occupied. "You busy right now?" She inquired.

"With the anniversary only a day away, I’m always busy but I can take a break." She remarked, gesturing to the mountain of paper on her desk. Alex glanced at some of the writing on those slips of paper and saw that this was the paperwork for at least dozen events that would be taking place during the two days of celebration. Alex used to think she was busy with her medical practice but compared to the responsibilities Mary Travis was force to assume, the doctor was a great deal more appreciative of her own situation.

"I can see." Alex commented. "I need to go by a dress." She stated. "I could use a second opinion."

"A dress," Mary leaned forward with narrowed eyes. "Has it to do with the tall, handsome stranger that arrived out of town, yesterday?" Chris had told her about Randall Mason and although he had not openly voiced it, she had the impression Chris would like to know as much about the man as possible, since he had questioned almost everyone about Alex’s life in Four Corners.

"I suppose you’ve heard about Randall," Alex sighed wondering how many other people knew about him. She assumed he had to ask around to find where she lived so the news would have carried fast around town that he was here.

"He was asking around for you." Mary pointed out although she personally had no idea about the man until Chris had mentioned it to her.

"He’s an old friend of the family. When my father died, he was a supportive shoulder that took care of all the arrangements. He tracked me down here because he was worried about where I disappeared to. I left Europe rather abruptly. That’s all there is to it, really." Alex frowned, feeling uncomfortable talking about the man for some reason. Actually, the whole subject of Randall Mason put her on edge without any discernible reason why that should be. Considering their past history together, it seemed strange that she ought to feel so guarded about him.

"He came a long way to find you Alex," Mary remarked. "It looks like it might be more to him."

"I know," Alex frowned. "That does bother me. We were together briefly, a long time ago." She met Mary’s gaze so the widow would know exactly what she meant by ‘together’. "I was young and curious and he answered some questions."

"Not well I gather." Mary said with a hint of a smile.

"Completely forgettable." Alex laughed. "I should have left those questions unanswered." She said with amusent in her eyes for a second before it vanished on a more serious note. "I just hope he has not come to Four Corners to be disappointed. I meeting him for dinner tonight so I can tell him that I have no intention of leaving if that’s why he’s come to town."

Now Mary was confused. "So why the new dress?" She looked at the doctor with a wrinkled brow.

"I thought I’d better buy something new for this dance." Alex admitted almost reluctantly because she knew how strongly she had stated earlier that she would not be attending. No doubt, Mary was going to find much amusement in her bout face decision to go.

"So you are not going to hide at home and feel miserable because of Julia." Mary said sarcastically.

"Stop right there." Alex returned firmly. "First of all, I was not going to hide and secondly I am over Mr Ezra Standish and don’t feel the slightest bit for him any more, even if he has that two headed, she-snake Jezebel at his arm."

"Of course not." Mary said with a straight face. "Its so obvious that you harbour no ill feeling towards her."

Alex groaned conceding defeat. "Okay, okay, maybe I feel a little resentful, but I still need a dress and I’ve got to go find one in a place other than the Emporium."

"Fair enough," Mary nodded understanding Alex’s reluctance to enter the establishment. It was bad enough that Julia had wrestled away Ezra from her but Alex did not need to give that creature her money as well. Even she had her limits. "Why don’t you come with Chris and I?" Mary offered. "I’m going to need the extra hand to drag him through the door."

"Actually I have an escort." Alex said quietly.

"Mr Mason?" Mary met her gaze.

"No." Alex shook her head wondering if she wanted anyone to know that she was going with Vin Tanner. After all, when they both arrived together it was going to be somewhat self evident any way. What was she afraid of? It was no sin to be seen with Vin. How many people had seen them riding to Nettie’s farm yesterday? "I’m going with Vin."

Mary’s jaw dropped open in mild surprise. "Really?" She exclaimed. "How did that happen?"

"He asked me." Alex answered, wondering why Mary found this so astonishing. After all, Vin was a grown man. Surely he must have had other women in his life before she came along? "Is that so amazing?"

"Yes it is." Mary replied promptly. She was pleased that Vin had finally done something about his feelings for Alex, although the widow could understand why he kept his distance until now. Vin had allowed Alex the time to recover from her heartbreak over Ezra. "He’s never shown the interest in courting, I’ve never known him to take company with the working girls in the saloon and the only woman he ever was interested in was Charlotte."

"The man is a puzzle." Alex mused, trying to sound indifferent to Vin but Mary knew better.

She had echoed the same feelings about Chris Larabee once and so there was nothing that Alexandra Styles was feeling that could surprise her because she once felt them herself. Men and women were unpredictable creatures but the randomness of their actions disappeared the moment their hearts were taken and she knew without a doubt that Alex’s was taken, almost as completely as Vin’s. It was just a matter of time before the situation brought those feelings to the surface. It was times like this that Mary appreciated the wisdom of experience.

"Don’t you like puzzles?" Mary teased as she stood up to get her purse.

"Very funny." Alex chuckled, before the two women continued out the door.

********

Despite her lie, when Alex did arrive at the hotel that evening for her dinner engagement with Randall Mason, she had actually paid several house calls. With the building and preparation for the forthcoming celebrations, people were becoming careless in their anticipation of the revelry to follow. How many broken fingers due to hammers, sprained ankles from people falling off ladders and other mishaps had she mended today? The number was enough to ensure that after she bought her dress at Mrs Potters, because she was definitely not going to the Emporium, Alex had been busy enough that she was almost late for her engagement.

Randall was already waiting for her at a table inside the restaurant when a helpful waiter escorted Alex to it. As always, Randall was perfectly attired and seemed so out of place in Four Corners that for a brief instance, Alex almost wished he were gone. She admonished herself for such unkind thoughts because she knew he was a good man and he had come a long way to see him. This misunderstanding was mostly her fault. When she was young and impressionable, she had gone to him for an understanding of intimacy. Throwing caution to the wind, she had allowed him to deflower her because he was older and appeared worldly in comparison to her youthful naivete. The experience had been one she would rather forget although not at any time had he behaved inappropriately. It was just that their coupling had felt empty and devoid of the passion that was meant to come with physical love.

She had only understood how completely devastating such raw desire could be when she had almost given herself to Vin Tanner.

"Alexandra," he rose to his feet at her arrival. "You look wonderful my dear."

In truth, she looked plain and had dressed simply. Favouring a crisp white shirt and dark red vest she might have worn to call on a patient, Alex had not intention of giving Randall any false impressions. She had thought at length at why he had come to America and while she knew the answer, she prayed it as anything but what she suspected. He was one of her oldest friends and she had no wish to alienate him but Alex knew she could not give him the answer he wanted to hear.

"Thank you Randall." Alex said cordially as the waiter pulled a chair for her.

They talked of inconsequential things for the first half of dinner, trading amusing stories through the entrée and main course, while reliving old times in a world away from this one. Randall was at his charming best and Alex remembered why she had been so enamoured by him in her youth. He spoke of where he had been during the years following her father’s demise and updated her on the welfare of his extremely affluent family. Randall’s father owned an export company with holdings in India, the Far East and was deemed as the West Indies. The family name was old and to marry into it was to be accepted instantly into high society, no matter what the background.

They had exhausted all topics when Randall finally brought up the reason why he had searched for Alex across the world and travelled an ocean to reach her in Four Corners. Alex realised by the time that tea and desert was served, that there would be no avoiding the subject and as Nathan had often said to her, it was time to bite the bullet.

"Alexandra," Randall said staring into her dark eyes so that she would understand the seriousness of what he was going to discuss with her. "I’m sure you must have guessed that I came to Four Corners for reasons other than seeing you safe with my own eyes."

Alex shrugged. "I had guessed." She admitted, trying to rehearse possible refusals in her mind before the moment came so that the right one would be available when it was time to use it.

"Alex, this place is not for you." He let his gaze sweep past the room full of diners, with clear distaste in his eyes at everything that they were.

Despite herself, she felt her cheeks flush in outrage at his snobbery. "This is my home Randall." She said softly. "I have found a place here that was available to me nowhere else. I won’t go back to being relegated to the ranks of nurse simply because this place is a little rough."

"It’s far from rough," he pointed out. "There are gunslingers roaming about freely. If the periodicals are to be believed, one can die simply being a bystander. I do not wish that for you."

"I do not wish it either." She replied, trying to maintain her calm. "However, death can find us anywhere. Geography has little to do with it." He reached for her hand and Alex knew how much of an insult it would be to withdraw, so she endured his fingers enclosing her own, hoping that the gesture was not symbolic but knowing against hope that it was.

"Marry me Alex," Randall said earnestly "Marry me and I will take you away form this place. I will build you a clinic in London and you can have the practice you always wanted. You don’t need to be alone."

"Randall please," Alex whispered removing her hand abruptly and realising that no amount of preparation could ever make this refusal easy to accept. "I am honoured by the offer but what kind of a practice could I possibly have in London?" She questioned, trying to keep from saying out right what it would hurt him immensely to hear. "I was always an outcast. It’s not going to change even if I have premises."

"Then I’ll use my father’s influence and buy you a place in a hospital. How does London Hospital sound to you?" He countered quickly. Suddenly, this had become a battlefield negotiation with thrust and parry being delivered by the opposing parties before agreement could be reached.

"I don’t want that!" Alex hissed, wondering if he understood how abhorrent such a statement was. "I am what I am because I earned it. At first they would not even let me study until my father pressured them but I showed I could do it. They did everything to break me, to ensure that I’d never be considered good just mediocre. I proved them wrong my own way. I’ve fought my entire medical career to earn the right to have patients come to me not because I bought them, but because I am good!"

"Good?" He retorted, allowing his anger to get the better of him. "Is this what you call earning their respect, mending broken bones and keeping company with men no decent woman would dare call friends?"

"Yes," Alex rose to her feet imperiously, deciding that she was through explaining her actions. Four Corners was her home. It was more of a home than any place she and father that travelled over the globe and here she was staying. "Because they don’t judge me."

"Are you staying because of the gambler, what’s his name, Standish?" Mason grabbed her hand as she prepared to leave the table. By now, everyone in the room had heard their raised voices and were staring at them in curiosity.

Alex yanked it away viciously and shot him a venomous look for bringing up Ezra. "No." She said through gritted teeth. "I stay because they need me."

"You’re staying for him aren’t you?" Randall glared at her with narrowed eyes and for the first time, Alex caught sight of something so dark and vile, it positively terrified her. "After he jilted you?"

"Randall," Alex said trying to regain some measure of calm. "I thank you for dinner and I apologise that I could not accept your offer. You will always be a dear friend but let us leave the table before even that changes."

"I will have you for my wife." He stated firmly. "Make no mistake on that."

What remained of her control now was brushed away firmly by the tidal wave of bubbling emotions that he had engendered within her. This fury was nothing like the arousing and tantalising emotions felt when she was fighting with Vin. This was cold and black, with a hatred that had finally found expression. "I will be your wife when I am cold and dead. I do not love you. I never have. I apologise that you had to come out here to find this out but I will never marry you."

It was a devastating rebuttal and she saw the sorrow in his eyes as the words made their full meaning clear to him but within that pain, the memory of what she had seen earlier remained and strengthened. There was a hint of madness that struck cold fear inside of her and suddenly Alex had the strangest feeling that she had smashed a bottle somewhere and released the genie within.

Part Three

Rivalries

He could not remember the last time he went to a fair but knew that if he did, he would have realised that it was with Sarah and Adam. That alone was enough to force the memory deep into the recesses of his mind, in the place reserved for all things that reminded him of that other life when he had been more than what he was, a gunslinger. He had been a father and husband in those days and the ache of wanting to still be that was a pain he was unprepared to endure by revisiting painful memories.

Of course, things changed. They almost always invariably did. He was not the loner that he used to be, not with six friends who now rode at his side and were closer to him than family. There was also Mary Travis, the fair haired widow whose spirited smile had been enough to shine some light on the darkness that had been his broken heart. Chris had never liked change but eventually he accepted it, even though the idea of such intimacy after the death of Sarah and Adam still terrified him.

So he was here now with Mary, surrounded by people enjoying all the entertainment that came with a fair, watching the jugglers, fire eaters and contortionists performing their tricks to gaping audiences willing to pay too bits for the experience. Elsewhere a number of pigs were being put through their paces as the hog tying competition swung into motion. Chris was almost tempted to go see how Buck was faring in the games, since his oldest friend had confessed a passing interest in competing. From the corner of his eye, Chris allowed himself a bemused smile as he saw JD Dunne staying very close to Casey Wells while keeping a watchful eye over one Bart Cook whom was gazing at her with obvious infatuation. The picnic basket auction was still some hours away and JD did not look as if he was preparing to ride into battle in his determination to keep Casey’s basket from any one but him.

Most of the faces that moved past him were people he did not recognise and that always made Chris uncomfortable. It was to be expected that new faces would appear for the anniversary celebration had attracted crowds’ form all over the region. He was vaguely aware that Mary was saying something to him but his attention wandered from the gist of the conversation as his ice blue eyes studied the proceedings with predatory deliberation. It was too easy for one to let down one’s guard in such surroundings and although the occasion was festive, Chris made sure that his gun belt hung securely around his waist.

He caught sight of Ezra and Julia Pemberton in the distance, walking towards the cotton candy vendor. With Ezra in his fancy clothes and Julia looking just as opulent, they looked more like on one of those couples that should be walking down a tree lined boulevard in Charleston or New Orleans. At that moment, it was not difficult to believe that they were perfectly suited for one another. No matter what Ezra might claim, Chris knew the beautiful Easterner was everything to him, even if he was perfectly aware of the devious nature hiding beneath those emerald coloured eyes.

"Chris, are you listening to me?" He heard Mary’s impatient voice in his ears.

Chris turned away from the gambler and his lady to find that Mary had steered them in the direction of a stall serving refreshments.

"Sorry," Chris mumbled an apology. "What did you say?"

Mary rolled her eyes with a whimsical smile. "Would you like some lemonade?" She gestured to the stall being manned by a rosy cheeked girl with freckles and dark gold hair.

"Yeah, sure." Chris replied, his gaze still fixed on voluminous crowd that seemed to be growing by the moment. He had not believed that there were going to be so many people. He wished now that Nathan was coming back today instead of tomorrow from the Indian village. For a minute, Chris was tempted to ask the little girl if she had any whisky under the counter but decided against it since Mary probably would not get the joke.

God, he was mellowing with age.

He caught sight of Randall Mason standing before the shooting gallery. The foreigner was aiming intently at the painted target and Chris observed the way he handled the gun as he fired. The ominous Mr Rihs was no where present and it unsettled Chris to not know where the man was at this moment. Mason cleared all his targets quickly and had gathered a small collection of onlookers around him. Very soon, people were cheering him on as he continued firing with a perfect score of fallen targets.

Seeing him only made Chris turn to Mary who was picking up their drinks of lemonade from the young merchant before handing him a glass. She looked lovely today, wearing that yellow dress he liked so much. It always reminded him of sunshine, especially when she wore her golden hair loose over her shoulders. "Where is Alex today?" Chris asked in concern. Seeing Randall Mason had suddenly raised his interest regarding her whereabouts. He still had not been unable to shake that unhappy feeling that something coming at them over the horizon and whatever it was, it would Randall Mason who be leading the charge.

"She decided to stay at home," Mary answered, remembering the conversation she had with the lady doctor this morning. Alex had told her the specifics of her dinner engagement the night before and Mary recalled the silent kernel of fear in Alex’s normally fearless eyes when she related those events.

"What’s wrong?" Chris asked automatically, knowing something had to be wrong for anyone to stay in on a day like this. The sun was shining gloriously in the sky with not a cloud to be seen. This was the kind of day where no one had any business staying in, unless happy hour at Ezra’s saloon was starting early.

"She’s a bit disturbed about her dinner with Randall Mason." Mary replied, knowing whatever she said to him would be held in strictest confidence. Besides, Mary knew that part of his reason for asking that was due to the reservations he held about Mason. Judging from what Alex had told her, Chris’ senses appeared to right on the money once again. Mary wondered what it must be like to go through life with such keen insight, particularly for trouble. "He proposed."

"Really?" Chris said neutrally but immediately felt a pang of worry for how Vin Tanner might take such news.

"She turned him down of course," Mary continued without missing a beat and eliminating that particular concern. "Apparently, she tried to be as diplomatic about it as possible but you can never make such news easy to hear." Mary sighed, remembering the disappointment on Gerard’s face when she had rejected his proposal for marriage. Of course, thinking about it now, Mary could not understand what had led her to accept it in the first place.

"How did he take it?" Chris inquired, with no hint in his voice that he was sure the man would not have accepted the refusal well at all. Something in his eyes told Chris that Randall Mason was used to getting what he wanted and did not like being refused it.

"Not well," Mary replied, remembering the fear in her eyes as she explained it to Mary. "He became abusive about who she kept company with. Made some offensive remark regarding Ezra and then declared she would be his, no matter what. Suffice to say, it became ugly and she walked out on him."

"Any reason why she turned him down?" Chris wished that there might be some history of violence in his behaviour that could give the gunslinger the justification to throw his erudite ass in jail until Chris could work him over and convince him to leave. Something about Randall brought out the worst in him. Men who obsessed over women like Don Paulo would seldom release their insane grip until they or the women unfortunate enough to attract such madness were dead.

"Well she doesn’t love him for a start," the widow pointed out. "Not to mention that she’s doing what she adores in Four Corners. She has no wish to be trapped in someone’s gilded cage."

Chris could understand that. He had seen her work with the sick and knew that it was not just a job for her, it was a calling. Nathan had that same gleam in his eyes when he tended to those who needed his healing. Chris appreciated how vital it was to them, to be able to do the things that they loved without inhibition or prejudice. It was almost as important as the air they breathed. "I’ll keep an eye on him." Chris stated firmly, making no mention of the fact that he was already doing that.

"Could you please?" Mary looked at him with some measure of apprehension in her eyes. "I think Alex is more afraid than she lets on. Something rattled her last night Chris. I’ve seen her worried about patients and their lives but I’ve never seen the fear in her eyes that I saw this morning."

Chris instinctively shifted his gaze to Randall who was still at the gallery and was keeping his audience with his rifling skills. Personally, Chris was unimpressed by the man’s apparent expertise and wondered if Randall could do the same while on horse back with a dozen guns aimed in his direction. "Might be an idea if she didn’t hide in her house either." Chris pointed out, noticing that Mr Rihs was nowhere to be seen.

"Well, she’ll be at the dance tonight." Mary said gingerly, wondering if Chris knew who was escorting Alex to the event. Part of Alex’s anxieties was linked to the prospect that Randall may attend the dance that evening. The moment she entered the church hall with Vin Tanner, Randall was going to assume her refusal to his proposal was because of the handsome tracker.

"I thought she wasn’t going." He remarked, still searching the crowd for any sign of Mr Rihs.

"She decided she would when someone asked her." Mary said quietly.

"So who is she going with?" He inquired. "I rather her go with one of us so that we can keep an eye on her if anything happens. No local with a bunch of flowers is going to stop Mason if he gets it in his mind to take her."

"She’s not going with any one from town, not exactly." Mary bit her lip, deciding she was not going to have a choice but to disclose the identity of Alex’s escort. It should not be any surprise to him really because he knew the same thing she did about the couple. However, Alex had not specified that she wanted everyone to know about it either.

"Mary," Chris looked at her impatiently, noticing that she unnecessarily stalling and she was never very good at it, like she was never good at lying either. "Unless she’s going with a Mexican bandit she met in Purgatory, out with it."

"Vin."

That did give reason for Chris to fall silent. He merely stared for a moment and then mumbled. "I knew there was reason he shaved."

*******

Conrad Rihs was a busy man. He had spent most of the two days in this god forsaken frontier village riding back and forth from an even more barbaric place called Purgatory. Although Randall Mason had believed that Alexandra Styles would accept his proposal of marriage and return with him to England, Rihs had been more realistic. Women were fickle things with no idea how they felt from one moment to another. He hated the sight of them and preferred to use them only for satisfying a bodily function. He would never be foolish enough to give one power over his existence as a wife.

When Randall Mason had employed Rihs, his new master had strict instructions of what he required from this journey to America. He wanted the girl and would accept nothing less. He was adamant in not leaving these shores without her. Rihs had been paid extremely well to ensure that would happen. After coming across the black garbed stranger, Rihs had made his inquiries, albeit a little more discreetly than his employer had done so. However, his questions were not about the lady doctor but about the gunslinger that seemed so concerned over their initial questions at the saloon.

What Rihs learned about Chris Larabee and the six men that rode with him were cause enough for concern. They were the law in Four Corners and if they felt so partial to Miss Styles, it was almost guaranteed they would keep her from harm if Randall attempted to extract her by force. Larabee was a gunslinger whose reputation until his arrival at Four Corners was fearsome to say the least. Here was a man walking the thin line between law and lawlessness, Rihs wondered what it took to upset that careful balance. Rihs only knew he did not want to find out.

He was hardly surprised when Randall’s inquiries had provided him with more answers to his questions regarding the nature of the relationship between these seven men and Alexandra Styles. Apparently, she was involved with the gambler named Ezra Standish until recently, when he gave her up for the wealthy Emporium owner, Julia Pemberton. Rihs made inquiries about the seven men, finding out everything he could about them and filed it away for future reference. Just in case, he had ridden to Purgatory utilising the considerable purse at his master disposal and rounded himself almost twenty men who might be ready to ride at a moment’s notice. Most had some previous altercation with the seven and were unwilling to seek retribution alone but with the strength of numbers, were eager to join the party.

Despite his paid loyalty to Randall Mason, Rihs had almost smiled when he heard the lady had rejected him the night before. Randall had been astonished by her rejection. Rihs had expected it. Alexandra Styles was stubborn and determined, qualities that would not lend itself to the domestic situation marriage to Randall would mean. With all doubt washed away in Randall’s mind that he had no choice but to remove her against her will, he release Rihs from his leash. Returning to Purgatory while Randall played the part of the graceful but rejected suitor, Rihs found his twenty men and outlined the plan that would ensure the non-interference of the seven when it was time to take Alexandra Styles away from Four Corners.

Forever.

*******

Alex had never felt so nervous in her entire life.

She stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the skirt of the dress she bought herself, wondering if it needed further pressing and realising that it was probably too late anyway. Vin was due on her doorstep in the next few minutes, which left her little time to start backtracking on the momentous decision she had made in accepting his invitation to play her escort.

I can’t believe a bought a new dress because of Vin Tanner.

This and other such frantic thoughts race through her mind as she examined herself in the mirror after donning on the dress she and Mary Travis had purchased only yesterday afternoon. The dress was scooped neck, which showed a little shoulder and accentuated her neck and the dark hair that hung against it. The colour was apricot, which seemed to match the dusky colour of her skin and she finished the outfit with a thin strand of gold around her neck. Deciding that how she looked would just have to do, Alex turned away from the mirror just as she heard the door knocking. Her stomach practically leapt in her throat as she heard the sound and her eyes darted to the doorway, like a terrified doe caught in a hunter’s sights.

Taking a deep breath and finding that did nothing to calm the butterflies in her stomach, only made her swear and Alex realised, she had not felt this ridiculous since she was a teenager. Grabbing her shawl as she made her way down the corridor, she questioned once again the wisdom of doing this with Randall still in town. She knew precisely what he was going to think when she saw her at Vin’s arm and more importantly, the insult he would perceive at having been rejected for a tracker with a price on his head and a dollar a day as an income.

Maybe so, she thought unconsciously, but Randall had never been able to make her heart stop with a just a kiss.

Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment at that involuntary thought and she calmed herself before opening the door. Vin stood before her and the reaction in his eyes was swift, even if the attempt to mask it was swifter. For that brief moment, she saw the sheer lust and desire in his eyes at how she looked and despite herself, Alex could not help smiling at being able to knock that unflappable expression of his face, even for the briefest instant.

Vin however, looked like Vin. Combed shaven and dressed in clean clothes but nevertheless still like Vin. He wore what he normally did, except his clothes were freshly laundered, the bandanna around his neck was absent and his collared shirt was buttoned up to the top. They examined each other for a moment, saying nothing at first but inherently pleased by what they were both seeing.

"You look like the prettiest ol’ spinster woman I’ve ever met." He complimented breaking the silence as she invited him in while she collected her things.

"And this is what you look like when you’ve scrubbed up." She commented with a smile, the memory of his first impression still providing her with satisfaction as she grabbed her purse. "I’m impressed."

"Well," he shrugged. "I didn’t want to go that much trouble," he said offering her his arm. "I’m only escorting you cause I feel sorry that you’re at home pining away."

"Thank you," She said sarcastically, slipping her arm through his after they had stepped outside the house and she had shut the door. "Although I’ll ask you to stop complimenting me, I can’t take much more of your debonair charm."

He chuckled as they made their way into the street. The dance was being held at the local church hall and after the day’s entertainment, there were still plenty of people on the streets. Coloured lights hung from the buildings and children ran around with sparklers and blowing bubbles with soapy water. A few people raised a brow or to at the sight of Vin and Alex together although most were unsurprised really. How many had seen her riding with him through the streets only two days before? Since she was counted in the circle of the seven, it was expected that she would be escorted by one of their number.

Four Corners had a magical lustre about it tonight, with the sparkling lights over head and the sparkles that moved with the sound of laugher until it disappeared into the distant sound of music coming from the dance hall. Other couples were making their way to the function, holding hands and looking a great deal more familiar with each other than this veil of awkwardness between Alex and Vin. However, as the curious looks faded and they neared the hall, it eventually faded away and Alex found herself relaxing in his company. It was almost like a visible shift in the wind when being with him slipped from uncomfortable to perfectly natural.

It was when the dance hall was in sight that Alex remembered that Randall Mason might be present.

"Vin." She paused suddenly, feeling the need to tell him because he had the right to know why if Randall chose to make a scene. What she saw in his eyes after his proposal and her refusal frightened her and she did not want Vin becoming caught in the crossfire between them. "Before we go in, I need to tell you something."

"What is it?" He tensed, praying she had not chosen to change her mind. She look so beautiful at this moment, Vin could not bear being away from her. He could smell the whiff of rose water against her skin and was longing to run his fingers through her hair. Alex had literally stolen his breath away during that first few seconds when he found himself staring at her through the front door like some stupid kid.

"An old friend of mine has come to town," she said quietly, finding it difficult to admit her relationship with Randall to Vin for some reason.

"That Mason fella." Vin nodded, pretending that he knew nothing about the man then what was generally known. In actual fact, Vin had made it his mission to keep the man under surveillance since Chris had given him the instruction. He knew about the dinner she spent with him the night before and had kept close eye on Alex when she had stormed out of the restaurant in nothing less than black rage. Vin had ensured that Randall returned to his hotel room and had not pursued her before he had retired to his wagon.

"That’s him." Alex nodded, unable to meet his gaze as she summed up the courage to tell him the rest of it. "He asked me to marry him."

Vin showed no reaction because her abrupt departure from the restaurant had confirmed that the proposal had not been received well and she was with him now, instead of being with Randall. "Did you accept?"

"Of course not." She said exasperated, wondering how he could even think such a thing. Vin of all people should understand exactly why she could not accept such a proposal. "He didn’t take my refusal well and he believes there may be someone else. He accused me of staying for Ezra." She snorted in obvious derision and completely sidestepped the issue of who she might really be staying for.

Vin did not press her on that point. "So what’s the problem?"

"He may be at the dance and I don’t know how he’s going to take seeing us together. He scared the hell out of me last night Vin. I saw something in his eyes for a moment that put the fear of god into me. Its probably nothing but I thought," she paused to calm herself down. "I thought you ought to know."

He reached for her gloved hand, pleased because she had no interest whatsoever in Randall Mason and also because she had allowed him to see the vulnerable side of her which she permitted no one access. Vin could safely say that not even Ezra was aware of its existence until that fateful day when she had learnt about him and Julia. Entwining his fingers in hers as he had done once before, he looked into her eyes and replied softly. "I won’t let him hurt you Alex."

Alex met that intense blue gaze and knew that he meant it and for some reason, that was enough to make her feel very safe indeed. She allowed herself a smile and kissed him gently on the cheek. "Be careful cowboy," she replied as she slipped her arm through his again. "I could get very used to you."

"I wouldn’t," he said with a teasing smile. "I still think you’re stubborn mule that needs whipping."

"Oh stop it," she insisted laughing, as they continued towards the church hall again. "This smooth talk is more than I can take."

*******

"I don’t believe it!" JD swore as he paced the floor near the refreshment table inside the hall. Although the expected number of people attending the dance had yet to make their appearance, there were still enough residents present to raise a brow at his irate behaviour. The church hall, which served more as a community centre these days, had suffered the transformation into dance hall with pleasant results. The decoration committee had spent considerable effort making the place look somewhat presentable for the purpose with soft lighting and floral arrangements in strategic places. While it certainly could not compare to the function halls of larger towns, no one seemed to notice as people filed into the building. The atmosphere was gay despite JD’s awful mood.

Buck Wilmington was doing his level best to try and calm the boy down but it seemed pacification was not going to be quite enough when JD was this upset. JD was always a little hot headed but this latest situation had pushed the young man beyond what Buck was accustomed to, for him.

"Now JD," Buck said watching the young sheriff build his jealousy into a self-righteous fury that would be hard to contain if allowed to continue further. While ranting and raving in outrage, JD’s eyes kept shifting towards the direction of the main doors, searching for the young lady whose absence was the cause of all this torment. "All fair’s in love and war." When the words left his mouth, Buck winced inwardly and decided that perhaps that was not the best way to try and calm JD down.

"Twenty dollars!" JD exclaimed with as much disbelief as he felt rage. He mouthed the words as if that was all the money in the world and felt nothing less than pathetic because he had no more than ten dollars left in his pocket. "How did that rotten Bart Cook get $20 to buy Casey’s basket?" He demanded, as if Buck could answer the question, which the older man obviously could not.

"I can’t answer that," Buck confessed although he did understand JD’s chagrin. After all, Casey was his girl and everyone in the town of Four Corners knew it. However, it was not like the girl had any choice in the matter. Casey was powerless to refuse the sharing of her basket once Bart Cook had won it fair and square in the auction. Unfortunately, Buck’s attempt to explain that to JD was quickly straining his patience. With the hall filled with beautiful young ladies who appeared to be unescorted, it was driving him mad that he was not vying for their intentions, instead of playing nursemaid to a kid who was a hair’s breadth from a nervous breakdown.

"Look JD," Buck trying to use logic since all other avenues had been exhausted. "Casey’s your girl and no matter how much that horse’s behind Bart Cook may have had to pay for her picnic basket, that ain’t never going to change."

JD knew the older man was right but he could not help feeling jealous nonetheless. Part of him was still seething as he recounted the bewildered look on Casey’s face when she realised he could not longer afford to stay in the bidding, to say nothing of the disappointment when Bart had won the basket instead. The look in her eyes was enough to make JD pull out his gun and shoot his rival if JD was anything but the sheriff of Four Corners. "I know you’re right." He let out a defeated sigh after a moment and met Buck’s concerned eyes with a wan smile.

"That’s the way kid." Buck grinned and patted him on the shoulder.

Buck noticed Ezra and Julia were coming towards them and saw a solution to his immediate problem. JD should not be left alone, at least not when Casey and Bart made their appearance but Buck was itching to go find himself some female company. It did not help his state of mind to see that as always, Julia Pemberton looked spectacular, being clearly one of the loveliest women present, except for maybe Mary and Inez who were on the other side of the room with Chris and Josiah. Looking at her only brought a familiar twitch to Buck’s baser instincts that required immediate satisfaction.

He left JD alone for a moment when the boy was pouring himself a drink from the large punch bowl and quickly intercepted Ezra and Julia before they reached him.

"How is Mr Dunne?" Ezra asked, perfectly aware of the black mood the youngest of the seven was currently experiencing. Although he had not made any bids for Julia, since he would have fainted in astonishment if he discovered she could actually cook to fill a basket, he had witness the usurping of Casey’s basket from under JD’s feet during the auction.

"Mean and fixing for a fight." Buck whispered out of JD’s earshot.

"Poor thing," Julia smiled sympathetically in the boy’s direction, feeling genuinely sorry for JD’s misfortune. "I take it the young girl in question has not made an appearance."

"No," Buck shook his head, glancing at the door as she made mention of that. "It’s driving him crazy and me." The tall man complained before lowering his voice and leaning closer to the gambler. "Ezra, there are too many ladies here for me to be sitting on the sidelines. I need to get on the horse. Could you please keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t tear Bart Cook apart when the idiot gets here with Casey?"

"Mr Wilmington, I have a lady at my arm, or did you not notice?" He glanced in Julia’s direction. "I am hardly in a position to nursemaid JD."

"You owe me one." Buck pointed out.

Ezra blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"If you hadn’t stuck your nose in and bought Inez’s basket, I would have a chance at it." Buck said imperiously. "So I figure you owe me one."

Expecting that very thing to happen, Inez had requested that Ezra bid for her basket so that he could enjoy it with Julia and she would escape being trapped with Buck, who was determine to have her company for dinner. Thus at the bidding, Ezra had made a substantial contribution that kept Buck and anyone else from successfully winning the basket. Ezra could not even count the number of times Inez had resorted to this strategy in earlier such auctions and wondered when Buck would get the idea that she was just too smart for him.

"Oh just do it." Julia sighed; unable to stand this shameless display or the puppy dog look on Buck’s face any longer. These friends of Ezra could be so tiresome, even if they were amusing in some twisted way. Still in choosing to love him, she had left herself vulnerable to all the peculiarities of his life.

"The lady has spoken." Ezra remarked and looked at Buck. "Happing hunting Buck."

"Why thank you Ezra." Buck smiled and tipped his hat at Julia for her assistance. He had no sooner turned to leave when suddenly his gaze caught sight of something that forced all present desire for female company from his mind. For awhile anyway. Buck gaped as he saw Vin Tanner and Alexandra Styles making their entrance into the dance.

"Well I’ll be damned. That sly dog..." Buck mused with open amazement. "He didn’t even say a word."

"What are you rambling about Buck?" Ezra asked, following the direction of his friend’s astonished stare. Ezra’s jaw dropped open at the sight of Vin escorting Alex into the room. In fact, it seemed as if everybody who saw them was being gripped with similar feelings of shock. Only Chris and Mary seemed unsurprised by their entrance. The gunslinger was staring at them both with a faint smile as Vin led Alex across the floor.

Despite himself, Ezra felt a tightening in his chest he could not understand. He supposed he had no right to feel anything about whom Alex chose to spend her time with, now that they were no longer associated in any way. However, he could not deny the unpleasant feeling that arose from seeing them together.

"My compliments to Mr Tanner." He said quietly, trying to avoid the hard stare that Julia was giving him.

"Damn!" Buck swore, feeling somewhat ineffectual at being beaten to the punch once again. "I knew it was too early for his weekly shave."

Ezra allowed Buck his tirade at he watched the couple cross the room. It did not help that Alexandra looked utterly stunning and there was not a man in the room who did not in some way feel a little envious at Vin’s good fortune. With a soft sigh, Ezra found that he could not deny that they did indeed make a handsome couple, almost as handsome as Erza and Alex had been. Still, he was pleased that Alex was moving on with her life after his shameful behaviour towards her. Ezra could not begrudge Vin the right to try if he could make Alex happy.

"Regrets?" Julia made herself heard, clearly unimpressed by his reaction to Alex’s entrance. Her eyes glared at him tempestuously.

Ezra turned to her and smiled faintly. "Always," he replied. "However, I have learned to deal with the cards I have been given."

"Surely you didn’t expect her to pine away for you?" Julia said critically. "She is a very attractive woman. Someone was bound to come along." Even now, Julia still felt threatened by Ezra’s history with the doctor. She knew she had his love but rivals were something Julia Pemberton never coped well with.

"I did not expect any such thing." He replied, trying to sound unaffected but could not quite manage it. Instead he took Julia’s hand in his and held it to his lips so that she would understand that Alex could not come between his feelings for this hellcat he fallen for so deeply. "However, never let it be said I never turn the cards to my advantage."

"You’re such a scoundrel." She smiled, knowing that his love for was as real as it had ever been and his present melancholy would fade soon enough. Ezra glanced in Alex’s direction once again, when he caught of sight of someone else who captured his attention, almost as completely.

Randall Mason.

He was glaring at the couple with nothing less than black hatred hidden underneath a mask of indifference. Ezra, who was accustomed to seeing through such facades, shuddered at the intense rage he saw behind Mason’s seemingly passive gaze. The foreigner and his companion, Mr Rihs followed Alexandra as she remained at Vin’s side. After a moment, he whispered in Mr Rihs’ ear and the tall, blond gentlemen departed. For some reason, Ezra did not like that one damn bit and made a mental note to bring this intelligence to Chris Larabee when the time allowed. Like Chris, Ezra felt the same apprehension about Mason’s interest in Alexandra and like the gunslinger, Ezra knew that he was dangerous.

********

Alex was perfectly aware that Randall was watching she and Vin with barely concealed hatred. Outwardly, he looked the picture of calm but she knew what she had seen in the restaurant and the memory of it sent a chill running down her spine that prompted her to tighten her hold around Vin’s arm. The tracker noticed the tension under her fingers and met her gaze. The apprehension he saw in her eyes gave him reason to be concerned.

"Don’t worry," he said in that too soft voice of his that could be so reassuring and gentle at the same time. He had not missed the way Randall Mason had stared when they had walked into the room together and knew that her fears were not unfounded. His eyes followed them with such intense scrutiny that Vin had begun to question whether or not he would keep his distance during the course of the evening. Vin hoped the man did not intend to cause any commotion because he wanted this night with Alex to be special, not marred by unpleasantness.

"He ain’t gonna do anything stupid in a room full of people." He said that mostly for Alex’s benefit because she really needed to believe it.

Alex was not so sure but being with Vin did lend some comfort to her troubled state of mind when they finally reached Chris and Mary. It was bad enough that her arrival with Vin Tanner had engendered such an interested response from the rest of Four Corners but she did not need the aggravation of Randall’s jealousy reaching some physical expression as well.

"I hope so." Alex replied but the doubt still lingered, as did the ominous presence of Randall’s eyes upon them.

"Well that dress certainly did not look that good in the window." Mary smiled upon their approach, knowing how distressed Alex was with Randall Mason presence in the hall. Hopefully, a lighter subject might ease the tension now that the novelty of their arrival together had faded away. "I’m glad my second opinion helped." The widow said proudly.

Their arrival had surprised everyone, even those who weren’t apart of the seven and their entourage. While it was known that Alex’s relationship with Ezra had been dissolved for some time now, not many were aware or even suspected that she might have another man in her life and Vin Tanner could be considered an unconventional choice for such a refined and educated woman.

"Yeah, she does cleans up well." Vin teased with a faint smile.

"So do you for that matter." Mary pointed out with a raised brow, taking note of his tidier than normal appearance. She supposed that it was too much to ask to expect him to leave the buckskin jacket in his wagon but at least it appeared to have been recently cleaned. In truth, Mary could not imagine Vin in anything else.

Vin shrugged and noticed Chris had made no response. The gunslinger’s attention seemed focussed on Mason across the room. Knowing what women were like when they got together, Vin left Alex in the company of Mary and Inez, while he spoke to Chris privately.

"Trouble?" He asked, knowing that intense expression on Chris’ face well enough.

"You might have told me." The older man replied, ignoring the question.

"It ain’t anyone’s business but my own" Vin answered stiffly, suddenly feeling as if Chris was disapproving of his asking Alex to the dance. A bubble of anger surfaced involuntarily, even though he knew he ought to hear his best friend out before leaping to conclusions.

"Come on Vin," Chris said quickly, realising his remark might have been mistaken and not wishing to be. Inwardly, he was pleased that Vin had finally taken that all-important first step in making his intentions known to the doctor, however, his timing was ill planned. It should not have to weather the complication of Randall Mason’s presence and Chris worried if his arrival with Alex might not ignite the powder keg that was Mason’s obsession with Alexandra Styles. "I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just that this might not have been the best time for it."

His words echoed back to the speech Chris had given Vin when he had returned Charlotte to the wagon trail months before. Everyone had been perfectly aware of what had transpired between them and all had been quick to lay blame and make judgements. Chris had been the only person who had said nothing about his actions and had tried to advise him without actually interfering. Vin had appreciated it then and felt guilty in thinking Chris would react any differently now.

"I can handle it." He said quietly.

"I’m not worried about you," Chris answered and met his eyes directly. "I’m worried about her." He glanced momentarily in Alex’s direction. "A man does crazy things when he thinks a woman might be cheating on him and Mason’s crazy enough to believe that Alex is his to feel the same."

To that, Vin could not disagree. However, he was unwilling to let Alex cower in fear either while the man was in town. Perhaps, if Mason understood that Alex had genuine reasons for staying in Four Corners, he might be willing to abandon his hopeless quest for her hand in marriage. Still, Chris had a better scent for trouble than any man alive and Vin had learnt to trust that instinct explicitly. Despite his pleasure at being with her tonight, he could not deny that he was afraid for Alex as well.

"Its too late now." Vin sighed and noticed Mason had turned his attention away from Alex, once he became aware that Vin and Chris were studying him with equal scrutiny. He disappeared into the crowd and Vin hoped that would be the end of it for the night. Unfortunately, Chris’ words could not be easily disregarded.

Chris noticed the uncertainty in Vin’s face and felt slightly guilty for berating the younger man for something that was not at all his fault. Chris knew how difficult it was for Vin around women. The tracker had always seemed to shy away from them, as if the lack of human contact had made him uneasy at how he should behave in their company. Chris had never even seen him with a working girl and while he knew Vin was susceptible to a pretty face as any other man, he had never known Vin to take an interest beyond that.

Charlotte had been a turning point for Vin that even Chris recognised, even if the relationship was doomed to fail from the beginning. It had never occurred to Vin that a woman might find him attractive enough to pursue and Charlotte’s interest alone had made Vin believe that it was warranted devoting himself to her completely. It pained Chris to see Vin so lost in his infatuation for the woman because even Chris had some idea how it would play out in the end. Vin barely understood why he loved her other than the fact that the intimacy felt good. Until then, Chris believed the very idea of it had never even occurred to Vin.

Josiah’s return with some drinks for the ladies broke the silence as the preacher eyed both men, wondering what words had been exchanged in his absence. There seemed to be an underlying vein of tension pulsing between them. Like the rest of Four Corners, Josiah had been mildly surprised to see Alex and Vin arrived together although in the preacher’s assessment of things, the surprise was a pleasant one. Two people who were capable of creating the sparks that were Alex and Vin had done over the past months were meant for something more than petty bickering. In some sense, Josiah thought they were better suited for one another than Alex and Ezra ever could be.

"Something up?" He asked suspiciously, looking for Mason whose presence in Four Corners took on an even more ominous potential in the face of Vin’s interest in Alex.

"No, not really." Chris shook his head, giving Vin a silent acknowledgment that every was all right. "Just making sure Mason doesn’t do anything stupid."

"He wouldn’t here." Josiah reminded.

"You’re probably right," Chris relented, wondering if he was not being a tad paranoid. Being naturally suspicious had kept him alive and these days, he used the skill to keep his friends the same way. However, sometimes even Chris Larabee had to let things happen at their own pace. If there were trouble, they would deal with it when it came. "Go on Vin, have a good time. We’ll keep an eye out for him and cover your back if need be."

Vin offered Chris a small smile of thanks before he rejoined Alex. The band has started playing a short time ago and although it was no more than quartet whose instruments included a fiddle and an organ, the music was lively and had attracted couples to the floor. When Vin and Alex joined them, the band had started playing a waltz and Chris noted with amusement that it was Alex who seemed more comfortable with it that Vin. The tracker kept glancing at his feet as they moved across the floor.

"You think there’s going to be trouble?" Josiah asked, not believing for one moment what Chris had told Vin a minute ago.

"Lots of it." Chris said tautly.

*******

"See this isn’t so hard," Alex replied as she and Vin did the waltz. Actually, she waltzed and he tried not to step on her feet. He was watching her movements and letting her guide him to where they were supposed to go because this was not like a barn dance where it was not important where his feet went. Until now, he had never been bothered by his lack of social graces because there had never been a need for it when one was alone most of the time. When he was buffalo hunting, there were periods when he did not see anyone for weeks, let alone the necessity to learn how to behave properly in front of a lady or the refinements of learning how to dance.

"Speak for yourself," he returned still focussed on the steps. "I once tracked a killer during winter in the snow across two states before I got him. Almost got myself killed a dozen times from frostbite and being shot at. That weren’t as hard as this."

Alex chuckled softly, becoming carried away by the music and the idea of being with him. The concentration on his face as he tried not to step on her toes was so utterly endearing that Randall Mason had been banished into the back of mind. Once again, Alex found another reason to feel glad that she was decided to accompany him this evening. In fact, it was surprising how easy it was being with Vin Tanner once her initial reservation had faded.

When Vin held her like this, Alex could well understand how she had almost succumbed to him in Agnes Doherty’s cabin. A part of her was almost sorry that she had not, considering what had awaited her when she did finally return to Four Corners. Instinctively, she found her gaze searching for Julia Pemberton who was also dancing with Ezra not far away.

Strangely enough, she felt none of the anger towards the couple she had suffered during the first few weeks after her split with Ezra. While she would never like Julia, Alex could safely say that she no longer felt anger towards Ezra. The gambler caught her staring as he danced with his partner and offered a faint smile which to his surprise, Alex returned it without any trace of hostility or resentment. Her response sent a wide grin across Ezra’s face, as he understood for the first time that he was forgiven and things between them were finally righted.

"How you doing cowboy?" Alex returned her attention to Vin who was confident enough to look away from his feet.

"I feel like a damn fool." He muttered unhappily. "Whose idea was this again?" He asked jokingly.

"As I recall yours," she reminded. "Something about saving me from pining at home alone in my old spinsterhood?"

"Oh yeah," he smiled. "I remember. I was taking pity on you."

"You’re such a humanitarian," she laughed, wondering if the reason she liked him so much was for the delight he took in trying to provoke her. "What would I do without you?"

"Probably turn into a mean ol’ cuss with vinegar in your veins." He teased, pulling her closer to him and revelling in secret delight when she did not pull away.

"Flatterer." She laughed.

After a moment, Alex found herself asking the question that had been on her mind for some time now. This seemed a good a time as any to ask. There was something strangely private about dancing the waltz even though people surrounded them. "Vin, why did you stay away? After I found out about that Ezra that is." After what they had shared together during their time in the mountains, it had surprised her somewhat how absent he had been. She had expected him to be at her doorstep because she knew he cared for her; he had as much as said so despite his strange sense of humour.

Vin looked at her with those intense eyes of his and considered her question. "Cause it only complicated things. You wanted Ezra and only Ezra then."

Alex nodded, understanding his reasons with what he did not say rather than what he had. He did not want to take advantage of her vulnerability in the face of her rejection and Alex could admit now, that she had been hurt enough to allow him to do so, had he been unscrupulous enough to try. Hearing him say that only deepened her feelings for him and she knew with increasing certainty that what she felt for Vin Tanner was no passing interest. There was something safe and inviting about his affections for her, it was something so tangible that she could wrap in its warmth.

"May I cut in?" A voice broke in.

Randall Mason stood before them, waiting expectantly for an answer. There was no signs of his earlier hostility on his face, merely polite anticipation of their reaction. Vin made no move to release his hold on her as they stopped dancing nor did he like the idea of relinquishing Alex to Randall’s ministrations.

"I don’t think the lady would like that." Vin said coolly, betraying nothing of the menace he felt towards Mason and his obsession with Alex. Once again, Don Paulo’s reaction to Buck surfaced in his mind.

"No it’s all right," Alex spoke quickly, meeting his gaze to indicate she did not want to make a scene. If a simple dance with Randall would keep the peace, she could endure it. Alex hoped Vin could as well. "Please, Vin." She smiled faintly, reassuring him that she would be fine.

Vin did not like the idea at all but he was not about to embarrass her in public by getting into a brawl with this stranger. At least not yet. "I won’t be far away." He replied giving her a look of reassurance and one of clear warning in Randall’s direction as he withdrew from the floor and left her to him.

Once he was gone, Alex resumed dancing with Randall, trying not to feel apprehension as they moved across the floor. She noticed Vin had taken position next to Josiah and both men were keeping close eye on her. Knowing that they were close at hand alleviated Alex’s agitation somewhat. She had no idea if Randall meant her any genuine harm or not but ever since their dinner, she was uneasy at being anywhere near him. Alex was certain of what she had seen in his eyes, not to mention the way he had spoken to her after she had refused his offer of marriage.

"There’s no need to be afraid of me Alexandra," he said as they danced to the rhythm of the music. The band was playing Clementine and the soft tone of the music only made the unreality of this all the more potent. While Vin had been uncertain in his steps, Randall was confident and took the lead almost immediately. And still she wished it was the tracker who here instead.

"You made some very strong statements Randall," Alex replied coolly, determined not to let him upset her. "I believe there is reason to be cautious."

"I apologise," he answered with a facade of genuine sorrow which she knew to the core of her was false. "My disappointment allowed my anger to get better of me." He smiled with perfect teeth on a perfect face that seemed completely devoid of anything that might be construed as a real emotion.

"I’m sorry you came all this way to find me Randall," Alex said softly. "But we’ve always been friends. Your proposal took me surprise to say the least. I don’t want to hurt you but I’ve ties here that I’m not prepared to leave."

"Like him?" Randall glanced in Vin’s direction. Vin’s dark blue eyes did not shift from her while she was anywhere near Randall. The distaste in Randall’s voice and face was apparent and only serve to incense Alex to no end.

"Vin Tanner has nothing to do with my decision." She replied automatically. "I do not wish to marry you." However, even as she made the statement, Alex felt a pang of guilt knowing that part of her refusal had to do with that very reason. Her feelings for Vin were coming into full flower and the idea of marriage to Randall was not only abhorrent but also unimaginable in the face of that realisation.

"I find that very hard to believe." Randall retorted, undeceived by her denial. "He doesn’t appear to behave like someone with a casual interest in you and if I might say so, neither do you."

"My relationship with Vin none of your business," Alex felt her calm beginning to slip now that she was caught out. The impudence of him was wearing away her desire to remain civil. It gnawed at the pit of her that she had once shared a bed with this man with no idea of what kind of person he was beneath that practised veneer of charm. "Even if I had nothing to do with him, I still would not marry you."

"You would waste your time and effort on that skinned clad barbarian?" He sneered. "What possible interest could you have in him? I wager he hasn’t got a cent on him and probably never will, that is if he doesn’t get himself killed first in a primitive shooting ritual common to these backwater villages."

Hearing him insult Vin like that was the last straw and she tore herself from him savagely. Alex stepped back, glaring at him in pure venom while people continued dancing around them. "Maybe he isn’t rich and perhaps he will die young but I would rather spend my life with him in absolute poverty than living it wealthy as your glorified pet." She snapped viciously and turned to leave.

Randall caught her in two steps and spun her around, his hand grabbing her chin roughly before Alex was even aware of anything else. She felt his fingers digging into her skin as he pulled her face close to him. "You will be mine Alexandra." He hissed softly so that only she could hear him speak. The mask of charm had disappeared and she saw the yellow eyes of a rabid animal. "I won’t let you go. Not now. Not ever. I’ve killed to get you once before, I won’t hesitate to do it again."

"Let her go." Vin’s voice cut through his words with the sharpness of a knife. Alex felt a flood of relief when Randall’s finger relaxed his grip and she saw Vin coming to her defence. She staggered back in shock when he let her go, unable to believe that he had actually behaved this way in front of the entire town. However, her ears were ringing with his words and she was trembling by the possibility of what Randall had meant when he said he had killed to get her once before. The implication was disturbing to say the least and added a new dimension to her already rising fear of what he was capable.

No sooner than Randall had turned around to face him, Vin flattened him with one blow. There was a loud crack of sound that brought the music and the revelry to an abrupt halt as Randall fell flat on his back when Vin’s fist met him squarely in the face. Vin hardly blinked when he turned his attention immediately to Alex, the cold hatred towards Randall had evolved into warm concern for her. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," she nodded wildly, feeling an intense wave of embarrassment at the eyes staring at them. Randall was still on the floor. Although he had not been knocked unconscious, he nevertheless appeared dazed as he struggled to recover from the blow and made an ungainly attempt to rise to his feet.

Chris Larabee stepped out into fray, somewhat unsurprised by the turn of events. He had almost expected this situation to come to ahead if his instincts about Randall were correct. He took up position next to Vin, showing his solidarity with the tracker’s actions. If that had been Mary in Alex’s position, Chris would have done a lot worse. Vin’s reaction had been mild in comparison to what the gunslinger would have been under the same circumstances. Across the hall, the rest of the seven were watching the events with equal interest. All were standing by in case their assistance was needed. It seemed unlikely because Randall was alone since even his companion; the silent Mr Rihs was no where in sight.

"I think you have all the answers you need from the lady." Chris said to Randall who had finally stood up shakily, holding his bleeding nose. Despite the injury, the man’s eyes were points of crimson fire and Chris had no doubt that was killer rage that he was aiming at Vin Tanner’s direction. "Miss Styles would rather you leave her alone. I suggest you do so."

"Or what?" Randall snarled, wiping the rivulet of blood from his nose. He glared at Alex with such intensity that it made her shudder and suddenly, she needed to get out of this place, away from all the eyes that were staring at her and the drama unfolding. She was a private person by nature and this entire spectacle had been too public for her liking.

"Or I’ll throw your ass in jail and let you rot there." Chris replied with an expression of ice.

"On what charge?" Randall asked derisively. "Dancing with a lady?"

"You were doing a hell of lot more than that!" Vin declared vehemently before Chris could answer.

Chris silenced the younger man with a look, indicating in his steely gaze for Vin to let him handle this. "Harassment." Chris stated simply. "Until I can think of something else." The gunslinger smiled with a predatory gleam in his eyes that looked more sinister than the words tumbling from his lips. "Trust me, you don’t want to be around when that happens. I can be mighty creative. Now you’ve caused enough disruption to the local events, I suggest you leave."

Randall looked around and saw Ezra and Josiah stepping forward, to illustrate the point that Chris was making. Even Buck had left the young woman he was attempting to seduce and made himself noticed. With his height, it was not difficult. JD merely shifted his coat, to allow the glimmer of Silver Star on his vest to capture Randall’s eye and ensure that Chris’ claim was perfectly legal. The foreigner’s eyes narrowed at the realisation of the odds he was facing and what would happen if he decided to ignore Chris’ suggestion. It was gamble he was not willing to take at this point.

"This is not over Alexandra." He turned to her sharply as he prepared to leave. "You will marry me. Willingly or not." With that he stormed out of the place, leaving Alex visibly shaken.

"That man is crazy." Vin said with utter conviction as he saw Randall disappeared out the door.

"Yeah," Chris agreed. "That he is."

"I need to get out of here." Alex whispered. Her eyes met Vin’s. "Can we go, please?"

Chris glanced at Vin and nodded his agreement that it was probably a good idea because Alex was visibly distressed and with Mason the way he was at the moment, it was not wise to let her go anywhere alone. The threat he had made was real as was the intention to drag her from Four Corners, kicking and screaming if he could have her no other way. Chris had better think of something fast because he could see trouble coming like a twister in the desert.

********

"I’m sorry Alex," Vin apologised once they had left the church hall behind and made their way back to her house. The night had been all to brief and Vin felt a surge of disappointment at the way things had played out. He had not intended to let his anger get the better of him but when he saw Mason manhandling her like property, it snapped the reason inside of him. Vin had crossed the floor before he was even aware that his feet were moving.

He regretted the action now, wishing that there had been a more amicable way to settle the situation, without resorting to violence and making a public display. There was a persona which Alex allowed people to see and one which was private and reserved for those who were counted as friends. She remained cool and professional for most people because they needed to see her as the confident doctor. She rarely gave evidence of the woman beneath that identity of the healer. After her initial quarrel with Ezra regarding Julia Pemberton, Vin knew she took great pains to keep her private life from the public eye so he could only imagine her mortification at this moment. The entire town was now aware of her private difficulties and he could tell by the look in her eyes that disturbed her greatly.

Nevertheless, she still managed to look at him with bewilderment following his apology. "Whatever for?" She asked mystified.

"For making a scene." He said sombrely. "I knew you didn’t want one."

Alex shrugged. "I’m not happy at the way things turned out Vin but it was not your fault. He was hurting me and you stepped in. I’m not upset at you, I’m grateful." As if to illustrate her point that she was not at all angry at him, she linked her arm through his and rested her head on his shoulder.

Vin found himself warming to the affection she was showing him and lowered his head gently into her hair to take a deep breath of it. He could smell the fragrance of rose water against her skin. "I’m not too happy about leaving you alone tonight." He admitted when the reached the steps leading to the front door of her home. Like Mary Travis, Alex had followed the newspaperwoman’s example by purchasing a dual storey home, with her clinic located on the lower floor. She had gone to considerable expense to convert the storage space above the main floor into a set of rooms that she could inhabit.

"You think he’d try something?" She asked seriously.

"He might." Vin answered truthfully, wanting her to understand that this was not a clumsy attempt at seduction. Vin would not know how to any way. That was Buck’s department.

"Well," she sighed. "Come upstairs and we can figure something out." She was disappointed with how the evening had ended because she had really started to enjoy herself. Alex had liked being escorted by Vin to the dance and was having a good time until Randall’s unwanted intrusion.

Alex opened her door a moment later and stepped into her kitchen. She had expected to be out for hours and bristled with annoyance that Randall Mason had ruined a potentially delightful evening. She was so furious she could spit.

"I’m going to have to do something about that man." Alex said as she closed the door after Vin had entered. "I can’t just let him intimidate me with like some bully."

"He does want you real bad." Vin agreed with her assessment of situation. "I can’t say I understand why though." He met her gaze with a slight smirk, hoping the remark would ease her tension slightly. "You are a real pain in the ass."

"How would you know?" Alex retorted, staring at him with a similar teasing smile. "I haven’t done anything to your ass." She then added with raised brow. "Yet."

He stared at her intently for a moment, trying to decide how to respond to that remark. "Yet?" He almost stumbled with the word but managed to maintain his composure.

Alex was suddenly aware of some forbidden barrier between them had been breached. In an instant, she thought of all the reasons why she had held back with Ezra and with him. In the face of what Randall demanded from her, Vin’s gentle approach was compelling and she could think of no reason to keep him at arm’s length any longer. Tonight had proved one thing to her. She cared about him a great deal, more than Alex had ever suspected, despite the adversarial nature of their relationship. Ever since that night in Agnes’ cabin, despite how she might have told herself that it was merely an aberration, she had longed for the moment when she might enjoy his touch again.

"Yet." She whispered in a tone that promised all sorts of things in that one word.

The measured calm bled from his features to be replaced by a deep seeded hunger that awaited expression once he summed the courage to proceed.

"Vin." She gave him an enigmatic smile and hoped that was enough.

"Yeah." He replied quietly as the same thought moved through his mind and suddenly words seemed unimportant in the light of what he saw in her eyes.

His mouth was on hers even before he was aware that he had crossed the narrow space between them. He met her lips with such hunger that she was almost swept off her feet as Vin sent her stumbling backwards by the force of his passion. They came to a stop at the edge of the kitchen table and caused it to screech when their weight slid its wooden legs across the polished floor until it could go no further. Neither was aware of anything except that they were halted against its obstruction.

Vin did not care where they were only that he had her and her lips were parting for him, allowing his tongue entry as he kissed her with all pent up desire that had been driving him insane with longing over the past few months. Ever since that night in the cabin, he had had relived how she had tasted, how her body had reacted to his touch with as much desire to be possessed as he had wanted to take her where she stood. Those few minutes before she had pushed him away had made Vin so hard and excited that he was rather surprised that he had let her go, instead of compelling her to remain and finish what they had started. He knew it would not have taken much to force her to yield for Vin had sensed how much Alex had needed him too.

In any case, it did not matter now as he felt his body pressed against her. The heat of her mouth and her feverish hands running up his back and through his hair bespoke that there would be no turning back for her now. His own hand kept her firm body securely against his while Vin relished the feel of her breasts forced up against his chest so closely that he could feel her nipples straining through the thin cotton of her dress. It made him stiffen just thinking about running his fingers tips over those erect points of flesh until he was starting to feel somewhat trapped inside his clothes. However, he contented himself by slipping those fingers through that sheen of dark hair, his arousal continuing on its juggernaut pace by the feel of those luxurious strands against his skin

Alex ran her fingers through his dark hair, pulling him closer to her until she was no longer sure where his lips began and hers ended. She could feel his tongue exploring her mouth, delighting in the secret game it played with her own. Alex felt her heart pounding at the taste of him and she took greedy breaths of his scent of leather and soap. She was vaguely aware that his hand was snaking up her hip, his fingers caressing the length of her until it came to a stop under her breast. There was a moment when she felt him hesitate. Alex knew he did not want him to stop and so she guided his hand upward to complete the rest of the journey, cupping his palm over her breast.

With permission granted, instinct took hold and Vin began kneading the soft flesh through the rough fabric. His fingers sought the edge of her neckline and plunged beneath the material as he searched through the layer of cloth to find the nipple that was driving him to distraction by his inability to touch it bare. When his fingertip made contact, she uttered a soft moan of pleasure that elicited a growl of sheer lust from him as he teased and taunted the tiny nub of erect flesh. The twinge of arousal she was feeling had became a desire of raw and wanton proportions as she pulled the dress further down her shoulder, allowing his hand more access to her.

Vin was breathing hard but he paused long enough to smile at her before continuing to tease the nipple into such excitement that it had contracted to half its side under his devoted ministrations. Alex shuddered in nothing less than pure craving as he played havoc with her body, unable to believe that any man could make her so completely lost to sexual desire. She was not even conscious of it when she started tearing at his shirt, wanting to feel his skin and make him quiver, the way he was doing to her.

Vin felt her nails on his shirt buttons and hardly cared that some of them were torn away when she yanked the uncooperative ones apart. Their mouths were still fused to each other and he could feel her kisses becoming more passionate, more searching as she started darting her tongue through his mouth now, taking the initiative. Submitting for now, he felt his mind swim with raw aching as she took charge of his mouth, burying in his lips in a flurry of sensuous kisses. His hand was still on her breast and each time he squeezed her nipple, Vin heard her moan into his mouth and knew that if he did not get out of his pants soon, he was going to tear through it. His cock was so hard, he could barely think and Vin wondered if she had any idea at all what sweet torture this was for him.

Alex had some idea but at the moment, she was more interested in exploring the body that had been taunting her the past months. She seen him without a shirt only once before and that occasion had been in the middle of surgery. When her palms slipped past the folds of shirt, slipping over the smooth skin of his chest, Vin felt the heat of her fingers tip surge down his chest, past his belly before it centred right in his groin. Her touch travelled through him like lightning, pouring into him and at finding nowhere else to go, expanded his cock even further to accommodate the intense feeling. He groaned involuntarily, unable to hide the effect on his throbbing erection as her hands did their worst. Vin reacted with a slight shudder as he felt her hands explored the hairs in the hollow of his chest, before her palm grazed his nipple and drew a pleasured sigh from him.

The response was precisely what she wanted to hear and suddenly Alex was pulling at his shirttail, wanting him free of the confining material She wanted to see all of him and quickly slid her hand over the braces holding up his pants. They slipped of his strong shoulders with little resistance and she was still dizzy from his mouth, when she finally freed him of the shirt and let it fall to the floor along with that damn buckskin jacket he was so fond hiding within. Alex was still kissing him seductively when she ran her palms over the smooth lines of his back, delighting in every curve of muscle as she caressed the skin of his stomach and then travelled up his chest. When her palms touched his nipples, she was rewarded with another breathless sigh and that aroused her as much as it did him.

Breaking away from his mouth, she saw the question in his eyes but allowed him a wicked smile before she let her lips to slide down his neck. Her tongue laved down his skin, to the chest that was so lithe and taut, that it begged for the attention. Alex could hear him starting to pant, as he mouth tasted the skin of his chest in her descent down his body. She felt Vin tense as her mouth moved further down the tuft of hair in the small hollow of his chest, before finding the erect tip that had caused such acute sensation. She took the nipple in her mouth, swirling the tip of her tongue over its tight plateau and immediately felt him stiffen as the pleasure overtook him.

"God," he whispered in a ragged breath.

Alex smiled, enjoying the ability to make him squirm for once. She looked up to see his eyes closed, enjoying the sensations as her mouth assaulted him with the light touch of her tongue, stroking him evenly as her other hand teased his other nipple. Alex felt a surge of moisture between her legs at the sight of his quivering lips as she nibbled at the erect nub of flesh like it was the tastiest thing on earth. She could tell his breath had quicken by the tension of his tightening stomach muscles and that observation made her aware of something else that required as much attention.

She slid down his body, leaving his chest as she trailed kisses down his stomach, nuzzling against the fine hairs that made his skin feel like velvet. When she breathed against it, she could seem them immediately standing on end as he groaned quietly, struggling to maintain some semblance of control as she inched closer to his most private of places. Alex paused when she reached the buttons of his pants and took note of the stiffening erection that was straining against the material with rising anticipation of how it would feel inside her. Not yet though, she smiled wickedly to herself. Rubbing her cheek gently against the outline of thick muscle, Alex heard him shudder in delight while at the same time fighting the urge to not to thrust his hips at her in the overwhelming need for stimulation.

Vin watched Alex remove his gun belt from around his waist and then started working on the buttons on his pants. Each time she freed one, Vin could almost feel the pressure building inside his cock from the sheer anticipation of what she would do when she finally undid all them all. By the time, she had reached the last one, Vin had to struggle to contain himself when he saw her kneeling down before him in clear indication of what he was in for. Vin’s eyes widened and his breath quickened when he felt her hands enclose his throbbing shaft after she had pulled down his pants.

"Oh Christ." He moaned as he felt Alex’s hands freeing his cock from his confinement before those lips, those beautiful, perfect lips were on him….

The pleasure of it was beyond description as the wet heat of her mouth swallowed his throbbing member as far as it would go down her throat. Vin had to grip the table or else he would have lost complete control and start thrusting. There was no way to adequately describe what it felt like to have her hand pump him into her mouth, how exquisitely her tongue slipped over the head of his cock while her other hand slid over his rear and held him in place. After awhile he heard moaning. Vin had this vague idea that it might be coming from him but he could not really tell because all he could feel was that incredible mouth, sucking, stroking and licking him with such salacious determination that he was all but lost in its thrall. Vin watched completely mesmerised as her lips glided over the length of his shaft, before centring on the head where she sucked insistently on the sensitive tip and forced another groan of utter pleasure from him.

. "God Alex," he groaned. "That’s so good…"

She did not answer and Vin was glad that she did not because her lips would have had to stop what they were doing for that and right now, he could not bear to have that delicious mouth leave him. He felt almost selfish when all he do in response to these wonderful sensations was to stand there and take it while she delivered to him the most mind numbing oral experience he had ever endured in his life. Where on earth did she learn to do this? Vin wondered and then realised half a second later, he really did not care as long as she did not stop. Vin could do think of nothing but the mouth and hand that was working his cock with expert caresses. Alex alternated from sliding over his shaft with her mouth and then pumping it when she reached the tip again. She continued this way for several more minutes, until Vin was so mindless with pleasure that he knew he had to stop her or else he was going to come in her mouth.

The image of that in Vin’s mind was enough to almost make it a reality as he started to feel himself slipping. That brought some clarity to mind because he did not want to climax unless he could share it with her. As it is, he was dangerously close to the edge and any more of her mouth and he was going to go over it sooner than he liked. Somehow, he managed to let his hands find her shoulders and gently, he started raised Alex to her feet once again. When her lips released him, Vin had to choke back the sob that threatened to escape him from the cessation of such sweet pleasure. He was still shaking from what she had done when Vin lifted Alex onto the table.

"I want to come inside you." He whispered huskily in her ear as he met her gaze with his dark eyes before his mouth found hers again. Her lips were still moist and he wanted to lavish upon them the agonising pleasure she had just given him. Vin was perfectly aware of how to do that as his hands started tugging at the sleeves of her dress, forcing the material down the length of her arm before leaving her lips as he eased her back against the table. Very soon, she was free dress all the way to her waist and all that separated him from her skin was the corset and chemise.

"You’re so beautiful." He said admiring her as he started undoing the corset, working deftly to remove the knots that held the garment together. Alex blushed slightly at the remark, feeling strangely vulnerable now that he had the upper hand. Very soon, she lying before him naked from the waist down, burning with anticipation at what he would now do to her. Vin licked his lips in sheer lust as he glided his hands up the length of her body, savouring the taut skin across her sides before reaching her breasts and grasping them both in his hands, kneading the flesh hard and savagely before withdrawing down her waist again. Alex moaned in pleasure, her back arching in his hands as he lowered his lips to her the curve of her hip and laved it in hot, sensual kisses.

The groan of pleasure that escaped her lips at that action Vin into a frenzy of passion as his mouth covered her stomach in soft kisses as he slowly worked his way up her rib cage. She was writhing beneath him now and Vin was forced to slide her further along the table so that he could join her on top of it. He slipped between her legs, feeling his cock stiffening at the feel of her thighs around him, her legs rubbings up and down his own. Vin continued his upward journey, planting wet kisses as he travelled, pausing on occasion to run the full length of his tongue against her skin causing her to surge against him. By now, he was revisited by all the heated desires of their interlude in the cabin. He remembered with perfect clarity what made her whimper with delight for the memory had kept him company during the nights since. She had raised him to such unbelievable heights of desire that he was conscious of nothing but returning the favour as when he finally buried his mouth over one rosebud nipple and started to nibbling on it insistently.

"Oh god Vin." She cried softly when his mouth found the small peak of erect flesh while his other hand slid down her belly and navigated expertly through the folds of her dress. With intimate understanding of how she wished to be touched, he began sucking at the tiny nub in his mouth, swirling his tongue against the rough skin while his hand kneaded her breast, forcing as much of it into his mouth as he could possibly take. Her resolve was all but destroyed now and Alex was groaning in such mindless delight that his cock twitched just hearing his name roll of her tongue in such fevered bliss. Her legs were rubbing themselves against his waist, the friction of her skin against him was making it hard to concentrate but Vin wanted her to be pleasured the way he had.

Alex felt his hand brush past her thighs and felt her stomach clench with the fire of anticipation as he slowly worked her underclothes free. His smooth hands glided under her hips, retreating with the silk of her pantalets caressing her skin as he slipped them off her body. The feel of his rough hands pressured by silk on her already sensitive skin brought another soft moan to her moist lips. Vin smiled at the response and took his time working her free of the silk, unaware that they could produce such arousing sensations for her. Alex sighed as the silk made its descent against her thighs, lost in the delightful feel of it in its prolonged banishment.

Finally however, the fabric was finally removed and Vin allowed it to fall soundlessly to the floor. No sooner than it had, Alex felt his finger caressing her folds, gently nudging them apart before probing one digit deep inside her. Her muscles gripped it immediately in reaction and Vin found himself groaning softly at the tight feel of her around his fingers while burning with the expectation of how good it would feel when those same muscles tightened around his cock.

With her inner passage wet with juices, Vin inserted another finger, pressing hard against its walls and was rewarded with the satisfaction of another pleasured sigh. He withdrew just enough to find her erect centre and an experimental tweak caused her to buck violently against him as she reacted to the wonderful sensation. Vin continued pleasuring her with his mouth, sucking insistently on her erect nipples, while fingering the tiny pearl of flesh between her legs until she was crying out his name in utter abandon. Her body heaved under him, each moan and whimper making him so hard, he was starting to bite down on her nipple, which only made her more aroused.

Alex had known being with Vin Tanner would be exceptional but this was beyond her wildest imaginings. Now more than ever, she knew she could never go to Randall, after this. He had never been able to inspire the raw desire and exquisite pleasure she was now sharing with Vin. Everything about being with him seemed so perfectly right, his mouth teasing her nipples with such delight that her back ached from pressing so hard against his hot mouth. She could feel the fine stubble of his cheek rubbing against her skin and the sensation produced another gush of heat inside her. And the fingers inside her were just wonderful. Suddenly, she knew she did not want to wait any longer, she needed him now.

"Vin," Vin heard Alex say softly in his ear. He looked up from the bliss of tasting her flesh in his mouth and saw the frantic yearning in her eyes. "I need you." She whimpered. "I need you inside me."

Hearing that desperate plea caused his cock to twitch and spasm involuntarily. He almost lost control. Vin had to stop what he was doing immediately or he would have ejaculated there and then. However, her request had broken the back of his resolve to take it slow. His erection was building to such a state of arousal that he knew it would soon turn into actual pain. Withdrawing his fingers from inside of her, Vin search for hers and their fingers intertwined as he readied himself to slide into her. His mouth left her nipples and Alex held back a choked cry of anguish at the sudden end to its sensuous ministrations. Vin’s mouth melted over hers again as he started guiding himself gently past her moistened folds. She hooked one leg over his hip and thrust herself forward so that he could gain easier access.

Vin closed his eyes was forced to leave her mouth because he had to bite down from the intense pleasure that engulfed his cock the moment he started penetrating her. The pleasure that came from just embedding his tip was enough to make him gasp out loud but Vin was determined not to let himself become overwhelmed by the hot, wet delight teasing him every inch of the way. There was enough lubrication to ensure the penetration would be smooth, however fingers were one thing and so Vin took it slow, knowing it was for as much his benefit as it was hers. It was so easy for him to become completely lost in the tight muscles that were playing hell with his control that the time to get used to being inside her was welcomed. Besides, despite her confidence in bed, Vin could tell by the intensity of her desire and the tension he now felt in her muscles that it had been a long time for her.

Vin did not want to hurt her and so he was tender, pushing slowly and expecting it when it did not slide in immediately. He had not expected it would. She was very wet but there was a hint of uncertainty in her eyes, not to mention a little fear. For all her knowledge, her actual sexual experience was limited and that encounter had been nothing like this. She had felt awkward and disappointed then but this had real power over her. She could not believe how good Vin felt, not just in their lovemaking but just the sheer pleasure of sharing this with him.

Alex gasped at her first feel of him, biting her lip as he started to fill her as he slid in deeper inside. Her muscles tensed in reaction, ensnaring his cock like a thousand fingertips fluttering against the smooth erect skin. Jesus, she felt good, he found himself thinking and watched her face while delighting in how she moaned as he pushed his way gently into her deepest recesses. Finally biting her lip was proved ineffective to contain her hungry yearning and Vin felt her hands slid over his rear before pulling him in all the way. The sudden rush of feeling that came with his burying his cock all the way to the hilt inside of her made him cry out.

"Oh Christ." Vin moaned, closing his eyes shut to get a handle on it and thinking absurdly at the same time, when he had become so religious.

"Alex." Vin groaned as he started to thrust into her in long, steady strokes. The sheath of velvet warmth that enveloped him was so tight, it took every ounce of resolve to keep from letting himself go. Vin felt the muscles in his jaw tighten as he started pounding into her. The teasing heat of her inner passages gripped him with such awesome sensation that it impossibly eclipsed the ecstasy of having her mouth on him earlier. Alex was sharing similar pangs of pleasure for her thighs were wrapped around his waist and she was moaning incoherently as he kept pumping into her body, oblivious to anything but what his cock was doing to her.

He had been fighting the urge to begin thrusting frantically because he had wanted her to enjoy this as much as he did. Vin had not the experience with women that Buck or the others might have had but he knew something about holding back until she was ready. However, the point was more or less moot when her hands dug into his rump and she started moaning loudly as her hips strained forward to match his rhythm.

"Harder Vin," she panted, her eyes closed as she cried out. "Harder please!"

That cry almost undid him completely as he found himself impossible getting harder at the desire in that desperate plea. A little sigh escaped Alex when Vin increased the momentum of his strokes until he was slamming so hard into her that she had to bite down on a knuckle from the force of him. Vin was rapidly reaching the point where he would not be able to maintain his control much longer, what she was doing to him was beyond belief. He was so hard and bursting, he could barely keep a coherent sentence in his head let alone keep himself from groaning out loud. In fact, he was not even aware of it when he did.

His cries joined as hers because the more he pushed into her, the louder she got, until her back was a neat arc over the table and her hands were digging into its wooden sides. The powerful sensations of him shook her body with such resounding pleasure that it didn't take long before she had slipped from mere sighs of delight to full-blown groans of unbidden ecstasy. Very soon, their moans had fused into one voice as Vin continued thrusting into her, riding the wave of his own pleasure, His bare chest was bouncing off her soft breasts as she squirmed beneath him, their bodies gleaming with sweat.

"Vin!" she gasped his name as her fingers dug into his back.

Vin delighted in how his name sounded from her lips at this moment and showered her neck in kisses as he started to feel her reach the brink of her endurance. She was very close and he kept up the devastating pace until she was ready. Suddenly Alex tensed beneath him, her moans descending into a mindless whimper as her inner passage contracted around him with such tension it felt like a blast of fire. If there was any control left in him, the muscles reacting to her shattering climax more or less stripped it away completely. Her warmth washed over him in a final rush of tightness that it did all but sent him plunging head first into his own orgasm. Vin’s entire body shuddered in anticipation of the release and once again, he choked back the sob of satisfaction that came with the stirrings of his inevitable climax.

"Oh Jesus!" Vin gasped as he felt himself spurt his seed into her body. They rode the crest of the wave together, melding in every possible way as he emptied himself deep inside her. His fingers dug into her hips from the sheer force of his climax while her legs tightened around him as he kept pumping every last drop from his exhausted manhood into her quivering folds. He collapsed on top of her completely spent, with a guttural sound of raw pleasure that still left him trembling from that unbelievable release.

Alex let him rest against her chest, relishing the feel of his breath against her skin as he recouped his strength. She felt strangely clear about so many things and liked how he felt inside her, even when he was spent. Her hands splayed across his back, delighting in the luxury of his smooth skin and the rough stubble of his face against her breasts. How could she have stayed away him for so long? Had she known that this was the experience she had refused that night, Alex knew they would made love sooner. In any case, she knew with perfect clarity that Ezra would not have fulfilled her this way. Alex had never felt the same heat or passion for Ezra in all the months of their affiliation as she felt in the short periods of time she had shared with Vin Tanner.

"You know something." He spoke after a moment.

"What?" She replied dreamily, still reeling from the after effects of their passionate lovemaking.

"I’m never going to look at your kitchen table the same way again." He chuckled.

Alex giggled softly and then responded. "I’ll just have to find somewhere else to cook."

"You cook?" He lifted his head to stare at her with those innocently looking eyes of his.

"Considering your earlier performance, I’ll let that remark slide." She teased, continuing to let her fingers drift across his skin.

"Thanks," he drawled lazily, feeling very pleased with himself at that moment. He nuzzled up against her, trying to get comfortable on the hard surface. After a while, he gave up altogether. "Do you think we can move some place else now?"

Alex looked down at him and smiled, perfectly willing to indulge him in his request and anything else that he might have in mind. After all the night was still young and she could stand Vin Tanner doing this to her all night if he so desired it. "This from the man who called me an ‘ol spinster woman."

"Well," he sighed with utter contentment. "I had to do something to take the edge off you." He eased off her and allowed her to roll out from under him. They were both a sight, with Vin clad in nothing but his boots and pants around his ankles while the only thing that held Alex’s dress onto her was her waist. The bodice was crushed around her hips, exposing the rest of her body in all its magnificence.

"Don’t worry cowboy," she gave him a suggestive smile as she padded towards the corridor. "You’re not done yet."

Vin felt a familiar twinge of desire at that notion and responded promptly, pulling his pants up as he followed her towards the bedroom, "I suppose I can put up with you a little longer."

Alex met his gaze with a perfectly devilish gleam in her eyes. "Up being the operative word, Mr Tanner."

END OF PART THREE