It had taken every ounce of self-restraint Bryan Gallagher had not to pack everything up and get on the next stagecoach headed east when he found out what had happened to his daughter. He had found out what happened as soon as he and Colum came into town the following day. Lily told him what had occurred that caused his daughter to go to the livery in the middle of the night. He wanted to be angry with Lily for letting her go, but knew that Molly was not Ms. Patterson's responsibility. Molly had inherited his stubbornness in her own quiet way. He knew that short of tying her to a chair Lily could have done nothing to stop her from leaving to check on the condition of a horse of a boy she barely knew.

The thought caused him to smile in spite of everything. That was part of her good-heartedness. Molly wouldn't hesitate to help anyone that she saw needed it, without thought to herself. In spite of her own fear of horses, she was willing to venture into a barn full of them to help someone out. Molly had been staying with Bryn while Bryan went back and forth between town and the ranch Colum was working at. It was under the guise of picking out land to build a house on. What they were really doing was getting another shipment ready to send out. Bryan and Colum were nailing shut the crates that were shipping out the next day. Bryan looked up from what he was doing to see Molly crossing the street toward them.

"Are you gonna show her the house?" Colum asked his brother noticing that his niece was walking toward them.

"I suppose now is as good a time as any," Bryan answered. "Can you finish?" Colum nodded then smiled for the benefit of Molly who was now only a few feet away.

"Good morning, darlin'," Colum said to his niece, as he continued to nail a crate shut.

"Good morning, Colum," she answered. "Good morning, Da," she said to her father, coming around to kiss him on the cheek.

"I have a surprise for you," Bryan said taking her hand to lead her down the street.

"Where are we going?" Molly asked curious. He led her down almost to the very end of the main street of the town to a small house. He dropped her hand and walked up to the door and opened it. "I don't understand," Molly said.

"It's ours for now anyway," Bryan said, excitedly. "I spoke to the bank manager. He's letting us rent it until the house is built on the new land. Once the new house is built, then I'll start paying back the mortgage on it." He walked up to Molly and took her hand again to lead her inside.

"There's a small room back here," Bryan said moving around the house as excited as a child in a candy store. "That can be your room. I know it's small." Molly looked around what would be her new home. The crates that were to go to Ireland were now plied all around the main room of the house that looked to serve as kitchen, dinning room and her father's bedroom all in one. It needed to be cleaned. She looked up at her father's excited face and smiled for his benefit.

"It's perfect," she said. He walked up to her and embraced her. He had come so close to losing her too. The thought became almost too much to bear as he held her tighter. Colum didn't understand. Molly was all that he had left to live for.

"We'll make it work, Mollybon," he whispered in her hair. He felt her nod. They broke apart.

"I'll start cleaning it this afternoon. I'll not move into a home that hasn't been cleaned," she said. Bryan laughed. She was more like her mother then she knew. He kissed her on the forehead.

"I'll come by and help you later," he said leaving her standing in the house. Molly slowly walked around the house before making up her mind to begin the daunting task of cleaning the house from top to bottom. It wasn't as though it were filthy, it had been left in good shape. It was more she needed something to loose herself in to forget all that had happened.

It was late in the evening when Molly finally was forced to quit her cleaning by Bryn who all but nearly dragged her out of the house.

"You've been at this since this morning with no rest for food or anything. Now enough is enough for the day," Bryn had said to her. "JD was looking for you before," Bryn said knowingly as the two walked back arm in arm to the saloon. Molly had continued to stay with Bryn if only for company's sake. She blushed at her comment.

"He found me," was her soft-spoken reply. He had come to help her move some of the crates out onto the porch that wrapped around the small house so that Molly could clean the floor. She enjoyed his company the times that he'd gone on errands with her, mostly at Bryn's insistence. Both had grown up in the east and each humored the other with stories of growing up in a world so different from Four Corners. He made her laugh and precious little lately had given her reason to smile let alone laugh.

"I see," was Bryn's knowing reply that brought Molly from her thoughts. Before Molly could reply, something up the street caught Bryn's attention that brought the woman to a dead stop. "Oh my God," she gasped and began to run up the street toward the sheriff's office.

"Bryn," Molly yelled after her before she too began to run up the street. "Bryn what is it?" The sight in front of the sheriff's office answered Molly's question. Mr. Standish was lying in a makeshift stretcher that had been attached to the back of his horse. His right leg had been splinted and it appeared to be broken. The person leading the horse was none other than KC. Molly stood back a few feet to watch Bryn kneel down next to Mr. Standish who was acting as though the position he was in was a common occurrence. Mr. Jackson and Mr. Tanner both helped him into Mr. Jackson's clinic, Bryn fussing behind them. Molly didn't know if she should follow to be with Bryn or remain where she was. She watched as KC exchanged a few words with Mr. Larabee and then led the two horses toward the direction of the livery. How KC was even able to stand straight let alone be out riding and apparently rescuing Mr. Standish was beyond Molly. She finally made up her mind to go into the clinic. She walked inside just in time to hear Mr. Standish say someone had fired a shot at him. All eyes seemed to glance in Molly's direction briefly causing her to look down and wrap her arms protectively around her waist. Mr. Jackson immediately made everyone leave the room as soon as Mr. Standish was done explaining what had happened to him. Bryn was the hardest to convince.

"Bryn, I will be just fine under Nathan's care," Mr. Standish said trying to get Bryn to leave. Molly finally stepped forward.

"Bryn, he needs to rest. Come back to the saloon with me. I'll clean up and make us some tea," she said. Reluctantly, Bryn went with the girl. Ezra offered both a pain-filled smile. Molly put her arm around Bryn's shoulders, a gesture that Bryn herself had done just days before when Molly was shot at in the livery. The two returned to the saloon and were greeted by Lily who had heard what happened. She sat Bryn down at a table in the back and told Molly to go upstairs and clean up, she'd have tea waiting for her when she came back down. Molly didn't like being in the saloon but nodded anyway. She wanted to be with Bryn and the saloon was quiet with only a few other customers.

Molly walked up to the room she'd been sharing with Bryn and noticed a red rose with a note lying on the nightstand next to the bed. The note had Bryn's name on it. She thought about bringing it down to Bryn thinking it would lift her spirits but then thought better of it. The last thing Bryn probably wanted to think of with Mr. Standish hurt was a suitor. Quickly Molly washed and changed into a different dress. She brushed out her hair and weaved it into a braid. As she stepped out of the room she noticed KC walking into her room. Molly realized that she never kept her promise to KC about letting her know that Lucky was all right. At the very least she needed to apologize to her. The door was open and Molly knocked on the doorframe. KC was sitting on the bed doubled over.

"Casey?" Molly asked. She looked up at the door to see the girl, Molly standing there. Molly took a couple of steps inside the room. "Are you all right?" she asked, concern filling her brown eyes.

"I'm fine," KC started to say as she stood up and abruptly sat back down hard as a new wave of pain filled her body. Molly walked up and knelt down next to the bed.

"Do you remember me? I was here the other night, my name is Molly," Molly said softly to her. KC nodded.

"I know who you are," she said.

"Shall I get someone?" Molly asked. KC shook her head. "Are you sure, perhaps I should get Mr. Jackson," she said standing. Molly turned for the door but KC grabbed her wrist – hard. "You're hurting me," Molly gasped. Pain and fear replaced the concern that had only seconds ago filled her eyes.

"You're not getting anyone," KC said to her, tightening the grip. Molly's wrist went numb.

"Please, please let go. I won't get anyone. Casey, you're hurting me," Molly yelled. KC abruptly let go and Molly stumbled backwards. KC stepped toward the now terrified girl who turned and ran out the door. Molly went down the stairs and out the back door of the saloon. She began to half walk, half run away from the town. She didn't know where she was going and she didn't care. Her wrist was throbbing and Molly cradled it with her other arm as she continued through the dry landscape that surrounded the town. Images from the past few weeks filled her mind; arriving in Four Corners, her father telling her they were staying, being in the livery and the gunshot, and what just occurred now. Molly kept up her haggard pace. She wanted to get as far from that horrible little town as she could. Finally, exhausted Molly stopped as abruptly as she had started. It was dusk and a feeling of someone's eyes on her caused Molly to turn around in the direction she had come from. Someone had followed her.

"Who's there?" Molly called out. She was answered by sound of the wind blowing. What if it was the person who shot at her? What if it was one of the men that were said to be protecting the town? What if the two were one in the same? No one knew that she was gone and they wouldn't for a while. She was alone with no one to help. 'Why did I have to be so childish?' she scolded herself. She was about to be killed and no one would know. Panicked, Molly turned back around and ran as fast as she could from the person she was sure was about to murder her.