“Well?” JD asked anxiously directing the question to Josiah’s partner and companion. “Is Molly ok?”

Cheyenne still said nothing as she gazed blankly in front of her. Josiah sat with a glass of whiskey to his lips but he had not taken a drink yet. He stared at Cheyenne, studying her, trying to decipher just what it was that seemed to be troubling her.

Ezra intervened to quiet the distraught JD. “Miss Gallagher is doing as well as can be expected my young friend. It is our friend Lily we should be more concerned for. It seems her fever has climbed." He spoke solemnly as he continued. “In her feverish state she’s become some what delerious and was speaking French. I believe Miss Gallagher was more comfortable asking Cheyenne to interpret for her than she was Josiah.”

JD hung his head somewhat ashamed that he had not thought about Lily first and felt a bit foolish for acting so agitated. “Molly’s been awful upset over Lily’s bein sick. She’s been real worried about her.” He commented.

“As well she should be.” Ezra answered in a more somber tone and poured himself another shot from the whiskey bottle in the middle of the table.

“Lily not getting any better?” Vin asked concerned.

Ezra shook his head. “Nathan believes we should send for the doctor in Stillwater.” He swallowed the shot of whiskey he’d just poured.

“If you gentlemen will excuse me,” he said as he stood and tipped his hat politely to Cheyenne. “I believe I should carry out Mr. Jackson’s request immediately.” With that Ezra left for the telegraph office.

Josiah seemed oblivious to the conversations going on around him. He watched Cheyenne intently. Her soft spoken words to Lilly as she translated for Molly kept ringing in his ears. It had taken him back to a time long ago when he had first met Cheyenne at her father’s cabin. She knew no English; her father had spoken only their French/Indian dialect to her.

She had been such a gentle innocent young girl then. Her shy ways and soft voice had intrigued him to no end and her smile had warmed his heart. The sound of her voice whenever she had spoken his name had made him giddy as a schoolboy. He longed to hear her speak his name like that again, to hear her laughter and see the sparkle in her eyes once more. It had been years since he had seen her like that, years since he had heard her speak to any one so softly with such compassion.

After her attack and the death of her father Cheyenne had turned so cold and anger laced her every word. He blamed himself partially for that. He had turned her into what she was today. When Cheyenne’s world had been turned upside down it had not only devastated her, but him as well. He’d never had the chance to tell her how he felt about her. And it had been his stupidity, his righteous trusting piousness that had led Chase Lancer and his men to Cheyenne’s cabin. After he had found her that day he had become so full of rage and hatred that except for getting her medical attention and being sure that she would be allright, he could not see beyond finding the men who had done this and killing them over and over. He vowed to never trust anyone like that again. His quilt had gnawed at him to this day. All these years later Cheyenne still did not know about his part in what happened to her, and he prayed she never would. Having her hate him, loosing her, would be more than he could bare. His whole life centered on Cheyenne. That was one reason he had taught her how to fight, to shoot. Taken her to her grandfather’s village so that she could learn from the worriers. He knew that no matter how he tried, he could not always be there to protect her. So he made sure that she could take care of her self. She had learned well.

“Josiah?” The sound of Vin speaking his name brought the older man from his thoughts and he turned toward him.

“You say somethin' Vin?”

Vin seemed a bit bewildered at Josiah's incoherence but knew better than to pry. “I said I’d take watch tonight at the Gallaghers.” Vin repeated.

For the first time Cheyenne took an interest in what was being said. She had been so deep into her musings that she’d blocked out everything around her. She had been chastising her self for letting jealousy rule her. She had been such a fool to think that Josiah and the Patterson woman had been intimate. To think Josiah had been the father of the woman’s child. She’d been no better than the old crows in town that passed judgment on her. And she despised them.

“Why do you watch the Gallagher house?” She asked with a touch of bitterness lacing her tone. Vin looked at her surprised that she hadn’t noticed or been told about Royal's men in town. He turned to Josiah.

“You ain’t told her yet?”

Before Josiah could answer Cheyenne spoke again. “Tell me now,” she insisted harshly. Josiah told her about Guy Royal's men Buck had seen taking a peculiar interest in Molly and how they figured the men were up to no good. Cheyenne agreed.

“Thought it best we keep a close eye on Molly for the time bein'.” Vin chimed in. “No tellin' what Royal and his bunch are up to.” Cheyenne nodded her agreement.

“I will take this watch,” she told them in a tone that said she would accept no arguments. Vin looked at Josiah who just shrugged flashed a crooked smile before he spoke.

“I think we ought to let her.” Vin hid a grin and nodded. He too knew better than to argue with Cheyenne when she used that tone.