Molly’s sleep was restless at best. About an hour before dawn she decided to head back to the house not wanting her father to wake up and discover her not there. She knew he’d be plenty upset to find out that Colum spent the night in the jail because of her. She quietly walked down the stairs and out the door. The sudden voice behind her startled her and Molly turned to face a young man that she’d seen around the town the past couple of weeks. He introduced himself as Jake and noticing she was cold offered her his jacket. Molly surprised herself by accepting his offer to walk and watch the sun rise. The two talked just generally about the town and the weather. She found out he was in Four Corners looking for his mother.

"Where are you from?" she asked him. Before he could answer there was the sound of hoof beats coming fast toward them. As they came closer there was another sound, that of gunfire. Jake grabbed Molly pushing her behind him. The events that followed happened so fast Molly wasn’t entirely sure that they’d happened at all. The next thing she was fully aware of was Jake bleeding from his arm and AJ Cinders and KC Jensen riding up to them. KC took a look at Jake’s arm and announced that it didn’t look too serious but that Jake should be brought back into town right away. He hesitated not wanting to leave her. "I’ll be alright, you need to go," Molly reassured him. The sun was starting to rise adding more color to the landscape as KC and Jake rode the short distance into town. Molly watched them go, fully aware that she was now utterly alone with AJ Cinders.

"I’ll take ya back," AJ said to her, moving to mount her horse.

"It’s not necessary," Molly said. "I’ll be fine. Thank you for your help. I’m not sure what we would have done if you both hadn’t shown up. I just hope that Jake will be alright."

"You shouldn’t have come out here alone," AJ said to her. Molly didn’t answer but began to walk toward town. AJ followed her, walking her horse. "Why’d you come out here anyway?" she asked, wondering if it had something to do with what was happening at the ranch. She wondered where Jake fit into all this, realizing when she’d rode up during the shooting that Jake was just a boy.

"To watch the sun rise," Molly answered. She began to pick up her pace as she realized just how far out of town they’d walked. Now she was alone with a woman who had threatened her a couple of days before. This person could do anything to her just like those men could have and no one would know. Not right away at least. The outline of the town’s buildings was coming closer into view. She hoped her father wouldn’t be up yet. He was going to be furious with her as it was. AJ continued to follow her not saying anything more. It was clear that she was more than a little shaken up by what had happened. AJ also noticed something else about her that she hadn’t before, stubborn determination. Molly Gallagher was also too kind hearted for her own good. AJ knew from watching Molly that she hadn’t met Jake before tonight and yet had willingly gone with him out of town. That trusting nature was going to get this girl in a lot of trouble one day, AJ thought.

Hardly anyone was outside yet as Molly entered town with AJ still behind her on foot leading her horse. She headed right for Mr. Jackson’s clinic hoping that KC had brought Jake there. She lightly knocked on the door. Nathan opened it rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Miss Molly, what is it? What’s wrong?"

"I know it’s very early, I don’t mean to disturb you. I thought they’d be here by now," she said to him.

"Who’d be here by now. Molly, what happened?"

"We were just going to watch the sun come up," she started. "They just appeared from no where and Jake, he got hurt but Ms. Jensen said that it wasn’t serious . . . " Nathan cut off her rush of words that weren’t making any sense to him.

"Slow down, just take it easy," he said to her, gently gripping her arms. "Where did this happen?"

"Maybe she took him to the livery although I don’t quite understand why she wouldn’t have sought help from you first," Molly continued. Nathan was even more confused at the young woman’s actions. He cupped her face in his hands, making her look at him.

"Molly, who are you talking about?" She shook her face free and grabbed his hand to lead him with her saying,

"Don’t ask me silly questions, we need to hurry." The pair made their way down the stairs. Buck Wilmington noticed the pair from across the street and made his way to them knowing something was wrong.

"What’s goin’ on?" he asked, jogging up to the pair.

"There they are," Molly exclaimed walking up to KC who had Jake sitting at the end of the boardwalk. Nathan walked up to the pair while Buck led Molly a short distance away. She could hear Nathan talking to KC arguing with her that the boy needed his help. Buck drew her attention to him with a hand on her arm.

"Molly, what happened?" he asked her softly. Buck didn’t need Nathan to tell him that the boy had been shot in the arm and while it didn’t appear to be serious, Buck also knew it didn’t just happen by accident.

"I honestly don’t know," Molly answered. "One moment we were walking and the next . . . they were just there. Jake pushed me behind him and then there was a noise and Ms. Cinders and Ms. Jensen just appeared." Buck’s focus on her last statement was on the woman who stood not far from all that was going on.

"Did ya get a look at ‘em?" Vin Tanner’s voice came from behind. Josiah and him had appeared at the same time to see what the commotion was. Molly’s response was to shake her head.

"Molly!" Bryan Gallagher’s voice came from up the street. He was running toward the group while trying to put his jacket on at the same time. His voice was angry, something that no one was accustom to hearing and was especially disturbing since it was aimed at Molly. "Molly," he yelled again. "I woke up this morning and you were no where to be found, where in the name of God have you been?"

"Walking," was her simple answer. The men had backed away a bit to allow Bryan to talk to his daughter but were also close enough in case a repeat of the events of the night before were to follow.

"What is this, what’s going on?" he demanded of no one in particular.

"It seems that Molly and young Jake over there got held up by a couple of bandits," Vin answered. "Jake was shot," he added.

"Shot?" Bryan questioned then turned to his daughter, took her arm and led her a few feet away. "So let me see if I have the events of the past few hours straight. You sneak out of the house to go to a place you know I don’t approve of, where your uncle is arrested for an argument the two of you got into over something I’m still not quite clear on. And then before dawn, you go off with a boy you don’t even know out of town where you are held up by robbers and your companion is then shot. Did I get everything?"

"Da, don’t yell," Molly pleaded.

"Don’t presume that you can tell me what to do girl, I’m still your father and I have every right to yell," Bryan shouted louder than before. Molly closed her eyes. It was like the night before. Her father had never shouted at her so and it frightened her. "What do you mean by having your uncle arrested?" he asked his voice still raised.

"He grabbed me," Molly stammered out, struggling to keep her composure.

"He had her pinned against the wall," AJ added. Bryan ignored her.

"Your uncle loves you like you were his own. He’d never hurt you, Molly," Bryan answered.

"Da. . ." Bryan cut her off.

"Not another word from you. You are to go back to the house this instance. Do you understand me?" he asked her.

"Yes," she answered sheepishly.

"Off with you then," Bryan said to her. Molly looked up at her father for a moment before walking away. He seemed to have aged 10 years since they’d arrived here. She hoped that it wasn’t her fault. She wanted to stop and truly make sure Jake was alright but didn’t dare instead she fought tears all the way to the house and let them out as soon as she closed the door behind her. Sitting at the kitchen table, she buried her face in her arms and sobbed half out of loneliness and half out of fear.

"Ony why aren’t you here?" she sobbed out loud.

"She didn’t deserve that," AJ said to Bryan watching Molly walk away.

"I know who you are Ms. Cinders," Bryan said to her. "Stay away from my daughter," he said walking away. AJ watched him go. Josiah walked up to her.

"You’ll find that a lot of people in this town watch out for Molly. You’d do best to do what he says," he said following Bryan.

JD had heard what had happened and wanted to check on Molly. He tried her house first but finding no one home proceeded to the church thinking she was making final preparations for school to open in just a couple of days. He stood in the doorway watching her organizing items on her desk. She was so different from any other person he’d known. She looked up at the door and smiled at him. It was the same smile she’d given him on the street the first time he’d talked to her. It had nearly stopped his heart then and he was having the same reaction now. All he could do was smile back. He walked inside.

"You look nearly ready," he said. She nodded.

"Almost," she answered.

"I heard what had happened this morning. Are you alright?" he asked her. He was sorry he asked when the smile left her face.

"I’m fine," she said. He didn’t quite believe her.

"Are you still mad at me?" he asked.

"Oh JD, I was never mad at you," Molly answered. "It just . . . everything just seems so out of sorts lately . . . " her voice drifted off.

"Well, I just wanted to make sure that you were okay and to um . . .", it was JD’s turn to get flustered. "I wanted to know if you’d maybe . . . if you felt up to it would you want to have supper with me," he finished in a rush. Molly felt herself blush but she smiled and nodded at him.

"I would love to," she answered.

"Really?" JD asked. He cleared his throat and said, "How does 7:00 sound?"

"It sounds perfect," she said.

"I’ll pick you up then," he said, backing out.

"Until tonight then," she said and he walked out. Molly took in a breath and wanted to shout. For the first time in a long time she had something to look forward to.