In Hard Tack Everyone liked John now that he was butchering for the local café. Everyone except Marty. Marty still had his eye on him. Rusty tried to convince him that John Conroy was a good man and that he was the best butcher in town.
"Oh I agree, he is the best butcher I ever saw. But I don't trust him…" Marty said glancing out the window of the office, watching it pour down rain. There was a leak in the place over Marty's bed, so he went to put a pan under it, so his mattress wouldn't get wet. But the sound of the rain was lulling and Marty yawned and moved away, before he jumped in bed. "I mean I saw him when he first hit town, and the man he is now and the man he was then…it's like two different people. I think that's what startles me about him. Can a man change that drastically?"
Rusty smiled and patted him on the back. "You don't have to like him. It's your choice. But at least he has changed for the better, Marty. Give him credit for that. And that means we don't have to fret about him anymore, now do we?"
"You didn't seem to trust him that first day." Marty reminded him. "So what's changed? Just because he is a butcher and a good one at that, don't mean he has changed his personality."
"Maybe, maybe not. He's not the same man though. He's made something of himself. Unlike you, he takes advise, and invests his money. He doesn't spend a lot. He's thrifty. Even if I didn't like him, I'd have to admit, he's the best butcher this town ever had. And he's made good in little time. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he didn't become one of the richest men in these parts at the rate he's going. He saves almost everything he makes. I've never seen anyone so thrifty, and he doesn't drink which is something rather unusual."
"Okay, I guess you are right, but I still don't trust him. And I'm still watching him. Any man that makes that good, that fast, there has got to be something crooked about him."
Rusty laughed. "Well you keep lookin' , then I won't have to, will I?"
Marty frowned at the Sheriff. "He comes out of nowhere. He looks kind of like some bum, and everyone thinks he's so great. It don't make sense to me. I think somewhere down underneath he is not what he seems to be. People don't change that fast."
"Sometimes…none of us are what we seem, Marty. Let it alone, will ya. Don't stir up trouble where there is none. The man hasn't done a thing wrong. And I hear he's sweet on Penelope Carver. Look at how she's changed since he came along. I've never seen her look so lovely. You can see it on her face…"
"Penelope Carver, why, she was practically an old maid before he hit town. She used to wear her hair in a tight bun, never a hint of perfume or rouge. Now look at her. Never dated anyone. No one called upon her. Now, all that's changed too. She fixes up, looks almost pretty, don't she?" Marty declared. "She's changed too."
"Yeah, I guess she has. It's called being in love, Marty." Rusty laughed. "Maybe you should try that."
"I got plenty of time for settlin' down. I'm in no hurry. I have my choice of who to invite to the dances around here. Who would have thought. Except…well, she does stand to become one of the richest ladies in the territory." Marty remarked. "Maybe that's what's on his mind. Maybe he is courtin' her for her money."
"She won't inherit until her father dies, and that old man may never die." Rusty affirmed. "Mr. Carver is just onry enough to live forever."
"That's true. He's a crusty old cuss ain't he?"
"Agreed on that one." Rusty went back to checking his wanted posters.
"They even elected Conroy to the town council. Imagine that. I've been here a lot longer and I never got invited to the town council." Marty frowned.
"You don't have a business Marty. Besides, I can't imagine why you want to. That's almost like politics, you know." Rusty smiled. "And politics is something I can't see either one of us in."
"You got a point about that. Never trusted politicians either."
"It appears you don't trust many, anyway, do you Marty? Okay, why don't you make a few rounds. It's getting late and I want to shut down early tonight and get some rest. The engagement party is tomorrow night and we can't miss that one." Rusty chuckled. "It promises to be one of the biggest shindigs in the county."
"At least there will be some good eats." Marty chimed in. "Okay, I'll make the rounds see that all is shut down right. I might even find me a girl to ask."
"Good."
~*~
Now that Jim was home in Melville, he made a call on Vivian after returning from Cross Timbers. Ruby said she had been very down about Rusty and it was up to them to keep her spirits up. After all, she was still recuperating from having lost her baby.
Jim preferred not to dwell on why Rusty left town and never returned. That was his fault. He had no choice. Rusty had killed a man, and if taken to trial the town might not have seen it as self-defense. But his leaving Vivian didn't sit well with Jim. And now…losing the baby, it was too much. Rusty should have been here. The guilt weighed on Jim. He hoped Rusty had found some kind of life for himself as a Sheriff.
Every time Jim thought about the baby he got upset about Rusty. The least he could have done was wrote her. The poor woman had suffered so much.
"How are you feeling?" He asked, seeing the dark circles under Vivian's eyes and her weight loss was evident too in her dress that sagged. They were all so worried about her. Her hair wasn't combed into a neat coil but left loose and straggly.
She pulled her dress closer to her to hide the fact that she'd just had a baby.
"I'm better Jim. I'll be on my feet soon. Should have been up and about before now. I just let the depression I was in, and the self-pity take over. I'm a doctor, I should know better, I suppose. How are things with you?"
"Oh fine. Everything is pretty quiet these days." Jim responded.
"I heard you went to Cross Timbers. Any sign of Elmer?"
"No…Sadie hasn't heard a word from him. She looks different somehow, and I'm worried about her too."
"Different how different?" Vivian asked out of curiosity.
"I don't know. Couldn't put my finger on what had changed. Of course she is depressed because Elmer ran off, and she had to close the café, but there was something else, I just couldn't put my finger on it. I'm worried about her."
Vivian glanced at him and shook her head. "Too bad she didn't come with you, I could have looked at her. But look, please don't fret over me…" Vivian insisted. "Have you heard anything from Rusty?" She moved to get the coffee pot.
Jim moved to help her. "You sit yourself down. You need to take it easy. Don't over-do. I can get this."
"Don't coddle me, Jim. I need to get back to doing for myself. Ruby has been over nearly every day helping me, and I feel so guilty. There is no reason for this. It's time I was up and about. You have all been so good to me, and I appreciate it, but it's time I was doing for myself."
Jim helped her with the pot and poured both of them a cup of coffee. He waited until she was sitting down once more. "No, I haven't heard from Rusty in a while. Last time I did, he was in a town called Hard Tack. Someone ridin' through here said he'd become Sheriff there I'm told."
"Sheriff…but that's ridiculous, he's a doctor. A fine doctor." Vivian protested.
"I know that, you know that, but from a drifter I heard they elected him Sheriff almost as soon as he hit town. It seems he killed a man trying to rob their bank."
"Oh Jim…what is to become of him. He isn't a gunslinger. I shall worry all the more knowing he isn't practicing medicine any longer." She cried. "All his hopes and dreams…gone."
"Vivian, sometimes things change for a man. Sometimes it just happens. I have a feeling he'll be a good Sheriff."
"Of course, but…he's a doctor. Why didn't he continue with that? He loved being a doctor. He was so good at it. He had such a bedside manner."
Jim shrugged and sipped his coffee, noting how Vivian's face lit up when she talked about the doc. She still loved him deeply, and even though they had lost a baby, Rusty hadn't been back nor checked on her. Jim was angry about that. A man should take care of his wife, but he couldn't express those feeling to Vivian, she had enough to contend with lately. Besides, it was his fault that Rusty left in the first place.
"You know as well as I do that Joe Barton had no right to assume so much from me. Rusty had every right to hunt him down after what he tried to do. I wish he hadn't killed him, I'd give anything if he hadn't. And I know that you had to get him out of town before the town council railroaded you into hanging him for murder."
"Vivian," Jim reached for her hand. "Rusty was so angry that day when Joe tried to…well you know…and he wasn't thinking straight. He's not the killer type, you are right about that, but sometimes circumstances force a person to change. Sometimes it is for the better too. Sometimes the gun can change a man, or what he does with it."
"Y-yes, I know. That's what I'm afraid of."
"Don't blame him for that. It was the one thing I admired about him. How he wanted to protect you so…"
"Yes…and now not a word from him in months. Did anyone tell him…he was about to be a father?" She asked.
"He knew."
"You?"
"Yeah, me and Smitty both wrote him. Once we found out where he was. Smitty sent a telegraph…after…."
"Oh!" She cried aloud. A tear escaped her as she tried to compose herself. But she shook herself and stood up. "I've got to quit having such a pity-party for myself. I've got to get back to work. I'm sure the town needs their one and only doctor now."
"Nothing big has happened. No use getting in a stir to get back to it. You need to take it easy, rest…."
"I've rested enough. I want to get back to work. It will help take my mind off Rusty…and the baby…." She murmured.
"Yeah…I can see that might help. But I don't want you over-doin'. Okay?"
Vivian grabbed his hand suddenly. "Thank you…and Ruby for what you have been doin' and Smitty too. I don't know what I would have done without the three of you. No one could have better friends than you."
Jim smiled. "That's what friends are for, Vivian. Now you rest easy for another week then open up and maybe your life will get back to some kind of normal again. Okay?"
"What if he never comes home, Jim?" Vivian's voice played out. "What about our marriage?"
"Oh now, don't take on so. You know Rusty. He loves you more than his life. He'll be back, but let's just give him a bit more time. And the people of Melville the time to forget about things too. It really wouldn't be a good idea him being here."
She wiped a tear away and nodded. "I'm being childish."
"No you aren't. You are just missing him, and that's understandable."
"Yes I am. I wish I could turn back the clock, and change things. I wish he'd never left town. I wish the killing hadn't happened. I wish so many things that I cannot change. I wish our baby had lived." Tears ran down her cheek. She wiped her eyes. "It does no good sitting here thinking about wishes. Things have changed and we all have to go on with life, no matter what. I know that."
Jim stood there watching her, his heart going out to her, but he didn't at this point know what to say. "Vivian…I…"
"I know…he had to leave. I know you saved him from being arrested, and a trial. But if only none of it had happened."
"You know Vivian, I respected him for going after the man. And I had no remorse for the killing. In his place, I'd have done the same. But…I am sorry he had to leave town. I am sorry for that. I'm sorry for what it did to you, mostly. But…at least he is still alive. And maybe…somehow this will all work out for the best. Maybe he'll be a better Sheriff than doctor. Maybe he'll come home and everything will work out, somehow. I don't know. I can't predict the future. Leave it all in God's hands, Vivian."
"Yes…yes of course." She dried her eyes. "You are right. Thanks for coming by, Jim…" She smiled at him as he began to walk toward the door.
"I'll be checking on you, and Ruby is bringing over some stew she cooked up last night. I told her it was the best she's ever made." Jim smiled at her. She looked so frail, so helpless.
"A woman likes to hear those kinds of things, Jim." Vivian smiled. "Thanks…you are too kind."