Mary peeked in to see if Ezra was awake and saw him blinking rapidly as he tried to focus after suddenly finding himself awake. She slipped inside and sat on the edge of the bed. "Did you rest well?""I did until a door opening invaded my slumber," he grumbled, still groggy from his long nap.
"Then you were ready to wake up anyway. You have been sleeping so soundly that I could fire a gun in here and it wouldn't wake you." She laughed at the sour expression her teasing caused. "Are you up to a visitor?"
"A visitor?" He was suddenly very alert. "Since when do you need to announce any of my associates?"
"Since it isn't one of them who came to see you," she said with a grin.
"Who?" he tried to ask, but Mary was already up and opening the door for the person who waited outside. The gambler smiled when he saw Inez step into the room. "Miss Recillos? How did you know to find me here?" he asked, looking from one woman to the other in confusion.
"A little womanly intuition, Señor," she replied.
Ezra looked at Mary with a silent question in his eyes. Could Inez be trusted? He visibly relaxed when he saw her nod and smile in answer. "Remind me to me more careful around you in the future, my dear. What brings you here?"
"I wanted to see that you are getting well again, and I brought you something as a get well offering." She had been holding one hand behind her back while they talked and now moved it around to let him see what she had been hiding.
Ezra's eyes lit up when he saw the large slice of his favorite pie. "My dear lady, you are truly a saint." He started to sit up on the side of the bed but stopped short when the sheet shifted exposing his bare chest and one hip. One hand grabbed the edge of the cover before it could slip any further and pulled it back in place as he quickly lay back down.
Mary smiled when she saw the bright blush that colored his cheeks. "Here, let me help you." She reached across him to grab the other pillow and urged him to sit up enough for her to position it behind his back. A little maneuvering on his part had him sitting propped against the headboard, with the sheet pulled up as high as possible and yet still be able to tuck it under his arms. "How's that?"
"Much better, thank you." He still looked slightly embarrassed by his close call with total exposure.
"Good. I'll leave you two to visit. I'll be downstairs in the office if you need anything." She left, pulling the door nearly closed behind her.
"So, Señor, can you manage this yourself or would you like some help?"
"I am sufficiently recovered to feed myself." He patted the edge of the bed beside him. "I am aware that it is not entirely proper to suggest it, but if you would like to sit here with me, I would appreciate the company."
"Ah… you know me, Señor. I do not overly concern myself with what is proper." She patted the side of his leg and gave him a wink. "Scoot over and give me a little more room." She sat so the leg nearest to him was partially on the bed so she could face him better.
"Now that we are both adequately situated, are you going to simply tease me with that pie or let me have it?" He gave her a very good imitation of JD's lost puppy look.
Inez handed him the plate and laughed. "I see that you are well on your way to being yourself again. You have your sharp tongue back." She handed him the plate and smiled warmly when he wasted no time in digging into the pie.
The gambler moaned in pleasure at the first taste of the sweet pastry. "I do believe I have died and gone to heaven."
+ + + + + + +
"How's he doin'?" Nathan asked.
"A lot better than I thought he would be. But, he's still really weak," Mary replied.
"I'm not surprised to hear that. I did some checkin' about the flux when it's caused by bad food and about what happens to the body when it loses too much water. By all rights he should be dead. Stubborn cuss, reckon it is a good thing he don't know when to give up." The healer said with a wry chuckle. "Think I'll go check on him, if ya don't mind."
"Not at all. He might be getting a little tired though. He had a long nap, but he just had a long visit with Inez."
"I though it was meant to keep his bein' here a secret?" Nathan asked.
"It is. But she figured it out and promised not to tell anyone else," Mary replied.
"You can count on her. Inez don't spread tales," Nathan said in reassurance as he headed for the door to the back and the stairs.
+ + + + + + +
"How ya doin'?" Nathan asked Ezra as soon as he entered the room.
"Besides dying of boredom? I am doing quite well, Mr. Jackson," the gambler quipped.
"Well ya sound better, and you look better. I reckon Mrs. Travis has been takin' good care of ya," the healer said with a wink as he settled onto the edge of the bed. "I think it is about time ya got yer sorry ass outta that bed fer a little bit, a couple times a day."
"Thank you, Mr. Jackson," Ezra responded enthusiastically. "For once we are in total agreement."
"Just don't overdo it, or you'll end up right back in that bed. Yer just lucky ya don't have the good sense to know when ya should be dead," Nathan admonished.
The con man took on a serious expression. "I am aware of how fortunate I am to have cheated the reaper, but I had a special incentive to keep him from his goal of claiming my person."
"Yeah, and I'd be willin' to bet that incentive has blond hair," Nathan observed.
"Yes it does."
"I thought so. It is lucky she insisted on lookin' fer ya. From what I hear she put her foot down to Chris and said she was goin' after ya, and she didn't care if he helped or not. Now, that is one scene I would like to have seen," the healer said with a sly grin.
"She did that? I had no idea." Ezra looked thoughtful.
"She cares a lot about ya. Give her time to figure it out fer herself," Nathan suggested.
"I appreciate the advice, Mr. Jackson. I'll make every effort to heed it."
"You do that, but fer right now, I hear you had a busy morning. Get a little sleep and then ya can get up fer a while later. Maybe go downstairs fer supper, and I think you'd feel a mite better if you had a bath. I'm sure Mary wouldn't mind getting one ready fer ya." Nathan patted the gambler on the knee and got up to leave. "I'll check in on ya again tomorrow."
Ezra sighed as the door closed. "Wonderful! More sleep," he muttered under his breath.
+ + + + + + +
Mary finished dumping the last bucket of hot water into the tub and gradually added some cold water to finish filling it enough for a good soak. She tested the temperature and found it was still hot, but not unbearably so. "All ready," she told Ezra. "I'll wash your back if you want after you've had a chance to just soak awhile," she offered.
"My dear, how could I even consider refusing such an enticing offer?" He couldn't resist pulling her into his arms for a hug and planted a light kiss on her lips.
"Then don't consider it." She gave him a quick kiss in return. "Now, get out of those clothes and into that tub."
The gambler was still moving a bit slower than usual, but he shed his clothes and stepped gingerly into the steaming water. He hissed in pain when the hot water touched his still tender backside, and paused to let himself adjust to the heat of the water before lowering himself the rest of the way down. He sighed contentedly as the warmth seeped into his aching body, and he leaned back to enjoy the sensation. As the steam rose up around him, he leaned his head back on the edge of the tub and closed his eyes.
Twenty minutes later he drifted lazily up from sleep to feel someone slowly washing his chest. "Ummmmm….that feels good."
"Hello sleepyhead," she teased. "I thought if I didn't get your bath started the water would be getting too cold. I did put a little more on to heat to warm it up some for you, since it is already feeling kind of cool."
"You truly are an angel." He lifted her hand from his chest and lightly kissed the back of it.
"Careful. You might get a mouthful of soap."
"I'll take my chances," he said and kissed it again. Without warning, he shivered because of the rapidly cooling water.
Mary reluctantly reclaimed her hand and went for the bucket of hot water. "Pull your legs back so I can pour this in without burning you." She emptied the bucket, careful to avoid pouring it directly over his legs. When he started to stretch back out she stopped him. "Wait, let me swish that around some so you don't hit a hot spot." After a quick stir with her hand, she finally let him straighten out again.
"Much better." He laughed when he raised one foot and saw the wrinkled skin on his toes. "I think I am turning into a prune."
"Well, that's what you get when you fall asleep in the tub." She lathered up the washcloth again and pressed against his shoulder to get him to sit up so she could reach his back. Arms and legs soon received the same attention, but washing his feet had him dissolving into a fit of giggles. "You're ticklish! Ahhhh… now I have a weapon to use to get you to behave." She taunted him with her newfound knowledge and ran a fingernail lightly up the sole of his foot, causing him to yelp and try to pull away.
"My dear, you seem to forget that I also know all of your sensitive places. Keep in mind that I give as good as I get." His green eyes lit up with mischief. "As for my ablutions, I do believe you missed a spot." He took hold of the hand that held the soapy cloth and led it to the area in question.
Mary felt the evidence of his arousal when he slid her hand over his privates, helping her wash the one part of him she had stayed away from. She let him guide her hand until he was satisfied that he was clean, but with each touch of her hand he grew harder. His need was undeniable, but she knew he wasn't strong enough for something too strenuous. She let the cloth slip from her fingers and settle to the bottom of the tub as she wrapped her slender fingers around his engorged manhood. Ezra groaned and let his head loll back against the rim of the wooden tub.
Slowly, she began to caress the length of him, paying special attention to the flared head and the sensitive spot beneath it. After each few strokes she let her thumb rub lightly over the tip, causing him to twitch and moan as his need continued to grow stronger. She increased her tempo and added a bit of a twist on the down-stroke, leaving Ezra gasping for breath the closer he got to his release. A second hand joined the first, and it slipped down to cup his balls and give them a light squeeze, while she let a couple fingers reach back to rub that sensitive spot just behind the sac. He pressed up into her hand and she knew he wouldn't last much longer. She tightened her grip slightly and made sure her thumb skimmed the underside of his shaft on each stroke. He started to thrust into her hand and groaned loudly when he came, lost in the sensations that coursed through his body as she continued to stroke him until she felt him begin to soften.
Mary looked up to see him watching her through eyes darkened with passion. She let her hand slip up from his groin, sliding over wet skin until she reached his chest. A small gasp escaped her when his hands captured hers and pulled her closer to him, causing her to have to lean over the tub to meet his kiss. He let go of her hands and slid his down her sides before letting them slide behind her back to pull her even closer. Before she could realize what his intentions were, he pulled her off balance and she ended up sitting on his lap in the tub.
"Ezra!"
"Shhhhh… " he said, and claimed her lips with his. His tongue teased her lips and they parted willingly, granting him the right to explore the depths of her mouth.
She sighed contentedly when the kiss ended, and he began his assault on her neck and ears. With considerable difficulty, she pulled herself back to reality. "Ezra, you aren't ready for this yet."
He pulled his lips away from her neck and turned her head with one hand so she would be looking him right in the eyes. "I might not be able to make love to you in the way I wish to right now, but I have no intention of leaving you unfulfilled." Nimble fingers worked at the buttons of her bodice and the lacing of her chemise until he could spread them open enough to have full access to her breasts. His lips quickly claimed one taut nipple and immediately had her arching up to meet his mouth. One arm held her where he wanted her, while the other worked at pulling up her dress to allow him to slip his hand up her thigh to her womanhood. She let him press her thighs apart to give him easier access.
"Ohhh…" She drew in a deep shuddering breath. "Yes…right there….ohhh." Coherent thought was impossible while his fingers worked their magic. They tickled, teased, and stroked that supersensitive nub, then they slipped inside to urge her even closer to the edge. At the last, he concentrated all his efforts on that small button of flesh, increasing the pressure and the tempo of his finger strokes when he felt her begin to tremble, which he knew was a sure sign she was on the brink. A few more strokes and she bucked against his hand, sending a wave of water splashing out of the tub. She groaned loudly when her much-needed release claimed her body.
Ezra captured her lips drinking in the sound of her orgasm as he let his tongue dance with hers, not wanting to lose that intimate contact with her. He folded his arms around her, cradling her to his chest while he let her catch her breath. They snuggled against each other, both pleasantly sated. "If I lived to be a hundred, I would wish for a hundred more, if I could spend them pleasing you." Ezra whispered as he nuzzled against her hair.
Mary drew back enough to be able to look at him and reached to caress his face. He leaned into the touch and turned to kiss the palm of her hand, sending a slight shiver through her with that simple act. "You say the sweetest things, but sometimes I wonder how much of what you say is real," she admitted.
"My dear, where you are concerned, it is all real," he confessed.
If she had any more doubts, the look in those green eyes that gazed adoringly into hers would have pushed them away. She pulled him to her, letting her kiss say the things she felt, but that she was still not quite able to tell him.
The sound of the bell on the front office door barely registered until a masculine voice intruded into their privacy. "Mary? Are you back there?"
Ezra quickly pulled his lips from hers and looked at her wide-eyed when he heard the doorknob rattle and the door from the office start to open.
"No! Don't come in!" Mary shouted back.
The door stopped opening but didn't close. "Is something wrong? Are you all right?" the man asked, sounding concerned.
"No, I'm fine. Just please wait out there." She tried to sound calm even though it felt like her heart was going to beat its way right out of her chest. "You caught me at kind of a bad time. I was just taking a bath and I need a few minutes to get dressed."
"Oh! My apologies. I'll just look at some of the pages you have printed while you make yourself presentable," he said.
"I won't be long," she promised and was relieved to see the door close. She took a deep breath and let it out as she leaned her forehead against Ezra's in relief.
"Who is that?" Ezra whispered.
"Mr. Carson from the bank. He wanted to talk to me about putting an add in the Clarion."
"What's he doing here now?" the gambler asked.
"I told him to stop by sometime and we could discuss it over coffee," she sighed. "Of all the times for him to take me up on the offer."
Ezra rubbed his hand nervously over his mouth and tried to stay calm. "All right, what do you propose we do?"
She pushed herself up until she managed to sit on the edge of the tub. Quickly, she worked the last of the buttons open on the dress and maneuvered it out from under her so she could pull it over her head without getting water all over the floor. Once out of it she stuffed it and her chemise into the empty bucket. "Come out of there. We need to hurry," she whispered.
Mary handed him a towel and while he dried himself she quickly wet her hair and wrapped it in a towel. A quick trip to the pantry resulted in a dry, but somewhat wrinkled dress from the pile she had put there to be washed the next day.
"How am I supposed to get upstairs? I might be able to slip past someone who is asleep, but I doubt I can manage without him hearing me," the gambler asked and looked to her for suggestions.
"The pantry," she said and gave him a slight push in that direction. "Take a chair, and whatever you do, be quiet," she warned.
Ezra looked at her like she had completely lost her mind. "Surely you can't be serious? This might be something Mr. Wilmington would do, but…"
"Shut up and go!" Mary hissed under her breath as she pulled the dress on over her head and buttoned it. She grabbed one of the kitchen chairs and carried it into the pantry. One more slightly stronger shove had the gambler inside the tiny room with the door closed securely behind him.A quick survey of the kitchen sent her dashing around to toss a couple towels down to sop up water, and she spied a pile of clothes that were quite obviously a man’s. She gathered them up and without thinking tossed them inside the cabinet near where she picked them up. One more look around didn't find anything else suspicious, but she did see the rest of the pie Inez had brought over and there was no way she was giving someone else Ezra's pie. That got stashed inside a door on the sideboard.
On her way through the small sitting room, she picked up a hairbrush she kept there within easy reach, for those times she needed a touch-up during the day. She pulled the towel off her hair and draped it around her shoulders. When she pulled the door open to the office she was still working on combing out her wet hair.
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting," she told her visitor when she rushed into the room.
"Nonsense, there's no need to apologize. After all, I was the one who dropped in unannounced," he responded graciously.
"Thank you. Come on back to the kitchen. I have coffee left from supper and we can talk. I have to ask you to please excuse the mess. I didn't want to leave you waiting any longer, so I am afraid the tub is still in the middle of the floor," she explained.
"That is quite all right. I can help with it, if you'd like," he offered.
"I can take care of that later, but thank you for offering. Have a seat and I'll get the coffee."
+ + + + + + +
Finally! Mary thought when she closed the door behind Frank Carson. That time she made certain the latch was on the door and all the lamps were out before heading back to the kitchen. She made a beeline for the pantry and yanked open the door to let Ezra out.
The gambler had been sitting there, half-asleep and naked except for the towel he had wrapped around his hips. The creak of the door as it opened abruptly had him lurching to his feet, but his towel had other plans, and it landed in a heap at his feet.
After the tension of entertaining the bank manager while her naked lover hid in the pantry only a few feet away, Mary was unprepared for the sight that greeted her. She totally lost it, and burst out laughing. She sagged weakly against the doorframe and struggled to regain her composure, but she was fighting a losing battle. The longer she stood there and laughed the redder Ezra got, and the funnier the whole scene became.
"I fail to see the humor in this situation," he quipped. "And, I must say it does nothing for a man's confidence to have the object of his affection burst out laughing upon seeing him naked." He tried to regain some of his lost dignity by taking on a serious attitude, but it only succeeded in making Mary laugh harder. Finally, in self-defense he bent to grab the towel, but before he could reach it he found himself pressed back against the wall.
A pair of soft warm lips crushed down against his with a force that left his head reeling. He let her take control and felt her tongue probe against his lips, which he parted willingly, allowing her access. Her fingers curled in his hair holding him in place while she ravaged his mouth with hers. A moan rose unbidden from him when her free hand slid around his side to tease at the ticklish spot at the top of his hip. When she released his lips, she smiled smugly at the flustered expression on his handsome face.
"I have no idea what prompted that reaction, but I would love to know so I can repeat it as frequently as possible,'' he said with a sigh.
"Sometimes you can just be so irresistible," she said with a passable imitation of Buck's eyebrow waggle.
Ezra laughed and grinned, showing off his dimples. "Ahhh… so now you try to flatter me."
Mary winked at him as she released her hold on him. "You, sir, have been out of bed long enough. I think we need to get you tucked back in, and then I'll take care of clearing things out of the kitchen."
"I would prefer to wait until you can join me," he said hopefully.
"Only if you promise to sit and let me take care of things. I know you, Ezra Standish. You are itching to do more than you should."
"I give you my word, madam. I will behave myself," he swore.
+ + + + + + +
"Oh, I forgot something," Mary said, just before crawling into bed. She dashed out of the room and down the stairs, her bare feet making little noise on the bare boards. It seemed like she had hardly left when she returned carrying the last piece of Inez's apple pie and a fork. "I thought you might want to finish this while it is still nice and fresh, especially after I hid it from Mr. Carson."
Ezra didn't need to be asked twice to accept the pie and took a large bite while Mary climbed into the bed beside him. "If you were anyone else, I would be greedy and save this all for myself, but since you rescued this delightful pastry from your unannounced visitor, I will share with you. Open up." He lifted the fork to her lips and watched in fascination as her lips parted to wrap around the utensil and then pulled back to slide the contents into her mouth. The tip of her tongue flicked out over her lips to clean away a bit of the sugary filling.
The pastry didn't last long with the gambler alternately taking a bite and then feeding Mary one. He planned it so she would get the last bite, and before she could lick her lips he leaned in for a kiss, licking her lips clean in the process.
"Ummm… nice, but you really need to sleep. You were up for a long time today."
"I hate to admit it, but I do find my strength failing me," he admitted. He twisted around to put the empty plate on the nightstand and turned down the lamp, before gathering her in his arms. She laid her head on his shoulder and rested one arm across his chest. "Good night, Love," he said softly, as he settled down to sleep.
Mary lay awake for a while. Her mind just wouldn't shut down to let her sleep. More than once tonight he had made comments that had her thinking that he really did have feelings for her, and that he wasn't simply playing a role like he did in a con. He had referred to her as the object of his affections, and just now he had called her Love . She had tried to convince herself that what they had been sharing was no more than a dalliance for him, and that she shouldn't let herself get too used to having him around. It hadn't worked. Now, she had reason to rethink the situation, and deep down inside she felt that he really meant the things he said.
She looked at the profile of his face in the dark, and felt the warmth of him there in her arms. Tentatively, to avoid waking him, she reached up to lightly touch his face, as she placed a soft kiss on one cheek. "I love you, Ezra P. Standish," she whispered, and lay her head back on his shoulder.
In the dark, Ezra opened his eyes and smiled.
+ + + + + + +
"Evie, I've been thinking. Why don't you go with me to take Billy back to Four Corners? You haven't been out of this town in months, and I am sure Mary would like a chance to see you again before winter sets in." Judge Orin Travis tousled his grandson's hair and smiled affectionately at the boy.
"Grandma, please?" the young boy begged. "Come with us, please?" he urged again, while nearly bouncing out of his seat at the breakfast table.
Evie Travis smiled at her grandchild and acted like she was giving it some serious thought. "Well…I suppose, if it means that much to you, I can go."
"Yea!" Billy jumped up, jarring the table in the process, and went to give Evie hug. "Can I go out and play now?" he asked, switching gears in that way only kids seemed to be able to do.
"May I," she corrected him. "And, yes you may."
"I am going to miss him." She sighed and looked sadly at her husband. "Do you think Mary is doing all right now? If she needs more time, we could keep Billy through the winter," she said hopefully.
"Now, Evie, you know we go through this every time he goes home. The boy belongs with his mother. We are just very lucky that she is willing to share him with us." He got up and went to her to kiss her good-bye. "I need to take care of things at the office since we'll be leaving in a couple days."
Orin stopped outside to watch Billy playing with one of the neighbor's children and admitted to himself that he was really going to miss the boy too.
"Mornin' Judge,"
"Mornin' Jake. I heard a rumor going around about you," Travis said with a hint of a smile.
The young man blushed but still smiled broadly. "Yes, sir. Callie said she'd marry me."
The judge held out his hand to shake the man's hand. "Congratulations. Callie is a fine young lady. When is the big day?"
"Her folks won't let us rush into it, so they said we needed to wait until spring."
"You'll survive until then," Orin insisted. "That isn't that far away. Give Callie my best, will you?"
"Sure will, Judge."
Travis smiled and thought back to when he had first asked Evie to marry him. They had both been so young, and her parents wouldn't let them get married until she turned seventeen, which meant they had to wait more than a year. He really hadn't thought he could wait that long to claim her as his, but he had, and he was glad That year and a half had allowed Evie and him time to mature. At twenty-one he was much more settled than he had been even those few months earlier. Now, they had been married thirty-five years, and he had never regretted one minute of it.
The hinge on the office door squeaked when he pulled it open, and he made a mental note to be sure to bring some grease for it. He hung up his jacket and hat and went to work on the stack of paperwork he had waiting for him.
The door creaked and pulled his attention away from the document he had been engrossed in. Maybe that squeak is a good thing, he thought. At least it made it harder for anyone to sneak up on him. He glanced at his watch and was surprised to see that he had been working for several hours with out a break. "Good afternoon, Charlie," he greeted the twelve-year-old boy. "What do you have for me today?"
"Got a bundle of Wanted posters and a letter," he announced and handed the items to the judge.
"Thank you, son. How is your mother doing?" He fished into his pocket and pulled out a dime for the boy.
"She's doin' some better, but…" he paused and hung his head. "…she still misses pa somethin' awful."
"I am sure she does. She is lucky to have you to help look after things. You know I could use a little help around here, if you don't mind doing a little sweeping up." He really hoped the boy would take the offer. His family wasn't faring too well after his father died, and the boy was too proud to take a handout. It had taken some fast-talking on his part to convince him that it was worth ten cents to have someone collect his mail and bring it to him. It wasn't much, but he knew it helped a little. "I have a hard time finding time to sweep and straighten things up. I can't very well have people coming in here with business for the judge and have the place looking like a pig sty, can I?"
"No, sir. That wouldn't be fittin'. I can do that fer ya. I don't mind sweepin'."
"Good! That's a big load off my mind. If you could come by in the mornings, I'll pay you two dollars a week for the cleaning and getting the mail," the judge offered.
"Two dollars! Yes, sir. I'll do a good job fer ya, I promise," the boy answered, his excitement showing clearly on his young face.
"I know you will, Charlie. You come by in the morning to get started. Mrs. Travis and I will be going out of town for a few days, so you won't be able to get into the office while we are gone. But, I have something else I would like for you to do on those days if you will, so you can still earn your pay. I want you to go by my house every morning and every evening until we get back and check to see that the doors are locked and that no one has bothered anything. Can you do that?" Orin waited for the boy to respond.
"Yes, sir. What do I do if something don't look right?" he asked.
"Tell the sheriff, and he can come and check things out, all right?"
The boy nodded solemnly at the responsibility he had been given.
"Good. I'll make arrangements with Mr. Cooper at the bank to see that you get your pay while I am gone. I'll see you in the morning."
"I'll be here first thing, thank ya, Judge." The boy hurried out the door, and Orin was sure he would probably run all the way home to tell his mother about his important new job.
Travis picked up the bundle of posters and laid it aside for the moment. The letter intrigued him. There was nothing to indicate who it was from or where it was sent from. The only thing on the outside was his information. He broke the seal and started to read.
+ + + + + + +
"EVIE!"
"Good heavens, Orin. What's wrong?" his wife asked when he stormed into the kitchen.
"I'm heading to Four Corners first thing in the morning. I've made arrangements for you to go ahead and come the next day with Billy." He struggled to keep his tone as even as possible.
"Why? We were both going to take him together. Do you really need to leave a day early?" she asked, trying to figure out why their plans had suddenly changed.
"There is something I have to take care of, and I want it dealt with before Billy gets there," he insisted. "Will you get my things ready tonight so I can get an early start? I'll be working late to finish what needs to be done before I leave."
"Of course, and I'll bring you some supper later." She looked at him with a question in her eyes, still hoping he would tell her more.
Travis knew he had upset her, but he didn't want to give her any details until he found out if the information in that letter was true. He hugged her reassuringly. "I'm sorry. I can't tell you more yet, but I will explain when you get there with Billy. Trust me on this."
"I always trust you," she said without hesitation. "You should go finish your work, or you won't get much sleep tonight."
He kissed her on the cheek and left to go back to the office. He pulled the letter out of his jacket pocket as he sat down and opened it to read it again. Nothing had changed; he hadn't misread it. His face colored with anger and he had to fight the urge to break something.
"Get a hold of yourself," he murmured under his breath. "You are a federal judge and you go on facts not hearsay," he admonished himself. He would wait to pass judgment until he could find out the truth, but if the accusations in the letter were true, God help Ezra Standish.
END
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