Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

T here was no sleep after that. The devastation on Cal's face replayed like a bad dream each time he closed his eyes. He expected him to get mad, to clock him in the jaw, or hell even shoot him, but not… not what actually happened. In the heat of his anger and helplessness, Jesse had spit some bullshit, hurtful jargon his way to provoke the man into losing his temper and making a bad move. When you get a big man angry, they become blinded by rage and make mistakes. Jesse had been able to wiggle out of some extreme situations by seeing an opening during a fit of muscle-filled anger.

Cal was too big to take head on, especially in his Centaur form, so Jesse had been forced to think on his feet. The raw pain he'd felt when Cal of all people had chased him down to drag him back to the cell had been like pouring salt on an open wound. The damn badge and the status it carried meant more to him than Jesse. He had made that pretty damn evident by charging after him like Jesse had shot his mother.

"You ain't special to me…"

Fuck, that had been painful to say, like pulling out molars with a dull knife. The time they'd had together cheapened by those five, sour words Jesse hadn't meant.

And the look of hurt that had flashed over Cal's eyes had been so profound it had been like Jesse's heart was torn out and swallowed whole. There was no way to repair that, to mend what he had broken, and Cal drove that home with telling him so yesterday before he slammed the damn cell door shut.

Sealing his fate. Bringing him back to death's doorstep.

"I'm trying to save you…"

Yeah fucking right.

Jesse kicked the bars and held his head, not giving a shit that Jack was probably glaring at him for making noise. His whole body ached from exhaustion and hurt, and his head was killing him from trying to figure out just how he was going to make it out of this alive.

As the early morning sun started creeping in through the windows, Mack showed up with coffee like he did every morning.

"Morning, Jack," Mack said easily, offering the man a cup, which he declined.

"Where's Cal?" Jack pushed to his feet to stretch.

"Probably still sleeping, I reckon. I can take it from here if you'd like to do the same."

"Good idea." The big man pulled his hat onto his head and said all casual-like, "I got a gallows to finish after all."

Nausea rolled over Jesse like a cold wave, drowning his ability to think. The air seemed to freeze around him as the earth tilted on its side, causing him to sway and catch himself.

Oh, sweet Gods, I'm really going to die here.

Panic flared to life in his chest, and he had to blink to keep himself from passing out. He was going to die like a criminal, Cooper was going to have to come collect his body, and Marybell was going to see him dead. He'd never see them again, never feel another winter, never taste a good steak, never watch another sunset, never do all the wonderful, stupid things he always took for granted.

I have to tell Cal I didn't mean it. I have to tell him. I can't die without him knowing I didn't fucking mean it!

As if his thoughts had actually been heard by some supernatural force that took pity on him, the Centaur in question rushed through the door. Jesse stood, grabbing the bars for support and caught his breath like he was drowning.

"Cal!" he pleaded, swallowing hard as the man ignored him, going quickly to Mack.

"Give me your keys," Cal said quickly, holding his hand out.

"What's going on?" Mack looked properly bewildered as he handed over his keys. When Cal moved to the cell door, Mack stood. "Cal, what the hell is going on?"

Cal pulled the cell door open and grabbed Jesse by the arm, dragging him out of the cell and shutting the door behind him.

"Cal—" Jesse tried.

"Shut up, Jesse," Cal cut him off, shoving him into a chair behind a desk and got to work opening the safe. Cody stepped inside during the commotion and looked around in confusion.

"Uhh…?" he started, looking at Mack for an explanation and got a confused shrug for an answer.

Cal jerked the safe open after twisting the knob just so, then grabbed a deputy badge and kicked the door shut. Jesse kept still as Cal grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pinned the badge onto him quickly.

"What the hell!" Cody yelled in outrage.

"Cal…" Mack started.

"Shut up," Cal boomed, then put his hands on the desk and leaned down to stare Jesse in the eyes.

His dark, normally warm brown orbs that Jesse quietly adored were red-rimmed and tired. Dark, almost bruise-like circles rested under his eyes, and his jaw was covered in two-day old scruff. The man looked years older than he was, and Jesse felt a horrible stab of guilt from it all.

Cal took a breath and spoke.

"Listen to me. You've been in Stallion Ridge for three weeks. You came here looking for a job, helped us get rid of the Blight Wraith, and earned a badge. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Jesse stared at him in disbelief, shaking his head slightly.

"Jesse. Repeat what I just said to you."

"Cal… I…"

Cal reached out and grabbed his jaw with one hand. "For once—just one goddamn time—trust me and do what I say. Please."

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Jesse took a steadying breath. "I've been here for three weeks. I helped with the Blight Wraith and earned a badge."

"Good." Cal let his jaw go and looked back at the other two members of the crew. "Are we clear?"

The men glanced at each other and nodded, each a clear mix of confusion and wariness, but neither questioned him. They trusted him completely, and so did Jesse in that moment. The silence was broken by the front door opening and a familiar cadence of small, booted footsteps galloping inside merrily. Dressed in overalls a little too big for her frame and a prized, jet black cowboy hat Jesse had bought her for her birthday, Marybell Woodlock looked around the jailhouse with the wide, excited eyes of a thrilled six-year-old.

"Wooow!" she cooed. "Ya'll don't have any prisoners??"

Jesse tried to draw in a breath, but Marybell's sweet face had punched it right out of him. The front door was opened again by Gunner as he held it, and Cooper stepped inside, taking his hat off as he did. It had been a couple months since Jesse had seen him last, but his big brother still looked the same. He was taller than Jesse by about an inch, which he could still lord over him by straightening his spine. His hair was almost the same shade as Jesse's but with a hue of red he borrowed from their mother as well as her light blue eyes behind thin spectacles.

Cooper had always been more of a books and numbers guy, much more comfortable burying his nose in a book than breaking a sweat. Back when they worked their father's farm, Cooper was as strong as an ox, but his time working at a desk had shrunk him some. His body still carried the muscle of a man who knew how to work, though he wasn't as big as he'd been previously. Like Jesse, their bodies were always more tightly strapped muscle that wasn't flashy, but Woodlocks were hardly weak people.

"Marybell, did you introduce yourself before you started asking about prisoners and dead people?" Cooper asked, plucking her hat off her head since she forgot to take it off when she darted into the building.

"I was fixin' to," she declared, gazing into the bars one more time before deciding to gather up her manners. As she swung around to greet the men in the room, her eyes landed on Jesse and sparkled like dual diamonds lodged in her little head. "Uncle Jesse!"

Cooper's head practically spun around as he turned, following Marybell's gaze until he found the cause of her outburst. She was already in mid-flight as she sprung across the room and into Jesse's arms, giggling happily as she was scooped up into a hug. Small arms wrapped around his neck and squeezed, and Jesse hugged her like she was a long-lost treasure.

"Jesse, what are you doing here…?" Cooper glanced around at all the men in the room, trying to piece together what his notorious scoundrel brother was doing hanging out on the right side of the jail cell. While Jesse was never as bad as a train robber, he did have a knack of landing in bad situations and sobering up in a cell with a bar fight stuck to his knuckles.

Marybell pulled back to look at the badge pinned to Jesse's front and smiled like she had just seen the sunrise for the first time in her life. "You're a deputy!"

"Deputy?" Cooper coughed like it was a joke, his mouth falling open when Marybell pointed at it proudly.

"Uncle Jesse's a deputy, Daddy! Can I wear your badge? Did you arrest anyone? Can I help you arrest someone!?"

"Well, of course you can!" Jesse finally found his voice, laughing at her delighted squeal as he unpinned the badge and let her try it on. "I'll even let you play with my handcuffs."

"Jesse," Cooper warned, making his brother grin and give him a wink. He was too damn happy to have them there to care he was driving Cooper crazy and enabling his niece's obsession with law enforcement.

Finding his senses, Cooper turned and started introducing himself to the men around him, shaking their hands.

"You passing through Stallion Ridge?" Cal asked.

"No, we're… staying awhile." Cooper smiled some, not caring to explain further. "Gunner said we should come through and meet the law in town, which is always a good idea, and I found out my little brother is… a damn deputy of all things."

"Well, welcome to the town. I'm sure Jesse's happy you're here, though I think the little miss is the deputy now." Mack grinned at how proud the little girl was wearing the badge and wiggled down to go greet them.

"I'm Marybell Woodlock," she said proudly, holding her hand out to shake instead of curtsying or being dainty like other little girls. The little spitfire was too damn ornery to waste time on things like being ladylike. Mack bent at the waist and shook her hand.

"I'm Mack. You play your cards right, miss, and I'll teach you how to shoot."

"I know how to shoot, Mack. Daddy taught me. Got my own pellet gun and everything. "

"Well, then alright. You're already ahead of the game."

When she turned to Cal, her eyes shining at his sheriff's badge, she grinned wide and stuck out her hand. Cal towered over her like a giant, and for a split second, Jesse wondered if the big man was going to actually humor the little girl with anything beyond a stony nod.

Taking a knee, the giant Centaur knelt to be more level with the girl and took her small hand in his massive paw.

"Nice to meet you, Marybell."

"Good to meet you, Sheriff." She beamed, her little cheeks flushing. "I like your badge."

"Oh, yeah?" He glanced down at it. "Thank you very much. Jesse told me you wanna be a Ranger when you grow up. Is that right?"

"Yes, sir!" She smiled brightly, nodding quickly. Cal held up a finger for her to wait a moment, pushed back up to his full height, and moved back over to his desk. After searching some drawers, he came back with a bolo tie clasped together with a metal, five-pointed star in a circle which he polished against his shirt a little.

"I know it ain't a badge, but we can make this something like a junior ranger-in-training," Cal said, looping it around her small neck and adjusting it. The emblem was that of a ranger, clearly something one of the rangers had worn at some point. Why Cal had it was beyond him, but Mack was laughing a little, so there was a good story to be told.

Marybell practically shined like the little star as she looked down at it, touching it with her fingers to make sure it was real.

"Really?" she whispered, her big eyes wide and sparkling.

"What do you say, Marybell?" Cooper prompted.

"I won't let you down, Sheriff!" she announced loudly.

" Thank you , Sheriff," Cooper said with a sigh, since apparently she wasn't going to say that part. Instead of verbalizing her gratitude, the small thing wrapped her arms around Cal's waist and hugged him for all she was worth.

Cal chuckled, patting her head with his big hand, and Jesse thought he might turn into a puddle with how sweet it all was. The big Centaur had already stolen his niece's heart and was threatening to pluck his right out of his chest.

"Let's go get you set up in your room," Gunner said, still by the door. "The inn's going to let them stay there until they can get a proper housing situated."

"Let us know if you need anything, Mr. Woodlock," Cal said as Marybell made her way back over to Cooper.

"Thank you, Sheriff. Jesse… we'll catch up soon, right?" Cooper turned his eyes to his brother hopefully.

"No problem." Jesse grinned, a spike of concern lacing through him at the thought of not being able to keep that promise. What was next after this? Why had Gunner brought them there? What the fuck was going on?

The group filed out, leaving the building eerily quiet for a heartbeat before Cal spoke to his men.

"Give me a couple minutes."

"Let's go grab something to eat, Cody," Mack said, grabbing his hat and pulling it on. "When we get back… fill us in, Cal?"

"I will." He nodded and waited until the two were gone before crossing his arms and looking at Jesse. The man didn't say a damn word, only watched him with an unreadable, stoic stare from back when they had first met. Jesse was back to guessing what was going on behind his eyes, wondering what the man thought of him, though he had a pretty good idea of that. More importantly, Jesse needed to know why the two most important people on the planet had been paraded into the jailhouse just then.

"Cal… why is my family in Stallion Ridge?" he began, trying to keep his voice even.

"I had Gunner bring them here. "

"Why? How did you find them?"

"You mentioned that you'd dealt with the Blight Wraith before and mentioned the souls ‘around here' needed to be salted properly. I knew you had to be at least somewhat familiar with this territory, and Blight Wraiths aren't very common. A friend of mine from the war runs a general store not far from here, about four days east, and I sent a letter asking if he'd had a run-in with one in the past couple years. Turns out he had. It was the death of Mrs. Woodlock that caused it. Pretty easy after that."

A deep, cold rage wrapped around his heart and squeezed, and his feet were moving before he could stop himself. Cal straightened himself as Jesse got into his space, seething, and set his jaw.

"You son of a bitch. You brought them here to what? Huh? Watch me swing from the goddamn gallows? Why would you do that?" Jesse grabbed fistfuls of Cal's shirt and pushed him back against the desk behind him, the man snarling at the action.

"You really think I'd do that? Bring your family here to watch you die?"

"Then why? I heard Jack this morning. He's building a goddamn hangman's post, you bastard! They don't deserve this, Cal! Marybell doesn't—"

"I brought them here to keep them safe, Jesse!" Cal bellowed, not moving to shove Jesse back like he easily could but glaring at him with heat in his eyes.

"Safe? From what?"

"What the hell have I been telling you since you got here? What was the thing that would keep you from trial and the noose? Your concern was keeping your family safe from the Bandits. Now they will be."

Jesse shook his head, confused, not grasping what Cal was saying. "What? Wait." The gears turned and clicked into place as he studied Cal's scowling face. "You mean give up information on the Bandits to save my hide. "

"Now you can and not worry about your family."

"…and if I don't, what are you going to do to them?" Jesse whispered, horrified and scared, wringing his fists in the man's already crumpled shirt.

"Do to them? Gods. You think I'd hurt them? Listen to me." Cal grabbed his wrists and squeezed, pushing back so Jesse wasn't manhandling him anymore. "Jesse. I brought them here to protect them. If I wanted to use them as some sick way of getting you to comply with my demands, I would have kept you in that cell. I didn't want your family to see you like that. You give information on the Bandits to Jack, and if the worst happens and they come for you, we'll keep you all safe."

"They will come for us, Cal. You don't understand. They'll know they came here. They'll figure it out!"

"And you got me and mine to fight for you," he said calmly, like this wasn't extremely frightening and nightmarish in the least.

"You and yours? What, four or five guys against the goddamn Iron Bandits? That's supposed to make me feel better?"

"You have a Centaur, an ex-military militia, a Minotaur, a Native Skinchanger, Cody, Gunner, and you. That ain't so bad."

"Cody'll shoot me before he shoots a Bandit, and who the fuck is a Minotaur? The marshal?"

"That's right. And Cody will wait 'til after to shoot you, which is fair."

Jesse tore free from Cal and paced, running his hands over his face like he meant to scrub away the world. His heart was hammering, blood rushing in heated thuds in his ears as he shut his eyes and kept his legs busy. Panic was thrumming through him, biting at his heels to run, to scream, to do something, but he felt like a fly caught in a trap. Helpless. Hopeless. Stuck.

"Jesse." Cal's voice made him pause, but he didn't dare to look his way.

"Why? Why the hell would you fight so hard for us?" Jesse whispered, his hands clasped behind his neck so he could squeeze his nape and help ease the pressure building in his skull.

"Because I don't want you to die. I've never wanted that. I'm trying like hell to save your life. This is my last pass, Jesse. My last-ditch effort to get you out of the line of fire. I'm all out of ideas at this point."

Cal's boots scuffing against the worn floor signaled he was moving away, and Jesse glanced up to see the man pluck his hat off the desk and push it onto his head before looking back his way. Threadbare and sullen, the Centaur barely held his gaze for a moment before turning his eyes back over the empty room.

"If you wanna take your family and go, I ain't gonna stop you. I've been trying to play this right since we dragged you in here, but I don't have it in me to do much else. If you don't want to follow my plan, fine. I won't come after you, but Jack will. I can't help you there."

The cold fist in his chest was wringing his heart in half with the welling emotions boiling around him. Everything had been tossed on the table, hands played, chips tossed. The sheriff was out of cards to play, and Jesse had nothing left to bargain with.

So, he moved. Like a dead man brought back to life, he moved.

Right toward his end game.

Cal was pretty sure he was about to get decked in the face. The exposed, cornered man who just had his lifeline dangled in front of him was moving fast toward him like a cobra about to strike. There had been a fleeting thought when Cooper and Marybell filed into the jailhouse that this play was going to be too much for the desperate man to handle, but Cal had had to take that chance. He'd let Jesse get his licks in, then decide if he should toss him back into the cell to cool off or just let him be on his merry way.

There hadn't been a lie in his confession that he didn't have another plan after this. Jack had told him the Wraith play was weak at best, and Jesse's stupid-ass attempt to leave nailed that door shut for good. Getting information about the Bandits was all that was left, but bringing the man's family here had pushed him too far, made it too personal. Now with fire in his eyes brighter than hellfire, Jesse was marching his way and grabbing hold of his collar again with both hands.

In a surprising show of strength, he muscled Cal backward into the desk, knocking things over and moving the giant wooden furniture with a loud bark of protest. Cal winced and caught himself mostly with his ass against the edge but gripped the side to keep from falling over the damn thing. Just as he expected Jesse to reel back and knock knuckles across his cheek, he jerked Cal forward and crushed their mouths together.

It took Cal a couple blinks to realize what was happening, so blindsided by the move that it knocked his hat off and stole his breath. The kiss was searing, angry, and hard, but as soon as Cal began moving his lips in response, Jesse inhaled and eased it into something much nicer.

"You brought me my family," Jesse panted against his lips, kissing him again and refusing to let Cal move even an inch away. "You brought them here to protect them."

Cal nodded, unable to form words, and caught his lips again, which Jesse eagerly accepted.

"You saved my life." Jesse kissed him again. "You made my niece look at me like I was sunshine."

"She already looked at you like that."

"Cal, I didn't mean what I said to you. Not a damn word of it. I swear to every single deity on this goddamn earth I didn't mean it," Jesse whispered, his forehead pressed against Cal's to keep contact with him and spoke. "I swear. "

The most breathtaking bloom of warmth spread over Cal like Jesse had reached into his chest and cupped his heart in his hands. Cal reached up, taking Jesse's cheeks in his hands and pulled him close for a deep kiss, Jesse opening for him immediately. He tasted like Cal had dreamed, perfect and hot, Jesse's tongue dancing with his to music only they could feel. The hands that had been digging into his shirt relaxed and smoothed over his chest, his head tilting to angle better, and as Cal brought him closer, one arm snaked around his waist to bring their bodies to touching.

A cough from the front door caused them both to stop, pulling free from the embrace to the source of the noise. Mack stood with his hand on the door, clearly surprised, with an appalled Cody beside him and Gunner with his eyebrows raised slightly.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we heard… well, we thought you were fighting." Mack glanced between them and adjusted his hat. "Clearly, we were mistaken."

"You know the door locks, right?" Gunner added dryly.

" Him? " Was all Cody could say.

"Mack, I got a favor to ask you," Jesse said with a smile. "Can you help me out?"

"Well, that all really depends on what you're about to ask me." Mack moved farther inside, amusement playing all over his face.

"I need a pen and paper. I've got a lot of information to give you about a certain pack of Bandits."

"I think I can accommodate that." Mack moved behind his desk and brought the supplies out.

Jesse kissed Cal's cheek and moved to the desk, Cal rubbing the spot with his hand as a smirk tugged at his lips.

"Gross," Cody grumbled, but he was ignored.

"Gunner, can you draw up a map of the locations I'm gonna point out?" Jesse pulled a chair over to sit at Mack's desk and write, and Gunner moved to help with the map .

Cal could see the frustration playing out on Cody's face from everything, so he clapped the boy on his shoulder. "Don't worry. I told Jesse you're gonna shoot him later."

That got a grin. "Alright. I'll take that."

"Great, thanks, Cal," Jesse scoffed as he wrote, not glancing up from his work.

Jesse gave up all he had on the plans, hideouts, weapon caches, how they picked their passenger trains… everything. The guy was a priceless source of intel on the Iron Bandits. Once it was all said and done, Cal read over what Jesse had put down and passed it back over to Mack.

"Give these to Jack when he comes in."

"You got it. What's the plan now?" Mack gathered all the papers together and slipped them into his desk. "From what Jesse says, they're going to make a rush to get to Stallion Ridge once word gets out they've been exposed."

"That may happen if the law can't get to them first. Worst case scenario, we'll have to put up a fight to keep the town safe."

"We've fought off worse." Gunner leaned back in a chair, his boot propped on a desk. "Pack of bandits isn't scary."

"I wouldn't take them lightly," Jesse warned. "They're cold-blooded and don't take prisoners."

"So are we," Gunner added. "They better think twice before rolling up to this town."

Mack leaned on the desk. "Says the man scared of spiders."

"Hey." Gunner pointed at him. "They're creepy."

"Gentlemen, I'm going home. I'm dead tired and need a bath." Cal plucked up the hat that Jesse had knocked off with his amazing kiss and pulled it back onto his head.

"You do kinda smell like horse sweat." Mack wrinkled his nose.

"Thanks, Mack." Cal shot him a look.

"If it's alright with y'all, I wanna go see my brother and niece awhile." Jesse smiled, getting to his feet .

"Don't think Jack is gonna be too keen with you out walking around," Mack said. "He's gonna still want a trial done and judgment passed before anything's said and done."

"Well, Jack ain't here," Jesse pointed out.

"Mack's got a point. Marshal comes in here and you're not in the cell, there'll be hell to pay," Gunner chimed in.

"May be best to stay in the cell ‘til the marshal can come back and we can fill him in," Cody added.

"If you think I'm goin' back into that damn cell after all this, y'all are wildly mistaken." Jesse's attention turned toward Cal, a silent plea written all over his hard face. "Right, Cal?"

His men were watching him for direction, as their sheriff and leader, as their prisoner stood defiant against the law. The outlaw—his outlaw—who'd just poured his guts out as a last-ditch effort to save his family's skin, was staring at him like he was the only lifeline left in a very wide ocean.

"Jesse, do me a favor and step outside a minute." Cal nodded toward the door. "Stay put for now."

With whiskey eyes scanning over the men, Jesse gave a slow nod as they landed back on Cal. "Alright," he agreed, heading for the door.

"Don't go—"

"I ain't goin' anywhere, Sheriff. I'll be right outside. You got my word." He cut Cal's hesitation off, tossing him a smirk to seal that he was telling the truth.

It was hard not to mirror the smile, but Cal had to let it be known he was focusing on what he needed to. The men had already seen the two of them locked in a battle of tongues and not in an arguing way. There was some damage control that needed to be done. He owed his men some answers.

Silence stretched a moment as Cal adjusted his weight on one leg and glanced up to see three sets of eyes waiting on him to speak.

"If y'all got things to say, get ‘em out now." Cal put his hands on his hips and slid his eyes to each one of them in permission to speak.

"Well…" Mack started, pushing his hat up his head some. "I just didn't see it comin'."

"I did," Gunner said, causing Mack to pivot to the side to toss him a skeptical look.

"Bullshit!"

Gunner gave a lazy shrug, arms loosely crossed and shoulder leaning up against the wall. "They were pretty obvious. They stared at each other like love-struck teenagers this whole time. Like how Cody looks at Faye."

"I don't look at anyone like that!" Cody barked, his voice pitching too high. "I don't even go to the saloon."

"But you know the girls who work there." Gunner ghosted a grin as Cody's face lit up bright red, his words turning into mush.

"While I'm just fascinated by your love-detecting skills, we got other issues to focus on," Mack drawled. "What about Jack?"

"I don't think he likes anyone right now," Gunner advised. "Don't have that starry-eyed look like the sheriff does for the bandit."

"Gross," Cody mumbled.

Mack rolled his eyes.

"Alright." Cal shot him a look that made Gunner smirk and concede. He gave everyone a moment to collect themselves before testing the waters. "Beyond the marshal getting ruffled, do you think Jesse needs to go back into the cell?"

"Honestly? No. I don't think he needed to go back in after he shot that damn Wraith if we're being honest," Mack confessed. "But that ain't what the law is."

"Jack's got the final say on it all? ‘Cause I don't think he needs to be in that cell neither," Gunner added. "That man ain't goin' nowhere. And he sure as hell don't deserve to swing."

"But he's still a bandit. He still was part of the robberies. Don't get me wrong, Sheriff, I ain't discounting that he saved your hide. That's commendable, but that don't forgive him for what he's already done. We just can't let him go ‘cause we like him now and he's done some good since he's been here." Cody bravely stood up to the men, which Cal gave him credit for. Cody was always one to jump when told to and not hesitate, but he'd speak up if he saw something wrong or out of place.

"The past don't make the man, kid. Whatever crimes that man did before he came to Stallion Ridge isn't who he is now. Now, he's the man who saved our sheriff and gave us the Iron Bandits on a silver platter. I vote we let him go." Gunner glanced around to the other lawmen in the room.

"He also stole keys, assaulted me, and ran. We forgetting that part?" Cody pointed at his less swollen but still bruised noggin.

"Kid's got a point, Gunner." Mack clicked his tongue. "That was pretty shitty and made us look a damn fool."

"Right, he did. But we also shoved him back into a cell after he dug a shot bullet out of a piano, reloaded it, walked up to a Blight Wraith, and killed it instead of running. You look me in the eye and tell me that had he not done that, Cal would still be standing here."

Cody crossed his arms at Gunner's words and grumbled in agreement.

"Tell us what you think, Cal. Obviously we know which side of the fence you're on here since… you know…" Mack waved his hand at him with a cocked brow. "You were caught kissing and all. But you owe us an explanation here."

Cal cleared his throat, trying to hide the bloom of heat in his cheeks. "Yeah. Alright. You know where I stand. Speaking as the sheriff, it's my job to stand by the decision the marshal makes when it comes to the fate of a prisoner. Jesse is an Iron Bandit, and they have been formally charged with robbery and murder. But as a man? A Centaur, honor bound to protect any honorable acts of bravery? I don't see a criminal anymore. I see a good man. Someone who made some piss-poor choices in order to keep his family safe and is now doin' his best to do right by it.

"He saved my life. And… despite my better judgment, I have developed some feelings for him. I'm not gonna disrespect you by not admitting that. Cody, what he did was cowardly, and I would be just as pissed in your shoes if it had happened to me. You're the only one here that's been personally scorned by Jesse and have a chip to toss in about what kind of punishment fits the crime. I think it's only fair I ask you what you think we should do about that."

Cody shifted on his feet and tightened his arms around his torso slightly. "Well… I don't think he should swing on account of saving your life, Sheriff. But I do think he deserves something for robbing those trains and escaping here."

"Robbery and assault usually land people in a labor camp. What if we make him work it off with helping around the town? Cody, you've been helping fix fences between scouting. Let Jesse take over that load," Mack said. "Gives you less to worry about and makes him have to deal with the Smiths' lovely in-laws."

Cody snorted. "That's a damn deal!"

Cal let himself smirk at that. "So, it's settled then? You're alright with that, Cody?"

"Yes, sir."

"Gunner?"

"Sounds fair," he agreed.

"Mack?"

"You know I'll back you up, Cal. Still don't fix the problem with Jack. He ain't gonna agree with us on this."

"You let me deal with him. Give him the intel and let him know I'll talk to him after I get some damn rest. I'm dead on my feet, and I need to get some shut-eye before I shoot someone." Cal finally let the tension in his shoulders relax at his team being in agreement.

"Am I being presumptuous in assuming Jesse is gonna be staying at your place?" Mack asked teasingly. "In case someone comes asking after him?"

Cal coughed again, glancing uncomfortably around the room before giving a curt nod. "For the time bein'… yeah…" he mumbled.

"Uh-huh. Go home, Sheriff."

Jesse was waiting for him outside when Cal finally escaped the judging smirks of his team and shut the door behind him. True to his word, he had waited right outside for Cal to join him and tell him what they decided. Pushing off from the porch railing, Jesse turned and crossed his arms.

"So? Did the council of lawmen decide my fate?"

"They did."

"And? Am I gonna be flogged? Flayed? Forced to strip naked and walk the streets in shame?"

"You strip naked, you ain't making it to the streets," Cal growled, stepping up closer to him with a predatory gruff to his voice.

Jesse grinned deviously and stood his ground.

"My, my, Sheriff. Someone's primal side is showing."

Cal answered with a chuff, reining himself in from bending him over the railing in front of the whole damn town. "You're gonna work off your sentence by doing labor around the town for knocking Cody in the head and stealing his horse."

"He still mad about that, huh?" Jesse winced and sighed. "No way I could bribe him for an easier sentence, huh?"

"Don't think so. Boy's kind of a hard-ass."

Jesse barked a laugh and fixed Cal's hat for him. "Wonder where he got that from. You look tired. You heading home?"

"I am. You could join me."

"Don't wanna be a bother."

"You won't be."

"I might be." Jesse slowly grinned his way, letting his eyes roam over Cal before winking .

"If you come home with me, you're not going anywhere for a while, Woodlock," he practically growled.

Jesse stepped up close, just enough to tease but not show too much affection in public and dropped his voice low.

"Best be on our way then, Klelbor."