Sheriff Hinton looked at Sam as he inspected the wanting poster on the wall. Sam grabbed the poster and laid it in front Sheriff Hinton. His eyes was eventful, like he couldn't wait to mount Bob and just get on with the hunting. Melissa was standing by the door further away. Her back tilted against the wall with her black hat and her blue dress that was her favorite, because of its comfy. She waited for Sam to be done. Sheriff Hinton sighed as he once again grabbed the poster from his table. Sam stood tiled over the table and looked hopeful at Sheriff Hinton. "I'm telling you Sheriff, I can do this, I'm the right man for the job." Sam said and looked at the poster. The poster contained a wanting for a Albert Finley, the prize was 50 dollars and Mr. Finley was wanted for selling a snake oil he said made people feel better, but in fact, the snake oil is killing people. The poster said that he was last seen near lake Granyon. Sheriff Hinton took off his brown hat while he scratched himself on his black beard. "I don't know Mr. Andrews, you're very new in this branch and this sort of hunting can and will be very dangerous. You must always be one step ahead of the criminal." Sheriff Hinton said as he lighted a cigarette.

Sam refused to give up, he wanted to prove his worth to Sheriff Hinton so he could be a lawman himself someday. Sam grabbed the poster on the desk again, rolled it and looked confident at Sheriff Hinton. "Then let me prove my worth to you sir. I assure you I'll bring him back, I don't even care about the money, I just want to do this." Sam said as he looked very confident. Sheriff Hinton was still not convinced.

" Mr. Andrews, you realize that you're going to head outside town all alone and hunt down a criminal that could kill you within a second? This job is only for the bravest of men." Sheriff Hinton said, while he blew some smoke. Melissa still stood tilted against the wall, watching Sam desperately trying to get the bounty, to prove his worth to Sheriff Hinton. She knew he wouldn't go alone because she would accompany him whether he liked it or not. But Melissa knew that Sheriff Hinton would never let Sam go with the bounty if she said that she would come as well. So, instead Melissa just stood in silence, pretended like she was just waiting on Sam.

"Yes I realize that Sheriff, and I'm prepared to give my own life to protect others." Sam said, while he took pride in his words. Sheriff Hinton sighed and stood up as he fixed his hat.

"Very well then, if you insist then off you go." Sheriff Hinton said and pointed towards the door. Sam smiled and packed the posted in his satchel. "You'll not be disappointed Sheriff, I'll bring him back." Sam said as he opened the door and walked out. Melissa followed as she nicely tilted her hat at Sheriff Hinton and nodded, goodbye. Outside, Sam packed his bags on Bob as he puts on his brown dusty hat and smiled to Melissa when she got down and packed her things on Belle.

"I'll probably be home late tonight then, you don't need to worry either, everything will be fine." He said and grabbed Bobs reins. Melissa grabbed Belles reins and looked suspicious at Sam. "I always worry." She said and Sam smiled and nodded. "That's why I'm also coming with you." She said and mounted Belle. Sam made a confused expression and then he chuckled a little.

"No you're not." He said and chuckled. "You don't think I'm serious?" Melissa asked surprised.

"Melissa, there's no way I'm bringing you along, do you know what Sheriff Hinton will do to me if he finds out I brought you along? Besides, I'm the one educating myself to a lawman, I'm not risking your life for that." Sam said as he mounted Bob. Melissa chuckled a little because she knew that no matter what Sam said, she would still tag along.

"Sorry partner, you can't talk yourself out of this."She said and gave a little kick on Belle, as she smiled and blinked her eye to Sam.

Sam sighed and rolled his eyes, but he knew that when Melissa decided for something, he couldn't make her change her mind, so he gave Bob a little kick and followed her. They rode outside town, towards lake Grayon where Mr. Finley last had been seen, selling his death trap. Sam was determined to catch the criminal and prove to Sheriff Hinton that he could complete dangerous works and save people from outlaws and criminals. He never wanted Melissa along, not because he don't like her, but because he cares about her and don't want her to get hurt. Melissa however, saw the hunting as an adventure, plus she didn't want Sam to go on his first real criminal hunt all by himself.

They rode by the road, past the forest and the little bit of the lake where Melissa knew James cabin was located. They kept going further down, while Melissa looked to the left and saw James cabin. She had been thinking of him very much lately. He seemed very interesting and Melissa was thinking that maybe she should stop by sometime and take that invitation for a fishing trip, it seemed fun.

"According to the poster, he was last seen up by the path here, between the lake and the mountain further up there." Sam said and pointed. The nature they had around them were wonderful, it was green big fields, to the left was lake Grayon and James cabin. To the right were deep forest and straight forward, the smaller mountains where Sam pointed. Melissa nodded to Sam and they headed towards the direction. They searched all the way down the path they were riding on but no Finely seemed to be around. When they reached the wall of the mountains, there was a path leading through some smaller forest, through the mountain. Melissa and Sam looked at each other and nodded. Sam took the lead and Melissa followed behind. The path was small and the forest pretty thin. To the right was a mountain wall, while to the left the thin forest spreaded its trees and grass. When they had ridden for awhile, they came across a smaller pound to the left. Sam was still in front of Melissa when he suddenly stopped, his gaze into the trees and the pound to the left. He looked at Melissa and held up a finger, indicating for her to be silent. Melissa stopped Belle and looked where Sam was looking. By the pound two people could be seen. It was hard to see who they were, but Sam was sure that something suspicious was going on. He jumped down from Bob and indicated for Melissa to follow him and so she did. They sneaked through the trees while they slowly approached the two people. When they could hear their voices they stopped and hid behind two trees. It was hard to hear what they were talking about, but clearly enough to hear some chatter from them, seemed like both of them were males. One had a light and a little more clear voice and the other had a deep and soft voice. A voice, Melissa thought she recognized.

"You think it's him?" Melissa whispered as she looked at Sam. Sam kneedled behind the tree as he inspected the two people standing further down by the pound.

"I don't know, hard to tell. But something's up, that much I know." He said and loaded his revolver. "Follow me and make sure your guns loaded, if they grab their guns, you must be the one who shoots first." He then said and looked seriously at Melissa. She nodded and then followed Sam. They sneaked once again between the trees until they were so close to the men that they could hear what they were talking about, and it seemed to be the right man they was looking for.

"I assure you sir, if you drink this your health and life will be much more of a joy for you, it will change you for the better! You seem to certainly need it." The one with the lighter voice said.

Melissa looked at Sam who thought the same thing. It was the man they was looking for. Sam counted in silence to three and when he was at three both Melissa and Sam appeared behind the trees while they aimed at the two men. The one to the left had a big top hat, was short and had black hair and beard with round glasses. The one to the right was taller, a black man. It was James. Melissa looked surprised at them both as she aimed the gun at the men.

"Mr. Albert Finley, you're under arrest by order of Sheriff Thomas Hinton in Grand Junction Colorado, put your hands up." Sam said as he walked slowly towards Albert Finley.

Both the men had their hands up. Mr. Finley chuckled a little while James noticed Melissa as well.

"Miss Summers?" He said and smiled. Sam looked confused at Melissa while he slowly approached Mr. Finley.

"Hello Mr. Alden, I trust all is well? If you don't mind to step back a bit, we have a criminal here."Melissa said as she smiled and pointed the gun towards Mr. Finley. James obeyed and backed away a bit, while Sam ordered Mr. Finley to drop his gun he kept in his holster.

"I must insist that this is a mistake! I save people!" Mr. Finley screamed while Sam kept his gun at him and chuckled a little.

"The only one you're helping is yourself, now drop the gun down." Sam said as he loaded his gun.

Mr. Finley smiled and shredded his head. "I can't do that sir." He said and then grabbed his gun. Mr. Finley aimed his gun towards Sam and loaded it. Melissa got scared and almost shot when Sam held up his hand to her, indicating for her to wait. Mr. Finley then turned his gun towards James and shot him in his right shoulder while James screamed and fell to the ground. Mr. Finley then took off to the left into the trees while Sam's shots echoed through the trees, every single one of them missing.

"Dammit!" Sam screamed. "Go after him! I'll take care of our victim here."Melissa said and ran towards James. Sam nodded and ran after Mr. Finley.

James was laying on the ground, with one hand on his wound and the other one on the ground. He chipped for air as he noticed Melissa running towards him.

" Here, take this and hold a pressure on it." Melissa said and handed him a piece of her clothes. James grabbed it and held it where the wound was. Melissa grabbed his shoulders and helped him to sit up, he clenched his teeths and made a painful expression.

"Well, the good news is at least that the bullet went straight out, you'll need stitching, but that's it." Melissa said and helped him up on his legs.

" If you don't mind me say so Miss Summers, it's very good to see you again, especially when you're saving my life once again." James said and smiled to her. His eyes were deep and beautiful, Melissa found herself caught up in them. His smile was so bright, so friendly, so kind. James sure is different.

"It's good to see you too, and please, call me Melissa." She said as they reached Bob and Belle further down the road. Melissa helped James up in the saddle once again while Sam came walking down the road. In front of him was Mr. Finley, with rope tied on his hands and Sam aiming a gun in his back. Sam smiled and waved at them both, looking very proud. When he reached Bob he stopped, tied Mr. Finley's feets as well and then stewed him on Bob. "Let's take a ride Mr. Finley." Sam proudly said as he grabbed Bobs reins. "I don't deserve to be treated like this!" Mr. Finley screamed. "Oh hush now, Sheriff Hinton is ever so nice and I hear the cells are in great condition. Hey! Maybe you'll even get your own toilet, if you're lucky I mean." Sam said and laughed.

Melissa laughed as well. Sam would make a great lawman, and soon he'll be one. Sam walked up to Belle and looked at James who was still bleeding.

"And how are you doing?" Sam asked as he looked at James.

"Alive, thanks to you too." James said and smiled. Sam smiled as well while he patted Belle.

"And you know Melissa, correct?" Sam then asked. "We've met before yes, she saved my life the other day when I got stuck into a bear trap." James said and smiled to Melissa.

Sam looked at Melissa with his kind eyes and then he looked back at James. "Well, any friend of Melissa is a friend of mine, Sam Andrews." Sam said and reached out his hand for James. James grabbed his hand. "James Alden." He said and smiled.

"I'm going to take James to his cabin and stitch him up, will you be okay?" Melissa asked as Sam grabbed Bobs reins again and started leading him towards town.

"Oh don't you worry my love! I'll be just fine, it was a pleasure meeting you James!" Sam screamed as he smiled and waved while he walked down the road.

Melissa smiled and shredded her head as well, Sam was always so ridiculous, and she could have sworn that he called her 'My Love' because of what Mrs. Rose had spoken to Melissa about the other day.

Melissa grabbed Belles reins and headed towards James cabin. It wasn't far and they didn't talk much. James couldn't talk much because of the wound, they mostly talked about, if James was fine or about the occasion that they met today and that Melissa saved his life once again. But Melissa actually wanted to get to know James, she wanted to know who he was. But she knew that he wasn't on talk mood right now, when he had been shot and so on.

When they reached his cabin, Melissa hitched Belle outside and helped James in. He leaned his weight once again on her shoulders and both of them laughed when they realized that this was the second time Melissa had helped him up the stairs. When they got inside, James sat down by the kitchen table, while Melissa gathered a bucket of water from the lake outside and a needle and a thread. She also grabbed a whisky bottle that was almost empty, but almost full when she was here about three days ago. She turned around and looked at James while she held up the bottle.

"What? A man's gotta drink." He said and laughed. Melissa shredded her head and chuckled. She then poured the rest of the whisky in a bowl and grabbed some paper. When she had everything on the table in front of her she handed James a new bottle of whisky she had found in a locker. "I think you might need this." She said and showed him the needle she was going to stitch with. James closed his eyes and took a sip of the bottle. "Alright, I'm ready." He said.

Melissa first poured some water on the wound and cleaned it before she poured some alcohol on the wound as well. James closed his eyes and gasped for air from the pain, but this time he kept it together better.

Here they were, once again. Melissa cleaning a wound for James and James enjoying Melissa's company. After Melissa had cleaned the wound, she took the needle and thread and started. James closed his eyes and made painful noises while she pushed the needle through his skin and sewed it together. The wound needed four stitches and when she was done, she cut the thread and grabbed some bandage from the same locker she had grabbed it from last time, and then rolled it around his shoulder. James breathed heavily and drank some more whisky while he opened his eyes and met Melissa's light green eyes. She looked at him as well. They stayed for some seconds like that, looking into each other's deep eyes, before James turned away and looked at the wound.

"So, who taught you how to do all this?" He asked. Melissa kept rolling the bandage around his shoulder while her eyes met his once again.

" My father mostly, he taught me about survival, but my mother taught me how to stitch someone up like this." Melissa said, smiling to herself. The empty black hole she has in her chest was once again fresh on her mind.

"Alright, one could be thinking that your brother were the one who taught you." James said and smiled.

"My brother?" Melissa asked confused. "Yes, Sam or is her your husband?" James asked even more confused. Melissa laughed and smiled at James. None of them words was what Sam was, even though Melissa saw Sam as her brother.

" No, no he's definitely not my husband, he just like to joke around. And he's not my brother, well, he is, sort of. But not by blood, you know?" She said and kept a pressure on James wound. James smiled, and once again their eyes met. Melissa could see every little detail in James face. His black eyebrows, perfectly shaped, his light brown eyes, so deep and beautiful. He even had a birthmark by his nose that she hadn't noticed before. His thin, yet thick lips and of course his beautiful shaped face. When James realized that Melissa was inspecting him, he smiled at her and she immediately turned away her gaze from him and kept focusing on the wound.

"So you two live together then?" James suddenly asked. Melissa nodded and made the last stripe of bandage on his arm. Then she sat down and James handed her a glass that stood on the table and the whisky bottle. She poured herself a drink and took a sip of it while James touched his wound.

"What about your family? Or do they live there as well?" James curiously asked. Melissa got reminded of that night again. A pain in her chest appeared, the same pain she had tried to bury for all these years. She took a sip of the whisky and then looked out through the kitchen window.

"They.....They died for about one and a half year ago..." She said and drank the rest.

James looked with empathy on her. She had her hand on the table and James laid his hand on hers. Then he looked straight into her eyes with his kind eyes. "I'm very sorry." He said as their hands touched each other.

His hand felt warm and as he took it away from hers he left a million of different things on it. For a short moment Melissa didn't want him to move away his hand from hers, for a short moment nothing else mattered than his hand against hers.

Melissa stayed for a long time at his cabin. He offered her some dinner and she gladly said yes. Melissa felt safe at James cabin, it felt like warming place to be and she very much enjoyed it.

While James prepared some soup Melissa went outside to check on Belle. It was afternoon and then sun was still high up. Melissa was patting Belle while she looked out over the lake. She gave Belle some hay from James small stable he had on the back and then gave her a bucket of water. When she was done, Melissa went inside where James had already made everything ready. Two plates were on the table and so were the bowl with soup. As Melissa went inside once again, James smiled at her and bowed. "Bon appetite." He said and gestures for her to sit down. Melissa smiled and bowed as well, then she laughed and sat down. James had almost the same humor she and Sam had, which made James even more nice to be around. They sat down and James poured some soup into her bowl. Then they ate, and it tasted very good, Melissa thought.

" So James, you never told me about your family?" Melissa then asked. James poured some more soup into his bowl and then looked at her.

"There's not much to know." He said and kept eating.

"Oh come, tell me something." Melissa said and ate a spoon of the soup. James smiled at her and drank some water. "It's a pretty long story." He said and looked away. "Well, I reckon we got time." Melissa said and smiled. James breathed out and then looked at her.

"Well, alright then." He said and then started his long story.

Melissa learned that James was born in Minnesota and had lost his parents to pneumonia when he was seven. His elder brother, Mike Alden, and him had been taken to a orphanage but then they had been separated when they got to different families. James still don't know today if his elder brother is alive or not. James also told her that he had been changing families almost every mouth until he was fourteen when he decided that enough was enough and he escaped from the orphanage. He then lived on the streets for quite some time, taught himself how to hunt and fish and when he was seventeen he had found this old cabin by the lake that no one used, so he rebuilt it and has lived in it until now when he is twenty. James also said that the people in town weren't a fan of him, even if he had never hurtled a soul, so he only went into town when he really needed to. That also explained why Melissa had never seen him in town before, because he was almost never there, and when he was, he only stopped by the general store and then headed home again. He told her that he had stopped one time for a drink in the saloon, but some men had beaten him up in the bar and then threw him out and after that, he never stopped for a drink again there. Melissa listened well to James whole story. Seemed like James had been through a lot and after he had told her his story Melissa felt such a big empathy with him that she also, like he had done, grabbed his hand, looked into his eyes and held it like that for a moment. Melissa felt so sorry for James, everything he had to go through, it wasn't fair. After James story, the sun was on its way down and Melissa stood up from the table to ride home again. James thanked her and offered her some money again, but this time, she didn't take it, instead Melissa gave James a long and warm hug. Thanked him for sharing his story and for the meal. James hugged her back and just like when they had held hands, they stayed for that for a few seconds, by the door, hugging each other. Their hearts beating together. And Melissa, she didn't want it to end.