Edward said nothing. He was still thinking about the events of the night. Hank now had a good reason to come after them both. “Are you worried about Garlow makin’ us pay for puttin’ him in jail tonight?”
“There’s always that possibility,” Fred replied. “The man’s certainly mean enough. I guess only time will tell.”
Edward realized that his time in Evansville with mostly law-abiding citizens had done little to prepare him for Cheyenne. “It’s like being in the war again.”
Fred said nothing for a moment. He seemed to consider Edward’s words as if some detailed response was expected. “I hadn’t really thought about it, but you’re right. Sometimes I’m not even sure who’s on whose side. Spottin’ the enemy isn’t very easy at times.”
“You could have gotten yourself killed tonight. I could have taken another bullet and died.”
“That’s true. We none of us know how much time we have on this earth, but one thing is for certain: our time will end. We will die.”
“Remember when you told us soldiers that we were in a fight for our lives? That every man on the field wore a mark of death?”
“I do.” Fred offered nothing more.
Edward shook his head. “I feel like that here. I was just thinking how in Evansville things were calm and sensible. Most folks respected the law, and I enjoyed keepin’ the peace. Out here there isn’t any peace to be kept. Good folks don’t stand a chance.”
“They do so long as there are men like you and me, Edward. We’re here to keep law and order. They rely on us for their very lives. If we continue to take a stand, things will change. Towns like Cheyenne aren’t civilized overnight.”
“But we could die trying. I’m not a coward, but I do like to think my life is worth something.”
They’d nearly reached home. Had all of this been for nothing? Had coming to Cheyenne been a big mistake? It sure wasn’t at all what he’d expected.
“Your life is worth a great deal. We find our value in who we belong to. You belong to God first and foremost, and as His child, you have His favor. You also belong to Marybeth and Carrie. They love and need you, and that makes youworth a lot. But this town needs you too. You and men like you are the only thing that stands between the innocent and those who would rob them blind and leave them dead in the streets. You’re worth more than you can imagine, Edward, and I, for one, don’t think you made a mistake coming west. I don’t think I made a mistake either.”
“But you could have died tonight.”
Fred shrugged. “No one knows the number of their days, my friend. That’s why we need to live them to the fullest and appreciate the blessings God has given us. There are no guarantees that we’ll live to be old. But the real tragedy of it will be if we don’t spend the time we’ve been given by living life to the fullest. What good are a hundred years if we spend them in fear, anger, and bitterness?”
“You’re not talking about tonight, are you?”
Fred chuckled. “Nope.” He started walking again. “And really ... neither were you.”
Marybeth woke with a start. Sitting up, she tried to listen for any sound that might suggest trouble afoot. There was silence, however. She started to lie back down, but then came the sound of footsteps outside the shed, followed by voices.
“See you tomorrow, Fred.”
“Night, Ed.”
The next thing she knew, Edward was unlocking the door and coming into the shed. Marybeth got up quickly and pulled on her robe. She didn’t know why, but she just felt that she should make herself available.
“Are you all right?” she asked, getting the lamp lit so that they could see.
“It’s been a rough night,” he said without hesitation.
She nodded and went to add coal to the stove. “Are you hungry? I could heat something up.”
“No, I’m fine. Maybe some coffee?”
She stirred up the embers in the stove. “I made some before I went to bed.” She knew there were times when Edward would want coffee when he came in. She had taken to making sure there was a pot to warm every morning. “It shouldn’t take long to warm up once the fire is going good.”
She was thankful for the strained peace between them and Edward’s seeming acceptance of her presence. She finished with the fire and moved the coffeepot from the back of the stove to the burner while Edward was hanging up his gun.
Marybeth wanted to ask him what had made the night difficult but remained silent. She knew the situation between them was tenuous at best. It was probably better to keep quiet.
She sat down and waited to see what Edward would do. To her surprise, after ridding himself of his coat and hat, he joined her at the table. The lamplight wasn’t all that bright. Marybeth hadn’t turned it up for fear of waking Carrie. In the dim glow, she could see that Edward looked troubled. How she wished she could offer him comfort. She longed to take him in her arms and hold him close, reassure him that she was there for him—would always be there for him.
For a long time, they said nothing. Marybeth didn’t avoid his gaze, neither did she feel uncomfortable with it. He looked at her as if somehow he would find the answer for some unspoken question. She prayed for him, hoping he would.
