The McEllis Boys

Chapter One

"You could stay around." she offered. "I wouldn't complain." Jamison shook his head, finished pulling on his boots and then took Hallie's hand in his and kissed it.

"I gotta get going." he replied. He stood up and walked over to the side table where he'd left the rest of his belongings. He sighed when he heard Hallie snort with irritation and rise from the bed, the sound of the sheet being wrapped angrily around her body filling the silence of her bedroom.

Jamison pinned his U.S. Marshal badge to his vest and then went about hooking his worn gun belt around his lean hips.

"I'm getting tired of this, Jamison McEllis." Hallie stated. Jamison glanced over his shoulder at her.

"Tired of what?" he asked as he finished fastening his gun belt and grabbed his worn gray hat.

"Bein' used by you, that's what. When are you gonna marry me? I'm not gonna wait around forever."

Jamison shook his head. He and Hallie had had this same conversation a hundred times and he figured they'd have it at least one hundred more. He wasn't getting married and she wasn't going anywhere. They both knew it.

"I'll be back around this way soon." he replied as he stepped toward the door.

"Another man might come around before then." Hallie warned with a dainty shrug. "He might just sweep me off my feet and want to marry me and take me away from all this."

Jamison took a deep breath through his nose and turned to look at her with his hand on the door leading out into the alley.

"And?" he asked. She squared her tiny shoulders and lifted her chin.

"And I just might let him." Jamison knew she wouldn't and so he simply plopped his hat on his head and opened the door.

"Do what you gotta do, ma'am." he replied and then he closed the door with a click behind him, ignoring the disappointed sob he heard come from Hallie as he made his way out.

Jamison squinted in the bright morning sunlight as he made his way out of the alley and onto main street. He was going to go get his horse from the livery and start on his patrols but was stopped when the clerk from the post office ran down the street toward him.

"Marshal McEllis!" he called.

"Call me Jamison, Ed." Jamison replied. "What's the problem?"

"No problem, sir." Ed replied as he held out an envelope. "This came for you this morning and it says urgent. I wanted you to get it before you left." Jamison nodded. He took the envelope thankful that the man had caught him since it would be at least a month before he made it back to Dodge.

He saw the return address from Kentucky and felt his heart catch. He waved goodbye to Ed and then quickly started toward the livery, opening the letter as he went.

"Damn it!" he exclaimed as he crumpled the letter and shoved it in his pocket. His fast walk turned into a run as he prayed he'd make it home in time.

Kentucky

August 1875

Cav rode up through the valley and saw the tiny log house he'd grown up in sitting at the head of the hollow. It had been ten years since he'd been back to Kentucky. He and Leah had moved away to settle in Virginia near her family and after the loss of his wife and children, Cavanaugh had run west, desperate to be away from any scenery, sight or smell that might remind him of those he had lost or the life he had lived with them.

Cav could hardly believe his eyes when he saw his older brother Jamison standing on the porch, smoking a cigar. Cav hitched his horse to the porch banister and walked up the steps.