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Who was the man who shot them?”
    â€œNobody’s ever seen him before. He just walked into the bank, shot the robbers, and then disappeared. You’d think he’d want to stay. There might be a reward for those guys.”
    â€œWas there?”
    â€œI don’t know, but there might have been.”
    Logan recognized the eagerness of a young man for an exciting adventure to relieve the humdrum nature of his life. He wanted to tell Steve he was more fortunate than he knew, but he knew the boy wouldn’t believe him. “I hope it’s all right if I stay here awhile. I’ll even help watch your cows. Tell your uncle I said to drop by anytime. If I’m not at the camp, I won’t be far away. This is beautiful country. There’s a canyon a little ways from here I’m looking forward to exploring.”
    â€œIf you get hurt in some of these canyons, nobody will ever find you.”
    â€œI’ll be careful. You, too. It’s a long way down to your ranch.”
    â€œI know an easy way down. Maybe I’ll show it to you if you’re here very long.”
    â€œThanks. I’d like that.”
    As Logan watched the boy ride away, he felt a pang of regret. He could have had a son like that boy. As it was, he was going to leave this world with no one to mourn or remember him. Not even Bridgette. He’d known from the beginning she was only marrying him for the money.
    For some reason, that made him think of the woman in the bank. He didn’t know why he should be thinking of her now. The moment he’d entered the bank he’d been focused on the robbers. He’d barely had time to remember what she looked like before people started rushing in from the street. Still, there was something about her that stood out even amid the confusion. Maybe it was the way she remained calm when the robber tried to use her as a shield. Maybe it was that she was sensible enough to appear to faint so he could have a clear shot. Maybe it was something as ordinary as her beauty, the way she dressed, or the way she wore her hair. He didn’t know what it was, but the impression was no less powerful for lack of a reason.
    She was not an ordinary woman.
    It was a foolish waste of time to be thinking about her or any other woman. He was a man without a future. He had begun to mark off the days. It was the only way he had to guess how much time he had left. Though he’d traveled as quickly as boat and horse could take him, the trip from Chicago had taken more than a month. He’d been such an unpleasant traveling companion people avoided him. Traveling on horseback had allowed him to keep his distance. He’d chosen this spot to set up his camp for the same reason, but he hadn’t been suffering quite as much lately, with the exception of a few bad spells. Maybe it was the clean air and release from the strain of running a large and successful business. Maybe it was the hours of peaceful sleep or the physical exercise. Whatever it was, he was grateful to be feeling better even if it was a false security. Each good day was a gift he intended to enjoy to the fullest.
    He looked up when the dog emerged from the trees. “I thought you’d be back. Not willing to give up the free meals yet? Don’t worry. I won’t quit until you’re able to hunt on your own.” He swallowed the last of his coffee. “I guess it’s time to go hunting again. It takes a lot to keep you fed.”
    Maybe he’d head into town tomorrow. The robbery had kept him from conducting any of his errands. Setting up an account with the bank could wait, but not the purchase of some staples, the most important being more coffee. He expected he’d soon receive a visit from Steve’s uncle. Hospitality required that he offer his guest something to drink. Besides, he wanted to convince the man to let him stay on his land. He liked it here. It was nothing like the life he’d