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back inside.
                  Jake, co-owner of the place, looked up from the drinks he was pouring and shook his head.  “What is it tonight?”
                  “It’s a full moon,” Rick said as he stretched.
                  His right shoulder popped and he sighed in relief. 
    Jake frowned and said, “I hate it when you do that.”
    Rick chuckled.  “Too bad.  So where’s Joseph?”
    “How should I know?” Jake said.  “I’ve been here all night. It’s not his usual night to come in.  You know that.”
              “Yes, I do.  I was wondering how Mrs. Silvetti and her kids were settling in,” Rick said.
    Jake smiled.  “So, is she pretty?”
    Rick thought about her large, dark eyes, and shiny dark brown hair.  Her full mouth was very pretty and she had the kind of voluptuous figure that would be very pleasing to hold.  Yes, Gina Silvetti was a very attractive woman.
    “That she is, Jake,” Rick said.
    “I see,” said Jake, who grinned.
    “Don’t be getting any ideas,” Rick said.  “It’s just a simple observation.  I feel bad for her.  She came here to marry Steve only to discover he died and now they have nowhere to go.”
    “It was a good idea you had for them to stay with Lacey and Joe,” Jake said as he filled a beer mug and slid it down the bar.  “They certainly have the room.”
    “Yep and I knew that they weren’t going to let Gina pay them anything.  She doesn’t have much money,” Rick said.
    He hadn’t needed anyone to tell him that.  Her clothing, while clean and neat, was faded as were the children’s clothes.  Ryan’s shoes were worn and his pants looked slightly short on him.  Chloe’s sweater had seen better days, too.  Rick frowned as he thought about it.  He hated seeing kids go without anything.  It made him angry.  No one should go hungry or be cold or sick, kids especially.
    Then he smiled as he thought about how cute Chloe and Ryan were.  Rick remembered their laughter and was happy that he’d been able to ease their anxiety for a while.  He’d often wished for someone like that when he was a child, but there’d been no one, so helping children be able to laugh during hard times was important to him.
    Going back to his seat, Rick shook off memories he didn’t want to see.  They served no purpose and distracted him from his job, which was to create peace where there was chaos.  He propped his feet up, pulled his hat down, and closed his eyes so he could listen.  The other bouncer working that night came and sat beside him.
    Rick smiled.  Reckless, a Lakota brave who lived in the area, was a good man to have around.  He and Reckless were of a similar mind about some things and could agree to disagree on others.  Mostly Reckless was pleasant and amusing, but also enjoyed fighting and wrestling. 
    “There’s Sitting Duck,” Rick said.
    Reckless sighed.  “I liked it much better when you called me ‘the other one’.”
    Rick laughed softly.  “So you want me to find another name?”
    “I have a name.  Call me that,” Reckless said and kicked Rick’s chair, knocking his feet off the table.
    Rick tipped his hat back and said, “That wasn’t a very nice thing to do, Lame Duck.”
    Reckless’ black eyes sparked with annoyance.  “Are you looking for a fight tonight?”
    “Me?  You’re the one in the bad mood.  Care to tell me why that is?” Rick said as he resumed his position.
    “No.”
    “Are you and that pretty wife of yours fighting again?” Rick asked.
    “No,” Reckless said as a grin spread across his face. “She and the baby are fine.”
    “She looked cute the other day when I saw her.  She’s starting to show some now,” Rick said.  “So what are you going to name it if it’s a girl?”
    “We won’t know until he or she is born,” Reckless said.  “You know that.”
    Rick grinned.  “What will you do if you see a bear crapping in the woods