I turned to leave and Spanish Murphy's brother was still standing there waiting for an answer, "Spanish was a close friend of mine. I'm sorry to hear that he died."

He wasn't expecting it, he must have thought I was his brother's enemy or something. Slowly he sat back down not having any reason to start a fight anymore.

Just then the door opened and a girl stood in the frame. She hesitated a moment and then took one step in, "Is there a man by the name of John J. Battles in town?" she asked hopefully.

I gave her another look. Slowly recognition dawned on me and her name came into my mind. Madison Lee Skeeter, the girl I'd left behind me in Boston. "Yup," I said, "I am he."

She looked at me with a look of horror and shock on her face, seeing me for the first time, "What happened?!" she demanded.

"I came back from Mexico."

"Uh, well here's some money; go clean yourself up, then there's something I need to talk to you about." she held it toward me, but I hesitated. I surely didn't want to be in debt, but I definitely needed to clean myself up, so I took the money.

The first thing I did was buy clothes, boots, and a hat then I washed myself up, shaved, and changed into them. Then I bought a horse and saddle.

When I met up with her again, I didn't look like the same man she'd seen standing in that bar, and I knew it by the startled look on her face she gave me. We went to the Shoo-Fly to eat, and to talk.

I ate nearly twice as much as she did and put away two cups of coffee.

She started the conversation; I didn't really have anything to say to her.

"Your Uncle, Weston Battles, has passed away."

"That's too bad, I'm sorry to hear it." The last time I'd seen my uncle he'd been staggering through the streets drunker then he'd ever been in his life. He used to be a top hand cattlemen but he just couldn't handle whisky.

"He was rich."

"How'd he get rich?"

"He quit drinking, found a gold mine and started a cattle ranch. It got very large and he owns almost a thousand acres of land. Well he did, until he sold it right when he was dying—he got thrown from his horse. And would you believe it? He made a will and he left it all to you."

I looked up, sure I'd heard wrong, "He what?"

Sure, my uncle and I used to get along great and he used to take me out riding and rock climbing but the more he started to drink the less that happened and I didn't figure we were close anymore that last time I saw him. He didn't have any kids of his own to give his fortune to, but me? I couldn't believe it.

Here I was thinking I was broke and in debt to Madison, and just when I need it I inherited a bunch of money. A bunch? Well, I had no idea how much it was. As long as it was forty dollars over what Madison had given me I'd be set for life…well, almost. As long as I could get a job that was, otherwise those forty dollars wouldn't last me very long.

"He left his money to me?"

"Yes, he did."

"Well, I guess everyone needs some good luck every once in a while, of course I don't really cotton to getting luck by someone's death…how much is he leaving me?"

"Thirteen thousand dollars. And he said he wants someone to send you his cows that he didn't sell, he figures that you'd want to settle down somewhere and ranch, or he said you needed too, so he didn't sell all of his cows."

I didn't even reply I just stood there staring at her with my mouth partially open.

She laughed and then asked, "Why didn't you ever reply to my letter?"

I felt my face start heating up. Why hadn't I replied? Because I couldn't even remember what she looked like at the time, it had been years since we'd seen each other she'd already married, but he'd died and I didn't see why she 'wanted me back.' She certainly hadn't wanted me back when she'd gotten married. And really, I was no longer in love with her.

"Letter?" I asked, for I had nothing else I could say that wouldn't sound rude.

"I sent you a letter asking you to come back."

"Oh?" I wanted the subject to change but I didn't know how to go about it.

"But you don't have to come back now that I'm with you, where are you going to make your ranch?"

"I don't know. I'm going to find my friend first and I'll probably start a ranch with him, it will take me awful close to Mexico; it's no place for a lady to go."

"But I want to come, if I don't I might never even see you again."

That was alright by me, she was really pretty, but I was over her and didn't really know how to tell her, "You should go back to your family," I said then I stood up. "When I get the money my uncle's sending me I'll write to you back at your home town, and I'll send money for everything I just bought."

She stood up, "Why do you want me to go home? Will you come to my town later to get me?"

The truth was better than a lie so I said, "I'm sorry Madison, but I haven't seen you in years and we've both moved on."

She looked hurt, "You moved on?"

"You got married."

"Well…yeah, but he died."

"Sorry."

"But you were in love with me! You killed a man over me."

"No, I carried a gun because he threatened to kill me, and when he decided to shoot me I beat him to the draw. It was self-defense."

"So, you're telling me to go away because you no longer like me?"

"If that's the way you want to put it." I had a strange feeling that she didn't actually like me anymore either, so what was her problem? Was it because my uncle left me money?

I stood up, "Thank you for loaning my money, I really needed it. I'll pay it back as soon as I can."

"How do I know you'll pay it back?"

"Because I'm a man of my word."

"Well, I think I'll come with you so that when you pay it back you can just hand it to me instead of sending it in the mail. It might get stolen."

"Well, I'm leaving in the morning," I left the restaurant and walked across the street. I wanted to leave right now, but I guess I would have to wait now.

I wasted the day away waiting for darkness to fall. It seemed like forever, but eventually it came. Then I waited until a few minutes after midnight.

Going into the stable I saddled my horse, "Technically," I told him, "Midnight is the morning and I said I was leaving in the morning, I'm not lying."

I swung into the saddle and man did it feel good to be sitting up on a horse. Then I rode him out of the stable.

The street was empty like I figured it would be and no one was awake to see me riding out of town, once a safe distance away I started my horse running and I headed south.

Authors note: Please reveiw and tell me what you think, and if there's anything I should change that sounds weird or something, Thank you for reading my story! :)