Vin took the death of the bounty hunter hard and left the jail shortly after Chris and the marshal. He headed straight for his wagon, then on to the livery. Ezra followed him inside and watched as Vin led his horse from the stall.

Anger beset the gambler and, grabbing Vin's arm, spun him around to face him.

"And just where do you think you're going, Mr. Tanner? Surely not to Tascosa."

Vin pushed the Southerner away and glared at him.

"What if I am, Ezra? You gonna stop me?"

"What in God's name do you hope to accomplish? Would you negate the woman's sacrifice?" Ezra looked at the Texan and saw only confusion on his face and sighed impatiently. "If someone were to recognize you in Tascosa she would have died for nothing. She chose not to seek medical attention from Nathan and instead took Jack Tate's body back to Tascosa to swear it was you...after blowing his fool head off. Hannity McCall gave you something she gave no one else, a second chance and you're just going to throw it away."

Vin turned away from Ezra and grabbed the pummel of his saddle. Instead of vaulting into it, as Ezra feared, the Texan simply laid his forehead on the seat and let his tears fall unchecked. The urge to return to Tuscosa, just to be sure she was really gone, to see where she rested, was so overwhelming and painful that it tied his insides up in knots and stretched his nerves as taught as gut on a bow.

Ezra laid his hand gently on his shoulder.

Vin lifted his face from the saddle and, after a few moments, said, "She was so strong, Ezra. So strong and so beautiful...and so lost."

"As are we all," the gambler assured him.

"That's right, Vin, but God has a plan for us all."

Wiping his tear-streaked face with his hand Vin turned around to find Josiah standing next to Ezra, a serene look on the preacher's rugged face.

Anger flared in Vin's eyes and he demanded, "Okay Preacher, then you tell me what God had in mind for her when he allowed Sonny Needham to butcher her man and her babies."

"Vin, the Lord truly does work in mysterious ways. He could have been testing Hannity McCall for the journey that followed. Her journey as his sword here on earth making the most evil of men pay for their sins against His laws."

The explanation smacked of empty platitudes and Vin turned, determined to mount his horse this time.

Josiah grabbed him and turned him back around.

"Maybe this was all for you, my young friend," Josiah then suggested, "God let you catch a glimpse of pure love and sacrifice, a sacrifice that's sure to make your days ahead easier - if you'll just accept it."

Chris Larabee moved from the shadows and spoke up.

"Don't take that away from her, Vin," he implored, his voice soft yet firm. "Not if you felt anything at all for her."

Chris' words were like a kick to his gut and Vin finally let go of the reins. He looked to his friends. First to Ezra, then to Chris and finally to the man of God and suddenly he didn't have the words. He hoped that his nod to each of them in turn conveyed his silent gratitude.

Josiah smiled sympathetically and put his arm around Vin's shoulder. They took their leave of the gambler and the gunfighter and the two of them, the tracker and the preacher, walked in companionable silence toward the church where Josiah Sanchez would continue his labor of love and of penance and Vin Tanner would sit in quiet solitude to reflect on a beautiful woman's unspoken love for him...and his for her.

FIN

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.