The broom leaned against the wall next to the back door, and as she picked it up she found a tarantula spider hiding in the shade the broom provided. She swept the spider from the porch, then the dust from her jeans and boots, and went inside. Jessie poured herself a cold glass of water from the pitcher she kept in the refrigerator, and turned to the calendar hanging on wall. She took a sip from the glass, wiped the sweat from her brow, opened the drawer she stood in front of, and pulled out a marker. The calendar had the first five days of May crossed out. Jessie crossed out the sixth. She stared at the calendar, took another sip from her glass and dejectedly tossed the marker back in the drawer.

Carrying her glass with her, she walked into the hallway. There was a small stack of mail on the hallway table that she leafed through, turning over the first three pieces before she stopped to listen. Suddenly very aware of her surroundings, and although there was no discernable sound, she found herself cocking her head as if there were. She set her glass down next to the mail, turned and looked at the front door where she felt she was being drawn. Cautiously, she made her way over and peered through the screen.

“Hello, Jess.” It was Henry. He was standing at the foot of the steps, dusty and tired and holding his hat in his hands. He wanted to apologize for being late getting back to her. He wanted to tell her what happened in the canyon. How Chad left the note for him on his door that day and how he had placed the mirror on the canyon floor, knowing Henry would see it and stop. It was the mirror that helped Chad get the drop on him, like the scenario in some B-grade western movie. He wanted to tell her how Topher, who actually was two days early with his supplies, had heard the shots Chad had been firing at Henry, and had come to the rim of the canyon to investigate. He wanted to explain that it had been Topher who took the final shot that day from the canyon’s edge with his own Winchester and had put a stop to Chad once and for all. He wanted to tell her that a two-week investigation by the sheriff’s department cleared both Henry and Topher, and that it had been the investigation that caused him to be late. But in the end, standing there with his hat in his hand, and looking up at the prettiest woman he’d ever seen, he figured maybe some other time might be better.

“I’m back.” He smiled feebly.

Jessie was having a hard time believing her eyes. She had nearly given up on seeing Henry again. In her mind, she had come up with all kinds of reasons why he hadn’t returned when he said he would. Perhaps he’d fallen off the wagon and was drunk in some bar somewhere, or perhaps he decided he couldn’t live without the cowboy life after all, or maybe he’d found someone else that suited him better. But now, ashamed of herself for having doubted him at all, all she could do was step out on the porch and look into his tired eyes.