"The younger Mr. Wells doesn't know that, " Grace said.

"You're going to find your ranch, " Jessica promised. "We'll look at the property near Denver first, and if it isn't exactly what you want, I've heard there's lush grazing land to be found in California. "

"There's so much to be done, and time's running out. I only have seven months left to purchase the land and buy the cattle, or I must admit defeat and go back home. If I hadn't wasted so much time here, I could be in Denver by now."

"I'm glad you came to Rockford Falls. If you hadn't, I wouldn't have met you, and I believe we've become good friends." Grace grabbed hold of Jessica's hand. "Oh, we have become good friends."

"And now Caleb and I will be going with you to Colorado. Some good did come out of this, didn't it? " "Will you two girls stop acting like ninnies. Jessica, get on out to the porch." Tilly's impatience discouraged further dallying. Straightening her shoulders, Jessica hurried to the front door. She felt as though she were going to her own trial, which was ridiculous, of course. She only had to convince the marshals she hadn't witnessed anything.

Her hand shook when she reached for the doorknob.

"Good evening, Marshals. I'm sorry I've kept you waiting." She stood poised just inside the door and looked serene, yet her hand gripped the handle tightly, and she appeared ready to bolt. Experience had taught Daniel Ryan that lawmen made people jittery. He quickly stepped forward and tried to put her at ease.

"This should only take a couple of minutes, " he explained.

She glanced from one marshal to the other. Neither one of them was smiling. Marshal Ryan looked earnest, but Marshal Clayborne looked bored leaning against the railing. Lord, Tilly had been right. Both men oozed masculinity.

"It's routine, " Cole remarked.

She nodded. "Yes, I understand." He smiled. "It would probably be easier if you came out on the porch." She took a quick breath and told herself to stop trembling as she walked over to one of the wicker chairs and sat down. She folded her hands in her lap and pressed her knees and ankles together so they wouldn't shake. Then she waited for one or both of the marshals to begin.

"I guess we should introduce ourselves, " Ryan began. He dragged a chair across the porch to face her.

"That isn't necessary. I know who you are. You're Marshal Daniel Ryan, and he's Marshal Cole Clayborne. We met at the jail, remember?

" Ryan straddled his chair, and Cole stood a few feet behind.

She stared up at him. "You don't look like a lawman, " she blurted out.

Her eyes turned back to Ryan. "And neither do you."

"What do we look like? " Cole asked.

"Outlaws."

"We look like outlaws? " Cole asked, laughing.

Their smiles helped, and she began to relax. She wanted Cole to sit down. The man towered over her, and a day's growth of whiskers made him seem menacing. Daniel looked just as ragged. She had to remind herself that both of them were marshals and it was, therefore, their duty to protect innocent citizens. She just needed to let them know she belonged in that group.

"I haven't done anything wrong." Daniel nodded. "We know you haven't.

Lawmen make people jumpy. I'm not sure why."

"I know why, " she replied. "You have the power to lock me in jail, "

she explained.

"Not without a good legal reason, " he countered.

She raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? I was locked in jail this afternoon, and there certainly wasn't a good legal reason then."

"We didn't know Sheriff Sloan would go to such lengths, " Cole interjected.

"He was convinced one of us was lying, but that still isn't a good reason to lock someone in jail, is it? " She noticed Daniel remove a notepad and pencil from his pocket and gave him her full attention.

"We know you were in the bank the day it was robbed, " he began.

"Yes, I was. Caleb was with me."

"Do you happen to remember what time it was? " She smoothed the wrinkles out of her skirt as she answered, her gaze directed on her lap. "As a matter of fact, I do remember. I was there at two o'clock, give or take ten minutes. I went inside and got into line, but I didn't happen to notice any of the other people there. I wasn't .

. . " "Paying attention? " Cole asked.

"Yes, that's it, " she said. "I wasn't paying attention to anyone else."

"You didn't notice anyone in line with you? " Ryan asked with a hint of skepticism. "I was very busy looking after Caleb. He can be quite mischievous. The gate fascinated him, and he kept trying to swing on it. Mr. MacCorkle became very upset and yelled at the baby.

He made quite a scene. I had my hands full, Marshal, and I simply didn't have time to notice anyone else." While she'd been explaining, she kept glancing up at Cole to get his reaction. He had to know she was nervous because of the way she had rushed through her answer. Slow down, she told herself, as she gripped her hands together. Slow down and calm down, or they'll both think I'm hiding something.

Cole didn't look as if he thought she was guilty of anything. If she had had to venture a guess, she would have said that the routine questions were putting him to sleep.

She turned back to her inquisitor. "I'm sorry I can't be more helpful.

" "Don't babies take naps in the afternoon? " Cole asked. "My little sister always did."

"Yes, Caleb usually takes his nap right after his noon meal, but his schedule has gotten all turned around lately. I was sick with influenza, and because he sleeps in my bedroom, I kept waking him up all night. He slept late today and then had a late nap. That's why he's still running around now." She was rambling like an idiot, she realized, and giving them far too much useless and boring information.

"Did Sheriff Sloan show you the bag we found? " "Yes, he did, " she answered. "He told us he found it under one of the desks. It doesn't belong to me, " she added emphatically. "I never carry a bag." Ryan flipped his notepad shut and put it back in his pocket with his pencil.

She noticed he hadn't written a single word.

"Are you positive about the time? " Cole asked.

"You're sure you were in the bank at two? " Ryan asked.

"Give or take ten minutes, " she answered.

The marshals exchanged a look. Ryan rubbed the back of his neck.

"Do you have any plans to leave Rockford Falls? " he asked.

"Yes, I'm planning to leave as soon as possible. Caleb and I leave tomorrow as a matter of fact. I'll miss Tilly, but I'll be glad to get away from this town. Ever since the rumors started, I've been very concerned that the men who killed those poor innocent people will come back here. They might believe that one of us saw them, and I'm sure you know what has happened to the witnesses of the other robberies. "

"Yeah, we know, " Cole said.

"Where are you headed? " Cole asked.

"Colorado, " she answered.

Any further information she might have wanted to add was forgotten when Caleb came running out on the porch. The baby spotted his rag doll by the steps and snatched it up by one of its feet. Strutting over to Cole, he leaned against his leg and grinned up at him.

Jessica wasn't surprised. Caleb was always initially shy around strangers, but it never took him long to get over it. He liked men.