<i>"Do we have to?"</i><br/><br/>The question was precisely what Wade had wanted to hear. Even though it was far beyond his means to fulfill his nascent, deep desire to make love to Josephine Bryce, Wade knew that the minor restraints on their behavior prevented them from indulging further. There were clear consequence to being caught and that alone cooled the lusty fire that burned bright within him. Still, hearing Jo ask her question -- rebelling against every external control that he wished was absent. As Wade pressed his lips to hers one last time, and a low, vibrating moan slipped past his stolid exterior. Jo tasted like sweetness, and his beating heart felt like it expanded inside his ribcage. The little cues and need in Jo's oral movements made her position clear: she wanted Wade as much as he wanted her -- that mutual desiring made his insistence they get a move on more difficult.<br/><br/>Wade watched the dark-haired woman pull back, her eyes filled with a promise of things he could only fathom, things he realized -- only then -- he had deeply desired his entire existence. He took his time retrieving his guns from the bureau. Wade's careful, curious eyes stared out the dust-laden panes of the front window. It made sense to allow some time between their respective exits from the house; leaving together was not a sin, but he'd hate to kill one of Hank's ranch-hands for spreading a rumor of fallacy. Wade felt the breath leave his lungs as he exhaled, his eyes still on the woman with dark hair headed for the stable. Her skirt swayed in the light breeze under her steady steps. The girl had spirit, Wade had to admit. The thought lifted one end of his smile higher. And then, for just a moment, Wade banished his present state and long-ago surrendered fate of hunting dangerous men for cash. Looking through the window, the bounty hunter imagined the house was his own. No ... it was<i>theirs</i>. Built by both their hands out of mutual love and care. It'd be damn hard work, but he doubt Jo would mind or even complain. She'd make his meals and he'd warm her nights with a love that--<br/><br/><i>NO!</i>Wade caught himself suddenly. Exhaling forcefully, he found his chest compressed and his gut aflutter. A war tore inside of Wade then -- one predicated on a radical choice he knew was on the horizon. A dull panic gripped the man's chest at the thought of finding true happiness in the rancher's daughter. What if her disappointed her? Or worse, what if he<i>hurt </i>her? Gunning a bandit down came on instinct, but the thought of Jo's fierce blue eyes harboring even an ounce of pain rocked the hardened man to his core. Spending an inordinate amount of time alone must have been a sign that Wade wasn't meant for settling down. What would he do? Wade attempted to sober himself from the storm of euphoric emotions that he had let engulf him. The gunbelt buckled tight across his hips, and he moved to lock the down to the residence with an extra bit of force.<br/><br/><hr class="bbc-hr"/><hr class="bbc-hr"/><br/><div class="bbm_float fright" style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 10px">
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</div>The heat of the trail felt like a punishment, and bright glare from the sun made Wade lower the rim of his hat lower than usual that day. The terrain spread out wide into the distant horizon of rolling hills, which -- aside from the bunches of scrub grass -- offered an unobstructed view of their surroundings. Visual prospect, the ability to see far and wide, carried an illusion of safety in Wade's experience. Being able to see one's enemies certainly had an advantage, and the lack of obstacles eliminated possible opportunities for ambush. But, on the other hand, seeing assailants from afar did nothing when dangerous men rode mustangs and wielded long-rifles. More cover, in fact, would have eased the bounty hunter; the episode of meeting his desperate quarry the previous day served all the evidence he needed that less cover was less safe. Regardless, the odds of running into a band of highwaymen so close to town seemed slim. And unlike his encounter with the man in the white cavalry jacket where due caution was needed, Wade would not hesitate to cut down anyone who threatened Jo in a hail of bullets.<br/><br/>The distinct voice of Josephine broke Wade's murderous day-dream, and he struggled to apply some modicum of diplomacy to his answers.<i>"Say, when we get to town, what'll you be doing first? ... Armstead will have no answers, I'm sure of that. And the sheriff ... it's true he's dimwitted but hasn't been caught doin' anything wrong so far. So maybe he's more of a thinker than we give him credit for. Or he just gets his orders from someone that can control him perfectly like a puppet ... You think it be best to spy on him or confront him? He's a real coward, so spooking him into talking wouldn't be all that difficult. But if he'd know we were onto somethin', so would his boss get to know...</i>"<br/><br/>Although he adored her restless spirit, Wade could not face Hank having given Jo enough information to charge headlong into some ill-conceived plot. Still, he found himself respecting her time and time again, and when she looked toward him for answers, Wade obliged her.<br/><br/>"I've been hunting down men for over a decade. Reckon there are two ways to go about anything: discretion or go in gun's a-blazing. You always wanna try the first and avoid the last." Wade knew that Jo waited for a more nuanced answer, and he took a drink from his canteen and offered it to Jo before continuing. "Assumin' discretion can be done, the first step is learning the lay of the land. You need to find out as much as possible before long ... ideally before your presence is even know." Wade's form bounced as Dusty took lazy strides next to Rose, and he lost himself in thought. Jo's question held validity, since he always assumed that Lemmy knew what transpired in Olmstead. However, Hank had asked Wade to investigate himself -- that meant taking a look at the situation, problem, and characters with fresh eyes.<br/><br/>"My guess is that the sheriff has a hand in all this, somehow. Can't prove that yet, but that's what my gut tells me ... and my gut is rarely wrong." Wade cast a side glance at Jo, and he spied her red cheeks and radiant blue eyes. He cursed himself a goner -- Jo was without question the most attractive and beautiful woman Wade had ever seen. Casually, Wade shifted his gaze out toward the gathered buildings in the distance. "First thing is for me to ask some questions. I'll need you to stay with Armstead when we arrive ... the two of you get Lemmy and meet me in the saloon. Order yerself whatever you want to drink." That boyish smile inched up one side of his visage. "It's on me."