The town was quiet, almost sleepy with the rangers and Arthur gone.  Olivia was thankful for a moment of peace.  The classroom already orderly to her liking, she focused on developing her skills with the rifle and in the kitchen.  Mable continued to instruct her in recipes but graduated her to the next level of recipes, hollandaise sauce, stuffing, and even some desserts.  Daisy and Anna were very happy with her bread and pie crusts, enjoying the small turnovers she was perfecting.  Her students were also loving the sugar cookies she would bring, their behavior beyond exceptional, hoping to get more than one.  Rutherford was also benefiting from her expanding menu, his wardrobe becoming uncomfortably tight.  Unable to do anything but lounge in his cell, the meals were taking their toll.<br/><br/>Olivia’s marksmanship was also improving, her reload skills becoming faster.  She enjoyed her growing familiarity with the rifle and wondered if Jed would introduce another firearm when he saw her obvious improvement.  Securing the rifle in a safe spot, the girls dashed in obviously excited about something.  “They’re back!”  Anna declared, jumping in place.  Daisy expanded on her statement saying Jed, Billy, Mary Ann, and Arthur were on their way into town, leading a group of men tied up behind them.  Guessing the bandits had been apprehended, they all walked to the main street to join the other townsfolk in seeing the procession.<br/><br/>Everyone looked dusty, dirty, and very tired.  The bandits worse for wear, some with injuries, wearing expressions of defeat.  Arthur turned his horse towards the hotel.  He moved like an invalid, dismounting from his horse and slowly making his way into the hotel, with nary a look back.  Olivia and the girls made their way to the jail to watch as Jed and Billy hauled the bandits down from the horses and proceeded to usher them through the doors.  It was Anna, the typically quiet one who blurted out unexpectedly, “I think you might want to wash them first, Mr. Walker!”  Her nose wrinkled in obvious distaste.  “Your jail will be very stinky if you put them all together.”  Daisy’s fingers were holding her nose shut but she nodded in agreement.<br/><br/>Aside from the smell, Olivia was relieved to see Jed.  “When you’re rested and perhaps settled (her way of saying, perhaps<i>cleaner</i>) we’d like to invite you and Billy, and Mary Ann to dinner.”  It would be unseemly to invite him, a single man to into their home, even though they were courting and two children would be in attendance.”  Her nieces chimed in, saying their dinners were getting very good.  “She can bake bread and pie now!”  Daisy added, wanting to impress the adults.  Olivia smiled sheepishly, “If you’d like bread or a pie with dinner, that is.”