Sam listened to her and grinned broadly.  He shook his head and looked up at the ceiling and mouthed a ‘thank you’ to whomever was up there.  He stood when she was done speaking and took off his britches and tossed them into the room.  He gingerly stepped into the tub and worked his way through the hot water until he was close enough to kiss her, which he did very softly.  Sam cupped her face in his hands and kissed her again.<br/><br/>“Darlin’ I’ve been waiting all my natural life for this fate . . . and you.”<br/><br/>He leaned against the side of the tub and looked into her face.  The cool ceramic rim that he was leaning on was in dramatic contrast to the warmth of the water the rest of him was sitting in and it caused his flesh to break out in huge goose bumps which made him shiver.<br/><br/>“I don’t want to do anything to take away your independence, though I suspect we’ll both have to bend a little bit since we’re married and all.  Darlin’ I’m not sure yet how you think I’m about diminishing your independence.  The thing about my money should something happen is only intended to allow you to have some resources if I’m gone to stay as independent as you choose to be . . . to have a home for instance . . . ”<br/><br/>He shook his head and grinned.<br/><br/>“Sweetheart except for the stuff about you and Tim . . . what you said could have easily been about me.  I’ve never been a boss Darlin’ . . . only been a independent free agent . . . that sound at all familiar?  I’ve had no family since I was sixteen . . . and I’ve never been married . . . never been in love before now . . . never had anyone . . . no woman  . . .  to care about or who cared about me . . . until now. So here’s the deal . . . I get that you’re running our present situation back up against your past and trying to sort it out . . . and I get why . . . now that you’ve told me.  I get things usually pretty well when I’m told directly and not left to my own to try and conjure it out.  I’m here for the duration Darlin’ and god bless him, I ain’t Tim or Tim’s ghost and I’ll do my level best to help you chase that notion away.  If you want me out of your life you’ll have to work hard at it and probably say it directly to me more than a few times before I’ll accept it.”<br/><br/>He leaned forward and stroked her cheek with the backs of his curled fingers.<br/><br/>“I’m hopelessly in love with you Irene Markham . . . and all I want to do is have you happy and feeling well loved.  So every now and then when I want to take care of you that’s all it’s about.  I’m not interested in taking anything from you.  So be mindful of that for me too huh? Darlin’?...as to your murdering thugs I do knowhow to find them and I know how to bring them to justice . . . it’s actually my job and sworn duty . . . and I’m good at it too.  Much like you and your tray of drinks . . . so please let me work on it . . . I promise I won’t shut you out of it.”<br/><br/>Sam waited a beat and then motioned with his arm behind him with his thumb pointed in the general vicinity of the rack with his holster hung on it and his rifle leaning against the corner in its sheath.<br/><br/>“Those are my tools Irene and without any boasting or prideful exaggeration about myself . . . I’d dare say that I’m better with my tools than anyone in the territory . . . certainly in this town or out at that fort . . . but I ain’t stupid nor reckless either.  So let me use them and our combined talents to sort out who is behind it all and get the whole bunch to justice for you and for Tim.”<br/><br/>He grinned as he admired the way the soap bubbles had collected in peaks on the tips of her breasts.<br/><br/>“Can I give you a thorough cleansing?  And would you consider reciprocating?  I do love tending to your lovely body Misses Markham and how you tend to mine.”<br/>