July 30, 1869

Amiville.

The next morning I went to the saloon and talked with Rosa and Lali. They were preparing for Rosa and Drake’s wedding and I tried to dance and forget about the horrible night’s sleep. I told them that my grandfather had passed away three years ago and that my grandmother didn’t even know who we were anymore. I told them about the house that had been in the family for generations and how there were so many memories. I told them about this dream that I had where we were back in the house and I was about four or five. I was in the kitchen and there was this dog sitting there. The weird part was that my grandparents had never had a dog. In the dream, my grandmother had made a cake, just like she always did. I sighed, knowing that I just missed them. 

Rosa and Lali continued to talk about the wedding as if my dream didn’t really matter. I listened as they talked about dresses and other plans for the wedding. I started serving drinks to people as they came in and out of the saloon. From outside I heard gunshots and I chuckled, hearing Drake send off pre-wedding shooting party. We went to the wedding but Rosa never made it and then Drake announced that the wedding had been proposed. 

Later that afternoon, Bill was sitting at a table sleeping. Sayler said, “He’s probably going to kill me when he wakes up.” 

“Why on earth would he do that?” I asked him. 

“I been hiding from him for a while. Got tired of hiding.” 

I took a seat at the table and waited for Bill to wake up. Eventually he opened his left eye and looked under his hat at me. “Whad da hells you wants girl?” 

“Am so sorry to wake you, Sir... I was wondering if I could just have a bit of your time...” I hesitated. 

Bill looked over and saw Sayler and grinned. “Boy ya gots some nerve sittin’ at me table.” I looked from Bill to Sayler, wondering what I had missed. He snarled at me as he forced himself to sit up. 

“I know that, Bill. But I know I done ya wrong, thought we could bury the hatchet.” 

“Sir, it’s about the stand-off that happened the other day in front of the sheriff’s office,” I started. “I just want to know what happened. I came in halfway through and... am afraid I don’t know much more than the ending.” I looked over at Sayler and said, “I know the ending of a story instead of a beginning. Ironic, no?” 

Bill grinned at him and in a laughing voice said, “Boy it ain’ts me ya gots ta worry about. It Raven. She goin’ ta gut you like a pig.” 

“Bill, Sir Bill...” I tried to get his attention. He looked at me and seemed to be thinking about something so I said, “I just want to give a fair portrayal of what happened... show both sides of the story. I don’t want to print nothin’ that’s false... and I don’t want to seem biased either. If I don’t get this from you, I’ll hunt down Buu... as much as the thought of that pains me...” 

“Pains ya,” he looked at me. “I’ll show you what will pains ya,” he said and made a rude gesture with his hand on his groin. I swallowed, nervous, and looked over at Sayler feeling comforted that he was there with me. 

“Now you wants ta knows what started that mess do yeah?” 

“I would, yes...” 

“Or the ends of it?” 

“Well... I know how it ended... Buu went and shot up Kale and he came to the clinic.” 

People came into the saloon and after some time Bill finally explained, “Ok, how it st arted wells umm... It was abouts Buu goin to courts... Wes didn’t want ta see him goin’ ta jail. Then people started gatherin’ around us... Lawmen and townfolk.” 

“Buu was goin’ to courts for shootin’ up a few days earlier at the law?” I started to put the pieces together. “That all connected?” 

“And tensions started goin’ up and all,” Bill continued. “Then that thar feller Kyles was wanten ta be a heros... and was askin’ me stupids questions.” 

“Right, I’m with ya, Bill... ‘Cept was that the reason Buu was goin’ to court? ‘Cause of the thing with Miss Aurora?” 

“Thats I don’t knows.” 

“Hmm Guess I’ll have to find Buu after all huh?” I sighed. 

“I was just waitin’ fer a fight... and being challenged to a duel well hell, that ain’t much of a challenge, ya knows?” He looked at me and said, “But why didn’t ya write about when I stood up against seven and walk away... with them all in the clinics.” 

“‘Cause this is the first I’m hearin’ about it, Bill. When was this?” 

“Oh last weeks I am guessin’. Five lawmen and three town wanna be heroes. Sorry, two wanna be heros. Wells it’s like this... Ya see they’s had Buu locked up and well the deputy from Georgetown came heres and I walked into a middle of a fights... he was fightin’ Tessa ya see... And I am thinkin’s she went down some how’s, not shore. I kinda nodded off.” 

“Okay...” I prompted for him to continue. 

“That thar lawmen Peep took out Stacie for me...” 

“You?” 

“Any ways i was tryin to git into the sheriff office cause buu and tess were in thar and stacie snuck around and she winged me with a shot so it was on. I had stacie to the point one shot would put her down and miss peeps saved me that troubles.. I laugh and then took miss peep thar out. Wells they kept comin a kept droppin them the the rest ran away. The ends.” 

“Alright well I should go home,” I stood. “Thank ya for this, Bill. I appreciate it greatly.” Looking over at Ashlyn I asked her, “Ashlyn... Would you like to come over for a bit? I've got the place fully furnished finally!” 

“Would love to!” 

We walked out of the saloon together and spent the evening talking about boys, the paper, and life in the west.