Adam quietly opened the door of the bedroom, but when he saw Shiloh sitting up in bed, he paused for a moment, then came in and closed the door. He removed his jacket, and sitting on the side of the bed, he pulled his boots off followed by his tie. “Shiloh, why are you wearing a flannel nightgown?”

“Because I got cold sitting up waiting for you.”

“Why didn’t you just lie down and cover up?”

“I didn’t want to fall asleep. I want to talk to you.”

He unbuttoned his shirt and stood, pulling it off his shoulders, and laying it across the back of a chair. Letting his trousers fall to the floor, he stepped out of them, and tossed them up to his hand with a foot, laying them with his shirt. “What do you want to talk about?”

“What you saw this afternoon.”

“I thought we agreed we wouldn’t discuss that today.”

“No, you asked if we could talk about it tomorrow. I didn’t answer you.”

Blowing out the lamp, Adam slipped his long drawers off and slid under the sheet and blanket. “Well, now that I’m here are you going to remove that nightgown?”

“That depends.”

He sat back up. “On what?” he asked, mildly annoyed.

“Never mind,” she said as she slid under the covers and rolled onto her side away from him. “I have a headache. I’m sure it’s the pulque. Good night.” They had lain there for a few minutes when Shiloh mumbled, “You shouldn’t keep things from me.”

***

Adam had gotten into the habit of reaching over for Shiloh in the morning, but when he reached for her this morning he found her flannel nightgown…empty. He shaved and dressed and walked into the dining room where Jim was going over performance contracts with her.

“I think this one is what I need, Jim, with those few changes. I’ll want a suite where the bedroom is separate and meals for me and my escort. Then for the rates, leave blanks for time and rate for rehearsal, instruction and performance. I want one half of the total fee upon my booking and the second half upon completion.”

“I’ll make these changes and send you enough copies for this year,” said Jim. Turning to Adam, he said, “Good morning. We waited breakfast for you.”

Smiling, Adam walked around the table to Shiloh, bending to kiss her. She turned her cheek to him, but he took her chin and turned her head back to kiss her lips.

“Good morning, Jim. Performance contracts?”

“Yes. I think Shiloh and I have settled on one.”

“Jim, would you mind if I went for a ride this morning?” asked Shiloh.

“No, not at all. I have some ranch business to attend to, but I think you know the property well enough. There should be no surprises. I’ll have someone saddle your horse for you after breakfast.”

“You’re not going alone,” said Adam.

Shiloh sipped her coffee. “Of course not,” she said flatly. She knew she wouldn’t be able to go without him, and even though he would be riding along, that didn’t mean that he would be riding right with her. She just needed to figure out how she was going to go after her shadow if she saw him without Adam trying to stop her. He wouldn’t let her get too far away, and there weren’t many opportunities to slip away. The whole area was wide open with very few trees for cover.

Once breakfast was done and they had said their goodbyes to Jim, Adam walked with Shiloh to the stable where the wrangler had just begun to saddle the horses. He saddled the Arabian first, then went back for Adam’s horse. She mounted and walked the horse out of the stable, looking back to see where Adam was. She didn’t find him, but when she turned around, he was standing in front of her holding the bridle. “What’s the matter, Adam? You don’t trust me?”

“Not today.”

The wrangler walked Adam’s horse out, he mounted, and the two rode away from the ranch house. “Yesterday is gone. Are you going to tell me what or who you saw yesterday?” she asked curtly.

“I don’t need to tell you. You know who I saw.”

“Adam, this man who’s following me; he’s not out to hurt me. What is it you think you’re protecting me from?”

“I’m protecting you from whatever it was that happened to you at the Cliff House. I don’t think you realize how long it took to bring you out of that.”

Stopping, she looked out over the fields toward the ocean, then turned in her saddle and looked behind them at the hills. She turned her horse toward the corn field. Adam followed, looking around them as well. He knew she was looking for her shadow, but also knew that the man wouldn’t let her get near him if he was with her. “Shiloh, if you try to get to him, he’ll ride away, especially with both of us here. And don’t even think about trying to lose me. You won’t.”

When she rode into the corn field, Adam was close behind her. Then she turned quickly and rode off at a trot. She new Adam would still be behind her, though he would be a little further away from her. She turned again, sending the horse down several rows and turning again, weaving an intricate pattern through the corn. She had ducked down on the horse so that Adam couldn’t easily see her. He’d have to stop to see where the corn was moving to know where she was. She stopped and looked around her, and not seeing or hearing any movement, she dismounted and ran between the rows until she was at the other end of the corn field where there was a stand of eucalyptus trees. She knew from their prior ride that there was a creek on the other side of those trees; a creek that had dug deep into the soft earth creating a ditch she could run through slightly crouched without being seen above the rim. She would follow the creek up to the base of the hills, then round one and make her way to the top. There she would be able to spot Adam. She would also be able to see her shadow if he was anywhere below her.

***

There is no danger for her here. The danger is in San Francisco. Breaking camp, he tied his bed roll to his horse and headed back to San Francisco to watch the man who was a danger to her.

He won’t be in his office today. It’s Sunday. He rode straight to the house the man from Boston shared with the other woman he abused. It was late afternoon by the time he arrived, and he found a place just across the street to wait and watch. The woman came to the window and looked out, but didn’t appear to be looking at anything in particular. This was the same woman Shiloh had fought in the streets of Virginia City. Smiling to himself, he knew she would never be a physical match for Shiloh. Shiloh had been raised around boys and learned how to defend herself against them. But women had other ways of dealing with each other, sometimes more devious than any man could be. He wasn’t worried about her by herself. She was usually where he was, except that one time when she was sent ahead of him to see where things stood. Regardless of what he wanted her to do she had her own grudge to satisfy. Shiloh can handle her. She can’t handle him.

The man from Boston appeared behind the woman he abused, caressing her shoulders and leaning in to her neck. She shrugged him away, and when she did, he spun her around. Words were exchanged; harsh, unkind words by the look on his face. She tried to walk away, but he took her by the arm and pulled her away from the window. In a few minutes, an upstairs light turned up, and in the silhouette of the curtain, she struggled against him until he pushed her backwards. He removed his jacket and turned down the lamp, and in the dim light, he went down as well.

They were in for the night. No one would emerge from the house until the next morning. He left to find a place to sleep for a few hours, planning to be back early before he left the house for his office.

***

Adam found her horse just by listening to the loud crunch of corn. Apparently, the horse had found a young ear just waiting to be munched. He stood looking at the ground with his lips pursed, aggravated more at himself than with her because he’d let her get away from him. Her small footprints made her easy to track, and soon he was standing at the edge of the creek where the footprints disappeared into the shallow water. Looking both ways, he knew she wouldn’t have gone right. That would have taken her toward the cliff where there was nowhere else to go. He turned the horses east, and slowly made his way up into the hills, following the creek. He saw her off in the distance, sitting on the ground with her knees up in front of her, looking out over the small valley below her. Occasionally, she’d lay her head on her knees, and then look back up, searching. He left her alone, satisfied to sit and wait until he thought she was ready to stop looking for her shadow. Maybe then she’d feel like telling him what she hadn’t been able to at the Cliff House.

***

Stepping out the front door on a brisk, sunny morning, Will Stewart made his way down the sidewalk toward the small restaurant at the end of his street where he had become a regular morning customer on weekdays. When the woman who owned the establishment saw him coming, she prepared what he ordered every morning; coffee with cream and sugar along with a fresh hot muffin.

“Thank you, Alice,” Will said, smiling and handing her a gold dollar. She no longer asked if he wanted change. He always told her to keep it. She handed him the newspaper, and he went to the table by the window where he always sat to read the paper in the natural light.

Another man came into the restaurant; a stranger Alice had never seen before. “Can I help you, sir?”

“Just a cup of coffee, please. Black.” He handed her two bits and took his coffee to a table opposite the one occupied by the window. “Excuse me for interrupting your morning, but aren’t you the new city attorney?”

As Will responded, the stranger stood up, walking to the table. “Yes, I am.”

Holding out his hand, he introduced himself. “I’m Daniel Slater. It’s nice to meet you.”

Shaking his hand, Will asked, “You wouldn’t happen to be one of the Slaters with Slater, Cartwright and Slater, would you?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I am. I’m not working on the courthouse project, but I’m sure there are other…projects…that we’ll be able to work on together. Unfortunately, I’m afraid I must be going. I have an early appointment. Just needed my morning cup of coffee. It was nice meeting you…Mr. Stewart, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is. Nice meeting you as well, Mr. Slater.” Will watched as Daniel left and strode down the sidewalk.

***

Shiloh didn’t flinch when she heard movement behind her. She knew it would have only been a matter of time before Adam had tracked her down.

He ground tied the horses, then sat down next to her. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

“He’s not here anymore.”

He looked at the side of her face as she still searched out ahead of her. She was no longer looking over the landscape. She was searching for something else. He reached out, stroking her cheek with the back of his fingers. “Tell me what you saw at the Cliff House.”

She snorted. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. In fact, you’ll probably think I’ve gone mad.”

“I won’t. You have my word.”

“I didn’t know at first. I hadn’t been able to see his face before. But even with the beard and the mustache…this time he smiled at me…and his eyes…they were just like mine.” Adam watched her as she continued to look out toward the ocean. He watched as a clear drop slowly made its way down her cheek almost to her mouth before she wiped it away. “Micah,” she whispered. “I saw Micah.”

Moving closer to her side, Adam put his arm around her and pulled her into him. “Sweetheart, you saw someone who looked remarkably like Micah. I know it’s easy to believe that it could be since he doesn’t seem to want to hurt you, but…” He turned her face to his. “I was there when your brother died. Your father was with him when he died. Paul Martin is the one who pronounced him dead. Pa and your father went together to pick up the body from the undertaker. There is no doubt in my mind, Shiloh. This can’t be Micah.”

“Don’t you think I would know my own brother?” She pushed away from him, got up, and walked back to her horse. “I saw Micah,” she said adamantly, “and there’s nothing you can do other than to stand that man in front of me that will convince me otherwise.” She pulled herself up on her horse. “It was Micah,” she said as she turned her horse down the hill toward the ranch.

Adam sat for a moment with his head pitched back and his eyes closed, letting the warmth of the sun soak into him. If that was the only thing that would convince her, that’s what he’d have to do; find him and stand him in front of her. He got up and followed her back to the ranch.