Justin was in the saloon. It was Friday night, and usually on Friday nights it was busy, but tonight it wasn’t that busy. That suited Justin just fine. He was trying to drown his thoughts in mugs of beer. He wanted to drink himself into a stupor, so his brain waves would cease then maybe he could finally sleep like a log because since their arrival he hadn’t had a peaceful sleep. His brain kept him awake at night with its favorite game of Tug of War.

He hadn’t been in a saloon for almost a year, but he just couldn’t help himself, not tonight. His work had begun to suffer because of the knowledge he was keeping to himself. He just couldn’t decide if he should tell her or not. He hated knowing something about somebody that somebody else should know but doesn’t. But that gal was so vehemently that her pa had died at sea and that he was such a great captain that he was afraid of busting her bubble. For all he knew her pa could be a captain of a ship, but he wasn’t dead at least not when he talked with Mr. Hagan several months ago.

He was very indecisive. He could tell her, but what if her grandpa came back and her pa was dead. If he got her hopes up that her pa was alive, and then she found out all over again that he was dead it might hurt her terribly. He didn’t want to hurt such a pretty gal. But then again was it right of him not to tell her what he knew. Either way it was damn if he did or damn if he doesn’t.