The morning after Drew's birthday party, Alley woke up with a serious hangover. A real bell-ringer. She glanced at her clock.

"Ten 'o clock?!" she asked herself in disbelief. "Have I honestly slept until ten in the morning?" She heaved a sigh. "Good thing I asked for today off. I'd be in real trouble otherwise." She proceeded to her bathroom, stopping on the way to pet her cat, Toadie. "You shoulda been there, cat." She told him as she scratched under his chin. "I know how much you like parties." Truth be known, the orange and white cat wasn't much of a party animal. Neither, Alley reflected as she showered off, was she. She had been on the verge of declining when Buck asked her to help out, but she realized how much it would mean to Drew that she be there, so she showed up.

And wonder of all wonders, she had a good time. Granted, she'd drank a few too many shots, but it was worth it. She hadn't had so much fun in a very long time. She'd even danced a few times.

The shower had helped some, but she still didn't feel like cooking anything for breakfast, so after doing a few menial chores in the house and in her barn, she climbed into the driver's seat of her gray Wrangler and headed for Four Corners and the Standish Grille.

"You're late." stated Dwayne as she entered the Grille. Seeings as how it was Sunday morning, most folks were at home cooking dinner or possibly at church.

"A very good morning to you to." said Alley. Dwayne chuckled.

"Headache?" he asked her. Alley grumbled a reply. Dwayne chuckled again and poured her a cup of smoking black coffee. "Try this."

"What is it?" she asked, sniffing at it suspiciously. It looked to be some ferociously strong stuff.

"Hangover tonic." he replied enigmatically. Alley took a sip and very nearly choked. She'd drank some strong coffee in her life but this stuff would kill a warthog.

"What's in this, rat poison?" she asked Dwayne when she could speak again.

Dwayne pretended to look wounded.

"Its just coffee." he replied mildly. Alley looked into her cup.

"Yeah, and the Grand Canyon is just a big crack and the Rio Grande is just a trickle." she said. "Got any sugar?"

"Miss 'I can drink a bull moose under the table' got a hangover this morning?" asked a voice from behind her. Alley looked around to see who dared to incur her wrath. It was JD Dunne. He smiled at her cheerfully as he perched himself on a barstool next to her.

"JD, this is not a good morning to be asking me about hiking trails in the park." she said grumpily.

"Actually, I came to ask you about some tracks I found at my place." he said. "I want to know if I need to be keeping an eye on my horses."

"Let me eat breakfast and I'll come and look." said Alley. She would say nothing more as she consumed her usual breakfast of bacon eggs and orange juice. JD fumed and fretted as she paid her tab and hopped off the bar stool.

"Let's be off then." Alley said, feeling much refreshed. She followed JD out the door. "Tell you what, you ride with me and I'll just bring you back when we get finished."

"Sounds good." said JD, climbing into the shotgun seat and fastening his seatbelt. Alley drove down the dusty two lane that was the town's main drag and out to the desert.

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