glasses, then shut the drawer.

“Would you like a drink Steele?”

Steele nodded and the Baron poured the amber liquid into the two glasses, setting one of them in front of Steele.

“Now, as to why you are here.” The Baron said. “I’m concerned with the boy my daughter, Jenna has been hanging around lately. I think I have the situation under control, but I think it’s time she experienced what a real man is like, if you get my drift?”

Steele smiled and sipped his drink.

“What did you have in mind?”

Later that evening Jenna was closing out the register and preparing to go home. She was removing the bills from the cash drawer when the door opened and someone stepped into the darkened store.

“We’re closed.” Jenna said, not stopping her work.

“Jenna?” A familiar voice said.

Jenna sighed.

“Sheriff we’re closed. You’ll have to come back tomorrow.”

Steele walked up behind her and put his paw over her mouth.

“Steele, what are you…”

Steele cut her off by pulling her head close to his chest.

“You know Jenna...” He said, his other arm wrapping around her stomach. “…you’ve grown into a beautiful young woman.”

Jenna could smell a very strong stench of alcohol on the Sheriff’s breath. Her eyes swelled with fright as his hand crept upward.

She thought of the gun stowed safely under the counter.

“If only I had it on me.” Jenna thought. “Oh well, you’ve handled yourself before you knew how to shoot Jenna, just do it again.”

As Steele’s touch got too high for her comfort, she bit his hand.

Steele yelled and spun her around. Then he backhanded her across the face, throwing her to the floor.

Jenna’s eyes were starting to water from the stinging slap.

“You little whore!” Steele said. “What are you some kind of animal? You bit me!”

Jenna summoned some of her courage and sat up.

“My father will have your head for this Steele.”

Steele smiled and knelt next to her, grabbed her scarlet hair with one hand and resumed his unwanted efforts with the other, as before.

“No he won’t Jenna.” He said, unfastning the buttons that held closed the top of her dress. “See, I’ve got his permission, and that’s the only one that truly matters.”

He pulled Jenna’s hair harder, lifting her hands off the floor.

Jenna’s eyes filled with tears as she realized what he said was true.

Chapter 4:

Balto had come into town early the following morning. He’d went to the bar and milled around town, trying to forget Jenna, as that relationship obviously wasn’t going anywhere, but he’d found forgetting Jenna to be almost impossible.

Balto had had relationships go sour before and he’d never had trouble forgetting the girl and moving on. He was a good looking dog after all, but Jenna was different somehow.

Perhaps it was for this reason that Balto’s wandering had brought him to his current position, standing outside the small meat shop.

Balto walked up the short flight of steps to the porch, and put his hand on the door, but stopped, putting his other hand casually on the familiar butt of his pistol.

“I don’t want to kill her.” Balto thought. “…but I’m not going to just let her shoot me either.”

He tensed up a bit, feeling the familiar rush of blood to his head, as he didn’t really know what reaction to expect from her.

Then he opened the door.

The tense feeling left his body as he saw Jenna.

She was leaning heavily on the counter, sobbing, and didn’t even notice his entrance.

“Jenna?” He said, walking toward her.

She sniffled and raised her head.

Balto could tell that something was dreadfully wrong. Her normally well brushed and shining coat was all askew and dull. A trail of dirt on her cheeks told him that she had been crying for some time.

“Balto?” She asked, then collapsed into tears again.

She started to slide off the counter, and Balto was afraid she was going to fall.

He rushed forward and caught her as her arms slid off the damp counter.

She buried her head in his shoulders and sagged into his arms.

Balto was extremely worried and confused all at the same time.

“This is quite a change in attitude toward me from yesterday.” He thought.

He walked Jenna over to a chair near the west wall of the room, and sat her in it, taking the seat opposite her, and scooting it up close to her.

He took her hands in his.

“What’s wrong Jenna? What happened?”

“Ste… Steele came… came here last night.” Jenna said, her words broken by her sobs.

“Steele?” Balto asked. “The Sheriff? What does he have to do with anything?”

“He… He came here last night… as… as I was closing up… he took something from me… something personal.” She responded.

“What did he take from you?” Balto asked. “I’ll get it back.”

He thought for a moment.

“Was it my pistol?” Balto asked.

“This is a pretty strong reaction for the theft of a gun.” Balto thought. “…but then I’ve seen girls overreact before.”

“…don’t worry about it.” Balto said. “I can get another one.”

Jenna tried to respond, but was unable for a few moments.

“No Balto… he took… he took… me.”

“What?” Balto asked, clearly not understanding.

Then he thought about what she had said. “Oh!”

He looked at Jenna with a newfound sense of pity and…

“...love?” Balto thought.

He gently pulled Jenna out of her chair and into his lap.

She laid her head against his chest, and Balto’s shirt was soon wet with her tears.

“I’m sorry Jenna.”

The pity he felt for Jenna was suddenly replaced by hot anger, anger at the monster who had done such a thing to such a gentle and beautiful creature.

“Don’t worry Jenna.” He said. “Shh, don’t cry anymore, I’ll take care of him.”

Jenna sniffled and looked up at him.

“What are you going to do Balto?” She asked.

Balto eased her head back against his chest and began tenderly stroking her hair, amazed at how soft it was.

“Don’t you worry about that dear.” Balto said. “Just know that the situation will be taken care of.”

Jenna’s sobs slowed, and then stopped. She wrapped her arms around Balto.

“Hold me.” She said.

Balto placed his other hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t worry Jenna.” Balto said. “I’m here now. No one is going to hurt you anymore.”

Jenna’s breathing slowed and soon Balto realized she’d fallen asleep.

Balto’s mind was buzzing with anger as he strode quickly up to the small bar near the center of town.

He walked up the steps and peered through the single window in the front of the building.

He saw Steele and a few of his deputies sitting at a table near the center of the room.

Balto walked through the swinging gates that marked the entrance to the bar and leaned against the wall, tipping his hat so that the brim of it covered his face.

Steele’s gun lay on the table he was sitting at.

Laughter erupted from the table as Steele finished speaking and Balto picked up the end of one of his deputy’s responses.

“…so you were the first for her, huh?”

Steele smiled.

“…guess so.”

“Pity it had to be like that.” Another chimed in.

“It could have been more enjoyable for her...” Steele said. “…if she would have cooperated. She made it hard on herself. Hey it don’t matter though, I got mine right?”

The men erupted in laughter again and Balto had to fight down his anger to keep him from drawing right there and attempting to smoke all seven of them. An act he knew would spell his doom.

One of the dogs stood and downed the rest of his beer, slapping the glass back to the table.

“Well Steele, we’d better get going.”

Steele smiled.

“Heaven knows the streets of Sawyer’s Falls aren’t safe without you out there.”

The dogs all laughed again and stood, following the other out the door, walking right past Balto.

Balto waited until all of them had exited, leaving Steele alone in the small bar. Then he tipped his hat back up and walked to the front of the room.

“Hey Steele!” Balto yelled.

The black and white dog looked up and saw Balto.

“What are you doing here boy?” Steele asked. “Get your scrawny tail out of here before I have you strung up.”

Steele turned back to his beer.

“I got a bone to pick with you!” Balto yelled.

Steele laughed and stood up, facing Balto. “Look son, you see this?” He pointed to the silver star on his chest. “Your