“Mal, you wanna ...” Jayne turned in the saddle to glance at his captain.

“You want me to stay outside?”

“For a while. It’s been a long gorram time since I saw Mallory, and if she’s on her own out here ...” The big man’s voice died away.

“It’s okay. I understand.” Mal dismounted, tying his horse to the fencepost. “Shout if you want me.”

Jayne almost smiled. “Yeah.” Urging his horse towards the small farmhouse, he kept his hands well away from the weapons at his waist.

The woman had taken a step back, her hands clasped in front of her now, what looked like a tea towel pressed against her breasts. Then her expression changed. Her mouth opened, closed, then she finally managed to get out, “Jayne?”

He nodded, swinging his leg over the horse’s head and dropping to the ground. “Hey, Mallory.”

“It’s been a long time.”

“Could say that,” Jayne said, chuckling a little as he studied her.

She was pretty much as he remembered, although her long blonde hair was fixed up in a messy bun, a mass of loose curls around her ears. As he stepped forward, though, he could see fine lines at the corner of her eyes, and her figure was sleeker, less buxom than before. Still, it had been years, more’n a decade since they’d last spoken, and he was sure he’d changed too.

“What the diyu are you doing here?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.

“Aw, come on. You know why.”

“He wouldn’t want you here.”

“Yeah, well, that ain't up to him. Not no more.”

“And you’re still an idiot.”

He shrugged, a wry smile gracing his strong features. “Maybe I ain’t changed as much as I thought.” He looked past her into the dark rectangle of the doorway. “So ... you gonna make me stand out here? Or are you gonna be hospitable?”

“I don’t think we’ve got anything to say to each other, do you?”

“You might not. But I got a few questions.”

She glared at him, but he could see the moment she gave in. “Fine. I guess I could make you some coffee.” She looked past him, towards Mal. “Your friend wa