“Please just quit. Don’t go back to the trail, please,” she said earnestly. Her tender gray eyes moved his heart halfway to heaven and back.

“I have to. But I promise, that this is the last time I’ll go. After this I’m quittin’ and I’ll come back here to live,” he resolved.

“You promise?” She asked. Her eyes were glassy and her voice pleading.

“I promise.”

“You have to seal it somehow. That way I know you’ll make good on it,” she said, her eyes lightened up and her mouth drew into an innocent smile.

“Well what do you reckon I do?” he asked her, with a small grin.

“Well, don’t most folks usually do handshakes or somethin’ like that?”

“I’ve got a better way,” he half whispered, staring down into her eyes. In one constant motion, he reached down and slipped his hand behind her head. He bent down and lightly and quickly kissed her. Her eyes were bright and her cheeks flushed a rosy pink.

“Now you make good on your promise. That’s a permanent seal,” she softly said. She smiled, but behind that he could see the hurt. She didn’t want him to leave again. He didn’t want to either; well, at least this time he didn’t. Other times he had liked going out on the wild trail, no matter how many times he had come close to death. But this time he felt a heaviness. This would be his last time anyway. But, what this time he didn’t make it back?