Chapter 1

Marshall Sam Cain threw the pencil that he was holding across the old pine desk. ‘Who am I trying to kid,’ he asked himself as he leaned back in his chair. Pulling his dusty boot clad feet to rest on the desktop, he knitted his fingers together behind his head. He leaned back into the chair as he contemplated what he should do next.

He had been trying all week to catch up on some of the paper work that his position generated. But his mind could no longer rest on work any more than a child could sit still through church. He was restless and his worry continued to grow with each passing hour that his deputy did not return.

Dropping his feet to the floor, he turned his chair around to face the empty cell. He knew he should have take the prisoner to St. Joseph himself. It wasn’t that he thought Barnett wasn’t responsible enough to handle the simple transport, he just felt responsible for the young man. “If anything happens.....” he said to himself as he stared at the empty cell, his hands resting on either side of the armrests.

“If anything happens to what?”

Sam turned quickly to see his dust covered deputy come strolling through the door. “Where the hell have you been?” Sam asked as he jumped up from his chair. Barnett stopped in front of the water bucket, drawing up the ladle. A puzzled expression covered the deputy’s face.

“I took Jamison to St. Joseph. Just like you told me. Why? Did somethin’ happen?” He sipped from the ladle, voicing a sigh of relief from the cool clean water. Taking another longer sip, he put the ladle back in the bucket and turned his full attention to Sam. “You knew I’s goin’.”

Sam stood with his hands resting on his gun belt. Shaking his head, he smiled at Barnett. “Sorry. You took so long. I thought Jamison might have gotten away.” He turned back to his desk, running his fingers through the loose light brown hair. Sighing, he turned back to Barnett. “I guess I’m just restless. Something’s coming. I can feel it. I just don’t know what it is.”

Barnett’s eyes widened with anticipation. “What do ya think it is?”

Sam shook his head. “Don’t know. But I feel it.” He looked past his deputy out into the bright afternoon. He watched as a man and woman passed by the small jail office. “Hey, you want to go get a drink?” he asked, turning his attention back to Barnett.

A smile appeared on the deputy’s dirt streaked face. He looked tired. Taking off his hat, he ran a hand across his matted hair. “Yeah, you bet. I just need to get cleaned up first. You go on over and I’ll meet ya there.”

Sam smiled, thrilled at the idea of getting out of the too quiet office. He needed some conversation. He needed some people. ‘And a drink sure couldn’t hurt,’ he thought to himself. “Sounds good. Meet you over there,” Sam said as he pulled his hat off the wall hook. Placing it firmly on his head, he headed out the door into the warm Spring afternoon.

He inhaled deeply on the clean air. The jail was beginning to get a musty smell to it. He knew sooner or later, he was gonna have to take a day and scrub it clean. He hated when it got like that. But today wasn’t the day. He couldn’t stand the thought of being cooped up in that office for another minute.

“Afternoon ma’am,” he said as Miss Sadie, the dress shop owner passed by him. Tipping his hat, he smiled as the lovely young shop owner batted her long lashes.

“Afternoon Marshall,” she said as she continued on by. Sam looked at her quickly over his shoulder. She was quite an attractive woman. ‘Better not let Emma see you staring like that,’ he said to himself as he turned back around. Smiling, he shook his head. Even when she wasn’t with him, she was.

“Cody, will you give me back that letter!” Lou shouted as she ran after the rowdy rider. “That’s mine.”

“It’s a love letter, ain’t it? Oh Kid, you’re so handsome. Oh Kid, you’re so special. Oh Kid......” Cody said, mocking a young woman’s voice. Lou stood before the flamboyant man, her hands on her hips. A stern look was stamped on her pretty face. Squinting her eyes, she pushed up her glasses with her index finger.

“I mean it Cody. Don’t make me kill you.” As the words came out of her mouth, she tried to keep her straight face, but couldn’t. She, Cody and Buck laughed playfully at her stern vengeance.

Cody leaned forward, his hands covering his stomach and laughed as if it were the funniest thing he had ever heard. Lou took that opportunity to snatch the letter that he held loosely in his right hand.

“Hey,” he said as she took off at a run. Cody looked at Buck and they both smiled. They looked back at Lou and took off after the spry rider. Cody’s interest was piqued. He had to read it; he had to know what was said in the letter that had gotten Lou so riled up. The three ran towards the main street of Sweetwater. They had come into town to pick up a few supplies for Emma and had been playing around along the way.

As Lou turned the corner, she came to a screeching halt. Cody and Buck piling into her as she stood with her arms out. “Lou, what the heck are ya....”

“SSSSHHHHHHH” she said, her focus staring straight ahead of them. Buck looked up, smiling at the fun of such a carefree day when he saw what had halted Lou in her tracks. Sam stood on the boardwalk with a young woman in his arms.

“I wonder who that is?” Lou asked, pushing her glasses back up her nose. The three stood staring, frozen to their spots as Sam hugged the young woman tightly to his chest. As the young woman pulled back from Sam, he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

“Emma’s not going to like this,” Buck said, knowing how smitten their house mother was with the handsome Marshall. He looked, with wide eyes, from the scene before him to Cody who was suddenly very quiet as well.

“We can’t tell her, can we? What if it’s something else,” Lou said, her eyes fixed on Cody. “It could really hurt her.” Lou’s eyes were filled with conflict. On one hand, she knew that if Sam were seeing someone else, Emma had every right to know. But on the other hand, she felt that maybe it wasn’t their business to get into.

Cody shook his head, looking back at the other two riders. “No, she ain’t gonna like this. But I don’t think we should tell her. Not yet. Ain’t Sam supposed to come over for dinner tomorrow?” he asked, a plan forming in his mind.

“Yeah, I think so,” Lou said, looking at Buck who shook his head yes also. She pushed at her glasses with her index finger. “Why?”

Looking at the ground in front of him, Cody scuffed his feet. He never thought he would be having to keep anything from Emma. She was one of the only people in his life that he had ever been able to be one hundred percent honest with. “Well, we will wait until tomorrow and keep a watch on him. If he acts fine when he comes over for dinner, I think it best if we speak to him about it first.”

“Ain’t she just a bit too young for him anyways,” Lou said gruffly, folding her arms across her chest. Her brow furrowed as she considered the man that she had come to think of as a good friend. She never imagined he would do anything to hurt Emma.

All three of them watched closely as the Marshall stood talking and laughing with the young beauty. He slid his arm around her small waist and guided her to the hotel. Placing his hand on her back, he led her inside, looking around the streets of Sweetwater quickly before disappearing into the hotel’s lobby.

Lou held a hand to her face, covering her gaping mouth. She turned to see the same look of shock and dismay on Buck and Cody’s faces. Shaking her head, she started back toward her horse. It was going to be dark soon and she wanted to get back to the station. Thoughts of Emma weighed heavily on her mind. ‘Poor Emma,’ she thought as she stuffed her hands into her pockets. ‘She never saw it coming.’

“Marshall! Marshall!”

Sam walking casually toward the saloon. He had been so deep in his thoughts of finding a decent card game that he didn’t hear the young woman at first.

“Marshall Cain!”

He stopped abruptly, turning to see who was calling his name. There was an attractive young woman walking toward him, a brilliant smile on her youthful face. Sam smiled. ‘I certainly don’t remember seeing her around here.’ As the young woman got closer, something very familiar began to creep into the unsuspecting lawman.

“Bo, is that any way to treat a guest?” the young woman said, her hands coming to rest on her defined waist.

‘Bo?’ he thought to himself, a strange sense of knowing falling over him. ‘No one has called me Bo in......’ Then it struck him like lightning from the clear blue sky.

“Hannah?” he asked, his eyes wide with surprise. “Hannah Cain, is that you?”

The young woman squealed with delight. “Yup, it’s me big brother,” she said as she threw herself into his strong arms.

Sam couldn’t believe it. He had his little baby sister in his arms, after so many years. He lifted her slightly off the ground and spun her around. He set her back down on the boardwalk, pulling away slightly. “I can’t believe it. When did you get here? How long are you staying? What about school?” A million questions ran through around his head as he tried to grasp that she was really there.

“Slow down Bo,” she laughed, a brilliant smile covering her entire face. “First things first. You look so good.” She pulled back, looking the tall lanky sheriff up and down. “The West certainly agrees with you.”

Sam shook his head. “Me? Look at you. I can’t get over it. You are so grown up.” He held her hands out to get a better look at her. Pulling her back into his arms, he squeezed her tightly. “I’ve missed you so much,” he said, kissing the side of her forehead.

“So tell me, what are you doing here? You are the very last person that I ever thought I would see here. Why did you leave school?”

“I just got in today. I came to see you big brother,” she put her arm around his waist. “What a nice little town you have here.” She looked out into the small dusty street.

“But Hannah, what happened to your studies? Miss Mason? She must be worried sick about you. I know she wouldn’t just let you......” he said, his hands resting on his hips in an authoritative fashion.

“Bo, Miss Mason died three weeks ago,” she said, the smile slipping from her face. She looked down at her hands, fidgeting with her nails. “My studies were cut short.” Looking up at Sam with weary eyes, she tried to muster a smile. “I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”

He felt his heart break, the stress of the last month obviously weighing heavily on her youthful face. “The school decided that it was best if I left. Miss Mary, a housekeeper at the school, gave me what money she could spare before she left to go back to Virginia,” she said, fully wringing her hands. She looked up as a tear fell down her cheek. “I just didn’t have any place to go.”

Sam wrapped his long arms tightly around the small woman that he had adored his entire life. He had no idea that she had been in any trouble at all. Many times over the years, he had wanted to get her from the boarding school that she attended, but he knew that she was better off getting a good education. He knew he didn’t have much to offer her, especially when he had been running around as a hired gun.

But now, the only think he wanted to do was protect his baby sister. She was the one bright spot in his life that he always held on to. He knew one day that she would be back with him. She was part of the reason for him changing his ways, for him becoming a lawman.

He stroked her hair, placing a gentle kiss on the top of her silky mane. “Don’t you worry Hannah. You’re with me now. I’ll take care of you. You never have to worry about anything again.”

She pulled back from her brother and her heart felt so full of love. “I’ve missed you so much Bo,” she said as she took in every detail of his face.

Sam smiled, kissing her on the cheek. “You too sweet pea. Now, come on. Let’s get you settled at the hotel for tonight.”

As they were entering the hotel, Sam had the strangest sensation that he was being watched. He quickly scanned the quiet streets, but saw no one. Shrugging, he followed his sister into the hotel. There were so many things that he still wanted to know.

“What the heck is up with you three?” James Butler Hickok asked as he threw the wood he had been carrying down to the ground. “You all been acting goofy all mornin’ and you’re making me crazy.” With his brow furrowed and his lips pursed, he looked from Cody to Buck to Lou who shifted her stance uncomfortably.

Jimmy had tried all morning to ignore them. The three riders had been quiet the entire previous evening, periodically exchanging confusing glances. It had carried over to the morning chores as well. Not only had he been bumped into on three separate occasions, he was stabbed with the pitch fork, had wood dropped on his foot, and was nearly decapitated by Cody’s wild swings with the ax. He didn’t know what was wrong, but all the distractedness was finally getting on his last nerve.

“It’s nothing Jimmy,” Cody said as he turned back to the woodpile that he was making his way through. His tone was calm and soothing, but Hickok would not be swayed.

“You call this nothing. Tell me what is going on!” he demanded, his hands resting on his hips as a stern look replaced the usually cool expression that Jimmy sported. Seeing that Cody was paying him no mind, Jimmy’s anger grew stronger. He grabbed Cody by the shoulder, turning him roughly. “I’m talking to you.”

Cody was jerked back toward Hickok. It happened so fast and without warning that Cody nearly tumbled forward at the lack of balance he had. Grabbing Jimmy’s arm, he steadied himself. Finally realizing the harshness of Jimmy’s manner, Cody stood up tall, coming nose to nose with the reckless rider.

Lou didn’t like what was happening at all. She wasn’t used to seeing Jimmy get so mad. She shoved her hands in her pockets. Giving a quick glance in Buck’s direction, she saw the same look of worry that she knew was on her own face. Pushing her glasses up, she grabbed Jimmy by the arm.

“Jimmy stop,” she said swallowing hard. Jimmy turned his full attention to the spry rider, a look of ‘this better be good’ resting on his face. Clearing her throat, she looked deep into Jimmy’s eyes, trying to convey the seriousness of the situation. “We got some news that we don’t rightly know what to do with, I guess.”

Jimmy looked as if his patience had finally broke. Throwing his hands in the air and letting them fall hard against his sides, he shook his head. “And just what is that supposed to mean? What kind of news are you talking about?”

Buck licked his dry lips, wondering where to begin. “Jimmy, when we went to town yesterday, we...ah, we saw somethin’ that we think we weren’t meant to see.” He looked quickly down at the ground. He felt uncomfortable discussing what was Emma and Sam’s business. But he also felt hurt that Sam would do such a thing to Emma. He had come to think of Emma as somewhat of a mother. He certainly didn’t want to see her hurt.

“Weren’t meant to see? Would you all quite talking in riddles?” Jimmy said through clenched teeth. His head ached from the double talk he felt he was getting from his friends. He didn’t know what to think. He knew his friends would never do anything to cause him or the others harm, but he didn’t like the tone of their voices. There was something in them that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

Ike McSwain came out of the barn, Buck’s saddle in his arms. He had spent most of the morning, oiling and cleaning all the rider’s saddles. He was hot and tired and ready to take a rest. He could feel the sweat roll down his forehead and threatening to fall into his eyes. Setting the saddle on the wooden corral fence, he exhaled sharply at the relief of setting down the heavy piece of leather.

He pulled his handkerchief out of his back pocket and wiped at his dirt-streaked face. Shoving it back into his pocket, he looked up when he heard someone shouting. Near the bunkhouse porch, he could see Jimmy and the others standing in a circle. Jimmy was waving his hands wildly, an angry expression on his face. Curious and even a bit alarmed by Jimmy’s obvious agitation, Ike approached the meeting to see what was going on.

Everyone turned at Ike’s approach. Buck looked over his shoulder, worry plastered all over his face. Ike didn’t like the feelings he was getting from the unusually aggressive group. Cody glanced over and offered a nod to Ike as he turned his attention back to the task at hand. “Okay Jimmy, okay.” Cody said, trying to get him to lower his voice.

Jimmy crossed his arms over his chest, an exasperated look on his face. Cody wondered how the hot headed man would ever be able to deal with people when he had such a short fuse. “When we were in town yesterday, we...ah, well, we saw Sam.”

Jimmy looked at Ike, a look of disdain on his youthful face. “Do you believe this Ike? They saw Sam.” Turning back to Cody, “you got to be kidding me. You saw Sam...in town....and that’s what’s got you all worked up. Cody, he lives in town. For hell’s sake, he’s the Marshall; ‘course he’s in town.” Jimmy shook his head. He had enough.

He turned and started to walk away. “Jimmy, will you let us finish?” Lou said curtly, her nerves a mere bundle of raw ends. Jimmy stopped, putting his hands on his hips and allowing his head to fall to his chest. He didn’t want to keep playing the same games. He turned abruptly to face the three riders, exchanging curious glances with Ike as they waited.

Lou looked at Buck and then Cody, before she turned back to Jimmy and Ike. “We saw Sam, but he didn’t see us.” Seeing that Jimmy was just about to give up and walk away she quickly continued on. “He was with a woman.”

This stopped both Ike and Jimmy abruptly. Jimmy looked at Lou, a darkness setting in to his cool blue eyes. She could see him searching her face, as well as the faces of Cody and Buck for proof of her accusation.

Lou sighed. She didn’t want to say it out loud. Neither her, Cody or Buck had even mentioned it since they had witnessed the whole event the previous afternoon. In a way, she felt that if she vocalized it, it made it true. And she didn’t want it to be true.

“He was standing on the boardwalk with a young woman in his arms. He was hugging her and holding her and then....” she stopped, taking a deep breath as she looked at Ike to see the same confused look that Jimmy had. “He kissed her.”

The rage began to boil in James Butler Hickok. He couldn’t believe that Sam would do something like that to Emma. Jimmy knew that Emma loved Sam more than anything. For him to abuse that love, and in such a blatant manner, made Jimmy more furious than he could ever remember being.

“Now, we don’t really know what was happening though,” Cody said, knowing that he didn’t even believe the words that he was saying. He wanted so bad to give Sam the benefit of the doubt, but after the display of affection that they had witnessed, it was hard to.

“Don’t know what happened?”

The five riders turned to see Kid standing by them, pieces of hay scattered across his dark hair. He was breathing hard as he wiped at the sweat that covered his face. Kid could feel the anger that ran through the group. Jimmy was pacing in a small circle, his fists opening and closing in an unconscious gesture.

He looked to Ike, whose eyes were filled with such pain. Quickly he scanned the rest of the group. Something was terribly wrong. “Lou, Cody, what is it? Is something wrong?” Knowing that they were all safe, he tried to think of anyone else that could be in trouble. “Emma! Is something wrong with Emma?” he said, panic nipping at his words.

“I’ll say. Something sure as hell is wrong. How could she trust him? How could we trust him?” Jimmy ranted as he paced back and forth. Lou ran her fingers through her hair as Ike sat down on a piece of wood, his head resting in his hands. He unconsciously rubbed his hands across his bare head, a gesture Kid knew he did only when he was worried or afraid.

Kid grabbed Lou by the arms. “What is it? What’s a matter with Emma?”

Lou turned, startled by Kid’s insistence. “Oh no,” she said, shaking her head. “No, physically she is fine. Don’t worry ‘bout that. It’s just that.....” She looked deep into Kid’s eyes, her brown eyes full of sadness. “We saw Sam with another woman in town yesterday. He was kissing her.”

A million thoughts raced through Kid’s mind as he let go of Lou’s arms. “No, there must be some mistake. He wouldn’t do that.” Kid ran his fingers through his thick brown hair, lacing them together at the base of his neck. He looked at Jimmy who paced back and forth, mumbling to himself as he clenched his fists.

“Did anyone tell Emma?” Kid asked, a feeling of being older than his time biting at his heels.

Cody turned quickly to face Kid. “We can’t tell her that. It will hurt her terribly.” Cody knew that if it were the case, that out of love and respect for Emma, she deserved to know. But he just couldn’t help thinking that it just couldn’t be so. Sam loved her too. ‘He wouldn’t do anything to hurt her, would he?’ Cody asked himself.

Lou looked at the ground in front of her. She felt tired. She loved Emma like a mother and she hated the idea of lying to her, but she hated the idea of hurting her worse. Sighing heavily, she looked briefly at Cody and Buck. Turning to face Kid, “there’s more.”

Jimmy stopped his pacing, a silence falling over him. Ike looked up from where he sat, not knowing if he wanted to hear any more. Kid’s every expression held comfort for Lou. “We saw him go into the hotel with her.” Lou left it at that. She thought about adding Sam’s suspicious look around, but knew that enough had already been said. In their eyes, he was already convicted. That would have only added more fuel to the fire.

She looked quickly at Cody and Buck to see that they approved of her omitting that last piece of information. She would save it, bringing it back to light only if it were completely necessary.

“HE WHAT?” Jimmy shouted, an absolute look of shock on his face. That was the last thing that he expected to hear come out of the female rider’s mouth. Ike sat with his mouth open, a million thoughts racing through his mind.

“I can’t believe that he would do that to Emma?” Kid finally managed to say. He was at a loss. This was more of a situation than he could have ever dreamed of.

“Do what to me?”

Lou jumped as the group of riders turned to see Emma Shannon standing before them, a basket of linens balanced perfectly on her small hip. A pleasant and comforting smile rested on the beautiful woman’s face. She blew at a stray piece of hair that tickled her forehead before turning her full attention to the group in front of her.

All six riders stood with their mouths hanging open. No one knew what to say. Finally, Cody stepped in. Smiling, he threw Emma a patented charmer smile. “We were just laughing about how mean that was of Teaspoon to insult your biscuits last night.” The other riders forced themselves to laugh, following along for lack of any other reasonable idea.

Emma laughed as she batted at a stray piece of silky red hair. “That Mr. Spoon is quite a joker.” Looking at Cody, “but you noticed that he ate three of them biscuits, didn’t ya?”

Cody laughed again, “Yeah Emma, sure did. Well, I think we better get back to our chores. We just needed a break.”

Smiling, Emma placed a comforting hand on Cody’s arm. “You all are working so hard. Take a little extra time. I’ll bring some lemonade out in a little bit.” She turned to go back to the house to hang up the rest of the linens. “By the way, don’t forget to be washed up and ready to eat by 6. Sam’s having dinner with us tonight.” With that said, she resumed her journey back toward the house, humming a sweet tune as she went.

Jimmy stood with his hands on his hips, his head hung forward. He shook his head. Looking back at the others, “Now what?” Kid could feel the raw emotions that ran through the group. He knew he had to get them in check before someone did something that they might all later regret.

“I think what we should do is wait and see how Sam acts at dinner tonight. If he acts like nothing’s wrong, then one of us might want to take him aside sometime during the evening and ask him about it. If he acts different, then I think we should wait until tomorrow and go talk to him in town. We don’t want a scene in front of Emma,” Kid said, trying to be as diplomatic as he possibly could. He just couldn’t make himself believe that Sam would hurt Emma that way.

“Why? So he can lie to us?” Jimmy said curtly, anger still coursing through the young man’s veins.

“Jimmy, I understand how you feel. If he did do it, I want to protect Emma just as much as you do. But I just think we need to give him the benefit of the doubt. Sam is our friend. You know he would never do anything to hurt Emma or us,” Buck said, his voice low and controlled. He wanted so bad to believe it to be true.

Jimmy stood, staring at the ground. He wanted it to be true too. He wanted it all to be a misunderstanding. “All right. We wait till he comes over for dinner tonight. Then we take it from there.”

The riders exchanged uncertain glances. All wanted it to be a mistake, but most of them finding it hard to accept as a viable answer. ‘I guess we wait until tonight,’ Ike thought to himself as he headed back to the barn to finish his chores.

It was nearing 6 as all the riders made their way into the bunkhouse. Emma had spent all afternoon preparing a meal of meat and potatoes. Gathering around the table, idle chit-chat filled the air. Kid could sense a nervousness that ran through the riders. He didn’t want that, but he didn’t know how to stop it.

He knew that they were all on edge, waiting to see what Sam would do. None of them wanted to believe that Sam was cheating on Emma, but they didn’t want to rule it out either. Kid listened quietly as Cody relived one of his many tales of adventure that happened during a run. Kid often wondered why it was only Cody that seemed to get those adventure runs all the time.

As time passed quietly, the conversations grew quieter. As the clock neared 6:30, Emma looked out the window, concern on her soft features. “I hope nothing has happened to him.”

Jimmy looked at Cody, a snarled expression on his face. He was going to kill Sam for hurting her the way he was. He looked at Buck and Ike, and raised his eyebrows in a ‘now what’ gesture. Ike only shrugged. He too was at a loss. Jimmy looked at Lou who kept her head focused on the table in front of her. She wouldn’t look up. Kid nudged her gently with his elbow to which she irritably brushed it aside.

“Well, I think we should go ahead and start without him Emma. He must have got hung up. I’m sure he will be along shortly,” Teaspoon said, licking his lips as he looked at the delicious smelling meat that lay on the plate in front of him. With his fork in one hand and his knife in the other, he was ready to spring on the meat at a second’s notice.

Emma looked longingly out the window one more time. “I guess you’re right. Besides, everything’s getting cold,” she said, wiping her hands on the apron tied to her small waist. She took her seat at the head of the table, next to Teaspoon. “Let’s eat.”

The riders were quiet all through supper, a rarity indeed. Emma was amazed at the lack of pranks or jokes that usually flew around the supper table. The riders seemed somber, even a little down. She looked at Teaspoon to see him savoring every bite of his meat, chewing each piece slowly as to enjoy every morsel. He smiled broadly, showing his approval of such a fine meal.

Lou felt her stomach weak. She couldn’t believe that Sam didn’t show up. She would never have expected that to happen ever. He always came when he said he would or else he came by to cancel. It was just the way it had always been.

She looked at the men that sat around her, men whom she thought of as brothers. As she looked in their faces, she could see the sadness that each one felt. Sadness as well as anger. They had all silently agreed not to say anything. At least not until they had a chance to talk to Sam.

After dinner, they decided to turn in early. Emma went back to the house, claiming that she was in dire need of some extra sleep. But as she left, Buck saw terrible sadness on her face, even though she tried to cover it up. Teaspoon turned in early too, claiming that he was so enchanted by the wonderful dinner that he had to go dream some good dreams.

As Teaspoon shut the door, Jimmy turned quickly to Kid. “Still don’t think he did anything wrong?” he asked abruptly, his anger gripping his heart. He couldn’t stand to see Emma so sad. He wanted to find Sam and kill him, friend or not. He looked over at Lou as she sat away from the rest of them. “You okay Lou?”

Everyone turned there attention to the quiet rider. She sat on her bunk, her back against the wall and her head resting on her drawn up knees. She looked up quickly, startled out of her thoughts. A great sadness rested on the young woman’s face. “I can’t believe that he didn’t show up.”

“Who’s turn is it for morning run?” Kid asked, knowing very well that is was his, but not wanting to miss the opportunity to talk with Sam. He was afraid to send Jimmy in there alone, without someone to try and keep his temper under control.

Cody smiled at Kid, shaking his head. “You know it’s your run.”

Kid dropped his chin to his chest, thoughts racing through his mind. “Damn,” he said aloud, “don’t suppose anyone wants to take my run?” He looked around the room, only to be met with ‘not a chance’ looks. Smiling, “that’s what I thought. Just promise that you will hear Sam out before you do anything rash, okay?” Kid said looking from rider to rider, stopping on Jimmy. “Okay Jimmy?”

Jimmy looked at his closed fisted hands as they lay on the table. “I ain’t promising nothing,” he said, looking Kid right in the eyes. Kid tried to search for the truth of just how far Jimmy would go with this if good reasons were not established. Kid knew that Jimmy would at least hear him out. He knew he couldn’t ask for anything more than that.

The fact was that if Sam was cheating on Emma, he deserved whatever Jimmy or the others may do or say. Kid knew there was nothing he could do to stop it. “I’m going to bed. Night,” he said as he went to his bunk and laid down.

The other’s followed suit, each of them lying in their bunks. But sleep was far from their minds. Each rider lay thinking, going over the conversation or course of action that would ensue the following morning. None of them wanting to confront Sam, but none were willing to let it continue on unanswered for.

As the darkness of the night lulled the young riders to sleep, their thoughts drifted away from them. Most falling into simple dreams while others slept with a dreamless night.

Kid was up and ready for his run at the crack of dawn. Going to the barn to get Katie saddled, he looked out at the morning sun as it crested over the eastern horizon. The sky was a clear soft blue. As the sun peeked it’s way into the sky, it threw off an array of colors, all subtle. Light pinks, yellows and oranges cascaded across the horizon line. Kid loved having early run because he loved the sense of awakening that the sunrise left in him.

Mounted comfortably atop Katie, Kid stared at the small sliver of sun as it began to grow. In the distance, he could see Justin galloping in. He pulled his jacket up around his neck and readied himself for the exchange. He wanted to get back as soon as he could, in order to keep tabs on what was happening with Sam. ‘I just hope they know what they are doing,’ he said to himself as he reached out for the saddle bag and headed for Fenton.

The others were up fairly early as well, quickly dressing before heading for breakfast. They still had morning chores to do and they didn’t want to alert Emma to the fact that something was wrong. After breakfast, they quickly did what chores were absolutely necessary before heading in to town.

“Jimmy!”

Jimmy turned to see the woman he had come to love a great deal, hurrying over to them. Emma smiled, glad that she caught them before they left. Handing him a list, “can you boys pick up these few things for me?”

Jimmy forced a smile, looking lovingly at the small woman who stood before him. “Sure Emma. We’ll be back in a little while.” He looked at the others with a questioning look. He hated not telling Emma about Sam. He knew she had every right to know. But he couldn’t help feeling that Sam just wouldn’t do that.

Turning his horse, he readied himself to ride. “Oh and if any of ya see Sam, tell him to come see me today,” she said, a soft understanding smile on her face. Jimmy smiled, looking long and hard at her. He would kill Sam if it was true. That’s all there was to it.

“Will do,” he said before kicking his horse into a gallop, the others close behind him.

Hannah stepped out on to the boardwalk, a smile resting on her face. “What shall I do first?” she asked herself as she surveyed the small buildings all around her. She needed to visit the dress shop, the general store, and she also had intended to take Sam some lunch at the jail. She brought a hand up to shield her eyes from the bright afternoon sun. Seeing that the dress shop was the closest to the hotel, she decided that it was as good a place to start as any.

People passed by the young beauty, some smiling at her while others didn’t seem to notice. That was all right with her. She was just happy to be there. Turning her face up to the clear blue sky, she inhaled deeply on the fresh clean air. She felt so free and alive.

"Afternoon Ma'am."

The deep southern drawl startled Hannah. Jumping, she turned toward the voice and smiled. "Afternoon," she said, her voice cheerful and bright to the black clad cowboy that stood on the boardwalk beside her.

The tall stranger eyed her intently, but Hannah failed to notice. Instead, she turned back toward the street, the man all but forgotten as her thoughts drifted to the previous nights' events. "The West is certainly different than what I ever could have imagined," she thought to herself with a smile.

Sam had taken her to Seneca to get a few personal effects that Tompkins's store didn’t offer. While there, the two had shared a wonderful dinner, reminiscing about old times. Hannah wanted to hear everything about the West and Sam’s new life in the small town of Sweetwater.

He talked about life as a hired gun, the tough choices he had made and the mistakes he had paid for. He talked of his new job as Marshall and how much it meant to him. Hannah watched his face light up when he spoke of Emma Shannon, the woman that he loved, and how he couldn’t wait for Hannah to meet her. He also talked of her riders and the Pony Express.

Hannah was in awe of her brother’s experiences. Growing up in the boarding school, she had led a sheltered life. Her only dealings with the ways of the West were from books. But she thrived on adventure, never quite quelling her curious nature.

While they were at dinner, gun shots rang out through the town. Hannah was horrified. She had never actually heard a gun being fired before. Sam ran out to see what was going on, Hannah close behind. As they stepped out into the dusky late afternoon, they saw a man laying on the ground, blood seeping from a hole in his shoulder. A few feet away, another man lay dead, his blank eyes turned toward the heavens.

Hannah had never seen a dead man before. Standing in the middle of the dusty street, she stood staring at the still form. Except for the fact that he wasn’t breathing, a person would have never known that he was dead, never to wake up again. Hannah felt the finality of the situation weigh heavy in the air.

Sam went to check on the hurt man. Hearing the light conversation between the two men, Hannah walked slowly to her brother’s side. She drew back her lips in a grimace, seeing the blood that oozed out the older man’s shoulder. I

t turned out that the shot man was Seneca’s Marshall, Jack White, a good friend of Sam’s. With Hannah’s help, they were able to get the Marshall home and the doctor out to check on him. They had stayed with him for several hours until Mrs. White could return home from her relatives.

It was an exciting, if not frightening, evening for Hannah. Marshall White had carried on all night, telling her tales of gun battles and ambushes, of Indian attacks and drunken brawls. Sure she would never want to stay in such a foreign environment after hearing all of what Jack had to say, Sam was glad to leave when Mary White finally arrived home.

As they rode slowly back, Sam had questioned Hannah about her feelings toward the West. She smiled lovingly, wrapping her arm around his as he held the wagon reins. “I think this is quite an adventure Bo.”

Sam shook his head. “You know Hannah, it ain’t all exciting like that all the time. That’s why they keep us Marshall’s around for, to keep the peace. I just want you to be sure this is where you want to be,” he said, afraid that she would be too uncomfortable to stay.

She laid her head on his shoulder, staring up at the millions of stars that littered the night sky. “Bo, I can’t think of a single place I would rather be.” She looked at him, her eyes taking a seriousness to them. “I know that things like that happen, and I understand that it happens when people come looking for it. You don’t have to worry about me big brother. I don’t think I’ll be going into any saloons anytime soon and starting a brawl.”

Sam looked quickly at his little sister to see the teasing in her smile. He couldn’t resist a smile in return. “I just want you to know that there are lots of good people out here. It’s safe, you know. I would never let anything happen to ya,” he said, putting an arm around her shoulders and squeezing her tightly.

“That’s why I’m not worried. I know you are here, and besides, I like it here. It’s fresh and new, and it’s time that I started to live,” Hannah said as she kissed her brother on the cheek.

Rubbing her arm gently, Sam sighed. “I can’t wait for you to meet Emma. I just know you two will get along great. Plus there’s the boys. They are.....” Sam stopped, the wagon rolling to a halt as well. Hannah sat up, looking at her brother curiously.

“Bo, what is it? What’s the matter?”

Sam closed his eyes, slapping his palm to his forehead. “I plum forgot. Dammit!” he said, flicking the reins to get the horses moving again. “I was supposed to have dinner at Emma’s tonight.”

Hannah’s eyes grew big. “Oh Bo, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean....”

Sam cut her off. “It ain’t your fault. I just forgot. I was so caught up in you being here and then with Jack getting shot. Ah hell,” he said, looking at Hannah and seeing the guilt that his little sister felt. “Don’t worry. I’ll talk to Emma in the morning; explain everything.”

Putting his arm back around her shoulders, he pulled her back to him so that her head rested once again on his shoulder. “When I tell her about you, she will understand. She’s always wanted to meet you.”

Surprised, she looked up at Sam. “You told her about me?”

Sam laughed. “Course I did. Why would you think that I wouldn’t?”

Hannah shrugged, a big smile on her face. “I don’t know.”

They rode the rest of the way back to town, simply enjoying each others company. Hannah watched the millions of stars dance across the blackened sky. She felt safe, comfortable, loved. She was with her family, and that was something she hadn’t had in a long time.

She smiled to herself as she thought fondly about the previous night. A bond had already begun to form between herself and Sam, one that she would cherish forever. Sighing, she turned toward the dress shop. “It’s going to be a very good day,” she said as she thought about getting to meet the woman that had captivated her brother so.

As she started down the boardwalk, she noticed a group of men heading her way. Sam had taken it upon himself to warn her, at least a dozen times during the course of the previous day’s events, to be leery of the men in town. “Most of them do not have good intentions,” he said warningly, making sure that she understood.

She looked the motley group over, and was intrigued. She hadn’t met any boys her own age in town at all. In fact, she was beginning to wonder if there were any. As the group drew closer, she looked from man to man, taking in every detail.

One of the men walked ahead of the others, his face full of disdain. “I wonder what has him in such a huff,” she thought to herself as she watched the confident way he walked. His long brown hair hung loosely under the flat brimmed black hat he wore. Hannah took in the strong handsome jaw and dark eyes of the stranger.

Behind him were four other men, following close behind. To his right was a small, spry boy with short brown hair and wire rimmed glasses. His frame was small and his face soft. If Hannah didn’t know any better, she would swear that the young man was actually a young woman. But why she would masquerade as a man was beyond anything Hannah could understand.

To the small boy’s left was a lanky looking young man dressed in a heavy tan fringed buckskin coat. Blond hair hung in his eyes as he stayed focused on whatever it was that had all their attention.

On the other side of the charging fellow was a tall Indian man. Black hair, tucked neatly behind his ears, hung down brushing lightly against the black vest that he wore. His eyes were dark and looked full of turmoil. As she looked him up and down, she saw the knife sticking from his boot and the gun belts that hung around each of their waists, and wondered why the men were so heavily armed.

As Hannah turned her attention to the last of the men, she smiled in spite of herself. She felt her heart beat quickened at the sight of the handsome man. His face was full of a mixture of anger and sorrow, but his eyes held wonder. He wore a red bandanna tied around his head, his skin tanned and smooth.

Hannah couldn’t stop her eyes from trailing down the young man’s well built body. He wore a light tan coat and dark brown pants. The white shirt he wore was a stark contrast to his tan neck. Hannah’s eyes lingered at his face as she continued on down the boardwalk. “What a handsome man,” she said to herself.

All had the same look of disdain as that on the face of the leader, only some not as sure of it as the others. She wondered what had happened that had gotten five young men riled to the point that they were currently at.

As the young men approached her, she smiled a gracious smile, turning sideways to slip between the men. “Afternoon,” she said, trying to keep from staring at the one in the bandanna. Expecting the men to go around her, Hannah was startled to see them stop right in front of her. Suddenly, she realized that the look of disdain was meant for her.

She looked from face to face, wondering what had happened to have them staring at her so. “Afternoon,” she said again, the smile slowly slipping as the leader stood directly in front of her, his blazing eyes drilling holes into her soul. Hannah suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable with these men.

“Who are you?” he asked gruffly, barking it in her face.

Hannah drew back slightly at the force of his tone. She tried to look to the others for help, but he blocked her view.

“Hannah,” she said meekly, her heart racing from fear.

“What are you doing here?” he barked again, his expression never changing.

Something in Hannah clicked. She was not going to stand and be yelled at by someone she didn’t even know for reasons she was completely clueless of. She took a step back before straightening her shoulders. Narrowing her eyes, she looked directly into his. “I don’t exactly understand what business it is of yours who I am or what I am doing in Sweetwater. Now,” she said, looking past Jimmy and the others. “If you will excuse me.”

She started to walk past Jimmy when he grabbed hold of her arm, his fingers digging into her soft tender flesh. “Where’s Sam?” he said, his face only inches from hers. Cody grabbed Jimmy by the arm. “Let her go Jimmy. Ma’am, we just wanted to talk to ya,” he said, trying to keep the situation from getting out of control.

Jimmy pushed Cody away from him, his eyes never leaving Hannah’s. “I asked you a question. Where is Sam?”

Hannah knew she owed this man nothing, but she was terrified. She could see the raw hatred in his eyes. “Why? Are you gonna hurt him?” she whispered, barely audible over Jimmy’s ragged breathing.

Jimmy felt momentarily confused. She seemed so innocent to what was going on. Either she really didn’t understand or she was a fantastic liar. Whatever the reason was, he didn’t really care. “Tell me where he is and tell me now.”

Ike felt his heart go out to the scared young woman. He didn’t know how it had ever gotten as far as it had, and he had a terrible feeling that they had made a mistake. But getting Jimmy under control was like stopping a stream engine with no brakes.

When they had arrived in town, they stopped in front of the saloon and tied up their horses. They weren’t really sure what they should do at first, but Jimmy was determined to find Sam and confront him. “Jimmy, you can’t go flying off the handle at him. Sam ain’t gonna sit and listen to that,” Cody said, trying to reason with the stubborn rider.

Jimmy stood in the middle of the street, his hands hanging to his sides as he looked from building to building. Slowly, he turned to Cody, a dangerous look in his eye. “I don’t care if Sam wants to listen or not. He’s gonna listen.” Ike looked over at Buck and could see the same expression on his best friend’s face. Jimmy was too wound up.

“Jimmy, we agreed that we would let Sam speak his peace before we go getting all upset,” Lou said, pulling her glasses out of her breast pocket and putting them on. She glanced quickly to Buck and Ike, looking for some additional support.

“That’s right Jimmy, we need...” Buck started, but was cut off.

“We don’t need nothing!” he said gruffly, his cold calculated gaze biting into Buck’s resolve.

“Ain’t that the woman?” Cody said, staring at the hotel at the end of the street. All five riders turned to see Hannah coming out of the hotel, a smile on her face.

“That’s her?” Jimmy said, looking from Cody to Lou to Buck. “You sure?”

~She looks kind of young.~ Ike signed, his movements smooth and fluid.

“She’s the one all right,” Cody said, eyeing the beauty as she stood in front of the hotel.

“Let’s just have a little talk with her.” With that said, Jimmy was on his way to the boardwalk.

The remaining four riders were frozen to their spots. “Talk to her?” Lou asked, a puzzled look on her face. She turned to see Jimmy walking toward the mysterious young woman. “Oh no,” she said as she ran after Jimmy. This was not good. She could feel it.

The other riders followed, running to catch up with Jimmy as he strode toward the woman. Ike looked up to see the young woman looking at them, a curious expression on her face. He almost stopped where he was, feeling captivated by the young beauty.

Never had he seen such a woman. Her long strawberry kissed brown hair fell in soft curls down her back. She had a smile that would melt a thousand winters, rosy cheeks that gave way to soft dimples.

As they neared the young woman, his heart began to beat stronger. Her skin was a creamy white, so smooth that Ike was sure if he touched it that it would feel like silk. She cocked her head to one side as she seemed to be sizing each of them up.

What really made Ike’s breath catch in his chest were her amazingly bright hazel eyes, green and brown and flecked with gold all at the same time. But there was so much emotion and curiosity in the young woman’s eyes. She had an innocence about her that made Ike feel weak in the knees.

He looked over at Buck, who seemed not to notice anything but the beating of his own heart. Ike could tell that Buck too felt that something wasn’t quite right. Looking over at Cody, Ike saw the same look of awe that he knew he also wore. Cody walked with his mouth hung open, his blue eyes fixed attentively on the young woman.

When Jimmy had first confronted her, Ike wanted so bad to grab him and pull him away. She didn’t deserve to be talked to like Jimmy was. Ike wasn’t sure what was going on or what Buck and the others had seen, but he knew it all had been a misunderstanding. She knew nothing of what they were talking about.

When Jimmy grabbed her by the arms, Ike could see the first tears as they fell down her pale cheeks. Cody had grabbed Jimmy by the arm, trying to get his attention. But Jimmy only shrugged him off.

“I asked you a question,” Jimmy had yelled, causing not only the girl but Lou and Ike both to jump a little. Finally unable to take anymore, Ike put both arms around Jimmy’s chest, trying to pull him back from the girl.

“Ike, get the hell off me!!” he yelled, still holding tightly to the young woman’s arms.

“Hickok!”

All five riders turned at the sound of Sam’s voice. Coming out of Tompkins's, Sam ran across the street, confused as to what was going on. “Bo,” she cried, trying to pull her arms out of Jimmy’s grip. Jimmy looked from Sam to Hannah, and loosed his hold.

Her arms finally free, Hannah jumped down from the boardwalk and ran to Sam, falling into his open arms. Sam wrapped his arms tightly around the scared young woman, whispering quietly and kissing the top of her head. Stroking her hair, he looked up at Jimmy, fury in his eyes. “What the hell do you think you are doing?”

The riders stood on the boardwalk, their resolve breaking apart with each passing minute. Ike watched as Hannah’s body racked with sobs, her face buried to Sam’s chest. He stepped down from the boardwalk and took a step toward Sam. “Don’t Ike,” Sam warned, his voice full of contempt.

Putting his hands on Hannah’s shoulders, he pulled her back so that he could see her face. “Hannah, listen to me.” She looked up at him with big frightened eyes. She was confused and hurt and lost. It broke his heart to see her like that. He wiped at the tears that clung to her cheeks, taking her face in his big hands. “I want you to go back to your room. I need to talk to these fellas.”

Hannah shook her head up and down. “Okay,” she said so softly Sam almost didn’t hear it. Wiping at her eyes, she managed a quick side glance at Ike before she took off running back to the hotel. Ike watched her leave, his mind full of confusion.

“Mind telling me what the hell that was all about,” Sam said through clenched teeth as he approached Jimmy. He stopped two feet from the riders, his hands resting on the gun belt slung low on his hips. “Jimmy, you had my sister scared half out of her mind, and I want to KNOW WHY!!!” he yelled, his brow furrowed.

“We know all about.....” Jimmy started to return the yell when what Sam had said began to sink in. “Your what?” he said as he looked Sam straight in the eye. His once clear mind was now filling with jumbled images. He looked quickly to Cody and Lou who had the same look of shock that he knew he had.

“Yeah Jimmy, that was my sister that you had in tears. She was terrified and you sure as hell better have one damn good reason for it or we are gonna have some serious trouble.”

Jimmy opened his clenched fists, flexing his long fingers. Putting his hands on his hips, he hung his head down, his chin resting on his chest. “Did ya hear that Cody? Lou?” Jimmy stood up straight, shaking his head. He turned toward Buck. “Did ya hear that Buck? His sister.”

“What the hell is going on?” Sam yelled, his patience wearing thin. He had spent all night the previous night telling Hannah how much she was going to love the riders only to find Jimmy yelling in her face.

“Sam,” Jimmy started, trying to find some words to explain the whole misunderstanding. “I swear, I didn’t know. I thought.....well, um....Cody saw you kiss her yesterday and we thought.....” He didn’t even know how to finish.

All five riders stood with their heads hanging down, their eyes fixed on the ground in front of them. ‘That poor girl,’ Lou thought to herself as her stomach felt weak. ‘What have we done?’

“Saw me kiss her? What are you boys doing? Spying on me?” Sam asked, exasperation in his voice. He was worried about Hannah. He had never seen her so frightened before. Jimmy started to talk, but he stopped him. “Don’t even say a word Hickok. I don’t want to hear it.” He looked over his shoulder at the hotel, thoughts of how to handle the situation finally coming into place.

“Here is what we are gonna do. I’m gonna check on Hannah. You five are going back to the way station. As soon as I’m sure that Hannah is all right, I’ll be out there to talk to Emma about this. I let her decide what to do with you all,” he said, shaking his head. He had never been so disappointed in anyone as he was those five.

“Sam,” Lou said, afraid to speak. Sam shot her a daggered glare, but didn’t not tell her to be quiet so she continued on. “Can I go talk to her? Tell her how...”

“NO, absolutely not,” he shouted, dumbfounded that Lou would even suggest it. “You all have done enough.” He turned and started toward the hotel. Glancing back over his shoulder, he saw them still standing there. “I said GO,” he yelled, as he turned back to the task at hand, checking on Hannah.

Jimmy shook his head. He brought his hands up and wrapped them around the back of his neck as he looked up toward the sun. “I swear...I know better than to listen to you Lou.” Looking at the small woman, “this is the second time you done this to me, the last time with Sarah.” He shook his head as he headed for his horse. ‘Emma is going to be so mad,’ he thought to himself as he mounted his horse, the others following behind him. “I’ll learn,” he said as he turned his horse and headed for the station.

Ike stood with his back to the bunkhouse as he looked around at his friends. None of them had spoken much since they had returned to the way station. Sam had arrived twenty minutes after they got back, heading directly for the house. Now they all were awaiting the wrath known as Emma.

“You think Hannah will ever forgive us?” Cody asked, staring at the ground in front of him. He was sharing the bench with Jimmy, his hands clamped loosing together in front of him. He looked up at Buck who was leaning against the porch roof support. Buck barely noticed that Cody had spoken. He was lost in his own thoughts.

“Why Cody?” Lou asked, curious as to what he was thinking.

Cody smiled, his eyes a bright blue. “She sure is pretty, don’t you think?”

A collective groan rang out over the group. “Cody,” Lou said, punching him in the leg. “Is that all you think about?” Lou shook her head. Turning back to the open land that surrounded the way station, she smiled when she realized she could see Kid in the far distance. She stood up, brushing the dust from her pants. “Rider coming.”

The riders all turned as Kid rode in. Jumping off his horse, he looked toward the house and saw Sam’s horse tied to the fence. Looking back at the glum faces, he feared that his worries had been warranted. “What happened?” he asked, holding Katie’s reins tightly in his hands.

Lou shook her head, pulling her well worn hat down low. Looking at Kid from underneath it’s brim, she could see all the questions that were rolling around in his head. “Turns out it was Sam’s sister.”

Kid felt as if he had been slapped. He didn’t even know Sam had a sister. Sam had never mentioned her before. With his hand on his hip, he looked at the ground in front of him, considering the matter. Finally, he looked back up.

“Well, at least you talked to Sam first. Could have gotten real me...s...s....” he stopped. Jimmy looked up at him, guilt written all over his face. Kid turned to Buck, only to find his attention placed on the surrounding land. Turning to Ike, he found him with his head down, his left foot bent back resting on the bunkhouse wall. Cody was holding his head in his hands. As he turned to Lou, he felt like he could read the entire situation in the sadness and shame that lay in her eyes.

“Aww man, don’t tell me you talked to the girl?” he asked, looking directly at Lou. She immediately broke eye contact, looking down at her hands. “You did it, didn’t ya Jimmy? What did ya say? What happened?” He waited for someone to reply, but was met with only silence. “Well?”

Lou glanced at Jimmy over her shoulder and could see that he wasn’t going to volunteer any information. Sheepishly, she looked back at Kid. “It was awful,” she said as she filled Kid in on the details of the morning’s events. By the time, she was finished, Kid sat on the bunkhouse steps, his head in his hands.

“God Jimmy, you probably scared the girl to death. How could you just charge in like that?” he said, thinking only of Emma. She was in a terrible situation because of their lack of thought. Kid stood, his hands on his hips. Just as he was about to continue on with his rant, they all heard the front door of the house open.

All eyes turned to see a fuming Emma come barreling down the steps of the house, Sam following close behind. Slamming the fence shut behind her, she strode with a vengeance to the fearful group.

“Buck, saddle me a horse,” Emma said, her voice on the verge of becoming a yell. Stopping in front of the remaining riders, she stood for several minutes, her hands on her hips and her lips pursed tightly as if holding back all the things she wanted to say. The riders began to shift uncomfortable.

The silence hung heavy over the group. Jimmy would have rather had her yelling and screaming than not saying anything at all. Looking up at her, he saw the disappointment that she had in her eyes. Just as he opened his mouth to talk, she stopped him.

“Don’t even say a word Jimmy. Not one word.” She scrutinized each of them in turn, her heart heavy with sadness that her riders would hurt someone so badly without finding out the facts. She thought she had taught them better than that. “I’m going to town to try to talk to Hannah. She has been through a terrible ordeal over the last month and you boys just succeeded in completely alienating, not to mention terrifying, her.”

She stopped and waited to see if anyone would challenge anything she had to say. Hearing nothing, she continued on. “When I get back, I want to see this place shine. I want the stalls in the barn cleaned, I want all the rest of the wood chopped, and I want the bunkhouse to sparkle. I’m going to try and talk Hannah into giving us.....giving me another chance.”

Buck brought her horse out and quickly moved to rejoin his friends. Taking the reins, she started to mount, but stopped. Turning back to the riders, she sighed. All six riders looked up at once, the sadness in that sigh apparent to them all. “On one hand, it warms my heart that you all would be so concerned over the justice in my personal relationships.” Glancing over at Sam as he rode up beside her, “but I just can’t understand why you didn’t come to me or Sam with your concern. Why physically harm an innocent young girl? Jimmy, not only did you scare her with your tirade, but you left bruises all over her arms. Are you happy with yourself?” She climbed up on the horse, putting the reigns in her lap. “I thought I taught you all better than that.”

Hannah stared out the window of the small hotel room. Looking out to the barren lands that surrounded the town of Sweetwater, she wondered if there would ever be a place she could go that she wouldn’t be judged before given a chance. A tear slid down her cheek as an image of the angry man’s face filled her mind.

“What had I done?” she thought to herself. She always expected to be treated harshly at the prestigious Westlake Academy, but not out in the West. She had foolishly thought that people were different, more willing to give a person a chance. But that man acted as if he knew her, that all those men knew her. And they hated her. The anger she had seen in his eyes scared her far more than she had even let on to Sam.

Biting back a sob, she folded her arms across her chest, the hopeless feeling in the pit of her stomach growing like an unwatched fire. She let her eyes fall to the empty alley that ran beside the hotel. Broken whiskey bottles and crumpled papers lined the ground as a darkly clad cowboy walked gingerly toward the street. Hannah sighed as the stranger glanced up, steel gray eyes meeting hers and for a moment she saw something so familiar in his eyes.

Rubbing her hand across her arm, she winced, breaking the absent gaze that she held with the stranger. Instead she lifted up her sleeve, seeing the ugly purple bruises caused by the man’s fingers and once again, she fought back a sob.

Pressing her fingertips to her lips, she stared out at the small rolling hills that surrounded the small town. She saw only loneliness in the deserted area, and wondered if that was what her heart looked like. She certainly knew that was what it felt like.

A knock at the door startled Hannah out of her thoughts. She quickly brushed the fallen tears from her cheeks. Running her hands across her light blue dress, she cleared her throat. “Come in Bo,” she said loudly, knowing that it was her brother.

Sam opened the door slightly, peering in to make sure she was presentable. “How ya doing kiddo?” he asked as he crossed the small room and placed a kiss on her forehead.

Hannah smiled, trying to be convincing. “Bo, I’m fine. I was just a little shaken up is all.”

He searched her eyes for the truth, strongly hoping that it was. He smiled, placing another kiss on her forehead. “Good. There is someone that I want you to meet.” Sam stood aside, leaving Hannah facing a young woman. “Hannah, this is.....”

“Emma Shannon,” Hannah said, finishing for him. Hannah was in awe of the woman that stood before her. Sam had done nothing but talk of her. And every word he had said was true. She just as beautiful as he had described.

She had soft fiery red hair, pulled loosely back in a bun. Her friendly face held a warm smile, her green eyes equally caring. She was small in frame, but held a strong, independent presence.

Hannah moved forward, her hands held out. “Miss Shannon, it’s an honor to finally meet you. Bo has done nothing but talk of you,” Hannah said, feeling a kindness that seemed to radiate from Emma. Hannah took Emma’s hands in her. Leaning forward, Hannah placed a small friendly kiss on her cheek.

Emma laughed lovingly. “Please Hannah, call me Emma. It’s quite a pleasure to finally meet you as well. Sam had told me so much about you that I feel as if I know you already.” Emma looked into the young woman’s brilliant green eyes. She could see a sadness there that was far from the charismatic appearance she projected.

“You’ve grown to be quite a lovely young woman,” Emma said, gently rubbing her hand down Hannah’s arm. Emma could see the questioning look that rested on Hannah’s face. She laughed. “How would I know, you ask?” Looking past Hannah to Sam, “Sam always carries your picture with him. Has ever since I met him.”

“You do?” Hannah asked, a look of wonder on her face as she turned to her older brother.

Sam smiled. “Course I do sweet pea. I even got two of them, but one I got in a real nice frame that Emma gave me on my desk at the jail. The other I got right here,” he said as he dug in his back pocket, producing an old worn picture. He looked at the picture lovingly before handing it to Hannah.

Hannah watched as Sam smiled broadly, looking at the picture in his hand. When he held the picture to her, she could see that same love in his hazel eyes. She took the picture and held it in both hands, gasping slightly when she realized when it had been taken.

She was eight years old in the picture. Hannah could remember that day like it was yesterday. They had gone to the carnival, just her and Sam; just like it always had been after their parent’s death. They had watched all the performances and had laughed like she couldn’t ever remember laughing since.

When they were getting ready to leave, Sam had paid to have the picture taken. Hannah always felt that Sam had known that day that he was leaving for the West. She never blamed him though. Why would a twenty year old boy want to take care of an 8 year old. She had been grateful that he had stayed with her as long as he had, having raised her by himself since she was three.

Hannah ran a finger over the picture as her mind played back those long ago memories. She let a tear slide down her cheek. Quickly wiping it away, she looked up at Sam and smiled. She threw herself in his arms, hugging him tightly. Sam wrapped his arms around her in return.

Pulling herself out of his embrace, Hannah turned back to Emma. She smiled. “Please excuse me Miss Shannon. I never realized that Bo still had that picture.” As if a second thought, “You said there were two. What is the other one?”

“It’s one of you at a dance recital.” Emma watched the emotions play on the young woman’s face. She could only image what was going on in her mind. “Hannah, would you mind if I talk with you for a little while? I would like the chance to get to know you more. If it’s all right you with, of course.”

Hannah looked over her shoulder to see the hope and eagerness on Sam’s face. She knew that Sam wanted her and Emma to get along almost as much as she wanted it herself. Smiling, “That would be very nice.”

Emma smiled. “Wonderful. Sam, why don’t you see if you can get us some lemonade from the restaurant down stairs.”

Sam agreed, kissing Hannah on the top of the head and Emma on the cheek before he flew out the door. Both watched as he left the room. They looked at each other and laughed. “He looked anxious to leave us alone,” Hannah said smiling as she pulled a chair out for Emma to sit in.

“Thank you Hannah,” Emma said as she sat down, motioning for Hannah to sit on the bed. “Well, how are you liking our little town so far? Sam tells me that you have never been out West before.”

Hannah shook her head. “No, actually I haven’t ever been anywhere but Martinsville. That’s where the academy was,” Hannah said, looking at her hands that were folded in her lap.

“Yes, I know. Sam and I went to visit with you last year, but they wouldn’t let us see you.”

Hannah’s eyes grew big. “What did you say?” She couldn’t have heard right. Why would they have not let Sam see her. She had wondered her whole life why he had never tried to stay in contact with her, except for a few letters over the years. The only way she even knew he was in Sweetwater was an address in Miss Mason’s personal journal.

Emma looked surprised. “They said you had gone with Miss Mason to St. Louis. Didn’t they tell you that we were there? What about the gift that Sam left for you? Did you ever get the music box?”

Hannah felt her head swim. Thoughts raced threw her mind. Why would they have done that? She couldn’t understand. “I never heard a word about it. And I certainly never went to St. Louis.” Hannah looked back down at her hands, slowly wringing them. “They didn’t like me much at that school.”

Emma’s heart ached for the young woman. There was so much turmoil that she was dealing with. Emma didn’t want her to deal with it alone. She leaned forward, taking Hannah’s hands in hers. “I know you may not feel comfortable around me yet. But I hope that we can change that.” Looking deep into Hannah’s eyes, “I will be here for you whenever you are ready to talk. Please remember that.”

Hannah felt suddenly very aware of the quietness in the room. She wanted to open up, to share everything that she had carried with her for so long. But she knew it wasn’t quite the right time. Just then, they heard a soft tapping on the door.

“Can I come in?”

“Yes Sam,” Emma said, a smile across her face. “You can come in.” Hannah marveled at how milky white Emma’s skin was. It was smooth and silky looking, sparsely dotted with tiny red freckles.

Sam set the lemonade down on the table, rubbing his hands unconsciously on his pants. “Listen, I need to go talk with Barnett about a couple of things. I’ll be back in a little bit, okay?” he asked, looking from Hannah to Emma. From the closeness of the way they sat, Sam felt that they must be getting along fairly.

“Go Sam,” Emma said, shooing him out of the room. She laughed as she shut the door behind him. Turning back to Hannah, “now, where were we?”

“Bo tells me that you run the way station with a bunch of riders. What’s that like?” Hannah asked, the curiosity getting the better of her. It was a rarity that a woman be allowed to hold that much responsibility in the times that they were living in. Hannah marveled in Emma’s strong will.

“Well, I’ll tell ya. Them boys can be a handful sometimes. Like what happened with you today. Jimmy is awfully....” Emma could see the strange, confused look on Hannah’s face. “Is something wrong dear?”

Hannah was puzzled. “Jimmy? What happened with me?” Slowly, it began to dawn on her what Emma was saying. “You mean that man that did this,” Hannah said, pulling up her sleeve to reveal the dark purple bruises on her arm, “was one of your riders. Were all them boys your riders?”

Emma felt horrible. The events of the morning still fresh and painful in the confused woman’s mind. “Yes Hannah, Jimmy and those boys are my riders. I can’t condone what Jimmy did at all. It was inexcusable the way in which he treated you. I can only say that he feels horrible. See, it was all....”

Hannah stood up quickly, knocking over the glass of lemonade that Sam had handed her before he had left. Her heart ached. Why would he do that? Looking at Emma, “he never even gave me a chance.” Tears began to fall as she tried to move from the spot where she stood.

Emma wrapped her arms around Hannah, rubbing her back gently. “Wait Hannah. Shhhh, let me explain,” she said softly, rocking the hurt woman in her arms. Hannah pushed a little for Emma to let go, but not enough to actually break the hold. Emma knew that she really didn’t want her to let go.

Once it seemed that Hannah had calmed enough, they sat back down. Emma took Hannah’s hands in hers. “It was all such a horrible misunderstanding. Three of my boys saw Sam kiss you on the cheek. They didn’t know who you were, had never seen you before so they automatically assumed Sam was being unfaithful.”

Hannah sat with tear filled eyes, watching Emma closely. There was something so comforting in the way that Emma spoke. Hannah absorbed everything she said about the events that lead up to the early morning fiasco.

“He never would have caused you any harm. His temper just gets away from him sometimes,” Emma said, shaking her head. She looked down at her hands. “If it’s any consolation at all, Jimmy fells so horrible. They all feel horrible.” Emma looked up with sadness in her own eyes. “And I understand if you don’t ever want to see them...or me again. It’s within.....”

Hannah was completely caught off guard. She never expected Emma to say that. “Emma, why would I not want to see you or those boys again? I was very hurt at first, one because I was terrified. I’m sure that Sam has told you that the only thing I have ever experienced was the academy. I’ve been very sheltered. I know that,” she said, offering Emma a heartfelt smile.

She looked down at the floor, biting her lip as she thought of how to begin. “I guess the other was that they were the first people in Sweetwater that I had actually seen that were my age. And when Jimmy started yelling at me, I felt like the outcast that I always was at school.” Hannah sighed heavily. She felt tired. The whole day had taken a lot out of her.

As if an after thought, “the one fellow with the red bandanna did try to stop Jimmy. I was grateful for that,” she said, smiling as she thought of the handsome young man. She had felt an immediate spark when she had seen those clear blue-green eyes of his.

Emma smiled. “That was Ike. He’s a good boy,” she said, thinking lovingly about the riders. “In fact, they are all really good boys when you give them half a chance.” Emma looked up at Hannah with hopeful eyes. “They really want to make it up to you.” She waited to see if Hannah would flat out protest. When she remained quiet, Emma continued. “Would you come out to the way station and have supper with us?”

Hannah considered the offer carefully. Looking out the window, she could see the sun slipping behind the horizon line as the afternoon slowly slipped away. She thought about the one Emma had called Ike and his beautiful blue-green eyes. She thought about the chance to get to meet all of them, the one she knew had to be a girl. She certainly couldn’t believe that Emma would invite her into a situation where she would be hurt. Sam could never love someone that would be that cruel. Besides that, Hannah felt a comfortableness with Emma that she hadn’t felt ever. Seeing the hopefulness in her eyes, Hannah smiled. “I would love to.”

Emma clapped her hands together, throwing her arms around Hannah and hugging her tightly. “Hannah, that’s wonderful. You won’t regret it. You’ll love the boys. They are quite charming when they want to be,” Emma said, her mind going directly to Cody, knowing that he would certainly have his eye on the beautiful young woman.

Emma looked out at the darkening sky. “I going to go back to the station. You get some rest. You looked tired. I’m sure today took a lot out of ya,” Emma said, a caring smile on her face. “Why don’t you have the hotel draw you a bath so that you can relax. Then you and Sam can come out tomorrow for supper.”

‘A bath,’ Hannah thought. ‘That does sound like a great idea.’ She considered the slipping sun. “Emma, you better get Sam to ride with you back to the station. Sam said that it was a short distance out of town. With it getting dark and all, you....” Hannah looked up to see Emma smiling broadly, a look of ‘I had planned on it’ resting on her face. “You already got that covered?”

Emma laughed. “Yes, Sam is gonna ride with me and then take you to get some supper.” Turning, she started toward the door. She stopped and turned back to Hannah, a concerned look on her face. “Hannah, I can’t tell you how happy I am that you are here. Sam is thrilled beyond imagination. So am I.” Walking back to Hannah, she put her arms around the young woman and squeezed her gently.

Hannah was a bit taken back by the emotional display at first, but felt such comfort in her genuine nature. She returned the hug with equal vigor. Emma opened the door, and turned to leave. “Emma.” she called, as Emma began to pull the door shut. Opening it back up, Emma looked in. “Thank you,” Hannah said, her eyes full of gratitude.

Emma smiled at the confused, lost young woman. “Sleep well dear,” she said as she again pulled the door shut. Opening it back one last time, “by the way, why is it that you call him Bo?” Emma asked, having never heard Sam mention it.

Hannah laughed softly, a big smile that revealed her small dimples. “I’ll tell ya tomorrow at supper. Deal?”

“Deal,” Emma said as she pulled the door shut.

“So what’s she like?” Lou asked as Emma hung up the wash. Emma had given them all extra chores as punishment for the interference with Hannah. Lou had been cleaning out the stalls in the barn, but had taken a short break. She stood drinking from the ladle, sweat dripping from the young woman’s face.

Emma looked curiously at Lou. She knew that Lou was often quite lonely herself, being the only girl with a room full of boys all the time. It wasn’t easy for Lou. Emma also knew that since the boys had found out she was a girl, they started treating her different and there wasn’t a thing that anyone could do to change it.

“She’s a nice girl Louise. She’s sweet and friendly. But she’s had a rough time since she was kicked out of her school. You’ll like her I’m sure,” Emma said, seeing the curiosity in Lou’s eyes.

Lou stared straight ahead, contemplating what Emma had said. “Emma, why’d she get kicked out of her school? She didn’t seem like no troublemaker or nothing.”

“Well, from what Sam has said, when he left Missouri, she was only eight. He couldn’t care for her so he begged a friend of his parent’s, someone who had periodically helped him and Hannah out after their parent’s death, to care for Hannah. Her name was Miss Mason. She was a dance teacher at the Westlake Academy.”

Emma looked at Lou to see her transfixed on the story. When Emma stopped, Lou turned quickly. “And?” she asked, her eyes pleading for Emma to continue. Lou didn’t know why she wanted to know so much about Hannah for. There was just something about her that made Lou curious. Some of it was because Lou hadn’t been around many girls her own age. But the other was the terrible sadness that she had seen in Hannah’s eyes, something very deep.

“Miss Mason lived at the academy and was able to work it out so that Hannah was allowed to attend the school. I don’t know if you have ever heard of it Lou, but Westlake is a very rich, high society school. From what I gather, most of the kids that attended the school didn’t much like Hannah ‘cause she was poor. Miss Mason was only a teacher and made a modest wage.”

“But Hannah is strong. She continued with her education, learning everything she could, reading every book she could find. And she studied dance.”

Lou turned quickly to Emma. “Dance?” she questioned. The idea of being able to dance like those people in the ballet she had seen in St. Joseph one time when she and Kid had gone was something so unreal to her.

“Yeah, Miss Mason taught her everything she could. Hannah took all her classes and spent all her time practicing. Well, last month, Miss Mason died. Hannah was lost. Sam said that Miss Mason was not that much of a loving person to Hannah, but she was all that Hannah had. When Miss Mason died, the school took the opportunity to throw her out without warning. They said that if she couldn’t pay that she didn’t belong there.”

Lou felt her heart ache for the woman that she had yet to meet. “What did she do? Is that why she came here?”

“Yeah, a housekeeper that worked at the school, who was quite fond of Hannah, gave her money for the stage to send her to Sam. That was the only thing that she could do. Sam and Hannah have no other family but each other,” Emma said, laughing to herself as she watched the boys as they rough housed by the barn.

“And us,” Lou added, looking at Emma was certain eyes. Emma smiled, never more proud of Lou than she was at that moment.

“That’s right Lou. And us.”

Hannah stood looking at herself in the vanity. Scrutinizing her appearance, she considered changing her dress for the third time. ‘I wonder what they will think of me?’ she thought to herself as she felt her heart beating a little faster than usual.

Her pale green dress fit snugly around her small waist before opening up to a full skirt. The heart-shaped neck line flattered her soft white skin and revealed the small silver locket that she always wore, a gift from Sam when she was 7. She ran a brush through her long curls one more time, making sure the small flowery comb was firmly in place.

Running a nervous hand across the front of her dress, she brought both hands up to her stomach, trying to settle the butterflies that danced madly. She sighed, thinking about the handsome rider with the blue-green eyes. “Just be yourself Hannah,” she said to her reflection. “That’s all you can do.”

Knocking softly, Sam opened the hotel room door as he slipped his head in. He smiled seeing Hannah standing in front of the mirror, her nervousness expressed clearly in the lines that covered her crinkled up forehead. “Okay if I come in?” he asked as he opened the door all the way.

Turning to face him, Hannah smiled. “Of course you can.” She took one last look in the mirror, wanting to look just right.

Sam walked over to Hannah, and put his hands on her shoulders. Kissing her on the top of the head, “you look beautiful.” He stared at her reflection in the mirror, in awe of what an attractive woman she was growing in to. “You look just like Mama.”

Hannah’s eyes widened in surprise. She looked at Sam in the mirror, then back to her own reflection. “Really?” she asked, a look of wonder crossing her face. Hannah was only three when their mother died. She had no real recollection of her at all, only what Sam had said over the years and one old worn picture. “You really think so Bo?”

Sam wrapped his arms around Hannah’s shoulders, hugging her lightly. “You sure do sweet pea. Just like mama.” His mind wandered back to those days long ago when their mother and father had still been alive. “You ready to go?”

Hannah looked at her reflection one last time. Taking a deep breath, she smiled. “As ready as I’m gonna get.”

They rode out to the way station in Emma’s wagon. Sam had brought it back to town with him the night before when he had seen Emma home safely. Hannah sat beside him, her hands folded in her lap and her heart beating loudly in her ears.

As the station came into view, Hannah marveled at the quaint house with it’s white picket fence. Next to the house was a large barn and corral. Hannah could see a stable full of magnificent creatures roaming around in a pen. On the other side of the corral was what she determined to be the bunkhouse. ‘Must be where the men sleep,’ she thought to herself as she saw an older man standing with Emma by the house.

Sam reigned the wagon to a halt as Hannah watched the riders come out of the bunkhouse to stand on the porch. She could feel all eyes on her as Sam gave her his hand to help her down. Turning her attention to Emma, she smiled as Emma approached her.

“Hannah, you look so beautiful. Thank you for coming,” she said, hugging her tightly. Emma was radiant in the late afternoon light, her high collar blue shirt and long flowered skirt accentuating her gracious figure. “I want you to meet Teaspoon Hunter.”

Hannah held out her hand to the older gentleman, looking him over curiously. His face was warm, his smile twisted into a friendly grin. She could see the many years that had played on his face, sure that he had seen more in his life than anything Hannah would ever see in ten lifetimes.

Teaspoon took her hand and kissed the back of it gently, his hands then resting on his dark blue suspenders. “My, my Sam, you didn’t tell us she was so pretty.” Leaning in, Teaspoon smiled his crocked smile. “I’ll be sure to have a talk with him about that.”

Hannah laughed despite her nervousness. She leaned back in toward Teaspoon, a playful smile on her face. “I’ll help ya with that little talk.” Teaspoon laughed heartily as he held his arm out to her. “Shall we? I’m starving. You know, Emma makes a mean pot of stew,” he said, shaking his head matter-of-factly.

Taking the arm offered to her, Hannah laughed. “Is that so? I’m always ready for some mean cooking,” she said returning his jest. Teaspoon placed a hand on hers and headed toward the bunkhouse.

Sam and Emma exchanged a comfortable glance. Emma was certain that things would go good. ‘Leave it to Teaspoon to put even a nervous grizzly at ease,’ she thought to herself as they headed for the bunkhouse.

Ike looked around the sparkling bunkhouse. Him and Buck had done everything. Emma had made them wash nearly every surface in there before the morning was over. Now admiring his work, he straightened his vest. Glancing quickly in the small mirror that Lou kept under her bunk, Ike made sure that his bandanna was straight. He wanted to look nice when Hannah arrived.

Ike had seen the way that Cody had looked at her too. He had heard all of Cody’s comments about how pretty he thought she was. Ike knew that if Cody really wanted something, he was persistent. And from what Ike could tell, Cody wanted Hannah.

But that didn’t stop Ike’s heart from beating faster when he thought of her brilliant green eyes. And it didn’t stop his palms from sweating when he thought of her coming for supper. Even if Cody did get her attention, Ike just wanted a chance to get to know her. ‘Who knows’ he thought to himself, a smile on his face. ‘Maybe Cody won’t get what he wants this time.’

He heard a laugh from behind him. “Ike, what are you doing?” Turning quickly and dropping the mirror behind his back, he saw it was only Buck. Smiling, he replaced the mirror back under the mattress where he had found it. Buck stood with his arms crossed on his chest, his head cocked to one side.

~Don’t sneak up on people~ Ike signed, a smile on his face. He ran his hands down his shirt, wiping any wrinkles out of it. Walking past Buck, he headed outside to wait for Sam and Hannah to arrive. As he passed, Buck quickly grabbed his arm.

“She’s quite pretty, isn’t she?” he said, eyeing Ike carefully. Buck had seen the way that Ike had looked at her when they first saw her. He had noticed the way Ike had smiled as he took in her every movement. He had seen the sadness in Ike’s eyes when Hannah had begun to cry.

Ike looked at his best friend, a knowing exchanging passing between them. An image of her face flashed through his mind and he blushed slightly. Dropping his eyes to the floor in front of him, he knew it was silly to be so smitten with a woman that he really hadn’t even met. But he was about to and that excited him.

“Thought so,” Buck said as he clapped Ike on the back. The others had already gathered on the bunkhouse porch, watching as Sam and Hannah stood at the house with Emma and Teaspoon.

As Ike looked up at the scene in front of him, he felt like his breath was stuck in his chest. He stood with his mouth open as Teaspoon walked arm in arm with the radiant beauty. Ike felt weak in the knees as she looked up at them and smiled, her eyes so bright and full of hope.

Ike took in every detail of the young woman as she stood before him. Her pale green dress made her eyes even more green that he imagined was possible. Her hair was pulled back from her face, the back falling freely in long curls. And her smile....Ike was in awe.

“Boys,” Teaspoon said, as he stood with Hannah on one arm and the thumb on his other hand hitched around his suspender. “Let’s do this again, all proper like this time.” He looked at Jimmy as he spoke. Jimmy held his head down, a slight blush on his handsome cheeks. “This is Hannah Cain, Sam’s sister.”

Hannah felt like her heart was in her throat. She smiled looking from rider to rider, trying to make eye contact. “Hi everyone,” she said softly, feeling like she was completely exposed with everyone’s eyes on her.

“Hannah,” Teaspoon said, pointing to each rider in turn. “That’s Buck.” Buck leaned forward, greeting her with a warm and friendly smile and offering her a hand. Hannah shook it, eyeing the quiet man curiously. She could tell that he was an Indian, but it didn’t look to her that he was full blooded. “Kid,” Teaspoon continued on. Kid smiled and nodded his head. Hannah could see a strength to the tall dark haired man. She returned the smile. “This here is Lou,” Teaspoon said, pointing to the smaller rider. Lou stood with her hands shoved deep in her pockets. She smiled awkwardly as she pulled her hand out and offered it to Hannah. Hannah watched her closely, knowing that Lou was definitely a woman. She could see it in the small rider’s eyes and smile. Grabbing her hand and shaking it firmly, a quiet acknowledgment seemed to pass between the two young women.

As Teaspoon moved to Cody, he stepped up before Teaspoon could continue. “William F. Cody, at your service,” he said, a charismatic smile on his youthful face. He took her hand and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it, bending slightly as he looked up at Hannah with amazing blue eyes. ‘This must be who Emma was referring to yesterday when she talked about them being charming,’ Hannah thought as she smiled.

She felt her heartbeat quicken as Teaspoon moved on to the one she had been waiting for. “This is Ike.” Hannah’s gaze connected with Ike’s and didn’t let go. She leaned forward, a bashful smile on her pretty face.

“It’s a pleasure Ike,” she said as he took her hand in his. Hannah felt her knees weak from the strong touch of his hand, his grip lingering a few seconds longer than the others. As she pulled back, she watched as Ike began moving his arms in smooth, easy movements. Curious, she watched as his hands made different shapes and motions. She looked up into his trusting eyes. Finally realizing what he was doing, she smiled. “That’s sign.”

Ike looked surprised to see her smile as she said it. Most people that he met always acted as if he had a disease when they found out he used sign. He smiled, shaking his head. “He can’t talk. Never has. Do you understand sign?” Lou asked, watching Hannah with innocent fascination.

Hannah reluctantly pulled her gaze from Ike’s. Turning to Lou, she smiled. “Well, I know a little. I have read some books about it. But I’ve never really used it before.”

“This is Indian sign,” Teaspoon added, knowing that Hannah was referring to conventional sign language. “But some of the signs are the same.”

Hannah listened to Teaspoon before turning back to Ike. “Well, I may be able to understand some of it. But I can always learn,” she said, dropping her eyes bashfully as she felt her cheeks grow slightly red with a blush. “I mean if you will teach me.” She looked back to see Ike nodding his head vigorously, an eager smile on his handsome face.

“And this here is Jimmy.”

Hannah stood before the embarrassed young man, his head hanging down. “Look Hannah, I apologize for what I did yesterday. It was all a mistake.” He looked deep into her eyes, his shame so apparent to Hannah. He offered her a apologetic smile and then handed her a small bouquet of flowers. “These are for you.”

Hannah took the flowers, drawing deeply on their lovely fragrance. “You sure it’s okay if I take these?” she asked questioningly. Jimmy looked up at her, surprised by her uneasy question, only to be met by a playful grin. “I’m just teasing. Thank you Jimmy. They are lovely.”

“Well, now that’s done,” Teaspoon said, pulling on his suspenders. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.”

The riders laughed, Jimmy shaking his head. “Teaspoon, you’re always hungry.”

Hannah took a deep breath as they entered the bunkhouse, smiling nervously at Sam as he slipped his muscular arm around her waist. The small bunkhouse was like nothing she had ever seen before. Beds lining the outer edges of the walls and a big wooden table sat in the center of the room. A large black stove stood against the only open wall, its looming form like a watcher over the small domicile.

As the riders began taking their places at the table, Hannah stood uncomfortably by the door, not sure where she should sit. Before Hannah could ask, Lou resolved the young woman's conflict by grabbing her hand, and pulling her to the table. “Here. Sit here,” Lou said, her eyes sparkling as she looked up at the young woman.

Graciously Hannah followed, relieved to have been selected where to sit rather than having to choose. But just as she had begun to relax, she felt her body stiffen once again as Ike sat down at the table beside her, offering her a shy and awkward smile. Hannah couldn't help wondering what it was like for Lou to spend so much time with the riders, all of whom were attractive in their own right.

But her musings were interrupted as Emma set the food on the table, backing away quickly. Amazed by the speed with which the riders dove in, Hannah couldn't resist laughing as she watched them inhale their food, shoveling it in quickly and talking in between mouthfuls. 'Definitely not like the dining hall at Westlake,' she thought to herself, savoring her first mouthful of Emma's delicious stew.

All evening the conversation remained light and comfortable, often falling to Hannah and Sam. Questions were asked about her childhood and what Sam had been like. “Bo was such a sweet brother,” Hannah said, smiling at Sam as she talked. She could hear the questions whispering between the boys from her calling him Bo. “He used to always take me with him where ever he went. Not many brothers would do that with a much younger little sister.”

“Hannah, you said yesterday that you would tell us why you call him Bo,” Emma said as she happily watched the ease with which they all were getting along. Hannah looked at Sam who just shook his head. Sam had never really liked being called Bo when they were younger, but as he grew, the name sort of grew on him too.

Hannah laughed. “I’m sorry. It’s such a habit to call him that, I forget I do it most times.” She could feel Ike’s eyes on her as she dared to steal a glance in his direction. Their eyes met for a brief second, an innocent curiosity passing between them, before she returned her attention to the group.

“It’s nothing really exciting,” Hannah said, feeling all eyes on her. “When I was a child, I could never pronounce my R’s.” Hannah blushed slightly as she looked at Sam. “He was always trying to get me to say ‘brother’, but it always came out ‘bother’. No matter what he did. He would always say ‘bro Hannah, bro.’ To which I always replied ‘bo’. Eventually he gave up, but it just seemed to stick. After awhile, it was always Bo.”

Hannah looked sheepishly around the table to see if anyone was laughing at her. She was met with warm smiles. Jimmy looked over at Sam. “Does that mean we can call you Bo too?” he asked teasingly.

Sam threw his head back and laughed heartily. “Just try it Jimmy and see what happens.”

The conversation continued well after the meal had been finished. Teaspoon pushed away from the table, patting his round belly as he did. “That was another splendid meal Emma. Anyone up for some coffee?” he asked, groaning as he stood up.

A collective yes rang through the group. Emma stood up, gathering the dishes as she did. “I’ll help you with that Mr. Spoon.” Sam stood too, helping Emma collect the dishes. Hannah stood up to help with the dishes when Lou grabbed her hand “

You want to see our horses?” Lou asked, eager to talk to her new friend. The boys were talking about some big adventure that Cody had been on while the adults were gathering up dishes and talking quietly amongst themselves. Hannah smiled, shaking her head yes. “Good,” Lou said, turning to Emma. “We are going out to the corral. Holler when the coffee’s ready.”

They stepped out into a dusky evening, the darkness of night slowly closing in. Lou turned to Hannah, excitement in her eyes. “We have some real pretty horses. What kind do you have?”

Hannah inhaled deeply on the evening air. It was so warm still, even as the sun set on the western horizon. “I don’t have one. To be honest, I’ve never even ridden a horse before.”

Lou stopped, staring at Hannah as if she had just grown a new head. “You have never ridden a horse before? How come?”

Hannah had expected Lou’s reaction, especially given the fact that Lou’s life revolved around her horse. “We had a stable at the school I went to, but I never got to ride. Anywhere I went, we rode in a wagon.” Shrugging her shoulders, “just never had the opportunity I guess.”

Lou took Hannah’s hand and squeezed it gently. “We’ll have to teach ya.” Lou pulled her into the barn, lighting a lantern as they went. As they approached the back stall, Hannah could see a proud smile cross Lou’s face, a sparkle in her eyes. “This is my horse. Ain’t he nice?”

Hannah stood with her hands on the wooden gate that led to the stall. “Oh, he’s beautiful,” she said as she stared at the magnificent brown creature. Lou turned and stared lovingly at the horse. “Did you just get her?”

“Yupe,” Lou said, pride bursting from every seam. “Bought her with my own money too. Her name is Chestnut.” They stood in silence, staring at the horse for several minutes.

“Lou, can I ask you a question?” Hannah said, looking at the ground in front of her.

“Sure,” Lou said, happy to have someone to talk with. She had been around the boys for so long, that she almost forgot what it was like to have a normal conversation. Their usual talks revolved around shooting or riding, and not much else in between. She turned to face the young woman, her foot resting on the bottom wrung of the stall gate.

Hannah looked up and met Lou’s eyes. Smiling, she wondered how to ask. “Um, do they know you are a woman?” Hannah asked, not wanting to over step her bounds. She could see the smile slip from Lou’s face, only to be replaced with an embarrassed look.

“How did you know?” Lou said, turning toward her horse. Lou could feel her face turning red. Her first thought was to lie, to tell her it wasn’t true. But she knew that Hannah could see past her false facade. She wondered if Hannah would think badly of her for trying to be a boy.

Hannah smiled, taking Lou’s hand in hers. “Just a feeling I guess. It’s in your eyes. Women see things differently than men do. I don’t mean to be nosy.” She could feel Lou pull away from her. “I can understand why though. I know that The Pony Express will only hire men. Is that why you do it?”

Lou looked at Hannah to see her face filled with understanding. She hadn’t judged her like most women did. If anything, it seemed that Hannah felt closer to Lou to be able to share her secret. “It’s hard for a woman in the West. Not much we can do, but be wives or whores. I needed the work so I made myself fit what they needed.”

“Do the others know?” Hannah said, sensing that Lou was beginning to feel more at ease with her intrusion.

Lou shook her head. “Yeah, they all know. People in town don’t though, well except for Sam.”

“It must be exciting sometimes to be able to be someone else,” she said dreamily as she watched Chestnut come closer to her. Lou reached up and began petting the horse’s nose. Hannah looked at Lou, eagerness in her face. “Can I touch him too?”

Lou laughed heartily. “Sure you can. Pet him right here,” she said as she took Hannah’s hand and placed it on Chestnut’s nose. Hannah was in awe of the majestic creature. She had read all about horses and had spent many hours staring out the library window, watching the wealthy girls when they went on rides.

Lou watching, a smile on her face as Hannah stroked Chestnut’s nose. She felt comfortable with the young woman, a bond already beginning to form as Hannah looked at Lou with amazement as the horse nibbled on her hand. Leaning forward, Hannah placed a small kiss on the horse’s nose.

Turning to Lou, she brushed her hands against her skirt. “So tell me how you can be around all those handsome boys and not fall madly in love, ” Hannah said with a twinkle in her eyes.

Lou laughed at the thought of falling in love with Cody or Buck or the others. They were so much like brothers to her. She couldn’t even imagine it. But an image of Kid came into her mind and a shy smile took over her face as she lowered her head.

Hannah laughed gleefully, grabbing her hand. “So there is one.” She looked around the barn for some place to sit. Seeing an empty stall, she pulled Lou over and sat down in the soft hay. “Tell me.....which one,” she said eager to hear about someone else’s love since she had none of her own. “Wait,” she said as Lou sat down next to her. “Let me guess.”

Lou shook her head and waited to see who she would pick. Hannah thought about all the men that she had met and the way in which they had acted at dinner. Buck and Ike seemed to interact with her like a sister, often hitting her on the arm. Cody was a bit more of a possibility, but it seemed that he had been trying awfully hard to get her own attention so she didn’t think it was him. That left only Jimmy or Kid.

“I bet it’s Kid,” she said finally, looking at Lou for reassurance. A big smile broke out on the young woman’s face. Hannah laughed, clapping her hands together. “I’m right, aren’t I.” Lou shook her head yes.

“He’s cute, don’t you think?” Lou asked, her heart swelling with love when she thought of Kid. “How did you guess?”

“He is very handsome. I noticed the way he kept looking at you when we were eating supper. When you talk, he hangs on your every word,” Hannah said, running her hand through the soft hay that they sat on.

Lou smiled broadly, her cheeks turning pink as she brought her hands up to cover her face. “No, he doesn’t,” she said leaning forward, her head resting on Hannah’s knee.

Hannah ran her hand over the young woman’s hair. “Yes, he does.”

“Hannah! Lou!”

Lou sat up quickly, not wanting their talking to end. She took both of Hannah’s hands in hers. “You sweet on any of them yet?” she said, knowing how sweet and charming the other riders could be.

Hannah stood up, pulling Lou up with her. Wiping hay off of her bottom, she smiled as she turned to leave the barn. “Oh no you don’t,” Lou said playfully as Hannah stepped out of the barn. She caught up with her as they walked up to the house. Everyone was already sitting around the steps, drinking coffee. Lou grabbed her hand, “our secret, kay?”

Hannah smiled, winking at her new friend. “For life or longer.”

“Besides, I already know who you’re sweet on,” she whispered as she opened the gate. Hannah looked at Lou with wide eyes, her mouth hanging agape.

“No, you don’t,” Hannah finally managed, following her up the walk.

“You don’t what?” Jimmy said, sipping his steaming cup of coffee.

“Nothing,” Hannah and Lou both said at the same time before breaking out into a fit of gigglish laughter. ‘There’s no way Lou would know who I am interested in,’ she thought to herself as she started up the stairs. Ike stood up from where he sat, offering his spot to Hannah.

Hannah was taken back by his thoughtful gesture. Lou grabbed her and Hannah’s cup of coffee and handed it to Hannah as she sat down on the steps beside her. “Do to,” she whispered, gently nudging Hannah in the arm.

Hannah could see Ike standing up behind her. Feeling guilty that she took his spot, she pushed Lou over, moving her closer to Kid. “Here Ike, there’s room for everyone,” she said, patting the open space on the stair.

Ike smiled shyly, nodding his head as he sat back down. He couldn’t help but see Buck staring at him, a knowing look on the Kiowa’s face. ~How’s your coffee?~ he signed, trying to make his signs slow and sharp to see if she would understand.

Hannah smiled, turning to face him. “Oh I see, you’re gonna test me.” She watched his movements closely, pulling from her memory of those long ago books. “My drink?” she asked, pointing to her coffee. “Do I like my coffee?”

Ike nodded, smiling at the look of concentration on her face. When she was right, she smiled coyly. “It’s good. I like coffee.” Taking the cup in both hands, she blew on the steaming brew. “Besides, it keeps me warm. Am I the only one getting cold out here?” she asked, looking around at the others. Ike was ready to jump up and run to get his coat when Sam wrapped his jacket around her shoulders.

“There you go sweet pea,” he said, running his hand along her hair.

Settling back into the porch swing, Sam wrapped his arm around Emma’s shoulders as she nestled herself to his chest. She was amazed at the complete change in Hannah since she had arrived at the house. Earlier she had been so stiff and proper, keeping to herself. But now she smiled with youthful excitement, laughing and joking with the riders like she had known them forever. It did Emma’s heart good to see her fitting in. She knew it was what Hannah had wanted more than anything.

“Hannah, what did you study at your school?” Jimmy asked as he laid back on the steps just below her, turning his head up so that he could see her, even if it was upside down.

“I studied dance,” she said as she looked down at the man that only yesterday had scared the life out of her. Now she felt as if they were already becoming friends.

All the riders turned to her at once, curious to that course of study. “As in that ballet stuff?” Cody asked, intrigued by the idea of seeing Hannah dance.

“Yeah, as in ballet. I started dancing when I was eight. I had an amazing teacher. She taught me everything that she knew. She had danced in New York. Can you believe that?” she asked, her excitement shining like a star in the sky as she looked over at Cody.

“Wow,” Lou choked out, unable to even imagine getting to see a city like New York. “Have you ever been to New York Hannah?” Lou asked, watching the dreamy look that Hannah had when she thought of dancing.

“Oh no. Not me. I always wanted to, but I haven’t been much of anywhere. Well, except for here now,” she said, offering her new found friends her only bit of worldly knowledge.

“We would love to see you dance some time Hannah,” Emma said, her head resting on Sam’s shoulder. Hannah nearly choked on her coffee, coughing as she tried to clear her windpipe. Ike and Lou patted her back as everyone laughed.

“Emma, you got her all choked up,” Cody laughed, his blue eyes sparkling like diamonds.

Finally back in control, Hannah felt her face burning red. “Maybe some day,” she said, knowing that she would never be able to dance in front of them. Her dancing was a private thing for her. She liked to throw her whole body and soul into her dance.

Ike could see the sheer terror that crossed her eyes when Emma had mentioned her dancing. He couldn’t help but laugh, knowing how terribly awkward that would be for her, still being so new to them and all. But he couldn’t help think of how wonderful it would be to see her dance. She was beautiful just sitting next to him, a big bulky coat draped over her shoulders. He could only imagine she would be even more beautiful when she danced.

Sam kissed Emma softly on the lips, nodding that it was time to go. They both stood up, Sam stretching his long arms over his head. “You ‘bout ready sweet pea?” he said, watching as Hannah and the riders talked softly.

Hannah stifled back a yawn, downing the last of her coffee. “I guess so,” she said, not really wanting to leave. She liked the comforting feeling that she had, surrounded by the riders with the enormous dark blue sky up above. The moon hung low on the horizon, and Hannah finally felt like she belonged.

She stood up, slipping her arms into Sam’s coat. The air had taken on a nip to it that Hannah wasn’t used to. “Who’s got morning run?” Emma asked, her arms crossed tightly to her chest. She too thought it was a touch cool.

“I do,” Jimmy said, not sounding too excited about it.

“Well, I suggest you get some sleep. It’s pretty late Jimmy,” she said, her voice taking on a motherly tone.

“I know. I’m going,” he said, standing up and stretching his arms over his head. Bending his head from side to side, it cracked several times. “Awww,” he groaned, smiling sheepishly. He turned toward Hannah as she stood at the bottom of the stairs. He opened his arms, looking at her for a hug. “You sure you forgive me?” he asked as she moved forward to hug him.

“Of course I’m sure,” she said, patting him on the back. “But you owe me,” she said playfully, pushing him toward the bunkhouse. “Now get some sleep.”

Cody was the next one by, a cocky grin on his face. “Do I get one too?” He held out his arms, waiting for his turn. Hannah laughed, hugging him briefly before pulling away. Cody smiled, his eyes full of mischief. “I’m in heaven,” he said as he headed on toward the bunkhouse.

Hannah pushed him playfully. “You are such a ham.”

Kid and the others laughed. “She’s only known you one day Cody and she’s already got you figured out,” Kid said as he hugged Hannah quickly. Winking at her, he smiled. “Glad you’re here.”

Buck grabbed Hannah’s forearm, shaking it strongly. “I can’t tell you how sorry we are for what happened yesterday. I’m glad that you gave us another chance.”

Hannah smiled. “That was the past Buck. But thank you. I’m glad that Emma invited us out here.”

Lou and Ike stood side by side as Sam and Emma talked quietly on the porch. Lou glanced at Ike as she walked up to Hannah and threw her arms around her. Whispering in her ear, “I know it’s Ike.” As Lou drew back, Hannah only smiled.

“For life or longer, right Lou?” Hannah said as she watched the young woman walk toward the bunkhouse. Lou turned back to Hannah, a smile on her face as she shook her head yes. Hannah turned back to face Ike, a smile on her face. As Ike approached her, she started to open her arms for a hug when he did something that caught her off guard. He took her hand and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it. Looking up at her, his eyes were filled with wonder and fascination.

~I look forward to getting to know you better~ he signed, his heart racing from being so close to the amazing young woman.

Hannah watched his signs carefully. “You like horseback riding?” she asked, not quite sure of some of his movements. He laughed, shaking his head no.

“He said he looks forward to knowing you better,” Emma said, Sam standing behind her with his arms around her waist.

Hannah laughed, laying her hand on Ike’s forearm. “I’m sorry. I blew that one. If you ever get a chance, you’ll have to teach me.” Her face was red, the blush burning through her cheeks. “I look forward to getting to know you too Ike,” she said as Sam came over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Ike nodded and headed for the bunkhouse, a goofy grin on his handsome face. “You ready?” he asked, rubbing Hannah’s shoulder briskly.

Hannah turned quickly and ran over to Emma. Throwing her arms around Emma, she embraced her tightly. “Thank you so much Emma. For everything.”

“You’re welcome darlin’. When you coming back over?” Emma asked, curious as to what her plans were.

Hannah shrugged. She hadn’t thought about that. “I guess tomorrow if that’s okay with you. Maybe I could help with chores,” she said, looking at Emma for approval.

Emma laughed. “I don’t think I ever heard anyone say they want to help with chores before.” Taking Hannah’s hands in hers, “you are welcome here any time you want. You don’t have to do any chores. Just bring yourself. That’s all we want.”

Hannah smiled. “Okay, see ya in the morning,” she said as she ran over to Sam who was patiently waiting in the wagon. As she climbed in, she waved at Emma. Looking back at the bunkhouse, she could see a shadow looking out the bunkhouse window and hoped it was Ike. She looked up at the now fully shining moon and smiled. It felt good to belong.

“Come on Cody,” Hannah said, pushing him playfully. “Let me try. I can do it.”

Cody turned his bright blue eyes on the beautiful young woman. With a smirk on his face, he shook his head. “Nah, you’re just a girl.” Cody looked back ahead, his smile covering his whole face as he glanced over at Ike. Ike looked at him with wide eyes, shaking his head as he laughed to himself.

Cody realized that she had gotten quiet beside him. He turned to see that she had stormed off. “Just like a girl,” he said playfully, smiling at Ike as he swung the ax, breaking the piece of wood in two.

Ike laughed at Cody’s arrogant behavior. Just as he was about to head back into the corral, he saw Hannah sneaking up behind Cody with a bucket of water in her hands. She put a finger to her lips, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Cody was just pulling the ax out of the wood when he was doused with the cold clean water. A look of disbelief crossed his face as he turned to Ike, his eyes wide and his mouth hung open. Hannah erupted in a fit of laughter, her hand held to her stomach. “Just a girl, huh?” she said, standing triumphant with her hand resting on her hip.

Cody slowly turned his head toward the young woman, one eyebrow cocked. “Ooohhh, you are so dead,” he said, dropping the ax and running after the small woman. Hannah screamed when she saw him coming after her, laughing as she ran.

Ike watched from the corral fence. It was amazing to him the change in Hannah since she arrived. It had only been two weeks, but she was like a part of the family. Sam brought her out to the way station nearly every other day. She would help out with chores, often causing more trouble than good.

Lou had developed that greatest attachment to Hannah. They would often disappear for hours, always talking and laughing when they returned. Ike was glad too. He knew how hard it was for Lou not having any girl friends her own age. He had often watched them from a far when they went into the barn. They would sit and talk, laughing and sharing. He wondered how they always found so much to talk about.

He had also spent quite a bit of time with Hannah. She had come to him on several occasions, asking if he would teach her more signs. They would sit out behind the bunkhouse, the sun to their backs, for hours. She was tireless. He would show her a sign and she would have it memorized within minutes.

Ike cherished every moment that he spent with Hannah. She was like a breath of fresh air. She made him feel special. When they sat together, it was as if no one else existed. She talked of herself and of Sam, and asked a million questions of him. She seemed to want to know it all, everything that he had done, every place he had been, everything he felt.

Buck warned him not to fall too fast. Cody was still pursuing her relentlessly, but from what Ike had seen she had made no gesture to him that expressed anything more than just friends. Ike knew he should be careful in his mind,