Prologue
"We have to go into town today," Melinda stressed the last word as she continued, "Our supplies are dangerously low and no one has sent anymore through since last month."
Alexis sighed, "I noticed that this morning. Guess we better get Sarah and tell her. She's not going to like this; she is really against us interfering in anyway."
As the two young women walked toward their rustic cabin, their minds raced with what could have happened on the other side of the portal. Supplies had come every few days at first. They, in return, had sent back all the data they were able to collect about the prairie and the wildlife here. Lately though they would send the data on schedule but never received any word or supplies back.
Reaching the cabin, Alexis called out for Sarah but got no answer. She figured her friend and teammate was asleep and decided to check her room. She found the bed empty though and it didn't even appear to have been slept in. Turning back to tell Melinda her findings, she heard Sarah's frantic voice in the yard calling her and Melinda. From the sound of her voice they knew something bad had happened. Exchanging terrified looks they rushed out into the yard.
The two of them rushed to Sarah's side as she fell to her knees, crying and trying to talk at the same time making it difficult to understand what she was saying. "It's awful," Sarah cried, "The worst we could imagine has happened. They're all gone! Everyone we know! Nothing left."
"What?" exclaimed her two friends together.
Melinda regained herself first, calming down enough to ask, "What's happened Sarah? What's all gone?" She knew the answer even though she didn't want to acknowledge it.
"I went to check for supplies this morning as usual and found this," she said as she held up a video camera.
"They sent us a video camera instead of the supplies we need!" Alexis exclaimed, anger hiding her fear.
"I thought the same thing when I saw it. Then I noticed the tape had been used, so I played it," Sarah replied starting to cry again.
Melinda didn't like the feeling she was getting in the pit of her stomach; this was going to be bad, very bad. "What's on the tape?" she asked, not really wanting to know but knowing she had to find out. However, all Sarah did was open the small screen and hand her the camcorder. As she pushed the play button her feelings of dread became stronger.
"Hey, girls," came Max's gravely serious voice over the speaker. "As you can see things here have gone downhill pretty fast. The terrorist attacks have begun and it's just a matter of time before war breaks out.
He appeared on the screen then and they saw just how serious things were. The always smiling never serious Max was frowning. Fear, pain and anguish were written all over his handsome face. "Sarah," he said as his voice cracked, "Sam was at a ball game last week when a bomb went off at the stadium, Candlestick Park was leveled. I'm sorry; no one made it out alive.
"Mel, three missiles hit Atlanta last month without warning. They wouldn't let me tell you at the time they knew you would demand to be brought home immediately. Right now it's a wasteland from the Tennessee state line south to Macon. At this time no one is allowed to enter the state except for the National Guard and aid workers.
They watched as Max took a drink, trying to mask the devastating emotions he was feeling, and then continued on, "Alex, Mexico invaded Southern California, New Mexico and Arizona about the same time. They haven't reached Phoenix yet but could within the next few weeks. I'm sure your family will have moved further north before then." He paused swallowed hard then frowning he added, "Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I thought you would want to know the truth. I'm not sure how much longer the portal will be operational, they could close us down any day; so I'm going to try and send this through tonight if I can. Take care girls. Love ya." The last thing they saw was Max's handsome face and his silly grin as static took over.
But only for a moment, because abruptly Max was back again. "I'm glad ya'll aren't here," he began breathlessly, "They're talking about nuking us," he said as he ran his fingers through his hair, "and I believe this time it's going to happen. Things have been getting worse and worse. Russia nuked Israel today. China is threatening Japan and us. We're trying to recover from all…" Suddenly a loud wailing sound could be heard in the background. "OH, MY GOD, can you hear it the sirens are going off." Static again, then a badly burnt and bloodied Max appeared. He looked as if he had been in a horrible fight and gotten the worst of it. He had a long cut on his cheek and burns across his forehead and on his arms and hands. "I'm glad you aren't here. Please make the best life you can for yourselves there. Hope you like the present. Love ya," he said in a pain filled voice. The tape shut off as it ended.
Melinda and Alexis sat down on the ground next to Sarah. They were all crying now. Sarah the hardest, followed by Melinda and Alexis.
Shakily, Alexis asked, "You think they took out everything?"
"I tried to open the portal and go home to see how bad it was. None of the signals went through. Not even when I dialed a week or so ago. What are we going to do?" Sarah asked no one in particular.
Getting control of the searing pain that was tearing her heart apart, Melinda, always the leader of their small team, took control. "We are going into town and get supplies. We have the four-wheelers and the Jeep but we'll have to walk part of the way."
"You sure we should do this?" Sarah asked, always the most cautious of the team. "You know the policy about interfering with history."
"The way I see it, we just became a part of that history," Alexis commented, more anger in her voice than she actually meant. Her friends knew the anger hid the fear and hurt she was feeling at not being able to help her family.
"We still need to be careful not to give away anythings, so to speak," Melinda replied. "And we need to find out what this present Max sent is. Did you see anything at the portal?" she asked Sarah.
"Come to think of it there was a large box, sitting near the portal. I didn't think to grab it after I saw the tape though." "Well, let's get on with it and find out just what Max sent," Alexis said with disgust. "It's probably just another one of his jokes."
"I'll get the gear," Sarah offered as she headed toward the garden shed.
"I'll meet you two at the Jeep," Melinda said as she ran toward the cabin.
"Guess that leaves me with getting the Jeep ready," Alex said to herself as she headed for the barn.
She walked to one of the posts next to the first stall and pushed a hidden button. Quietly, the floor of the barn began to sink at an angle turning into a ramp. Alexis followed the ramp down and reaching the bottom, she walked up to the vehicle. It was painted in forest cammie. Though it wasn't raised overly high, it had large tires, a winch, and a complete roll cage. Alexis turned the key to make sure the Jeep would start. When she heard it roar to life she jumped behind the wheel and drove out of the underground garage.
Hearing the Jeep, Sarah came out of the garden shed with small communicators, a GPS, and three stun guns. Climbing into the vehicle next to Alexis she said, "Ready."
They drove up to the cabin as Melinda came running out carrying a small device. "What's that?" Alexis asked.
"A tracking device. Max was supposed to bug everything he sent through. I checked the camera and it was bugged, so I figure his present should be too," Melinda explained.
Alexis put the Jeep in gear, steering it in the direction of the portal. But her mind went in a totally different direction, as did her friends. Alexis wished she were back, home with her family defending her home. She never dreamed when she accepted this job as geologist with the government she would get stranded in 1860 with no way to get back to her own time. Granted the air was cleaner here, the water purer and everything so much greener but her family was back in 2062 fighting to stay alive. She really wished she were with them. Sarah was thinking of Sam. They had said their good-byes when he had left for sea a few weeks before she left. She kept feeling that she should have been at the game with him but she knew deep inside she wouldn't have. She hated baseball almost as much as he loved it. She also knew that most of her guilt came from the fact that she really hadn't thought of him in the last couple of weeks. Sure she missed him but not like she had when they had first started dating. A zoologist and a fighter pilot, everyone had told them it wouldn't work, but they had tried anyway, hoping to beat the odds against them. She prayed he hadn't suffered that the end had come quick for him. An odd little smile appeared on her face as she thought of Sam dieing the way he had. He had always said that if he wasn't shot down he would prefer dieing at a Giant's home game since the stadium was like a second home to him.
Melinda sat sideways in the back of the Jeep, keeping her face hidden from her friends. No one knew the two small boys that her parents had adopted were really hers. When she gave birth to them on the eve of her 17th birthday, her parents had given her the most wonderful present by adopting them, though, at the time she hadn't felt that way. But as they grew, she loved them more and more. Zack was the image of his father and Allen was her image. They were handsome boys and their loss was killing her, but she held it all in. She couldn't tell anyone else or she would lose her job, the job that would eventually help to make them a family one day. She felt the loss of her parents strongly also. They had always been there for her, even when she had let them down by becoming pregnant at such a young age. They had known she loved Brett, and had helped her through his death in the car accident. When they found out Melinda was pregnant, her mother had home schooled her, helping her to graduate with honors. Then her father had sold his beloved bass boat to pay for the part of her college tuition that the scholarships hadn't. She had finished college two years ago and was now the top in her field of plant biology and history. All that work and sacrifice to find herself stranded in another time and her family gone.
The tears ran slowly down each face, mourning in their own way for what they had lost. When they reached the time portal each woman turned away to dry her eyes before the others saw.
When she spoke, Alexis's voice cracked. "Where do you think we should start looking?"
Melinda's hoarse reply came over her shoulder, as she turned on the tracking device, "This way."
Sarah followed them, hanging back. She knew she had panicked when she saw the tape and was angry with herself. As they approached the portal, they didn't see anything at first. But as Melinda slowly turned towards the left, the beeping from the tracking device became louder and louder. They spotted the box partly hidden behind a tree. From the way it sat, it looked as if someone had thrown it away from the portal.
Shutting off the tracking device and putting it in the pack she was carrying, Melinda righted the box. She hesitated unsure of what might be in the box.
Alexis opened it, and inside, they saw three carpetbags and a small old trunk. Each of the carpetbags had a name on it. As Alexis took hers and opened it, she found two long sleeved blouses, two long skirts, a very pretty dress, stockings and undergarments of the time. Holding up the corset she said, "I don't think so."
Even through their grief, her friends laughed at her joke. "I agree," replied Sarah. "Think I'll just stick to my bra. I ain't into pain."
"Good old Max thought of everything didn't he," Melinda said with affection though her voice was underscored with sadness at the loss of a friend that was like a big brother to her.
Reaching back in the box she pulled out a small old trunk, with a note was taped to the top, and it was addressed to them and written by Max. She opened it and began reading aloud.
Ladies, My grandfather gave this to me several years ago right before he died. He said I'd know what to do with it when the time came. When things started going bad I figured you could use this. Take care of yourselves and have good lives. We'll meet again someday. Max
Slowly Sarah opened the small trunk. It was filled with old gold and silver coins. Melinda reached in and pulled out a small bag, and opening it, she found several gold nuggets. Alexis pulled out another bag, and in it was gold dust. "This would be a small fortune in our time, I bet it's worth more here," Alexis said, reaching for the nuggets Melinda held. "These look to be more gold than rock, and this bag is full of what I'm sure is gold dust. Just guessing at the weight…I'd say several hundred dollars worth."
Sarah and Alexis jumped as they heard Melinda burst out laughing and turned to her. "A prankster to the end, that's our Max," Melinda said as she held up a box of condoms. "Look what he put in the bottom of the trunk."
Alexis and Sarah began to laugh with her. All the girls knew they could never have stopped what had happened in the future, though each hoped their family and friends had been spared. And that Max could have come through with his box. They also realized that they were here for good. Max would have destroyed the time travel machine to keep it out of the hands of the terrorists. As the laughter died, they became serious again.
"It won't be so bad," Sarah said. "Fresh air and clean water, it'll be good for us."
"Yeah," agreed Melinda, "no pesticides to cover the taste of the veggies, or steroids and antibiotics in the meat." Her last statement caused her to pause for moment, they needed to keep the freezers and refrigerators running or what meat they had would spoil. "We will have to find a way to keep the generators running. Especially since, we'll need to keep the refrigerators and freezers working since they haven't been invented yet. And that means keeping the generators powered."
"Heaven knows how they kept meat fresh here," Alexis commented, her specialty was mechanics and geology, not history. And since they had stayed away from everyone here, she realized she had a lot to learn. "We'll need to just use the Jeep for emergencies and such until I can convert it and the generators to ethanol and we get a still going to make the fuel."
"We can get some horses, cows, and some chickens, that should help with the food situation and transportation when we need it. Guess that internship on that farm wasn't for not after all," Sarah said trying to focus on the now and not her sorrow.
"I still have a small amount of that super soil left. We could get a garden going in no time for fresh vegetables," Melinda added. "We can make a life here. It won't be so bad at least we know what is going to happen." As she thought about it she realized there was no hope for it. They would have to go to town and get the things that they couldn't grow themselves, not to mention to purchase the livestock. "Though there are some supplies left, we will have to get some things from the town. Let's get these things loaded in the Jeep, get to town, and back to the cabin. We have new lives to start here."
"Let's go," Alexis said grabbing her bag and one side of the trunk, Sarah took the other. Melinda put her bag back in the box and carried them to the Jeep.
Chapter 1
"Thank you, Mrs. Jones. Say hello to that husband of yours," Tompkins said. Turning he said, "What can I do for you, Kid?"
"Rachel asked Lou and me to pick these things up for her," Kid replied as he handed Tompkins Rachel's list.
"It's a pretty short list today," Tompkins replied as he read over the list.
"Yeah, just a few things Rachel said she forgot yesterday," Lou answered leaning against the counter.
The bell over the door rang as Jimmy walked in, "Hey, what are you two doing in town?"
"Pickin' up a few things for Rachel," Kid replied.
While Tompkins gathered up the items on Rachel's list, the riders looked around the store. Kid and Jimmy were looking at the new knives Tompkins had just gotten in. Lou, though, was looking at the jewelry and a set of combs he had on display in another case. Jimmy glanced in her direction as she picked one of the combs up. He saw her smile as she admired it. Nudging Kid to get his attention, he pointed to Lou. They saw her frown as she looked at the small tag that was attached to it, and gently place the comb back into the case. Tompkins came back from the storeroom with the last of Rachel's order. Lou took several packages and left.
As she went out the door Kid called, "Meet ya outside in a minute, Lou."
"Sure," she called over her shoulder.
"She really liked them, didn't she?" Jimmy said.
Making sure Tompkins was out of hearing range Kid replied, "It looked that way." He then put back the knife he had been considering purchasing.
They walked over to the small jewelry case that was sitting on the other counter. Kid picked up one of the combs Lou had been admiring. "Bet it sure would look pretty on her," commented Jimmy.
"Uh, huh," Kid said, thinking how pretty Lou would look with the combs in her hair and dressed like she was going to a dance.
Looking at the price, he shook his head. Five dollars was a lot of money. He knew Lou didn't have much money because she had just sent most of last month's pay to the orphanage for her brother and sister. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out what he had left of his pay. He had ten dollars and he still had to pay Doc for taking care of Katy last week and had a run to Seneca in a couple of days. He knew he didn't have enough to purchase the combs too. Sighing he started to lay them back in the case.
Jimmy sensing Kid's delimma asked, "How much?"
"Five dollars," Kid replied.
"You boys be careful with those they came all the way from Chicago," Tompkins said.
"We're buying them," Jimmy replied taking offense at Thompkin's tone.
"Jimmy…" Kid started to say.
"Here," Jimmy shoved the coins into his friend's pocket saying, "that should cover my half."
Smiling Kid handed Tompkins the money saying, "Can you wrap them up real nice."
"Sure," Tompkins replied a bit stunned. He hadn't expected the boys to actually buy the combs. "These for Rachel?" he asked.
"Nope," answered Jimmy.
"Another friend," Kid said with a grin as Tompkins handed him the small present. Kid and Jimmy finished gathering the rest of Rachel's packages and headed out of the store.
"What took you two so long?" Lou asked impatiently a few moments later.
"We had to pick something up for a friend," Jimmy said as he smiled knowingly at Kid.
"You comin' back to the station for lunch?" Lou asked.
"Nope, Teaspoon asked me to keep an eye on things while he ran out to the Johnson place to check on them since their son is back east," Jimmy replied.
"See ya later, then," Kid replied as he made to follow Lou down the street.
"Hey, Kid," Jimmy said before Kid got too far away, "let me know how she likes them."
Laughing Kid said, "No, problem."
As they passed the front of the barn, Kid pulled Lou inside nearly dropping a couple of his packages. "Here," he said holding it out to her a package to her.
"What is it?" Lou asked.
"Um…Jimmy and I got you something," he said as she took the package from him. "Thought you might like to wear them to the dance next week," he said as she opened the small package.
"OH," was all Lou could manage at first. Then she tried to give them back to him saying it was too much.
"Nonsense," Kid replied, "We know how much you like to look nice."
"Thanks, Kid," Lou mumbled shyly. The other riders especially Jimmy and Kid could really surprise her sometimes with the special things they did for her. "I'll pay ya'll back."
Kid knew it was her pride that made her say that. Thinking fast of a way to make her understand they were a present he said, "How long have we known each other Lou? 'Bout a year now don't ya think?"
"Yeah. What are you getting at, Kid?" she asked a bit confused and uncomfortable.
"Well, in all that time I don't think we ever celebrated your birthday. When is it anyway?" he asked.
"It was last month," she said looking away.
"Last month, why didn't you say something?" Kid asked not understanding why she wouldn't tell him.
"Well, um…" Lou started. "It was right after we got back from Elais's hangin'."
"Oh…um…" Kid was at a loss as to how to respond to her. Looking at her, he smiled, "You can't give them back it's a present from Jimmy and me. You could wear them to the dance week after next. Maybe be Teaspoon's niece or Rachel's cousin."
Lou looked up at him through her lashes. Grinning she stood on tip toe and kissed his cheek. "Thank you." She mumbled as she rushed out the door of the barn.
Kid watched with a grin himself as he stood in the doorway of the barn watching Lou rush up to Rachel's house. Out of the corner of his eye he watched a trail of dust being kicked up out on the prairie. He wondered what could be moving so fast, and decided since it wasn't heading toward town he'd mention it to Teaspoon later. It was probably just a herd of antelope or cattle stampeding.
Chapter 2
Pulling the Jeep to a stop amid some rocks, the three women climbed out. Melinda pulled her bag out and started to change.
"Um, shouldn't one of us keep watch?" Alexis asked looking around.
"Why? It's not like anyone is around. The settlements are still pretty much spread out. Besides we're in the middle of no where," Melinda replied.
"She's right Alex, no one is going to be around to spy on us. So get changed. We have a lot to do and a long walk ahead of us," Sarah agreed as she too started changing.
"Alright, but I still think we need a lookout," Alexis argued.
After getting changed the three friends and team members headed into town. They'd purposely stopped two miles from town to be sure no one would see the Jeep. By the time they reached the outskirts of town they were all hot and tired. They noticed the sign saying Rock Creek as they entered the town.
"Something happened here," Melinda said to her friends. "I just can't remember what."
"Was it something important?" Alexis asked.
"I don't remember." Melinda racked her brain trying to remember. "I guess it can't be too important, if I don't remember it."
"So we're safe?" Sarah asked.
"I think so," Melinda said with a shrug and a frown, not really sure at all.
"That's reassuring," Alexis quipped as she spotted the saloon, and pointed with a smile.
"We can't go in there," Melinda said in a voice slighty above a whisper as a couple of men walked past. "It wouldn't be proper for young women to do that in this time. Haven't you ever seen a western?"
"Who ever said I was proper?" Alexis growled at her friends. She'd been a tomboy all her life, with five brothers it was hard to be anything else.
"We do," Sarah and Melinda said in unison as each took an arm and propelled Alexis away from the saloon.
"I wasn't going in," Alexis said as they neared the general store.
"Sure you weren't. Just like the time you weren't going to go down that hill at full speed. You nearly got us killed," Sarah replied.
"I told you then the gas pedal stuck," Alexis stated, but was grinning so her friends didn't believe her at all.
"Will you too please stop," Melinda snapped. "We don't want to draw attention to ourselves." Melinda knew that Alexis was trying to cover the worry she was feeling about her family by joking and being irritable. Sarah, too, was covering her fear by doing the same. This was serious though, they would eventually have to find jobs in town since they knew next to nothing about farming or ranching in this time. Heck, even in their time their knowledge was extremely limited, except for Sarah who had served her internship on a small farm. Looking at the hurt expressions on her friends faces she apologized, "I'm sorry."
Putting her arm around Melinda's shoulders Alexis said, "That's okay. I guess we're all a bit jumpy. Let's just get the supplies we need and get back to the cabin." Then in a whisper she added, "So we can drown our sorrows. I believe there's a bottle of tequila in my tool box." When Melinda gave her an arch look she added quickly, "A going away present from my brothers, they put it in my tool box. I didn't know it was there 'til that pedal stuck."
"Sounds good," Melinda agreed with a giggle. "It'll be nice to put on some shorts too since it is a bit warm for the first of May," she whispered to her friends.
Sarah joined in saying with a grin, "Let's get this over with cause both ideas sound real good, and I believe we might just have what we need to make margaritas in the kitchen."
As they headed for the door of the store a young man was leaving. "Good afternoon, ladies," he greeted them as he tipped his hat.
"Good afternoon, sir," Alexis replied as they passed, then aside to her friends she added, "See I can behave when I want to." This caused both her friends to giggle.
After entering the store it took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the dimness inside. While they waited they over heard two men arguing.
"I don't know why you keep insisting we find a teacher, Tompkins. Rachel's been doing a fine job teaching the children," a voice said.
"Teaspoon, you know we need someone with a formal education," Tompkins argued back.
"What you mean is someone with a better background," Teaspoon threw back at the storekeeper.
"You know I think Rachel's doing a good job, Teaspoon," Tompkins replied becoming uneasy, "but the ladies don't think having her around the children is good what with her working at the station and all."
"And just what do you think is going on at my station?" Teaspoon replied his temper starting to get the better of him.
"It just ain't proper is all that's been said," Tompkins replied.
"She stays up at the house, Tompkins, 'cept for cookin' and cleanin'," Teaspoon growled low. "The boys stay in the bunkhouse and I've been sleeping at the jail."
"Well, Alice Sims saw one of your riders - Lou, I think it was - coming out of the house real late the other night," Tompkins finally admitted.
"Um…well…Rachel saw a mouse and since Lou was the only one still up that night, so he went over to kill it for her," Teaspoon replied with his best poker face. "'Sides what's Miss Sims doing out so late herself?"
"She said she'd been out to get some fresh water from her well since she couldn't sleep," Tompkins replied.
Teaspoon paused for a moment and thought. "That wouldn't have been last Friday night would it?" Teaspoon asked thinking back. He'd run Cody and some woman he assumed was a sportin' lady out of the barn last Friday. He figured it had to have been Alice Sims' since her dress shop and home were at the other end of town.
"Come to think of it, it was Saturday that she was telling Mrs. Maple about it," Tompkins replied.
With a grin Teaspoon nodded to Tompkins. He'd let Cody know that his lady friend was trying to cause trouble and to keep her away from the station. He started to inform Tompkins too of the fact you couldn't see the station from Miss Sims' well let alone Rachel's house.
The girls had busied themselves looking around the store while the two men talked. They were looking at the display of can goods, and baking supplies when Tompkins approached them. "May I help you ladies," he asked with a slight smile on his face.
"Um…yes…we need," Sarah started to reply and stopped looking at her friends unsure of what to ask for.
Smiling Melinda helped her out, "We need five pounds of flour, two pounds of white sugar, some brown sugar, five pounds of meal to start with. We'll also be needing some can goods."
"Yes, ma'am," Tompkins replied as he headed back to the store room to fill their order. "Be right back," he said as he passed Teaspoon.
"Ladies," Teaspoon said tipping his hat as they looked his way. "Marshal Teaspoon Hunter, at your service."
Before they could reply the door opened and Jimmy walked in calling, "Teaspoon, old man Collier is drunk again and messing up the saloon. Pete said to come get you." He stopped when he spotted the three young women by the counter.
"Tompkins, I'll be back to finish our conversation," Teaspoon called out as he headed back out the door expecting Jimmy to follow. Jimmy stared at the girls and smiled, Alex couldn't help her self and smiled back. "Hickok," Teaspoon growled just outside the door, "you comin' or what?" Jimmy tipped his hat to the girls and left.
As the door shut Sarah whispered, "He's the marshal, he doesn't look like any western marshal. I thought they were suppose to be handsome lady's men."
Alex rolled her eyes, "You can't be serious, not all of them can look like the ones on TV."
"Well, he doesn't that's for sure," Sarah said wrinkling her nose.
"His deputy sure was handsome thoug….." Alex started.
"That's it," Melinda almost shouted. "I remember now, Rock Creek is where the legend of Wild Bill Hickok began."
"Wild Bill…oh, you mean the gunfighter that was killed in Deadwood, the one Calamity Jane fell in love with," Alexis offered.
"One and the same," Melinda replied.
"Well, I can definitely see why," Alex said moving over by the window to look out at the saloon where Jimmy and Teaspoon were arguing with a man. "He sure is a handsome fella. But he doesn't look the way he's described in the books. He so young, probably not much older than us."
"It is only 1860, he wouldn't be. He didn't die until 1876 and then he was only in his late 30's," Melinda replied.
"Well, all I got to say is that he sure is handsome," Alexis said with a smile as Jimmy looked in the direction of the store.
"Here you go, ladies," Tompkins said as he returned from the store room. "Anything else I can get you today?"
"No sir, this will be just fine," Melinda said.
"Then that'll be five dollars," Tompkins said uneasily expecting the young women to ask for credit.
Fishing the coins out of the pouch she held, Melinda paid Tompkins for their order. "That does cover it, right?" she asked unsure if she had given the storekeeper the correct amount of money.
Tompkins was surprised that they had paid him in cash and not even asked about credit. "Would you ladies like some help to your wagon with that?" he said pointing to the packages.
"No, thank you, but if you could hold them here for a bit, and point us in the direction of the…um…" Melinda couldn't believe she'd forgotten the word she wanted.
"Livery," Sarah supplied with a smile. "We walked from home but would like to purchase a wagon and horses."
"The livery is just down the street there. I believe Davis can help you out," Tompkins said scratching his chin. "I'll hold your packages 'til you get back."
"Thank you, sir," Melinda said as she and her friends left the store.
"So which way do you think the livery is?" Alexis asked looking both ways down the street.
"Well, we didn't pass it on the way into town so it must be down that way," Melinda said pointing down the street to the far end of town.
The friends turned and started down the street.
Ike had come into town to pick up the harness that was being repaired. As he left the shop he noticed three very pretty ladies walking toward him. He blushed and ducked his head when he noticed that one had caught him staring.
Her long blond hair was just past her shoulders and held back with combs. She wore a very pretty blue calico dress with green trim. She smiled at him as she passed by. He heard her giggle as one of her friends whispered something to her. She looked back over her shoulder at him and he returned her smile. He didn't know who she was but he hoped she'd be at the dance that was set for a couple of weeks from today.
Still smiling he headed back to the station. Her smiling face sure had brightened his day.
To Be Continued...