It was raining as the small crowd gathered to say their final farewells to Elizabeth Hurston.  She had been a very well liked lady in the little town of Sutters Creek.  Her only living relative, Melissa Anne Crawford, her granddaughter, stood alone by the open grave.  So many things were going through her mind.  She had no idea what her life would be like now, now that the woman who had held it together for as long as she could remember, was gone.

Elizabeth had died from a heart condition.  She had known for some time that her days were numbered, but she had never let on to Melissa.  Their final days were filled with joy and sharing hopes and dreams for the future.

Melissa sighed.  She felt an arm go around her shoulders and she turned to see a close friend of her grandmother’s, Mrs. Adams, standing by her side.

“If you should need anything my dear, all you have to do is send someone to the house, or come by yourself!  You know that we will always be there for you.”

“I know Mrs. Adams.  I really appreciate your kindness.”  Mrs. Adams patted her hand and turned to go as another of her Grandmother’s friends stepped up.

“Whatever will you do now that she is gone?  I always felt that you stayed on in this town because she was here.  Now there is no real reason to keep you here!  Is there any family left somewhere else, in another town perhaps?”

Melissa turned to Mrs. Smith.  She was the town gossip!  She knew that she was just trying to gain information to pass on to others who would listen.  “Oh, don’t worry about me, Mrs. Smith.  I’ll be fine.  I plan to stay on in Sutters Creek and run the farm.  I couldn’t sell it, it’s my home!”

“But dear, you can’t possibly run that place all by yourself!”  Mrs. Smith acted shocked by the very idea!  “It isn’t proper for a young lady such as yourself to be tied down to something like that!  You should be in school somewhere, or making plans to marry
some rich young man, settle down and raise a family of your own!”

Melissa smiled and tried to be pleasant.  “Maybe one day I will be doing that.  But for now, I’ll be here running the farm just like grandmother and I have been doing since my grandfather passed away.  This is my home and I intend to stay here!”

“You’ll have every single, young man in the territory knocking on your door!  Best get someone to help you keep an eye on things!”

“Oh, I assure you that I am quite capable of taking care of myself!  I’m not worried about it in the least!  Besides, I’m sure that the hands that my grandfather hired will stay on.  They didn’t leave when my grandmother needed help, and I’m sure that they won’t desert me now in my hour of need!”  She smiled sweetly at Mrs. Smith, who turned on heel and walked away quickly.

The parson stepped over to stand at Melissa’s side.  “I see you are giving the town gossip something to talk about for the next few days!”  He smiled her way.

Melissa had known him since she was a small child.  He was always a joy to her.  “Oh, I’m sure that my name will be drug through the mud several times after she stops running her mouth!”  She realized what she had said and turned quickly to the parson.  “Oh, I’m sorry Parson Allran.  I didn’t mean…”

“It’s quite all right my dear.  You are probably right in your assumptions.  Some people in this town live to pass on the word of someone other than the Lord!”  He slipped an arm around her shoulders, and they walked back towards the buggies that were beginning to make their way from the cemetery.

Melissa suddenly felt very alone.  “Thank you Parson Allran.  It was a beautiful service.  I’m sure that Grandmother would have loved it.”

“If you need anything, you know where to find me.  And I assure you that my tongue doesn’t wag at both ends!  I’d be glad to help you in any of your plans for the future!”

“Thank you Parson.  I’ll keep that in mind.”  She gave him a hug and slowly made her way to her own buggy.  She wasn’t sure what the future held for her.


The big house looked even bigger as Melissa stopped the buggy in front of it.  Jimmy hurried forward to lead the horse to the barn.  Perhaps she should reopen the boarding house.  After her grandfather had passed on, Elizabeth had decided that the house was much too quiet, so she had turned it into a boarding house.  Those years had been some of the happier ones for Melissa.  She had so enjoyed meeting the travelers, and helping to take care of them.  She even enjoyed the cooking and cleaning that she helped out with.  She hated the silence of the house.  When her grandmother’s health had started to fail they had closed the business and the boarders had moved into town.  She wasn’t sure if she could handle it all alone, but it would be something to think about.  If all the hands stayed on, then she would discuss it with them.

She took off her bonnet and laid it on the table by the door.  Looking in the mirror, she noticed the circles under her eyes.  It had been three long days, making funeral arrangements, greeting friends, and lastly the funeral.  She had wondered when it would be over.  Now that it was, she wondered which direction she should go in first.

“Miss Melissa, there’s lunch in the dinning room waitin’ on you.”  Fancy stood just inside the doorway of the study.  Melissa turned her way, and the look on her face made Fancy cross the space between them in only seconds.  Taking her into her arms she almost whispered, “Is you alright child?”

“No Fancy, I’m so scared!  I guess I thought that she would be here forever!  I’ve never been alone before!”   A sob escaped her and she cried unashamed onto Fancy’s ample bosom.

“Yous not alone child!  You have all a us here to help you take care a things!  You should know that none a us is plannin’ to leave!  We all talked about it this mornin’ before the funeral.  If you is willin’ to keep us on, we is willin’ to stay!  But you go ahead and cry it all out.  Make you feel better!”  Fancy held her in her arms until her tears had subsided.  Soothing her as if she were her own child.

Truth was, Fancy sort of considered her, her own anyway.  She had been there since before Melissa’s birth.  She had watched her grow into a beautiful young lady.  “It’ll be okay child!  You’ll see!  Now come eat some lunch.  That Mister Henson will be here in an hour to read the will.  You has to keep your strength!”  She walked her into the dining room, where she pulled out her chair and fussed over her until she had sat down and filled her plate.  Melissa smiled as she left the room.  At least she still had one concrete figure in her life.  Fancy would never leave her side!

The dishes had been cleared away and the dinning room had been put back to rights when Mr. Henson arrived.  He had been Elizabeth Hurston’s attorney since he had arrived in Sutters Creek.  Since Melissa was the only living relative that was known, she was the only one that had to be present.

“Melissa, there isn’t much here to read.  You already know that you were left everything.  The farm hands and house staff are to be taken care of with some money that was set aside for each of them.  I’ll let you be the one who distributes that.  You need to become familiar with the workings of the place if you aren’t already.  I don’t think that you plan to sell the farm.  I know how much the place means to you.  If you need any help, you know I’ll always be available!”

“I appreciate that, Mr. Henson.  I don’t plan to sell.  I’m going to let Luke run the place.  After all he’s been doing it since before grandfather died.  Afterwards, grandmother never had a minute’s trouble out of him, or any of the others for that matter.  Fancy tells me that the hands and staff are all willing to stay, so for now, that is what I am planning to do.  We’ll get along just fine.  It may take me awhile to get used to things, but I will before long.  I’m sure that Luke will be a big help to me.”

“There is one other thing Melissa.”  Mr. Henson turned back to his briefcase.  Pulling a letter out, he handed it to her.  “Your grandmother told me you were to receive this after she was gone, not a minute before.  I have no idea what it contains, but she was adamant that it be placed in no one’s hands but yours!  If after you’ve read it, you need legal advice, come by the office.”  He rose to leave and Melissa thanked him, seeing him out.

Still holding the letter in her hands, she stood by the windows in the living room.  What could she have had that was so important that no one else was to know about it.  Was she going to find out that the farm wasn’t worth anything, that it was going to have to be sold to pay the back taxes, or that someone had gambled it away and now Elizabeth was gone, they would be coming to collect what was rightfully theirs?

Fancy found her standing by the windows, some thirty minutes later, still holding the letter in her hand a far away look in her eyes.  “Is you alright child?”

Melissa snapped out of her wonderings and looked her way.  “Yes Fancy, I’m fine.  I was just wondering what could be so important that grandmother had to write a letter to me.  Why couldn’t she have told me herself before she passed away?”

“Girl, why don’t you open it and find out?  You’ll never know until you read it.” Fancy pointed to the envelope in her hand.

“I guess you’re right.” 

Melissa opened the envelope and unfolded the letter to reveal her grandmother’s neat handwriting.

“My Dearest Melissa,

     Since you are reading this, I will have already gone on to my glory.  Don’t weep for me.  Know that I am happy with my maker and your dear grandfather, Albert.

     The reason for this letter is to tell you something that I have been holding back from you for many years.  Your mother, God rest her soul, made me promise not to tell you this, but I couldn’t go to my grave with this knowledge weighing so heavy on my shoulders. You have every right to know.

     The man you thought was your father, Henry Crawford, is not your biological father!  He never knew any different.  He honestly thought that you were his daughter.  Your mother was in love with another man, but your grandfather refused to let them marry.  He was a Texas Ranger and your grandfather wouldn’t let her marry someone who would be gone always, never there for her.  Someone who could be killed at any instant, never to be heard from again!

     Your mother spent one night in his arms, and you were conceived.  The following morning, your grandfather found them together and threatened his life if he ever showed his face here again.  Albert located a suitable husband for his daughter, Henry Crawford, and they were married within five weeks time, thus covering up any questions.

     You were born nearly nine months later.  Henry never knew any different.  No one knew but your mother, Fancy and I.

     I guess you are wondering why I am telling you all this now.  Your mother didn’t want you to ever know.  You thought of Henry as your father, and he loved you as his own.  She never wanted your memory of him to be spoiled.  I know it was hard on you when he died.  But you deserve to know who your real father is.  It’s going against your mother’s wishes, but you are old enough to understand and deal with the truth!

     His name is Teaspoon Hunter.  He has long since retired from the Texas Rangers.  I think that your mother loved him till the end, but they never saw one another again.  Last I heard, he was the marshal in a little town called Rock Creek.  It’s up to you what you do with this knowledge.  He doesn’t know that you exist.  Should you try to find him, give him the time that he needs to accept the fact he has a child, after all these years.

     Now that I’ve told you, I can go to my final resting-place in peace.  Know that I love you Melissa…always!

                    Gram”


Melissa blinked.  She couldn’t believe what she had just read!  She sat staring at the words on the papers in her hands.  Her mother had been in love with someone else besides her father?  Her father wasn’t really her father?  The man that she had loved so much wasn’t really her father?

Fancy returned carrying a tray with cakes and iced tea.  Melissa was still sitting in the same spot that she had left her in.  There was a look of shock on her face.  “Miss Lissa, is you all right?”  She felt she’d asked the question more times today than she had in a year.

Melissa turned her way with tears in her eyes.  “I can’t believe this Fancy!  Tell me it isn’t true!”

“Oh, child, I would if I could.  But it would be a lie to tell you what you wish so badly to hear.  Henry was a good man.  A loving husband and father.  I knows that you cared for him.  He never knew that he weren’t your father!  When your grandfather Albert told him that he needed to find a husband for your mother, he never asked any questions.  He just thanked his lucky stars that he had had the good fortune to be asked to take the job on.  He fell in love with your mama and never asked why the need for such a fast wedding.  He was a bard worker and never let your mama down for one minute.  He was thrilled when he learned that she was in the family way.  He never let anyone know that he might suspect that you weren’t his.  He doted on you child.  And you was so much like him!  Oh child!  I think you even looked like him!  But, Teaspoon Hunter is your legal father.  And he is still alive in Rock Creek.  You aren’t as alone as you thought you was!”

“But Fancy, she never let on that she was in love with anyone else.  Why did she never mention him to me?”

“I suppose that she thought that if he loved her he would someday return.  But he was never seen around here again.  I’m sure that it was because of your grandfather threatening him.  After she married Henry Crawford, she decided that she couldn’t live her life wanting someone that she might never see again.  Oh I think that she loved him until she died.  But she knew that Henry was a good provider and she could have done much worse.”

“But Fancy, I can’t just walk up to this man and tell him that I’m his long lost daughter!  He’d never believe me!  Besides I don’t know a thing about this man!  What if he’s a cut throat or some outlaw?”

“I doubt that he has turned into anything evil Miss Lissa!  After all, he was a Texas Ranger, and now a marshal.  No evil man could hold those positions.  He may not be what you think a father should be, but he’s your blood and you need to give him a chance. Just like he needs to give you a chance!”

“I don’t know Fancy!  I don’t know if I even want to meet him!”

“Don’t want to meet him?  Child, is you not just a little curious about him?  Your own father?  All these years you thought your father was dead.  Now you find out that another man carried that title and you ain’t the least bit curious?  Trust me child, Teaspoon Hunter isn’t an evil man.  I knew him when he was in love with your mama.  I know he ain’t changed that much!  Life may not have been that good to him, but he would never turn out to be evil!  There was always too much good in him for that!”

“I don’t know Fancy!  I realize that you’ve been in this family long before I was born.  And you are probably right about this man.  But you don’t expect me to jump up and down at the news do you?”

“Your grandmother wouldn’t have told you this if she didn’t think you was to benefit from it.  Yous owe it to yourself and to Teaspoon to see him, talk to him.  I ain’t saying that you have to leave tomorrow.  Give yourself time to get over the death of your grandmother.  Then travel to Rock Creek and visit with him.  Stay in town for awhile and watch him from a distance if you feel the need.  But before you return, go to him and talk to him.  Tell him your secret.  For this one longs to be told.  He loved your mama child!  There was never any doubt about that!”

“It’s gonna take awhile for me to get used to this idea.  Besides, I have to take over running the farm, taking care of the house.  It’s all on my shoulders now!”

“Miss Lissa, don’t go making excuses for too long.  Sides you knows that runnin’ of this here farm and house will carry on as if always has.  It can be without you for a spell!”

“Fancy, he may not believe me!  Then what?”

“Child you has your grandmother’s letter and he has you to look at.  You look an awful lot like your mama when she was your age.  The age when he fell in love with her!”

“What would I say to him?  I’ve never met him!”

“Of course you ain’t!  But it will all come natural child!  Don’t worry so much!  Now why don’t you go up and take a nap?  It will be awhile before supper.  Them circles under your eyes tell me that you haven’t had a lot of sleep in the last few days!”

“Okay Fancy.  But I don’t think that I’ll be able to sleep.”  She placed the letter in her pocket and climbed the steps slowly, as if the weight of the whole world was on her shoulders.  She just didn’t know what to do about this!

Fancy headed back to the kitchen.  She had no doubt that Melissa would do the right thing.  Seeing Teaspoon Hunter was the right thing!


It was mid day in Rock Creek.  The little town was unusually quiet for that time of day.  Teaspoon Hunter, the town’s marshal, was sitting outside of his office, enjoying the afternoon.  He’d just gotten finished eating a big lunch at Rachel’s, and he was thinking very hard about a nap.  Yes, that was just what he needed, as he leaned his chair back, balancing it on the wall of the office on two legs, he pulled his hat low over his eyes to keep the light out.

Teaspoon was in his late fifties.  He was a retired Texas Ranger, but didn’t really miss it.  Being marshal of Rock Creek, and running the Pony Express Station there, kept him busy enough.  He’d spent most of his life on the go, and had to admit that he enjoyed having somewhere to finally call home.

Actually he had started out in Sweet Water, running the Pony Express Station.  The company had hired him to train the riders for whatever cam their way.  It hadn’t been easy, but he had taken seven orphan boys, and had turned them into wonderful, respected citizens of the town.  The town’s marshal, at the time, knew that he could count on any of them when they were needed.  In fact, they spent almost as much time as deputies for Sam, as they did as riders for the Pony Express.

When Sam and Emma, the lady who looked after the cooking and cleaning of the express station married, Teaspoon had taken over the marshal’s job.  By that time, the town was familiar enough with him to know that he could handle the job.

Nearly six months later, he and the riders had moved to Rock Creek where they had set up a new station and he had taken over the marshal’s job there when an old friend and ex-Texas Ranger had been killed.

He wasn’t married, at least, not now.  He had been wed six times in his life.  Three times to white women and three times to Indians.  He had divorced twice and been widowed four.  To his knowledge, he didn’t have any children from any of the marriages or from any other affairs.  He wasn’t lonely though.  There was Rachel who over saw the cooking and cleaning now of the express station.  She kept him in line as well as the six boys and one girl that rode for the express.  They were his children, even if he couldn’t legally claim them.  He had come to love each and every one of them as his own.

A fly landed on his cheek, and he slapped at it.  Settling back against the wall again in the chair, his mind wondered over all of his “children”.  He had just recently seen two of them married!  Louise McCloud, or Lou as they had all come to know her, and the Kid.  He smiled to himself as he remembered how much Lou had worked to prove that she could handle the job of rider even though she was a girl.  She had spent the first six months in Sweet Water dressed as a boy, not letting anyone get close to her.  She had a goal.  She was going to work her job, save her money and one day go back to the orphanage and get her younger brother and sister that she had left there.  When Teaspoon had discovered that she wasn’t a boy, he already knew that she could do the job as good or maybe better than the others.  He’d kept her on.  Besides by then, he had begun to wonder about her and the Kid.  Thinking that they were both boys, he thought they were getting a little to close to one another!  He’d been very relieved to learn that Lou was a girl!

Kid had become the leader of the riders from the beginning.  Teaspoon wasn’t sure why.  But he had fallen into the role and it had seemed he was doing a fair job of it.  The company had hired him and sent him to live at Teaspoon’s station.  It had been hard at first for everyone to get along.  At that age, they all tried to out do the other, to show one another up,  But Kid had come out on top of the heap.  Most of them were willing to listen to him, since he did seem to have a good head on his shoulders.  The other riders had known that he and Lou were in love and their wedding had been very beautiful.  Teaspoon had married them in the small church in the town.  Now they were starting their lives together.  He knew that they would be happy.  They were planning to build a house on the edge of town, and within the next few weeks they would be making the trip back to the orphanage to get her brother and sister.

James Butler Hickok, better known as Jimmy to his friends, was trigger-happy.  Teaspoon knew that he could count on him in a time of need, but he was so hot tempered, he was afraid that one day his temper would get the best of him and it would get him in deep trouble!  There was always someone calling him out.  His was a known name, the fastest gun, and that could get a man in over his head.  Jimmy was young, trying to make a life for himself.  There wasn’t a woman involved, due mostly to the fact that Jimmy didn’t feel he could give her the life that she would deserve.  He was afraid that someone would call him out and she would be caught in the middle and get hurt.  Until he could quiet the rumors of his being the “fastest gun”, he would be a loner.

William F. Cody considered himself the best at everything.  No matter what it was.  Women, shooting, riding, he could master it all in no time!  Teaspoon knew that he had a good head on his shoulders and would one day grow into something that was very important to this country.  For now he was glad that he had Cody on his side.

Ike McSwain was a wonder to everyone.  He was mute.  He had lost his family at an early age.  Seeing his older sister, mother and father murdered had been such a traumatic experience for him that he had lost his voice.  A few years before that he had lost his hair to scarlet fever.  He was so young for so much to have taken place in his lifetime.  He was a loyal friend and never gave him a minute’s trouble.  Everyone seemed to love Ike.  He was shy around the ladies, and he wondered if he had ever even kissed one!  Teaspoon smiled.  One day he would have to take him over and introduce him to the ladies at the saloon.  It was time he became a man that is, if he wasn’t one already!  The company frowned on the riders being in the saloon, but just this once he felt he could get away with it!

Buck Cross had led a hard life up until now.  It was never easy finding a place to belong when you were half white and half Indian.  Buck’s mother had been full Kiowa, and his father white.  His mother had died when was very young, and he had been taken from the tribe to live in an orphanage.  There he had learned the white man’s ways.  The town’s people were so set against the Indians.  He carried the name of half-breed, and sometimes it was more than he could take.  But Buck wasn’t anything like the warring enemy.  He had a heart of gold, would do anything in the world for you or for a cause that he considered worthy.  He and Ike were the best of friends.  You hardly saw one without the other.  Teaspoon often wondered what would have happened to Buck if he hadn’t been offered the job with the Pony Express.

And lastly there was Noah Dixon.  He was black and a free man.  One didn’t find many free blacks in the area.  The man was quick with a whip and very smart with the learning.  Teaspoon wasn’t sure just how long Noah would be with them, but in the length of time that he had been there, Teaspoon knew that he was a gem among the stones.  He would hate to see him leave, but he knew Noah couldn’t make a life for himself there.  Slavery was too strong and Noah would never feel like he belonged.

His children, what would he do without them?  He’d gotten them out of so may scrapes, come so close so many times to beating some sense into them.  He’d taught them how to be men and women.  All too soon, they would be grown and gone.  He sighed as he drifted off to sleep.  At least when he met his maker, he could tell him he had tried to raise them right!


Buck glanced up towards the sun as he drove the buckboard into town to pick up supplies for Rachel.  With Lou and Kid still away after their wedding, everyone was pitching in to see that the chores were all done around the station.  It was Buck’s turn to pick up supplies.  He didn’t mind though.  He rather liked getting out and coming into town.  He wished that Ike hadn’t been out on the regular run though; he would have liked the company.

Tompkin’s store was filled with its regular amount of customers.  A few women in the area of the hats and fabrics.  These sent a slight nod in greeting.  They all quickly looked away, the two younger girls giggled slightly and whispered behind their hands until their mother’s spoke to them about their behavior.  The two men that were in the store sent him looks that  told him they weren’t happy to see him arrive on the scene.  Buck knew that he wasn’t really liked in the town of Rock Creek.  It wasn’t like Sweet Water had been.  Most of the people in Sweet Water had come to know that they could trust him.  But they hadn’t been in Rock Creek long enough for the town’s folk to feel comfortable when a half-breed walked into their midst.  He usually just shrugged it off, unless someone wanted to push something.  Then it got ugly at times!

“Afternoon Buck.  Miss Rachel sent you for supplies?”  Tompkins looked his way.  He always felt uneasy when he came in.  He never knew what the customers would say or do.  Some of them could get pretty outspoken.

“She did.  Here’s the list.”  He handed it over the counter to him, and he turned to start gathering what she had written down.

“You can go ahead and take out two sacks of flour from over there to the wagon.  It’ll just be a few minutes and I’ll have the rest for you.”

“Thanks Mr. Tompkins.”  Buck put the knife that he had been looking at back on the shelf.  As he carried the two sacks of flour out to the buckboard, he noticed pretty Sarah Jane Johnson walking across the street towards the café.  Her arms were filled with packages.  He quickly laid the flour in the buckboard and started across the street to help her.

He hadn’t taken three steps when two riders came tearing down the middle of the street shooting guns and yelling at the top of their lungs.  Poor Sarah Jane was caught in the middle of the two.  She had already dropped half of her packages that she had in her arms and the fear written on her face was very plain to see. 

“Look Clem, ain’t she a prize?”  He had stopped his horse right in front of her.  She turned to run back from the direction that she had come, but another horse was in her way.

“A mite small, but I guess if she turns your head, that’s all that matters Jim!”

“It ain’t my head she turns big brother!  I think I’ll take her over to the saloon and buy her a drink.  Then we might just take a trip upstairs to one of them there rooms!”  Jim grinned in her direction, showing off his rotting teeth.  Sarah Jane shrank back from him.

“I think she’s afeared a you Jim!” You should be gentler with her.  Like this.”  He reached out to her and grabbed her by the shoulder.

His breath smelled of whiskey, and Sarah Jane jerked away.  Her movement caused the neck of her dress to tear, and in seconds her small breasts were nearly exposed.

“Lordy!  Would ya look at them purtty things!  I might just decide to join you up in one a them there rooms!”  He reached out to touch her breasts and Sarah Jane screamed, slapping away his hand.  Clem thought it terribly funny and laughed loudly, his horse dancing around her in a circle.

Jim didn’t like the fact that his big brother had decided he wanted his prize.  He’s seen her first.  “Let go Clem!  She’s mine!  Go find your own whore!”  He made a grab for her just as a shot was fired.  It was so close that Jim’s horse reared up, nearly throwing him from it’s back.

Buck rushed across the street, drawing his gun.  He couldn’t let them harm her.  “That’s enough, let her go!”  He stepped into the circle and reached for Sarah Jane.  She quickly took the arm that was offered her and stepped behind him.  She hid her face in the center of his back, still holding on to his arm.  She was familiar with Buck Cross.  She knew that he meant her no harm.

“Well would ya looka here Clem!  This here half-breed thinks that we should let her go!  Guess he wants the little whore for hisself!”

“Well, you ain’t gonna have her half-breed!  I saw her first!  Now just move on down the street!”  Jim reached once more for Sarah Jane and she clung even tighter to Buck’s arm.

“Best thing for you two to do, is move on down the street.  Town’s no place for you in this condition!”  Buck motioned with his gun towards the edge of town, where he wanted them to go.

“No way breed!  We came to town to take care of this condition and if you just give us back our whore, we’ll go do that right now!”  Clem reached for her, and Buck shot into the air once more.

“The next one won’t be towards the sky!”

Teaspoon had woke with the first shot.  Looking both ways down the street, he saw one of his boys rushing to help someone in the middle of the street.  What now?  He quickly jumped from the chair and hurried towards the ruckus.

The Caine boys were in the middle of the street, and from all indications they were already drunk!  They hardly ever came into town when they weren’t.

“The lady ain’t a whore.  Before you git into more trouble, I suggest you git on outta here!”

“Look breed, I told you we ain’t leavin’ without our whore!”  Clem shoved Buck back with his boot.  Sarah Jane nearly fell, but Buck’s arm shot around her to steady her.  Just then Teaspoon arrived.

“Now what’s goin’ on here?  You boys wantin’ to cause some trouble?  If so, I think the jail is big enough to hold the two of you for twenty four hours!"

“Ah Marshal, we was jist funnin’!”  Clem looked his way worried.

Teaspoon looked towards Miss Sarah Jane.  “Looks to me like it was more ‘n funnin’!”  She was still holding on to Buck’s arm with one hand, and the other was holding the front of her dress together.  Buck still had his gun drawn, ready should the need arise to use it.

“Yeah Marshal Hunter, we was jist comin’ to town to drink a little and spend a little time with some of the ladies, you know how it is!”

“Yeah, I do.  But you picked the wrong lady!  She ain’t no whore!  Now git yourselfs out a here a fore I take you in for disturbing the peace and assault on this lovely little lady.”

The Caine brothers hurried away, sending Buck an angry look and Sarah Jane a regretful one.  Buck was helping her to pick up her packages that she had dropped.  One of them had been stepped on by one of the Caine’s horses.

“I’m awfully sorry Miss Sarah Jane.”  Teaspoon had leaned over to help her also.  Just then Mr. Johnson came rushing over.

“Just what is going on here?  How many times I got to tell you not to hang around with this no count half-breed?  He does nothin’ but cause trouble!”  He reached for Sarah Jane and roughly pulled her away by the arm.

“Mr. Johnson, it ain’t what you think!”  Buck looked his way, still holding half of her packages.

“Look boy..I don’t want no injun hangin’ round my little girl!  Sarah Jane git to the wagon!”

“But Papa, he saved…”

“Shut up girl!  Git like I done told ya too!”  He shoved her towards the wagon once more.  She stumbled as she went in that direction, trying to hold her dress together.  Halfway there, she stopped and mouthed a thank you towards Buck.  He didn’t miss it and nodded slightly as he handed the packages that he was holding to Mr. Johnson. 

“Jason, it ain’t what ya think!  If Buck hadn’t been there somethin’ terrible mite a happen to that lovely daughter a yours!  She was in the middle of two drunks.  Buck stopped them from touching her in any way.

“Don’t make no difference Marshal Hunter.  I don’t want no half-breed sniffin’ round my daughter!  He keeps this up and I’ll never find a suitable husband for her!  Good day to you marshal!”  he tipped his hat to Teaspoon and sent Buck a nasty look.

“Come on son.  Let’s git back to what we was doin’!”  Teaspoon patted him on the back, and Buck glanced once more towards Sarah Jane.  She was one pretty lady.  But he knew that nothing was ever going to happen between them because of her father.

“I just don’t understand Teaspoon.”  Buck looked hurt as he reached to place the sacks of flour further back on the buckboard.

“I know son.  Some people jist don’t want to stop and take a second look at things.  If Jason would, he might be surprised at what he actually saw!  The good thing was, nothin’ happened to Miss Sarah Jane cause a you!  I know she ‘preciated it.  I didn’t miss the look that she passed your way.”  Teaspoon smiled.  “She shure is a prutty little thing!”

“Don’t matter much no how.  Mr. Johnson ain’t never gonna let the two a us git past hello to one another!”

“Don’t worry so much son.  One day there’s gonna be a woman come ridin’ to this here town that is jist right fer you!  It won’t matter if you’re white, black or green!  She’ll be waitin’ fer you!”

“I hope you’re right Teaspoon.  The rate I’m goin’, I’ll be an ole man before she gits here!”

“Ole man?  Now what’s wrong with bein’ an ole man?”  Teaspoon followed Buck into the store.


It was a beautiful day in Boston, as Sarah Brooks waited by the train depot.  The train that would start her on her journey to the west would be boarding in just a few minutes.  Her parents and her older brother and younger sister were all there to see her off.

“Now remember to keep warm out there and watch out for all those Indians and outlaws!”  Her mother was still giving her lectures as she stepped closer to give her a hug.  “I’m going to miss you baby!”

“I’ll write you every week mother.  Try not to worry so much about me.  I’ll be fine!”  She gave her mother a last hug.

“Of course she will be mother!”  Her father stepped forward and gave his middle child a fierce hug.  “Our daughter will do us proud out there!  She’ll have all those outlaws and Indians reading in no time!”  He smiled her way and gave her another hug.

She smiled at her father’s words.  She didn’t think that she would be teaching any outlaws or Indians.  But she knew that if she were asked to, that she could do it.  She wasn’t worried in the least!  Lastly she turned to her brother and sister.  She knew that she would miss all of them.  But this was what she wanted to do, and she was terribly excited to be finally on her way.

“All aboard!”

The call came and she looked their way once more.  “I promise to write as soon as I get to Rock Creek!”  And with one more hug all around, she was on her train and headed for her new life!

Sarah settled into the seat, and looked around her.  There weren’t many people in the car with her.  She knew that she needed to get some rest since most of her trip across country would be by stagecoach.  But she was too excited to think about anything other than her new job.

Sarah was twenty years old.  She had always been the one in the family that went after what she wanted.  Her parents hadn’t been at all happy when she had decided that she wanted to go to teacher’s college.  Her mother had visions of her becoming the wife of one of the local businessmen, starting a family at a young age.  But that hadn’t been what was in Sarah’s heart.  She had always longed to be involved with children.  Teaching them was exactly what she wanted.

She had graduated with the highest honors.  She had quickly applied to all of the small towns from Boston all the way to the golden state of California.  She had never dreamed that the first town that she had gotten a response from would be the one that she would end up moving to.

Rock Creek, Nebraska seemed so far away.  She would be telling a lie if she said that she wasn’t just a little nervous about all this.  She was leaving all that she knew behind.  She wouldn’t know anyone in Rock Creek.  But she knew that this was where she was supposed to go.  There seemed to be lots of children in the little town, according to the letter she had received from the mayor.  She would soon meet new people and settle in.  Her nervousness would soon disappear.  And who knew, perhaps she would meet that nice young man there and could marry and start a family, as her mother had desired.  But first things first.  Teaching was her first love and she was going to do her very best at it!

She sat for awhile looking out of the window of the train, watching the landscape go flying by.   Her eyes felt heavy and she fell into a light sleep.  The first leg of her journey would last for another twelve hours or so.


Far away in Sutters Creek, Melissa was packing for a trip to Rock Creek, Nebraska.  She stood in front of her wardrobe, not sure what to take.  Fancy came in to help her.

“Yous look worried child.  Still not sure about this trip?”

“I’m okay Fancy.  I just have so much on my mind.  I know that the farm will be in good hands while I’m away.  Luke has all the necessary papers that tells anyone who is interested that he has the authority to make decisions in my absence.  I know that you will keep the house staff in order.  Probably nothing will be any different when I return.  But I’m unsure about going all this way, by myself.  To meet a man, no less, that I didn’t even know existed.”  She sighed.  “Just to many unanswered questions I guess.”

“Don’t yous worry so much child!  I’m shure that Mister Hunter will be thrilled to meet you!  I knows that this is the first time that yous traveled any great distance by yourself.  But it will be okay.  I wouldn’t let you start out on your own if I thought that yous would be going through any dangerous territory before yous git there!  And yous take your time.  You don’t have to hurry back here.  We ‘uns will all be fine whiles yous away.  In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if yous wrote me a letter after yous been in Rock Creek for a week or so, that yous won’t be back here for several months!”

“Oh Fancy, don’t be ridiculous!  I couldn’t stay away for that long a time!  I have things that I want to do here.  You know that I want to get the boarding house started up again.  I can’t do that from Rock Creek!”

“The boarding house will wait Missy!  Right now yous need to take this time fer yourself.  When yous get back, then I promise I’ll help you reopen the boarding house if that’s what yous has your heart set on.”

They packed enough clothes in the trunk for several months, although Melissa declared that she wouldn’t be staying nearly that long.  Fancy had other feelings.  She actually wondered if Melissa would be back for any length of time ever to Sutters Creek.

The following morning, Luke took Melissa to town to catch the stagecoach to Rock Creek.  It would be a two day journey, over rough country side, in a small coach.  She was prepared for it though, and didn’t complain as she climbed into the small cramped area that reminded her of a box with wheels.  She waved to Luke as he climbed onto the wagon once more to head back to the farm.  She wasn’t worried about it.  She knew that it would be well taken care of in her absence.  She sighed as she settled back into the hard seat and watched the landscape going by.  An adventure, which was what she was embarking on.  She had to keep thinking of it in that respect.  Then maybe she would get through this okay.


Sarah had been traveling for nearly a week.  She was awaiting the last stage that she would have to travel on before she reached her destination.  Two more days and she would be to her new home.  She was tired, but even through the exhaustion, she still found the same amount of excitement as she did the day she had left her home in Boston.  She was used to traveling alone and she knew what sort of people to be leery of.  So far no one had bothered her.

A cloud of dust was seen a little ways off and she stood up to watch the stage roll in.  Melissa looked out of the stage window.  This would be just a stop to take on new passengers.  Only one person was standing there.  She looked to be about her age.  She smiled her way as she was helped aboard.

As usual, when someone else climbed into the coach, everyone shifted around to make room for them.  There were four people aboard now, and the coach seemed to be getting smaller by the second!

Sarah smiled tentatively at the young woman sitting across from her.  She seemed friendly, but she didn’t speak to her other than a quick hello.  The stage rolled out, sending dust a foot or so behind.

Melissa sighed.  She would be in Rock Creek in less than two days.  She pulled her Grandmother’s letter out once more and reread it for what was probably the one-hundredth time.  She was getting more nervous about this as the stage drew nearer to her destination.  Perhaps she should just go back to Sutter’s Creek.  Of course she knew that Fancy would never let her live it down if she did.

Sarah glanced her way and noticed the frown on her face.  She could tell that she was troubled about something.  She assumed that the letter held the reason.  She suddenly had the urge to intrude into her world.

“Are you okay?  You suddenly look so unhappy.”  Sarah smiled her way.

Melissa sighed again.  Re-folding the letter she placed it back into her pocket.  “Yes.  Just some things that I need to take care of, and I’m not really looking forward to it.”

The stage was once again slowing down to make a stop.  No one was waiting to climb aboard, which was good; there wouldn’t have been any room for them.

The driver of the stage jumped down from his seat up top and opened the door of the coach.  “We’ll be stopping here for about thirty minutes to change horses.  If you ladies would like to step out and stretch your legs, you can.  Mr. Carrington, this is your stop sir!”  The driver helped the older gentleman out and the man riding shotgun threw down the man’s bags.

Melissa and Sarah were helped out and they made their way over to the well to get a cool drink of water.  Melissa wet a handkerchief and wiped her face.  She couldn’t believe the amount of dust she found there.

“These stagecoach trips are for people who could care less what they look like once they arrive at their destination!”  Sarah was wiping her own face and finding it just as dusty!

“Do you travel very much?”  Melissa looked her way curiously.

“Actually, no.  I’ve been at a teacher’s college for the last few years.  I traveled back and forth to my home in Boston to visit my family for holidays and such.  But that is about all the traveling that I’ve done.  How bout you?”

“I’ve never traveled, alone or other wise!  This trip, I’m afraid is getting’ the best of me!”

“You traveling far?”

“To Rock Creek, Nebraska.  There’s someone there that I need to see.”

“Really?”  The lady sounded excited by her information.  “I’m going there too!  I’m the new school teacher!”

Melissa looked at her surprised.  She could be a teacher she assumed.  She sort of looked the part.  She didn’t look very old though.  “Sure you’re old enough to be a teacher?”

Sarah looked a little startled, but smiled when she realized that the lady was just being curious and not rude.  “Actually, it’s my first job!  That’s why I’m so excited about it!  I have so many new ideas and things that I want to try.  I guess I am a little young, but I graduated with top honors.  I feel like I’m as qualified as the next to teach!”

“Oh, I didn’t mean that you weren’t.  I would be excited too!  How many children will you be teaching?”

They spent their time talking about Sarah’s new job while they waited for the stage to be readied once more.  As they climbed aboard, they had to step over the other passenger, a plump man in his mid fifties.  He was asleep, stretched out from one side of the stage to the other, snoring loudly.  The ladies laughed as they helped one another over his outstretched legs.

“Must be nice to be able to sleep anywhere!”  Sarah took her seat once more across from Melissa.  “Oh, by the way, my name is Sarah Brooks.  My manners aren’t very good.”

Melissa smiled.  “Guess mine aren’t either!  I’m Melissa Ann Crawford.  I’m from Sutter’s Creek.”

They spent the rest of their day getting to know one another and taking turns laughing at their only other companion.  He slept most of the trip, snoring now and then, making the ladies think that he was making comments about their conversation.

Over dinner that evening, Melissa opened up to Sarah about the reason for her trip to Rock Creek.

“Sarah, I’m so nervous about meeting this man!  What if he isn’t what he was twenty years ago?”

“Melissa, I think you have to have a little faith here.  After all, your mother wouldn’t have fallen in love with him if he had been some cutthroat, would she?  I mean, even though I’ve only known you a few short hours, I know that you were brought up knowing right from wrong.  I think your mother was much the same!”

“True.  It’s just that I am finding this so hard to deal with!  She never mentioned that she had loved someone else before my father, uh, or the man that I knew all my life as my father!”

“No one tells us when to fall in love Melissa.  It’s something that happens when we least expect it.  Your mother was no exception.  She probably never even told the man you knew as your father about this Mr. Hunter.  I’m sure that she wouldn’t have wanted to hurt him.  From all indications he was a good man, and treated you and your mother with nothing but respect and kindness.  Count your blessings for that!”

“You’re right.  He was a very special man.  I guess that is one reason why I am having so much trouble dealing with the fact that he wasn’t my true father.”

“Yes he was.  Maybe not by blood, but in your heart he was.  He was all that you knew as you were growing up.  I don’t think your Grandmother meant for you to have any hard feelings about any of this.  She wouldn’t want you to be disrespectful to his memory just because he wasn’t your blood relative.  You can always think of him as your father.  Go meet Mr. Hunter and keep an open mind about it.  After all, you have a second chance to know someone you can call father!”

“You really think that he is going to be thrilled to find out that he has a grown daughter?”  She looked at Sarah and frowned.

“Well, it isn’t like you are going to him wanting a place to live, or someone to take care of you.  You are grown and out on your own.  You have a farm and from the sound of it, taking good care of the running of things there.  I wouldn’t think that he would feel obligated to you in any way, if that is what is bothering you.”

“Guess you’re right.  What if I get there and can’t face him?  I’ve almost talked myself into just getting back on the stage in Rock Creek and heading back to Sutter’s Creek!”

“Melissa, you do that, one day you will regret it!  Don’t you dare do that!  In fact, I won’t let you!  I’ll even go with you if you’d like.  I know it’s gonna take some courage, but you’ll find it.  I’ll be your back up if you need it!  Besides, I’m probably going to need some back up of my own!”

Melissa looked her new friend’s way surprised.  “Whatever for?  I don’t think you’ve ever needed back up for anything!”

“I’m nervous about this new job and this new town.  You’ll be the only person that I know there!”  She frowned slightly.  “I might be a strong person, and know what it is that I want, but I do have my times that I worry about things!”

Melissa patted her hand this time.  “I’ll be your back up!  What are friends for?”  They smiled at one another and continued their meal.  Both their minds were on Rock Creek, but for different reasons.

The following morning started out early for the ladies.  It seemed that neither of them minded getting into the stuffy stagecoach.  Their friendship was growing, and it seemed to make the dusty, tiny stage a better place to be.  By evening, they would be in Rock Creek.


It was mid afternoon.  Buck Cross and Jimmy Hickok were on their way back to Rock Creek.  Teaspoon had sent them into the next town to pick up some things form the marshal there.

“Glad I ain’t got to ride for a few days!  I’m beat!”  Jimmy wiped the sweat from his face.  “Could use a few days to lay low and just sleep!”

“Somethin’ tells me that Rachel won’t take kindly to your sleeping all day!  The woman doesn’t know what rest is!”

Jimmy laughed.  “Don’t get me wrong.  I’m happy for Lou and Kid.  But it sure gits rough tryin’ to keep up with everythin’ that has to be done round here!”

“Talk to Teaspoon.  He might let you take a day or two.  He usually will if we need it.”

“True.  He was good about it last year when I needed to go see Linda when the baby was born.”

“Heard from your sister lately?”

“Cody brought a letter last week from her.  They seem to be doin’ okay.  I would like to go back and see them though.  Baby is nearly a year old now.”

Suddenly their conversation was interrupted by gunshots.  They both stopped their horses and listened to see which direction they were coming from.  They knew that if there was someone in trouble, they would do all they could to help them out.

“Sounds like that direction!”  Jimmy pointed to the west and they wheeled their mounts around and hurried off to see what was going on.


Melissa and Sarah were clinging to their seats in fear.  They were only about an hour from Rock Creek.  Everything had been going really well that morning until the driver had yelled down for them to hold on, they were being chased by a band of robbers.  They had heard the shots only a few seconds before the driver had spurred his horses into action.  Now they were rocking along at break neck speed.  The two ladies were the only ones on the stage that day. 

Buck and Jimmy rounded the cliff in time to see three robbers riding down on the stage.  They swung into action.  Drawing their guns and shooting towards them.  Melissa and Sarah heard the extra shots and worriedly assumed that more had joined the ones already bearing down upon them.  They both mentally started taking an account of what they might have of value that robbers might want.

It took only a few moments for the robbers to decide that Jimmy and Buck were better shots than they were.  Th man riding shotgun was shooting back at them, and the two that had come up from behind them were getting close by the second.  One of the three had been wounded, and they quickly rode off in the opposite direction, leaving the stagecoach still rushing off at its break neck speed.

The gunshots had stopped, and the ladies could hear the shouts from the driver, though they weren’t sure what he was saying.  They were sure that they were about to be robbed as the stage slowed to a stop.

“It sure is good to see you two boys!  I’s awful glad you was nearby!”  He jumped down from the seat and opened the door of the coach.  “You ladies can step out for a few minutes.  No harm will come to you.  These here two fellows rescued us!”

Melissa and Sarah stepped down with the help of the driver to the solid ground.  They were still both a little shaken up. Jimmy and Buck quickly dismounted and stepped over closer so that Henry, the driver, could introduce them.

“These two fellows are Buck Cross and Jimmy Hickok.  We was lucky they was in the area.  If they hadn’t come along, we might not have gotten away from them robbers!”

Melissa and Sarah nodded in their direction.  “We really appreciate your helping us out!”

“Our pleasure ladies!”  Jimmy removed his hat and sort of bowed in their direction.  He couldn’t believe how beautiful the lady was that had just spoken to him.  He didn’t remember ever hearing a voice so sweet.

Buck followed his lead and removed his hat.  Felling a little awkward as he did so.  “We were on our way back to Rock Creek when we heard the shots.  Glad we could be of service.”

Melissa smiled his way, and Buck felt his insides turn to mush.  He was in hopes that she was staying Rock Creek.

“If you boys are goin’ back to Rock Creek, climb aboard.  These two ladies are my only passengers!”

Buck and Jimmy looked at one another and quickly led their horses around to the back of the stage.  They weren’t going to pass up a chance to get to know the two lovely ladies!

“You gentlemen are from Rock Creek?”  Sarah looked towards Jimmy.  She couldn’t help but think how good-looking he was.  He wore his hair shoulder length.  It was sandy blonde in color.  His eyes looked very sensitive and they were a blue green.  His nose was straight; his mouth was slightly curved into a smile as he looked her way.  She couldn’t draw her eyes from his lips and as she realized what she was doing, she shook her head slightly to clear it.

Jimmy couldn’t get enough of looking at her.  He hoped that she didn’t think that he was staring.  She had wavy blonde hair down to the center of her back, and the bluest eyes that he had ever seen.  She had the cutest up turned nose and the most beautiful mouth.  He felt himself go hot all over with the direction that his thoughts were turning.  He shook his head about the same time that Sarah did.

“Do you have trouble with robbers a lot in Rock Creek?”  Melissa was frowning, as she looked their way.  Buck could tell that she was still slightly shaken by what had happened.

“No, our town is quiet.  Not a lot of trouble there.  Course now and then some trash will ride through, but the marshal takes care of them with no trouble.”

At the mention of marshal, Melissa’s ears perked up.  Buck was talking about the man that she had come all this way to meet.

“Buck and I work for the Pony Express in Rock Creek.  Been there nearly six months now.”

“You ladies planning to stay any length of time in Rock Creek?”  Buck was gazing towards Melissa and she felt her cheeks getting hot.  He was the best looking thing that she had seen in a long time.  She could tell that he wasn’t white.  He looked Indian to her.  Funny as many stories as she had heard about the savages, she wasn’t afraid in the presence of this man!  She felt very safe!

His eyes were a deep shade of brown.  She could see a lot of hurt in them.  Being Indian, his hair was dark and straight.  He wore it much like Jimmy’s, down to his shoulders.  He wore an earring in his left ear.  Her eyes traveled slightly downward and she noticed the gun strapped to his waist and a knife in the side of one of his boots.  The man was prepared for anything that came along it seemed.  Her mind had been on him so much that she hadn’t realized that he had asked her a question.  Sarah gave her a slight kick and she jumped.  Shaking her head, she gave Sarah a funny look.

Sarah realized that Melissa wasn’t going to answer the question, so she looked Buck’s way.  “Actually, I’m planning to stay in Rock Creek for some time.  I’m the new school teacher!”

“So you’re the new schoolmarm?”  Jimmy was looking at her again and he felt his mouth go dry at this piece of information.  If she were the new schoolteacher, it was for sure that she knew much more than he did.  He might as well forget about her, she would never be interested in someone as dumb as he was.  He couldn’t even read!

“That’s right.  I’m Sarah Brooks.  My friend here is Melissa Crawford.”

“I hope that you both like Rock Creek.  You visiting relatives there Miss Crawford?”  Buck was looking at her once more.  He couldn’t remember ever seeing anyone so lovely.  Her eyes were an unusual color.  They were nearly gray.  Her hair was a deep auburn, and her face was so small that he knew that he could cup it in one hand.  She had a small nose and small lips.  He could imagine though, what those lips would feel like against his own.

Melissa was rather startled by his question.  There was no way that he would know why she was going to Rock Creek.  “I guess you could say that I am.  I’ll probably be there for several weeks.”

Their conversations were light and centered mostly around Sarah’s questions about the town.  Melissa was silent most of the ride.  Her mind was on Teaspoon Hunter.  Finally as they were nearing the town, she looked towards Jimmy and Buck.  “Do the two of you know a Teaspoon Hunter?”

“Sure do!  He’s the marshal of Rock Creek!”

“I see.  Nice man I assume?”  She looked at Buck.  He wanted to melt in her gaze.

“Would do anything in the world for you that he could.  Was a Texas Ranger before he became a marshal and took over the runnin’ of the Pony Express station here.  You could say that he keeps me and Jimmy in line!”

“Or at least he gives it his best try!”  Jimmy grinned and Sarah smiled his way.

Melissa smiled.  It seemed that they had lots of respect for the man.  Perhaps her worries were for nothing.  She felt Sarah’s eyes on her and she mouthed, “I told you so!”  Neither of the fellows saw her do it.

“You know Teaspoon, Miss Crawford?”  Jimmy had drawn his gaze from Sarah to look her way.

“Actually, no.  Someone told me to look him up when I got to Rock Creek is all.”

“You need anything, just go and find him.”

They had arrived in town and both Melissa and Sarah were impressed by the looks of it.  Melissa wasn’t sure what she had expected, but the town turned out to be much bigger.  There was a big hotel in the center of town, the marshal’s office, the general store, and the bank. Of course there was a saloon, and several other shops along the way.  The stage rambled to a stop in front of the general store, and Henry swung down to open the doors for them.

Jimmy was the first out.  He reached up to help Sarah down from the stage.  Her sides tingled where his hands had briefly touched her to lift her down.

Buck was next out.  He reached for Melissa and she placed her hands on his shoulders as he lifted her to the ground.  For a moment she stood smiling up at him.  No words were needed it seemed.

“You fellows gonna help these purty ladies to where they need to go?”  Henry was busily catching the bags and trunks that were being thrown down to him.

“We can, if they would like for us to!”  Jimmy was smiling at Sarah.

“Actually, if you would just show us to the hotel, I think that we can handle it from there.  But thanks for the offer!  I have an appointment to meet some of the town’s people in the mayor’s office.  I’m sure they can get me settled after that.”

“How bout you Miss Crawford?”  Buck was looking her way.

“I think I’d like to get a room at the hotel for now.  I would love a hot bath after all that dust from the stage!”

“Right this way then ladies!”  Buck offered her his arm and they started off down the dirt street towards the motel.  Henry made arrangements for their bags to be taken to the hotel for them.

A little ways down the street, Teaspoon who was still sitting outside of the marshal’s office, suddenly looked up to see Buck and Jimmy crossing the street with two very lovely ladies by their sides.  He smiled as he watched them talking and laughing.

The lady on Jimmy’s arm was a pretty little blonde.  The one with Buck had auburn hair.  They stepped up on the wooden walk at the hotel and Teaspoon could see the lady with Buck from the side.  Suddenly his heart stopped beating.  There was something about her that looked so familiar.  His mind whirled back in time and he remembered a very beautiful young girl who had captured his heart so many years before.  His Maria.  She’d looked so much like this young lady did.  Same color hair, and almost the same build.  He shook his head to clear it.  Such remembering wouldn’t bring her back into his life.  It had been oh so many years since he had seen her.  He turned back to what he had been reading, trying to put Maria Hurston out of his mind.

Sarah registered for the two of them.  Deciding to share a room for the night.  “You sure that you don’t mind my company a little longer?”  Melissa was looking at Sarah with a frown on her face.

“Of course not!  If I did, I certainly would tell you!  Now come on.  That bath you mentioned sounded heavenly!”  Laughing, they climbed the staircase together, their conversation turning to Buck Cross and Jimmy Hickok as they unlocked their door.


Teaspoon was standing in the doorway of the marshal’s office when Jimmy and Buck came back across the street, leading their horses.

“I see you two got back in record time.  Even brought two lovely ladies with you!”  He grinned at them.

“Ladies?  I don’t see any ladies!  Do you Buck?”  Jimmy looked around behind his horse for them.

“Nope.  None here!  You seein’ things Teaspoon?  Been in the sun too long today?”

Teaspoon laughed and shook his head.  “No, I know what I seen!  You two boys was walking across that street with two lovely ladies on your arm.  One was a blonde and the other had auburn hair.  Course I can understand if you don’t want to share!  But you should realize that I’m a little too old to be interested in ladies that young!  You don’t have to worry none bout me!”

“You just want to meet two lovely ladies!  We know how you are Teaspoon!”

“Well, I do like lookin’!”  He crossed his arms over his chest and looked back towards the hotel.

“We sort of ran into them on the way back.  Stage they was on was being chased by robbers.  Buck and me, we ran them off.  Henry offered to let us ride back in with him since the ladies were his only passengers.”

“I see.  Robbers?  Anyone you seen before?”  Teaspoon looked worried.

“None that I can recall.”  Jimmy looked his way.

“So you were lucky to have come along bout the same time.  At least to get to meet the two ladies!”  Teaspoon grinned.

“You’ll be meetin’ at least one of them.  She’s the new schoolmarm!  Name’s Sarah Brooks.”

“Must have been the blonde since you seem to know so much about her.  How bout the other?”

Buck looked his way.  She’s Melissa Crawford.  Gonna be here a few weeks.  Visitin’ relatives or somethin’.”

“New schoolmarm huh?  This might be interesting!”


The ladies took their time in bathing.  It seemed that neither of them had enjoyed the warm water of a tub bath in weeks.  Afterwards, they decided that they would check out the town of Rock Creek.

Melissa found that it wasn’t that different from Sutter’s Creek.  A smaller amount of shops lined the street.  The church on the outskirts of town was much smaller.  But it was basically the same.  Sarah on the other hand, was surprised at how different it was from the place that she had lived.  She knew that it wouldn’t take long to meet everyone that lived there, which was good.  One needed to know everyone, especially the families of the children she would be teaching.

They strolled down the street a little ways further and came to a stop in front of the schoolhouse.  Sarah stood looking up at the front of it.

“Are you excited still?”  Melissa had been watching the emotions play across her friend’s face.

“I can’t believe that I am finally going to start doing what I have dreamed of for so long!  I have always wanted to be a teacher!  My mama was so upset when she learned that I had decided it was what I wanted.  She thought that I should stay in Boston and marry one of the well to do men there and start a family right away.  I was eighteen and it was time for me to marry, or at least she thought so!”

“How’d you change her mind?”

“I didn’t ever change it!  I think she thought that I would change mine!  Up to the day that I graduated from the teacher’s college, she clung to the hope that I would decide that settling down there was what I wanted.  I guess she decided that I knew my own mind and it was no use trying to make me do something that I didn’t want to!  Oh Melissa, this is my place!  My school!”  She walked up the steps and opened the door.

The room was filled with desks, a bookshelf around the room held different books.  She walked over to them and took one from its place on the shelf.  She thumbed through the pages, caressing them with her hand.  Melissa moved around the little room.  There was a warm feeling about the little room. There was no doubt that Sarah would be happy here.    Melissa smiled as she glanced towards her friend.  She seemed to be lost in the book that she was looking at.

Melissa moved over to stand in front of the teacher’s desk.  It held a ruler, an ink well and several quills.  Two or three books lay stacked together.  She moved from there over to the window, which looked out into the street.  There were several people moving around, she didn’t really pay them any attention, until her eyes touched a man that was standing in front of the marshal’s office.

He was rather tall, heavy set, he had hair down to his shoulders, and it looked as if it were turning silver.  A black hat sat back on his head, and he wore a gun strapped around his waist.  He looked like any ordinary man, until he turned slightly in her direction, and the late evening sun flashed upon a badge that was pinned on his chest.  Her heart stopped beating for several seconds.  This was Teaspoon Hunter!  This was her father!  She could feel it!

She watched him as he spoke to the man standing in front of him.  She had no idea what this other man looked like.  Her eyes held no one but Teaspoon.  So many thoughts went through her mind as she watched him.  This was the man that her mother had been in love with all those years ago.

“Melissa!  Melissa!  Are you okay?”  Sarah had moved over to her and spoken her name several times.

Finally she looked her way.  “That has to be Teaspoon Hunter over there.  He has a badge on.  That’s my father!”  She said it was awe in her voice.

Sarah was looking with interest across the street.  The man that Melissa was speaking of was talking to a man dressed in a suit.  He looked to be well to do in the little town.  Teaspoon had a smile on his face, and he was motioning towards the saloon, probably having something to do with what he and the other gentleman were talking about.  “Well, are you ready to meet him?”

Melissa’s face went white.  Her hands started to shake and she wasn’t sure that she could stand by herself.  She quickly sat down in one of the desk close by her.

“You okay?  You look like you are going to faint!”  Sarah started fanning her with her hand, then looking around the room, she picked up a small slate used for writing, and began fanning more air into her face.

“I don’t know if I can do this or not Sarah!”  She looked so afraid.

“Of course you can.  He’s your father, not the devil himself!”

“But I don’t know that!  I have no idea what sort of man he is!” 

“While that may be true, after all that Buck and Jimmy had to say this afternoon, I thought that you would feel much better about meeting him!”

“They did make me feel better.  But I just don’t know if I can go over there and face him right now!”

She was trembling, and Sarah reached over and gave her a hug.  “Melissa, you don’t have to go right now.  Give it a few days.  Perhaps we will meet him tomorrow or the next day.  He doesn’t have to know why you are here until you are ready to tell him.”

“But everyone will wonder why I’m just staying at the motel and not visiting relatives as I sort of told Buck that I was here to do.”

“We can just stick together.  Don’t worry about it.  I would be willing to bet that you will be ready to meet him face to face in a few days.  I’ll help cover for you.  If anyone asks questions, I’ll think of something!  Now come on.  Cheer up.  Let’s go get some dinner.  It’s been a long time since lunch!”  Sarah reached for her hand, and they went out of the schoolhouse together.  Melissa knew that Sarah had no idea how grateful she was to her.

Teaspoon had just gone back into the Marshal’s office when he noticed the two ladies that Jimmy and Buck had escorted over to the hotel walking back that way.  Once more his heart caught in his throat as he looked at the young lady with the auburn hair.  She looked so much like his Maria!  They strolled by and he decided that tomorrow he would go and visit with them.  It wouldn’t do for two lovely ladies such as they were to be in town two days and not yet met the marshal!


Jimmy walked his horse to the stable; he couldn’t stop thinking about Sarah.  He dismounted and began to unsaddle his horse.  He sensed Buck doing the same thing.

“Those were two very nice ladies,” Buck commented as he lifted his saddle off his horse and set it with all the others.

“Yeah..pretty too!”  Jimmy smiled as he looked at Buck as he laid his saddle next to his.

“Pretty?  Did I hear the word, Pretty?”  They both heard Cody ask as he and Ike walked into the stable.

“Yes, Cody, you did.”  Buck stated as he led his horse into a stall and took its bridle off.

“Tell me more!”  Cody demanded as he sat down on some hay bales.

“We rescued the new schoolmarm and her friend,” Jimmy explained as he let his horse loose in it’s stall.

“And escorted them into town,”  Buck said as he followed Jimmy out of the stable.  Cody and Ike weren’t far behind.

“Wait!  Schoolmarms are usually old and ugly!”  Cody shouted at their backs.

“Not this one,” Buck said over his shoulder as they all climbed onto the porch of the bunkhouse.

“Young?”  Ike signed.

“Yeah, and very pretty!”  Buck told him with a smile.

“What do they look like?”  Cody wanted to know as he leaned against a post and looked at Jimmy.

“Sarah Brooks is the schoolmarm.  She’s got long, wavy blond hair, and eyes the color of a deep blue sky.  Her friend Melissa, has dark auburn hair with gray eyes.”

“Charcoal gray!” Buck threw in, and was nudged by Ike who gave him a knowing look.

“I’m in love,” Cody stated with a dreamy smile.

“You ain’t even seen them yet!”  Jimmy old him in disgust, knowing Cody and the way he fell in love with every pretty female that crossed his path.

“But I will.  Who wants to go over with me tomorrow to see if they’ve settled in?” Cody asked, never one to let an opportunity go by.

“I’ll go..just to make sure they’re settled in, of course!”  Buck said.  He knew that he had to see Melissa again.  He also knew that he wasn’t going to let Cody get anywhere near her.

“Ike?”  Buck asked his friend.

He shook his head no, knowing that three could be a crowd.

“Jimmy?”

He wanted to go.  He wanted to see Sarah again.  It also was very easy to count all the reasons why she wouldn’t want to bother with him once she found out about him…better just to let it go right now.

“No, I got a run tomorrow,” was the only comment he made.  Let Cody go.  Cody was more her equal with all of his education.  Cody would never come off stupid in the learnin’ department.  He saw the look Buck gave him, but he knew Buck wouldn’t say anything.

“It’s decided then.  After breakfast tomorrow, we go check on the ladies,” Cody stated.


The next morning, Sarah found herself seated in the office of Mr. Jacob Smith, the bank president.  Also there was the town mayor, Mr. Harold Washington, and Melissa’s father Teaspoon Hunter.  He was the one she was interested in, but she forced her attention to the other two gentlemen and what they were saying.  They had gone over her credentials once more, and she had shown them her teaching certificate.

“Of course we have a house waiting for you.  It’s over by the schoolhouse.  We hope that you’ll like it.”

“I’m sure that I will, Mr. Smith.  Exactly how many children will be coming to my school?”

“You should have between ten and twelve students. They haven’t been going to school for some time now, and it may take awhile before you get them all to come back.”

“When will you be ready to start?”  Mr. Washington asked her.

“I’m sure that I’ll be ready to start by next Monday.  If you can put the word out,” she smiled prettily.

“Well, I think that it’s time to quit jawin’ and take this lady to her new house,” Teaspoon stated as he stood up and offered his arm to her.  She gave him a grateful smile as she took his arm.

“You can go ahead without me,” Mr. Smith said as he stood up.  “I have some business I need to attend to here.”

“It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Smith!  I trust that I’ll see you often around town?”  Sarah asked him as she sent one of her best smiles his way.  She could tell that it had the effect that she wanted.  This man could be a valuable ally.

“I’m sure you will,” he told her as he returned the smile.

Sarah chatted politely as she walked with the gentlemen, and made sure she oohed and awed in all the appropriate places as she looked at the house.  The mayor took his leave, which left her with Teaspoon Hunter.

“So, Miss Brooks..what do you really think about the house and the town?”  Teaspoon asked her, which caused her to laugh out loud.  She hadn’t fooled him one bit.  “I know the house needs a little work.  I could send my boys over to do the repairs.

“Your boys?  And I really do like the town and the house.  I like the school, and I can hardly wait to get started,” she stated enthusiastically.

“My boys are the Pony Express Riders.  I kind of look out for them.  They’re right handy when they take a mind to work.  I think you met a couple of them on the way into town?  Buck and Jimmy?”

“That’s right.  They did say they rode for the Pony Express.  It’s lucky they came along when they did or I don’t think Melissa and I would be here.  That was a scary experience.”  Sarah knew she wouldn’t mind having Jimmy around.  It would give her a chance to get to know him better.

“Where is your friend?”

“Oh, she’s at the hotel.  He said…”

And with that, Melissa came into the house.

“A nice lady on the street told me that you were here and I thought that we could start moving our things in and…” Melissa had noticed that her father was standing not more than three feet from her.  She didn’t know what to say to him.

A wave of remembrance hit Teaspoon as he looked at the lady who had just entered the room. He could see Maria smiling at him with her incredible charcoal gray eyes that were also gently scolding him.  He shook his head and recovered himself.

“I’m Marshal Teaspoon Hunter.”  He smiled as he touched the brim of his hat.

“I’m…um…Melissa.  Melissa Crawford.  It’s nice to make your acquaintance, Marshal Hunter,” she smiled.

‘How is it that Rock Creek is so lucky to have two beautiful ladies arrive at once?  I know about Miss Brooks, but what about you, Miss Crawford?”

“I..um…”

Sarah jumped in to rescue her.

“Melissa’s grandmother, who was her only living relative, died last month.  I knew that I would be coming to Rock Creek, and I didn’t want her to stay on her own, so I invited her to come with me.  It's so much easier to have a traveling companion, and this way I could keep my eye on her until she’s had time to think about what she would like to do next..right Melissa?”

“Yes..please excuse my manners.  And please call me Melissa.  Miss Crawford sounds way too formal.”

“Miss Melissa it is then.”

“And I’m Sarah,” she told him with a smile.

“Miss Sarah,” he said as he tipped his hat again.  “I’d best let you get settled, and I’ll send my boys over to help you.”

“Thanks, Mr. Hunter.”

“It’s Teaspoon!” he laughed, and left them alone.

“What a nice man!”  Sarah told her friend.

“He really is, isn’t he?”

“I don’t think you can go wrong with him.  So, what do you think of our new home?”  Sarah asked Melissa as she opened her arms wide and turned in a circle.

“OUR home?”  Melissa asked her.

“Well, you can’t stay in that hotel all by yourself.  Besides, it will cost you too much money at $1 a night.  You can stay with me until you tell Teaspoon who you really are.  And he’s sending the Pony Express Riders over to help us fix the place up.  I hope that means that one of them will be Jimmy Hickok!” she giggled.  “Shall we go to the hotel and move our things over here and start cleaning this place up?”

“Wait a minute.  I can’t just move in here with you!”

“And why not?”  Sarah asked as she headed for the door.

“Because..I…well…” and Melissa started to laugh.  “I can’t think of anything!”

“Good!  Now let’s go.  We can probably get some cleaning things at the general store.”  Sarah said as she opened the door to Buck, who had his arm raised up to knock.  She was as startled as he was.

“Buck..hello.”  Sarah smiled.  “Look Melissa..it’s Buck and … ?” she asked with a question in her voice.

Cody stepped forward for his first good look at her.

“William F. Cody at your service, mam.”  He said as he quickly took his hat off and smiled at her.  He couldn’t tear his eyes from her face.  She was beautiful!  His heart was thudding in his chest, and he couldn’t seem to catch his breath.  Her deep blue eyes held him captive.

“William..hello!  I’m Sarah Brooks, the new schoolteacher, and this is Melissa Crawford, my very good friend.”

Melissa stepped forward and looked at this new arrival.  His hair was almost the same color as Sarah’s.  He was good looking, but her attention was drawn back to Buck.  He was the one with his soul and spirit in his eyes.

“Hello Melissa,” he told her softly.  He looked over at Cody, who for once didn’t seem to have anything to say.  He looked as if he were frozen in place.  “Uh, we wanted to stop by and see how you were doin’ and if you were getting settled in okay?”  He nudged Cody.

“What?”  Cody asked him.

“We’re doing just fine.  Melissa and I were just saying that we had to go over to the hotel and get our things so we could move into the house.  Then we’re going over to the general store to pick up some cleaning things.”

“We’ll help you!”  Cody blurted out.  “I mean Buck and I can carry your things over from the hotel, can’t we Buck?”

For once Cody had a good idea.

“Sure, Cody.  We can do that.  And don’t go buyin’ a lot of cleanin’ stuff.  Rachel would be happy to loan you some things.”  Buck told them.

“Rachel?”  Melissa asked.

“She looks after us at the station.”  Buck explained to her.  “She’s a real nice lady.  You’d like her.  Let’s go to the hotel first.”

Sarah noticed that William F. Cody quickly fell in step next to her, while Buck walked with Melissa.  She couldn’t believe how disappointed she had been when she realized that Jimmy wasn’t with these two.

“So..is it William or Cody?” she asked him with her warm smile.  This man next to her had an air of suppressed energy.  His eyes were the color of a pale sky, and he had laugh lines around them.  That told her a lot about him.  He was dressed in buckskins with fringe on them, and he wore a white shirt underneath.

“Everyone calls me Cody, but you can call me William if you’d like.”

She laughed.  “If I called you William, you’d probably look around to see who I was talking to.  I’ll call you Cody.  I like that.”

“Are you from around here?” he asked her.

“No, I’m from Boston.”

“Boston?  Really?  I want to go there some day.  You’re gonna have to tell me all about it.”

“I think I’d like that Cody.”

“I hope you don’t mind that Cody and I stopped by,” Buck told Melissa as they walked along behind Cody and Sarah.

“Now why would I mind my rescuer stopping by?  Especially if he’s going to help me carry a heavy trunk?”

“Me and Cody don’t mind helpin’ you ladies out,” he told her.

“Mr. Teaspoon came over and paid us a call.  He’s a real nice man.”

“Yeah, he is.  He keeps us all in line.”

“How long have you been a Pony Express Rider?”  she asked, suddenly realizing that she wanted to know everything about this man.

“Ever since they started a Pony Express.”

“Is it dangerous?”

“Sometimes, but we’re all still in one piece.  Do you live close by here?”

“No..my home is two days away by stage.  I’m from Sutter’s Creek.”

“I’ve been there.  It’s a nice town.  Have you lived there long?”

“All my life,” she admitted.  “What about you?  Have you lived here long?”

“Only about six months.  We came over from Sweetwater to open this Way Station.”

“You’re from Sweetwater then?”

“Not originally.”  And suddenly he was very reluctant to go any further.  Melissa sensed this, and not wanting to make him any more uncomfortable, changed the subject.

“How many other Riders are there?”

“There’s Noah, Ike, Cody, Jimmy, Kid , there used to be Lou, and me.”

“What happened to Lou?”

“Lou married the Kid.”

He laughed at the look that went across her face, and had to laugh too.

“No..it’s not what you’re thinking.  It’s Louise.  We didn’t know that she was a girl when she started with us.  We only found out later, but by then Teaspoon wasn’t about to let her go since she was as good as any of us.  She and Kid fell in love, and they were married last week.  They’re on their honeymoon now.”

“Oh..okay,” she smiled.  “Will Kid still ride with you?”

“Yeah, I don’t see why not.  But Lou won’t.  Now that everyone knows she’s a girl.  The company has rules against that.”

“Oh, that’s too bad.”

“Yeah, that’s what we thought too!”

“I’ll look forward to meeting the others.”

“You’ll like them,” he assured her.

“Here we are gentlemen,” Sarah said as they arrived at the hotel.  “This is your last chance to back out.”

“Now we wouldn’t do that!”  Cody protested.  “Just show us where everything is.”

The two men followed the ladies to their room, and gallantly, over the next hour, carried everything to their house.  Then they volunteered to go find Rachel and borrow some cleaning supplies for them to use.  With good-byes, they left.


“Oh Buck, I’m in love!”

“Again?”  Buck asked him.

Cody stopped walking and looked back at the house.

“Sarah Brooks is going to be very important in my life, Buck.  I can feel it.  This is different from anything I’ve ever felt before.”

Buck just stopped and looked at Cody.  He’d never heard that tone of voice from him before.  He didn’t think that this was one of Cody’s flirtations.  This was very real to him.

“That may be so, but you just met her.  Don’t forget that Jimmy met her first.  He may have some plans of his own.”

“If he did, he sure wasn’t showing it yesterday.”  Cody commented as he started walking again.

“You know Jimmy.  I don’t think anyone knows what he’s ever thinkin’.”

“That’s true.  But he’s gonna have to go through me to get to her,” was all Cody said.  “You want to help them clean?”

Buck just threw back his head and laughed.  “You really are sick!  Clean?” and he laughed again.


The ladies had tied back their hair, and with a couple of old rags in their hands, had started to dust the place.  It wasn’t long before there was a knock on their door.  Melissa went this time, and opened it to a beautiful lady who was a little older than she and Sarah were.  She put a welcoming smile on her face.

“Hi there!  Welcome to Rock Creek!  I’m Rachel Dunn.  I….”

“The lady that takes care of the Riders!  Hello!  I’m Melissa Crawford and this is Sarah Brooks.  Come on in.”

“I came over to bring you some cleaning things and help you get this place to rights.”

“We don’t want to impose on you,” Sarah protested.  “This place is pretty filthy, and I’m sure that you have enough work taking care of all those men.”

“I always have time to help out the new schoolteacher.  Especially one that a few of my Riders are talking about.”

Rachel watched Sarah as she blushed and smiled.

“Well then, thank you.”

“And Teaspoon said that the Riders were going to help you out with some of the repairs to this place.  I’m sure that they’ll start in tomorrow..especially since they’re talking about you too, Melissa.”

“But they just met us!”  Melissa protested.

“You two are pretty, and you’re nice to them.  Why wouldn’t they want to be here?  You’re more fun than their horses!”  Rachel laughed.

All three ladies looked at each other, and they laughed with her.  Melissa and Sarah liked her a lot and while they were cleaning, they talked and heard about some of the people that were in the town.  Rachel warned them who to watch out for, who the town gossips were, about some of the shopkeepers, and where they should set up accounts.  By the time she left them, they felt like they had known her for years.

For the rest of the day, different townspeople stopped by and introduced themselves.  Some had their children with them, and Sarah was pleased to meet them.  By dinner, they were exhausted.  They fixed a simple meal, and fell into their beds.


“Now everyone listen up.”  Teaspoon started as he looked around at the Riders who were struggling to wake up over breakfast.  “I need a couple of volunteers.”

“For a ride?”  Jimmy yawned as he attempted to swallow some of Rachel’s strong coffee.

“No…I need a couple of you to volunteer to help the new schoolteacher fix up her house.  The roof needs repairs, and there’s a hole in one of the walls and some of the furniture needs some fixin’.  Who don’t have a ride today?  Jimmy, you were out yesterday, so I know you want to do it. Who else?”

Jimmy had opened his mouth to protest, but everyone else was making so much noise, Teaspoon didn’t hear him.

“Who wants to trade rides with me?  I want to go and help!”  Cody stated since Teaspoon had already told Jimmy he could go.  He didn’t want Jimmy near her.

“Cody..you’ve got a responsibility to…”

“I’ll take your ride,” Jimmy offered.

“No, let me.  I haven’t been for a couple days.”  Noah told him, closing the subject. 

“I’m one of your volunteers..so is Ike,”  Buck threw in.

“My, my, my..”  Teaspoon said as he hooked his thumbs in his suspenders.  “I’ve got me four volunteers.  I wonder why that is, Rachel?”

“Gee, I have no idea Teaspoon.”  She smiled as she started to set plates in front of all her men.

“When do you want us over there?”  Cody asked.

“After breakfast would be good.”



The ladies had finished their breakfast, put some trousers on, and were attacking more of the dirt in the house, when they heard all the voices and the knock on the door.

“I’d say that our repairmen are here,” Melissa smiled.

“By any chance are we looking forward to seeing Mr. Cross this morning?”  Sarah smiled.

“Probably as much as we are looking forward to seeing Mr. Hickok!”  Melissa laughed as they both went to the door.

“Mornin’ ladies,” Cody smiled wide as he spied Sarah.

“Teaspoon said that you needed some help with repairs?”  Buck asked.

“If you don’t have anything else to do…”  Sarah told them as she scanned the group.  Jimmy was there, but he stood in the back, looking impassively at her.  In truth, his heart was beating so fast, he thought that it was going to explode.  In her work clothes, she looked more beautiful than he remembered.

“No..if we weren’t here, Teaspoon would be findin’ somethin’ else for us to do,”  Cody laughed.

They put down the tools they had brought with them.

“I’m forgetting my manners.  My name is Sarah.  I don’t believe you and I have been introduced.  That’s Melissa over there.”  She smiled at the newcomer.  He had soulful blue eyes, a very sweet face, and didn’t look like he had any hair underneath the bandana that he wore over his head.  The smile that covered his face was beautiful.

“That’s Ike.  He can’t talk.”  Buck explained.

Sarah watched as Ike signed something to Buck.  She had learned some sign language in school, and could read what he had told Buck..that Buck was right… the ladies were pretty.

Sarah signed to Ike.  “Well thank you for the compliment.  You aren’t so bad yourself!”

Ike blushed, but asked, “You know sign language?”

“Yes.”  She told him with a smile.

“Oh great!”  Buck laughed.  “Now we’ll never get him to shut up!”

They all laughed at that, while Jimmy watched closely.  Why wasn’t he surprised that Sarah could communicate with Ike?  She was just that special.  Suddenly her eyes were on him.

“Morning Jimmy.  I’m glad that you came today.  I wondered where you were yesterday.”

“I had a run.”  Was all he said, feeling foolish to be caught staring at her.

“I think we should get to work.”  Cody stated.  “Who wants to go over to the general store to pick up some shingles and nails for the roof?  We’ll need some stuff for the hole in your wall.”

“I’ll go.  Want to help me, Ike?”  Jimmy asked as he headed that way.  He figured that he would do whatever it took not to be around Sarah.

“That’s great that you can talk to Ike,” Cody told Sarah as they went inside.

“She’s gonna have to teach me so I can talk to him too,” Melissa threw in.

Buck was just enjoying watching Melissa move around the room.  She sent a smile his way, and he had to sit down quickly since it made his knees feel weak.

“Buck and I can start on the furniture that needs fixin’.”  Cody suggested as he went out to get a couple of hammers and some nails.  “Want to show me what needs work, Sarah?”  He took his buckskin jacket off and rolled up his sleeves as he spoke.

Melissa watched as Buck took out a long leather strip and tied his hair back.  It defined the fine bone structure in his face.  She noticed that his skin was darker than the rest, and he had a different look about him.  He had to be part Indian.  She would have to investigate that further.

Soon Jimmy and Ike were back, and Sarah could hear the two of them up on the roof.  When all four men were working, she and Melissa went back to cleaning cupboards.  It seemed that Buck and Cody were always coming in to ask them questions, and the ladies found this amusing.

“So, are you happy that Jimmy came?”  Melissa asked Sarah in a soft voice.  She didn’t want Cody to hear her.

“You know that I am.  I don’t know what it is about that man.  He seems so aloof…like he really doesn’t want to be here.  Maybe it was just the uniqueness of the situation when he rescued us that made him appear to be friendly.  Maybe he’s not that way at all.”

“Maybe he’s already got a lady?”  Melissa suggested.

“Yeah, that thought had crossed my mind.”

“Cody seems real interested.  He also seems like a very nice man.  Maybe you should forget about Jimmy and turn your attention to Cody.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right.”  Sarah sighed.  “But I sometimes think its human nature to want what you can’t have sometimes.”

“Do you think you should take some lemonade out to Ike and Jimmy?  They’re probably thirsty from being up on the roof.”  Melissa said with her eyes twinkling.

“Only if you offer some to Buck and Cody,” she smiled.

Sarah quickly made a batch, found a pitcher, poured two glasses for Buck and Cody, and went outside with a couple cups and the rest of the drink.  She looked up at the roof.

“Jimmy…Ike..would you like some lemonade?”  As Jimmy came into view, Sarah had to suck in her breath.  He had taken his shirt off, and the top part of his body was very nice.

“Sounds good.” Jimmy actually smiled at her as he came down the ladder he had placed at the side of the house.  The smile sent her stomach in all different directions.  What was it about this man that attracted her so?  He was like no one that she had ever met before…certainly not like any of the men back home.

Ike smiled and nodded yes as he followed Jimmy.  She poured them both a cup and watched as they drank it.  She offered a refill, which they both took.  When Ike had finished his, he set his cup down and signed.

“Cody said you were from Boston.  Why did you come way out here?”

She laughed.  “So I could make my parents crazy!”

“Seriously!”

“Sorry…okay.  I wanted to go somewhere I could do the most good.  Boston has all the teachers that it needs.  So does every other city on the East Coast.  I started to think about coming out here, but my parents were dead set against it.  In the end, they realized that they couldn’t stop me..especially after I got the offer to come here.  They knew it was something I had to do, so they gave me their blessing..with reservations of course.”  Sarah looked around her.  “It’s so beautiful out here.”  She stated softly.  “I was sort of scared at first, but my excitement always managed to take hold, so here I am!  What about you, Ike?  How is it that you find yourself in Rock Creek?”

At that, Jimmy made himself wander off.  He drank the rest of his lemonade and moved back up to the roof.  Sarah must be a strong woman to have come this far just because she wanted to do some good.  Brave too, to leave all the comfort of her home.  Jimmy sighed as he looked out towards the mountains.  What was it like to have both parents living?  And what was it like to have both parents love you?  He went back to work.

Ike signed, “I’ve always lived in the Nebraska Territory.  When I was young, I saw my parents and my sister killed.  The people in the town put me in an orphanage where I caught scarlet fever and lost my hair.  That’s where I met Buck.  We’re best friends.  We joined the Pony Express together and used to work in Sweet Water.  The company had us move here to set up this Way Station, so we live here now.”

“Do you like it here better?”  She asked.

“It’s okay, but better now that I have another friend to talk to.”  He smiled.

Sarah reached over and squeezed his hand.  “Thank you.  Now, what about him?” she asked as she pointed at Jimmy.  “Is he always this friendly?  I mean, when he rescued Melissa and me, he seemed friendly.  Ever since then, he’s acted like he really doesn’t want to be around us.”

“That’s Jimmy.  No one knows what goes on with him.  We love him anyway though.”

“That’s good.  Sometimes people like him need that more than anything.  As much as I would love to sit and talk to you, I’d best get back to work.”

“Me too.”  Ike gave her back the cup and went up the ladder to rejoin Jimmy.


“Time to take a break gentlemen!”  Melissa declared as she held out a glass to Buck and Cody.”

“Thanks, this looks great!”  Cody smiled.

“Sarah made it.”  She told him.

“Where is she?”

“Taking some to Jimmy and Ike.”  She told him.  She saw that he quickly looked out the window to check on her.

Cody saw her talking to Jimmy and Ike.  When he realized she was mostly talking to Ike, he turned his attention back to Melissa and Buck.

“I’ll have to remember to tall her how good this is,” Buck told her as he handed her back the glass. “You ladies making progress in the kitchen?”

“Some, but by the end of the day it will be done.  Tomorrow we can go over to the general store and pick up some supplies and actually start cooking in earnest.  Then we’ll have to invite you all over to thank you for all the help you’ve given us.”

“That’s something that we’ll all look forward to,” Buck told her.  “And why don’t you two plan on comin’ over to the bunkhouse for supper tonight?  Rachel won’t mind.”

“We’d like that as long as you don’t think Rachel would care.”

“She always has enough to feed an army!”  Cody assured her.

“She probably needs to since she has to feed all of you men!”  Melissa declared.  “What time?”

“Five o’clock.” Buck told her, excited that she would be there tonight.  If he worked it right, he could get her to sit next to him.”

“We’ll be there,” Melissa promised.

“Come on Buck, back to work!”  Cody told him as he handed him his hammer.

“Yeah,” Buck said as he watched Melissa walk off.

“You like her, don’t you?”

“I don’t know her well enough to know that.”

“Yes, you do,” Cody laughed.


The ladies fed them a simple lunch, and occasionally gave them lemonade breaks.  Melissa watched Buck whenever she could get away with it. She discovered quickly that he was left handed, and that he was a good worker.  He also said a lot with very little.  By the end of the day, he and Cody had repaired all the furniture, and had fixed the hole that had been in the wall.

The roof still needed some more work, and Jimmy and Ike promised to be back the next day.  Cody said he would like to come, but had to take the ride the next day.  Sarah had a feeling that Buck would come up with some excuse to be there.

“Now don’t forget, five o’clock for dinner!”  Cody called as the men walked toward where they lived.

Melissa waved, and Sarah looked at her.

“Five o’clock for what?”

“Supper.  Cody and Buck invited us.  They said Rachel wouldn’t mind.”

“Then I guess we’d better get cleaned up.  I say we wear dresses.”

“I say we do too!”


Jimmy watched as Cody and Buck took extra care with their grooming.  He wanted to do the same, but he made himself sit there.

“You’re sweet on Sarah, ain’t ya?”  Jimmy asked Cody, who had been brushing his hair for the last ten minutes.

Cody didn’t look at Jimmy.  Why was Jimmy asking that?  Was Jimmy about to let him know that he was stepping on his territory?

“And if I am?”  Cody finally asked him, still not looking at him, pretending that he didn’t care what Jimmy said.

“I’d say that was fine.  I was just wonderin’.”

“I thought you might..since you saw her first and all.”

“Naw.  Just rescued her, that’s all.  So, you sweet on her?”  he asked again, already knowing what the answer was.”

“I think so, Jimmy.  She’s not like anyone I ever met.  She’s so smart and talks all proper like.  She’s a real lady.  I like that.”

“Have you asked her out yet?”

“He just met her Jimmy,” Rachel threw at him as she paid attention to what was cooking on her stove.

“I thought I’d wait until Buck asked Melissa out.  Then I’d ask Sarah out,” Cody laughed.

‘Then you’re going to wait forever!”  Noah laughed.  “He’ll never do it.”

“Who said I wanted to ask her out?”  Buck stated.  “I just met her.  I don’t know if I want to take her out or anything.”

Ike signed.  “He’s too bashful to ask her out!”

They all laughed.

“Somebody better tell her that she’ll have to ask him!”  Jimmy teased.

“Don’t anybody tell her nothin’!”  Buck warned.

Noah just laughed while Ike reached up and mussed Buck’s hair.  Buck turned quickly and started to roughhouse with them, when they heard the knock on the door.  Suddenly there was a dead silence.

“Somebody answer the door!’  Rachel urged as she pushed Noah towards it.

He opened the door to two gorgeous ladies.

“Hello there!  I’m Noah Dixon. You must be Melissa Crawford and Sarah Brooks?” he said as he looked at each as he said their names.  The ladies were as described.

“I’m very pleased to make your acquaintance, Noah!”  Melissa smiled.

“Me too!”  Sarah said.  “Now we’ve met everyone!” and the ladies walked in the room and said their hellos to everyone.

“Supper is just about ready.  Boys show the ladies where they can sit.”

Cody hadn’t been able to move, and he noticed that Buck was having the same problem.  The ladies were all cleaned up and were in dresses.  They looked so pretty..like visions standing there.  No one, except Rachel, noticed that Jimmy seemed to be having the same problem as Buck and Cody were.  He had eyes only for Sarah…interesting.  Rachel was also finding it amusing that Cody was struck deaf and dumb.  Cody was NEVER without something to say!

“Ike..Noah..show the ladies where they can sit since Buck and Cody can’t seem to move.”

That brought Cody around.

“You look so pretty tonight, Sarah.”  He told her as he offered her his arm.  “I can show her where to sit, Rachel!  Where’s Teaspoon?”

“He’ll be here soon.”

Both Sarah and Melissa signed their hellos to Ike.  He looked pleased that Melissa had learned that.  He signed to Sarah.

“What did he say?”  Melissa asked her.

“He wants to know what else I’ve been teaching you.”

“You just wait Ike McSawin,”  Melissa wagged her finger at him.  “One of these days you and I will be able to have a whole conversation together without anyone else being around!”

That caused a lot of loud noises from the men, and then they all laughed at that.  Buck led Melissa to the seat next to his.  Ike sat on the other side of her.  Sarah was sitting between Cody and Jimmy.  She was painfully aware of the man with the long dark hair on her right.

“We appreciate these men inviting us to supper tonight, Rachel.  We hope that it isn’t an imposition,”  Melissa told her as she started to lay bowls of food on the table.

“I should have thought to invite you myself.  I know what it’s like to try and get settled in and cook on top of it.  I don’t mind you coming.  You can come every night until you get everything in order for all I care.”  She reassured them.

“That sounds like a good idea to me!”  Cody told Sarah.

“Thank you..that’s very sweet, but by tomorrow night I think we’ll have it all together.  Thanks Rachel,” Sarah told her.

Teaspoon made his entry at that point.  “Sorry I’m late, Rachel.  Good evening ladies.”  He said as he tipped his hat in their direction.

“Good evening, Teaspoon,” Sarah threw in quickly when she realized that Melissa was having a hard time finding her voice again.  She briefly wondered when Melissa would work up the courage to tell her dad who she was.

“It isn’t often we have such fine company!”  Teaspoon complimented them as the bowls of food were passed around.

The men were perfect gentlemen, offering the food to the ladies and Rachel first before they took any.  Rachel tried to hide her smile.  Usually it was a free for all where the food was concerned.  Too bad she couldn’t have the ladies here every night.  The talk was kept light around the table.  The ladies highly complimented the four men who had helped them at the house that day.  Melissa had to admit that she was enjoying sitting this close to Buck.  He smelled of fresh air and sunshine.  Every now and then his arm would brush against her and little tingles would go through her.  She could have happily sat there all night.

Sarah was having her own conflicting feelings with Jimmy sitting so closely to her.  Here she had Cody, who was being very gallant and hanging on every word of hers, and instead all she could think about was the man sitting on the other side of her who seemed so dark and mysterious and didn’t seem to have a lot to say to her.  At one point, his leg brushed up against hers, and not thinking she turned to look at him.  His face was turned to her, and she could feel herself drowning in his dark eyes.  Then a frown went across his face.  He quickly moved his leg and pulled his gaze away from her.  She felt breathless, and forced herself to turn towards Cody, hoping no one had noticed.  What was with the man anyway?

Jimmy wanted to scream in frustration.  Every part of him was drawn to this lady, but he knew in his heart that he wasn’t good enough for her.

“Jimmy, you’re not eattin’.  You feel alright son?”  Teaspoon asked him.

“I’m fine.”  He mumbled, making an attempt to eat.  None of them would find out what he was feeling for this lady next to him.

All too soon, the meal was over, and Buck and Cody offered to walk the ladies home.  The ladies said their goodnights and thank you’s.  Cody offered his arm, which Sarah took.  Buck, seeing this, offered his, and Melissa eagerly slid her hand through it.

“Rachel sure is a wonderful cook,” Melissa said, for lack of anything better.

“She sure is!”  Buck told her, wondering what it was he was supposed to talk about.

“So you have a run tomorrow, Cody?”  Sarah asked him.

“Unfortunately.  I sure would like to help you finish up the repairs on your house.”

“Tell you what.  When you get back, you can help me with the school house.”

“With pleasure!” he agreed enthusiastically.

Since it wasn’t a long walk to the house, it didn’t take long for the two couples to arrive there.

“Well, Mr. Cody.  Thank you very much for all that you did for me today.  Be careful on your ride tomorrow,” she smiled.

All he wanted was to take her in his arms and kiss her, but he thought that would be quite forward of him.  Instead he smiled back at her and reached up to caress her face.  “For you I’ll be careful.  Can I call on you day after tomorrow?”

His soft voice settled over her like a warm blanket.  She leaned into his hand on her cheek.  At that moment, she would have said “Jimmy who?” if she had been thinking about him..which she wasn’t.

“Sure Cody.  That will be fine.  I’ll see you then.  Night.”  She said as she gave him one last smile and turned to go into the house.

Cody watched her, and then went a discreet distance away to wait for Buck.

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then?”  Buck asked Melissa, wishing that he had all of Cody’s smooth ways with women.

“Oh..you’re coming to work on the roof with Jimmy and Ike?”

“I’m sure they wouldn’t mind the help!”

“Then I’ll see you.  Thanks for walking me home, Buck!”

“You’re welcome.  Goodnight.”  He told her quietly, really wanting to see what her sweet lips tasted like under his.

“Goodnight,” she smiled as she left him.

Buck just stood there, unwilling to leave this place.

“Yeah..you’re sweet on her,” he heard Cody’s voice from behind him.

“I guess I am, Cody.  What is it about those two?”

“I think it’s because they’re different from any other lady in town.”

“Maybe,” was all Buck said as they walked back to the bunkhouse.


“You have stars in your eyes,” Sarah told Melissa as she sat down in one of the nearly repaired chairs.

“And you don’t?”  Melissa giggled.  “Cody is so sweet.  Have you finally forgotten Jimmy?”

“Most of me has,” was all she said.  “You really like Buck, don’t you?”

“Yes.  He appears to so sensitive..so quiet…he’s different from the rest.  Do you think he’s part Indian?”

“Probably.  Or at least it’s my guess.  And on him, it looks very good!”  She smiled.  “Come on..we’d best get to bed.  Tomorrow will be here before we know it.”


Cody was on his way after breakfast, and Jimmy was dragging his heels.  Ike kept trying to hurry him up, and finally just grabbed his arm and started to walk towards the teacher’s house.

“I can walk on my own,” Jimmy grumbled.

“Get up on the wrong side of the bed?”  Ike signed with a smile.

“No I didn’t!  There was just some other things I had in mind to do today,” he grumbled.

“You don’t want to be around the ladies?”

“Not really.  I don’t have time for women!”

“Everyone has time for women,” Ike told him.

“Not me.  Not with my life,” Jimmy told him sullenly as he fell into step next to Ike.

Ike just gave him a sad look.

Melissa was out shaking rugs when the two men arrived.

“Good morning, Jimmy,” she smiled and signed the same to Ike.  He looked pleased.

“See?  I’m learning!” she told him.

“Where’s Sarah?”  Ike signed back to her.

She looked at Jimmy with a question in her eyes.

“He wants to know where Sarah is.”  Jimmy told her.

“She’s in the house.  Do you want me to get her?”

Ike shook his head no, and pointed up at the roof.

“Okay.  See you two later,” she told them as she went back inside.

“Jimmy and Ike are up on the roof.  I’m going to the general store.  Where did you leave our list?”  Melissa called to Sarah.

“It’s on the table.  Mr. Tompkins told us we could open an account.”

“Okay.  See ya.”

Sarah hummed to herself as she looked critically at the living area.  She had pulled out the knick-knacks and crocheted table covers she had brought with her, and the room definitely looked a little better.  Maybe she could move that picture on the wall…..

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard knocking on their door.

“Come in,” she called as she turned around to see who it was.  Buck came walking gingerly in with a smile on his face.

“This looks nice Sarah.”

“Thank you.  I like it better myself.  It looks a little more like home.  Melissa isn’t here right now.  She’s at the general store if you’d like to go and find her.”

He looked a little embarrassed as he looked down at the worn carpet on the floor.

“Um,,I came over to see if I could help you out with anything…”

“Oh..I see..I was just thinking of walking over to the school house.  Could you carry those books over in that corner for me?  I’d really appreciate it,” Sarah told him as she picked up a box of slates.


“Sure…just lead the way,” was all he told her.

He didn’t say anything as he followed behind her, and Sarah noticed some of the stares she received from some of the townsfolk passing by.  She ignored their looks, and continued on her way.  She held the door open for him, and he asked,

“Where do you want these?”

“Up on my desk would be fine.  Buck?”

“Yes?” he asked as he took his hat off and set it down on one of the long tables.

“Tell me about the children in Rock Creek.  What are they like?  I mean, I’m sort of nervous since I start teaching on Monday, and I’ve never lived out West before.  These kids probably have special needs that I don’t know about.  If you could give me some insight, I would really appreciate it.  I mean life here is definitely not like life in Boston.”

“Cody could probably help you more on that than I could.  Sometimes I don’t mix very well with the folks in town.”

She had been looking out the window, not surprised by his answer.  Buck was leaving a lot unsaid, and she had a feeling that she knew what it was.  She turned to look directly at him, and sat down on top of one of the long tables close to him.

“But I’ve asked you.  I think that perhaps you can see inside of people better than Cody can.  Will you help me out here?”

Buck was nervous around Sarah, but her directness put him a bit more at ease.

“A lot of the children have parents that are farmers. You’ll have them in your school except for when they’re needed to plant crops or to harvest the crops.  Some have parents that run cattle.  If they’re needed for the cattle, you won’t see them here.  You won’t have that many girls in your class because they don’t think it’s important for girls to have an education.”

He watched the smile go across her face.

“And what do you think about that?  About girls having an education?”

“Is this a test?”  He sort of laughed.  “I think everyone should have the chance at some book learning, but most girls are going to end up getting married pretty young so what difference does it make?”

“And that’s the attitude around here?”

“Yeah, for the most part.”

“And what would I have to do to change their attitudes about this?”

“Make it have some benefit for them…make it seem like it was their idea.”

He watched as she really looked at him.

“You’re an intelligent man, Mr. Cross.  So..tell me who my little trouble makers are going to be, and what will be the best way to deal with them…”

“First tell me why you became a teacher..why you aren’t married with young ones running around you..or is it different in Boston?”

Her laugh was a merry one as she got up and went to pick up a book.  She opened it and held it up to him.

“I became a teacher because of this,” she told him.  “The words that are on this page will give these children something to think about..something to imagine…maybe even convince them that they don’t have to be farmer’s unless that’s what they really want to do.  They’ll travel to other worlds…maybe become Christopher Columbus for a time..that’s why, Buck.  And no, it’s no different in Boston.  Most of my friends are already married.  I just didn’t want that right now, and probably when I do, I’ll be an old maid and no one will want me.”  She giggled.

“Oh, I don’t ever see you growing into an old maid.  You’re much too pretty for that,” he told her, moved by the emotion behind all she had just told him.  What he wouldn’t give to have had her as his teacher while he was in the orphanage.  And when he realized what he said to her, he blushed.

Sarah put the book down and went over to the stricken Buck.

“Thank you for telling me that.  Now..tell me who the hellions are!”

Buck had just finished giving her capsule sketches of all the kids when Melissa came flying into the classroom.

“Ike said he saw you coming this way.”

“You understood all that?”  Sarah asked her.

“No..Jimmy had to translate.  Hey Buck!  What you doin’ here?”

“I helped Sarah carry some things over.”

“He’s been wonderful, Melissa.  He really helped me out, but now I’m finished with him.  Hey Buck..I’ve got a wonderful idea..do you have time to give Melissa a short tour of the town?  I know she’d really appreciate it…maybe stop in and say hello to Teaspoon.”

An eager smile came across Buck’s face as he looked at Melissa.

“Would you like that?”  He asked.

“Are you sure you don’t need me for anything, Sarah?”

“Positive.  I’m just going to do a couple more things here and then go back to the house and make some lunch for Ike and Jimmy.  See you two later.”

Buck smiled at Sarah as he left with Melissa.  Well, at least she had made two people happy.  Sarah finished what she had to do, and then headed back to the house.

“Come on guys…lunch!”  She called up to them as she stopped at the bottom of the ladder.  “Wash your hands and come on in.”


Buck found it easy to talk to Melissa as he went into great detail about the shops, and who owned them, and who was friendly and who wasn’t.  He tried to tell her things that he thought she would like to know.  At the marshal’s office, they went in, just as Rachel was delivering lunch to Teaspoon.

“Now I knew there was a reason why I packed extra food.”  She smiled at the couple.  They looked so cute together.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this lady was the special lady for Buck?  Of course it was too soon to tell, but wouldn’t it be great?  “Now sit down.”


Jimmy watched as Ike and Sarah talked a mile a minute to each other.  She’d better watch it or Ike would be after her also.  That caused him to smile.

“You find that amusing, Mr. Hickok?”  Sarah asked him as she placed a plate with a couple of sandwiches on it in front of him.

“What?  I wasn’t listening to you.  I was just thinking of something,” he admitted.  “What were you talking about?”

“Hopeless,” Ike signed.  Sarah laughed.

“I ain’t either!”  Jimmy protested as he bit into his very good sandwich.  Sarah placed a glass of lemonade in front of him.  She just chuckled.  “We were gossiping about Melissa and Buck.  That’s all.”

She gave Ike a plate of food and a drink, then sat down herself to join them.  Jimmy wished that she wouldn’t make it so easy to be around her.  There was something about her that just made him want to be around her and tell her all about himself.  But that couldn’t happen.  He enjoyed the lunch though.  He liked the touches she was putting in the house…how homey it felt.  No…he couldn’t think that way!  He quickly finished his meal and excused himself.

“I don’t think I’m ever going to understand that man, Ike.”

“It’s lucky Cody likes you then!” he smiled.

“We’ll see,” she told him.

“I’d best get back to work with Jimmy.”  Ike told her.  “Thank you for lunch.  It was good.”

Ike squeezed her shoulder as he walked by her.


Melissa really enjoyed the meal with only Teaspoon and Buck.  Every now and then she would just sit and stare at the older man…trying to see if she was similar in appearance at all to him.  If he noticed that she was staring, he was too polite to mention it.  Suddenly it occurred to her that she had been sitting there for quite some time, leaving all of the work to Sarah at home.

“Oh my word!  I’ve got to go to the house, Buck.  I’ve left poor Sarah to do all the work!”

“Don’t you worry about Miss Sarah none.  Jimmy and Ike wouldn’t let anything happen to her.”

“Oh, I know that, but I should be helping her out with some of the work.  Thank Rachel again for the very good lunch.  It was nice seeing you again Teaspoon,” she told him as she got up.

‘The pleasure was all mine, Miss Melissa.  Come by again, and tell Miss Sarah to do the same.”

“I will.”

“I’ll walk you back,” Buck stated as he started to follow her out.  “I’m going to stay over there and see if I can help Jimmy and Ike finish up the roof.”

“That’s a good idea son.  Who’s up for tomorrow?”

“I think its Ike.”

“Okay…see you at supper.”

“I’m sorry Sarah,” Melissa told her friend rather breathlessly as she came running into the house.

“Whatever for?”  Sarah asked her with a smile.

“Leaving you to do all the work while I was with Teaspoon and Buck.”

“If you remember correctly, I told you to do that.  Besides, most of the work is finished.  I’m just doing the decorating part now.  I think that Ike and Jimmy are almost finished with the roof, so when Cody comes over tomorrow, I think that I’ll let him help me finish up my school.  The next day it will be Sunday and time for church.  I know that everyone will probably introduce themselves to us.  Then it’s Monday and time to get down to real work.”

“But what am I going to do?”  Melissa asked.  “I can’t just sit around here and let you earn all the money!”

“Maybe by Monday you’ll feel more like talking to Teaspoon and letting him know just who you are.  And besides, you don’t eat a lot.  I’m not worried about anything yet.  If you let Buck know that you’re at loose ends, he’d probably keep you company.  If he wasn’t out on a ride.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Yeah, I know.  I was just wondering if you were paying attention!”  She howled.

“Why you!”  Melissa laughed out loud.  “Now, what do you want me to do?”

“See those things in that trunk over there?  You can try your hand at decorating.”

“Where do you want them?”

“Anywhere you think they would look good.”


With Buck helping them, the roof was finally finished by suppertime.  Jimmy watched as Buck found Melissa and went over to say his good-byes.  Ike went over to Sarah and they were running their mouths about something.  Soon Buck and Melissa got into the conversation.  Jimmy shook his head and gathered all the tools up.  After today, he wouldn’t have to be around either of these ladies.  Hopefully Buck and Cody would take their courting away from the bunkhouse.  Of course, knowing Cody, he wouldn’t be able to keep his mouth shut about Sarah.  He sighed.

“I know that you’re probably happy to have the roof all finished.  Now you won’t have to come over here and bother with us, will you Mr. Hickok?”  He heard Sarah ask from behind him.  He slowly straightened up as he reached for his shirt and put it on.  He finally turned around to face her.

“No..I guess not,” he admitted.

“Are you sorry that you rescued us?”

“Nope.  It was the right thing to do.  I wouldn’t want to see anything happen to you.”  With that he strapped both of his gun belts on, and he saw the look that went across her lovely face.  Why did she have to stand so close to him?

“You find that you need two guns, Jimmy?”

It was obvious that she hadn’t yet heard any of the stories or rumors about him.

“Yup,” was all he said as he picked up the tools.  He didn’t want to be around when she finally did.

“Well thank you very much for your help.  This place is livable now, and I can concentrate on being a good schoolteacher.  If you need me, look me up.”

“Thank you, mam, I will.”  He told her as he turned and walked away from her.  Why was it always so hard to do that?

Sarah sighed as she watched him.  WHY was he like that?  Let it go, she told herself.  Cody had made it pretty clear that he was interested in her.

“Don’t worry about him none.  That’s just Jimmy.”  Buck told her as the other three came up to her.

“I’m finding that out.  Well, thanks again.  Now you’d better go.  I don’t want you to be late for supper.  Rachel will have our hides.”

“Naw..she likes you,”  Ike signed to her.  He told Melissa good-bye, and Melissa surprised herself, Sarah and Buck when she stood on her tip toes and kissed Ike on the cheek.

“Bye, Ike.  Come again.  You too, Buck,” she smiled his way.

Buck looked from Ike to Melissa, but then shrugged his shoulders.  They were just friends.  Ike knew that he cared about her…didn’t he?  He’d have to talk to Ike later after supper.

All the good-byes were said, and the two men finally left.


After supper Buck asked Ike to go out to the stable so they could groom their horses.  They did this in silence, side by side for awhile before Buck asked,

“Do you think I’m stupid to like Melissa?”

“Why?”  Ike asked.

“Because any lady that I could have liked before she came to town, I didn’t stand a chance with.  And why would she want to spend a lot of time with me?”

“Why not?”

“Are you being stupid here, Ike?  Because of who I am.  That’s affected every relationship I’ve ever tried to have with a woman.  Most women don’t want to hang around a half-breed.  Maybe they were just being nice to me because they needed to have all that work done on their house…”

Ike shook his head vehemently and started to sign furiously at Buck.  “How can you say that about Melissa and Sarah?  They’re both good ladies with kind hearts.  Neither one of them made fun of me.  Sarah already knows how to talk to me, and Melissa is learning so she can talk to me.  They take people for who they are….not for what they look like or for what they can’t do.  You know that in your heart!”

“In the past I thought that I did know that in my heart, and look how it turned out for me..especially with Kathleen,”  Buck stated, sounding hurt.

“Kathleen was not genuine.  Melissa and Sarah are.  This is all totally different and I don’t think that Melissa would deliberately hurt you.  If she was going to, she would have given you that look by now.”

“Maybe..Kathleen never did…”

“Take her for a ride Sunday..ask her how she feels about Indians.”

“But what if she tells me what I don’t want to hear?  What if there really isn’t someone out there for me?”

“If she’s going to tell you she hates Indians, its best that you hear it now.  And maybe she’s the one that you’re supposed to be with.”

“I should take her for a ride on Sunday?  What will we talk about?”

Ike just smiled as he shook his head.

“You’ll find something to say!”

“What about you?  You sweet on Melissa?  After all, she did kiss you!”

Ike looked embarrassed, shook his head and looked down.  Then he signed, “She’s like a sister..that’s all.  I know you like her.”

“What about Sarah?”

“She’s Cody’s..not mine.  Mine is out there somewhere.  When I’m supposed to meet her, I will.”

“And she’ll be lucky to have you too!”

“Now let’s finish our horses.”

At that moment, Cody came wearily in.

“What a day!  He stated as he slid off his horse.  He was covered with trail dust.  “All I want is a bath!  Did you finish up at Sarah’s today?”

“Yeah..it’s all done, and she looked as beautiful as she did yesterday,”  Buck told him.

“Well, she already told me that I could come over tomorrow.  I think that I’m going to see if I can get Rachel to pack me a picnic and take her out riding.  Hmm, I wonder if she can ride..being from Boston and all.”

“I guess you’ll have to ask her, but I think that she’s planning on you helping her with the school,” Buck told him.

“That don’t have to take all day.  We’ll do that in the morning, and then go ride out for a picnic.  I hope Rachel has something for me to eat.”

Go find out.  I’ll take care of your horse for you,” Ike told him.

“Thanks Ike.  I owe you.”

“That’s a good idea!  Ask Rachel to fix you a picnic,” Ike told Buck.

“Maybe..I don’t know.  I mean Cody can do things so easy.  I can’t do it like he does it.”

“Maybe it’s time that you took a few lessons from him!”  Ike suggested before he went to take care of Cody’s horse.


Cody presented himself to Sarah bright and early.  She smiled with pleasure when she saw him.

“You were careful on your ride, I see.”

“Very careful.  I had today to look forward to.  What did you have in mind today?”

“I was hoping that you would help me with my school room.  You up for that?”

“Provided that when we’re done we can go for a ride and a picnic.  Can you ride?”

“Very well thank you, Mr. Cody.  And I will agree to that, since today is such a beautiful day, and I won’t want to be cooped up the entire day.

“Well good.  You ready?”

“If you are.  Let me tell Melissa where I’ll be.”


Melissa emerged with some packages from the general store.  It was amazing how many things that you had to buy when you were setting up a household.  She really needed to get a job if she was going to stay around Rock Creek for any time.  Immediately she thought about Buck, and knew that she wasn’t about to leave anytime soon.  She saw Jimmy leaning around a post, looking off in the direction of the school house.  She stopped to double check, and saw that Sarah was standing on the steps, shaking out some dusty rags.  Yup…that’s the direction Jimmy was looking.  That was strange.

”I’m sure that if you went over and said a pleasant hello, she would stop what she was doing and talk to you,”  Melissa told him as she went to stand next to this enigmatic man.

Angry at being caught, Jimmy blushed.  “No, I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

“Well, then you can help me carry these packages,” she said as she really didn’t give him a chance to refuse.  She just started to hand him things, and he was gracious enough to take them from her.  “She thinks that you don’t like her,” she told him as they started to walk to the house.

“I guess that’s for the best.”  He told her as his two selves were at war with each other.  He wanted to know more about Sarah, yet he didn’t.  Here he had vowed to stay away from her, but then he was kidnapped by her best friend.

“Well..do you not like her?”  she demanded.

Jimmy sort of laughed.  “Lady..you’re not like anyone I’ve ever known!  Neither is Sarah as far as that goes.  I don’t know either one of you well enough to know if I do or don’t like you”

“Well, what do you need to know to decide about it?”  she asked him.

“Does Sarah have a fella back in Boston?”

Good question.  That was something they had never spoken about.

“I don’t think so.  At least she’s never mentioned one.”

“If her parent’s love her, how could they let her come out here alone?  Don’t they know what it’s like out here?”

“I think that her parent’s love her very much.  That’s why they let her come here, but knowing what I know of Sarah, they probably didn’t have that much choice in the matter.  Sarah is a very headstrong lady with some ideas that other ladies of our time would never have.  She wants to experience it all before she settles down with anyone.  I think that she wants to know that she’s accomplished something in her life before she has to give it up.”

“Why would she have to give it up?”

“Schoolmarms are single ladies.  If she got married, she’d have to stop teaching.  Teaching is very important to her, and it’s her dream.  She’s not going to give that up for anything or anyone right now.”

“Not even for Cody?”

“Who knows what will happen after this school year is over?  Maybe that will be enough for her.”

“Does she really like Cody?”

“Yes..as she likes Ike, Buck, and Noah.  She’d like you if you gave her half a chance and quit being rude to her.”

Melissa saw the look of anger go across his face.  And she saw his hand automatically go to one of the two guns that were hanging down from his waist.  She felt a moment of fear.  What was this man?  He quickly pulled his hand away from his gun, but didn’t look at her.  He also didn’t say anything to her.

“Okay, I said the wrong thing, Jimmy, but it’s the truth.  Why do you feel like you need to keep your distance from Sarah...from me?  What’s wrong with having two more friends in the world?”

He stopped to look down at her.

“Because I don’t need two more friends..especially two friends that are women!”

By this time they were in front of the house.  Jimmy deposited the packages on a chair that was on the porch.  “I don’t mean to be rude to you, Melissa, but take my word for it.  One day you’ll be glad that I’m not your friend..or Sarah’s!”

And with that, he left her.

“What a strange man,” she mumbled to herself as she picked the packages up and went into the house.  And then it occurred to her..if Jimmy didn’t think something of her friend, he wouldn’t have asked all those questions about her.  Should she tell Sarah?  No..probably not..it might just start her to build up hope about Jimmy Hickok, and she had that nice Cody paying attention to her.  Let her have him.  She had a feeling that Cody would be very good for Sarah.


“I hope Rachel didn’t plan on us eatting all this food, Cody!”  Sarah laughed as she watched Cody unpack it all.

Cody had been very impressed by how well Sarah could ride.  He had spread a blanket out for them, and now he was delighting in her laugh as she watched him spread the array of food around them.

“She knows me, I’m afraid.  If we don’t eat most of it, she’ll be very disappointed.

”I’m counting on you then,” Sarah told him as she took over and served some to Cody.
“Tell me what it’s like to be a Pony Express Rider...how often do you go on rides…how far you ride...if you’re ever out overnight...if you’re ever chased by Indians…how well you know the territory…”

So in between bites, he told her what she wanted to know...how all the riders took turns, how they rode around 75 miles a day, that they delivered the pouch and then came back home, that sometimes they had to wait to bring some mail back this way, that yes, sometimes he’d been chased by Indians, but so far, so good...that most of the time it was safe, that sometimes on special rides they stayed out overnight, that he knew the territory like the back of his hand.

“I love the way you talk about it Cody.  Your face lights up…”

“I do live it.  I love riding flat out...feelin’ so free...doin’ somethin’ that is so important to the country.  I’d go crazy if I had to stay indoors all day.  But I loved it a lot more before yesterday, Sarah.”

“Oh?  Why’s that?  What happened to change your point of view?”

“I met you.  I wanted to stay here and help you finish up what you needed to do.  You’re a special lady, Sarah.”

The way he said it sent shivers up and down her spine.  But how many other ladies had he said this too?

“You probably say this to all the ladies, Mr. Cody!”  She blushed, not really knowing what else to say.

“I know that I act kind a cocky sometimes…that sometimes I say more than I should say, but Sarah...you’re the only lady that I’ve ever said that to. Maybe I’m speakin’ out of turn since I just met you, and we don’t know each other that well, and if I have, I’m sorry.”

“Oh,” she got out as she looked at him.  She knew that Cody was an intelligent man, a fun man, and now he was showing her his serious side.  They had plenty of time to get to know each other, didn’t they?

Cody didn’t know if he had totally screwed up things with her, and he couldn’t exactly read the look that was on her face, so he did what he had been wanting to do from the moment he’d met her, he leaned over and kissed her gently, and oh what a feeling that was!

Of course Sarah had been kissed before, but for some reason it hadn’t been anything like this gentle kiss.  The men back home had all been very tentative, but Cody’s kiss was a sure one.  He pulled away and looked at her.

“That was nice.”  She smiled at him.

He let out the breath he had been holding.

“So you aren’t going to tell me to leave?”

“No Cody…I’m not going to tell you to leave.  Why should I?  I enjoy being with you.”

“Good!” he told her as he moved away from her and began attacking his food.  “Now tell me about Boston.”

So she told him about her city, what it was like to live there, a little about her upbringing, a little about her family and friends, about her schooling, about what she did in a normal day around town, what the amusements were like, anything she thought he would be interested in.  He asked thoughtful questions, and she tried to answer them as best she could.

“Now tell me about you, Cody.  Where were you born?”

“In Scott County, Iowa.”

“And how did you end up here?”

“I have a bit of the wanderlust in my soul, I guess.  I hadn’t found anyone or anything that interested me until I saw the advertisement for Pony Express Riders.  It suits me.”

“But you must have stayed in Scott County, Iowa long enough to have an education.”

“Long enough to at least start one.  I liked reading, so I’ve always read everything I could get my hands on.  That’s how I’ve learned about things.  I like to write too.”

“And do you want to do this for the rest of your life?”

She saw a light go through his eyes, but then it went out again.

“What, Cody?  There is obviously something there.  What is it?”

“You’ll just think that it’s silly.”

“No dream is silly.”

“All the people back east read about the West, and they have no idea what it’s really like.  I want to bring the West to the people back east in all them big cities…have some kind of western show.  I don’t have all the ideas worked out, but I want to have horses, and wild animals and Indians and shooting and rope tricks...all that stuff.  What do you think?”

One thing that Sarah knew that she loved about Cody was how enthusiastic he could get about things...how his smile would get wider, and he would just take off.

“I think it’s a very big dream, but I think it could work.  The people in the east would think it was wonderful...a traveling Wild West Show.  Yes, I can see you pulling that off in a few years.  For now though, this is your place to be.”

“Yeah, I think so too.  Thanks for not laughin’ at me,” he told her.  “I haven’t told anyone else because I know they would think it was stupid.”

“Maybe I can help you work out all the details, Cody...if you’d like for me to help you.”

“Let me think about it.  Now are you getting enough food?”

“Plenty.  Why don’t you take some more?”

They chatted as they finished eating. Cody helped her pack everything away and they decided to take a walk.  She took the hand that he offered, and they strolled along the river as they talked, lost to everything but each other.


Melissa’s day was much less interesting.  Some of the ladies of the town had stopped by to see the new teacher, and finding she wasn’t there, made themselves comfortable anyway.  Melissa busied herself making tea and putting cakes on a plate.  This was the least she could do for Sarah since Sarah had done so much for her.


Buck rode to the house hoping that he would be able to take Melissa for an afternoon ride.  He saw a bit of activity around the house, and felt that it was best if he stayed away.  He didn’t want the townspeople talking about the ladies, and they would if they knew that he was hanging around there on his own.  It was okay if he had some of the other Riders with him...but by himself...that would never do.  Angry at the way things were, he turned his horse and headed for the mountains.  Maybe the spirits were trying to tell him something.  Maybe they were telling him that if he really cared for Melissa, he would stay away from her, and not ruin her reputation in Rock Creek.  Maybe praying to the spirits would give him an answer as to what he was supposed to do.


Jimmy had dropped in on Teaspoon at the jail, and Teaspoon could sense his restlessness.  When questioned, Jimmy would admit to nothing.

“You missing the Kid and Lou?”  Teaspoon finally asked him.  After all, the Kid and Lou were very close to Jimmy.

“Yeah..it’s just not the same without them around.  I know that they needed to get away, but I’m ready for them to get back.”

“I know son, but this is the start of their life together, and it needs to be perfect for them.  Don’t begrudge them that.”

“I’m not…it’s just that…”

“Yes son?”

How could he tell Teaspoon what was really bothering him?  He might be able to talk to the Kid, but not to this man.

“Nothin’…I guess I’ll go help Rachel like I promised her I would.”

Teaspoon frowned at his retreating back.  Something was bothering that boy big time!  And he had no idea what it was.


At dusk, Cody and Sarah arrived back at her home.  They dismounted, and Cody walked her to the door.

“Thank you very much, Cody.  I really enjoyed today.  Please thank Rachel for me for all that wonderful food.”

“I will, Sarah.”

“Do you and the Riders go to church, Cody?  I know that Melissa and I will be and I was just wondering if I would see you there.”

“Me and the others ain’t much for church goin’,” he admitted.

“Well then, I guess I’ll see you around then?” she smiled.  “I’m sure all the good ladies of the town will want to meet me tomorrow.”

“Probably,” he agreed.  “Is it all right if I meet you after your first day of school and walk you home?”

“I’d like that Cody,” she admitted.  “I’ll see you then.”

“Goodnight then.  Sleep well and good luck with all them ladies tomorrow.”

“Thank you.  I’m sure I’m going to need it!”

Cody put his hand underneath her chin and lifted her face up to his.  Leaning down he caressed her mouth with his own.  She returned his kiss, which made him very good.  She smiled up at him again, and went into the house.  With a smile of his own, he walked back to the bunkhouse, leading the two horses.


“IF that smile on your face is any indication, I’d say that you had a good afternoon,” Melissa told her.

“I did.  Cody is really a fascinating man.  He was very entertaining and behaved himself very well.  What did you do today?”

“Entertained all of the ladies that came to call, looking for you.”

“Oh, I’m sorry Melissa.  Thank you so much.”

“It wasn’t that bad.  I met some nice ones, and I’ll introduce them to you at church tomorrow.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

“I ran into Jimmy this morning.  He helped me carry my packages.”

“At least he’s nice to you.”  Sarah said a little sarcastically.

“Have you noticed the two guns that he wears?”

“It would be hard not to.  He wears them low too…like a gunfighter would.  After I just got rescued by him, I wouldn’t say that he fits the type, but after having to deal with him lately, I’d say that maybe he is.  I just don’t know what the Pony Express would want with a gunfighter...or if he really was a gunfighter, why he wouldn’t work for a living as a gunfighter,”  Sarah told her.  “But what I don’t know about professional gunfighters would fill a book.  What do you think?”

“From what I know about gunfighters, he doesn’t fit.  They’re supposed to be cold and hardhearted.  I don’t think he’s either one of those.”

“Well he’s aloof and seems to have a dark side.  Who knows?  We’ll never find out from him.  Now, I’d say that it’s my turn to fix us some supper.  I shouldn’t take too long.”

“Sarah?  I’ve been thinking…”

“About what?” she called over her shoulder.

“About what I can do with my time while you’re teaching.”

“And what did you come up with?”

“I have a little money saved up, and my grandmother left me some when she died.  I don’t really have to go to work yet.  I thought that I could keep this place up...you know…keep it clean...do the laundry...do all the cooking...you’ll be working and all and won’t have time.  What do you think?”

“I think that it’s a fantastic idea, Melissa.  Provided you don’t mind doing it.  That would help me out so much!  Thank you for thinking of it.  By any chance did you see Buck today?”

“No, but if he did ride by, he was probably scared off by all the ladies coming and going.”

“Probably.  Maybe he’ll be by tomorrow.”

“I doubt it because I think we’ll have more of the same here tomorrow.”

“Then why don’t you let me do the entertaining, and you can go for a walk and find him.”

“I can’t do that.  That wouldn’t look right, Sarah!  Is that what you used to do in Boston?”

“Sometimes.”  She admitted.  “But I can see where that wouldn’t work here.  Sorry!”


Ike woke up as Buck walked out the bunkhouse door.  He sat up and followed him quickly outside.

“You goin’ to see Melissa?”  He smiled.

He watched the frown go across Buck’s face.

“No, I’m not.  I went to pray to the spirits yesterday.  They told me to stay away from her.  If I don’t, I’m gonna cause her trouble.  I don’t want to do that.”

“Maybe you listened to the spirits wrong.  The spirits don’t want you to be unhappy.”

Buck fingered the pouch around his neck.  It was his medicine pouch, filled with things that protected him.

“I didn’t listen wrong, Ike.  It’s for the best.  You know the people in this town.  I don’t want Melissa and Sarah getting’ off on the wrong foot…especially Sarah.  She’s the teacher here.  You know what they would do to her if she gets a reputation from me hangin’ round her house.”

Ike shook his head.

“I think you’re wrong.”

“Maybe so, but that’s the way it has to be.  Now I don’t want to talk no more about it.”


The ladies day was as expected.  At one point, Melissa felt like she was bored to tears, so she told Sarah that she was stepping outside for a breath of fresh air.  Looking around, she saw Ike riding by, so she called out his name, hoping that he would hear her.  He did.  He gave her a big smile, and turned his horse so he could come over to the house.

They said their hellos before he asked her what Sarah was up to.

Melissa sort of squinched her face up.  “Do that one more time.”  Ike repeated the sign.

“Are you asking about Sarah?”

Seeing his nod, she explained what Sarah was up to.  He made a funny face and she laughed.  “I agree.”

Ike pointed to his horse, and then to her, then off to the distance.

“You want me to come riding with you?” she asked.

He nodded his head up and down.

“As long as you realize that I’m not going to understand half of what you say.  If that won’t frustrate you, I’m willing to give it a try.”

Ike pointed to himself and nodded yes.

“Then give me a few minutes to sneak back in and change my clothes.  Can you get me a horse?”

Another nod.

“Meet you back out here in fifteen minutes?”

He smiled at her and turned his horse to head back to the stable.

Melissa whispered in Sarah’s ear what she was up to.  Sarah nodded her approval before she turned her attention back to the ladies seated around her.  Melissa ran for her room, took her dress and slips off, and quickly changed into a shirt and pants.  She found her boots and crammed her feet into them.  Not wanting to go back through the parlor, she opened her window and climbed out of it.  She walked around to the front, and sat on the porch to wait for Ike to return.

It didn’t take long, and when he pulled up in front of her, he held up a pad of paper and a pencil.  She laughed, glad that he had thought of this so they could talk to each other.  She mounted her horse, and they were off.

The day was a beautiful one, and Melissa followed Ike’s lead.  They climbed up into the foothills and when they came to a pretty meadow, he stopped and dismounted.  She did the same.

“Is this one of your favorite places?”  She asked him, and wasn’t surprised by the nod of his head.

“Well, I think I like it too.  Thanks for bringing me here.  So what were you going to do today before I stopped you?"

Ike pointed all around him.

“You were going to come here by yourself?”  Seeing his nod, she frowned a bit and asked.  “But why by yourself?  Why wouldn’t you bring Buck up with you?  I mean you two are pretty good friends aren’t you?”

“Yes.”  He signed, “But Buck has a lot on his mind these days.”  He wanted to see if she would get any of it.  By the look on her face, he could tell that she didn’t, so he wrote it out, and then pointed to the word as he did the sign for it.  She repeated all the signs and looked rather pleased with herself.  “Just you wait Ike..it won’t be long before you and I can yak like you and Sarah can.”

He smiled at her, very happy that she was making all of this effort for him.

“What’s Buck got on his mind?”  she asked him.  “Is it anything that I can help him with?”

“No, he just has some problems that he needs to deal with.  I can’t tell you what they are, that’s for him to tell you.  He’ll be okay in a few days, I hope.”  And then they went through the whole procedure as before.

“I hope so too.  It’s not a lot of fun to have something weighing heavy on your mind.  Now tell me all about you..the stuff you like to do, anything you might think that I would like to hear.”

He motioned for her to sit down and he sat down right next to her.  Thus began their conversation back and forth.  Melissa was finding that she was truly enjoying this time with Ike.  He was a genuine person who didn’t try to hide any of his emotions.  His face was, besides being handsome, one of the most expressive that she had ever come across.  She found that if she didn’t understand every word that he said, she could get the general tone of it by watching his face for clues.  By the end of the afternoon, she had learned a lot more of sign language, but she knew she would need a few more sessions with him before she would be as good as Sarah.  She told him this.

“Then I’ll have to give you some more lessons, Melissa!” he told her as he stood up and held down his hand to help her up.

She smiled up at him before she went over to her horse and mounted.  On the ride back to town, she rode beside him.


“Where have you been all afternoon?  Teaspoon was looking for you to do a special run.  Jimmy went instead.”  Buck asked him as he took his horse’s saddle off and turned him into the corral.  He did the same thing for Melissa’s horse.  “And why do you have two horses?”

“I rescued Melissa from a bunch of old ladies.  We went for a ride in the foothills and talked.  I taught her some more signs.  She asked where you were.”

Buck pressed his lips together.  “What did you tell her?”

“That you had some problems that you were dealing with.  I couldn’t tell her that you didn’t want to see her anymore.”

“I do want to see her...I just can’t see her!” and with that, he turned on his heel and left Ike standing there.  Ike just shook his head.


“Thank God you aren’t another town lady!  I don’t think that I could handle another one!  It makes me really appreciate what you did for me yesterday.  How was your ride with Ike?”

“Fun.  We rode up to a meadow in the foothills, and Ike taught me some more signs.  He’s such a sweet man.  He sure has been through a lot.”

“I thought for sure Buck would stop by today.  Did Ike say what Buck was up to?”

“He only said that he was dealing with some problems, but that he would be fine in a few days.”

“I hope so.  Ready for supper?”

“I sure am.  Let me wash up, and I’ll fix it.  You’ve done enough for one day.”


Like they knew it would, the week began.  Sarah was very nervous her first day, but because of all that Buck had told her, it went much more smoothly than it should have.  As promised, Cody was there as soon as school let out, and he escorted her home, carrying her books.  That was to become the pattern on the days when he didn’t have a ride.  She had to admit that she enjoyed his company, but there was still that dark man in the shadows.   She saw Jimmy on occasion, but there was never more than a polite hello and the tip of his hat from him.

Jimmy made it a point, even though he sometimes did it unconsciously, to always know where Sarah was and who she was with.  Whenever she walked by him in town, his heart started to pound in his chest, and his knees felt weak, and it was all he could do to just keep on walking.  He figured that one of these days, these feelings would pass and life would turn back to normal.

Cody was in his glory.  He liked meeting Sarah as she came out of school.  He was getting to know her better, and she seemed to like him.  He knew that she didn’t have time to go out with him during the week, so he waited patiently for the weekend to roll around.

Melissa filled her time with cleaning the house and cooking the meals.  She had always enjoyed doing things like this, but every time she saw Teaspoon around the town, she had to stifle the urge to run over to him and tell him who she really was.  The more she got to know him, the more she knew that she would be able to love him as a father. But then she started to panic.  What if he couldn’t love her like a daughter?  What, if at his age, he didn’t have any use for a daughter?  WHAT was she going to do?  And where was Buck?  She had thought that he really liked her, and now she hadn’t seen him in almost a week!  But she did see Ike.  He came by a couple times to check on her and teach her some new signs.  What would she do without him?

Buck knew that Ike was going over to see Melissa.  He never kept it a secret.  He always would tell him how she was doing, and asked him when he was going to go over to see her.  What was he supposed to do?  He really wanted to see Melissa.  It just wouldn’t do him any good…and it wouldn’t do her any good.  There wasn’t any future there.  As soon as she realized how people would treat her when they realized she was seeing him, well that would make her turn against him, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to handle that!  Best just not to start anything.  This way, in time, he would forget that he was ever attracted to her.


Cody was out on a run, and Sarah knew that he wouldn’t be there waiting for her.  She gathered up an armload of books so that she would be able to plan the next day’s lessons.  She carefully climbed down the stairs but her foot somehow missed the last one, and she went flying.  She reached for something to stop her fall, but there was nothing there.  She landed with at thud and an “oof!”

Jimmy had been riding back to the bunkhouse after running an errand for Teaspoon when he saw Sarah take her fall.  He tried to reach her before she hit the ground, but couldn’t.  By the time he got to her, she was lying on her stomach and she wasn’t moving.  Books lay all around her.

“Sarah!  Are you all right?  Sarah, answer me!” he told her as he rolled her over.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked surprised to see him.  A moan escaped from her lips.

“I’ll get the doctor.  Don’t move!”

Sarah finally realized that Jimmy was holding her in his arms.  She rolled her head into his chest, closed her eyes, and just enjoyed being held by him for a moment.

“Sarah, can you talk to me?”

Jimmy was beginning to get scared because she wasn’t saying anything.

“No..don’t get the doctor.  I’m fine.  I just had the breath knocked out of me for a minute.” She looked up into his hazel eyes.  Hmm..first his eyes had looked blue/green...then brown...now hazel.  How interesting she mused.

Suddenly Jimmy couldn’t say anything.  This overwhelming urge came over him to lean down and kiss her right in the middle of the town for everyone to see.  She was looking at him sort of dreamy like.  No lady had ever looked at him like that before.

“Oh, Jimmy,” was all she said before she heard someone calling to her, asking if she was all right.  “Drat it all!” she got out as she recognized Mr. Washington’s voice.  “I guess you’d better let me sit up before he arrives or Lord knows what he’ll start spreading around town!” she laughed.

Reluctantly, Jimmy helped her sit up.  “Are all your parts workin’?” he wanted to know.

“I think so,” she said as she moved her arms and legs experimentally.  “Oh, Mr. Washington!  I am just so clumsy.  I think I missed the last step, and my arms were loaded down with all these heavy books.  It’s lucky that Mr. Hickok came along to my rescue…again!”  She said as she turned to thank him, but he was gone.  How had he gotten away so quickly?

Mr. Washington helped her up, and then proceeded to pick up all of her books for her.  Sarah caught a glimpse of Jimmy’s horse as it headed for the station.


Jimmy didn’t want to leave her, but he knew that he had to.  He hurried over to his horse, and turned him towards the stable.  His arms were still tingling from holding her.  He didn’t think that his heart would ever slow down.  He had been scared when he thought that she really had hurt herself.  And he wasn’t sure that he liked all the emotions that he had just gone through over her.  He shook his head, determined once again to avoid her at all costs.


“I just don’t understand that man, Melissa,” Sarah said as she came into the house, and proceeded to tell her friend what had just happened to her.  “And then he takes off before I even get a chance to thank him.”

“I found something interesting at the general store today, Sarah.  It’s a book by a J.D. Marcus called Wild Bill Hickok.  I think he wrote it about Jimmy, and maybe if you read it, you might understand him a little better.”

Sarah took the 10 cent novel that Melissa held out to her.

“Did you read it?”

“Parts of it.  It’s probably all trash like most of these things are, but the man is a good writer.  Maybe there are some truths in it behind the falsehoods.”

“Maybe..thanks.  I’ll start it after I get all my lessons planned for tomorrow.”

But temptation was too great.  The book called to her, and she only put it down when it was time for supper.  It was long past her bedtime when she finally came to the last page.  Well…if this book was to be believed, Jimmy was a cold-blooded killer that, without thought, had killed more than 20 men.  He hunted them down, and they didn’t stand a chance.  He didn’t love anyone or anything.  No, none of this could be true.  If it was, he wouldn’t have come to hers and Melissa’s rescue when the robbers were after the stage.  He wouldn’t have helped her this afternoon...would he?  Who was the real Jimmy Hickok?  And how was she going to get through school tomorrow with no sleep and no lessons planned?  She yawned and turned off the light.


The weekend came.  Sarah went out riding with Cody, while Melissa spent some time with Ike.  They saw no signs of Buck and Jimmy.  They went to church and spoke to the families they were getting to know.  The new week started, and it seemed as if the ladies had settled into a routine.  Sarah knew that Melissa was miserable because Buck had not come around.  She had a feeling that Melissa also knew how she felt because she hadn’t seen Jimmy.

Melissa wasn’t sure what she was going to fix for dinner that night, so she pulled her shawl on and headed for the general store.  She said her hellos to Mr. Tompkins before she started to look around.  She had seen a couple of gentlemen in the store, but ignored them since she had no idea who they were.  But one of them mentioned Jimmy’s name, and her ears perked up as she started to eavesdrop on the conversation.

“I for one wish that Jimmy Hickok would leave town!  That boy is nothin’ but trouble, and it’s been that way ever since the likes of him settled here!”

“Ain’t that the truth!”  the other agreed.  “He’s always going around shooting people, and he makes it dangerous for the likes of us to live here.  You never know who is gonna come gunnin’ for him!”

“Did you read that book about Wild Bill Hickok?  You know it was about him!”

Jimmy, who held a list from Rachel in his hand, had been about to enter the store to get some things for her.  He had heard his name, and he stopped as he listened to what those men had to say about him.  Would it never end?  Why did people believe those lies anyway?  He looked at the list in his hand, and weighed the consequences of not picking up Rachel’s items.  He’d never been one to back down from a fight, but he wasn’t in the mood to get into one today!

Jimmy’s head jerked around in surprise when he heard Melissa’s voice pipe up.

“What the heck is wrong with you two?  Have you ever taken the time to get to know Jimmy Hickok?  It’s not his fault that all those lies were written about him.  That’s what they are, you know..lies!  That man helped to rescue me and my friend, and if he was a gunfighter, I don’t think that he would have done that.  Rock Creek is his home..just as it’s yours, and he has as much right as you do to live in it peacefully!  It’s ignorant people like you that just make me ill.  Good day gentlemen!”

And fuming, Melissa went stomping out of the store..straight into Jimmy Hickok.  Agasht, she looked up into his face, feeling her own turn very warm.  Here she had been saying all those things abut him, and she barely knew the man!

“Umm…Jimmy…”

He shook his head, putting his fingers to his lips, and motioned for her to follow him.  He led her to his horse and mounted, then held down his hand to her and pulled her up behind him.  She put her arms around his waist, briefly wishing that she were Sarah, knowing how much Sarah would give to be in her place right now.  They cantered out of town.  Where was he taking her?  When they were out in the middle of no where, he stopped, slid off the horse, and helped her down.  She looked around her.

“In a desolate way, this is very beautiful!”

“Yeah, I kinda like it.  So..it’s all lies is it?”  he asked, looking directly at her.

His stare made her uncomfortable.

“I hope that it all is.  Look Jimmy, it’s obvious that I don’t know you all that well, and you don’t want Sarah or I to know you that well, but I had to say something.  I hate people that judge others like that.”

“Why did you defend me?  I don’t think that you like me that well.”

“You haven’t given me a chance to like or not like you.  I defended you because I honestly don’t think you’re what has been written about you.  If you were you wouldn’t have rescued us from those stage robbers, and you wouldn’t have been concerned when Sarah fell off the steps at the school.  By the way, she was a bit upset that you didn’t hang around long enough for her to thank you.”

“I’m not like people say that I am.  I don’t know why they like to make up things like that about me.  I’ve never taken pride in taking another man’s life.  I have to admit that I have hunted down a couple men, but it was because they had done some bad things.  One of them had killed a little boy right in front of me.”

Melissa saw him winch as he told her about that.  “Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I appreciated you standing up for me.  You had very right not to what with the way I’ve treated you and all….”

“Why are you like that, Jimmy?”

“I’m real close to the Riders and Teaspoon.  That’s about it, and that’s enough.  I know that all of them can look out for themselves in case there is trouble around me.  I don’t want to bring trouble on people, but sometimes there it is.  NO one deserves that.  It’s best if I just keep my distance from people that I don’t know.”

“Then how are you gonna settle down?  Get married and raise a family if you don’t let yourself get close to anyone?”

She saw a bittersweet smile go across the man’s face as he looked off into the distance.

“That’s foolishness I don’t allow myself to think about Melissa.  No woman could put up with my life.  She’d always be worryin’ if someone was gonna come after me.  That stuff printed about me..by now it’s all over the territory.  Gunslingers come lookin’ for me to prove that they’re faster ‘n me.  And one day, one of them will be,” he finished sadly.  “No woman deserves that kind of insecurity in their life.”

“And that’s why you’ve always pushed Sarah away, isn’t it?  That’s why you pushed Cody in her direction, isn’t it?  You really like her, don’t you?”  Melissa asked him,. Finally seeing through him.  He looked at her, before he looked away again.

“That’s part of it, but that ain’t all of it, Melissa.  Just let that part go, alright?”

She could tell how much it pained him to talk about it, so she decided to let it go.  This wasn’t a happy man.  Would he ever be?  She could understand why he thought the way he did.  She wouldn’t always want to live in fear that he might not come home because someone gunned him down.

“I’ll let it go, Jimmy, but I’m telling you now that you have to come over to our home at least one more time.  This coming Saturday night, Sarah and I are having all of you over for that dinner we promised you for helping us fix up the house.  I insist that you come for that, but after that I’ll make sure that you’re never invited over again.  Deal?”

Jimmy thought it over.  He wanted to go with all his heart…if only to stare at Sarah one more time.  And he did owe this lady.

“Okay, I’ll come.”

“Will Cody be good for Sarah?”

“Yeah..I think so.  He’s gonna make something of hisself one day.”

“Good.  That’s all that matters to me.”

“Ready to ride back?” he asked her.

“Sure.”

He dropped her back off at the general store, and headed back to the bunkhouse, coming up with a story to tell Rachel about why he hadn’t picked up her supplies.  He thought over what he and Melissa had talked about.  She had seemed to understand it all.  And she had an idea how he felt about Sarah, but hadn’t pushed it.  She was all right.


Melissa heard Sarah come in and put all of her things down.

“Cody on a ride today?”

“Yeah.  Those children were hellions today!  I’m exhausted.  Did you invite Rachel and the others other for dinner?”

“Actually the only one I saw today was Jimmy.”

“And he said no?” she guessed.

“Actually he said yes, but I think it was only because the others were coming and it would look strange if he wasn’t there.”

“Figures.”  Sarah mumbled.  “I’m going to freshen up a bit, and then I’ll be back out to figure out tomorrow’s lessons.”

Melissa was dying to tell Sarah what had happened and what she and Jimmy had spoken about, but she knew that it would accomplish anything.  She was pretty sure that her friend had given up on him, and the less said about him, the better.  It was too bad really.  She had a feeling that the real Jimmy Hickok would be a pleasure to know.  Melissa made a mental note to go over to Rachel’s tomorrow and invite everyone else for dinner.  With any luck, she would see Buck and finally get to the bottom of why he didn’t want to see her anymore.  Did he and Jimmy have anything in common by any chance?  No…Buck?  A gunfighter?  She chuckled to herself.  Now that man was definitely not a gunfighter!


Rachel decided to send Buck to pick up her supplies since Jimmy hadn’t been able to do it.  What was coming over her boys these days?  She gave Buck the list, and sent him on his way.  He decided to take the buckboard with him so he wouldn’t have to carry all of them back with him.  He succeeded in getting everything in the list, and had just finished loading it when he heard.

“Hey half-breed!  What ya been doin’ in a white man’s store? You should be stayin’ out on the reservation with others a your kind!”

Sarah had been approaching the store.  She’d had it in mind to buy some penny candy for her kids to use as an incentive to speak up in class.  She had been close enough to hear what the man on the boardwalk was shouting at Buck.  Sarah recognized the man as the father of one of her pupils.  No wonder they were growing up prejudiced!  She had seen the hurt look go across Buck’s face..saw his shoulders stiffen.  She could tell it was taking all within him not to lash out at the man.

“Hey breed!  I’m talkin’ to you!”  the man stated as he moved over closer to Buck.  Sarah knew that there could only be one end to this..unless…”

“Oh Buck!  There you are!” she called merrily as she headed in his direction.  “Oh, Mr. Silvers, I didn’t see you there too.”

Buck’s head whirled around as Sarah entered the scene.  She slipped her arm through his and gave a brilliant smile to Silvers.  “Why Mr. Silvers, I was just on my way to find Buck.  You wouldn’t believe what he did for me, and I had to thank him.”  And she launched into this ten minute speech about how Buck had given her all these great ideas for teaching the children, and she made sure that she went into so much detail about how the children were responding, and wasn’t that wonderful?  “And you know that he and Jimmy saved my life when I was coming to town, didn’t you?”  And she had to go into great detail about that!  By the end of it, Buck was trying very hard not to laugh.  “Oh my, Mr. Silvers, here I am keeping you when I know that you have so much to do.  I do apologize.  And your little Clair is doing wonderful in school.  I’m so pleased with her!  Hey Buck, could you give me a ride over to the bunkhouse?  I need to see Rachel.”

“Sure Sarah,” Buck told her as Sarah gave Silvers another one of her dazzling smiles.  He helped her up into the buckboard seat, hoisted himself up, slapped the horses back with the reins, and headed for the bunkhouse.

When they had gone a short distance, Sarah burst out laughing.  He looked at her and joined in.  It felt good!

“I’m sorry Buck.  That situation was not funny, but it was!  Mr. Silvers made me so angry that I had to do something.  I hope you don’t mind that I stuck my nose into it.” She laid her hand on his arm.

“You’re not afraid to touch me, are you?” he asked suddenly turning serious.

“No…why should I be?”

“I’m a half-breed,” he stated bitterly.

“An incredibly handsome one at that too!” she said mildly.

He knew he was staring dumbfounded at her, and she was staring serenely back at him.  “We just passed the bunkhouse,” was all she said

“You’re missing the point, Sarah.”  He told her.

“No I’m not Buck.  I’m from Boston.  In Boston we see people of all colors, so I’m used to it.  I’ve always treated everyone alike, and I know that sometimes I’m a rarity.  People are prejudiced...usually because they’re scared.  They’ve had Indian problems around here, so who better to take it out on than someone that’s always around…you.  I knew you were part Indian the first time I saw you.”

“And you honestly didn’t care?”

“No...and neither did Melissa...who’s been wondering where you’ve been.”

Buck shrugged.

“White father or mother Buck?”

“Father.  He raped my mother who was a Kiowa maiden.  I never knew who he was.  My mother died when I young and I got sent to the orphanage where I met Ike.  Later I left the orphanage to go live with my people.  I thought that they would treat me better than the white man did.  As it turned out, they didn’t, so I chose to be a part of the white man’s world.”

“And that’s not working out so well most of the time either, is it?”

“No.”

“But you’ve kept your Indian ways?” she asked as she gently touched his medicine pouch.

“Yes, they bring me comfort and help me through difficult times.  The spirits protect me,” he said as he finally stopped the buckboard and looked out towards the mountains.

“I know I’m asking what’s not my business, but why did you stop coming around?”

“Because of what you saw today.  I don’t want that kind of behavior brought on you and Melissa.  And it will be, Sarah.  People here aren’t like you.  If I started to see Melissa, they would think less of her and start talking about her.  If might affect how they look at you as a teacher.”

“Buck..I’m a strong person, and I can deal with people’s prejudices by trying to educate their children.  If they stop sending their children, I can always find another teaching job somewhere else.  So while I appreciate you taking me into consideration, I can look after myself for the most part when I don’t need rescuing from robbers!”

Here Buck smiled at her.

“As for Melissa, she can fight her own battles too.  She’d been through a lot in her life.  And it’s made her a strong lady.  I know that she would like to see you and get to know you better.  No one knows what will come of it, but I think you’ll always wonder what could have been if you don’t give it a chance.”

“The spirits warned me against it.”

“That’s pretty powerful stuff alright.”  She agreed.  “But ultimately, we have to do what we think is right for us and just pray for guidance along the way.  Who knows…maybe the spirits are prejudiced too...and if you’re staying in the white man’s world, chances are you aren’t going to get together with an Indian lady.  So what does that leave?”

“That’s not fair!’ he laughed.

He really was a handsome man!  No wonder Melissa was so enamoured of him.

“Yeah…I know.  So what do you say?  How about if you start to come around again?  We’re having dinner for all of you on Saturday night.  That could be a good starting point for you to start seeing her again.  Will you come?”

“You’re sure about this?  I mean I know she’s been seeing a lot of Ike lately.”

“I’m sure about this.  And she and Ike are friends.  I’m his friend too!”

“Okay…I’ll come then.”

“Good.  It wouldn’t be the same if you weren’t there.  Jimmy even said he would come.”

“That’s good.”

“He keeps to himself a lot, doesn’t he?”

“Around people he doesn’t know very well, he does.  Around us he’s very open.”

“Figures.”  She muttered. “Buck, tell me about Jimmy.”

“I thought you were seeing Cody.”

“I am, I guess...it’s just that Jimmy seemed so friendly when he helped you rescue us, and then he gets all silent and moody.  Then Melissa gave me that Marcus book about Wild Bill Hickok…”

“You like him, don’t you?”

She knew she could be honest with Buck.

“Yeah.  I have a feeling I shouldn’t, but I do, Buck.”

“Want to walk for a while?”

“Yes,” she said.  He helped her down.

“When I first met Jimmy, I wasn’t too sure about him myself.  He was always angry…always trying to intimidate us, get us to draw on him.  But it was a front.  That book that Marcus wrote is all lies, and has only brought him trouble.  He’s no gunfighter, although every gunfighter in the territory is trying to turn him into one.  Jimmy’s got a good heart.  But he’s had a hard life.”

“Does he ever smile?”

“Yeah..laughs a lot too.”

“Does he have a girl?”

“No.”

“Has he ever?”

“Yes...about a year ago.  She hurt him real bad.  It turns out she was married and was leadin’ him on.  He hasn’t had anyone since her.”

“Do you think that’s why he doesn’t want to have a thing to do with me?”

“I honestly don’t know.  I think he’s worked through all of that by now.  I thought that he liked you too, but maybe he saw how interested Cody was and just backed off.  Cody’s a good man too.  He’ll take good care of you.”

“I know.  And I do like Cody.  You know how it is, Buck.  You always have it in the back of your head wondering how it would be with the other person.”

“Yeah, I know how that can go.  But who knows...you might fall in love with Cody and forget all about Jimmy.”

“Yeah, I might,” she agreed.  “What about you?  Have you ever been in love before?” she asked as they turned around and started to head back to the buckboard.  She saw the dark look go across his face.

“Kathleen..she was the bank president’s daughter in Sweetwater.  Turns out she was only using me because she wanted to make her father angry and get his attention.  And he did get angry that she would let a breed touch her.”

Sarah slipped her arm through his again.

“Oh Buck, I’m sorry!  That’s so awful.  I take it you got over it?”

“Most of it.  It can still make me angry sometimes.  What about you?  You ever been in love before?”

“Yes..his name was Brian.  He encouraged me to go to teacher’s college.  Of course while I was doing that, he married my best friend!’  She smiled.  “But at least he gave me the encouragement to do what I needed to do.”

“What about Melissa?”

Now how was she supposed to answer that?  She took a stab in the dark.

“Yes, she’s just like all of us and had her heart broken, but she’s recovered and moved on.”

“Did she leave anyone behind when she came here?”

“No.”  Sarah hoped that was the truth!

They came back to the buckboard, and Buck helped her up.

“You glad you came here?” he asked as he turned the team around.

“I’m very glad I came out here to talk to you, and yes, I’m glad that I came to Rock Creek.  Every experience in your life can be a good one if you learn from it.”

“I think that you have a little Indian blood in you somewhere, Sarah.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she smiled at him.

He gave her a long look.

“You should be with Jimmy…not Cody.”

“Don’t tell Jimmy that.  I don’t think he would agree with you,” she giggled.

“Probably not.  Cody wouldn’t either!”

They arrived at the bunkhouse.

“You can stop here.  I can walk home from here…”

“Sarah!  What are you doing with him?” she heard Cody ask as he galloped up.

Cody couldn’t believe his good luck in finding Sarah here as he came in from his run.

“I just ran into Buck, and we got to talking.  I was just going to walk home.”

“I’ll walk with you as long as you don’t mind me bein’ all dusty.”

“I don’t mind.”  She assured him.

Cody got down from his horse, and helped her down from the buckboard.
“See you Saturday night, Buck.”

“You sure will.  Thanks, Sarah.”

She smiled at him as she turned to Cody.  “Saturday...What’s Saturday?” he asked as he took her hand in his, and led his horse with the other hand.

“Melissa and I are having all you Riders over to dinner on Saturday to thank you for helping us out.  You will come, won’t you?”

“Wild horses couldn’t keep me away, Sarah.  How was school today?”

“Just fine.  I swear those Hawkins children will never settle down, but I’m working on it!”

“They’ve always been a handful!” he laughed.  “I was wonderin’, can I take you to supper Friday night at the hotel?  I promise I’ll look better than this!”

“I would like that Mr. Cody!”

By now they were at Sarah’s house.

“Great.  I’ll pick you up at six then?”

“That’s fine,” she smiled.

She loved the smile that covered his face.  He leaned down to kiss her cheek and squeezed her hand. Then he mounted his horse, and she watched him ride off.

“I was beginning to worry about you.”  Melissa told her a she walked in.  “Were you with Cody all this time?”

“No..Buck..Mr. Silvers was giving him a hard time at the general store, so I stepped into the middle of it...you know me...and we talked for awhile after that...then Cody showed up and here I am.  I’m going out with Cody Friday night.  And Buck is coming to dinner on Saturday, so will Cody.  Did you ask the others?”

“Yes, and I think all but Noah will be there.  Teaspoon thinks he’ll be on a run.”

“Great.”

“How is Buck?  Is he okay?”

“He is now.  I think that you will be seeing a lot more of him,” she said mysteriously.

“What did you talk about?”  Melissa asked.

“Indians, spirits, prejudice, my students, you….”

“Me?”  Suddenly she felt guilty.  She was thirsty for any morsel that Sarah could feed her about Buck, and here she had never told Sarah that she had spoken to Jimmy.  “Sarah, I have a confession to make.”

“You’re so serious all of a sudden.  What is it?”

“I kept something from you, thinking I was doing it for your own good, but I was wrong to.”  So taking a deep breath, she told Sarah about the conversation and all Jimmy had said.  “So I think that Jimmy really likes you.  He’s afraid to do anything about it though and seems to want you to end up with Cody.  I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before.  I hope you aren’t angry with me.”

Sarah sighed as she looked out the window.

“The little I know about Jimmy Hickok tells me that he’s very hard headed and stubborn.  I doubt whether there will be any changing his mind, but the sad part about it all is I understand his thinking.  That’s it then, I guess.”

“So it’s to be Cody?”

“If I fall in love with him, it will be,” she smiled as she wiped a tear off her cheek.  “And no, I’m not angry with you.  Now let me tell you about Buck.  I know that he really likes you, but he was afraid of the prejudice in the town and what it would do to you…” and she related the gist of the conversation to Melissa.

“Thank God!  I was afraid it was something I had done.”

“Oh no, not at all.  So like I said, I think you’ll be seeing a lot more of the man.  I was right wasn’t I?  That you’re strong enough to handle the prejudice in this town against him?  It will come to haunt you at some point.”

“I think I could handle anything if Buck were there to help me.”

“Good!  Now I’m starved!  What wonderful things have you prepared for our supper?”


As Buck was grooming the team he had used that day, Jimmy came riding up.

“Get those special dispatches delivered?”  Buck asked him.

“Yeah,” Jimmy stated as he tied his horse next to Buck’s team and pulled his saddle off.  He found another brush and began to remove some of the trail dust from him.

“I saw Sarah today.   She came to my rescue.  You should have seen her.  You would have been proud of her.  In a way, she reminded me of you.”

Jimmy’s ears perked up at her name.

“How’s that?”

“She goes bullheaded into things just like you do.”  And Buck gave him a brief synopsis of what had happened.  “She was somethin’ else!  I bet Silvers is still shakin’ his head.”

Jimmy got a good laugh out of it.  “I bet he is too.”

“She tells me that you’re going to supper Saturday.”

“So is everyone else.”

“Why ain’t you gonna give her a chance?”

Jimmy finally turned to him.  “I want to Buck, but I can’t.  Besides, Cody has already staked his claim.”

“He ain’t right for her!”

“In time he will be.  She don’t need me.  She don’t need to go worryin’ about whether someone is gonna shoot me.”

“That ain’t all of it, is it?”

“No…” he admitted taking a deep breath.  Buck was probably the only person he could talk to about this.  “I also don’t want her being ashamed of me.  I ain’t never had all the book learnin’ that the rest of you had.  I had to raise myself.  She’s so educated and all.”

“Maybe you don’t deserve Sarah then.  She would never be ashamed of someone she chose.”  Buck told him as he untied the team and led them away.

Jimmy leaned on the back of his horse and looked towards the school…then towards Sarah’s house.  He could see Cody riding away from there.  Should he believe Buck?  Or just let things be the way they were?”

“Hey Jimmy.”  Cody said as he dismounted and pulled his horses saddle off him.  He picked up the brush Buck had just vacated.

“Just get back from Sarah’s?”  Jimmy asked him as he continued to brush his horse.

“Yeah.  You know she just gets prettier as time goes by.  I’m a lucky man!”

“Yeah you are, Cody!”  Jimmy agreed, feeling as if he were being stabbed in the heart.

“She said she’d go to supper with me at the hotel Friday night.  I need to buy something for her.  What do you think I should get?”

“I don’t know.  Ask Buck.  They seem to be such good friends and all.”  Jimmy said as he grabbed his horse’s reins and led him off.  He couldn’t stand to talk to Cody about Sarah!

“They are?”  Cody asked Jimmy’s retreating back.


Cody had been very entertaining over dinner.  She enjoyed the tales he told of riding across the plains and mountains, delivering the mail.  She figured that he was just a natural born storyteller, and would be a good entertainer.  Yes, one day he would have his dream!

“That was lovely, Cody.  Thank you.”  Sarah told him as they strolled from the hotel to the house.  She had her arm firmly tucked through his.

“You’re welcome, Sarah.”

“One day I would love it if you came to the schoolroom and told the children some of what you told me.  They would be so enthralled with those stories.”

”You really think so?”

“I know so…especially the boys.”

“Just let me know when, and if I’m not on a ride, I’ll come.”

“I knew I could count on you,” she smiled up at him.

“Oh Sarah…you gotta quit smilin’ at me like that.  It does funny things to me,” he admitted.

“Okay..I’ll never smile at you again, Cody.”

“That’s not what I meant.”  He told her as they arrived at her house.  She sat on the porch swing, and patted the seat next to her.  He sat down and looked into her eyes.

“What did you mean, Mr. Cody?”

“I meant that..well..you’re very special to me, Sarah Brooks.  I hope you know that.”

“Well, I have noticed that I’m the only lady you seem to spend any time with,” she told him coyly.

“You are...Sarah, if your daddy was here, I would ask permission to court you.  Since he’s not, I’m asking you.”

Sarah looked away from him.

“Cody..this is so sudden.  I mean I haven’t been here that long.  We’ve been getting to know each other, and I know that I really like you.  I’ve had so many changes in my life recently, and I still feel like I’m not really settled.  I feel like if I say yes now, I might be leading you on.  Can you wait awhile longer for an answer…at least until I’ve been here for a time and feel like I have some roots here?  I know that may not be fair to you, and I’ll understand if you want to withdraw your offer.”

“You really like me, Sarah?”

“Oh yes.  You’re not like any man I ever met in Boston,” she admitted.

His hand reached out to caress her face.  “I know how you feel, and no, I’m not withdrawing my offer.  You take the time you need as long as you keep seein’ me, Sarah Brooks.”

“Now that is not a problem, William F. Cody!” she deliberately smiled at him.

Before he totally lost his head, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the gift that he had bought her.  “This is for you, Sarah.”

“Perfume!  Oh Cody,” she smiled as she took the stopper out to smell it.  “It’s heavenly!  Thank you.”

Sarah threw her arms around him, vowing to wipe Jimmy Hickok out of her mind.  This man was willing to give her everything.

Cody hugged her, and captured her lips with his.  She immediately began to return his kiss, and he pressed harder against her mouth, hoping that it would open under his.  When it did, he thought his heart would stop at the sweetness of all of it.  Her tongue touched his, and his body began to feel things it hadn’t felt before with any other woman.  The kiss ended abruptly when they heard voices nearby.

They were both a bit short of breath, as Sarah made an attempt to straighten her dress out.

“I guess I’d best go in Cody.”

“I guess you’d better,” he agreed, really wanting to run off to the hayloft with her, but knowing he couldn’t.  She wasn’t that kind of lady.

“See you tomorrow night, and thank you again for dinner and the perfume.  You’re sweet!”  She quickly kissed him one more time before she disappeared.

“Oh Lordy!”  was all Cody said as he turned to head for the bunkhouse.  All he knew was that he was falling hard and fast for Miss Sarah Brooks, and he didn’t care one bit.  He was of the age to settle down.  The Kid had.  Why not him too?”


“I’m so excited, I’m getting sick!”  Melissa stated to Sarah.  “Does my hair look alright?  What about my dress?”

“Your hair is perfect.  That green taffeta is the perfect compliment to your hair and complexion.  Buck is going to take one look at you tonight and wonder how he could have possibly stayed away for so long.  Do I pass inspection?”

“The perfume Cody gave you smells so good. Your blue dress matches your eyes.  I’d say you’re going to make Cody AND Jimmy sand up and take notice.”

“Cody is the only one I’m interested in.  He asked if he could court me last night.”

“HE DID?  What did you tell him?”

“That I needed time to think about it since I’m still not feeling all that settled yet.  He’s willing to give me the time I need.  But can you imagine my parents if the next letter I wrote to them was Hello there parents.  I’m doing fine and settling into the school.  I love the work and the people of Rock Creek are very nice.  Oh, and by the way, I’m being courted and may get married soon.  Love, your daughter.”she said as she pretended to write her letter to her parents in the air. 

Melissa was howling.  “You’re right.  They probably wouldn’t be very enthusiastic about that.”

“Not hardly.  I just hope we didn’t get overdressed.”

“We wanted it to be special.  They should be here at any minute.”

As if on cue, there was a knock and they heard the scuffle of many booted feet outside.

“I’d say they’re here,” Sarah said as she headed for the door, and was quite surprised to see that all the men had dressed up in their Sunday finest.  Rachel was beautiful in her good dress.  This was obviously a special occasion for them all too.

“Come on in!”  Melissa invited.  “Supper is just about ready.”

“All of you look so handsome.”  Sarah told them, her eyes catching Cody’s.  She was in awe.  She had never seen them all scrubbed and polished and dressed up before.  She hugged Rachel as did Melissa.

“Can I help with anything?”  Rachel asked as Melissa’s eyes found Buck, who was holding his hat nervously.

He was drop dead gorgeous, and she couldn’t find her voice as he smiled shyly at her.  She returned it before she turned to Rachel.

“No.  You are our guests tonight.  Everyone can come to the table and sit down though while Sarah and I serve.”

Jimmy’s eyes locked on Sarah.  She was so beautiful…..so feminine.  As if sensing she was being watched, she turned to him.  Sarah’s eyes widened when she finally took in Jimmy.  He was dressed all in black with a white shirt and a black tie.  He smiled slightly at her, and then surprised her with a wink.  He could see the laughter bubbling to the surface.  But she quickly suppressed it and gave him a smile before she turned to the rest of her guests.  Had he done the right things by pushing Cody her way?  Was Buck right in saying that if Sarah chose him, she wouldn’t be ashamed of him?  Why did women have to be so confusing?

Teaspoon kept them in stitches with all of his stories, and the Riders threw in some of their own.  They complimented the ladies highly on their cooking, and over coffee and desert, they started to play some parlor games.  Sarah taught them a few that she knew from Boston, and when things really started to get rowdy, she went outside for a breath of fresh air.  She walked around the side of the house and immediately wished that she’d brought her shawl.  It was starting to get cooler at night.

“You best not wander off too far, Sarah.”  She heard Jimmy’s voice coming from in front of her in the dark.  She stopped, and he came into the bit of light that was thrown off through the window.

“I hadn’t planned to.  Did you need some fresh air too?”

How did he answer that?  He’d been watching Sarah, seeing how well she could entertain, how good she was with people, how happy and outgoing she was…everything he wasn’t.  Then he was picturing her with kids, seeing how homey it all was.  He couldn’t handle the vision, so he had left it for a time.

“Yeah,” was all he said as he looked down at her.  He leaned against the side of the house, a safe distance from her.

“I never did get a chance to thank you for rescuing me from my fall the other day.  You disappeared on me.”

“I knew you would be looked after.”  Was all he said, finding it very hard to be standing here talking to her as if he had no feelings for her.

“I swear Mr. Hickok, you make it very hard for a person to be grateful,” she stated, her temper flaring as she stepped closer to him.  “I don’t know why you have to be so darn stubborn and ornery!” she said as she stabbed his chest with her finger. He backed up, trying to get away from her.

Her perfume hit his nostrils as he grabbed her finger.

“That’s just the way I am I guess,” he told her, sill holding onto her hand.  She looked up at him, suddenly forgetting why she was angry at him.

“Well, thank you then,” she barely got out, feeling very short of breath herself.

Jimmy saw that she was wearing that dreamy look, and this time, with the darkness surrounding them, he did what he had wanted to do on the street the other day.  He pulled Sarah into his arms and began to attack her mouth, and he wasn’t surprised that it tasted as sweet as he had known it would.

Sarah knew that she should back away...knew she should try to stop Jimmy from kissing her, but she also knew that she didn’t want to.  She surrendered to his kiss, which was at first very hard and demanding, but as it went on, she felt the hardness leave him.  The sensitive side of him came out as he gave her butterfly kisses all over her face, down her neck, then up the other side before he found her mouth again.  Tongues met and did their dance.  Time stood still for a few minutes as the kiss got deeper.  His arms snaked around her and caressed her back.  Her’s were around his waist, and she was holding on for dear life.

“Sarah?” she heard Cody call.

They both jumped.  Jimmy didn’t want to leave this lady, but once again, he had to.  What in all tarnation had gotten into him?  But she had let him do it.  She hadn’t pushed him away.

“Sarah?” he whispered close to her ear.

Her fingers found his lips.  He kissed them, running his tongue lightly across them.  He could feel her shudder in his arms.

“Sarah?”  Cody called again.

“I’ve got to go,” was all she said.

“I know.  I’m sorry.  This won’t happen again.”  He assured her as she could feel him disappear into the night.

“But I want it to,” she whispered after him as she willed her body to calm itself down.  What had come over her?  She had acted like a whore with him!  What he must think of her!  How could she face Cody after that?

“Sarah?  Where are you?”

“Back here Cody,” she called back as she took another deep breath, smoothed down her hair, smoothed her dress, tried another deep breath, and started to walk towards Cody.  She’d think about it all much later.

“There you are!  What were you thinking going out by yourself?  I would have come out with you if you had asked!” he gently scolded as he put his arms where Jimmy’s had just been.

“But you were the star of the Charades game.  I couldn’t pull you away when you were winning.  I just needed a breath of fresh air.”

“We’re getting’ ready to leave.  I wanted to have a few minutes alone with you before we all left.  Did you see Jimmy out here?”

“Jimmy?  No, it’s just me.  Now what did you want to get me all alone for?”

“This.”  He told her as he kissed her.  “And this,” he said as he kissed her again.

Sarah really tried to get into it, but Jimmy’s kisses were still too fresh in  her mind.

“Now you’d better let me get back inside.  I’m sadly neglecting my hostess duties.”

He just smiled at her as he led her back in.  Sarah noticed that Jimmy had come back in.  He gave her a small smile.  Was his heart beating as quickly as hers was?  What fine madness had overtaken them tonight?


Melissa and Sarah walked out to wave everyone off.  Buck knew that it was now or never for him to make his move.

“Melissa, do you think that I could come by tomorrow and take you for a ride?”

“I’d really like that Buck,”  she smiled, thrilled that he had asked her.

“I’ll see you after you get home from church,” he smiled.

Sarah had just finished hugging Ike as Buck went over to her.  “Thanks for a fine night, Sarah.  I’ll be seeing Melissa tomorrow.”

“Great!” she smiled at him as she surprised him with a hug.  “Well, I’m allowed to hug my friends, aren’t I?  She laughed up at him.

“I hope so,” he told her as the last goodnights and thank yous were said.

She and Melissa stayed out until they could no longer see them, and then went back inside.

“Buck asked me out for tomorrow.  I think I’ll pack a picnic.”

“Yeah..he told me.  I’m happy for you.  I’ll be with Cody.  Melissa?”

“What?” she asked her friend as she headed for the kitchen.  She and Sarah would be washing dishes for awhile.

“While everyone was playing games in here...I stepped outside for a breath of fresh air.  Jimmy was out there too, and I swear I didn’t know that he would be there.  One thing led to another, I started to yell at him for his disappearing acts...I ended up letting him kiss all over me.  I should have pushed him away, but I couldn’t.  There’s just something about that man.  He must think I have no morals at all...especially since I’m seeing Cody.  Oh Melissa!  I’m so confused!  What am I going to do?” she asked as she started to cry.  She angrily brushed the tears away and began to scrub the pots and pans.

Melissa stood there for a moment, stunned, a little shocked, but wouldn’t she let Buck kiss all over her if he wanted to?

“Was it nice?”

“It was wonderful.  He was so sweet and gentle, and when I was in his arms I felt like nothing could get to me.”

“Do you feel that way with Cody?”

“No,” she said in a soft voice.  “He said that it wouldn’t happen again.  I think he meant it.”

“I think it’s best to pretend that it never happened Sarah.  You’re right.  It will never happen again, and I still believe that in time you will be able to love Cody.  I don’t think this is anything to get too upset about.  After all, what does it matter what Jimmy thinks of you?  It matters what Cody thinks of you, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, it does, and you’re right.  I’m making more out of this than I should.  I’m sorry.  I used to be such a good girl!”  Sarah laughed.  The way she said it made Melissa break out in giggles.

“Yeah, we get out on our own and that’s it!”

“Let’ get these dishes washed and get to bed!”  Sarah told her friend after she hugged her.  “I’m so glad I met you.  I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

“Me neither!”  Melissa agreed.


Sunday morning dawned clear and blue.  Sarah and Melissa were both up early, in time for church.  Not expecting to see any of the Riders there, they walked alone down the dirt street to the tiny church on the edge of town, speaking to several of the town’s people that they had gotten to know during their short time there.

Sarah wasn’t surprised to see most of her students in attendance.  It was no surprise either, that they weren’t any better behaved in God’s house than they were in school!  The two Hawkins boys sat two rows in front of her and they were constantly turning around, sticking their tongues out at her.  She just shook her head, not believing that their mother would let them get away with such goings on.

Church service was about to begin, when Melissa felt a hand come to rest on her shoulder.  Looking up, she was surprised to find Teaspoon standing over her.

“Are these here seats taken?”  He motioned to the two vacant places beside of her and Sarah.

“Of course not!  Please join us!”  She motioned for Sarah to move down and he and Rachel joined them on the bench.

“Morning Miss Sarah, Miss Melissa.”  They nodded his way and Melissa reached out to squeeze Rachel’s hand in greeting.  Piano music began and they all stood to sing the first hymn.

Melissa noticed that Teaspoon hadn’t opened a hymnbook, and she leaned a little closer to share hers with him.  He smiled her way, and reached out to hold a corner of the book.  His clear, strong voice joined hers, as they sang the words of “Come Ye Thankful People Come.”

Throughout the service, Sarah’s mind was on Cody and Jimmy.  She had tried to sleep the night before without thinking of either of them.  But it was no use.  She would start dreaming of one and by the time the dream was at an end, she would find herself with the other!  She really didn’t know what she was going to do about those two.   She was looking forward to her time with Cody that evening.  But her mind kept going back to the kisses that she had shared the evening before with Jimmy.  She shook her head slightly, and tried to get her mind on the sermon that Reverend Jackson was delivering.

Melissa on the other hand had a problem sitting this close to the man that she knew was her father.  She had really come to like him in the short time they had been in Rock Creek.  All that was left now was to get the nerve up to tell him the truth.  The sermon didn’t help a whole lot.  It made her think even more about what she needed to do.  It was all about how short life was, and that if there was something that you had been putting off, now was the time to take care of it.  She had a feeling that the Lord was trying to tell her it was time to make a move!

As the services came to an end, Rachel, Sarah, Melissa and Teaspoon stood together talking, speaking now and then to someone who would stop to say hello.

“Teaspoon, you are going to have to get those Riders of yours to come join us in church.”  Sarah was smiling his way.

“Well Miss Sarah, if I go back and tell ‘em the two pruttiest women in Rock Creek was a askin’ bout ‘em, we mite just have ‘em all here next week!”

Sarah laughed and Melissa could feel her face warming up at Teaspoon’s compliment.

“Well, I wouldn’t say that I agree with you, but you can tell them all that Melissa and I missed them this morning.”

“I’ll do just that Miss Sarah.”

“What do you two have planned for this evening?”  The ladies walked off towards Sarah’s house.

“Cody and I are going to supper at the hotel.  I’m not sure about Melissa.”  Sarah looked her way.

“Right now I don’t have any plans.  Something that I can help you with Rachel?”

“No, actually, I was going to invite you both to join us for supper tonight.  Since you are busy with our Mr. Cody,” Rachel smiled that knowing smile at Sarah, “How bout you Melissa?  Will you join us??  Won’t be anything fancy.  Probably chicken -n- dumplings.”

“Sounds wonderful to me!  I’ll be there at 5!”

“Great!  See you then.  Oh and Sarah,” she looked her way.  “You and Cody have a nice time tonight.”

“Thanks Rachel, I think we will.”  They said their good-byes and headed on down the street.


Buck was nervous.  He had taken most of the morning to get ready.  Ike was hanging round with this big grin on his face.  It was beginning to irritate him.

“What are you grinning at?”  He looked towards Ike, a big frown on his face.

“Just you runnin’ round like a scared rooster!”

“I’m not scared!”

“Then why are you shakin’?”  Ike held out his hand, acting as if he was nervous snickering at Buck.  He slapped his hand away.

“Cut it out!  I’m not shakin’!”

Ike shook his head.  Then he turned serious, signing, “Melissa is probably just as scared as you are!  It will all go okay.  The two of you look good together.”

Buck was startled by his words.  “You really think so?”

Ike grinned again.  “Sure do.  I think she really likes you.”

Buck was grinning as Teaspoon came out of the bunkhouse with a picnic basket in his hand.  “Rachel told me to give you this!  You and them horses goin’ on a picnic?”

Buck took the basket from Teaspoon, and he leaned over noting his still damp hair.  “You must have interstin’ plans for this afternoon, I’ve never knowed you boys to take baths on Sunday!”

“Don’t matter what I have planned!  See you two later!”  A little angrily, Buck jumped on his horse and started off towards Sarah’s leading the extra horse.

Teaspoon slipped an arm around Ike’s shoulders.  “I told them two ladies they was the pruttiest things in town!  Guess I’m not the only one who feels that way!”  He shook his head, as he and Ike headed back towards the bunkhouse.


Sarah had been watching Melissa flit around the living room for nearly an hour.  She was dressed in a pair of trousers, and a denim shirt.  A hat hung down her back, and her hair was pulled back from her face by a large silver hair clasp.  She had checked her appearance in the mirror for the tenth time in the last two minutes, and Sarah burst out laughing, Melissa sent her a startled look.

“I’m sorry Melissa It’s just that you look so nervous!  I would give anything to know if Buck is acting the same way!”

“I can’t help it Sarah.  I get so nervous around him.  I don’t know why.”

“You do want to go riding with him don’t you?”

“Of course I do!”

“Then don’t worry so much about it.  I think once the two of you leave here, you’ll do fine!”

“Are you nervous around Cody?”

“Maybe a little.  But not as much as when I’m around Jimmy!  That man unnerves me!”

“Are you still thinking about him?  I thought we decided that you were going o concentrate on Cody!”

“I know we did, but I can’t seem to get those kisses out of my mind!”

Melissa patted her arm.  “It will all work out as it’s supposed to.”  Just then a knock sounded on the door, and Melissa turned nervous again.  This time Sarah patted her arm.
“It will all work out as it’s supposed to!  Good advice given to me once by a good friend!”  She grinned and got up to answer the door.  Buck was standing there, twisting his hat nervously in his hands.  “Buck!  Hello!  Come in!”  Sarah stepped back and he stepped inside the door.  Melissa was standing to her right and she smiled as he entered.

This man always took her breath away when she first saw him.  He was dressed in his usual attire, brown pants, a purple shirt, a black vest, his fringed boots, and his hair was tied back with a piece of leather string.  What was it about him that made her heart beat so fast in her chest?

Buck saw Melissa the minute he stepped inside the door.  She was gorgeous, even though she was dressed in a man’s clothes.  Her curves were very well outlined in the trousers and shirt.  He licked his dry lips nervously and it was all that Sarah could do not to laugh out loud.  She had been right.  Buck was as nervous as Melissa!

“I hope the two of you have a nice ride.  I’ve got to make lesson plans for tomorrow!”

Buck looked her way and hated to be rude.  “Would you like to come along?  I could get another horse and I’m sure that Rachel packed enough food for another person!”

“Oh I’m sure she did!  If she packed anything like she did for the one that Cody and I shared, there is enough food in that basket to feed a small army!”

Melissa was a little worried that Sarah would take him up on the offer.  It wasn’t that she didn’t want Sarah along…well maybe that was it.  She so wanted this man all to herself!  She held her breath waiting for Sarah to finish speaking.

“Thanks for the invitation, but I have tons of school work that I need to get done.  Besides the two of you need some time to get to know one another better.  I wouldn’t want to horn in on that.”  She smiled towards Melissa and she sent her a thank you look as she breathed a sigh of relief.

Sarah closed the door behind them, and headed for her books.  She wanted to finish with plenty of time to get ready for her evening out with Cody.

Continued.....

COPYRIGHT - 2004-  M BOLTON, R WOOTEN