Sarah sat upon her horse as she watched the chestnut stallion running across the valley, followed closely by his herd of mares. The stallion suddenly stopped, lifting his nose to test the wind as he looked around. She held her breath, but he didn’t appear to see her or sense that she was watching him. Today would be the day she acted upon a desire that had been building inside of her. Today she would catch the stallion.

Sarah Brooks smiled to herself as she remembered the first time she had seen the stallion two years ago. She had known then that one day, he would be hers. Sarah turned her face to the sun, letting her long blond hair fall over her shoulders. She had a couple of hours of daylight left. Now if she could only figure out how to catch him.


Pony Express rider, Jimmy Hickok squinted through the slits in his eyes, pulling his hat down lower so the sun couldn't shine directly into his face. He lazily sat on his palomino as he watched his chestnut stallion wander around his herd. He’d been following this horse for quite some time over the years, and now would be a good time to rope him. He could take his time getting back to Rock Creek, since he didn’t have a ride until the next week. He wasn’t sure why he wanted this stallion. Maybe it was because he always seemed so free..a feeling that Jimmy wasn’t familiar with. Maybe this horse could help him capture that freedom for himself!  He nudged his horse forward. He’d have to be careful not to startle the chestnut.


With the sun at her back, Sarah came slowly down the hill. If she could just get close enough to him, she’d be able to slip a rope over his head. It might work…if he would listen to her talk to him…if she didn’t startle him too badly. She arrived at the herd, and since she was just walking through it, the horses didn’t appear to be threatened by her. So far, so good.

Jimmy realized, a little too late, that he probably should have circled around the stallion and come up to him from the rear. The stallion was beginning to act uneasy, and suddenly threw his head up and looked him straight in the eye. He whinnied harshly, and all was quickly chaos as the mares started to run, and the stallion wheeled away from him.

“Damn!” he swore. He knew that it would be useless to chase after him, because the stallion was faster. He’d have to track him, and try again.

Sarah almost fell from her horse as the herd suddenly seemed to panic, turned in a northerly direction and took off. What had done that?  Should she give chase?  No…the stallion would make sure that no one could follow him. Damn!  As the dust settled, she looked around for a clue as to what could have set the stallion off. And you could have knocked her down with a feather when she saw a lone man sitting on a palomino, watching the dust cloud that was the herd, receding into the distance.

She could feel her temper rise.

“You!  It had to be you that spooked my stallion!  What in tarnation were you thinking?”

Jimmy almost jumped out of his skin when he heard a female voice yelling accusingly at him. He turned quickly as his hand went to the Colt, holstered at his side, but realized just as quickly she wasn’t threatening him with violence. Then again, from the look in her eyes, maybe she was.

“YOUR stallion?” he asked as he raised an eyebrow and began to coil his rope so he could put it back over his saddle horn. “That’s my stallion, and how do we know that you didn’t spook him?”

“I was upwind, coming up from behind him. You approached him head on. Any fool would know that’s not the way to catch this horse.”

Jimmy could tell that she was all fired up, and she had to be the prettiest woman that he’d seen in a long time. She looked to be a little younger than he was with hair the color of the sun, and eyes the color of a deep blue sky. She wore a pistol hanging from a holster at her waist, and she looked like she knew how to use it. She was holding a coil of rope, as he had been.

He shrugged his shoulders.

“Okay, I admit it was my fault. I wasn’t thinking, but he’s my horse, lady.”

Sarah sat back in her saddle, her anger receding just a bit. Where had this man come from?  He was around her age, which would make him about 21. His medium brown hair hung down a bit past his shoulders, and he seemed to have velvety brown eyes. A bit imposing, he seemed to want to keep his distance from her.

“No..he’s mine. And you’ve proved that by totally messing up trying to catch him. I get him by default,” she stated triumphantly with a smile.

The lady’s smile hit him hard. It lit up her whole face, and the sun seemed to be just a little brighter.

“I can see this is gonna be a problem, Miss?” he was looking expectantly at her.

“Brooks…Sarah Brooks. And you’re?”

“Hickok..James Butler Hickok..but everyone calls me Jimmy.”

She sensed something in this man..something that was calling to her soul. Then she shook herself. What a crazy thought!  And his name seemed vaguely familiar. Where had she heard of it?

“Well, Jimmy, we do seem to have a problem here. What shall we do to resolve it?”

“I’ll camp here for the night. In the morning I’ll track him, catch him, and keep him. How’s that?”

“No..I don’t think so. I propose that we try to catch him together. Whoever ropes him first gets to keep him. I think that would be fair.”

Jimmy scrutinized her slowly. What sort of woman was she?

“Won’t you have someone worryin’ over you not comin’ home?  Besides all that, I don’t think it would be very proper to camp out with a man you don’t even know.”

“No Jimmy, I don’t have anyone waitin’ for me to come home, and as for proper, I don’t really care about that.  Besides, if you try anything, I’ll have to shoot you,”  she told him calmly. “Where do you want to set up camp?”

“There ain’t no one faster than me on the draw,” he bragged, “And I think over there by them trees would be good.”

Sarah dropped her reins and faced him with steady eyes. She had already noticed that he wore twin, ivory handled Colts, grips facing forward. He probably was very fast. Well..so was she.

“Let’s test that draw, Jimmy.”

“You serious?” he asked her.

For an answer, she went for her gun, and he was a bit unnerved when she was only about a second behind him. She reholstered her gun.

“Okay, so you’re faster, but you’d best watch your back because I’m not far behind. The trees look good,” she agreed.

He watched her turn her horse and head in that direction.

“WHO is she?” he asked himself as he followed her. He hadn’t been planning on laying a hand on her, but he knew for certain that it would be foolish even to consider it. She was pretty, knew how to use a gun, and could probably ride and rope with the best of them. That was a rarity for a woman in the west.

Sarah dismounted. Jimmy pulled up his horse next to hers and jumped out of the saddle. Sarah immediately noticed how tall he was, and he moved with an economy of motion, quietly. She liked that.

“So where was your head at when you approached that stallion wrong?” she asked him as she pulled her horse’s saddle off and laid it on the ground.

“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “Usually I can focus on what I’m goin’ for, but I definitely wasn’t concentratin’ on that horse..which was lucky for you. He’d a been mine right now if I had.”

“Quit bragging about something that didn’t happen and isn’t likely to happen. You have any food with you?  I thought we could share what we have, and I’ll offer to cook it for us.”

“Yeah, I got some in my saddle bags,” he told her as he unsaddled his horse.

They compared what they had, and Sarah quickly set about fixing an evening meal. Jimmy admired her efficiency around the campfire. It didn’t take her long to rustle up a basic meal, and she handed it to him with a smile.

“You’ve done this a lot?” Jimmy asked her as he accepted his plate, motioning around the camp.

“Yes, and by the looks of you, you’re not a stranger to camp life.”

“You ain’t from around these parts, are you?” he asked curiously as he tried to place her accent.

“Yes and no. You?”

“Yes and no,” he mimed back to her with a slight smile.

“Okay..neither one of us wants to talk about ourselves. Nice weather we’re having, isn’t it?” she asked very politely.

Jimmy had to laugh. She seemed to suddenly be transported into a fancy parlor, having tea with all the church ladies. He could see her doing that, but that scene was so far from here it was ridiculous.

“Real nice, Sarah..real nice. You very far from home?”

“Depends on your definition of far…you?”

“My definition is more than two days ride, so yeah…I’m far. You?”

“Yes,” she replied primly.

“How’d you learn to draw like that?  Can you hit anything?”

Sarah managed to look quite offended, although inside she was laughing. She’d wondered how long it would take this handsome man to get back to that. She was sure his male ego had been bruised by her quick draw.

“I can hit anything I’m aiming at, and I suppose I learned like anyone else. I practiced quite a bit because it was important for me to be good at it.”

Jimmy knew how that felt.

“Why was it important to be good at it?”

Sarah bit her lip, wondering just how much to say to this man. She didn’t want to know him that well. If she got to know him, and she liked the parts she got to know, she might give him an advantage over her for the stallion. She didn’t want to do that. She sighed, glad that it was beginning to get dark.

“My father desperately wanted a son, but all he got was me. I wanted to do something he would be proud of. He thought this was important, so I became the best I could be at it.”

“Was he proud of you?” Jimmy asked quizzically.

“I think he was impressed by my ability, but proud?  No..if I’d been a boy, he would have been proud.”

Sarah was surprised that the memory still had the power to hurt her. She bit her lip again.

Jimmy watched all the emotions going across her face. He could see the uncertainty and the hurt. And seeing that, he felt strangely vulnerable to her.

“So..how did you get to be so fast?” she asked him, trying to shake herself out of her mood.

He guessed he owed her that.

“When I was young I went to work for a judge. He sorta adopted me, and it was important to him that I be fast, so I became fast.”

Jimmy set his plate down, and could still see some vestige of pain on her face.

“Look, Sarah..sometimes it doesn’t help to be a boy to have your father be proud of you. My father and I never saw eye to eye, and we were never very close. I don’t think he was ever proud of me for anythin’, but I just try to forget it. It’s not important now anyway. What’s important is how you feel about yourself inside.”

Sarah picked up the plates and wiped them off as she thought about what Jimmy had told her. She liked listening to his deep voice. It was very calm and soothing.

“What you say has merit, but sometimes it’s very hard to let go of sad feelings.”

“Yeah..I know,” he agreed, having a few sad memories of his own.

“But thanks, I’ll think about what you said. Now I’m kind of tired. I think I’ll turn in.”

“Goodnight Sarah.”

“Night, Jimmy,” she smiled as she laid down on her blankets and rolled over on her side.

Jimmy sat there for a time and watched her. He didn’t think that it took her very long to drift off. Sometimes it was strange the way your life went off on different directions. This morning he’d had no idea a beautiful woman would come into his life. How long would she be there?  He’d never had a serious romance with a lady. He’d never felt like he’d needed one. His life was too unpredictable. Sure, he got lonely, but the other riders always seemed to help each other through rough times. He smiled to himself. If they knew who he was with right now, and would be for the next couple days, they’d fun him to no end! He yawned and laid down.


Sarah had always enjoyed waking up after sleeping in the great wide open. She listened to the sound of the birds singing and flying through the trees. She could smell the sweet grass that she was laying on. With a smile, she rolled over and stretched before she opened her eyes and sat up. Glancing over at her companion, she saw he was still sleeping. And in sleep, the mask had dropped off his face. It was nice to see. A patch of sunlight was shinning on his hair, and she could pick out some golden-red highlights. His hair looked very soft. Did it feel that way?  His hands looked strong, and his fingers were long. She sighed to herself, knowing that she would never get close enough to him to touch his hair or see how strong his hands were!  Mentally shaking herself, she got up and went to answer the call of nature.


Jimmy thought he heard a noise, so he opened an eye only to see Sarah busily rolling her blankets up.

“You ever going to get up this morning, Jimmy?” she asked him. “I’ll have the coffee going in a minute.”

“I’m up,” he mumbled as he made himself sit up. He rubbed his face, put his hat on, and rolled his blankets up before he went to take a short walk.

Sarah just shook her head. Maybe coffee would bring him to life. She pulled some biscuits out, found some honey and put that out. When Jimmy came back and sat down, she handed a plate to him, but wisely chose not to talk to him. When the coffee was ready, she poured him a cup, and took a bracing swallow of it.

Jimmy was grateful that Sarah wasn’t one of those chatty girls in the morning. She was keeping her own counsel, and he was glad of that. Lord but she was pretty in the morning!

“Ready to go?” she asked as she began repacking everything.

“Sure,” Jimmy told her as he put out their campfire, and helped her pack. They worked well together.

They mounted up, and riding together, they followed the trail of the herd. On the trail, there wasn’t a lot of talk either. Jimmy realized quickly that Sarah could also follow a trail, and a couple of times she picked up things he had missed. She just might be able to give his Indian friend, Buck, a run for his money.

They took a break around noon, letting their horses take a breather, before they headed out once again. And towards evening, they came upon the herd. They sat on a rise, as they looked down at the stallion.

“He’s beautiful!” Sarah breathed, watching him as he walked around his ladies.

“That he is. Ready to try for him?” Jimmy asked her.

“There isn’t much daylight left.”

“There’s enough. And I’m in a real sportin’ mood, Sarah. I’ll let you have first chance at him.” Now WHY had he offered that to her, he asked himself?  He wanted that horse as much as she did.

Now how was she supposed to do that? “Um..thanks.” she told him with a sick smile.

“I think the best way to approach it is for you to come up from behind like you were doin’ the last time. I’ll come from the front, and head him towards you.”

“Okay,” she told him as she started down the hill slowly. Jimmy just shook his head, still not believing that he was giving the stallion away to her. This had to be the stupidest thing that he had ever done in his life!

Sarah took several calming breaths as she silently came to the herd. She took her time as she moved towards the stallion. She got her rope ready as she saw Jimmy coming down the hill. The stallion also saw him as he held up his head and watched him. He pawed at the ground as he nickered nervously to his herd. Sarah could feel them getting more restless the closer Jimmy came. The chestnut let out a challenging scream before he turned and began to run straight towards her.

“Now, Sarah!” she heard Jimmy yell towards her, but she couldn’t do it. She knew that she would miss him, and somehow that would be worse. “Sarah!” Jimmy screamed again as the stallion blew by her.

Jimmy couldn’t believe his eyes as the stallion ran by Sarah, and she just sat on her horse and watched him go by!

“What in tarnation was wrong with you, woman?” Jimmy yelled at her as he pulled up next to her. “You had a clear shot at him!  Why didn’t you throw the rope?”

Jimmy was practically in her face as he screamed at her.

“Because I never learned how to rope!” she yelled at him as she backed her horse away from him.

“You don’t think that you couldn’t have mentioned that to me when I offered you first chance at him?” he kept yelling at her. “What did you think he would do?  Stop in front of you and beg you to take him home?”

Sarah just glared at him as she turned her horse around and began to follow the herd.

“Where do you think you’re goin’?” Jimmy asked her as he rode up next to her.

“To follow the herd.”

“It’s gonna be dark soon. I’ll find them tomorrow.”

“Not without me you won’t.”

Jimmy could feel his mouth hit the ground.

“You can’t rope, and you’re still goin’ after the stallion?  You really think you’re gonna get him now?”

“Anything is possible,” she retorted with as much dignity as possible as she slowed her horse to a walk.

“You ain’t givin’ up?”

“Nope. Where do you  want to camp for the night?”

Jimmy reluctantly had to admire her persistence..or was it stubbornness?

“How about that creek over there?” he asked her as he turned his horse towards it.

“You don’t have anything to say about my sticking around?”

“Nope,” was all Jimmy told her, knowing it wouldn’t do him any good.

In silence, they set up camp. Every now and then, Jimmy would look over at her. She was holding herself stiffly, and he thought that she was angrier with herself than with him for yelling at her. She went through their food, and started to cook what looked like beans.

“Sooner or later you’re gonna have to talk to me,” he finally told her, breaking the silence.

Sarah just shrugged her shoulders. She’d been mentally chastising herself for not telling Jimmy she couldn’t rope. She’d totally blown either one of them getting the stallion anytime soon. Now he’d be wary of them.

“You were right. I should have told you so that you could have had the stallion. It’s just that I wanted him so badly, which is stupid. He’s just a horse. I’m sorry I messed it up for you.”

She sounded so contrite. It made him feel bad too.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you. I guess I was just so surprised when you just let him run by. You could do everything else real good. I just thought you could rope too.”

“There was never anyone to teach me,” she confessed. “I tried to learn on my own, but that didn’t work either.”

“Want me to teach you?” he offered.

A huge smile instantly crossed her face before it faded.

“Why would you want to do that?  If I can’t rope, I can’t have the stallion.”

“I want it to be a fair fight, Sarah. It’s the right thing to do.”

Sarah really looked at the man, James Hickok. His face was looking kindly at her. There wasn’t any mask hiding his emotions or any pretense. He was being honest with her.

“Then I accept your offer. When do we start?” she asked as she handed a plate to him.

“In the morning. Now tell me, Sarah Brooks, why that horse is so important to you.”

“I don’t know if I can put it into words, Jimmy. I’ve been watching him for two years. He’s always known that I’m there. At times he’ll just stand there and look at me, and it’s like he’s talking to me. I feel a kindred spirit with him. I don’t even know if I’ll try to ride him if I get him. It would only be on his terms…not mine. I guess I know that someday, if I don’t capture him, someone else will, and they won’t respect him like I will. If I didn’t feel that way, I’d probably want him to stay free.”

Sarah fell silent.

“That’s a mighty good reason.” Jimmy told her, mentally approving of it.

She turned to him, her food forgotten.

“What about you?  Why do you want him?”

“I probably first saw him around the time that you did. I liked his attitude..his freedom called to me.” Jimmy admitted to her. “It’s something that I haven’t felt for awhile, and I thought that if I had him, he could give me that.”

Sarah digested that, surprised that he was opening up to her.

“You have a good reason too, Jimmy. I think he could give you that freedom..if he trusted you.”

“Maybe.”

“And you’ll have that freedom because I know that there is no way I’ll learn how to rope well enough in the time you and I have together to catch that stallion!” she laughed as she finally admitted it to herself. “And I should probably leave you alone to do it, but I can’t. I want to see him close up…at least once!  But I’ll still let you teach me how to rope.”

“Good. It’s a skill you should have here.”

“I know.”

“But you ain’t lived your whole life out here, have you?”

“No, but most of it has been lived here. I couldn’t leave the west for very long. Out here you have space to live and dream and anything is possible.”

“Anything?” he smiled, “Like you roping that stallion?”

Sarah’s heart thrilled to see his smile. It was such a nice, quiet one.

“Well, that might be stretching it just a bit..” she giggled.

“Eat your grub. It’s gonna get cold,” he told her, as he began eating his with relish. Beans had never seemed to taste so good. “Tell me some things you like to do, Sarah Brooks,” Jimmy suggested as he shoveled the beans into his mouth.

She wrinkled her brow.

“I have a vegetable garden that I like to work in. It helps me think things through when I’m all muddled. I like to work with horses…watch little children play…read…camp out…visit with friends. What about you, Jimmy Hickok?  What do you like to do?” she asked as she finished her food.

“I like to practice my draw…ride and explore new territory..be with my friends. I like to be around kids..I read some too. I like to play poker. You know how to play?” he asked her with a raised eyebrow.

“As a matter of fact, I do. Got some cards with you?” she asked him with a smile.

He gave an evil laugh as he fished around in his saddlebag and pulled out a deck. Sarah quickly cleaned their plates in the creek, put them aside, and sat down on her blanket across from him.

“What shall we use for chips?” she asked him.

“I’ll get some pebbles from the creek,” he told her as he got up and brought some back. He gave her a handful, and kept the rest for himself.

“Deal!” she ordered, and thus started a marathon poker match.

They both won and lost hands, but there was a lot of laughter, and by the end of it, Sarah realized that she was beginning to feel closer to this man. She wasn’t sure that she liked that.

Jimmy caught her yawning.

“Ready to call it a night?  I want you nice and fresh for your roping lesson!”

“Then I best get to sleep,” she smiled. “See you in the morning.”

“Night,” he told her as he watched her get settled on her blankets.

He banked the fire for the night, and lay down so he could face her. Jimmy was surprised at how comfortable he felt around her. Even though he didn’t know that much about Sarah, he felt like he’d known her all his life. She was easy to be around..liked some of the same things that he liked. She could handle herself in the great outdoors, and he knew that she didn’t really need him for anything..except to teach her to rope!  But yet she seemed to like to be around him. She was going to stay to see him catch the stallion. Wouldn’t she have left if she didn’t like him?  Her hair looked so shiny. He’d bet that it smelled like nature. Her skin seemed so perfect. Did she have a fella?  With that thought in mind, his eyes started to feel heavy.


Sarah woke eager to start the day. She was determined to learn everything that Jimmy could teach her about roping. Like yesterday, Jimmy was still sleeping, so she got the fire going again, and put the coffee on. Going back to the creek, she washed as best she could, given the circumstances. A bath would have been wonderful, but with Jimmy around she didn’t think she could do that. Back at the fire, she pulled out the biscuits and honey while she munched on a piece of beef jerky.

Jimmy slowly opened his eyes, and found himself looking directly into Sarah’s eyes. She gave him the sweetest smile, and he felt the strangest fluttering in his stomach. He just wanted to reach out and pull her down to him and start kissing her!

“I swear James Butler Hickok!  You don’t like getting up in the morning, do you?”

“Not when I don’t have to,” he told her. “That coffee smells good.”

“Why don’t you go splash some water on your face at the creek, and I’ll have a plate ready for you when you get back.”

“Okay,” he told her as he made himself get up. He realized as he washed his face, that he really needed to shave. He’d do that after breakfast.

Sarah silently handed him his plate and coffee when he came back. She seemed to have an air of suppressed excitement about her.

“What are you so excited about?” he asked.

“You’re going to teach me to rope..or have you changed your mind?”

“Nope..haven’t changed my mind,” he told her with a smile. “Why do you always wake up so early?”

“I don’t know. I guess I always have. I’m always anxious to get up and start the day..see what it’s going to bring me. I feel like it’s an adventure, and I don’t want to miss any of it.”

“It’s been a long time since I felt that way,” he told her softly. “But thanks for reminding me.”

She just smiled at him, finished her breakfast, tidied up the camp site, and went to get her rope.

“I’m ready!” she told him.

“Could you give me about 15 minutes?  I really want to get rid of this!” he told her as he ran a hand over his jaw.

“I think I could do that,” she agreed.

Jimmy just chuckled as he got his shaving things and made his way down to the creek. Having Sarah around definitely was making things interesting.

Sarah pulled out a book that she had with her, made herself sit down, and soon got lost in it. Jimmy came back, and smiled as he saw her leaning against a tree, intent on the printed pages before her.

“What ya readin’?” he asked her quietly so as not to startle her.

“Kidnapped by Robert Lewis Stevenson. It’s very good. Have you read it?”

“No..I really ain’t read that much. I..um..I just learned how to read not too long ago,” he shyly told her. Somehow he knew that she wouldn’t make fun of him about it.

“That’s wonderful!” she enthused. “Then I insist that you take this book!” she said as she closed it and held it out to him.

“But you’re still readin it.”

“For about the fifth time,” she laughed. “I know how it ends. Take it!  You’ll love it. It has a lot of adventure in it. I want you to have it.”

Sarah took his hand, and placed the book in it with a smile. “Now when you read it, you can think of me and our time out here together.”

Jimmy was drowning in her eyes. They were getting closer. And then his lips briefly touched hers before he pulled back from her.

“Now don’t go shootin’ me,” he told her with a laugh. “And thank you for the book.”

Sarah’s heart had leapt at Jimmy’s kiss. She was having a problem gathering her thoughts.

“You’re welcome,” she told him a little breathlessly. His clean shaven face looked so handsome. She reached her hand out to caress it. “You look real fine now.”

He wanted to kiss her again and hold her close and run his fingers through that golden hair of hers. The strength of his emotions startled him. He’d never felt that way before about anyone. He pulled away from her and could feel himself blushing.

“Thanks!” he told her. “You ready for that roping lesson now?”

“Put your book away and let’s begin,” she told him, reluctant to move from this position. Sarah watched him get up and move to his saddlebags. She supposed that she had just been very forward, and she was sure her mother was rolling over in her grave, but she didn’t care. Jimmy got his rope, handed hers down to her, and held his hand out so he could pull her up from her sitting position. She had been right. He had a very strong hand.

Jimmy went over the basics with her, and she was a quick learner. She got all befuddled a couple times, but she did okay when he had her start roping stationery objects. They took a break for lunch, and after that she couldn’t seem to get her rhythm.

“All of a sudden I can’t do anything right!” she complained. “Can you tell me what I’m doing wrong?”

“I think it’s the way you’re holdin’ your wrist!” he told her as he watched her.

“But I’m doing it the same way as before we ate,” she protested.

“No..let me show you,” he told her as he went behind her, and without thinking, molded his body to hers, and took her hand. “This is what you’re doin’ now, and this is what you should be doin’. Feel the difference?” he asked her looking down at her, suddenly realizing the position he was in. She looked up at him.

“I guess you’re right. It does feel different,” she agreed, but then saw the expression going across his face, and she realized that she was standing in his embrace. Nothing had ever felt so good to her!  She leaned against him, savoring the feel of his male body against hers. It wasn’t anything she had experienced before. She’d never met a man that held her interest romantically. But this man..he was different!

Jimmy couldn’t remember when he’d felt stronger. How could she make him feel this way?  He wrapped his other arm around her so he could pull her tighter against him. They just stood there like that for a few moments.

Sarah looked out at the mountains as she stood against Jimmy. This felt so natural to her…like they had done this many times before. And then something occurred to her. What if Jimmy had a girl waiting on him where he lived?  What if he was married?  She really didn’t know him all that well!

“Um..this isn’t getting me any more proficient in roping,” she told him. “I think I’d best try my technique again!”

Jimmy didn’t want to let her go, but he saw the wisdom in her remark. He let her go, and Sarah picked up her rope.

“Sarah?”

“Yeah, Jimmy?” she asked him as she twirled her rope.

“Do you have a fella back home?”

She stopped twirling and looked at him.

“No. Do you have a girl back home?”

Jimmy felt instant relief at her answer.

“No..have you ever had a fella?”

“Nope. No one has ever really interested me. I bet you’ve had some girlfriends though..as handsome as you are!” she smiled as she started working with her rope again.

“No, I ain’t never had one. I never had the time or the want for one. In the past my life ain’t been real settled.

“Maybe that will change for you.”

“I hope so,” he told her. “Let’s saddle our horses. It’s time for you to practice on somethin’ movin’, he told her as he deliberately changed the subject. He wasn’t sure how much he wanted to tell her about his life.

“That should be interesting!” she chuckled. “I assume you’re what I’m gonna try to rope?”

“Yeah.”

“I hope I don’t kill you,” she muttered to herself as they went to get their horses ready.


By the time that she felt like her arm was going to fall off from throwing the rope so many times, it was beginning to get dark, and they had ridden many miles, hopefully in the direction of the herd, while she practiced. Jimmy reined his horse in.

“I think we’d best look for a camp. You’re doin’ okay, Sarah,” he approved.

“Yeah..what was my score?  After 1,000 throws, I might have caught you 10 times?” she laughed.

“It just takes practice. You have to keep at it. You’re doin’ all right…really.”

In truth he respected how hard she was working to learn. Anyone else would have either complained about all the hard work or just given up. She’d done neither, pushing herself almost to the point of exhaustion.

“You’re being kind!” she stated.

“No, I’m tellin’ the truth. I don’t lie.” He warned her.

“Good..because I don’t either,” she replied.

“And because I feel sorry for you, I’ll even cook dinner tonight!” he offered.

“I’ll take you up on that!” she replied. “All I want to do is fall on my blankets after I eat and sleep.”

“You mean I might get to sleep late tomorrow morning?” he teased.

“Don’t count on that,” she told him. “How bout over there?” she pointed at a small grove of trees.

“Lead the way,” he told her.

Once there, she dragged the saddle off her horse, threw her blankets on the ground, and fell on them.

“Now don’t fall asleep on me yet!” he told her. “How’s the arm?”

“Sore,” she tried to smile. “It will be nice and stiff in the morning.”

“Tell you what, I don’t have any liniment with me, but after you eat, I’ll rub it for you.”

“Sounds heavenly,” she replied with a yawn.

“I hope beans are all right with you,” he told has as he got the fire going.

“Trust me, I would eat dirt right now!” she drawled.

“They may taste like that,” he laughed.

Then it hit him. He’d never felt so carefree in his entire life. He felt light and airy and happy. And he liked it.

“I’ll eat it. Keep me awake Jimmy. Tell me about you!” she ordered as she rolled over on her side and propped herself up on her hand.

“There ain’t much to tell.”

“I bet your life has been very interesting!” she encouraged.

“It’s just a life..no better or worse than anyone elses!”

“Reluctant to talk, I see.”

“Why don’t you tell me about yours?  I’d rather hear about you than talk about me.”

“Okay..I was born and raised on a farm outside Rock Creek.”

“Rock Creek?  That’s where I live!” he laughed.

“You do?  I’ve never seen you.”

“We just moved there. Go on.”

“I was my parents’ only child. Like I already told you, my father wasn’t that crazy about having a girl. But my mother loved me very much, and she saw that I had a good life. She was always concerned that I was too much of a tomboy, because I was always outside, helping the farmhands, or practicing my draw. To this day, I’m not too good around a house,” she admitted. “My mom died when I was 13. My father didn’t quite know what to do with me, so he sent me off to live with an aunt back east.”

“That must have been awful for you,” he told her as he stirred the beans.

“It was. I felt so closed in. I had to wear a dress all the time. My aunt was determined to make me into a proper lady. She sent me to finishing school and taught me all the social graces. I got to where I was comfortable in that society, but my spirit was still out here. Then when I was 17, my father died. I inherited the farm, and came back here as fast as the train and the stage would carry me. I’ve been here ever since, running the farm and living my life the way I want to live it.”

“But you still talk all proper and act that way sometimes too,” he told her.

“Yeah, I know. It’s hard to let it all go. I lived that life for 4 years, so something had to rub off on me.”

“How old are you now?”

“Nineteen. You?”

“Twenty-one..and you run the farm on your own?”

“Oh, I have good help. But the farm is prosperous, and life is very good for me. I’m just glad that I’m living here and not in Boston!”

“You don’t ever want to go back?”

“Maybe for a quick visit one day in the distant future. My aunt disapproves of what I’m doing with my life, but I don’t give a darn. I’m happy, and that’s what counts.”

“You miss your ma?”

“Oh yes. We were real close, but I carry her in my heart. There are times that I feel like she’s standing right next to me, telling me what to do. What about you?  Are your parents alive?”

“No. I lost them both when I was around 12. That’s how I ended up going to live with that judge.”

“Where were you born?”

“Kansas.”

“Any of your family still live there?”

“My sister, Selina, lives there with her husband. His name is Nathan.”

“Do you see her much?”

A dark look went across his face.

“No. I haven’t seen her since I left home.”

Sarah could sense all that he wasn’t telling her, and he didn’t appear to be ready to tell it yet.

“That’s too bad. I bet she misses you a lot.”

“I don’t know bout that,” was all he said. “The beans are ready.”

“Great!” she said taking his hint to move the conversation along. What was he hiding?

“You aren’t an outlaw or anything, are you?” she asked him.

“Nope. I’m a rider for the Pony Express.”

“You are new then!  I heard about the group of you moving to town. I just had never seen any of you. How many of you are there?”

“There’s Teaspoon..he sort of looks after us.”

“He’s the new marshal, isn’t he?”

“Yeah.”

“I really like him. Who else?”

“There’s Rachel. She cooks for us..takes care of us. Then as for the Riders, there’s Cody, Buck, Kid, Lou and Ike.”

“Do you like what you do?”

“Oh yeah. I get to be outdoors all the time. I don’t have anyone watchin’ me. I like it that way.”

“Have you had many problems with Indians or robbers?”

“Some, but nothin’ I couldn’t handle,” he bragged.

“So you must like being alone a lot?”

“Yeah..most of the time anyway,” he admitted.

“So being here with me all this time must be making you crazy,” she laughed as she finished her beans and handed the plate back to him. It felt good to be taken care of for once.

“No..it’s been an adventure,” he laughed back at her. “You’d know if you were makin’ me crazy.”

“I bet I would. You have a bad temper?”

“Sometimes, but I’m tryin’ more to control it better than I used to.”

“Good luck!” she encouraged as she yawned again.

“Let me rub your arm for you!” he told her as he set his plate down and went over to her. Sarah rolled over on her back and held her arm up to him.

Jimmy started to knead the muscles. He could tell that they were all knotted up, so he tried to gently persuade them to go back to the way they were supposed to be.

“Ummm..that feels so good. It shouldn’t be sore in the morning.”

“I hope not. I may need some help with that stallion when we find him again.”

“I doubt that,” she stated dryly as she watched his face and the way the shadows were playing across it. His hair hung down on either side of his face, and his look was one of concentration as he rubbed her sore arm.

“You never know,” he smiled down at her.

Sarah was smiling up at him, and he felt all those funny feelings again.

“Oh Sarah..you are so beautiful!’  he told her as he softly ran his hand over her hair.

“You’re the first man to ever tell me that!”

“Then all the other men that you met are fools!” he asserted.

“But if they told me that, it may not have meant as much as you telling me Jimmy.”

Her eyes were inviting him, so he leaned down and captured her mouth with his. Sarah’s arms immediately went around him to pull him closer to her. Her lips were so soft under his. He couldn’t believe that a lady’s lips could taste so good. Her hands ran up and down his back, and he stretched himself out so he could lie down next to her, kissing her the whole time.

Sarah didn’t want this to end. Everything in her was calling to this man. It was like her whole life had been lived with the sole purpose of meeting up with James Butler Hickok. His lips were exerting pressure on hers, and she opened her mouth to him. His tongue immediately sought hers out, and she answered his call.

He probed her mouth and became thoroughly acquainted with it, claiming it as his property. He ran his fingers through her glorious hair, and followed it with his mouth as he rained kisses up and down her neck. He buried his nose in that hair, and it did smell like nature. As his mouth returned to hers, a shrill scream carved the night in two.

Jimmy’s head came up, and Sarah whispered, “It’s the stallion. He’s close by.”

“Yeah, I’d say so,” Jimmy stated, his heart pounding so fast he thought it would burst from his chest.

“He’s ready for the showdown,” Sarah smiled up at him.

“You think that’s what he was tellin’ us?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he hasn’t been watching us!” Sarah stated as she yawned and curled up closer to Jimmy. She rested her head on his shoulder, and smiling to herself, closed her eyes.

Jimmy knew that she was almost instantly asleep. For some reason, that made him feel good. Well..he guessed he would be sleeping with her tonight, and that thought filled him with many excited feelings..feelings that he wasn’t sure that he knew the meaning of. He did know that he really liked kissing her. He liked what she was making his body feel. Where would all of this go?  He’d never slept all night with a woman. But this felt right to him. This was where he wanted to be!  He wondered if he should be worried about that, but then decided just as quickly that he wasn’t. Jimmy wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her closer then closed his own eyes. Feeling strangely content..a feeling he hadn’t had in years…he knew it wouldn’t take him long to fall asleep.


Sarah in her half awake state, couldn’t move. What was going on?  She struggled to wake up, then realized that the weight on top of her was Jimmy’s arm, and the next thing she realized was that he was still sleeping peacefully. She could fell herself blushing. WHAT had possessed her last night to act so wantonly?  WHAT was it about this man that made her lose her head?  But did she really care? “Well you should!” her little voice told her. “You only met this man a couple days ago. You don’t know much about his life!”

Just how did she feel about this man?  That thought caused her to smile, then frown just as quickly.

“Did I snore that loud?” she heard Jimmy’s voice ask. There was still some sleep haze in it.

“No..you didn’t snore at all,” she reported.

“Why were you frownng?  Was it because we slept together?  You see, you fell asleep..”

“No..yes…Jimmy..three days ago you and I didn’t know watch other. We’ve gone to being complete strangers to this all in the course of three days!  I don’t think that’s what normal people do.”

“Listen lady..you and I are anything but normal!” he told her, as he rolled away from her and sat up. “Nothing about this is normal!”

She instantly missed his closeness, but decided that she should leave it that way.

“Ready for some coffee?” she asked him politely as she got up and stretched.

Jimmy just wanted to pull her back into his arms, but he could understand her confused feelings. And she was right…three days ago they’d been strangers.

“Yeah..I think so. Sarah?”

“Yeah Jimmy/”

“I’ll stay way from you if that’s what you’d like.” And with that pronouncement, he walked down to the creek.

Sarah frowned after him. How could she want both that and for him to just sweep her off her feet?  Shaking her head, she poured the water from her canteen into the coffeepot after she got the fire going again. She pulled out some strips of beef jerky, knowing they would need the energy from that today if they were going to catch the stallion. She added biscuits to that, and waited for him to return.

All Jimmy wanted was Sarah. The urge was almost overwhelming to him. He shook his head to clear it. They had a mission today..to catch the stallion. Everything else could wait. It was time to put on his poker face and follow her lead. When their goal was accomplished, he would face what was staring him in the face and decide how to deal with it. Feeling a little better about it, he went back to Sarah, and she held a plate out to him. She may not be good around a house, but she was good at taking care of him on the trail.

“Thanks, Sarah,” he smiled briefly at her.

She breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn’t taken offense at what she had said, and they could go on for now.

“Do you think that he’s still close by?” she asked him.

“Yeah, I do, but I think that he’s gonna give us a hell of a time catchin’ him. I think he knows why we’re here.”

“I do too!” she agreed with him.

They finished their meal in silence. After she washed the plates, they packed up and headed out.

“How’s that arm?” he questioned as he rode up next to her.

“A little stiff, but it would have been worse if you hadn’t rubbed out the kinks for me. Thanks again for that. Maybe one day I can return the favor.”

“Maybe,” he replied before he started searching for signs of the stallion.


They were still tracking him when the noon hour came, and Sarah just handed him a couple strips of beef jerky from her pocket so they could continue their mission. And not long after that, they saw him about a hundred yards ahead of them.

“It’s like he’s waitin’ for us,” Jimmy chuckled. “I bet he has a couple tricks still to play on us.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“Ready?”

“Ready!”

“We’ll mosey up to the herd. I want you to try to cut him off from his lady friends and urge him back in this direction. I’ll be waitin’ for him and take it from there.”

“That sounds like a good plan. Good luck Jimmy. I have a feeling if we don’t get him this time we can kiss him goodbye.”

“I think so too.”

Sarah started to walk her horse in a wide circle towards the herd, being very careful not to make too much noise. The herd seemed anxious and very wary, but they let her close to them without too many problems. She made a wide arch as she approached the stallion. He stood there watching her.

“Okay, baby. I hate to do this to you, but I want you to be protected. I think that Jimmy will take good care of you. Your ladies will find another home, you know.”

He appeared to be listening to her and turned his ears towards her. She nudged her horse towards the stallion, and when she got closer, he backed away.

“I know you don’t want to do this, and I know that you won’t make this easy for us, and I can respect that about you. Now, I want you to head towards Jimmy, which is a little to your left.” She said as she slowly pointed towards Jimmy..and the stallion actually looked the way she pointed.

Jimmy was trying to figure out what Sarah was doing. At first she looked like she was talking to the stallion. Then the horse let her get in a little closer. He saw her pointing at him, and almost fell off his horse when the stallion turned to look at him. What connection did Sarah have to this stallion?

Then the horse threw his head and started to run. Sarah expertly cut him off and began to head the stallion toward him. Jimmy backed off, and when the stallion got closer, he got into the chase. When Jimmy got as close as he figured he ever would, he let his rope fly, and it fell perfectly around the stallion’s neck. Jimmy slowly began to bring his horse to a halt, as did Sarah with hers. When they were stopped, they all stood and looked at each other. The stallion pawed at the ground and blew hard as he sized them up.

“Oh Jimmy, he’s so beautiful!” she breathed.

“He is, isn’t he?” Jimmy smiled at her. Sarah had dirt streaked on her face and arms from the chase.

“Congratulations!” she told him. She was genuinely happy for him and refused to think about how sad she was that this magnificent creature wouldn’t be hers.

“You’re happy for me?” he asked incredulously, wondering if he would have felt the same for her.

“Yes, I am. I know that you’ll give him a good home and won’t mistreat him.”

“What were you saying to him back there when he was with the herd?”

“I was just apologizing to him for what I was about to do and telling him that I needed him to run towards you..that’s all.” She stated. “So what now, James Hickok?  We’ve got your horse. You headed back to Rock Creek now?” she asked, realizing she was holding her breath at the answer. What would she do if he just disappeared from her life?

Jimmy looked at her. Could he leave her?  Just like that?  His heart ached at the thought. No..he didn’t want to leave her yet.

“Is that what you want me to do?” he asked her.

So, WHAT did she want? The one thing she knew was that she didn’t want him to leave her.

“No,” she said softly.

“Okay then. Let’s find a place to camp,” Jimmy stated as he wrapped the rope around his saddle horn so the stallion couldn’t get away.

“Let’s find a place with some water. I really need to clean up,” Sarah told him.

“I think I do too. Do you think we’ll be able to get a halter on this guy?” Jimmy asked her.

“He might let me. I’ll give it a try once we find a spot to camp in.”

Jimmy and Sarah found a semi-secluded spot with trees and a pond. They quickly unsaddled their horses and watered them, along with the stallion. Then they put them out to graze. Jimmy watched Sarah measure off a length of rope. She eyed the stallion, then quickly fashioned a halter for him to wear.

“Be careful around him. We don’t know what he’ll do,” Jimmy cautioned her.

“I don’t think he would deliberately hurt me,” she told him. Jimmy had tied him to a tree, and she slowly approached him.

“Hey big guy,” she cooed to him. “I think you’re the most gorgeous horse I have ever seen, and I’d really like to put this halter on you if that’s all right with you.”

He watched her and nickered at her as she got closer.

“Jimmy will take good care of you..really he will. Maybe he’ll even let me come and visit you sometimes. Now if you let me put this halter on you, we can stake you out and you can graze to your heart’s content. Won’t that he nicer than being tied to this old tree?” The stallion nickered at her again.

Jimmy’s mouth nearly hit the ground when the stallion allowed her to put the halter over his head. He looked a little wary, but he stood fairly still.

“That’s a good boy,” she told him as she slowly moved her hand to his neck and stroked it, talking to him all the time.

“He’s all yours, Jimmy,” she told him. “I think it’s safe to stake him out. I’m going to the pond and wash off, okay?”

“Yeah..okay,” he told her, still not believing what he had seen.

Sarah looked longingly at the pond. It would feel so good to take a bath!  Well, why not?  Jimmy would be busy with the stallion. She quickly shed all of her clothes and dove in with her bar of soap in her hand. She scrubbed herself, then washed her hair. She laid the soap on a rock on the pond’s shore, and decided to swim around to rinse off. She couldn’t believe how good it felt to be clean again!

The stallion allowed Jimmy to move him so he could graze, but he wouldn’t let Jimmy touch him. He shied away as soon as he came near him. Oh well, it would just take time.
Now he guessed it was time to wash himself off. Whistling, he headed down the path to the pond, and was quite surprised to see all of Sarah’s clothes lying on the shore, along with a bar of soap. He looked out and saw her swimming lazily across the pond.

As if on its own, his body snapped to attention. What would she do if he went into the water with her?  It was then she turned and saw him standing there. Never taking his eyes from her face, he slowly unbuttoned his shirt and threw it off. Next he pulled his boots off..threw his hat down..took his gunbelts off..unzipped his slacks and kicked them off..tossed his socks aside. And he stood there naked for her to see.

Sarah couldn’t have taken her eyes away from what she was watching if her life depended on it. She knew at any time while she was watching him undress, she could have told him to stop, and he would have. She had never seen a naked male body before, and Jimmy’s body was gorgeous. Even as he stood there looking at her, she could have told him not to come in, but she didn’t. He slowly walked into the water, and when he was deep enough, he dove under the surface. Suddenly she was very scared..but very excited. All she wanted was to be in this quiet loner’s arms.

Jimmy surfaced about five feet in front of her, but not before he had gotten an eyeful of what Sarah looked like unclothed. She still had that wide-eyed look when he came up in front of her.

“Hope you don’t mind,” he told her with his quiet smile.

“Umm..no..there’s soap on that rock by the shore if you want to wash up. I have to admit it feels very good to be clean again. I’ll even wash your back!”

“Now that’s an offer too good to pass up,” he told her as they turned to swim to the shore. She stayed in the deeper water as he climbed out, took her soap, and rubbed it all over himself, including his hair. Then he waded out to her and held the soap out to her.

“My back?”

She was having a hard time tearing her eyes from his maleness. She had never made love with a man, but from watching the farm animals, she had some idea of how the act worked. And there was no doubt in her mind that she would perform this act with this man who meant so much to her. Sarah took the soap, and ran it lovingly over his back when he turned it towards her. Jimmy seemed to have some little scars all over his body, and these she ran her fingers over.

“Tell me about these,” she suggested, when she ran her fingers over one that was on his arm.

Jimmy’d had his eyes closed, enjoying the feeling of her hands on his back, then on his bottom, and then on his arms. He knew that his heart was beating faster, and he felt as if his legs would collapse. He opened his eyes to see where she was pointing. It was to one of his bullet scars. But if he told her about that now, it might scare her away. He didn’t want to do that.

“Can I tell you about them later?” he asked her.

“Sure..now why don’t you go rinse off?”

Think!  He needed to think!  What was this foolishness he was encouraging?  He’d always felt like he’d never needed a woman in his life!  What woman would want to live his kind of life?  He dove under the water and swam just underneath the surface until he thought his lungs might burst. When he surfaced, he shook the water out of his eyes, and turned to find Sarah. She was lazily swimming nearer to the shore. The next few hours could totally change his life, because he knew that if he made love to Sarah, he wouldn’t be able to walk away from her. Right now, it would be a hard thing to leave her, but he could still do it. Was this what being in love felt like?  Was he in love?  He wasn’t sure. He’d never been in love before!  He looked back at Sarah. Did he want her to be in his life forever?  Did he want to take care of her forever?

Sarah could sense the battle going on in Jimmy, and she wasn’t sure what to do. She watched him swim for a time. She smiled to herself. Sarah knew that she had finally found the man that she wanted to spend her life with. She wasn’t sure how she knew that since she really didn’t know him that well, but that didn’t matter. She could get to know him over time, and she had a feeling that wouldn’t change her mind about him and how she felt. Jimmy was the most different man she’d ever met. He was handsome, very strong willed, able to take care of himself and her if need be, gentle and caring. He had a great laugh, and she knew that she lived for the moments when he would turn his smile on her. She wasn’t sure how he felt about her, but she did what women for generations before her had done. She decided to take matters into her own hands.

“Jimmy!” she called out to him, and waved for him to come to her when she got his attention.

Jimmy, worried that something might be wrong, hurried to her. She was standing in water up to her waist. Her full breasts were pointing at him, and he just wanted to caress her.

“What’s wrong, Sarah?” he asked her.

“Nothing is wrong except for the fact that I was beginning to get lonesome. I think you rinsed all the soap off,” she smiled up as she moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

His arms automatically went around her, as he came to his decision in his mind.”Yeah, I think so too.”

“So, what would you like to do the rest of the day?” she asked with that smile in her voice.

“I..well..this, I guess,” he told her as he lifted her up and began to kiss her.

Sarah responded by wrapping her legs around his waist, as she returned his kisses as enthusiastically as she knew how.

“Oh baby!” he breathed against her lips as he massaged her bottom that was brushing against his hard erection. “Have you ever been with a man before?”

She pulled away from him so she could see his face.

“No..you’ll be the first and hopefully the last man that I ever love like I’m about to do with you. I think that I love you, Jimmy Hickok. And I hope that you know what you’re doing with this love stuff since I surely don’t!”

Jimmy had to smile in spite of himself. He liked her candor.

“You really love me?  How do you know that?  We ain’t been together that long!”

“I know that, but I know you. Sure, I don’t know all the little details, and I think that one day you’ll tell me that on your own, but I know what the man, James Hickok is like. And that’s what I have fallen in love with. Besides, you seem to tolerate me well, and like you said, you and I ain’t normal!” She laughed. “So, have you ever been with a woman before?”

“Once..a few years ago.”

“Did you love her?”

“No, it weren’t nothin’ like that. I wanted to know what this makin’ love stuff was all about, so I paid a saloon gal to show me.”

“Oh, I guess we’re lucky you did that. Did you like it?”

“I liked it fine, but I didn’t feel right afterwards. I had kind of an empty feelin’.”

“So are you going to show me how to do these things?” she asked him as she lightly bit at his lower lip and rubbed her bottom against his hardness.

Jimmy moaned out loud, as he attacked her mouth, demanding that she open it under his insistent lips. He carried her to shallow water, and laid her down in it, never taking his mouth from hers. His hands finally found her breasts, and he moved his mouth down to her nipples so he could taste them and roll his tongue around them. Sarah’s skin was silky smooth under his fingers, and her skin smelled like the soap she had just used.

Sarah let her hands roam over Jimmy’s body. She could feel his muscles underneath her finger tips, and she trailed her lips after her fingers. For a time, Jimmy just laid there in the shallow water as she moved over him. He had never felt this incredible. Love with the saloon gal had been nothing like this!  It was when Sarah wrapped her hands around his hardness that Jimmy realized how close to ecstasy he was coming with this woman. She tentatively ran her hands up and down his shaft, and when she saw the reaction that she got from that, Sarah became more confident, and gave him surer strokes. He could feel his release coming, and he didn’t want that right now, so he gently rolled over on top of her. He began to lick her nipples until she started to squirm underneath him. His hands moved over her beautiful body, until he found her most secret places that were waiting for him. He moved his hand over her wetness until Sarah felt as if she were flying without leaving the earth. Jimmy moved over her then, kissing her gently.

Jimmy moved her legs apart, and put his hardness against her wetness. Wanting to just slam into her, but knowing this was her first time, he gently pushed against her and felt her resistance. He pushed harder against her as he sucked on her nipples. Her resistance broke, and he heard her moan, but now he was inside of her. His hardness was enclosed by her moist warmth, and it hugged him closely to her. He lay still for a few moments so she could get used to the feel of him inside of her. Finally he began to move inside of her, and she began to move with him.

“Love me, Jimmy,” she whispered into his ear.

And he tried to do just that. He felt all sorts of tenderness for Sarah as he moved in and out of her. He could feel her hands stroking his back and bottom. He now knew that she loved him, and that thought filled him with so much warmth that he didn’t think that he would ever be able to make anyone understand how much comfort that gave him.

He moved in and out of her slowly, feeling his pleasure increase just a little more with each thrust. Jimmy felt like he was floating outside of his body, as the pressure built inside of him. The sex he’d had with the saloon gal hadn’t prepared him for what he was feeling with Sarah. He buried his face deep in her shoulder as his thrusting got harder and harder.

Sarah was with him every thrust of the ride. She held on to him tightly, trusting him like she had trusted no other man. She was feeling pleasurable sensations and suddenly it was as if heat rushed through her entire body as she felt herself introduced to something totally new..a feeling that she knew she would never be able to put into words. Her fingers dug into Jimmy’s exposed back, and a cry left her throat.

Jimmy couldn’t hold back any longer. Deep inside of her, his seed rushed out of him to look for a home in her. With two more thrusts, he laid gently on top of her, trying to catch his breath..feeling such tenderness for the woman underneath him. Knowing that this was what love should feel like inside yourself after you had physically expressed it with the woman who meant more to you than anyone or anything else.

“On Jimmy,” she sighed into his hair before she kissed his cheek.

He looked down at her and smiled.

“You okay, Sarah?”

“I think so. That was pretty wonderful. I guess that saloon gal showed you all the right things to do,” she giggled.

“It wasn’t like this with her. With you, it was better..so much better,” he told her as he gently kissed her. “I love you Sarah Brooks.”

“I love you, Jimmy Hickok!”

“Do you think that we should get out of this water?”

“That would probably be a good idea!” she agreed.

Jimmy helped her up and they picked up their clothes, but didn’t put them on. They knew there was no one around to do them any harm. Sarah checked on the stallion, but he was fine, as were their other horses. Jimmy spread their blankets on the ground, and they laid down on them. Sarah began to kiss him, and run her hands over him, and thus again they loved each other. This time they went slower, learning more about each other’s bodies..finding out what felt good, what brought moans of pleasure. Their shared climax was, once again, shattering to both of them.

Sarah laid contentedly in Jimmy’s arms as darkness started to settled down around them. Jimmy had pulled a blanket over them, and she listened to his heart beating steadily. She ran her fingers over one of the small scars on his arm.

“Can you tell me about these yet?” she asked him as she moved her face so she could see him. She saw the frown that had replaced the relaxed look. “What you tell me won’t change the way I feel about you, Jimmy.”

She could feel him taking a deep breath, and his grip tightened on her.

“All those little scars. Those are from bullets. I’ve been shot at a lot in my life, and so far everyone has missed hittin’ anything vital.”

“Oh..do they shoot at you because you ride for the Pony Express, and they want the mail that you’re carrying?”

This time she could feel the deep sigh.

“No..well that’s it sometimes. You see, Sarah, because I’m so fast, word of that has gotten around, and guns trying to become the top draw come to challenge me. So far, none of them has been faster. You’re the only one who’s come the closest. When I was livin’ with the judge, he wanted to turn me into a gunfighter, so that’s what he was trainin’ me for. He knew that I had a temper, and used that against me. Luckily I realized what he was doin’ and got away from him. I was still real young then, and got into more trouble than I shoulda, and I used my guns more than I shoulda, and that’s how my reputation started. Folks added to the tale, so now I ain’t sure just how many men I’m supposed to have killed.”

“Oh, I see. Jimmy, I won’t hold that against you. I mean, it’s not like you go out looking for someone to draw against!”

“I ain’t never killed a man in cold blood just because I wanted to do it. There has always been a reason..either they’ve drawn on me or they’ve killed someone else and I’m helpin’ Teaspoon find them and bring them to justice.”

Sarah let that sink in. “How often does it happen that someone comes gunnin’ for you?”

“It ain’t happened in awhile. Maybe they’s given up.”

“That would be nice. I don’t want anything happening to you!” she told him as she hugged him.

Jimmy returned her hug and kissed her.

“And I certainly don’t want anythin’ happenin’ to you!  You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I don’t remember ever feelin’ like this in my entire life,” he smiled.

“Not even when you were a little boy?” she asked him.

There was that frown again.

Jimmy decided that it was time to tell her about his life.

“Life warn’t easy when I was a little boy. My pa was an abolitionist and went around the territory talking about the evils of slavery. When he was at home, he drank and used to beat my ma up. After he got tired of her, he’d beat me up. When I was ten, my pa was stabbed by a slaver, and he died. My ma died shortly after that, and that’s when the judge took me in.”

“No wonder you were so angry!  How did you get along with your mom?”

“Okay, I guess. But she was always sorta far away.”

“So you end up with the judge who wants to turn you into a gunfighter, how did you get away from him?”

“I saw where it was goin’ and realized that I didn’t want to kill noone. I just up and left. He wasn’t too happy about it, but he let me go. I wandered around for a bit gettin’ into all sorts of trouble, but then I joined the Pony Express and grew up.”

Sarah let all of that sink in. She could picture the sad, unloved little boy, slowly letting the sadness turn into anger. She could see him being trained to be a gunfighter. And now, lying in her arms was the grown man. It was amazing that he had turned out as kind and loving as he had. Sarah raised herself on her elbow so that she could look down at him.

“And you’ve done a fine job of it,” she told him as she let her hand begin wandering over him.

“Now woman, don’t tell me you’re ready again!” he laughed at her.

“Could be!”

“Okay..just this one more time, and then we have to eat!  I’m starved!’  he growled as he kissed her.

“For me or for food?” she giggled.

“Both!” he told her as he rolled over on top of her.

“Okay, I promise to feed you later, now love me!” she demanded.

“I already do,” he told her tenderly before he began to kiss her in earnest!


“I don’t know Jimmy…we don’t have much food left!” Sarah reported as she looked through their saddlebags.

“What do we have?”

“Three pieces of jerky, four biscuits, two cans of beans, and a little honey. I guess it’s time to go back home,” she sighed.

“You don’t sound like you much want to,” he told her. They had both dressed, and now she was fussing around the fire.

“I don’t think I do. Out here it’s just you and me and the horses. I want to spend this time alone with you..getting to know you..letting you get to know me without out daily lives interrupting the process. Maybe that sounds selfish…”

Jimmy smiled to himself as he slipped his hand underneath her hair and began to massage her neck.

“No..that’s what I want too. You ‘n I..it’s so new and all!  We got to talk about things..decide what we’re gonna do.”

“What we’re going to do?” she asked him.

“Yeah..you ‘n I..we’ve been doin’ these married things and all. I don’t want you to think that I was going to love you while we was out here and not love you when we got back to Rock Creek. I mean what if we started a baby inside of you?”

Sarah looked at him, then down at her belly, then back at him and laughed.

“I hadn’t really thought about that, but you could be right. A baby…I guess that does come from doing those married things.”

“We need to think about it. If we keep lovin’ each other,” he told her as he caressed her cheek. She leaned into his caress and closed her eyes.

“Oh I love you, Jimmy. I want to keep doing these things with you.”

“Yeah..I do too. This is somethin’ I didn’t think I would ever find. Now that I have, I don’t want to let go of it.”

“So what should we do?” she asked him a she finally pulled away from him and began to heat a can of beans.

“Tomorrow I’m going to ride quickly back to town and buy some supplies and hurry back here. From what I figure, what with the way the stallion took us, we’re about a half day from Rock Creek. Let’s stay out another few days plannin’ our lives. When that’s done, we’ll go back and surprise everyone!”

Her huge blue eyes were suddenly turned on him.

“Is that really what you want to do Jimmy?  You’ve been on your own for so long. Are you honestly ready to share your life with someone else?”

“If it’s you, I think I would be. Sarah…my whole life has been spent moving around. The first ties I’ve ever had are with the other Riders. That’s gone pretty good. These past few days with you have been..what I mean is…I’ve always felt like I’ve had this hole inside of me that nuthin’ could fill up. And whenever I would see someone who was happy, that hole would hurt real bad. But all of a sudden, that hole is filled up with happy stuff that’s just for me, and I like the way that makes me feel. For the first time I feel like I want to stay someplace. Things are sunshine instead of shadows n’ you’ve done that for me!”

“Oh!” she stated, surprised he had been so eloquent.

“What about you?  You’ve been on your own for a couple of years. You ready to let some loner court you and make you an honest woman?” he smiled at her.

“If it was you, I think I would like that very much. You understand me and my ways. You respect what I can do, and I don’t think you’ll be tellin’ me I can’t do stuff. You make me feel happy and so content..like I really don’t need to go to my farm because my home is wherever you are. I really like the idea of you going to get supplies, but I’m going to miss you a lot while you’re gone. You’re going to trust me with the stallion for that long?  What if you came back, and I was gone, and he was with me?  She teased as she dished up the beans and handed him a plate.

“Then I’d just have to come and find you and shoot you!” he told her calmly before he began laughing.

Her laughter joined his.


Sarah smiled down at Jimmy as she got up and pulled her clothes on. The stallion nickered a greeting as she went down to the pond to take a quick swim. Seeing Jimmy was still asleep, she walked toward the stallion, approaching him slowly.

“Hey baby..I think I’m going to call you Wind Walker..how are you today?” she asked as she finally stood next to him.

He stood still while she stroked him and talked to him..making little neighing sounds on occasion.

Jimmy woke up and reached for Sarah, but was met by air, so he fully opened his eyes, and immediately saw her next to the stallion, talking to him and stroking him. Well, hadn’t he known all along that those two had a rapport between them?  He got up and pulled on his pants and approached the two of them slowly.

“How’s your friend this morning?” he asked as the stallion put up his head and looked directly at him, daring him to come closer. He wisely stopped a safe distance from him.

“I call him Wind Walker. He’s doing fine. Give him time, and he’ll let you near him,” Sarah told him as she looked over at him. “In fact, I bet he’ll let you come over now, won’t you big guy?” she asked him. She held her hand out to Jimmy.

He took it, and walked slowly toward him. He saw the stallion’s nostrils flare, but he just stood there.

“Wind Walker, huh?” Jimmy asked her as he stood next to the stallion for the first time.

“It seems appropriate, but he’s yours. You can name him anything you want.”

Jimmy slowly ran his hand over the stallion’s muscled neck. He knew the stallion was only tolerating him because Sarah stood there.

“No, he’s not mine. He’s been your stallion since you laid eyes on him.”

“What?” she asked, confused.

“I’m giving him to you, but then he was never mine to give. Like I said, he’s always been yours.”

“Mine?” she breathed out in a whisper as she looked from the stallion to Jimmy, who was smiling and nodding his head up and down.

“Jimmy!  Thank you!” she told him as she threw her arms around him and hugged him hard. “This is about the best gift you could have given me!”

“You’re welcome. Now I’d best eat breakfast so I can head to Rock Creek and get back here before it gets dark.”

“Okay,” she said giving Wind Walker another pat, and keeping her arm around Jimmy, walked back to the camp.

They are, chatting about nothing in particular, and Jimmy found that in itself, extraordinary. He’d never taken part in idle chatter, but with Sarah, he found that he always had something to say to her. Then with a couple lingering kisses, he was mounted on his horse and gone. Sarah sighed to herself. Suddenly she felt like the sun had gone out of her day. That was ridiculous!  She needed to stay busy!  She decided that she would go looking for food to supplement what Jimmy would bring back with him.

The further away from her he rode, the lonelier he felt. Jimmy’s palomino was fast, so he urged him on towards Rock Creek. The sooner he arrived there and bought some provisions, the sooner he could return to his Sarah. He supposed that he should check in with Teaspoon to let him know that he was okay..tell him some tale about how he was still looking for the stallion. That would work.

By the time Sarah figured that Jimmy should arrive in Rock Creek, she was looking around her campsite. She had gathered some greens, and was frying up some fish she had caught from the pond for her late lunch. She kept talking to Wind Walker and her horse, more to keep her mind off the fact that Jimmy wasn’t there.


Jimmy slowed his mount as he rode into Rock Creek. He stopped at the Station, unsaddled his horse, brushed him down and gave him some food. He would need some rest before he headed back to Sarah. Whistling, he headed for Teaspoon’s office, briefly wondering where the other Riders were, then realizing since it was the middle of the day, they were probably either doing some chores, or running errands for Teaspoon and Rachel.

“Jimmy!  I was wonderin’ when you would get back!  Ready to take a ride tomorrow?” Teaspoon asked him as he walked into the marshal’s office. “Did you find that stallion?”

Jimmy looked fondly at the white headed man. He was the closest thing he’d ever had to a real father.

“Now Teaspoon, you told me I could have a week off. I just came into town to get some more supplies. I think I know where the stallion is hangin’ out, but I need a few more days.”

Teaspoon looked at the young man standing before him. There was something different about Jimmy, but he knew that he shouldn’t even bother to ask him. Jimmy was a private person and only told you what he wanted you to know.

“You okay son?” was all he asked, and was surprised when a large smile covered Jimmy’s face.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m gonna buy those supplies and take off again.”

“Okay Jimmy. When will you be back?”

“In a couple days.” He threw over his shoulder as he walked back out to the street. Jimmy had almost made it to the General Store when he heard,

“Hey Hickok!  I want to talk to you!”

Jimmy didn’t recognize the voice, but the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He slowly turned around to face the voice, and saw an older man standing out in the street, hand poised over his gun. No!  Not this!  So he turned around and started to walk away from the man.

“Hickok!  I’m talkin’ to you!” he heard the shout from behind him as a shot rang out over his head.

Jimmy felt coldness take over him as he turned back around and walked out to the street. He knew there was no way this man would leave him alone until he drew against him. He could feel all the familiar survival instinct come over him. He shut out everything but the man standing in the street and the hand that was poised over his six shooter. Unthinking, he checked to make sure that there were no innocent people in their line of fire. His breathing slowed, and calmness overtook him. Then the man’s hand made a move towards his gun. He only had it half way out of his holster before Jimmy’s gun had made a clean shot through his heart. The man was dead before he hit the ground. And slowly the world around him started to intrude again. Teaspoon was there almost immediately.

The Marshall looked at the scene and instantantly knew what had happened. It wasn’t like it was the first time, and he knew it wouldn’t be the last..not as long as Jimmy was alive. He could see the after effects start to settle on Jimmy as they always did. Jimmy took these killings hard. They were so senseless. Teaspoon clasped Jimmy’s shoulder as Jimmy reholstered his gun.

“When it’s gonna end, Teaspoon?”

“We both know the answer to that, son.”

Jimmy turned pain filled eyes to the older man.

“I..Teaspoon..I need to think…I gotta go.”

“I know, son.”

Without another word, Jimmy walked away from the scene. He went to the Station and borrowed some supplies from Rachel. Luckily she wasn’t there, so he left her a note telling her what he had taken. At his bunk, he grabbed a clean shirt, then resaddled his horse and headed out. His mind was working so fast, he couldn’t make sense of any of the thoughts. One thing he knew…he couldn’t go back to Sarah. What had he been thinking?  Why had he thought that he would be able to put his life behind him and start something new?  What dangers would he have put Sarah in?  How could he have been so foolish?  Men like him didn’t need to find someone to love. They needed to be self-sufficient.

He moaned out loud to the wilderness as the pain of those thoughts hit him. How could he live without Sarah?  He needed to work through some things. He needed to decide what to do. Maybe it was time to move on.


Sarah was mildly worried when Jimmy didn’t return by dark. When it was time for bed, the worry had become like little fingers circling her heart and squeezing it tight. She didn't sleep much. Every little noise made her jump. By morning, she knew something had happened, so she quickly saddled her horse, took up the lead for the stallion, and headed for Rock Creek. She kept telling herself there was no need to panic..at least not until she found out what was going on. Maybe it was something as simple as the marshal needing him for some emergency and of course Jimmy wouldn’t have been able to ride to let her know what was going on. On the other hand, what if he had changed his mind about wanting a life with her?  No!  That couldn’t be. Jimmy’s feelings had been genuine. She would have bet money on it!  No, her Jimmy loved her. If he could have, he would have returned to her. Something had happened, and she was determined to find out what it was.

Jimmy wondered what Sarah had done when he hadn’t returned. He regretted that he was probably causing her to worry about him, but he knew she would be okay. She could take care of herself. But Lordy it hurt to leave her behind.

Sarah rode slowly into town, looking around as she did. What should be her first move?  Go to the station?  As she rode by it, she saw a beautiful lady hanging out the laundry, but there was no activity other than that. The stallion seemed skittish, and she didn’t trust him any further into town. That decided her. She rode toward the woman..had Jimmy said her name was Rachel?  The lady looked over the clothes line as she rode up.

“Rachel?  Hello!” Sarah smiled at her.

“Hello. Do I know you?”

“No, you don’t, but I know Jimmy, and I was wondering if I could talk to you?”

“Sure…”

“Can I borrow your corral to put my stallion in?  Jimmy and I caught him, and I really don’t trust him enough with other people to just tie him to something.”

“Let me open the gate for you,” Rachel offered, which she hurried over to do. Sarah got her stallion settled, tied her horse to the rail, then turned to Rachel and held out her hand. “I’m Sarah Brooks. Knowing Jimmy, I’m sure he didn’t mention me.”

“No, he didn’t. Would you like some lemonade?  We can sit on the porch and talk.”

Rachel sized up the lady in front of her. She was beautiful, looked younger than Jimmy, but seemed pleasant. Did this woman mean something to Jimmy?  Rachel invited Sarah to sit on the porch, went in and got the lemonade. She poured them both a glass, handed one to Sarah, then sat down and looked expectantly at her.

“I suppose you’re wondering what I’m doing here…like I told you, I know Jimmy. He and I are real good friends. See that stallion in the corral?  We tracked him together, and Jimmy caught him and gave him to me. The last I saw of him was yesterday morning. He was supposed to come into town to get some supplies, and then come back so we could stay out a few more days. He never cam back. Has something happened to him?” Sarah tried to appear calm, and she wasn’t sure how much information Jimmy would want her giving to this lady.

Rachel’s eyes went to the corral. “Yes, the stallion. Teaspoon said that he had gone to find him. He gave him to you?”

“Yes. He told me the stallion was more mine than his. Is Jimmy okay?”

Rachel realized that Jimmy must have deep feelings for this woman. When had they met?  How long had he been seeing her?

“No..he did come into town yesterday to get his supplies. He had told Teaspoon that he still needed to find the stallion, but I’m guessing that he just wanted to be with you,” she smiled at Sarah as Sarah blushed slightly. “As he was goin’ to the General Store, he got called out.”

“Oh no..but Jimmy’s so fast…”

“No…Jimmy didn’t get hurt physically. He was faster. He killed the guy, but when this happens, it tears him up inside. It’s so senseless to him, which it is to all of us. And he knows, Sarah, that this won’t end until he’s dead. Is that something you’re aware of?” she asked the lady sitting next to her.

“No,” she said softly. “He tried to make it seem like it didn’t happen that much..that I didn’t have to worry about it..”

“He wasn’t lyin’ to you. It don’t happen that often, but it will keep happenin’ till someone is faster than him.”

“I see. So where is he now?”

“I don’t know. He told Teaspoon that he needed to think and took off. He left me a note telling me what supplies he’d taken. I think he plans to be gone for awhile.”

“Oh..I guess I’ll have to track him and find him then,” she said more to herself as she looked off to the horizon.

“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?”  Rachel asked gently. “Like Teaspoon says, sometimes Jimmy is larger than life. He’s always gonna have guns coming after him. He’s always gonna have that shadow over his head. Are you strong enough for that?”

Was she?  Sarah asked herself. Feeling some doubt, Sarah turned to Rachel.

“I hope that I am. You see, I love Jimmy. He’s the man that I want to spend the rest of my life with. Hopefully, when I find him, he’ll feel the same way. I think that I can help him through all of this. And I think that I can give him some happiness.”

She said all of this with quiet dignity, and that was when Rachel realized if there was any woman who could handle Jimmy’s life, this was probably the one.

“Maybe you can, Sarah, but I think you’re gonna need some help to find him. Let’s go talk to Teaspoon and see if he can spare one of the Riders to go along with you and help you.”

“That would be real nice,” she smiled as they both got up and started walking to town.

“So how long has Jimmy kept you hidden from us?  As you probably know, he’s very private with his life. You’re such a surprise to me.”

“We haven’t known each other that long really. I’m sure he would have told you if the shootout hadn’t happened.” Suddenly Sarah stopped. “You don’t think that he’s changed his mind about me do you?”

Rachel put a comforting arm around her. “Yes, I do. Don’t take that wrong though. I have a feeling you’d be very good for Jimmy, but I think after what happened, he thinks he shouldn’t be with anyone..that he’d be worried that they might be hurt or he’d be worried that he would get killed and not be able to take care of you. You’ll just have to persuade him different.”

“I hope I can do that!” Sarah told her.

“You have to believe it before you leave here, Sarah. If he senses any doubt in you about him and his life, he’ll know it and turn you away.”

“I know.”

They arrived at Teaspoon’s office and walked in. Sarah immediately noticed that he wasn’t alone. There was another, very good looking man standing by the window. He looked as if he had some Indian in him. He was taller than she was with long, straight, dark hair. He had the most beautiful brown eyes. He shyly smiled her way.

“Rachel!  Miss Sarah!” Teaspoon stated as he tipped his hat in their direction. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?  Buck…you know Miss Sarah?”

“No, I don’t,” the man said as he joined the circle.

“Buck Cross, this is Sarah Brooks. She owns the farm just outside of Rock Creek.”

“Hello, Buck,” Sarah smiled up at him as she held out her hand. He looked surprised by her gesture, but quickly took her hand and shook it.

“Pleasure to meet you,” he told her.

“Teaspoon, Sarah needs our help,” Rachel told him.

“Well, let’s all sit a spell then. Miss Sarah, care to tell me what you need?”

So Sarah told them what she had told Rachel. She noted that both the men looked surprised when they found out about her and Jimmy. She ended her story with telling them that she wanted to go and find Jimmy.

“And I told her that maybe we could send one of the Riders along. I didn’t think she should go off on her own,” Rachel told him.

Teaspoon scratched his chin.

“I thought Hickok seemed awful happy before he got called out. Now I know why!” he smiled at Sarah. “Buck, you free for the next couple days?  Can you go with Miss Sarah?”

“Sure if she don’t mind me goin’ with her.”

“No..why would I?” she asked simply.

“Because of what I am..don’t you notice that?” he wanted to ask her. He knew how the townspeople treated him. They didn’t want him to be around them because he was a half-breed. They only saw the Indian side to him. This woman didn’t seem to be seeing that. But then, if Jimmy had chosen her, she probably wouldn’t be that way.

“Then okay..we still have about three hours of daylight. Let’s get some supplies, and we can leave.”

“I can help with that,” Rachel volunteered as they all stood up.

“Thank you, Teaspoon,” Sarah told him as she impulsively kissed him on his cheek.

“You’re quite welcome.”

“Does anyone know which way he headed?” Buck asked as they left.

“I don’t think so Buck,” Rachel told him.

“Don’t worry. We’ll find him,” Buck tried to assure Sarah; trying to decide what direction Jimmy would go.

“I know,” she told him.

“Why don’t you get your horse ready to go while I gather our supplies,” he suggested.

“Okay,” she told him as she wandered over to the corral. Had he sensed that she needed to get her thoughts together?  As she approached the corral, Wind Walker put his head over the railing and nickered a greeting.

“I really hate to leave you alone here. You’re going to wonder what’s going on and why I’ve deserted you…”

He nickered again while he pushed his nose into her hand.

“I wonder…I always said that I probably wouldn’t ride you…but maybe this once..I need a good horse, Wind Walker..can we make a deal that if you take me this time, I let you alone for the rest of your life unless you let me know that you want me to ride you?”

He snorted at her. Sarah took the saddle and bridle off her horse after she turned him into the corral. She approached the stallion with the bridle in her hand.

“You’re gonna have to trust me this time because we don’t have a lot of time for the niceties!” she tried to explain as she held the bridle up and let him sniff it. She placed the bit against his mouth, and he threw his head up..that was to be expected. She tried again, and he opened his mouth. She quickly fastened the bridle around his head and gave him a couple of moments to get used to it. Then she picked up the saddle blanket, and gently laid it across his back..no reaction.

At this point, Buck came out of the bunkhouse carrying what he would need, and stopped to watch what Sarah was doing. He watched her pick up the saddle and slowly lower it on the stallion’s back…and he just stood there as she talked to him and patted him and took her time fastening the cinch around his belly. But the stallion was wild, wasn’t he?

Sarah felt someone watching her. She wasn’t surprised to see Buck standing there.

“Well, he’s either going to let me ride him or he’s going to throw me further than I’ve ever been thrown before,” she sort of laughed. “Are you ready to go?”

“But he’s wild, ain’’t he?”

“Oh yeah, but he and I have an understanding. He knows that I need him now,” she explained, feeling that somehow Buck would understand that.

“Then let me get my horse, and we can leave.”

“Hopefully I’ll be ready soon,” she laughed as she turned back to Wind Walker. “Ready big guy?”

He looked wary and pawed at the ground. Sarah got ready to be thrown on her bottom. She took a deep breath, put her foot in the stirrup and very slowly swung herself up. The stallion was quite large, and she knew it would be a long way down.

“So far so good, boy,” she cooed as she tried to reassure him and pat his neck. He just stood there, but she could feel all his muscles coiling up. “You don’t want to throw me. We need to go and find Jimmy!” His ears were turned back, so he was listening to her. That was a good sign. Sarah nudged him with her heels and urged him to move forward. He started to walk around the corral, and she let out her breath. It would be all right!

“It looks like he’s gonna let you stay where you are,” she heard Buck say to her.

“It does, doesn’t it?” she smiled his way. “I think we’re ready to leave.”

Buck opened the corral for her, and Wind Walker moved as she wanted him to.

“He’s a beautiful animal,” Buck told her as he mounted his own horse. “What’s his name?”

“Wind Walker. Which way are we headed?”

“Let’s try southeast,” Buck told her as he nudged his horse in that direction. Sarah and Wind Walker quickly followed.

“Why southeast?” she asked him.

“Some of Jimmy’s hangouts are that way. If we don’t see any signs of him, we’ll try another direction.”

So they both started looking for some sign of Jimmy. And finally, two hours into their search, they both cried out…”There!”

They looked at each other, stunned that they had both seen it at once.

“You track?” Buck asked her as they stopped their horses and got off.

“Well, yeah. I take it you do too,” she laughed.

“I thought that’s the help you needed.”

“Well, I think everyone assumed that’s what I needed, but no one asked me. I have a feeling though that Rachel and Teaspoon wouldn’t have let me go by myself.”

“No..I don’t think so either,” Buck agreed. “And you shouldn’t be out here by yourself. You never know what you’ll run into!”

“True,” Sarah told him slipping into the Lakota tongue guessing he would be able to understand it. “But I’ve usually been able to take care of myself. I can ride, shoot, and track with the best of them!”

Buck stared at her with his mouth hitting the ground. She had spoken Lakota to him!

She saw his expression and was amused by it. “I don’t think you’re Lakota, so what tribe are you from Buck?  And what is your Indian name?”

“How did you learn Lakota?” he asked her still using the language.

“My father had a Sioux friend, and he taught me.”

“I’m part Kiowa on my mother’s side. My father was white.”

“Are either of them still alive?”

“My mother died when I was a child. I don’t know about my father. He raped my mother.”

“I’m sorry. And I can imagine that your life has been mostly horrible!”

Buck realized immediately that she wasn’t feeling sorry for him..only stating what was fact.

“Yeah..so it’s because of your Sioux friend that you’re being nice to me?”

Sarah saw the proud tilt of his head and could see all of his regal heritage.

“No..I judge every man on his own merits. Also, I know that Jimmy wouldn’t be friends with anyone he didn’t respect, so that in itself says a lot about you. Also, I admire the Indian way of life and the way you live on the earth. I like your spirituality. What would you say?  My guess is that he’d been this way about 24 hours ago.”

“Yeah, I’d say we’re a day behind him,” Buck agreed.

“So, what’s your Indian name?” she asked standing in front of him.

“Running Buck.”

He watched her eye him closely.

“Running Buck..that suits you!” was all she said before she leapt on her horse. She waited for him to mount, and they kept on in the same direction.

“It will be dark soon. We should look for a camp,” he told her, lapsing into Kiowa to see if she understood him. Lakota and Kiowa were very similar.

Sarah understood most of what he said so she just nodded her head, not really wanting to give up the search yet. What if Jimmy didn’t rest?  They’d just get further behind.


Jimmy sat by his campfire, remembering the past week, going over every little detail as he held the book Sarah had given him in his hands. What was she doing now?  Had she gone back to Rock Creek?  Had she tried to find him or had she been so angry that she had just gone back to her farm?  Would she forget about him?  He hugged the book to his chest and leaned his chin on it. All he wanted to do was get on his horse and hurry back to her, but that would be too fool hardy. No..he needed to be away for awhile. Maybe if he didn’t get in contact with her, she would forget about him.


“So, do you love Jimmy?” Buck asked her.

“I must if I’m trying to find him,” she replied as she handed him a plate of food.

“I’m sorry. It’s not any of my business.”

“How close are you and Jimmy?”

“How close is Jimmy to anyone?” he asked her. “Jimmy never seems to let anyone totally into what’s going on with him. But we respect that about him. I’d say if he had a best friend among the Riders, it would be Lou. She and him understand each other.”

“She?  I thought all the Riders were men.”

“They’re supposed to be. We just don’t tell no one about her,” he laughed, feeling certain Sarah could keep a secret. Besides she would figure it out for herself if she was going to be with Jimmy.

“Then why aren’t they seeing each other?”

“Because she’s in love with Kid..another Rider. And Jimmy has never really wanted to fall in love with no one.”

“What about you?  Do you have a girl, Buck?”

“Yes..her name is Melissa. She’s beautiful..she has this thick auburn hair and gray eyes, and is just about the nicest, kindest person you could ever know.”

“And you had to leave without telling her what was going on?  I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay. Teaspoon said he would tell her. She’ll understand.”

“Yes..I love Jimmy.”

He smiled, glad that she trusted him.

“How did he keep you hidden from all of us?”

“Easily. He just met me a few days ago. We were both trying to capture Wind Walker. Since we basically didn’t want the other to have him, we joined forces..first person to rope him would get him was the deal. I only had one problem with that..I didn’t know how to rope. On our second day out he gave me first shot at him, but since I couldn’t rope, I didn’t capture him. He was so put out with me!” she laughed.

“Why did he give you the horse?”

“Wind Walker and I have a strange rapport. It’s like we can read each other’s souls. Jimmy recognized it and told me that even though he caught him, the horse wasn’t his to have..that he was mine, so he gave him to me.”

“That’s Jimmy,” Buck agreed. “So he loves you too?”

“Yes, at least he said he did. I know it sounds strange for us to fall in love so quickly, but there is something about him. No other man ever really interested me…I think because they had traditional views of where a woman’s place is. Jimmy doesn’t have that. He doesn’t tell me what to do. He treats me like an equal.”

“Your face gets all soft and dreamy when you talk about him!”  he teased her.

“Sickening, huh?”

“No,” Buck admitted. “I get the same way when I talk about Melissa. And I knew that she would be special to me the moment I met her. Like you said..there was just something about her. I understand, and I don’t think Jimmy has changed his mind about loving you.”

“Thanks for telling me that. Rachel thinks he’s changed his mind about wanting a life with me.”

“Probably. He wouldn’t want you to get hurt. Maybe he thinks you will if you stay with him. Maybe he thinks that those guns will do something to you to get to him. How good can you shoot?”

“Almost as good as Jimmy. My draw is just a little behind his. I can take care of myself. He should know that.”

“I know that Melissa can take care of herself too. That doesn’t mean I don’t worry about her all the time. We like to worry about our ladies. It makes us feel more like a man if we think we can take care of you.”

“Oh!  So that’s it!” she laughed. “So how will I convince Jimmy that he needs to change his mind, and that I don’t want him doing me any favors?”

“Be honest with him Sarah. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll tie him up for you, and we’ll drag him to a preacher.”

That started them both to laughing as they pictured that in their minds.

“When will you and Melissa get married?”

She saw the frown go across his face.

“I don’t know. Her father don’t exactly approve of me yet. He’s not that crazy that his daughter lets an Indian touch her, but at least he lets me see her. We’re hoping that he’ll eventually come around.

“I’m sure he will. You’re such a wonderful man. I can’t see anyone not liking you right away.”

“It’s very easy! They see my skin color and my features and don’t see anything else.”

Sarah had noticed his silver earring dangling from his left ear.

“Where did you get the earring?”

“I got that before I left the tribe, so I’ve had it for many years.”

“Is it a silver nugget?”

“Yes, it belonged to my mother.”

“That’s good that you have something to remember her by. I like your medicine bag. Did you make it?”

His hand went to it and caressed it.

“Yes.”

“If I’m not awake in the morning when you get up to pray, will you wake me?”

He slowly smiled at her. She knew the Indian way well.

“Yes, and we can pray that we find Jimmy quickly.”

“Thank you.”

“When we get back, I want you to meet Melissa. I think the two of you could be good friends.”

“I’d like that, Buck.”

“We’d better turn in.”

Jimmy woke up early, decided he wasn’t hungry and didn’t really want to start a fire, so he mounted his horse and continued on his way. He was starting to formulate a plan in his mind about where he would go.


Sarah, being a light sleeper, heard Buck starting to rustle around, so she quickly woke and splashed some water on her face from her canteen.

“Do you know any of the prayers?” he asked her in Kiowa.

“A couple. I’ll follow along on those I know.”

She followed his motions and he could tell she had done this before. Her words were halting, but she did follow along. When they were done, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

“If we eat hardtack for breakfast, we can just saddle up now,” he told her.

“That’s fine with me,” she told him as she rolled her blanket, and got Wind Walker ready to go for the day.

Once underway, she asked him,

“So, how long did you live in the village after you mother died?”

“Another year or so. They didn’t make it very easy on me, so I decided that it would be easier for me if I left them. I was sent to an orphanage, which wasn’t much better, but I got some education before I left them.”

“And then?”

“Wandered around and got into trouble. I met up with my best friend, and he persuaded me to join the Pony Express, so here I am.”

“Would it still be hard on you if you went back to the village?”

“No. My half brother is a chief there..Red Bear. They consider me a warrior there, and I stay sometimes, but that’s not my world anymore.”

“But you seem more Indian than white to me.”

“I am, and maybe if I hadn’t met Melissa I would have gone back, but this is her world, and my world is where she is.”

“That’s sweet,” she approved. “Just don’t ever do to her what Jimmy is doing to me. I mean I understand it. But it would have been a lot easier if he had just come and talked to me.”

“Jimmy ain’t used to talkin’ anything over with anyone. He’s used to relying on himself. He’s getting’ better, but you got your work cut out with him!” he warned her.

“Yeah..I think I’m beginning to find that out, Buck,” she agreed with him. “He’s a complicated man. How did you turn out so friendly? You have every reason not to be.”

“I’m not always this way. You were nice to me from the start, so I knew that I could be nice to you. Actually, I’m not this way a lot. People usually have to prove themselves to me. You’re different.”

“I’m glad I am.”

“Me too. Makes this trip a lot easier.”



The landscape was getting flatter, as Jimmy headed towards Kansas. The idea, once the seed had been planted, became full grown as he thought about it. Why shouldn’t he go see Selina?  Maybe she’d be happy to see him, and he felt the need to reconnect with what was left of his family. Nathan probably wouldn’t be that happy to see him, but he didn’t care. He had a right to see his sister, and see how she was doing. Sarah intruded in his thoughts, and he pushed her back out. He couldn’t think about her right now.


“He’s definitely been this way,” Buck told her, “And he’s traveling fast!”

“Where’s he going?  Do you have any idea yet?”

“I think he’s going to Kansas.”

“To see his sister?”

“Might be, except I didn’t think they were talkin’ to each other.”

“That’s the drift I got when he told me about her, but maybe he’s decided that it’s time for that to change. Everyone needs their family. They give us a sort of comfort, don’t you think?”

“Yeah..I always feel good around Red Bear. He helps me realize where I’ve been and what my future might hold.”

“Exactly.”

“Do you have any family that’s left?”

“An aunt in Boston. I lived with her for a couple of years.”

“Is that why you talk like you do?”

“Yeah. My father shipped me back east so I could learn how to be a proper lady. Do you think it worked?” she giggled.

“I’d say it worked real well. I’m gonna ask you somethin’ and I don’t want you offended by it.”

“Ask, and I’ll try not to be.”

“You do come off like a real lady. I can picture you in a parlor with the church ladies, drinkin' tea and talkin' lady talk. That's not Jimmy at all...”

”You’re right, it’s not.”

“Is that what you are?” he asked bluntly.

“No, I don’t enjoy that if that’s what you’re asking. When I was in Boston, I had to pretend that’s what I liked because of my aunt, and it was important to her. I like being outdoors. I like to ride. I like my farm. What Jimmy is..it’s not his fault, but I have to admit that it scares me. I know that he’s very fast, but I know that he can’t possibly always stay the fastest. He’ll get older. Some young gun will come along and kill him. I don’t want to think about that, but I know that I have to.”

“Yeah, you do. We all know that it’s gonna happen. You have to know it and deal with it, then put it away somewhere and take what you can get.”

“I guess this is why he’s never fallen in love before, huh?”

“Yeah, I’d say so. He needs a strong woman to love him. I think that’s you.”

“I hope it is, but right now it scares me.”

Buck reined in his horse and looked very serious as he began to talk.

“Being worried about something won’t change it. Neither will being scared of it. Facing the fear is what will take care of it. And who’s to say that any of us are right?  Someone else may come along that takes everyone’s attention away from Jimmy. He may live to be an old man. Your time with him will be what you make it. Will your life be better with or without him?  That’s your basic question. If it will be better with him, we’ll go on. If it will be better without him, I think we should go back home and leave him be. We can rest our horses for awhile if you need some time to think about it.”

Sarah looked out across the prairies they were approaching. What would her life be like without Jimmy?  Pretty much what it had been before. It hadn’t been a bad life. She had been content. Then along came Jimmy, and she had realized what it felt to truly come home. So what if she just had a short time with him?  It would be time with him. He would probably fill her life with joy..and some sorrow..she sighed.

“Let’s go to Kansas, Buck,” she told him softly.

He smiled his approval at her. He kicked his horse and they were off.


Jimmy rode up to Selina’s house as it was getting dark. He tied up his horse and tried to brush off most of the trail dust. Suddenly he was nervous. What if she wouldn’t talk to him?  What if Nathan threw him out?  Here he was, one of the most feared guns, afraid to even go and knock on the door. He shook his head and went to the door and taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, knocked.

“Yes?” his sister asked as she opened the door.

A slow smile spread over his face as he saw her for the first time in six years.

“You turned out real pretty!” he told her as he quickly took off his hat.

She searched his face.

“Jimmy?!” she squeaked as she threw her arms around him. “How are you?  Where have you been all these years?  What’s going on?  Why are you here?”

He hugged her back. It felt good.

“How bout invitin’ me in so I can answer all those questions?”

“Of course!  I’m just so excited!  Nathan!  Jimmy’s here!” she called into the interior of the house as she dragged him inside.

“Jimmy’s here?” he heard Nathan ask as he came into the room. He gave Jimmy a disapproving glance as he took in the two colts hanging from his sides. “There’s a lot of stories goin’ around about you.”

“I know that. They ain’t true,” Jimmy told him.

“Why are you here?” Nathan demanded.

“To see my sister. I ain’t seen her in a long time. Is that okay with you?” Jimmy demanded back.

“Now you two stop it!” Selina told the two men. “I ain’t seen my brother in six years, and I’m hopin’ that he’s here for a long visit so I can get to know him again. You two are goin’ to have to get along!  You are stayin’ awhile, ain’t you?” she asked Jimmy.

“I don’t know about ‘awhile’. I will be here for a couple days if that’s okay with Nathan. I can’t stay if it ain’t.”

Selina looked at her husband, begging him silently to say it was all right. Nathan’s eyes softened as he looked at his pretty wife. He knew how much she had missed Jimmy.

“It’s all right with me. Just when you go, you best give her a proper goodbye this time,” he warned him.

“I will, thanks,” Jimmy told him.

“Good. Now let’s get your horse taken care of. Are you hungry?” she asked him.

“Yes, but let’s take care of my horse first. It’s been a long ride.”

“It’s so good to see you!” she told him as she put her arm around his waist. “Where have you been?  Why did you come to see me?”

“I’ve been all over, Selina. Right now I’m in the Nebraska Territory workin’ with the Pony Express. I came to see you because someone reminded me that it’s been too long since I last saw you.”

“I know that you went with the judge after ma died. Why did you leave him?  Why didn’t you tell me goodbye or ever write to let me know where you were?”

“I left him because he was a dangerous man!” Jimmy told her over his horses back as he brushed him down. “If I had stayed with him, I would have turned into one of his hired guns, and I didn’t want to do that. I didn’t say goodbye because I left so fast..because I didn’t think you and I had a lot to say to each other. You and I didn’t see eye to eye on things back then. Maybe we still don’t, but that don’t matter no more. And I didn’t write to you because I didn’t know how to write until just a few months ago. I finally found someone to teach me. The judge didn’t think that was important for me to know. I was just real angry most of the time. I didn’t want to be around no one, so I wandered a lot and got myself in trouble a lot. But now I’m sort of settled.”

“What Nathan said about those stories about you, Jimmy..you say they ain’t true, so why are people talkin’ about you?”

“Because they don’t have nothin’ better to do,” he replied.

“So they’re not true at all?”

“They’re some true. I have killed men, but it’s because they’ve heard how fast I am and they come to draw against me. They want to be the fastest. So far I still am. That’s where those stories come from. I wish they’d just end. I don’t want that reputation. I just want to be Jimmy Hickok and live my life like everyone else. I want to go somewhere’s no ones heard of me…”

Jimmy gave his horse some feed and hay, made sure he had some water, then held out his hand to Selina.

“So are you going to go somewhere no one knows you?”

“I don’t know where that is right now, Selina. You know, one day I won’t be the fastest.”

“I know. That’s one of the things I’ve been worrying about..that you would be killed and I wouldn’t see you again.”

“Well, it didn’t happen!” he smiled at her.

“No, it didn’t. So Jimmy, you married yet?”

“Nope.”

“Got a girl?”

Sarah was immediately there.

“Nope. With my life it would be hard to have one. I don’t got much to offer.”

“I don’t agree with that!” she told him. “But we can argue about that later. Let’s get you something to eat.”


“We should be there by tomorrow night.” Buck told her as they cleaned up after they ate.

“I know. I wonder what our reception will be. Got any ideas?”

“I should probably find him and bring him to you. That way we can hit him by surprise.”

“That would probably be best, but I’d love to hear the story you’re gonna give him to get him away from his sister’s.”

“I would too,” he laughed. “I may have to bring him at gunpoint.”

“Yeah, that would put him in the right frame of mind!” she giggled.  “You know what, Buck?  You’re fun to be with. I’m glad you’re the one who came with me.”

She thought that he blushed, but it was hard to tell with just the fire light.

“You don’t know the others.”

“Tell me about them!”

“There’s Cody. His mouth is always going. Jimmy’s always tellin’ him that he’s got his foot in his mouth!  He thinks he’s really good with the ladies too. Cody’s the best shot of the group with a rifle, and he’s a good friend. He’s always there for you, but sometimes you just want to strangle him.”

“Sounds interesting. Who’s next?”

“I already told you about Lou. She’s real energetic..like this tight wound spring. She’s real open about wanting us to treat her like one of the guys. She’ll always back all of us up, and we always take all our woman problems to her. She gives real good advice. Lou is real pretty when she gets the chance to get all dressed up. I guess one day Kid will ask her to marry him, and we’ll lose her.”

“I’d really like to meet her. Tell me about Kid.”

“He’s the one we all look up to. We think he’s the smartest, but we don’t let him know we think that. He and Jimmy butted heads when this whole Pony Express thing started, but they finally found common ground. Kid’s from the south, and he talks like that. He’s kind of quiet, but he gets along with just about anyone.”

“Anybody else?”

“Yeah, my best friend, Ike. He don’t talk none. He uses sign to talk to us. When he was little he saw his parents murdered and he ain’t talked since. And he lost all his hair when he had scarlet fever. He’s probably about the most gentle person you’ll ever meet, and he’s real good with animals.”

“How did the two of you get to be best friends?”

“He and I were at the orphanage together, where I was sent after I left the village. We really didn’t know each other very well then. After I left there, I kind of moved around a lot. Anyway, one day I was in a bar, and people were getting on me for the half-breed stuff, and he jumped into the fight and saved me from gettin’ killed. We’ve been best friends since then. We joined the Pony Express together because we both needed the money, and we was both orphans. I can hardly wait to introduce you to him.”

“Does he have a girl?”

“Yeah, Emily. She’s real wonderful, and he’s so happy with her. You’ll really like them.”

“It sounds like I’ll really like all of them, but I still think I had the best one come with me,” she told him with a smile as she leaned over to kiss his cheek. “I’m tired. I’ll see you for prayers in the morning. Night!” she told him as she laid down and pulled her blanket over her.

“Night!” he told her softly as his hand went up to his cheek where she had kissed it so lightly. He smiled to himself. Melissa wouldn’t have liked it, but that was okay. She wouldn’t ever know. “You and I are going to be good friends, Sarah Brooks,” he quietly told her back.

“Yeah, I know, Running Buck!” she told him as she threw him a smile over her shoulder.



Jimmy helped Nathan around he farm all the next day. By supper, he was pleasantly tired as he kept Selina company while she cooked. She caught him up with her life over the past six years, and he did the same for her.

“You know Jimmy, I know that I keep saying this, but I’m so glad that you decided to come and see me!” she said dropping a kiss on the top of his head.

“I am too,” he told her as he pulled her down on his lap and gave her a squeeze. Selina laughed before she got up and returned to her cooking.

That’s when it hit Jimmy. If Sarah hadn’t come into his life, none of this would have happened. She had broken through a barrier, and suddenly had made it all right for him to feel all these new emotions. She had made it okay for him to open up to other people, to let down his walls a bit. It was okay to have some happiness, and with these realizations, an acute loneliness for her went through him. If it was okay for all of this, why wasn’t it okay to have her in his life?  Why couldn’t he be like everyone else?

Selina had been watching his face as all these expressions went across it. She had a feeling that it wasn’t often that Jimmy allowed his face to be expressive. His life counted on it not being that way. How could he look happy for a moment, and then look so sad the next moment?

“Jimmy, WHY did you really come here to see me?  Isn’t it time that you told me what’s really going on with you?”

“I guess I owe you that much,” he admitted.

Selina sat down and looked expectantly at him.

“You asked me if I had a girl..I did. I loved..no..I still love her a lot. She made me see some things about myself.”

“Why aren’t you still together if you still love her?  Don’t she love you?”

“Probably not,” he admitted sadly. “I didn’t think it was a good idea we stay together. I don’t want her to get hurt cause of me and the people that come lookin’ for me. Anyway, she taught me some things in the time we was together. I realized that I liked the new feelings, I realized that some things was okay. That’s why I came to see you. I never know what’s gonna happen to me, but there’s no reason why you and I can’t be brother and sister.”

Selina squeezed his hand.

“I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you, but I’m really glad that she helped you to realize you should come here and see me. Maybe she’s tougher than you think.”

“She’s good at lookin’ out for herself, but someone could still hurt her tryin’ to get to me. I don’t want that to happen.”

“But I can tell you still miss her.”

“Yeah. I probably will for awhile.”

“If I can do anythin’ to make it easier, please let me know.”

“I will. Now can I help you with supper?”

“No, it’s all in hand. Why don’t you call Nathan and let him know it’s ready?”

“All right.”

Jimmy headed for the barn so he could do that.


“There he is!” Sarah whispered excitedly to Buck, who was standing next to her. They had arrived in town, and Sarah had asked around for Selina and Nathan. She and Buck had thought that it would be best if she inquired. Following directions, they had arrived at the farm, and had decided to make sure that he was there before they discussed a course of action. “Now what?”

“Why don’t we go and set up camp some where. I think we should wait until tomorrow morning, when you’re rested.”

Sarah followed Jimmy with her eyes. She just wanted to run to him, but she had no idea what her reception would be.

“You’re probably right. If he told me tonight that he didn’t want me, I’d probably just dissolve into tears, and I don’t want to do that. Tomorrow will be better,” she agreed sadly.

“I know it’s hard for you,” Buck told her as he put an arm around her slumped shoulders. “But it really will be for the best. You know stuff looks different in the morning.”

“Let’s go set up camp.” She said as she briefly leaned against Buck, gathering support and energy from him. Then she pulled away, determined that tomorrow she would be successful.

Buck followed her, and they found a spot a short distance away. He noticed that she had gotten very quiet as she went about doing her camp duties. There were worry lines on her face, and she seemed to be lost to him.

“Sarah, if this doesn’t work out, your life will go on.”

“Would you feel that way if Melissa told you to go away?”

“Probably not for awhile, but I would eventually. If the Great Spirit wants me with someone, I will be, as the spirits will bless you and Jimmy if you’re supposed to be together. Worrying about it tonight will not make it so.”

“You’re right,” she told him. “It’s just that time has suddenly seemed to slow down because I want to see him so badly.”

“So we need to take your mind off of it.”

“Yes, tell me stories about your life, let me know all about you.”

“If you do the same.”

“You go first!” she demanded.


Jimmy woke up feeling good except for the ache in his heart that was called Sarah. He figured that he would stay a couple of more days before he headed back to Rock Creek. He had pretty much reconciled himself to the fact that men would keep looking for him. There wasn’t too much he could do about it. He just needed to always be on his guard..keep practicing his draw so he could stay fast, because as far as he was concerned, they were never going to kill him. He pulled on his clothes, threw water in his face before he shaved and headed out to tell Selina good morning. His nose was met with the smell of frying bacon.

“Mornin’ Selina,” he told his sister as he kissed her cheek.

“Mornin’ Jimmy. There’s someone ridin’ up..looks like an Indian!  Quick!  Get your guns Jimmy!” Selina ordered.

Jimmy quickly looked out the window to assess the situation.

“Buck! What’s he doin’ here?” he muttered to himself.

“You know him?” Selina asked him.

“Yeah. He’s a friend. He’s one of the Riders,” Jimmy stated as he went to the door and opened it.

“Buck!  What’s wrong?” Jimmy asked, concerned, knowing Buck wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of finding him if something terrible hadn’t happened. He was strapping on his guns as he waited for his answer.

“Can we go for a ride?  I need to talk to you,” Buck said looking from Jimmy to his sister.

“Yeah..sure. Selina, this is Buck. Buck, this is my sister.”

“Pleasure to meet you, mam,” Buck told her as he tipped his hat to her.

Selina wasn’t too sure about this situation, but if this man was Jimmy’s friend, he had to be all right.

“How about some breakfast before you go for a ride?” she invited.

“Thank you, mam, but I already ate on the trail.”

“Should I get my stuff together?” Jimmy asked.

“No.”

“Then I’ll get my horse. Selina, I guess I’ll be back later,” Jimmy told her as he kissed her forehead to get rid of the worried frown. “I’ll be all right.”

“If you’re gonna leave you’ll tell me goodbye?” Selina asked him.

“I promised didn’t I?” Jimmy asked her as he eased away from her and hurried to the barn to get his horse saddled. He led him out and mounted him and followed Buck out of the farmyard.

“What’s up?” Jimmy asked him.

“Follow me. I got to show you something. Then we can talk.”

“Yeah..okay,” Jimmy stated trying to figure out what was going on.

They rode hard for a few minutes, until they rounded a bend. Buck went over to some trees, and he followed. Buck stopped and dismounted, so Jimmy did the same thing. As he wound his horse’s reins around a tree limb, he was very startled when Sarah came out from behind one of the trees leading Wind Walker!

“What?” Jimmy asked Buck.

“Did you have any problems?” Sarah asked Buck in Lakota, her heart beating very fast, excited because Jimmy was standing so close to her.

“No, I didn’t tell him anything. Just that I wanted to show him something. I guess that it’s time for me to head back to Rock Creek.”

Sarah looked up at Buck.

“But what if he doesn’t want me?”

“The spirits will tell me, and I’ll come back for you. Don’t worry. It will be all right, Sarah.”

Jimmy’s mouth dropped open when he heard Sarah and Buck chatting back and forth in Buck’s language. Of course he knew nothing of what they were saying. Then he watched Buck hug Sarah hard and kiss her cheek. Buck swung himself up on his horse, then looked down at Jimmy.

“Don’t hurt her. She’s important to me!” he warned as he wheeled his horse around and rode quickly off.

“What in tarnation is this all about?” Jimmy asked Sarah. “I didn’t know you could talk Indian!”

“You never asked me!” she told him. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Jimmy Hickok!”

“And I didn’t know you knew Buck!”

“I didn’t until a couple of days ago. You don’t think I wouldn’t be just a little concerned about you when you didn’t come back like you told me you would?  Or was that just an excuse you gave me, knowing you wouldn’t come back?” she asked him as she tied Wind Walker to the tree next to Jimmy’s horse.

“That ain’t it at all, Sarah.”

“Then tell me what the hell is going on!  I fell in love with you!  You told me that you loved me. I don’t take that lightly, James Butler Hickok!” she told him as she stabbed a finger into his chest.

“I don’t either, Sarah. You’re the only person I’ve ever told that too!”

“Then be honest with me, Jimmy. I already know about the shootout. Teaspoon told me when I rode into town to find out what had happened to you. Why did you leave without telling me?  I mean if you had changed your mind about me, I would have listened to what you had to say.”

“Oh, Sarah,” Jimmy told her feeling like crying. “I didn’t change my mind about the way I felt about you. I still love you very much. But that shootout..that’s part of my life, Sarah. It’s gonna be a part of my life until the day I die, and I don’t want you to be in danger because of it. I don’t want to make promises to you..become a part of your life, only to be gone from it before I want to be. It’s better to end it all now before either one of us gets hurt anymore.”

Sarah turned a tear stained face up to him.

“How do you think I felt when you didn’t come back?  How do you think I felt when Rachel told me that you had left me?  That you hadn’t trusted me enough to tell me what was going on with you?  We talked about sharing out lives, Jimmy, and then I find out that you weren’t as good as your word.”

It tore Jimmy up to see her cry.

“Oh Sarah!” he moaned as he pulled her into his arms and held her close. “I didn’t mean to hurt you and make you worry about me. Ssh, baby. I’m so sorry, Sarah..don’t cry, baby. Can’t you understand that I don’t want nothin’ to happen to you?”

“And can’t you understand that I can look out for myself?  I almost outdrew you, you know!” Sarah said into his chest, loving the feel of being held against his strong body..smelling the smell of the soap he had used that morning.

“Honey..I ain’t gonna live forever. Someday somebody is gonna shoot me. How you gonna feel then?”

“Hopefully happy for the time that we had together, Jimmy. Don’t you know that I treasure each moment that we have together?  That I want to love you for as long as you and I have together?  If you died tomorrow, and we were together until then, I wouldn’t regret it as much as I would if we weren’t together!”

Jimmy kissed the top of her head and squeezed her tightly against him.

“I just don’t know…”

“And life will be easier if you and I are together. You know that, Jimmy. I have a lot I can give you.”

“Yeah, you already have,” he told her. “I was just thinkin’ that this morning.”

“So what’s the problem?” she asked him.

“The problem is that I could never forgive myself if something happened to you because of me. And that is a very real possibility.”

“But you know that I can take care of myself!” Sarah told him as she angrily pulled away from him. She felt like she were talking in circles, and that this was not going to get resolved to her satisfaction. “I guess we’re just going to have to try Buck’s solution!”

“What were you talkin’ to him about?”

“Nothing really. I had just wanted to know what he had told you to get you here. But while we were on the trail, he told me that if you were going to be stubborn, he would take you at gunpoint to a preacher!” she smiled, as she remembered her friend and how supportive he had been as he shared her quest with her.

“He did, did he?  Well, he ain’t here. He left remember?”

“But he’ll know if I need him, and he’ll come back.” She stated with so much assurance that he believed her!

Jimmy instantly felt jealous.

“What’s between the two of you?”

“He loves Melissa. I would think you would know that,” she told him quietly as she began to gather her possessions and saddle up Wind Walker.

“Where are you goin’?” Jimmy asked her. “And how did you break him so quickly?”

“I didn’t break him. He let me ride him this once because he knew I needed him. I’m going home, Jimmy. I’ve said everything I’ve needed to say to you. It seems that I can’t convince you with all the arguments I’ve used. What’s the point of me staying any longer?” she asked him as she continued getting ready to go.

Jimmy just stood there feeling lost. How was it possible to want her to stay, but also want her to leave?

Sarah turned to him. “I love you Jimmy. If you ever change your mind about wanting a life with me, let me know.”

“It ain’t safe for you to go back on your own.”

“Buck will be waiting somewhere for me,” she assured him.

The jealous feelings went through him again.

“Sarah, I love you too,” he told her as she mounted her stallion. Wind Walker danced around, as she sat there, just looking at him. Then she turned her horse in the direction Buck had taken and left him standing there.

Jimmy watched her until he couldn’t see her anymore. Then he mounted his horse and headed back to Selina’s. His mind was racing. He just wanted to cry and curl up in a little ball. He felt as if his life was slowly draining out of him as he rode in the opposite direction that Sarah had. WHAT was wrong with him?  He knew that what Sarah said was true. She could take care of herself. Sarah did love him, or she wouldn’t have come this far to talk to him. And wouldn’t spending any time with her be better than spending no time with her?  He rode into Selina’s yard and slowly dismounted. She came out of the house, still with that worried expression on her face.

“What was that all about, Jimmy?”

He ignored her question.

“Selina…do you think your life has been better with Nathan in it?”

“Yeah, I suppose so, Jimmy.”

“When you’re with him, do you feel happy and content?”

Selina was looking at him like he was crazy, but she answered.

“Mostly. I mean there are times that I just want to shoot him because he makes me so angry, but most of the time it’s pretty wonderful bein’ with him.”

“You know, I lead a life that ain’t too normal, Selina. I never know from one day to the next if I’m gonna be around. So would you say that I was lucky if I found a woman who didn’t care none about that..that all she wants is to be with me no matter what?”

“Yeah..I’d say you were pretty lucky all right!”

“That’s what this is all about. Buck brought Sarah to see me, and she tried tot talk some sense into me. Right now she’s on her way back to Rock Creek.”

“You let her go?  How could you Jimmy?” she asked him sadly.

“That’s what I’m standin’ here askin’ myself.”

“I hate for you to go, but don’t you think that you have a lady you need to catch up to?”

“I think so,” Jimmy told her, giving her a half smile.

“Would I like her?” she asked him.

“I think so. She’d pretty independent, but I think the two of you would get on well.”

“Bring her to meet me sometime,” she told him as she stood on tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

“I will. Guess I best get my things.”

“I’ll help you.”


Sarah wiped the tears out of her eyes so she could see where she was going. She wasn’t sure that she wanted to dwell on her failure with Jimmy. She had thought that she would be able to convince him that a life with her would be worthwhile. Looking ahead of her, Sarah smiled in spite of her misery. There was Buck, waiting for her. She pulled in Wind Walker as she came up to him.

“How’d you know?” she asked him.

“I know Jimmy. I still say it will all work out in the end. Sometimes Jimmy needs time to think things over before he changes his mind. He’s gone a long time thinkin’ he’s gonna live his life one way, and then you came along and messed him up. I hope you’ll give him the time he needs.”

“I would give him until the end of time if that’s what he needed,” she told him.

“I know,” he smiled. “Ready to head back?”

“I guess,” she tried to smile back.

“We won’t ride that far. We’ll stop early, and we’ll talk about it if you want. Right now, I think you need to think about it.”

“Yeah, I do. Thanks.” She told him as she followed his lead.

Maybe it was as he said. Maybe Jimmy would think things through. Maybe he would decide that he really wanted a life with her. Maybe…”

“Hey Buck, can we stop for a minute?”

“Sure what’s up?” he asked as he reined in.

“The bushes are calling to me. Be right back.” She told him as she rode Wind Walker a short distance away.

Buck sat there calmly until he heard some riders approaching. He turned to face them, and three of the nastiest looking men came up on him.

“Why it’s an injun!” one of them said as he spit tobacco juice on the ground. “You alone injun?”

Buck hoped that Sarah had the sense to stay where she was. Lord knew what they would do to her if they got their hands on her.

“Yes.”

“Drop that gun real slow like,” another one told him. Buck did as requested.

“That knife too!” the third ordered. “Then get off your horse!”

Buck also did that, trying to figure out how he was going to get out of this mess. He knew that he could probably take two of them, but the third would do him in.

“Empty your pockets boy. Clem, go get them saddle bags.”

He gave them what was in his pockets, and watched them throw all of his things on the road.

“He don’t have much,” came the disgusted observation.

“That’s cause he’s a filthy injun! Shall we show him what we do to savages?” the leader said.

Buck tensed up, ready for the fight. The one behind him quickly grabbed his arms as Clem let fly with a punch that rattled everything in his body. Buck lifted his legs and pushed with all his might against Clem. The force of it made him fall on the man that was holding him, and he quickly stood up, ready to take them all on.

Sarah had just finished up when the men had rode up. It didn’t take her long to figure out what was going on. She crept around the bushes, drawing her gun in the process. When Buck got hit, she could feel his pain. When Buck jumped up, she took careful aim and shot. She knew the man she had hit was dead before he fell to the ground. That startled the men, who quickly drew their guns and started shooting in her direction. Buck dropped to the ground and rolled, killing the closest to him as Sarah finished off the third. When he fell, Sarah jumped up and ran to Buck, holstering her gun in the process.

“Are you all right?” she asked him, pulling off her bandana as she dabbed at the side of his mouth, which was bleeding. “I’m so sorry I didn’t shoot them before they hit you!”

Buck winced as she tried to stop the blood.

“You’re a good shot!” he complimented.

“Luckily for you,” she smiled. “Let me get my canteen so I can clean you off. Then we can decide what we’re gonna do with the bodies.”


Jimmy figuring he wasn’t that far behind Buck and Sarah, heard the gunshots, and his heart went up into his mouth.  What if that was someone shooting at Sarah?  He urged his horse into a gallop as he headed towards the gunfire. There had been two additional shots..then silence. Nothing could happen to her!  Nothing!

As he got closer, he could see bodies lying in the road, along with some riderless horses. Over to the side stood Buck’s horse and Wind Walker. He pulled his horse up next to Wind Walker, and was out of his saddle before the palomino had stopped. He quickly took in that Sarah was standing over Buck.

“Sarah..Buck..are you all right?” he asked as he ran over to them.

They both looked startled to see him.

“I’m all right. Buck got punched, and I’m trying to stop the blood.” She told him as calmly as she could.

“What happened?” he demanded to know.

Buck and Sarah looked at each other and started to laugh.

“I don’t see what’s so funny about this!” Jimmy stated heatedly.

“It’s not, but the circumstances around it are. I felt the call of nature, and was behind some bushes when those three hoodlums rode up and started to harass Buck. After they went through all his things they started to beat him up. They didn’t know I was around, so I killed one, then Buck got the second while I was taking care of the third.”

“You killed two of them?” Jimmy asked her.

“She can take care of herself,” Buck told him matter of factly. “If it hadn’t been for her, I’d be dead right now.”

Jimmy wished that Sarah would quit fussing over Buck. It was starting to get irritating. Buck could immediately sense that Jimmy was not happy to have Sarah ministering to him, so he decided it wouldn’t hurt to have Jimmy be a little jealous.

“I feel all dizzy like,” Buck stated as he started to fall towards Sarah. Sarah immediately wrapped her arms around Buck.

“Take a couple of deep breaths, Buck,” she told him. “He hit you pretty hard! Do you think he should lay down for awhile Jimmy?”

How hard had he been hit?  Jimmy had seen Buck take some awful punches and then act as if nothing had happened to him. He did know that he didn’t want Sarah to keep her arms around Buck.

“That might be good,” he stated.

“Can you get his blankets so we can lay him on something?”

“He don’t need no blankets!” Jimmy told her. “We sleep on the ground all the time!”

“Get me his blanket!” she bit off, giving him a disdainful look before she turned her attention back to Buck.

He went to get the blanket and spread it on the ground. Buck fell back on it, moaning softly.

“Oh Buck!” Sarah stated, worried. She felt his forehead, smoothing his hair back from his face. “Jimmy, can you pick up all his stuff that they threw all over?  And what should we do to those three men?”

Jimmy, muttering to himself, went to do as he was told. Buck wanted to just start laughing because of Jimmy’s hangdog expression. He was also amazed that he was doing as Sarah had asked so meekly. That was not the Jimmy he knew. This Jimmy must be very much in love. The Jimmy he knew would have told Sarah where she could go. Then he would have taken off.

“How are you feeling?” she asked him, worried about her friend.

Buck felt bad for making her worry.

“I think that I’m getting’ better just layin’ here awhile.”

“I think that we’ll camp here. We’ve got water close by, and these trees are good protection. That way you should feel better when the morning comes.”

Buck took her hand and squeezed it against his chest.

“I don’t know how to thank you for savin’ my life.”

“I would do it all over again for you. You’re real important to me too,” she told him.

Jimmy happened to glance up as they were talking. He saw the look they exchanged and wanted to kill. And that in itself told him all he needed to know. He’d never felt that way about any lady. He stuffed Buck’s stuff into his saddlebags, not really caring how it went in. When he got back to Buck and Sarah, Buck was still holding Sarah’s hand.

“How you feelin’?” Jimmy asked him through clenched teeth.

“A little better,” Buck stated weakly.

“Well, I could sure use some help with those three lyin’ in the road.”

“Buck’s not up to that!  I’ll help you!” Sarah stated as she jumped up.

Now Buck did feel guilty.

“No..I do feel a little better,” Buck stated as he sat up. “Let me do it Sarah.”

“You just stay right there!” she ordered.

“No, Sarah, I’m okay.” He told her as he got up. “Why don’t you get our fire goin’ and make some coffee?”

“All right, if you’re sure.”

Buck went over to join Jimmy. “I guess we need to bury ‘em.”

“You sure you’re up to this?” he asked sarcastically.

“What’s wrong?” Buck asked him innocently.

“Nuthin’!” was all Jimmy would say.

And Jimmy didn’t say another word as they buried the three men. Sarah got the fire going and started the coffee. She decided what she would fix for them to eat, then sat to watch the two men work. Buck didn’t seem to be suffering any residual effects now that he was standing up. She decided that she didn’t need to worry about him any longer. Then her gaze went to Jimmy. Why had he appeared so suddenly?  As always, he took her breath away. Jimmy had taken off his shirt, and she loved to watch his muscles ripple as he helped Buck dig holes to bury the men. She just wanted to run to him, throw her arms around him, and love him until she didn’t have the strength to love him anymore. Sarah shuddered as she ran her hands up and down her arms. Would he tell her why he was there?  Had he come to tell her that he had changed his mind?  He seemed to be angry with Buck for some reason. They finished up and came back towards her.

“We’re gonna wash up in the pond.” Buck told her as they approached.

“There’s some soap in my saddlebag if you want it.” She offered.

“Thanks.” Buck told her as he went to get it. Jimmy followed him down to the lake. They both stripped and jumped in. Buck held out the soap to him, and Jimmy grabbed it from him.

“Why are you so mad at me?” Buck finally asked him.

The scent of the soap overwhelmed him with memories. He’d made love with Sarah just after they had both washed with it.

“I ain’t mad at you…well, maybe I am, but I’m mostly mad at me,” he replied as he handed the soap back to Buck.

“Why?”

“I was jealous cause of all that attention Sarah was paying to you. I know that’s stupid because if it had been me in your place, she would have done the same thing.”

Good!  It had worked! “No, she would have been more worried and fussed more. She loves you a lot.”

“When I heard those gunshots, my heart almost stopped. You say she killed two of them?”

“Yeah, she was real brave. You woulda been proud of her. She can handle herself.”

“That’s what she’s been tryin’ to tell me. Maybe I shoulda listened better.”

“Maybe.” Buck stated noncommittally as he rinsed the soap off. “She’s a special lady.”

“You still love Melissa, don’t ya?”

Buck almost laughed. He was so tempted to tease Jimmy, but then thought better of it. “She’s the woman I’m gonna marry.”

Jimmy just nodded his head, relieved that Buck’s mind hadn’t changed. He rinsed off.

“Maybe I’ll talk to Sarah after we eat.” Jimmy commented.

“That might be best,” Buck agreed. “I’m asking you again not to hurt her.”

“Tarnation Buck!  What’s between the two of you?” Jimmy asked, frustrated. “You say you’re gonna marry Melissa, but you seem awful concerned about Sarah!  You hug her, kiss her, hold her hand!  That ain’t seemly if you’re gonna marry someone else.”

Buck had to look down to keep from smiling.

“I care about her Jimmy. Kinda the way you always cared about Lou. Remember how Kid kept punching you out because you paid Lou attention?  I’m hopin’ you don’t do that to me.”

Jimmy looked off to the horizon, remembering how mad Kid would get whenever he’d stand up for Lou or take her side in an argument, or hug her. He still cared a lot for Lou, but that didn’t mean he felt romantic towards her. Did Buck really feel that way towards Sarah?  He wouldn’t lie to him, would he?

“No, I ain’t plannin’ on doin’ that to you,” Jimmy told him.

“So you’re okay with it?”

“I guess,” Jimmy told him reluctantly.

“Supper’s on!” they heard Sarah yell down to them. Jimmy looked up at her, and couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was looking at him, letting him know that she knew exactly what he looked like below the water line. “And I’m gonna eat it all myself if the two of you don’t get dressed and up here!” With that, she turned on her heel and left them.

Jimmy couldn’t keep his eyes off her while they ate. Buck was beginning to feel like he was definitely in the way. He knew they’d be able to work things out a little better if he wasn’t around. He finished up, and handed his plate to Sarah.

“I guess I’ll head out now.”

“You’re leaving?” Sarah asked, feeling a little panicked since she didn’t know why Jimmy had come.

“Yeah. I want to go see my brother, Red Bear.”

“But what if I need you?” Sarah asked him, lapsing into Lakota because she didn’t want Jimmy to understand what they were saying.

“If you need me, I’ll come.” He told her simply. “But you and Jimmy need some time alone to talk, and you can’t do that if I’m here. It’s best that I go.”

“All right.” She smiled at him.

“I wish you two would stop that!” Jimmy complained.

“It’s easier when I want to talk about you!” Sarah told him matter of factly.

“I should have known!”

“I’ll see you back at the station.” Buck told Jimmy. “Keep her safe!”

“I will.”

Buck patted the top of Sarah’s head, got up on his horse, and left them. Sarah cleaned up after all of them, and poured a cup of coffee for Jimmy before getting one for herself.

“So why did you come?” Sarah asked him.

“You believe in getting right to the point, don’t you?”

“Sometime it’s better that way. I mean, why just have polite chatter when something else is eating at you?   And what’s eating at me is why you’re here.”

Jimmy took his hat off and laid it on the ground next to him. He ran his fingers through his hair, while he looked at her sitting across from him.

“I’m here because I love you, Sarah. I ain’t one for pretty speeches, and I don’t know what’s ahead of me. I don’t think it’s anything good, but what you said made sense. I know that you can take care of yourself. You did a good job today of that. I think you’d do okay if anyone tried to use you to get to me. What I need to know is that you’d be all right if something happened to me and I warn’t around any longer.”

“I can’t convince you of that because I wouldn’t be all right for awhile. Just like you wouldn’t be all right if something happened to me.”

“Fair enough!” he nodded. “You really want to live your life with me?”

“Yeah..I do Jimmy.”

“And I suppose you want Buck there if we get hitched?”

“Yeah, I would,” she smiled at him.

Jimmy took a deep breath as he looked at Sarah. The fire light was playing on her face, and she looked so serene sitting there. He knew that he would happily wake up to her face every morning for the rest of his life. Jimmy got up on one knee and held out his hand to Sarah. She placed her hand in his.

“Miss Sarah Brooks..will you do me the honor of marryin’ me soon?  I love you with all my heart.”

“Yes, Mr. James Butler Hickok. I will marry you…hopefully as soon as we get to Rock Creek.”

“We’ll stop for Buck at his brother’s village and Teaspoon will be more than happy to marry us.”

“Sounds good to me.” She agreed, finally feeling as if her life was falling into place. She would probably never know what had made him change his mind, but she sent a silent thank you to the spirits for whatever it had been. Jimmy, with a smile on his face, sat back down and pulled her into his lap. His mouth immediately found hers, and they both felt like they had come home.

“Do you care if we get a head start on doin’ those married things?” Jimmy whispered into her ear.

Sarah pulled him down on top of her as she laid down, looking at him all the while.

“Love me, Jimmy,” was all she said to her darkly handsome man.

And she had a feeling that he would be more than accommodating tonight, and for the rest of their lives.


THE END

March 14, 1995

COPYRIGHT - M. Bolton - 2003



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