Cody and Buck were relieved to find the ranch empty when they got there. Teaspoon had gone into town to get Kid. The four of them needed a plan before nightfall, just in case the thieves were brave and crazy enough to rob the Marshal's farm.

"I hope those two stay where ever they're at." Cody remarked as he and Buck waited on the bunkhouse porch. "That way Kid can actually concentrate."

Buck smirked. Lou's gun would come in handy, but Cody was right about Kid. Buck had to admit he probably wouldn't be much help if Kat were around. Over the past few days, he realized he had so much he wanted to say to her. The first thing being he was sorry for not telling her about Jen.

"I really do care about her." Buck said, staring into the distance.

Cody glanced down at Buck, almost unsure the quiet Indian had been talking to him. Even if Buck wasn't talking to him, he had to make Buck understand.

"She needs you to love her." Cody said, almost pleading on Kat's behalf.

Buck nodded slowly. Somehow Buck had known that from the moment he met her. And he definitely should have seen it when she arrived in Sweetwater. Kat appeared to be able to take care of herself, but deep down she wanted someone to do it for her, or at least help her with it.

Buck realized he hadn't really saved her in Omaha. Sure, he'd saved her life, but he hadn't saved her soul. The only thing that was ever going to do that was having someone love her as much as she loved him.

"Can you help me make things right with her?" Buck asked cautiously.

"How do you plan to do that?" Cody asked, hoping Buck wouldn't hurt Kat again.

"I want her to stay." Buck admitted.

"Why?" Cody probed.

"I barely know her Cody." Buck took a deep breath. "But I know with some time, I could give her what she needs."

"But you don't love her." Cody said, looking out for Kat's best interests.

"I don't know!" Buck cried. "I was so sure about Jen. It just felt safe with her. But then she refused me and Kat showed up. And with Kat, it just feels, I don't know, right, I guess. Now I'm all confused!"

Cody watched Buck as he finished his confession. Buck's face was a torrent of emotion as he sat on the steps with his head in his hands. Cody couldn't recall Buck ever saying that much at one time, especially to him. But, Cody could tell Buck was hurting as much as Kat.

"All I know," Buck said, turning sincere eyes toward Cody, "Is that for a year, I've regretted not letting her get close to me in Omaha. And I don't want anymore regrets when it comes to her."

Cody sighed, feeling guilty for placing a rift between Kat and Buck. He now knew for sure Buck wasn't going to hurt Kat intentionally, and that maybe he did really love her.

"I'll do what I can." Cody promised, placing a hand on Buck's shoulder.

Matthew watched as Jen fiddled with her food. She had barely been with him mentally since they had encountered Kat earlier.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Matthew asked gently, as he took Jen's hand in his.

"What?" Jen asked, her attention snapping toward him.

"About Buck." Matthew said, trying to coax his new fiancé out of her reverie.

Jen stared at Matthew, not knowing what to say. She didn't know how to tell him that she never expected Buck to betray her. She knew that one day he would move on, but never thought she'd be around to see it, or that it would be so soon.

"He proposed to me a few days before you got here." Jen confessed. She had told Matthew all about what a wonderful friend Buck was. But, Jen hadn't mentioned how much deeper Buck thought that friendship went, how much deeper she thought it could go with more time.

"And what did you say?" Matthew asked, trying to keep the shock from his face.

"I told him I wasn't sure." Jen explained. "You were so set against moving West, that I never thought I'd see you again. And he's done so much for me."

"So he didn't know about us?" Matthew asked, hurt she would erase him from her life so quickly.

"Not until he asked me to marry him." Jen confessed ashamedly.

Matthew looked hurt and betrayed as he took in Jen's explanation. Jen had made it clear to him from the time they met that she wanted to return to the West, that city life didn't suit her. He had been too stubborn though, refusing to pack up his law office and go with her. Now, he regretted that, which is why he came to Sweetwater to ask her to marry him.

"And how do you feel now?" Matthew asked cautiously, dreading the answer he might possibly receive.

"I said I would marry you." Jen said, looking at him as if he had asked the most ridiculous question in the world.

"But why?" Matthew probed.

Jen took a deep breath and gathered her thoughts. She knew she owed Buck so much since he had fought to give her the freedom to choose which world she would live in. But, if she stayed with Buck, that would be why she did it, simply out of a sense of obligation. The feelings she had for Buck were no more than she would have for any friend.

Matthew, on the other hand, was someone she couldn't get out of her soul. She had thought about him every day since she left her aunt's. And she had held onto the hope that maybe one day he would follow her West. Now he had come to Sweetwater, swearing he would do anything for her, even move further West if she would be his wife.

"I love you." Jen answered plainly and truthfully, looking into his soft green eyes.

"I love you too." Matthew smiled adoringly. Yes, this was the only woman he would do anything for.