“Shut up Cody!” Lou McCloud yelled. The irritated girl glared at her fellow rider with as much hate as she could muster with everyone else snickering.

“Sorry Lou. I just thought you would want to know.” The blonde rider said sheepishly. “I mean I would want to know if someone in town wanted me to go on a picnic.” This caused the young men around him who had stopped laughing begin again. Apparently Cody had heard in town that Elizabeth Andrews, a little red headed girl who couldn’t be over 13 years old, wanted to invite Lou on a picnic. The “Lou” she thought was the smallest, male rider for the Pony Express. “She said, now let me see if I get this right, you were the sweetest, cutest boy in the whole territory.” He said in a high voice. “I told her that you would be honored. She’s coming by tomorrow to get you.”

Gritting her teeth she tried to remain calm, but it was no use. The moment she saw Cody’s smirk she was filled with anger. “I’m gonna kill you.” She screamed and lunged for the rider. Cody ducked out of the way as Kid grabbed for the angry woman.

Kid held Lou around the waist as she still tried to get at Cody. Buck Cross, who was sitting nearby, grabbed Lou’s right hand and Ike grabbed her other hand. It took all three men to control Lou; her anger was that fierce. “Cody,” Kid said, his voice strained. “I think that you better tell her the truth.”

“What are you talking about?” Cody said innocently.

“I was there remember.” Kid explained. “If you don’t tell her the truth we’re gonna let her go.”

“Fine. Kid you sure know how to spoil a good joke.” Cody said sullenly. “Lou I told Elizabeth that you weren’t available.” He watched as Lou calmed down. She still looked angry but she didn’t have that I-am-going-to-rip-out-you-tongue look anymore. “Ya, I said that you had someone back home.” Kid, Buck, and Ike let Lou go and she stood stiffly in front of him. Then an evil gleam crept into Cody’s eyes. “You should have seen her, I think her heart was broken. Lou you should be ashamed of your--” He didn’t finish his sentence because Lou leapt at him again.

“Hey!” Teaspoon Hunter yelled as he rode up to the fight. “Hey-Hey. Lou don’t kill him he’s got the next ride.”

As Cody jumped up on his horse, Lou began to dust herself off. “William Cody,” She said menacingly. “You are lucky Teaspoon came along and you got a ride.”

“Rider Commin’.” Buck yelled.

Jimmy tossed the mochilla to Cody who took off on the trail. “Damn lucky!” Lou yelled and stormed off toward the bunkhouse muttering something about the male gender and livestock.

Tossing a questing look to the Kid, Jimmy dismounted. “Cody was pickin’ on Lou again.” Kid informed him.

“He had better stop, she likely to kill him one day.” Buck said out loud. He turned to Ike who was signing rapidly. “Ya, she almost did this time.”

The Kid was the first to notice Teaspoon’s pensive face. “What’s wrong, Teaspoon?” He asked.

Turning toward the young man he shook his head. “Nothing. Some men showed up in town today. Said they worked for a construction company back east. Said that they were here to build a house. Didn’t know whom they were building it for or when the person was going to show up. All they knew was that it was supposed to be finished as soon as possible. They had already been paid in full. It strikes me as a little odd.”

The other riders nodded in agreement. “Where they building it at?” Ike signed. Teaspoon pointed to the horizon in front of them. Sure enough, about a quarter mile away the boys could see a dozen men wondering around on the open land.

Teaspoon shook his head. “Who is this rich stranger that decided to build a house in my front yard?” He wondered to himself. “I don’t like it. Not at all.”

A young woman drove a small wagon across the open plain alone in the dark, a horse walked behind it. She raised her hand and pulled a few loose strands of dark hair behind her ear and clucked her horse on. “We’ll make it there before dawn, I’m sure of it.” Rayne Kincade said to herself. As she drove the little wagon on she thought about the past couple of weeks and how her life had changed.

Three weeks that’s all it had take to turn her life upside down. She had spent her entire life running around the town of Alexandria, Louisiana. The entire area of the Kisatchie Forest was mapped out in her head. That was were she had grown up. Her mom was a working girl at Nelly’s an old saloon outside of town. And her father, well she hadn’t known who her father was. She played around Nelly’s until she was almost eleven, then she was sent to work at a large ranch about fifteen miles out of town. Rayne loved it there; she was still there when it happened.

“Rayne they want to see in the big house.” Charlie, one of the stable-hands told her as he came up behind her as she mucked up a stall. “They don’t look happy.”

“Why would they? After all that’s gone on here the past couple of days who would be.” She answered, referring to the death of her boss and the head of the ranch. Jeremy Elliot had been sick for a very long time and had past way at the beginning of the week. Dusting off her clothes she walked up to the house, a doorman let her in. She had only been in the house a few times and every time it stunned her. Large rooms with white washed walls and ornate furniture. Inside the study sat the mistress of the house.

Francis Elliot was a frail looking woman of about 45 with graying hair, dressed in blue satin. Delicate pale hands sat folded in her lap and when Rayne entered she motioned for her to sit down in a mahogany chair. As Rayne sat she was greatly aware of how dusty and dirty she was. She ran her hands through her hair in order to try to make herself more presentable. “Miss Kincade, I assume that you know why you are here.”

“No, Ma'am.” Rayne said softly.

Francis gave her a startled look. “Oh, well this is going to be a little more difficult to explain. “As you know my husband has passed on.” Rayne nodded. “Though I loved him very dearly I know that he was not the most faithful of men. There were other women in his life. Your mother was one of them.” Rayne was noticeably shocked and a tiny gasp escaped her.

“Then you really didn’t know.” Francis said then continued. “You are in fact, my husband’s child. Surely you had to know, you look just like him.” She motioned to a portrait on the wall.

Rayne stood and walked over to the painting. She studied the man who was her father. Maybe they looked a little similar but it could have just been a coincidence. No it couldn’t be true. Jeremy Elliot couldn’t be her father. He was one of the most powerful men in Louisiana.

Quickly every encounter that she had with Mr. Elliot washed over her. He had been kind to her but not overly so. There had been that time that she had missed that jump and flew off the horse. The horse balked and Rayne was thrown over the top of it. Mr. Elliot was standing over her when she woke up. Rayne had thought that she was going to get yelled at for jumping the horse but Mr. Elliot just smiled at her and said. “Next time move with the horse not without it. You’re a tough kid.”

“I mean no disrespect ‘mam.” Rayne said as she turned back toward Mrs. Elliot. “But are you sure?”

“Positive. Child you have his eyes.” Rayne looked at Mr. Elliot’s gray eyes in the picture. They looked like hers a little.

“It’s like he’s looking out of you.” Francis’ eyes softened only for a moment. “How do you think that you came to work here? Jeremy wanted to look after you. He was afraid for you growing up with that trampy mother of yours.”

Rayne gave the older woman a harsh look. “Mrs. Elliot please leave you’re idea of my mother out of this.” Rayne hadn’t spoken to her mother since the day she left Nelly’s. But she still felt that she should be loyal to the woman who gave birth to her. “Why are you telling me this now?”

“A woman doesn’t like to be reminded of her husband’s indiscretions, Miss Kincade. You are a walking reminder. I allowed you presence here because Jeremy seemed fond of you. God knows he gave you more attention than he did any of his other children. He gave you that stupid horse and that loud dog and made sure that no one ever touched you. Why I’ll never know? You are an ugly runt of a thing compared to Jaclyn and Mary.” She said talking about her two daughters. Her voice raising with anger.

“She letting her anger control her.” Rayne thought to herself. “It’s weak.”

“I told Jeremy before he died that you would be asked to leave when he was gone. Jeremy understood and has set up a house for you along with some money. He left you some of our money.” Disgust dripped from every word she said. “You will be out of here by nightfall. Collect your things and go. Here is a letter with directions telling you were the house is. Do not set foot in this county again. If I were you I would stay out of Louisiana as well. Take that damn horse and that damn dog with you, they were gifts from Jeremy. You are dismissed.”

Shocked. Rayne couldn’t move. Her first thoughts were to ask the woman what authority the woman had to kick her out of an entire state but she thought better of it. She looked back at the portrait of her newfound father and then back at Mrs. Elliot turned and walked silently away.

When she walked outside a cold nose brushed her hand. She reached down to rub the top of Yona’s head. She looked at her dog as if for the first time. The large black dog stared up at her. Rayne remembered getting Yona as a puppy, one of the other stable hands had said he found it. The dog took to her instantly and from that moment she was never far from Rayne. Jeremy Elliot had given Yona to her, maybe not directly, but he had given the dog to her.

Now she was supposed to leave the place that had been her home for the last seven years. Instead of the feeling of sadness that she expected, Rayne felt relief. She was going to be on her own and was looking forward to it. She didn’t have any ties here.

It took a lot less time to collect her things than she had though it would have. Charlie had hitched one of the large draft horses that roamed over the grounds to a wooden wagon. Rayne loaded it in about an hour. Then she walked into the stable and looked at the horse that she had just inherited.

Loki snorted at her approach. She smiled and rubbed his long neck. It seemed as if she was outside herself as she watched her attached the lead on Loki’s halter and led him outside. Securing him to the back of the wagon she turned toward the people hat she had been working with for the past seven years. There were no tears in her eyes as she said her good-byes.

Climbing up on the seat of the wagon she gave a shape loud whistle and a Yona jumped on the back of the wagon. She clucked her tongue and drove off into the night, never looking back once.

She passed by Nelly’s for some odd reason. Nelly’s son told her that her mother left a few years ago with a gambler and he hadn’t heard from her since. It seemed a fitting end to her life in Louisiana. The letter from Mrs. Elliot told her that he had arranged a house for her in a little town in Nebraska and gave her directions to the town.

Rayne closed her eyes and saw a house on the horizon. That was it her new home. For whatever reason, Mr. Elliot had chosen this town, Sweetwater, this town was her new home.

Teaspoon woke up early and walked outside to look at the house in the distance. The workers had finished it almost a month ago. It turned out to be a nice little two-story house with a barn on the side. But no one had ever arrived to move into it. He was surprised to see a wagon next to the barn. Someone had arrived to live in it. Strange they had arrived in the middle of the night and not on the stage has he had expected them to do. In the distance he heard a horse approach. A large red sorrel horse galloped up to the little house and he watched the girl on its’ back dismount.

Before she unloaded her wagon, before she checked out the house, Rayne unhooked the Beau, somewhere along the trip she had decided to name the brown draft horse. She saddled Loki and went for a ride. She flew up and down the flatland around her, laughing. Freedom, it was an amazing thing. No one was telling her what to do or how to do it. For the first time in her life something was hers, this land was hers. It was a dream come true.

When she dismounted she just stood and felt the cool morning air around her. Loki nudged her shoulder she turned and petted him. Then she ran a little farther away and Loki followed. She ran again and then again Loki followed. Yona barked and ran with them. Rayne fell down on the ground and sighed with joy.

Watching from his spot on the porch he was surprised at their new neighbor. He couldn’t tell how old she was but it was definitely a woman. Maybe she wouldn’t be the stuck-up neighbor he had pictured.

“Come on Jimmy.” Cody yelled to his friend. It was after lunch and all the chores were finished so Cody suggested that they go to visit their new neighbor. He had been raring to go ever since he had heard that it was a girl.

“I’m coming.” The dark-haired man yelled back.

“I don’t see what the big deal is. Yesterday all of you were complaining because the house was so close and today you’re all fired up to greet them just because it’s a girl.” Lou said.

“You wouldn’t.” Cody said quickly.

Rachel had told a few of them to go and invite the neighbor to dinner; she had said that it would probably be better than the entire pony express ridding over there at one time and scaring her. Cody volunteered immediately. After him Buck announced he wanted to go and then Jimmy and Ike after him. Lou said that she would go to keep the four boys in line because in truth she was a little curious about the woman, who had seemed to be living in alone; surely she had family on the way. Rachel laughed. “So only Kid and Noah aren’t going. I’m glad that you all aren’t riding over there.”

“Bout time. We were fixing to leave without you.” Cody said and Jimmy mounted his horse. Jimmy rolled his eyes.

Rayne got a couple of hours of sleep in during the morning and now she was trying to straiten out the barn so she could put Loki and the Beau in their stalls, right now both horses were tied up behind the barn. The barn wasn’t huge but it was big enough for everything that she would need. She walked out to the wagon to get Loki’s saddle and brought it back to the barn and hung it in the tack room.

“She doesn’t seem to be home.” Buck said after Cody knocked on the door for the forth time.

“Where else would she be?” Cody exclaimed.

Ike signed quickly. “Ike says that we could check the barn.” Buck informed them.

Lou, Jimmy, and Ike walked toward the barn while Cody and Buck went around to the back of the house. A loud whinny got Ike’s attention and he changed direction to find the horse that had made the noise, Lou followed. Soon they came upon a giant brown draft horse and a sorrel horse tethered to the barn. They approached it slowly Ike extended his hand and tried to get closer to the horses.

The draft horse accepted Ike’s gentle patting and rubbed his head along Ike’s shoulder. The red horse was another story. It tossed it’s blond mane and stared at Ike. Lou could see that the horse was tense, it’s muscles moved under its shiny red coat. The horse didn’t seem to calm to Ike, which was unusual. It let out a distressing cry and stomped nervously flipping the long tail in a show of agitation.

Yona growled by her side alerting her to danger. Rayne drew the 36.Colt Dragon at her side and then heard Loki cry. “Horse thieves?” Rayne wondered out loud. “There is no way some one is trying to steal my horses the first day I move in. That can’t be a good sign.” Silently she moved closer to the door. Yona growled again. She silenced the dog with a look. Before she could get to the door she heard it begin to creak open.

Jimmy opened the barn door slowly. “Hello,” He called and tried to see if anyone was inside. He walked in to get a better look. He looked around but didn’t see anyone; that’s when he heard it. A gun hammer cocked behind him. Slowly Jimmy raised his hands.

“Turn around.” Rayne held the gun even with the back of the man’s head. Yona ran out of the barn as she ordered the man to turn around slowly.

When he heard the voice tell him to turn he obeyed. After all the woman didn’t know who he was, he just hoped that she didn’t shoot him before he could explain. “Really Cody should be in this mess.” He thought to himself. “He was the one who wanted to come so bad.” As he turned he tried to explain. “Hey lady, calm down I’m you’re neighbor. My name’s James Hickok. I ride for the pony express. We wanted to invite you to dinner.”

She heard him tell her what he was doing there and she groaned. “Kincade you idiot. You just pulled a gun on you neighbor.” She reprimanded herself.

“But how do I know he’s really my neighbor?” Rayne though to herself. “Be careful.” Her inner voice warned her. When he finally faced her she smiled apologetically and lowered her gun, but didn’t holster it. “Sorry, but a girl can’t ever be to careful.”

“It’s okay.” Jimmy noticed the gun hadn’t left her hand, and she had a death grip on it. He looked at the woman’s large gray eyes and knew that she didn’t trust him. All of a sudden loud barking came from outside and then a scream.

“Yona.” Rayne said and ran outside.

“Cody.” Jimmy groaned and followed her.

From the moment they found Cody and the dog, chaos insued. Cody was standing on the back steps pointing a gun at the very angry looking dog. Immediately Rayne pulled her gun on Cody trying to protect her dog. Then Buck, Ike and Lou turned their guns on Rayne trying to protect Cody. Only “Wild Bill” remained without a drawn weapon.

“Mister I suggest you put down you gun.” She ordered Cody.

“You first.” Lou shot back at her.

“Everyone put down their guns.” Jimmy shouted.

“Hickok, if I put down this gun that dog is gonna kill me.” Cody cried.

“Yona.” Rayne barked. The dog returned to the side of her master, still growling at Cody. Cody’s gun went slack and Rayne turned hers to the three that were pointing at her. Yona turned his attention toward the people who were pointing guns at her master and glared at them, snarling.

“Everyone put you guns down.” Jimmy repeated. The three other riders began to lower their guns and then the girl followed suit. “This is the neighbor.”

Rayne studied all five men. “Five on one. Those aren’t good odds.” She thought to herself. “Give them a chance maybe they do live around here.” She watched as they holstered their guns and did the same with her own but she stood tense and ready.

“As I was saying in the barn, I’m Jimmy. We came to invite you to supper. We live over there.” He said and pointed to the way station.

The men didn’t look any older than she was; finally she dropped her shoulders and smiled. “Rayne Kincade.” She offered the man her hand and he shook it. “Nice to meet you. Sorry about all that but we’ll I guess you could say you startled me. This is Yona. She don’t like strangers much.” She said patting the top of her dog’s head.

Jimmy noticed that the woman wore a man’s clothes: brown pants and a white shirt that was yellowed with age. Her boots were old but sturdy. This woman didn’t look like she had the money to build her own house. He wondered when her family was coming. His eyes roamed over her and rested on her gun belt, Holstered inside was a Colt Dragon revolver. It was an older gun but it looked like she took good care of it. Jimmy remembered it pointed at his head and remembered how the woman had crept up on him, he hadn’t even heard her. Then he remembered the steady hand she had had when raised it at Cody then at the others. He didn’t doubt that she could use it.

He shook his head and smiled. They had known this woman for only a few minutes and already she had pointed a gun at all of them. “Why were they inviting her to dinner?” He thought to himself. At least she can take care of herself until her family gets here. He tried to see what her reaction to all that had happened but her face was unreadable.

Rayne studied the tall man in front of her. His jaw was set in a hard line but he seemed friendly enough. She moved her eyes over him and noticed the Navy Colts at his sides. “Nice guns.” She thought to herself. She studied his eyes trying to read his expressions but his face gave nothing away.

After the woman began smiling everyone relaxed, even Cody, who was still very wary of the dog. One by one the express riders took their turn introducing themselves, sizing up the woman, and getting evaluated by her.

“Buck Cross.” Buck said offering his hand. “This is Ike McSwain, he doesn’t talk.” Buck studied the woman. She was a few inches shorter than he was. Her hair was long and dark brown; it was braided and stopped just above her hips. He wondered about this woman whose dog was named a Cherokee name.

Ike watched the woman’s eyes as she shook his hand wondering what he would see in them. Whenever people heard that he couldn’t speak they always looked at him with sympathy and nervousness. Her eyes were different. They seemed to swallow her face. Framed by thick, dark lashes they were such an odd shade of blue that they almost seemed gray. Yes, they were gray. Large gray eyes. But what he saw in them shocked him. They were empty of the normal expressions that he expected. Instead he saw nothing; there was no hint that she thought that he was any different from Buck or Jimmy. Ike smiled at her sincerely.

“Buck Cross, Ike McSwain.” She repeated in her head. Watching the two men in front of her she tried to read what their bodies could tell her. Buck was part if not all Indian. He reminded her of Sam Littlefeather, a older Cherokee man that worked on the ranch for a few years. He was the own who, she had thought, had given Yona to her. He was the one that had named Yona, because he said that the dog was going to grow up as big as a bear. Yona meant bear in Cherokee. Buck Cross’ face had the same stone look that Sam’s face had.

Buck had said that Ike McSwain couldn’t talk but Rayne assumed that he could hear because no one signed for him to understand what was going. As she shook his hand she watched his eyes. They reminded her of a deer’s eyes, very soft and warm. She returned his smile with enthusiasm.

Lou offered her hand next. “Lou McCloud.” She didn’t like this woman too much. After all she had pulled a gun on Cody over a dog. The woman was taller and bigger than Lou was; the boy’s clothes didn’t hide her shape as they did Lou’s. “Just what I need.” Lou groaned to herself. “Another useless woman to distract Kid. Why aren’t there any ugly women that come to this town? I bet she can’t even ride.”

Rayne watched the young man in front of her. There was something different about him. At first glance he seemed younger than the others. But with a second look Rayne saw intelligence and maturity in the boy’s eyes that didn’t fit the body. Also the boy seemed to dislike her. “Probably because I just pulled a gun on his friend.”

“William F. Cody.” Cody said in his I’m-god’s-gift voice. He took he woman’s hand and meant to kiss the back of it but she pulled it away before he succeeded. The others around him snickered. She offered her hand again, in an handshake position. Cody reluctantly shook it. The girl’s mouth held a hit of a smile and Cody studied her face. She had interesting eyes, a small nose, strong jaw, and pale lips that turned in a natural pout. When she smiled a dimple appeared on her left cheek. She looked like a challenge and Cody loved a challenge.

She couldn’t help but smile at the boy’s surprise. He was good-looking but odd. “Why would he do that to her hand?” She wondered. She watched his eyes as he leered at her and gave him a puzzled look. “What is wrong with him?”

“Ms. Kincade,” Buck began.

“Rayne.” She responded immediately.

Buck smiled. “Rayne. Ike said to tell you that you have a beautiful horse.”

“Thank you. He’s ornery at times. Did you try to pet him?” Ike lowered his head thinking that he had done something wrong. “You weren’t hurt were you?” She said quickly trying to erasure Ike that she wasn’t angry.

Ike gave her an odd look and shook his head. He expected her to be angry at him instead she sounded angry at the horse. “That damned horse gets so temperamental. One minute he’s your best friend and the next he kill you as soon as look at you. Why I remember one time when he kicked at Sam, like he had never seen him before. And Sam was there when he was born. “ She talked as though she expected the boys to understand what she was talking about. “Come on. Let me see if I can get him to behave.”

Rayne and Ike walked toward the horses with Buck following. Leaving Jimmy, Cody and Lou behind them. “She isn’t a very good hostess.” Lou remarked. Jimmy gave her a funny look and Cody glared at her.

“She’s perfect.” Cody said.

“Cody you think every girl who comes into town is perfect.” Lou shot back.

Jimmy didn’t stay around and listen to them any more. He just followed Buck and the others. By the time he got there Rayne had gotten her horse under control. He listened to her tell Buck and Ike about the horse.

“I’ve had Loki since he was born.” She said as she rubbed the horse’s neck. The horse batted his head against her shoulder and she looked at the animal with soft eyes. “He’s just a big baby. Probably my fault, I spoil him.”

“I haven’t seen a horse quiet like him.” Buck said.

Rayne turned and gave Buck a stunning smile. “There isn’t another one like him. His daddy was pure Arabian and his momma was part Thoroughbred. You ought to see him run. It’s like he’s flying.” She rubbed Loki’s nose.

“We better be getting back to the house.” Lou’s voice said from behind them.

“You’ll join us for supper won’t you?” Buck asked.

“Ya, sure.” Rayne said after a moment of thinking.

“See you then.” Cody said suggestively. Rayne gave him an odd look as the other’s said their good-byes.

“Sorry about back in the barn.” Rayne told Jimmy when he said good-bye last.

He smiled at her. “Don’t worry about it. See you later.”

Shaking her head in disbelief, she watched them ride away. She never expected to meet anyone this quick, let alone people her own age. Now she went to the task of unloading her things from the wagon and finishing up in the barn.

The boys had been talking about Rayne ever since they had left her home. Lou was getting sick of it. “When do you think that her family is coming in?” Ike signed.

“What makes you think that she has any family?” Cody responded.

“Well, she can’t be living there on her own. How could she afford it, for one? And who will take care of her?” Lou said.

“Maybe she is taking care of herself?” Buck said quietly. “The house wasn’t very big and she didn’t say anything about anyone coming.”

“She can’t be living there alone.” Lou told him.

“Why not?” Buck shot back.

Lou didn’t have anything to say. “Just cause,” was her only response as she rode in front of them. “It wasn’t fair.” She thought to herself. “A new girl moves in around here and all of a sudden I disappear. I get so sick of being one of the guys sometimes I could just throw up. If I had money I could afford wear pretty dresses like the girls in town. But this one. She dresses in boy’s clothes like me. Why is she so special?” Lou jumped of Lightning’s back and walked into the barn. She passed the Kid on the way.

“Hey, Lou. Did you see her?” Kid asked cheerfully.

“Ya, I saw her. Ya she’s wonderful. And if you go any where near her I’ll shot you.” Lou said harshly.

Kid was confused but he was a little happy at Lou’s display of jealousy. At least it meant that she cared.

“Rider comin’.” Kid yelled as a giant red horse came into view. Cody ran out of the bunkhouse and stood beside Kid as the rider approached. “Nice clothes, Cody.” He commented to the rider next to him who had put on the nicest clothes that he had.

“I’m just trying to look my best.” Cody said as he straitened a small black tie.

Rayne rode up and saw the blonde man, Cody, she thought and someone she had never seen before. When she pulled Loki to a stop she noticed the man she didn’t know gazing at the horse appreciatively. Yona, who had been running beside the horse, growled at Cody. The man took a step back. “Yona.” Rayne ordered the dog back.

“Howdy, ma'am.” Kid said to the woman as Cody reached up to help her down.

She looked down Cody who held his hands up to help her down. Rayne gave him an odd look. “’Scuse me sir. I can’t get down with you right there.” Kid snickered as Cody moved away reluctantly and the woman hopped down off her horse.

“I’m the Kid.” He said holding out his hand.

Raising her eyebrows in surprise at the unusual name; she returned his handshake. “Rayne Kincade. Am I early?”

“No, not at all.” Cody said giving her an enchanting smile, which she returned crookedly.

“Where do you want me to put my horse?”

“I’ll take it.” Kid offered. When he stepped toward Rayne to take the reigns from her the dog put itself in front of Kid and growled. Kid took a step back.

“Yona,” Rayne said warningly. “She doesn’t like strangers.”

“So I noticed.”

“You can put him in the barn. I’ll show you where.” Cody exclaimed brightly and led her to the barn.

When the pair entered the barn Noah greeted them. He smiled at the newcomer and shook her hand when Cody introduced him. “Rayne Kincade allow me to introduce you to Noah Dixon. Noah this is Miss Kincade.”

“Rayne, please.” She smiled as she studied him. The man was a handsome man and from the way he stood she guessed he was a proud man. A long coiled whip hung at his side, but no gun. He smiled at her friendly but his eyes were wary.

Noah watched Cody led the woman to an empty stall she could put her horse in. It looked as if the blonde rider had already staked his claim to her. But Noah noticed something he wondered if Cody picked up on. Every time Cody put his hand on her to guide her somewhere she found an excuse to move away. Cody offered to help her remove the saddle and she declined, instead she left the saddle on the horse. As they walked back toward Noah, Cody offered Rayne her arm but she didn’t seem to understand and she just walked beside him.

Cody did notice the little oddities about their guest. When she was introduced to Teaspoon and Rachel she regarded them in the same friendly yet reserved way. The dog, that hadn’t left her side and as far as Cody could tell hadn’t stopped growling, was ordered to stay outside. It reluctantly sat down by the door.

They walked into the house and all them men paused and put there hands on their guns, instantly Rayne’s hand went to her own gun. “What is this?” She wondered as she took a little step back toward the door.

Only Jimmy seemed to notice how tense Rayne had become. “We take our guns off before we eat.” He explained quietly.

She gave him a confused look and watched as the other’s removed their guns and then very slowly followed with her own gun. When she hung it up she seemed almost reluctant to let it go. She gave a wishful look to the outside as if she wanted to make a break for it and let go of her gun.

But Jimmy wasn’t the only one who had noticed the girl’s odd behavior. Rachel gave Teaspoon a worried look over the other’s head and saw the same look in the older man’s eyes. Mentally Rachel moved the spot she had set for the girl to one of the end seats. “Rayne, you sit right over there by Jimmy.” She said and pointed to the seat on the end of the bench that was on the side of the table that faced the door, ignoring the angry look Cody shot her. Rachel knew that Cody had wanted the girl to sit in between him and Ike on the other side. Something told Rachel that the girl would just be uncomfortable there.

Rayne smiled gratefully at Rachel when she pointed out the set. She was afraid that she was going to be sitting in the seat that the blonde man was steering her too in the middle of the table with her back to the door. Cody must really like new people she though to herself because he hadn’t left her side since she got there. Rayne took her set at the end of the table next to Jimmy. Next to her, at the head of the table, Teaspoon shot her a reassuring look. She tried to give him a polite smile but didn’t succeed. Her eyes rested longingly on the gun belt on the wall and then drifted down to where Yona watched her through the screen door. The dog snarled and bared its teeth letting Rayne know that if she need her, the dog would be through the screen door in a second. Giving the worried dog a small smile she turned her attention back to the meal and tried not to think of how bare she felt.

On to Chapter 6!