The three express riders finally finished repairing the corral. Ever since Teaspoon had suggested the riders try and break a very spirited filly, they had been doing a lot of fence mending lately. The feisty filly had adopted the habit of introducing the boys to the wood barriers every time they attempted to break her.

"Well," Lou began as she looked over their handy work. "Which side do you suppose we'll have to fix tomorrow?"

"None," Buck answered. "I don't think any of us are in any hurry to get back on her."

"Of course," Cody began teasingly to Lou. "If you wanna show us how its done then.."

"Yeah Lou," Buck joined in as he playfully steered Lou toward the barn. "I'll even saddle her for ya."

"You boys are too kind." Lou rewarded Buck for his offer with a quick punch in the arm. Gently, he returned her attack and for the first time in a week, Lou actually smiled. Well, that was until she saw Miss Isabelle Higginbotham arriving at the station. "What is she doing here?" Lou asked heatedly.

"Probably looking for Kid," Cody noted. Miss Higginbotham was Kid's present sweetheart, and she routinely visited the station. Cody made his way over to Isabelle's buggy and informed her Kid was on a run, but he would probably be back soon. Naturally, she insisted on waiting for him. After Cody helped Isabelle down from her carriage, he tied the animal to the hitching post and graciously invited their guest to join them for lunch. Buck followed, but Lou chose not to. Suddenly, she had lost her appetite.

Instead, Lou went to the barn and groomed Lightning. Working was much more enjoyable than visiting with Isabelle. Lou hated their encounters. After sensing the feelings both had for Kid, the two women immediately disliked each other. Lou handled their mutual dislike by trying to avoid Isabelle. But unfortunately, Kid's new sweetheart liked to play games. Isabelle would be terribly polite when Kid or the others were around, but when it was safe she always let Lou know how she truly felt about her. No one every caught the evil glares Isabelle threw Lou, or noticed how she suddenly had a desire to smother Kid with undying affection when Lou was watching. Her tricks were growing quite tiresome.

Lou had almost finished brushing her loyal horse down when she heard a dreaded voice. Isabelle had decided to pay her a visit. "Great," Lou mumbled to herself. There was no place to hide from this wretched woman.

"Hello Louise," Isabelle called in fake politeness. "I was wondering if we could have a little talk?" Carefully she looked around to make sure they were alone. "Just us girls."

"What about?" Lou questioned as if already bored with the conversation.

"Oh, I think you know," Isabelle said accusingly. "Let's get one thing straight. Kid deserves a real lady, not a bunk house tramp like yourself."

"You're not much of a lady yourself," Cody said in his fellow rider's defense. His voice startled both the women, and they turned to their unexpected company.

"You're not a lady at all," Buck corrected. Both men now had a very different image of Isabelle. She wasn't the charming, decent lady she pretended to be.

The shock Isabelle felt was displayed clearly on her face. If she had known they were there, she wouldn't have dropped her friendly act. "How dare you. Both of you!" she spat.

"You've out stayed your welcome," Lou informed her. Before leaving the barn, Isabelle threw the express riders a wicked glare. The riders watched her buggy race away from the station, glad to be rid of the rude woman.

Isabelle had never been so insulted in her whole life. How dare those grungy cowboys doubt her status as a lady. Obviously, they have grown too accustomed to their precious tomboy. Now they couldn't recognize a true lady when they saw one. Isabelle contemplated writing an anonymous letter to Russell, Majors, and Waddell telling them about their little masquerader. It would be for Louise's own good. If Isabelle wasn't certain that she'd be the riders first suspect, she would have already had the letter in the mail. But retaliating in those means would only cause Kid to run to poor little Lou.

MEANWHILE IN WILLOW CREEK

The law's odds were bad. The marshal had been seriously wounded the instant the shoot out commenced, and the deputy was too drunk to assist the town he was hired to serve. Jimmy had no choice but to get involved. The gang hadn't expected anyone to come to the marshal's aid which gave Jimmy the edge. An old wagon provided some cover as he fired at the gang numbering five. After the famous express rider managed to pick three of them off, the rest of the outlaws rode out without a backward glance at their fallen pals. The bank's money they so desired rested beside their deceased comrades.

Once the battle was over, the citizens came out of their hiding places. Two men quickly helped the marshal to the doctor's while several people thanked the brave stranger who introduced himself only as Jimmy. He was the town's hero, and its people gazed upon him with admiration.

After stopping by the doc's office to ask about the marshal's condition, Jimmy discovered the marshal would live. Once again he was praised for his heroic deed. All the attention was starting to make Jimmy very uncomfortable. Still, he knew the people meant well. The marshal insisted on thanking Jimmy personally, and his wife approached Jimmy and kissed him gently on the cheek.

"You're a saint," she said with tear stained cheeks.

"Just glad I could help," Jimmy answered honestly. "Take care," he ordered the marshal before leaving. Jimmy made his way over to the saloon, intent on having himself a sarsaparilla. Hopefully, the town's excitement had calmed down, and its citizens would stop praising him.

"What'll it be?" the bartender asked.

"Sarsaparilla," Jimmy announced as he took off his hat and gloves. Feeling his hunger creep up on him, he added "and a cheese sandwich."

"Sorry," the bartender informed him. "I don't serve cheese sandwiches to those I'm indebted to."

"You don't owe me anything," Jimmy stated sincerely. "I was just doing what's right."

"You're wrong mister," the bartender said confidently. "If you hadn't stopped those men, half the businesses around here would have gone under for sure." After drying a glass, the bartender poured Jimmy his drink. "How about a steak on the house?"

"Sure," he agreed to pacify the barkeep. If the town wanted to reward him, who was he to argue?

"That was a hell of a fight you gave those outlaws," a rough voice said suddenly. Jimmy hadn't even notice the rugged woman slide beside him. "Hell of a fight."

Jimmy just glanced at the woman beside him. She was very rough around the edges. Her boyish clothes were dirty, and her hair was cut short. This woman wasn't nearly as petite or attractive as Lou. The woman's figure made it impossible for her to disguise herself as a man, but Jimmy had a feeling that wasn't her goal. Her manners suggested she wasn't nearly the lady Lou was. The woman reminded Jimmy of a rugged mountain man, and he wanted nothing to do with her. Unfortunately she either failed to notice or just didn't care.

"Barkeep," she barked loudly. "Give me a bottle of whiskey." After receiving her drink, the rough woman turned her attention back to Jimmy. "Name's Josephine Wheatley, but I like to be called Joe."

"Is that so?" Jimmy inquired distantly. Joe didn't seem to mind his reluctance to engage in conversation.

"You're a gunfighter, huh?" She drank greedily from her bottle. "How many men ya killed?"

"I'm an express rider," Jimmy said heatedly. It was impossible to be patient with such a unmannerly woman. "Excuse me," he declared. Suddenly losing his appetite, Jimmy headed for the door.

"Where're you going?" She demanded. The woman watched Hickok leave, still worshipping her whiskey. "Hell of a man," Joe exclaimed before spitting tobacco to the saloon floor. She had a real liking for this gunfighter already. He was handsome and brave. He needed a woman like her by his side. "What other woman could possibly match him?" she thought egotistically to herself.

A FEW DAYS LATER, BACK IN ROCK CREEK

" I just want to visit a few more shops," Isabelle informed the Kid. "Then we can go back to my place, and I'll fix you a nice lunch."

Kid followed a little ways behind the finely dressed woman he had been courtin', carrying several packages for her. During their whole shopping adventure, Kid's mind had been preoccupied with thoughts of Lou. Who was he fooling by spending time with Isabelle when he could only love Lou? Every time he saw Lou his heart tugged at his conscious. How could he just give up on their love? But, she was the one who broke it off. Maybe things being the way they were was for the best. He wasn't sure, but he needed someone to help him take his mind off Lou. So far, Isabelle was doing a fairly decent job. But whenever Kid was by himself, it wasn't Isabelle he was thinking about. It was Lou.

"Kid!" Isabelle snapped. Finally, Kid's thoughts of Lou were interrupted. "Have you heard a word I've said?"

"Sorry," Kid mumbled. "I just got a lot on my mind." He was grateful the woman didn't push things further. Instead, Isabelle just nodded her head in understanding.

"How about lunch now?" She suggested as she lead the way to her carriage.

"Sounds great." After piling her packages neatly in the little buggy, Kid helped Isabelle in and then climbed up beside her. "Get up," he encouraged the horses after taking up the reins.

AT THE EXPRESS STATION

Lou sat outside the bunkhouse with the nasty words Isabelle had spoken to her echoing through her mind. Although she refused to admit it, Isabelle's words stung deeply. Lou's fellow riders coming to her defense helped ease the wound but failed to heal it. How Kid could be attracted to such a heartless woman amazed Lou. Of course, if Kid ever found out what Isabelle had said to Lou that day, he would leave her in an instant. Unfortunately, Lou's pride wouldn't allow her to be a tattletale. Instead, she ordered Buck and Cody to keep the fight a secret. Finally freeing her from her thoughts was the sound of footsteps.

"Hey Lou," Jimmy called as he sat down next to her. "Something wrong?" He could always tell when something was bothering Lou no matter how hard she tried to hide it.

"Nothin'." Nothing she wanted to discuss any ways. " How was your ride?"

"Fine," he informed her. "What happened?" he interrogated. "Lou?"

"Just thinking about something Isabelle said to me," Lou admitted finally. She leaned closer to her trusted friend and placed her head on his shoulder. Keeping her feelings bottled up wasn't helping, and Lou knew she could confide in Jimmy.

"What was that?" He inquired carefully.

"She...well, implied I wasn't a lady," Lou mumbled. "Cause I live with you boys." Although Lou had been fighting the emotional upset those words caused, she finally surrendered to the faint tears that laced her eyes.

"That ain't true and you know it," Jimmy stated lovingly. Gently he stroked Lou's hair. "You're more of a lady than she could ever be."

"Kid must not think so," Lou began sadly. "He's with her every chance he gets."

"He's just hiding from his feelings," her companion explained. To Jimmy, Kid's actions were obvious. Why he picked a woman like Isabelle was a puzzle though. Jimmy had only met her once, but he was immediately turned off by her southern charm. He sensed insincerity in her actions.

"I don't know," Lou cried. "I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't run off with her one day." Her tears became uncontrollable now, and Jimmy slipped his arm around her.

"Kid ain't going nowhere, Lou." This he was certain of, and his confidence reflected in his tone.

"No?" She questioned doubtfully.

"No. And you know how I know this?" He embraced her left hand and gently raised it up for them to look at. "Because there's no ring on this finger." Jimmy had a very strong suspicion that Kid would never stray far until Lou's hand was spoken for. Hell, sometimes Jimmy began to think that was one of the reasons he stuck around himself. Both Kid and he had similar feelings for Lou, and they proved that through numerous fist fights.

Touched by Jimmy's words, Lou hugged him tightly. "Thank you," she whispered sweetly in his ear before placing a gentle kiss on his cheek.

Unexpectedly, the two riders special moment was interrupted by a stranger that had been observing them. "You little..." Jimmy's tomboy admirer barked with jealously flashing in her eyes. "I oughta whoop you but good." Before Lou could react, Joe's fist was sailing towards her.

On to Part Two!