We were quiet for a few minutes, not knowing quite what to say. I was still self-consious about Cody's mention of my nightgown. Then his stomach growled, breaking the silence. We laughed comfortably together, and somehow the tension was relieved.

"Guess it's time for supper," Cody chuckled. "I'll see what I can find- and don't worry, I'll leave these folks a few coins before we leave."

Cody's search did not reward much. He found some potatoes in the cellar, and some jerkied beef. It wasn't a fantastic meal by any means, but good in an adventurous sort of way. "Sorry it's not much," Cody apologized.

I shrugged, "Well, it beats Jimmy's cookin'."

Cody grinned, and then started to regard me seriously with eyes that were as blue as a summer sky.

"What's that look for?" I asked, pretending to be more annoyed than I was. "Is it the nightgown again?"

"No, uh, no." he stammered. "I was just thinking...you seem so different now than when you first came to the station."

"Well sure, now that everyone but Teaspoon knows I'm a girl."

"It's not just that- it's like something isn't haunting you anymore. Lou, I want to know something: what happened that day when you and Ike and me went to town?" he asked gently.

I forced myself not to panic. I was not ready to talk about it yet with anyone but Emma. Cody was a good friend, but he might not understand. My old instinct to run away came back to me, but fortunately, I remembered my ankle in time.

"It's okay, Louise, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I didn't mean to upset you. Take a deep breath now- you look a little pale."

I finally caught my breath and was able to speak, "Maybe someday, Cody. Hey, you called me 'Louise.'"

"Pretty name for a pretty lady," he winked. "Anyway, I'm glad you're okay. We'd better get some sleep now. Goodnight."

Cody stretched out before the stove and closed his eyes. I pulled the blanket up to my shoulders and drifted off listening to the rain beat down upon the roof.

The throbbing sensation in my ankle made it difficult for me to stay asleep. On one occasion I thought I awoke to the sound of muffled sobbing. For a moment, I was back in the orphanage where nightly cryings were a regular occurance. I opened my eyes and realized where I was. Cody lay on his stomach by the fire, with his eyes buried in his hands and his shoulders heaving. He was not having a nightmare. So, you're haunted by memories, too, I thought to myself. My first instinct was to try and comfort Cody somehow, just as he had done for me. However, he was having his cry under the impression that I was asleep. Not wanting to betray him, I closed my eyes and willed myself to rest.

"Lou? Lou, wake up. There's a break in the storm and I think we can make it home."

"Alright," I mumbled sleepily. I managed to notice that Cody's eyes were red-rimmed.

"Didn't sleep well last night," he said defensively. Goodness, I hadn't even said anything! "I'll get the horses ready while you get dressed."

We were out on the trail in ten minutes. Although it was no longer raining, the temperature felt like it was dropping by the minute. Maybe it was fortunate that I had sprained my ankle. Otherwise, I would not be sharing a horse with Cody and taking advantage of the extra warmth.

"Only about ten more miles now," Cody announced after about two hours. He had been unusually- no, eerily- quiet during the ride. Perhaps he was still busy with those thoughts that had been haunting him last night.

"I'll be glad to get home," I yawned.

"Don't go to sleep on me, Lou," he warned. "You gotta stay awake when you're this cold. Remember how you had to keep me awake on Christmas Eve?"

I laughed, "That was no easy task, but you're here to tell about it."

For the last ten miles Cody grew more conversational. Either he was escaping his demons, or trying to keep me awake. Finally, after a full day's ride, we approached the station. Like a beacon of light, Emma was waiting for us on the porch.

"Ike, get the horses. You two are comin' straight inside, and having hot stew, then going right to bed 'fore you catch your deaths."

Cody gently lifted me from the horse, "She needs a bandage, Emma."

Our red-headed housekeeper was alarmed, "She's been wounded?"

"Just sprained my ankle is all, " I said to calm her fears.

"Kid, bring the bandages from my kit," she ordered.

In short order, everyone was inside as Emma bandaged my foot and Cody told of our adventure.

"So, you and Lou all by yourselves for a night, huh?" Jimmy smirked.

Not sure how to deal with this, Cody looked at me with pleading eyes.

"Yes, Jimmy, and he was a perfect gentlemen, unlike others I might mention." I added, giving him a frosty glare. That boy could get on my last nerve.

The others tried unsucsessfully not to laugh, and Emma shooed them away to do chores. After feeding us some of her good stew, she insisted that Cody and I climb into our bunks.

"Aw, Emma, " I started, but was quickly cut off.

"None of that now," she admonished. "There's not much you could do anyway, young lady. Here, let me put a couple of pillows under that foot to keep it elevated."

By the time Emma finished fussing over me, Cody was snoring softly above us in his bunk. We smiled at each other, amazed at how fast he could fall asleep.

"He must have had a long night," Emma said, rising to cover him more thoroughly and giving him an indulgent smile.

"He kept the fire going all night, plus taking care of me." I told her.

Emma must have known I wasn't telling her the whole story, "Is there something more, Louise? You have a certain look in your eye that only women get."

"One time last night I woke up and heard Cody crying-deep, heart-wrenching sobs. Oh Emma, I wanted to go to him so badly."

"That must've been hard on you," she agreed. "But you did the right thing. All these boys seem to have ghosts that followed them- things in the past they want to keep burried, like you did. There were a couple times before you came when I'd come in here at night to check on them and find one of them in tears."

"Do you know about Cody's past?" I wondered. He was a talkative one, but rarely spoke about himself.

"Afraid not," she sighed. "But he'll open up when he's ready. You try to rest now, before supper time." She gave me a maternal kiss on the forehead, then checked on Cody again, and pulled the blankets around him a little more tightly.

On to Part 3!