Lou looked up from the book she and Jesse were studying together to gaze at the sunset. It filled the entire sky with orange and gold light, casting them in its glow. Immense storm clouds were building in the distance, but the setting sun made them look heavenly, not forbidding. She smiled to herself, basking in its beauty and her own happiness.

It wasn't very often in her life that she was as content as she was now, Lou reflected. She considered herself so lucky, to finally have a home, and to be surrounded by her friends-no, her family. People whom she loved and who loved her back. She sighed in peace and contentment.

"Lou? Lou you haven't heard a word I've said!"

"What?" Lou turned back to Jesse. "Oh I'm sorry Jesse, I was distracted."

"By what?"

"What do you mean 'by what?'" Lou said incredulously. "Look."

Jesse followed her gesture and gazed out at the beautiful horizon, wrinkling his nose. "Pretty big storm comin' in."

Lou shook her head. "The sunset, Jesse. I was admiring the sunset."

"The sun sets every day, Lou." Jesse shrugged, trying not to stare at her, trying not to notice how so very beautiful she looked in the golden light. "But if I don't get my homework done, Rachel's going to kill me." Besides, the times Lou helped him with his homework were precious to Jesse, because then he got her attention all to himself. And even if he knew he was too young for her, he couldn't help the feelings he had for her.

"All right, all right." Lou smiled and bent her head back over the book. "So what was your question?"

Their attention was diverted again, however, this time not by the sunset but by the sound of a wagon approaching. Jesse's head jerked up. "Someone's comin'!"

"Who could it be? We're not expecting anyone." Lou wondered aloud. They were joined by the others on the porch, as the wagon approached them. It was a buckboard, and there were two people on it. One was a very large man, the other a slender young woman. No one recognized them as they neared, and when the strangers stopped just outside the gate, everyone just stood expectantly and stared at them. The young woman cleared her throat.

"Excuse me. But is there someone named Kid here?"

All eyes swiveled to Kid, who stood in their midst, just as confused as they are. Lou's eyebrows went up, but that was the only hint of suspicion she betrayed. He stepped forward. "I'm Kid."

The young woman smiled as if in relief and joy. She squeezed her companion's shoulder, then hopped off the wagon and walked up to the gate. "I'm sorry to drop by unannounced like this. My name is Molly Pierson. This is my brother Andy." She paused, then explained, "I- I was, at one time, engaged to your brother, Jed."

Everyone blinked in surprise. Kid's brother, Jed, was a sensitive subject. He had shown up several months ago, an outlaw dressed in soldiers' clothes, stealing gold shipments for the South. Forced to either give himself up or kill his own brother, Jed had pulled a gun on Kid, and Jimmy was forced to shoot him. While there were no hard feelings between Kid and Jimmy, it was a painful subject for Kid.

Despite his momentary shock, and all the feelings that were being conjured up, Kid stepped forward and welcomed her in. Molly smiled warmly at him through tears in her eyes. "I don't want to be a bother, I just always felt like you were already my little brother-in-law, and I really wanted to meet you. Andy and I, we're headed to California, you see, and so I thought, this would be my only chance."

Kid smiled. "I'm glad you did. Please come in."

Molly smiled gratefully. "Thank you." She turned toward her brother. "Andy. Come on. They've invited us to stay a moment." Her brother stared at her, then slowly got up and lumbered over to her where he hung back, almost as if hiding behind her. She turned to Kid, slightly embarrassed. "Andy's a little slow. Been that way all his life. But he's got a heart of gold."

Kid smiled at him, remembering the young man named Danny he had befriended during the cholera scare. "Nice to meet you Andy." The giant man merely looked at him. Kid still smiled. "Come on. Let me introduce you to everybody."

They went up onto the porch where everybody was waiting for introductions. Dutifully, Kid went around, and Molly shook hands with everybody. Lou noticed the curious glint in Molly's eyes when they shook hands. Now that Lou wasn't hiding her identity so much anymore, she noticed she sometimes had that effect on people. But there was something else in that woman's eyes that Lou didn't like. There had been a hardness there, a glint of coldness before it was covered up and replaced by a smile. Still, Lou frowned.

Jimmy leaned over to her. "Relax. She was Jed's fiancée, not Kid's."

Lou glared at him, but she realized that perhaps she was a little jealous. She didn't know why, but regardless of the circumstances, Molly was a beautiful and elegant woman who had Kid's attention. And that was bound to rub her the wrong way. In fact, Lou couldn't help but notice Molly had captured everyone's attention with her beauty. She sighed and followed the others inside.

They all sat around the table, sipping coffee and listening to Molly's story. "I met Jed when I was very young. I was crazy about him though. He was very charismatic. And charming."

"A lot like Kid himself, here." Noah teased, slapping Kid on the back. Lou noticed the glint in Molly's eyes again and this time there was no mistaking it. She looked around the room but no one else seemed to notice. Lou frowned and sat back, trying to make sense of her feelings.

"We got engaged when I was 19. We were going to be married in a year, but then Jed got it in his crazy head of his to earn some extra money, so he promised me he'd only be gone a few months." Molly stopped and dabbed a handkerchief to her eyes. "Little did I know I'd never see him again."

Rachel reached out and rubbed Molly's arm reassuringly. "I'm so sorry."

"The worst part about it, was that there were all sorts of rumors that came back." Molly said. "Rumors that he wasn't who he said he was." She looked up suddenly at all of them, which startled them, because everyone had been staring at her so intently. "I know he died here. I was hoping that maybe you could tell me what really happened."

There was an uncomfortable silence as everyone weighed the tricky situation. Ultimately, however, no one would speak before Kid. It had to be his decision. Kid coughed, shattering the silence, before saying gruffly, "Jed's death was an accident. He was trying to stop a group of Confederate smugglers, and he got caught in the crossfire."

Molly's eyes swam with unshed tears. "Really?"

Kid looked at the others before facing Molly again and nodding. She then began to weep, and she fell against Kid in a loose embrace. Seconds later, she regained her composure. "I'm so sorry, it's just that, this mystery of Jed's death has been haunting me. It was bad enough he had to die, but to have his good name ruined, his reputation sullied, well, it was more than I could bear." She turned to Kid. "Thank you. Thank you, Kid, so much. You don't know how much this means to me."

Lou had been quiet, listening to Molly talk. She had looked at her beautiful clothes and slim figure with reluctant envy. There was no doubt Molly was pretty. Her long blond hair was curled and worn up, so that ringlets framed her heart-shaped face. And her skin was fair, with a dusting of freckles across her nose. Lou sighed, able to dismiss her good looks fairly easily. After all, masquerading as a boy for so long had made her very accustomed to not being the prettiest woman in the room. Still, there was something else that bothered Lou about her. She frowned, trying to pinpoint what it was that she didn't like about this woman.

As Molly wept, Lou's frown deepened. She had been watching the entire scene with detached interest, when she realized with alarm that Molly was lying. She was only pretending to be upset. It was so obvious to Lou, she couldn't understand how anyone could be falling for it, but everyone was wrapped around Molly's finger.

Lou had a bad feeling that was beginning to settle in her stomach, and she just couldn't wait for the Piersons to be on their way. She was dismayed then, when thunder suddenly cracked and lightning lit up the room.

"Oh my." Molly suddenly stood up. "I think we'd better leave so we can reach town before the rain starts."

"You're too late." Buck said, lifting back the curtain to reveal a light rain. The thunder and lightning, however, promised a heavier downpour was just a matter of time.

"Well I hope you weren't planning on staying in Sweetwater anyway." Rachel said. "When we've got plenty of room here."

Lou's eyes flew open. Rachel was a poker player for God's sake! How could she be suckered in by this character?

Molly smiled shyly. "Well, we couldn't impose."

"Nonsense!" Rachel insisted. "There's a spare bedroom in the house, and I know there's room for Andy in the bunkhouse."

"Please stay." Kid nodded, when Molly looked to him for his opinion. "You were almost my sister-in-law. That makes you practically family." Lou rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe this was happening.

Molly laughed and her cheeks were rosy when she smiled. "All right then! Thank you all so much! I can't tell you how much this means to me."

"Think nothing of it." Cody said.

Teaspoon stood up, "Buck, Noah, why don't you help Andy get their things from the wagon."

Rachel poured everyone more coffee. "I'll take you over to the house after dinner, so you can get settled."

"Actually," Molly said discreetly to Rachel, "I'd be much obliged if you could show me the way to the 'facilities?'"

"The what?" Cody asked loudly, causing a blush to spread over Molly's fair cheeks.

"The bathroom Cody." Rachel explained, shaking her head. "It's on the other side of the house…Lou would you mind showing her?"

Lou paused before getting up. "All right." She turned to Molly with a smile that was more polite than genuine. "Come on."

They passed Noah, Buck and Andy as they were bringing the bags inside. Even though Molly was quite a bit taller than Lou, she had to quicken her steps to keep up with her. "You know," Molly said loudly to get Lou's attention. "I don't mean to pry, but-"

Lou knew what she was getting at, but she wasn't about to volunteer information about herself to this stranger who she didn't trust. "Then don't."

"You haven't said much since I've gotten here." Molly remarked.

"I don't have much to say." Lou replied. She stopped in front of the outhouse. "Here you go."

Lou was about to go, but Molly stopped her. "Would you mind stayin'? It's getting dark, and well, I don't want to get lost on the way back. I'll only be a minute."

Lou shrugged and waited, grateful for the time to think. She was confused. Maybe her instincts were wrong on this one. What had the woman done besides show up that made Lou dislike her? When Molly emerged, Lou relented and suggested she could wash up.

"Oh that would be lovely." Molly smiled.

"Come on. We can go to the house. It's starting to rain again." Lou walked her over to Rachel's house, then quickly fetched water for the basin. "It's cold but it's clean."

"Thank you." Molly immediately plunged her hands in and splashed her face with the water.

Lou cleared her throat deliberately low, as she did whenever she wanted to sound like a boy. "I'll just wait on the porch."

Molly raised her head and looked at her curiously. "You don't have to. Besides, it's raining out there."

"I'll be fine." Lou started for the door.

"What is Lou short for anyway…Louise?"

Lou froze. "What makes you say that?"

"Oh come on Lou. You don't expect me to believe that you're a boy do you?" Molly laughed easily, unbuttoning her dress and slipping out of the top as if to prove a point. "What's the matter?"

Lou was watching Molly carefully, as if she were the hawk and Lou was the mouse. "All right. So my disguise didn't fool you…"

"Disguise?" Molly asked as she sponged off her arms and chest around her underclothes. "Why the big secret?"

"If the company knew I was a girl working as a Pony Express rider they'd fire me." Lou explained.

"Well, honestly, who am I going to tell?" Molly replied, "I won't even tell Andy about you if you don't want me too, he won't understand anyway. I wouldn't have brought it up at all except I didn't want you standing in the rain."

Lou realized with a start that she was lying again. Lou was sure of it. Whoever this woman was she definitely had something to hide, and an agenda. And this exchange between them had been some sort of power play. "Fine." Two could play at this game.

Molly was looking at her thoughtfully. "You don't trust me, do you?"

"I don't know you." Lou said simply.

"And you're not happy that I'm here." Molly continued.

"That's none of my concern." Lou replied.

Molly nodded, then dressed again. "Well, I'm ready. Thank you for bringing me here to wash up. I feel much better."

Lou considered the woman thoughtfully, "You know, it's funny, but when Jed was here he never mentioned a fiancée."

Molly looked at her cooly, then smiled. "That sounds like Jed. He probably didn't want to talk about me when we were so far apart - it would have hurt him so." Lou's stare never wavered as she nodded, although her expression grew even more dubious. She showed Molly to the door, her thoughts in turmoil.

Her instincts were right, she was sure of it. Molly was trouble, and she was a liar. And, Lou thought with unease, she knows my secret. Lou had to get proof that Molly wasn't who she said she was, and she had to get it fast. Otherwise, she had a feeling Molly would get to her first.

On to Part Two