Jimmy and Jack were several yards behind them, walking side by side, Jimmy's hands shoved into his pants pockets, Jack's arms crossed over her chest. They were silent. Lou had made a vow to do no more prompting, to let things happen as they would. Her best efforts could not protect her friends from the hurt they could inflict upon each other, and if they separated with no agreement between them there was nothing she could do to alter that. Kid was right: this was between Jimmy and Jack, and she had to give them time.

She had thought that last night would surely have resulted in something tangible. They had dined at a charming, informal little restaurant, then taken a late walk before heading back to the hotel. It had worked romantic wonders for herself and the Kid, so it had surprised Lou greatly that Jimmy and Jack seemed to be exactly where they had left off. Even the sweet little scene she and Kid had witnessed in the hotel room apparently had no bearing on the outcome of the evening. And now Jack was leaving. Her boat sailed with the evening tide.

Jack stared at the clean lines of Jimmy's profile, fixing him into her memory, every detail: his cautious smile, his thin lips, the way his eyes tilted down at the corners, his laughter, the comfort of his company, his loyalty. 'Oh, God, you'll go on all day if you keep this up,' she thought reproachfully.

"What are you thinkin' about?" His voice was low, playful.

'You,' she answered silently. Could she say that? Did she dare? To hell with caution. "You, Jimmy."

He seemed pleased. "Really? That's kinda coincidental, you might say."

"Why?" She couldn't resist teasing. "Were you thinking of yourself, too?"

He played along. "As a matter of fact, yes. I was just admiring my lovely complexion." They laughed. "I always knew underneath that tough exterior you were just another conceited dandy."

A what?" Sometimes the terms Jack used were still completely lost on him. He knew she was joking, but what the hell was a dandy?

"Ehm..." Jack hesitated, her brow furrowing as she thought. "A fop," she offered. When he continued to look puzzled, she tried again: "A gadabout? No? Ehm...a lazy, good-for-nothing rich boy."

"Ahhh." Jimmy broke into a grin. He shook his head, chuckling. "I don't guess I'll ever get over that accent or those things you say sometimes."

"Makes life rather interesting, though, eh?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I reckon it does."

"And it's not as if I always understand you all the time, either! For instance, what exactly is 'tarnation'? I remember Teaspoon saying that all the time." She did an incredibly bad imitation of Teaspoon's Texas drawl, "Why, hellfire and tarnation, boys!"

Jimmy burst out laughing. "Was that supposed to be Teaspoon?"

"It wasn't good?" She pretended to look wounded.

You sounded like yourself...only drunk."

"You're a beast." She smacked him lightly on the shoulder. He caught her hand in his and drew it through the crook of his elbow, resting it there. She gave him a shy smile and walked closer beside him.

"Let's not waste our time arguin' over how we talk," he said smoothly.

"No," she agreed.

"We've wasted enough time already, haven't we?" He met her sad eyes with his own and Jack felt a harsh pang.

They walked on in silence, watching the Kid and Lou ahead of them as they laughed and talked. Jack knew there was so much she and Jimmy had to say to each other, but suddenly the prospect seemed daunting. They had a few precious hours left, was it really worth it to spend them scrutinizing the events of the past year?

It was well past one o'clock when they finally had lunch. No one seemed to feel much like eating. Jimmy in particular picked at his food and seemed reluctant to take a bite, spending most of the meal staring at his plate or touching Jack lightly with his hands. Lou was anxious to spend these last few hours with her friend, but both she and Kid felt acutely as if they shouldn't have been there. After lunch, Lou held Kid back as Jack and Jimmy headed to the door.

"I think we should let them be alone," she whispered.

Kid was surprised. "But there's only a few more hours left till Jack leaves, Lou, I thought you'd want to spend 'em with her."

"I do." Lou sighed. "But I also know they don't need us around makin' this more awkward for them than it already is. Besides," she added, "I sure know how I'd feel if it was my last day with you, and there were other people around. Even if they were my friends."

He grinned, flattered. "You make a good argument, Miss McCloud."

"I'm so glad you agree." She bowed her head and curtsied.

Jack and Jimmy seemed equally surprised at the suggestion. Lou downplayed the offer under the pretense that she and Kid wanted time alone to enjoy the bit of vacation they had left together. They agreed to meet again at the hotel. When they were gone, Jack and Jimmy turned to each other, eyes wide. They were alone again.

Jimmy touched the brim of his hat in an elegant, gentlemanly gesture. "Miss Townsend, may I have the pleasure of your company on this fine afternoon?" He held out his arm.

"I'd be delighted, Mr Hickok."

They walked through the streets of Manhattan. Jack singled out points of interest to Jimmy -- buildings, monuments, particular streets. He paid close attention, but was far more taken with the play of the sun across Jack's dark hair, the fine lines of her features, the deep chuckle of her laughter. He concentrated on every detail, certain he would remember these hours for the rest of his life.

They wandered their way to Battery Park, and stopped at the railing that separated them from the ocean. Jack released Jimmy's arm and leaned against the railing. "I can't believe that tonight I'll be crossing that again." She shivered.

Jimmy put a protective arm around her shoulders. "Scared?"

"Terrified," she admitted. "All that water...all those months on a boat. It's ghastly."

"You're probably the only foreigner on her way out of the country," he joked.

She allowed a small smile. After a moment she asked, "Jimmy, in your wildest dreams did you ever imagine you'd come to New York City? So far away from what you've always known?"

Jimmy looked out across the water. He shrugged. "I don't reckon I ever thought about it. I've always sorta let things take me where they would. You, on the other hand, are definitely not somethin' I ever let myself dream about."

Jack blushed. She smoothed her hand over his arm, too shy to meet his gaze, which was now resting on the top of her head.

"Jack, don't go."

She looked at him then. "Jimmy, you know I --"

"Just tonight. Just stay for tonight. There'll be another boat out tomorrow. Change your ticket and take that one. But don't leave tonight." He saw the hesitation in her face. "Please, Jack. We've got two hours before you have to be at the dock. Two hours. That ain't nothin'. We need more time. Just stay one more night." He cleared his throat. "With me." He had admitted to her yesterday that he had not been able to go through with his night at the saloon, and instead had left the room after the girl's unsuccessful attempts at seduction. He had not told her, however, that it was the thought of some day being allowed to love Jack that had stopped him.

Her eyes widened at the clear implication of his words. Thoughts flew dizzingly through her head: stay or go? Spend one unforgettable night with Jimmy or leave for England never knowing if she would see him again? She loved Jimmy, and she wanted to stay with him. Nothing could be more right than that. Better a lifetime of memories than a lifetime of regrets, surely.

Jack took a deep breath. "All right. All right, Jimmy, I'll stay. But just for tonight. No longer than that."

He broke into a grin of pure elation and practically dragged her to the dock. There was a minimal fee for Jack to change the date of her departure, and Jimmy insisted on paying for that. It was four o'clock before they found their way back to the hotel, a mere hour before they were to have met Lou and the Kid. They walked hand in hand into the lobby, where Jack scratched out a quick note for Lou and left it with the man behind the counter.

At the door to Jimmy's room Jack's nerves got the better of her, and she stood trembling while he turned the key in the lock. Before he opened the door, Jimmy turned to her and smiled shyly, "We can even order dinner up to the room, like rich folks."

"Jimmy --" Her voice was pure panic. She couldn't finish.

He flinched. "Don't back out on me now, Jack, please. I need you. You can't leave me tomorrow with nothin' to hold onto." He paused then, and sighed. "But I can't push you if you don't want this. I wouldn't hurt you for the world. It's just as much your decision as it is mine."

She was touched deeply by the pain and hopefulness in his voice. She reached up her hand and stroked his bangs away from his face. She had hurt him with her hesitation. She was nervous about taking this step with Jimmy, but she wasn't frightened.

She reassured him with a gentle touch of her lips to his, and was amazed by how it calmed her. There was no question in her mind that she had made the right decision. With a smile that set Jimmy's heart singing, she led him into the room and closed the door behind them.