“Cody, will you give me back that letter!” Lou shouted as she ran after the rowdy rider. “That’s mine.”

“It’s a love letter, ain’t it? Oh Kid, you’re so handsome. Oh Kid, you’re so special. Oh Kid......” Cody said, mocking a young woman’s voice. Lou stood before the flamboyant man, her hands on her hips. A stern look was stamped on her pretty face. Squinting her eyes, she pushed up her glasses with her index finger.

“I mean it Cody. Don’t make me kill you.” As the words came out of her mouth, she tried to keep her straight face, but couldn’t. She, Cody and Buck laughed playfully at her stern vengeance.

Cody leaned forward, his hands covering his stomach and laughed as if it were the funniest thing he had ever heard. Lou took that opportunity to snatch the letter that he held loosely in his right hand.

“Hey,” he said as she took off at a run. Cody looked at Buck and they both smiled. They looked back at Lou and took off after the spry rider. Cody’s interest was piqued. He had to read it; he had to know what was said in the letter that had gotten Lou so riled up.

The three ran towards the main street of Sweetwater. They had come into town to pick up a few supplies for Emma and had been playing around along the way.

As Lou turned the corner, she came to a screeching halt. Cody and Buck piling into her as she stood with her arms out. “Lou, what the heck are ya....”

“SSSSHHHHHHH” she said, her focus staring straight ahead of them. Buck looked up, smiling at the fun of such a carefree day when he saw what had halted Lou in her tracks. Sam stood on the boardwalk with a young woman in his arms.

“I wonder who that is?” Lou asked, pushing her glasses back up her nose. The three stood staring, frozen to their spots as Sam hugged the young woman tightly to his chest. As the young woman pulled back from Sam, he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

“Emma’s not going to like this,” Buck said, knowing how smitten their house mother was with the handsome Marshall. He looked, with wide eyes, from the scene before him to Cody who was suddenly very quiet as well.

“We can’t tell her, can we? What if it’s something else,” Lou said, her eyes fixed on Cody. “It could really hurt her.” Lou’s eyes were filled with conflict. On one hand, she knew that if Sam were seeing someone else, Emma had every right to know. But on the other hand, she felt that maybe it wasn’t their business to get into.

Cody shook his head, looking back at the other two riders. “No, she ain’t gonna like this. But I don’t think we should tell her. Not yet. Ain’t Sam supposed to come over for dinner tomorrow?” he asked, a plan forming in his mind.

“Yeah, I think so,” Lou said, looking at Buck who shook his head yes also. She pushed at her glasses with her index finger. “Why?”

Looking at the ground in front of him, Cody scuffed his feet. He never thought he would be having to keep anything from Emma. She was one of the only people in his life that he had ever been able to be one hundred percent honest with. “Well, we will wait until tomorrow and keep a watch on him. If he acts fine when he comes over for dinner, I think it best if we speak to him about it first.”

“Ain’t she just a bit too young for him anyways,” Lou said gruffly, folding her arms across her chest. Her brow furrowed as she considered the man that she had come to think of as a good friend. She never imagined he would do anything to hurt Emma.

All three of them watched closely as the Marshall stood talking and laughing with the young beauty. He slid his arm around her small waist and guided her to the hotel. Placing his hand on her back, he led her inside, looking around the streets of Sweetwater quickly before disappearing into the hotel’s lobby.

Lou held a hand to her face, covering her gaping mouth. She turned to see the same look of shock and dismay on Buck and Cody’s faces. Shaking her head, she started back toward her horse. It was going to be dark soon and she wanted to get back to the station. Thoughts of Emma weighed heavily on her mind. ‘Poor Emma,’ she thought as she stuffed her hands into her pockets. ‘She never saw it coming.’

“Marshall! Marshall!”

Sam walking casually toward the saloon. He had been so deep in his thoughts of finding a decent card game that he didn’t hear the young woman at first.

“Marshall Cain!”

He stopped abruptly, turning to see who was calling his name. There was an attractive young woman walking toward him, a brilliant smile on her youthful face. Sam smiled. ‘I certainly don’t remember seeing her around here.’ As the young woman got closer, something very familiar began to creep into the unsuspecting lawman.

“Bo, is that any way to treat a guest?” the young woman said, her hands coming to rest on her defined waist.

‘Bo?’ he thought to himself, a strange sense of knowing falling over him. ‘No one has called me Bo in......’ Then it struck him like lightning from the clear blue sky.

“Hannah?” he asked, his eyes wide with surprise. “Hannah Cain, is that you?”

The young woman squealed with delight. “Yup, it’s me big brother,” she said as she threw herself into his strong arms.

Sam couldn’t believe it. He had his little baby sister in his arms, after so many years. He lifted her slightly off the ground and spun her around. He set her back down on the boardwalk, pulling away slightly. “I can’t believe it. When did you get here? How long are you staying? What about school?” A million questions ran through around his head as he tried to grasp that she was really there.

“Slow down Bo,” she laughed, a brilliant smile covering her entire face. “First things first. You look so good.” She pulled back, looking the tall lanky sheriff up and down. “The West certainly agrees with you.”

Sam shook his head. “Me? Look at you. I can’t get over it. You are so grown up.” He held her hands out to get a better look at her. Pulling her back into his arms, he squeezed her tightly. “I’ve missed you so much,” he said, kissing the side of her forehead.

“So tell me, what are you doing here? You are the very last person that I ever thought I would see here. Why did you leave school?”

“I just got in today. I came to see you big brother,” she put her arm around his waist. “What a nice little town you have here.” She looked out into the small dusty street.

“But Hannah, what happened to your studies? Miss Mason? She must be worried sick about you. I know she wouldn’t just let you......” he said, his hands resting on his hips in an authoritative fashion.

“Bo, Miss Mason died three weeks ago,” she said, the smile slipping from her face. She looked down at her hands, fidgeting with her nails. “My studies were cut short.” Looking up at Sam with weary eyes, she tried to muster a smile. “I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”

He felt his heart break, the stress of the last month obviously weighing heavily on her youthful face. “The school decided that it was best if I left. Miss Mary, a housekeeper at the school, gave me what money she could spare before she left to go back to Virginia,” she said, fully wringing her hands. She looked up as a tear fell down her cheek. “I just didn’t have any place to go.”

Sam wrapped his long arms tightly around the small woman that he had adored his entire life. He had no idea that she had been in any trouble at all. Many times over the years, he had wanted to get her from the boarding school that she attended, but he knew that she was better off getting a good education. He knew he didn’t have much to offer her, especially when he had been running around as a hired gun.

But now, the only think he wanted to do was protect his baby sister. She was the one bright spot in his life that he always held on to. He knew one day that she would be back with him. She was part of the reason for him changing his ways, for him becoming a lawman.

He stroked her hair, placing a gentle kiss on the top of her silky mane. “Don’t you worry Hannah. You’re with me now. I’ll take care of you. You never have to worry about anything again.”

She pulled back from her brother and her heart felt so full of love. “I’ve missed you so much Bo,” she said as she took in every detail of his face.

Sam smiled, kissing her on the cheek. “You too sweet pea. Now, come on. Let’s get you settled at the hotel for tonight.”

As they were entering the hotel, Sam had the strangest sensation that he was being watched. He quickly scanned the quiet streets, but saw no one. Shrugging, he followed his sister into the hotel. There were so many things that he still wanted to know.

Chapter 2

“What the heck is up with you three?” James Butler Hickok asked as he threw the wood he had been carrying down to the ground. “You all been acting goofy all mornin’ and you’re making me crazy.” With his brow furrowed and his lips pursed, he looked from Cody to Buck to Lou who shifted her stance uncomfortably.

Jimmy had tried all morning to ignore them. The three riders had been quiet the entire previous evening, periodically exchanging confusing glances. It had carried over to the morning chores as well. Not only had he been bumped into on three separate occasions, he was stabbed with the pitch fork, had wood dropped on his foot, and was nearly decapitated by Cody’s wild swings with the ax. He didn’t know what was wrong, but all the distractedness was finally getting on his last nerve.

“It’s nothing Jimmy,” Cody said as he turned back to the woodpile that he was making his way through. His tone was calm and soothing, but Hickok would not be swayed.

“You call this nothing. Tell me what is going on!” he demanded, his hands resting on his hips as a stern look replaced the usually cool expression that Jimmy sported. Seeing that Cody was paying him no mind, Jimmy’s anger grew stronger. He grabbed Cody by the shoulder, turning him roughly. “I’m talking to you.”

Cody was jerked back toward Hickok. It happened so fast and without warning that Cody nearly tumbled forward at the lack of balance he had. Grabbing Jimmy’s arm, he steadied himself. Finally realizing the harshness of Jimmy’s manner, Cody stood up tall, coming nose to nose with the reckless rider.

Lou didn’t like what was happening at all. She wasn’t used to seeing Jimmy get so mad. She shoved her hands in her pockets. Giving a quick glance in Buck’s direction, she saw the same look of worry that she knew was on her own face. Pushing her glasses up, she grabbed Jimmy by the arm.

“Jimmy stop,” she said swallowing hard. Jimmy turned his full attention to the spry rider, a look of ‘this better be good’ resting on his face. Clearing her throat, she looked deep into Jimmy’s eyes, trying to convey the seriousness of the situation. “We got some news that we don’t rightly know what to do with, I guess.”

Jimmy looked as if his patience had finally broke. Throwing his hands in the air and letting them fall hard against his sides, he shook his head. “And just what is that supposed to mean? What kind of news are you talking about?”

Buck licked his dry lips, wondering where to begin. “Jimmy, when we went to town yesterday, we...ah, we saw somethin’ that we think we weren’t meant to see.” He looked quickly down at the ground. He felt uncomfortable discussing what was Emma and Sam’s business. But he also felt hurt that Sam would do such a thing to Emma. He had come to think of Emma as somewhat of a mother. He certainly didn’t want to see her hurt.

“Weren’t meant to see? Would you all quite talking in riddles?” Jimmy said through clenched teeth. His head ached from the double talk he felt he was getting from his friends. He didn’t know what to think. He knew his friends would never do anything to cause him or the others harm, but he didn’t like the tone of their voices. There was something in them that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

Ike McSwain came out of the barn, Buck’s saddle in his arms. He had spent most of the morning, oiling and cleaning all the rider’s saddles. He was hot and tired and ready to take a rest. He could feel the sweat roll down his forehead and threatening to fall into his eyes. Setting the saddle on the wooden corral fence, he exhaled sharply at the relief of setting down the heavy piece of leather.

He pulled his handkerchief out of his back pocket and wiped at his dirt-streaked face. Shoving it back into his pocket, he looked up when he heard someone shouting. Near the bunkhouse porch, he could see Jimmy and the others standing in a circle. Jimmy was waving his hands wildly, an angry expression on his face. Curious and even a bit alarmed by Jimmy’s obvious agitation, Ike approached the meeting to see what was going on.

Everyone turned at Ike’s approach. Buck looked over his shoulder, worry plastered all over his face. Ike didn’t like the feelings he was getting from the unusually aggressive group. Cody glanced over and offered a nod to Ike as he turned his attention back to the task at hand. “Okay Jimmy, okay.” Cody said, trying to get him to lower his voice.

Jimmy crossed his arms over his chest, an exasperated look on his face. Cody wondered how the hot headed man would ever be able to deal with people when he had such a short fuse. “When we were in town yesterday, we...ah, well, we saw Sam.”

Jimmy looked at Ike, a look of disdain on his youthful face. “Do you believe this Ike? They saw Sam.” Turning back to Cody, “you got to be kidding me. You saw Sam...in town....and that’s what’s got you all worked up. Cody, he lives in town. For hell’s sake, he’s the Marshall; ‘course he’s in town.” Jimmy shook his head. He had enough.

He turned and started to walk away. “Jimmy, will you let us finish?” Lou said curtly, her nerves a mere bundle of raw ends. Jimmy stopped, putting his hands on his hips and allowing his head to fall to his chest. He didn’t want to keep playing the same games. He turned abruptly to face the three riders, exchanging curious glances with Ike as they waited.

Lou looked at Buck and then Cody, before she turned back to Jimmy and Ike. “We saw Sam, but he didn’t see us.” Seeing that Jimmy was just about to give up and walk away she quickly continued on. “He was with a woman.”

This stopped both Ike and Jimmy abruptly. Jimmy looked at Lou, a darkness setting in to his cool blue eyes. She could see him searching her face, as well as the faces of Cody and Buck for proof of her accusation.

Lou sighed. She didn’t want to say it out loud. Neither her, Cody or Buck had even mentioned it since they had witnessed the whole event the previous afternoon. In a way, she felt that if she vocalized it, it made it true. And she didn’t want it to be true.

“He was standing on the boardwalk with a young woman in his arms. He was hugging her and holding her and then....” she stopped, taking a deep breath as she looked at Ike to see the same confused look that Jimmy had. “He kissed her.”

The rage began to boil in James Butler Hickok. He couldn’t believe that Sam would do something like that to Emma. Jimmy knew that Emma loved Sam more than anything. For him to abuse that love, and in such a blatant manner, made Jimmy more furious than he could ever remember being.

“Now, we don’t really know what was happening though,” Cody said, knowing that he didn’t even believe the words that he was saying. He wanted so bad to give Sam the benefit of the doubt, but after the display of affection that they had witnessed, it was hard to.

“Don’t know what happened?”

The five riders turned to see Kid standing by them, pieces of hay scattered across his dark hair. He was breathing hard as he wiped at the sweat that covered his face. Kid could feel the anger that ran through the group. Jimmy was pacing in a small circle, his fists opening and closing in an unconscious gesture.

He looked to Ike, whose eyes were filled with such pain. Quickly he scanned the rest of the group. Something was terribly wrong. “Lou, Cody, what is it? Is something wrong?” Knowing that they were all safe, he tried to think of anyone else that could be in trouble. “Emma! Is something wrong with Emma?” he said, panic nipping at his words.

“I’ll say. Something sure as hell is wrong. How could she trust him? How could we trust him?” Jimmy ranted as he paced back and forth. Lou ran her fingers through her hair as Ike sat down on a piece of wood, his head resting in his hands. He unconsciously rubbed his hands across his bare head, a gesture Kid knew he did only when he was worried or afraid.

Kid grabbed Lou by the arms. “What is it? What’s a matter with Emma?”

Lou turned, startled by Kid’s insistence. “Oh no,” she said, shaking her head. “No, physically she is fine. Don’t worry ‘bout that. It’s just that.....” She looked deep into Kid’s eyes, her brown eyes full of sadness. “We saw Sam with another woman in town yesterday. He was kissing her.”

A million thoughts raced through Kid’s mind as he let go of Lou’s arms. “No, there must be some mistake. He wouldn’t do that.” Kid ran his fingers through his thick brown hair, lacing them together at the base of his neck. He looked at Jimmy who paced back and forth, mumbling to himself as he clenched his fists.

“Did anyone tell Emma?” Kid asked, a feeling of being older than his time biting at his heels.

Cody turned quickly to face Kid. “We can’t tell her that. It will hurt her terribly.” Cody knew that if it were the case, that out of love and respect for Emma, she deserved to know. But he just couldn’t help thinking that it just couldn’t be so. Sam loved her too. ‘He wouldn’t do anything to hurt her, would he?’ Cody asked himself.

Lou looked at the ground in front of her. She felt tired. She loved Emma like a mother and she hated the idea of lying to her, but she hated the idea of hurting her worse. Sighing heavily, she looked briefly at Cody and Buck. Turning to face Kid, “there’s more.”

Jimmy stopped his pacing, a silence falling over him. Ike looked up from where he sat, not knowing if he wanted to hear any more. Kid’s every expression held comfort for Lou. “We saw him go into the hotel with her.” Lou left it at that. She thought about adding Sam’s suspicious look around, but knew that enough had already been said. In their eyes, he was already convicted. That would have only added more fuel to the fire.

She looked quickly at Cody and Buck to see that they approved of her omitting that last piece of information. She would save it, bringing it back to light only if it were completely necessary.

“HE WHAT?” Jimmy shouted, an absolute look of shock on his face. That was the last thing that he expected to hear come out of the female rider’s mouth. Ike sat with his mouth open, a million thoughts racing through his mind.

“I can’t believe that he would do that to Emma?” Kid finally managed to say. He was at a loss. This was more of a situation than he could have ever dreamed of.

“Do what to me?”

Lou jumped as the group of riders turned to see Emma Shannon standing before them, a basket of linens balanced perfectly on her small hip. A pleasant and comforting smile rested on the beautiful woman’s face. She blew at a stray piece of hair that tickled her forehead before turning her full attention to the group in front of her.

All six riders stood with their mouths hanging open. No one knew what to say. Finally, Cody stepped in. Smiling, he threw Emma a patented charmer smile. “We were just laughing about how mean that was of Teaspoon to insult your biscuits last night.” The other riders forced themselves to laugh, following along for lack of any other reasonable idea.

Emma laughed as she batted at a stray piece of silky red hair. “That Mr. Spoon is quite a joker.” Looking at Cody, “but you noticed that he ate three of them biscuits, didn’t ya?”

Cody laughed again, “Yeah Emma, sure did. Well, I think we better get back to our chores. We just needed a break.”

Smiling, Emma placed a comforting hand on Cody’s arm. “You all are working so hard. Take a little extra time. I’ll bring some lemonade out in a little bit.” She turned to go back to the house to hang up the rest of the linens. “By the way, don’t forget to be washed up and ready to eat by 6. Sam’s having dinner with us tonight.” With that said, she resumed her journey back toward the house, humming a sweet tune as she went.

Jimmy stood with his hands on his hips, his head hung forward. He shook his head. Looking back at the others, “Now what?” Kid could feel the raw emotions that ran through the group. He knew he had to get them in check before someone did something that they might all later regret.

“I think what we should do is wait and see how Sam acts at dinner tonight. If he acts like nothing’s wrong, then one of us might want to take him aside sometime during the evening and ask him about it. If he acts different, then I think we should wait until tomorrow and go talk to him in town. We don’t want a scene in front of Emma,” Kid said, trying to be as diplomatic as he possibly could. He just couldn’t make himself believe that Sam would hurt Emma that way.

“Why? So he can lie to us?” Jimmy said curtly, anger still coursing through the young man’s veins.

“Jimmy, I understand how you feel. If he did do it, I want to protect Emma just as much as you do. But I just think we need to give him the benefit of the doubt. Sam is our friend. You know he would never do anything to hurt Emma or us,” Buck said, his voice low and controlled. He wanted so bad to believe it to be true.

Jimmy stood, staring at the ground. He wanted it to be true too. He wanted it all to be a misunderstanding. “All right. We wait till he comes over for dinner tonight. Then we take it from there.”

The riders exchanged uncertain glances. All wanted it to be a mistake, but most of them finding it hard to accept as a viable answer. ‘I guess we wait until tonight,’ Ike thought to himself as he headed back to the barn to finish his chores.

Chapter 3

It was nearing 6 as all the riders made their way into the bunkhouse. Emma had spent all afternoon preparing a meal of meat and potatoes. Gathering around the table, idle chit-chat filled the air. Kid could sense a nervousness that ran through the riders. He didn’t want that, but he didn’t know how to stop it.

He knew that they were all on edge, waiting to see what Sam would do. None of them wanted to believe that Sam was cheating on Emma, but they didn’t want to rule it out either. Kid listened quietly as Cody relived one of his many tales of adventure that happened during a run. Kid often wondered why it was only Cody that seemed to get those adventure runs all the time.

As time passed quietly, the conversations grew quieter. As the clock neared 6:30, Emma looked out the window, concern on her soft features. “I hope nothing has happened to him.”

Jimmy looked at Cody, a snarled expression on his face. He was going to kill Sam for hurting her the way he was. He looked at Buck and Ike, and raised his eyebrows in a ‘now what’ gesture. Ike only shrugged. He too was at a loss. Jimmy looked at Lou who kept her head focused on the table in front of her. She wouldn’t look up. Kid nudged her gently with his elbow to which she irritably brushed it aside.

“Well, I think we should go ahead and start without him Emma. He must have got hung up. I’m sure he will be along shortly,” Teaspoon said, licking his lips as he looked at the delicious smelling meat that lay on the plate in front of him. With his fork in one hand and his knife in the other, he was ready to spring on the meat at a second’s notice.

Emma looked longingly out the window one more time. “I guess you’re right. Besides, everything’s getting cold,” she said, wiping her hands on the apron tied to her small waist. She took her seat at the head of the table, next to Teaspoon. “Let’s eat.”

The riders were quiet all through supper, a rarity indeed. Emma was amazed at the lack of pranks or jokes that usually flew around the supper table. The riders seemed somber, even a little down. She looked at Teaspoon to see him savoring every bite of his meat, chewing each piece slowly as to enjoy every morsel. He smiled broadly, showing his approval of such a fine meal.

Lou felt her stomach weak. She couldn’t believe that Sam didn’t show up. She would never have expected that to happen ever. He always came when he said he would or else he came by to cancel. It was just the way it had always been.

She looked at the men that sat around her, men whom she thought of as brothers. As she looked in their faces, she could see the sadness that each one felt. Sadness as well as anger. They had all silently agreed not to say anything. At least not until they had a chance to talk to Sam.

After dinner, they decided to turn in early. Emma went back to the house, claiming that she was in dire need of some extra sleep. But as she left, Buck saw terrible sadness on her face, even though she tried to cover it up. Teaspoon turned in early too, claiming that he was so enchanted by the wonderful dinner that he had to go dream some good dreams.

As Teaspoon shut the door, Jimmy turned quickly to Kid. “Still don’t think he did anything wrong?” he asked abruptly, his anger gripping his heart. He couldn’t stand to see Emma so sad. He wanted to find Sam and kill him, friend or not. He looked over at Lou as she sat away from the rest of them. “You okay Lou?”

Everyone turned there attention to the quiet rider. She sat on her bunk, her back against the wall and her head resting on her drawn up knees. She looked up quickly, startled out of her thoughts. A great sadness rested on the young woman’s face. “I can’t believe that he didn’t show up.”

“Who’s turn is it for morning run?” Kid asked, knowing very well that is was his, but not wanting to miss the opportunity to talk with Sam. He was afraid to send Jimmy in there alone, without someone to try and keep his temper under control.

Cody smiled at Kid, shaking his head. “You know it’s your run.”

Kid dropped his chin to his chest, thoughts racing through his mind. “Damn,” he said aloud, “don’t suppose anyone wants to take my run?” He looked around the room, only to be met with ‘not a chance’ looks. Smiling, “that’s what I thought. Just promise that you will hear Sam out before you do anything rash, okay?” Kid said looking from rider to rider, stopping on Jimmy. “Okay Jimmy?”

Jimmy looked at his closed fisted hands as they lay on the table. “I ain’t promising nothing,” he said, looking Kid right in the eyes. Kid tried to search for the truth of just how far Jimmy would go with this if good reasons were not established. Kid knew that Jimmy would at least hear him out. He knew he couldn’t ask for anything more than that.

The fact was that if Sam was cheating on Emma, he deserved whatever Jimmy or the others may do or say. Kid knew there was nothing he could do to stop it. “I’m going to bed. Night,” he said as he went to his bunk and laid down.

The other’s followed suit, each of them lying in their bunks. But sleep was far from their minds. Each rider lay thinking, going over the conversation or course of action that would ensue the following morning. None of them wanting to confront Sam, but none were willing to let it continue on unanswered for.

As the darkness of the night lulled the young riders to sleep, their thoughts drifted away from them. Most falling into simple dreams while others slept with a dreamless night.

Kid was up and ready for his run at the crack of dawn. Going to the barn to get Katie saddled, he looked out at the morning sun as it crested over the eastern horizon. The sky was a clear soft blue. As the sun peeked it’s way into the sky, it threw off an array of colors, all subtle. Light pinks, yellows and oranges cascaded across the horizon line. Kid loved having early run because he loved the sense of awakening that the sunrise left in him.

Mounted comfortably atop Katie, Kid stared at the small sliver of sun as it began to grow. In the distance, he could see Justin galloping in. He pulled his jacket up around his neck and readied himself for the exchange. He wanted to get back as soon as he could, in order to keep tabs on what was happening with Sam. ‘I just hope they know what they are doing,’ he said to himself as he reached out for the saddle bag and headed for Fenton.

The others were up fairly early as well, quickly dressing before heading for breakfast. They still had morning chores to do and they didn’t want to alert Emma to the fact that something was wrong. After breakfast, they quickly did what chores were absolutely necessary before heading in to town.

“Jimmy!”

Jimmy turned to see the woman he had come to love a great deal, hurrying over to them. Emma smiled, glad that she caught them before they left. Handing him a list, “can you boys pick up these few things for me?”

Jimmy forced a smile, looking lovingly at the small woman who stood before him. “Sure Emma. We’ll be back in a little while.” He looked at the others with a questioning look. He hated not telling Emma about Sam. He knew she had every right to know. But he couldn’t help feeling that Sam just wouldn’t do that.

Turning his horse, he readied himself to ride. “Oh and if any of ya see Sam, tell him to come see me today,” she said, a soft understanding smile on her warm face. Jimmy smiled, looking long and hard at her. He would kill Sam if it was true. That’s all there was to it.

“Sure Emma. Will do,” he said before kicking his horse into a gallop, the others close behind him.

Chapter 4

Hannah stepped out on to the boardwalk, a smile resting on her face. “What shall I do first?” she asked herself as she surveyed the small buildings all around her. She needed to visit the dress shop, the general store, and she also had intended to take Sam some lunch at the jail. She brought a hand up to shield her eyes from the bright afternoon sun. Seeing that the dress shop was the closest to the hotel, she decided that it was as good a place to start as any.

People passed by the young beauty, some smiling at her while others didn’t seem to notice. That was all right with her. She was just happy to be there. Turning her face up to the clear blue sky, she inhaled deeply on the fresh clean air. She felt so free and alive.

"Afternoon Ma'am."

The deep southern drawl startled Hannah. Jumping, she turned toward the voice and smiled. "Afternoon," she said, her voice cheerful and bright.

The tall stranger eyed her intently, but Hannah failed to notice. Instead, she turned back toward the street, the man all but forgotten as her thoughts drifted to the previous nights' events. "The West is certainly different than what I ever could have imagined," she thought to herself with a smile.

Sam had taken her to Seneca to get a few personal effects that Tompkins's store didn’t offer. While there, the two had shared a wonderful dinner, reminiscing about old times. Hannah wanted to hear everything about the West and Sam’s new life in the small town of Sweetwater.

He talked about life as a hired gun, the tough choices he had made and the mistakes he had paid for. He talked of his new job as Marshall and how much it meant to him. Hannah watched his face light up when he spoke of Emma Shannon, the woman that he loved, and how he couldn’t wait for Hannah to meet her. He also talked of her riders and the Pony Express.

Hannah was in awe of her brother’s experiences. Growing up in the boarding school, she had led a sheltered life. Her only dealings with the ways of the West were from books. But she thrived on adventure, never quite quelling her curious nature.

While they were at dinner, gun shots rang out through the town. Hannah was horrified. She had never actually heard a gun being fired before. Sam ran out to see what was going on, Hannah close behind. As they stepped out into the dusky late afternoon, they saw a man laying on the ground, blood seeping from a hole in his shoulder. A few feet away, another man lay dead, his blank eyes turned toward the heavens.

Hannah had never seen a dead man before. Standing in the middle of the dusty street, she stood staring at the still form. Except for the fact that he wasn’t breathing, a person would have never known that he was dead, never to wake up again. Hannah felt the finality of the situation weigh heavy in the air.

Sam went to check on the hurt man. Hearing the light conversation between the two men, Hannah walked slowly to her brother’s side. She drew back her lips in a grimace, seeing the blood that oozed out the older man’s shoulder.

It turned out that the shot man was Seneca’s Marshall, Jack White, a good friend of Sam’s. With Hannah’s help, they were able to get the Marshall home and the doctor out to check on him. They had stayed with him for several hours until Mrs. White could return home from her relatives.

It was an exciting, if not frightening, evening for Hannah. Marshall White had carried on all night, telling her tales of gun battles and ambushes, of Indian attacks and drunken brawls. Sure she would never want to stay in such a foreign environment after hearing all of what Jack had to say, Sam was glad to leave when Mary White finally arrived home.

As they rode slowly back, Sam had questioned Hannah about her feelings toward the West. She smiled lovingly, wrapping her arm around his as he held the wagon reins. “I think this is quite an adventure Bo.”

Sam shook his head. “You know Hannah, it ain’t all exciting like that all the time. That’s why they keep us Marshall’s around for, to keep the peace. I just want you to be sure this is where you want to be,” he said, afraid that she would be too uncomfortable to stay.

She laid her head on his shoulder, staring up at the millions of stars that littered the night sky. “Bo, I can’t think of a single place I would rather be.” She looked at him, her eyes taking a seriousness to them. “I know that things like that happen, and I understand that it happens when people come looking for it. You don’t have to worry about me big brother. I don’t think I’ll be going into any saloons anytime soon and starting a brawl.”

Sam looked quickly at his little sister to see the teasing in her smile. He couldn’t resist a smile in return. “I just want you to know that there are lots of good people out here. It’s safe, you know. I would never let anything happen to ya,” he said, putting an arm around her shoulders and squeezing her tightly.

“That’s why I’m not worried. I know you are here, and besides, I like it here. It’s fresh and new, and it’s time that I started to live,” Hannah said as she kissed her brother on the cheek.

Rubbing her arm gently, Sam sighed. “I can’t wait for you to meet Emma. I just know you two will get along great. Plus there’s the boys. They are.....” Sam stopped, the wagon rolling to a halt as well. Hannah sat up, looking at her brother curiously.

“Bo, what is it? What’s the matter?”

Sam closed his eyes, slapping his palm to his forehead. “I plum forgot. Dammit!” he said, flicking the reins to get the horses moving again. “I was supposed to have dinner at Emma’s tonight.”

Hannah’s eyes grew big. “Oh Bo, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean....”

Sam cut her off. “It ain’t your fault. I just forgot. I was so caught up in you being here and then with Jack getting shot. Ah hell,” he said, looking at Hannah and seeing the guilt that his little sister felt. “Don’t worry. I’ll talk to Emma in the morning; explain everything.”

Putting his arm back around her shoulders, he pulled her back to him so that her head rested once again on his shoulder. “When I tell her about you, she will understand. She’s always wanted to meet you.”

Surprised, she looked up at Sam. “You told her about me?”

Sam laughed. “Course I did. Why would you think that I wouldn’t?”

Hannah shrugged, a big smile on her face. “I don’t know.”

They rode the rest of the way back to town, simply enjoying each others company. Hannah watched the millions of stars dance across the blackened sky. She felt safe, comfortable, loved. She was with her family, and that was something she hadn’t had in a long time.

She smiled to herself as she thought fondly about the previous night. A bond had already begun to form between herself and Sam, one that she would cherish forever. Sighing, she turned toward the dress shop. “It’s going to be a very good day,” she said as she thought about getting to meet the woman that had captivated her brother so.

As she started down the boardwalk, she noticed a group of men heading her way. Sam had taken it upon himself to warn her, at least a dozen times during the course of the previous day’s events, to be leery of the men in town. “Most of them do not have good intentions,” he said warningly, making sure that she understood.

She looked the motley group over, and was intrigued. She hadn’t met any boys her own age in town at all. In fact, she was beginning to wonder if there were any. As the group drew closer, she looked from man to man, taking in every detail.

One of the men walked ahead of the others, his face full of disdain. “I wonder what has him in such a huff,” she thought to herself as she watched the confident way he walked. His long brown hair hung loosely under the flat brimmed black hat he wore. Hannah took in the strong handsome jaw and dark eyes of the stranger.

Behind him were four other men, following close behind. To his right was a small, spry boy with short brown hair and wire rimmed glasses. His frame was small and his face soft. If Hannah didn’t know any better, she would swear that the young man was actually a young woman. But why she would masquerade as a man was beyond anything Hannah could understand.

To the small boy’s left was a lanky looking young man dressed in a heavy tan fringed buckskin coat. Blond hair hung in his eyes as he stayed focused on whatever it was that had all their attention.

On the other side of the charging fellow was a tall Indian man. Black hair, tucked neatly behind his ears, hung down brushing lightly against the black vest that he wore. His eyes were dark and looked full of turmoil. As she looked him up and down, she saw the knife sticking from his boot and the gun belts that hung around each of their waists, and wondered why the men were so heavily armed.

As Hannah turned her attention to the last of the men, she smiled in spite of herself. She felt her heart beat quickened at the sight of the handsome man. His face was full of a mixture of anger and sorrow, but his eyes held wonder. He wore a red bandanna tied around his head, his skin tanned and smooth.

Hannah couldn’t stop her eyes from trailing down the young man’s well built body. He wore a light tan coat and dark brown pants. The white shirt he wore was a stark contrast to his tan neck. Hannah’s eyes lingered at his face as she continued on down the boardwalk. “What a handsome man,” she said to herself.

All had the same look of disdain as that on the face of the leader, only some not as sure of it as the others. She wondered what had happened that had gotten five young men riled to the point that they were currently at.

As the young men approached her, she smiled a gracious smile, turning sideways to slip between the men. “Afternoon,” she said, trying to keep from staring at the one in the bandanna. Expecting the men to go around her, Hannah was startled to see them stop right in front of her. Suddenly, she realized that the look of disdain was meant for her.

She looked from face to face, wondering what had happened to have them staring at her so. “Afternoon,” she said again, the smile slowly slipping as the leader stood directly in front of her, his blazing eyes drilling holes into her soul. Hannah suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable with these men.

“Who are you?” he asked gruffly, barking it in her face.

Hannah drew back slightly at the force of his tone. She tried to look to the others for help, but he blocked her view.

“Hannah,” she said meekly, her heart racing from fear.

“What are you doing here?” he barked again, his expression never changing.

Something in Hannah clicked. She was not going to stand and be yelled at by someone she didn’t even know for reasons she was completely clueless of. She took a step back before straightening her shoulders. Narrowing her eyes, she looked directly into his. “I don’t exactly understand what business it is of yours who I am or what I am doing in Sweetwater. Now,” she said, looking past Jimmy and the others. “If you will excuse me.”

She started to walk past Jimmy when he grabbed hold of her arm, his fingers digging into her soft tender flesh. “Where’s Sam?” he said, his face only inches from hers. Cody grabbed Jimmy by the arm. “Let her go Jimmy. Ma’am, we just wanted to talk to ya,” he said, trying to keep the situation from getting out of control.

Jimmy pushed Cody away from him, his eyes never leaving Hannah’s. “I asked you a question. Where is Sam?”

Hannah knew she owed this man nothing, but she was terrified. She could see the raw hatred in his eyes. “Why? Are you gonna hurt him?” she whispered, barely audible over Jimmy’s ragged breathing.

Jimmy felt momentarily confused. She seemed so innocent to what was going on. Either she really didn’t understand or she was a fantastic liar. Whatever the reason was, he didn’t really care. “Tell me where he is and tell me now.”

To Be Continued.....