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Teaspoon and Buck watched as Cody rode out from the barn. “I swear that boy’s got a flame beneath him he’s in such an awful hurry to get out to Rock Creek.” “I would be too if I was him...” Buck agreed. “Oh? And why would that be?” Teaspoon turned to regard Buck. “It was his turn to clean the stable.” Buck smiled. “That it was.” Teaspoon realized his defeat. He thought for a moment. “Well, seein' as though Cody’s gone, Noah is leaving, Lou just got back, and Kid and Jimmy are in Texas, that leaves you and Ike. I figure it shouldn’t take the two of you more than a few hours.” Buck’s smile dropped, realizing Teaspoon was quite serious. “But...” Buck started to protest, but his pleas fell on deaf ears as Teaspoon put his hand square on Buck’s shoulder, then headed back towards the house.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A chill crept up Cody’s spine as he approached the abandoned Rock Creek station. He had made this trip many times, but never did he think he would be making it under these circumstances. In many ways the station was much like their own, there was the main station house, a riders bunk, and a stable with a large corral. Rock Creek’s station was on the outskirts of the growing town. Many of the newer stations were now in towns, like this one. This was something Cody wished of the Sweetwater station, not that he could complain about an easy one hour ride to the convinences of the town of Sweetwater. There were bullet marks in the exterior walls of the main building. Cody slowed his horse to a walk as he came around the front of the building. He hadn’t been sure what to expect but he didn’t think it would look like this. Just miles from the hustle and bustle of the stores and stands in the heart of Rock creek, this corner seemed eerily empty. “Hello?” A voice called out to him. Cody was startled he wasn’t expecting anyone to be there. He looked at the young man who had called to him. He was small but seemed strong and able despite his slightness. He wore a black bowler hat from under which wavy brown hair licked at his face and neck. He had freckles, which made him look even younger than he probably was. His brown eyes seemed full of determination. He looked at Cody with a youthful eagerness. “Are you an Express rider?” “I’m from the Sweetwater station.” Cody wondered who this boy was. “I’m an Express rider too!” The boy exclaimed. “Or well, rather, I was.” He corrected. “We’re going to get along great.” He smiled. “We have so much in common already!” Had this boy really been an Express Rider? Cody thought to himself. “Where did you ride?” “Oh!” He seemed surprised that Cody would question him. “I rode from Deadwood to Custer. Dakota Territory.” Cody was floored. “That’s a dangerous run!” It was known for being one of the most treacherous routes the Pony Express had to offer. He had even thought about joining up there, before he had found his home in Sweetwater. “What are you doing here?” Cody asked, still confused. “Same as you!” He explained. “I was in town and heard what happened and I thought I’d come help out.” The boy smiled at the blonde rider. “I see.” Cody didn’t like that this kid had him figured out. “Just how old are you anyway?” He questioned. “Next Monday I’ll be seventeen.” The boy stated proudly. Cody thought to himself, there wasn’t much left he could say to discourage the boy. “O.K well I guess it’s settled.” He started, “You’re here, I need riders, you want a job you got it.” Cody quickly clarified, “But remember I’m the boss, at least for now.” Saying that made Cody feel important… he was somebody’s boss, for however long it would last. “What’s your name kid?” Cody grabbed for a pencil. Since he was now the stationmaster, he’d better start a rouster, even if it was for only one rider. “Umm… It’s M.J.” The boy answered. “M.J?” Cody questioned. “That stand for anything?” “Nope just M.J.” After ‘Kid’ no names really seemed that strange. “Okay M.J. Glad to have you aboard. William F. Cody at your service.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ “Jimmy Hickcock.” He extended his hand to the woman. She just stood there. “Most people call me Kid.” Kid smiled, removing his white-banded hat. “Do you boys have a room here?” Lacy shot a glance back at the hallway. “Yeah. We just checked in.” Jimmy answered. “Good.” Lacy said plainly. “Let’s go.” “To… our room?” Kid flustered. Lacy rolled her eyes. “To talk. It’s not safe here.” Kid blushed. Jimmy was the last to leave the room. He looked around to make sure everything was back as they found it, then he shut the door behind him. Just as they had returned to the hallway two men came up from the stairs. Lacy quickly put her arms around Jimmy and Kid’s waists and smiled. The men smiled back at her. As they got inside the room Lacy sat down on the foot of the bed and quickly explained herself. “Boys, I’m a working girl…A lady of the evening.” She pulled a pin from her hair and let the long coffee brown curls cascade down her back. “See, I’ve spent time with many of the men who have stayed here. It’s not a glamorous life, but it’s a living.” “You don’t have to explain your choices to us. We aren’t passing any judgment on you.” Hickcock clarified. “Well thank you.” She smiled sincerely for the first time since they had met her. “But it does matter to what I’m going to tell you.” “Does it have to do with Thatcher?” Kid asked. Lacy hung her head. The pain she felt over his death was evident. “Yes.” “What happened to him?” Kid finally felt he would get some answers to the questions nagging at his mind. “Well I met him the night he checked in. He came into the saloon, he looked nervous and I could tell he was alone. So naturally I approached him. He had a bandage, he said it was from a misunderstanding. He left it at that. I didn’t ask more.” Her eyes smiled recalling the event. “He knew what I was. He didn’t care. Most men all they want to do is take me to their room then hurry back down for a beer and maybe brag to their friends. But Joe was different. He wanted to talk to me. Asked me where I was from, and what things I like to do.” “Sounds like a good man.” Jimmy commented. “Yes. He was.” She continued, “anyway, we sat at the bar for about an hour. Then he asked if he could escort me to the restaurant for a late dinner. I knew I would not be making money that night, but it didn’t matter, he gave me something money can’t buy. He made me feel like a woman again. A real woman.” She paused and brushed at a strand of hair that fell loosely onto her forehead. “We walked into the Silver Stage restaurant. It’s a fancy place in the heart of town. Everyone looked at me. The women scowled, the men stared, everyone whispered. I couldn’t stay. Those people all knew who I was.” A tear formed in the corner of one of her deep brown eyes. Instinctively she brushed her hand over it. “So we went back. I went with him to his room.” She looked at Jimmy, then at Kid. “He was a perfect gentleman.” She seemed defensive, not wanting them to get the wrong idea. “There was a man in his room… we could see through the crack in the doorway. His door was slightly open.” “Would you recognize him if you saw him again?” Kid was eager. “No I never got a good look at him. He didn’t see me either. Joe seemed worried. Something really bad was going on.” Lacy explained. “I could tell he was afraid. He handed me a sealed envelope from inside his jacket and told me to go.” Kid and Jimmy now were both very interested. They both stared at her waiting for her to continue. “I had reached the end of the hallway when I heard the shot. I shoved the envelope down the front of my dress and hurried down the stairs.” She again brushed her hand to her cheek. “Do you still have it?” Kid tried to contain his excitement. “Yes.” She got up from the edge of the bed. “Can we see it?” Jimmy asked. “Come with me.” She instructed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Cody went into the kitchen to satisfy a nasty rumble in his stomach, and realized what he had forgotten to buy when he had been at the store, food. “Great.” He threw his arms up in frustration. M.J came into the kitchen. “Trouble Cody?” Cody wanted to seem like he was in control and that things were going good, but his day had just been so bad, and he was so hungry. “Yeah…” “I know a great place just around the corner.” M.J smiled, seemingly reading Cody’s mind. “You like chili?” “Like it?” Cody’s eyes lit up. “I love it. Right now I could eat a whole big pot.” “Great then let’s go.” M.J put on his vest and grabbed his hat. Cody decided he might like this boy after all. “I noticed your book on the desk.” M.J started, as the two riders stepped out onto the walkway. Cody had endured enough of Jimmy’s teasing; he was not about to take any from this kid as well. “Oh that it’s nothing.” He tried to pass it off. “Nothing?” M.J retorted. “It’s only the best book that J.P Jamison has ever written!” He chuckled and turned to Cody. “Have you gotten to the part where the cowboy’s horse is shot and the princess has to save him?” “Yeah,” Cody started slowly. “It was pretty funny.” Had M.J actually read the same book? Cody wondered. “I have another of his books that you might like to read when you’re done. It’s about Wild Bill Hickcock. It’s my favorite.” Cody laughed. “Well if it’s about Jimmy, I’m going to have to read it. They sure print some far fetched stuff I’ll tell ya.” “Jimmy?” M.J questioned, as they sat down at a table in the small restaurant. “Hickcock. He’s one of our riders at the Sweetwater station. Good friend of mine, although we don’t always see eye to eye.” Cody explained. “You know him?” M.J’s whole face seemed to spark with interest. “If you’re expectin’ the man you been readin’ about than Jimmy ain’t him. A lot of those things they say he done, never happened.” “Will you introduce me one day?” M.J was determined. Cody laughed. “If you really want to. But try not to be disappointed.” He added, “I’m gonna be famous too. More than Hickcock. I got this great idea, and it’s gonna make me rich.” Cody grinned slyly. The waitress appeared to take their orders. “Two of your biggest bowls of frontier chili.” M.J took the liberty of ordering for them both. “And throw in one of them baskets of biscuits.” Cody salivated. “And maybe some eggs and steak too.” He folded the menu and returned it to the chubby waitress. “Oh and some cheese. Yes, cheese.” Cody smiled picking up his fork and knife. “Cheese?” The woman asked, a bit confused. “What would you like that on? The chili, or the eggs?” Her tone was rather sarcastic. “Neither.” Cody seemed a bit surprised that she would want to put it on his food. “Just a big ‘ol chunk of cheese.” “Cheese.” The waitress resounded. “Anything else?” “Nope that’ll do it.” Cody smiled. “You gonna eat all that?” M.J was taken aback. “It should hold me a few hours.” Cody said quite seriously. M.J chuckled; this Cody was really a character. “So what is this great idea you have?” “Idea?” Cody pondered. “The one that’s going to make you more famous than Wild Bill.” M.J reminded. “Oh that idea.” Cody leaned in across the table and dropped his tone, as if he were telling a secret. “See, New York and them eastern cities, they make a lot of money bringing people out to the west so as they can ride horses, rope cows, shoot a pistol, and see some of the figures that made the west famous.” M.J cut in. “So you want to make a place they can come to?” “No.” Cody smiled. “That’s the beauty of it.” “What is?” M.J was beginning to get confused. “They won’t need to come here. I’m going to bring the west to them.” He beamed, obviously proud of himself. “What?” M.J pulled back. “That’s ridiculous.” “It is not!” Cody protested. “It is too!” M.J stood his ground. The waitress appeared with two big bowls of chili, a basket of bread, two eggs and a small sloppy steak. “Sorry.” She said with no emotion. “Fresh out of cheese.” “But I’m hungry!” Cody complained. “I’m sure this will feed you. We got more bread if it don’t.” The waitress’ tone got surly. She was obviously taking a dislike to Cody. “Times like now I sure miss Rachel’s cooking.” Cody lamented.
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