Jimmy sat on top of his horse at the edge of town.  It was late March now, and he’d spent the last three months wandering around, doing odd jobs while trying to straighten up his life.  He’d stopped drinking alcohol and had returned to ordering sarsaparillas.  His clothes were no longer as plain as he’d worn during his Express days, but they weren’t the jack-a-dandy clothes he’d worn as a 
gambler for the last five years.  Most important, at least to him, was he once again shunned the 
name of “Wild Bill.”  From here on out, he was Jimmy.

Gently nudging his horse, he guided her through the streets looking for a particular building.  Reaching his destination, he stopped and climbed off his mount.  After tying the reins to the hitching post, he stepped up onto the boardwalk and paused when he saw his reflection in the window.  His 
hair was shorter now, just brushing his shoulders.  His black hat was the same, but the clothes were definitely different.  Gone were the pintuck shirts and the finely tailored jackets.  The quality may have been a little better than he was able to afford when he rode for the Express, but the style was very similar.  He’d even found a canvas coat like the one he’d worn back then.

He’d never thought much about his clothes, especially when he was delivering the mail.  There had been that one time he’d worked undercover at Grace’s for the Army.  Those had been the finest 
he’d ever owned until these last five years.  When he wore those clothes, he’d become “Wild Bill.” 
A gambler, gunfighter, and someone who’d lost his way.  Now, dressed like Jimmy Hickok, Pony Express Rider, he felt like he did back then.  Not afraid of a hard day’s work and proud that it was decent work.

This is why he was here.  He’d taken odd jobs, reclaiming his self-respect, but just drifting.  It was time to put some roots down for a while, keep a permanent job and this seemed as good of a town as any.  Squaring his shoulders with determination he opened the door and walked inside.

“Good afternoon,” said the man sitting behind the desk.

“Afternoon,” Jimmy replied, taking off his hat.

“Anything I can help you with, today?”

“Actually, I came lookin’ for a job.”

When Jimmy stepped out of the office some time later, he paused and gazed down the street.  He’d done it.  He’d taken a major step in getting his life back together.  He looked down and felt the corners of his mouth turn up as the late afternoon sunlight reflected off the star on his chest. 
Deputy Sheriff.

It had taken some doing to convince the sheriff to hire him.  He wasn’t going to lie.  He told the 
older man his name and the sheriff immediately asked why he should hire “Wild Bill” Hickok.

“Because I once rode for the Pony Express and worked for Marshal Teaspoon Hunter.  Everything 
I ever learned about the law I learned from him.  I enjoyed being a law man, felt like I had a knack for it.”

“You sure ain’t been livin’ like it lately.”

“No, sir, I haven’t.  I won’t lie.  But I want to put it behind me.”

“Any why should I believe that?”

“Because I’m here looking for a job.  Give me two weeks.  If you don’t think it’s working, I’ll leave with no problems what-so-ever.”

He must have looked sincere enough, or surprised the sheriff with his honesty, or maybe Providence had stepped in and given his life a gentle nudge.  Whatever the reason, the sheriff softened his prickly edges and agreed to the trial period.  Truth was, the older man needed help.  The town 
needed help, and Jimmy knew that first hand.  The drifters, the gamblers, the saloons and ladies 
who plied their trade there certainly had changed the tenor of what he was sure had been a quieter, nicer place to live at one time.

Well, since he had to be to work first thing in the morning, he’d better find a place to stay and get a decent meal.  The meal was no problem; he remembered a nice restaurant from the time he was 
here before.  Where to stay was a different matter.  His eyes drifted toward the building he’d 
stayed at before, but he turned and quickly scanned for another place.  He was here because he was getting his life in order.  He couldn’t stay there.

“Here you go, Deputy,” Mrs. Jeffries said as she set the plate down in front of Jimmy.

“Thank you, ma’am,” Jimmy replied with a smile.

He didn’t know if she remembered him, but he appreciated the pleasant manner she had with him. 
It had nearly been six months since he’d been here, and he hoped this was proof that he was 
changing his life around.

Not really caring for the moment, Jimmy picked up his knife and fork.  The pork chops and roasted potatoes were emitting the most tantalizing aroma and his stomach was churning in his hungered anticipation.  Digging into the meal with ferocity, he let everything else fade from his mind.  Sometimes it was good to just enjoy the moment and not worry about the things he had no control over.

When the meal was over, Jimmy let Mrs. Jeffries talk him into trying a piece of her cherry cobbler.  She stood by and smiled appreciatively when Jimmy took a bite and complimented the deliciously 
tart dessert.  The dining room was quiet for the moment so he took the opportunity to ask about a place where he could stay.

“Well, there’s a right nice hotel just up the street-“

“Thank you, ma’am.  But I was actually looking for a boarding house,” he gave a little glance down 
at his silver badge, “seeings as I plan on stickin’ around for a while.”

“Of course, Deputy,” she said with a chuckle.  “Then in that case, Mrs. Hamswich has a very nice boarding house.  Very reasonably priced as well.”

“Thank you very much,” Jimmy told her and looked up as the door opened.  His smile flickered, and then settled stiffly on his face.

Mrs. Jeffries looked up and her smile grew.  “Kelly!  I was wondering if you were going to stop in tonight.”

Kelly O’Brian didn’t move from the doorway.  It was as if her feet had suddenly grown roots, 
making it impossible to move.  Her eyes never left Jimmy and her shock was evident.  “You.”

“Kelly?” Annabelle Jeffries asked, moving towards the door.

“You!” she said stronger.  “What are you doing here Wild Bill?!”

Then she turned on her heel and slammed the door behind her, leaving a shocked Mrs. Jeffries and 
a crestfallen Jimmy.
 

Chapter 7

The front door opened and Kelly suddenly tensed with quiet anger.  With sharp, deliberate movements, she placed the pen on the wooden block that held the ink well and closed the ledger book.  She shifted on her low back stool and placed her hands on the counter.

“Afternoon, Deputy Hickok,” she said tersely. 

She didn’t believe it when that morning Sheriff Wright had brought the new deputy to introduce him 
to the local business owners.  Kelly had never considered the sheriff a stupid man, but she was now reconsidering that point.  The man seemed oblivious to the fact that he’d hired “Wild Bill” Hickok 
as his deputy. 

 “Afternoon, Miss O’Brian,” Jimmy said as he took off his hat.

“Something I can do for you this afternoon?” she clipped out.

“I hoped I could talk to you a moment,” Jimmy answered.

“Something regarding your new job?”

“No, I wanted to talk to you about…well, about the last time I was here.”

“Unless it has to do with business, I don’t think we have anything to say to each other,” she said as she stood up and grabbed the ledger.  She turned toward the office when Jimmy’s voice stopped 
her.

“Wait,” he said, then softened his voice.  “Wait, please.  I know you’re angry and don’t want to give me the time of day, but I wanted to apologize.”

She turned around and arched a skeptical brow at the deputy.  Jimmy wondered why, with just the arch of a brow, he could be momentarily thrown off his game.  When she said nothing, Jimmy forged on.

“I know I was a jerk.  I treated you and your staff bad and I shot up your hotel.  I ain’t proud of 
what I did and I’m sorry.  Let me make it up to you.”

“How?” she laughed cynically.

“I know you had to make repairs.  Let me pay for them.”

“No,” she said and walked into the office.  Jimmy was still staring in disbelief at the door when she walked back out carrying her coat.  “I will not let you pay just so you can ease your conscience. 
You don’t get off that easy, Wild Bill.  The rest of this town may be blind to you and think you‘ve changed, but I don’t believe it.  I think it’s a scam and it’s only a matter of time until you’re back to your old ways.”

The bell sounded over the door and Jimmy was prevented from responding.

“Good afternoon, Kelly,” a young woman said as she walked into the lobby.

“Afternoon, Hannah,” Kelly said cheerfully.  “Thank you for coming in this afternoon.  I…”

Her voice trailed off as she noticed Hannah eyeing Jimmy curiously.  Jimmy was looking like he 
was still trying to deny Kelly’s last statement against him.

“Hannah, this is James Butler Hickok.  He’s Sheriff’s Wright’s new deputy, for however long that lasts,” she said the last part under her breath, but still loud enough that they could hear her.  “This 
is Miss Dempster.  She’s one of my clerks.

“Deputy.”  “Miss.”  They spoke at the same time and then turned back to Kelly as silence once again fell on the room.

“Well, I’m sure the town would appreciate it if you got back to your duties like we’re paying you 
for,” she said pointedly at Jimmy.  He slowly nodded his head at each lady and then walked out of the hotel.

“Kelly, what was that about?” Hannah asked, having clearly caught the tension in the room.

“Nothing important,” Kelly said as she put on her coat.  “I’ll see you in a few hours.

Jimmy paused around the corner from the hotel’s door and leaned against the wall.  He knew from her reaction the night before that convincing her he’d changed wouldn’t be easy.  He, however, was not one to back down from a challenge.  He’d just have to be patient, and hope he had enough of it.

He heard the door open and overheard Kelly say good-bye to her clerk.  He listened as the 
footsteps came his way and then stopped.

“Kelly!”

“Hello, Annabelle.  How are you?”

“Just fine, my dear.  How are you?  You sure left my restaurant in quite a hurry last night.”

“I’m sorry, Annabelle.  I just lost my appetite.”

“Oh come, now.  That young deputy ain’t that hard on the eyes.  See, you’re blushing…you agree with me.”

“That’s neither here nor there,” she said, clearing her throat.  “He is the one who shot up my hotel last fall, so I don’t buy it for a minute that he’s changed.”

“Well, why else would he come here?”

“I don’t know, and so long as no trouble follows him, I don’t care.  I’m sure he’ll tire of this new diversion soon enough and then he’ll be gone.  So I don’t plan on wasting my time wondering why Deputy Hickok is here.  I’ve got more important things to worry about.”

“Off to work in your garden again?”

“It got neglected last year, since it was right after my parents died.  If I want to get anything from it this year, I have to get it ready.”

A gentle laugh floated around the corner to where Jimmy was listening.  “Alright, Kelly.  Just remember, if you need anything, I’m sure I can persuade my little Stevie to help you out.”

“Thank you very much, but I’m sure I’ll do just fine.  Little hard work never scared me off.”

There was a hint of admiration in Mrs. Jeffries’ voice as she said, “I know, my dear, I know.  Well, 
I better let you get to your work.  I’ll bring you some supper by later on.”

“Thank you, Annabelle.”

Jimmy heard the conversation ending, so he turned towards the sheriff’s office.  He pulled his hat down and started walking.  Judging the footfalls perfectly, he sidestepped just in time to avoid 
running into Kelly.

“’Scuse me,” he said as he looked up.

“Deputy Hickok.”  She had a way of saying his name that made it sound quite contemptible. 

“Sorry, Miss O’Brian.  Just out doin’ my rounds.  Have a good afternoon.”

He tipped his hat and stepped off the boardwalk.  Kelly stood watching him go and headed for her home.  When Jimmy got to the sheriff’s office his mind was processing all the information he’d 
picked up.  Teaspoon always said that if he could understand the true problem, the answer would usually present itself.  Half the time it just sounded like Teaspoon’s fanciful ramblings like when he extolled the virtues of bear grease, but this time he might have been on to something.

Jimmy had to understand Kelly if he was ever going to convince her that he’d changed.  He understood well enough that she was angry.  But now he had knowledge of a different sort, and Teaspoon was right when he said knowledge was power.
 

Chapter 8

Kelly rested her fingertips on the doorknob as she said, “I’ll see you later this afternoon, Hannah.”

“Alright, Kelly.  See you then.”

Kelly pulled the door closed and turned toward her house.  She looked down at her hands and 
winced.  Her hands were a mass of blisters, slivers and bruises, and they hurt.  She could barely 
hold a pen, and it was only through sheer determination that she’d been able to do any work in her garden these last couple of days.

She approached her house and slowed.  Someone had been there working again.  At first she 
thought she’d imagined that someone else was working in her garden.  After a couple of days it was obvious that she wasn’t the only one doing the weeding and the digging.  But since the work was happening while Stevie Jeffries was in school, she was baffled as to who was helping her.

The old plants that had died when she didn’t have the time or the energy for the garden after her parents’ deaths were now gone.  The weeds were gone too and now she was getting the ground 
ready to plant.  There were only a few more rows to get ready and then she could start.  She had the seeds; she just had to pick up the hoe and get to work.

Picking up the tool, she shut her eyes against the searing pain that flooded through her hands.  She made a few futile stabs at the earth before she dropped the hoe with a small whimper.  She shook 
her hands and then dropped them to her side as she flexed them.

“You know, a pair of gloves might help protect your hands.”

She stood stock-still.  She knew that voice.  Turning around she said, “Thank you, Deputy.  I’ll keep that in mind, but I’m fine.”

“If you say so,” Jimmy answered.  “Need a hand with anything, Miss O’Brian?”

“No, thank you anyway,” she said as she picked up the tool once more.

She’s got pluck, Jimmy thought. Even if she is one of the most stubborn and infuriating people around here. 

She hid the pain admirably, but Jimmy knew she was hurting.  He walked forward and stood in front of her as he reached for the hoe.  “Let me help you, please.”

“I said I can do it,” she grit out through the pain.  “Thank you anyway.”

He placed his hand on the tool and said, “Will you get off your high horse?  I’m simply offering to help.”

“Well I don’t need it!” she said trying to wrench the tool away.  “Let.  Go.  Now.  Ouch!”

Kelly let go of the wooden handle and pulled her hands back.  Jimmy saw her hands, a mass of 
sores and blisters and gasped.  “Oh my… your hands.”

She pulled them back and shielded them against her body.  They did hurt painfully, but she didn’t want him to know that.

“Have you seen a doctor?” 

“No, I’m alright.  It’s just a couple of blisters.”

“A couple?” Jimmy asked, his eyebrows raised.  “Can I look at them, please?”

“No.”  She sounded less like the firm, angry woman she’d been, and more like a frightened child.

“Why don’t we sit down?” Jimmy said, motioning toward the porch.  Putting his hand on her elbow, 
he steered her along before she could really object.  After they were seated he said, “Now, let’s 
take a look at those hands.”

Gently he took one hand and carefully turned it over.  He could see several slivers, more blisters than he had ever seen, and where some blisters had popped, he could see angry red bruises.

“I think even your blisters have blisters,” he said with a nervous chuckle.  “Really, I think you 
should see the doctor.”

“No,” she said firmly.  “I don’t like the man.”

“You know, for a woman in pain, you’re pretty thick headed,” he said with slight disgust.

“The man is a drunk and a louse, and when my parents caught the pox he just stood back and let them die because he was too afraid to go near them!” she shot back.

Jimmy sat there and said nothing; there really wasn’t anything he could say.  She was angry and 
hurt and seemed embarrassed by the tears that had welled up in her eyes.

“Then let me help you,” he said softly.  “Do you have any liniment and bandages?”

“In the house.  But let me get them.”

“How are you going to carry them?”

“Well, you can’t come in with me,” she said firmly.  “What would people say?”

“That I’m going to bandage your hands, not try to seduce you,” he said shaking his head.

Kelly sat on the porch, her bandaged hands resting in her lap as she watched Jimmy finish up her garden patch.  She had been surprised at how gently the deputy had tended to her wounds.  The dressings were neat and expertly wrapped and she admitted to him that it wasn’t what she expected.  He merely shrugged his shoulders and smiled at her backhanded compliment.

“Well, I think that should do it,” Jimmy said as he stood up and wiped his hand across his brow.  “Where are your seeds?”

“You really don’t have to do this,” she protested once again, though she knew it was pointless.  “You’ve done enough already.  I couldn’t ask you to do the planting as well.”

“Nonsense.  I’ve got a couple of hours before I have to be on duty.  Might as well do something constructive with my time, otherwise who knows what kind of trouble I’ll get myself into.”

Kelly bit her lip and looked down with embarrassment.  “Guess I’ve given you a bit of a hard time, haven’t I?”

“You?  Not at all,” Jimmy said with a smirk.  “Now, where are those seeds?”

“Over in the shed,” Kelly finally said.

“Is your little spade there too?  That’d probably be better than this hoe.”

When Kelly didn’t answer, Jimmy looked up.  She was standing there, her arms hanging limply at 
her side, a look of disbelief on her face.

“It was you.  You’ve been the one doing the work in my garden.”

“Yeah,” Jimmy admitted.

“Why?”

“You needed the help.  I knew you wouldn’t ask for it,” Jimmy told her.  Then he shrugged.  “Plus, 
I wanted to make it up to you for shootin’ up your hotel.”

“So since I wouldn’t let you pay for that, you did this?”

“Something like that.  Look, I really am sorry, and I didn’t want to have this tension between us all the time.”

“I agree,” Kelly said.

“So, truce?”

“Truce,” she agreed.  Then laughing she added, “At least you didn’t say friends.”

“Well, I knew not to expect miracles,” he said laughing.  “Now, if I don’t get busy, I’ll never get 
this stuff planted before I have to be on duty.”

“Thank you again, Deputy,” Kelly said as they neared the hotel.

“Jimmy.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Jimmy.  My name’s Jimmy.  Least that’s what my friends used to call me.”

“Alright.  Thank you, Jimmy.”

“My pleasure, Miss-“

“Kelly.”

Jimmy and Kelly turned and looked at Mrs. Jeffries who was walking towards them. 

“Evening, Annabelle,” Kelly said with a smile.  “How are you?”

“My lands, child.  What happened to you?” she said as she saw Kelly’s wrapped hands.

“Gardening,” Kelly said dryly, then added with a slight smile, “I think I need a pair of gloves. 
Jimmy wrapped them for me.”

Jimmy, Annabelle thought to herself. Quite a nice name, especially when she’s saying it.

“Nice work, Deputy,” she smiled, then turned to Kelly.  “So, now will you let me send Stevie over?”

“Actually, that won’t be necessary.  Jimmy finished my planting for me.”

“Well, aren’t you just full of surprises?  Gardening and first aid on top of being a deputy.  Where’d you learn all that?” she asked Jimmy with a mischievous smile.

“Some good friends,” Jimmy answered, feeling uncomfortable under the older woman’s intense scrutiny and praise.  “Well, if you’ll excuse me ladies, I better head on over to the jail.”

“I’ll send some supper over to you later on,” Mrs. Jeffries told him with a motherly smile.

“Thank you, ma’am.  Bye, Miss O’Brian.”

“Bye, Jimmy,” they both said.

After Jimmy made his way across the street, Annabelle turned to Kelly.  “Sounds like you had an interesting afternoon.  Who knew that Deputy “Wild Bill” could be so handy?”

“Alright.  I’ll admit I might have been wrong and a little mean-spirited.”

“You?  Nah.”

“Alright, alright,” Kelly said in defeat.  “I better send Hannah home.  So, do I get some dinner brought to me as well?”

“Oh, I suppose that could be arranged,” Annabelle said with a wink.  Among other things, as well.
 

Chapter 9

Kelly walked out of the door, her gloves in one hand, and started toward the side of her house.  She looked towards her garden patch.  It was still a barren square of dirt, but with the rains they’d had in the last week, she was sure it wouldn’t be long until she saw the first signs of growth.  She smiled slightly, looking forward to the future rewards of her labor.

Right now, she had a different task to accomplish.  Wood.  She was nearly out of wood for her stove and the occasional fire in her fireplace since the nights were still chilly.  Her hands were almost completely healed, just a few lingering bruises, so there was no putting it off any longer.  Slipping 
her hands into her gloves, she picked up the axe and raised it over her head.

“Wait, Miss O’Brian!”

Kelly dropped the axe down, narrowly missing her leg.  “Jimmy, what’s wrong?”

Jimmy walked up quickly, looking a little sheepish.  “Nothin’, I was jut goin’ to see if I could help you.”

“Thank you,” Kelly said, shaking her head.  “But I bought a pair of gloves, I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

“I see,” Jimmy said, nodding at her gloved hands, “but since I’m here, might as well let me do it.”

“I can chop my own wood.”

“I’m sure you can, but if your hands are still healing there’s no sense bruising them again.”

“I’m going to assume that you’ll counter every argument I could think of, right?”

“Probably,” Jimmy said with a slight smirk.

“Very well,” she said handing over the axe.  “Thank you very much, Jimmy.  How ‘bout I fix some lemonade?”

Jimmy’s smirk grew to a full smile.  “Thank you very much, Miss O’Brian.”

“Call me Kelly,” she said, a bit embarrassed.  “Miss O’Brian makes me feel like an old spinster.”

“I don’t think anyone could accuse you of that,” he laughed as he rolled up his sleeves and picked 
up the axe.  Kelly turned and walked back to the house as the yard echoed with the solid *thunk* of axe striking wood.

One large pile of wood later, Jimmy sat on the steps of the porch and drained the last of the 
lemonade from his glass.  “Thanks, Kelly.”

“More?” she asked, reaching for the pitcher.

“No thanks,” he said as he stood up and handed her his glass.  “I gotta get to work.”

“So Sheriff Wright decided to keep you on?” she asked, as she set his glass on the tray.

“Appears that way,” Jimmy said, trying not to sound too pleased.  “You were hopin’ he’d throw me out on my ear?”

“Well, maybe at first I was,” she admitted, “but I’m glad you’re staying.”

“Oh really?” he drawled out with a laughing smirk.

“Don’t let it go to your head.  The town is better now, that’s all I meant.”

“Of course,” he said solemnly, then tipped his hat.  “Have a nice afternoon, Kelly.”

“You too, Jimmy,” she replied as she picked up the tray and walked into her house.

Kelly set her breakfast dishes on the sideboard and headed back to her bedroom.  She picked up 
her straw hat and walked to the front door.  Looking outside, she noted the town was still quiet.  Considering it was just barely past dawn, she would have been surprised if there were people milling about.

Kelly went outside and got the whitewash out of the shed that she had mixed up the night before.  Grabbing the large brush, she went back to the house and got to work.  Last year she’d hired someone to whitewash her house for her.  Being only a couple of months after her parents’ death, 
she was spending all her time at the hotel.  This year, she had things under control and was looking forward to doing the work herself.

“If someone will just let me do the work,” she groused to herself as she applied brush to wood. 

Ever since the garden, she was having a hard time doing the chores around the house.  Jimmy was always showing up and taking over.  She truly did appreciate the help with the garden, especially 
after her hands got so bruised.  Then the help with the chopping of the wood was all right, because 
her hands weren’t quite healed.  However, then things just got aggravating.

He showed up when she tried to weed her garden, and chopped more firewood only three weeks 
after he’d chopped the first cord.  Then there were the other things he was doing around her house.  She figured he was finding out her plans from people in town, and it was annoying her.  When she decided to fix a loose board on the porch, Jimmy told her Mr. Deere at the lumber store mentioned her plans to him and so he decided to stop by and see if she needed any help.  And when he just happened to drop by on the day she was fixing a storm shutter, she remembered having told Annabelle her plans the night before.  And Annabelle was constantly encouraging the tentative friendship between the hotel owner and the deputy.

Which was why when Kelly decided to whitewash her house, she told no one.  She even ordered the lime from a store out of town, because she knew Mr. Jeffries, who ran the feed store, would tell Annabelle and then somehow the information would find its way to Jimmy.  It was ridiculous that she had to go to these lengths just to be able to do the things that she wanted to do.

Halfway through her task, she heard footsteps running up towards the house.  She stepped around 
the corner from the back of the house just in time to see Stevie Jeffries disappear around the front.

“Miss O’Brian!  Miss O’Brian!”

“Stevie,” she said, coming up behind him, “there isn’t any need to shout.  What do you need?”

“Momma wanted me to come get you,” the little red-haired, freckle-faced boy told her.

“What does she need?” Kelly asked.

Stevie hesitated, distracted by the sight of Kelly’s whitewashed splattered shirt and pants.  “She wanted you to come early before the sewing bee so she could help you finish the new curtains for 
the hotel.  She and papa have to meet with one of the suppliers for the store tonight.”

“Alright, Stevie.  Tell her I just have to get cleaned up and then I’ll be over.”

“I’ll tell her,” he said gleefully as he dashed off towards home.

Kelly sighed and went to put her supplies away in the shed.  She’d completed two sides of the house; she’d have to finish up on Monday.  It was a little slower going than she remembered, but she was happy to be doing something on her own.  After going into the house, she stripped off her clothes 
and put them in a small tub to soak, then hurriedly bathed and dressed.

Kelly left Annabelle’s house and went to the hotel.  She had the evening shift, and also needed to 
put the new curtains up.  She was a little surprised when Jimmy didn’t stop by in the evening as he made his rounds through the town.  He would stop in at nearly all the businesses, share a word or 
two with the owners and then continue on.

All the owners seemed to appreciate it.  Sheriff Wright would sit in his office all day and only come out if there was a problem that had to be dealt with.  Having the presence of the law more visible made them feel safer, especially with the number of drifters and gamblers in the town increasing daily.  In the six weeks that Jimmy had been in Walker Flats, two new saloons had already been 
built and were open.  She knew Jimmy would stop in the saloons, but strictly as the deputy, never as 
a customer.  He was just making sure people knew there was someone who was serious about the 
law.

As she left for the night, saying goodbye to her clerk, she realized that she’d come to look forward 
to Jimmy’s visits.  At first she chaffed at them because all she saw was “Wild Bill” Hickok pretending he was a deputy.  But as they spent some time together, she realized that despite 
herself, she'd grown to like him.  He was a friend, not a close friend, but one nevertheless.  It was amazing to her that she now just saw him as Jimmy, and whatever else he had been in the past no longer mattered.
 

Chapter 10

When Kelly left her house the next morning to go to church, she turned to lock the door and thought the walls looked different.  Backing slowly off the porch while looking at the house, she knew she wasn’t imagining it.  The front of the house was definitely whiter than it had been yesterday.  She 
ran to the right side that she hadn’t painted the previous day.  It was as white as the side she’d done yesterday morning before leaving for Annabelle’s.  She walked to the shed and saw that the bucket and brush were cleaned and neatly put away instead of in the middle of the floor where she’d left them.

“Jimmy,” she breathed with a smile.  She was certain he had finished whitewashing her house for her.  It would be just like him.

Kelly headed off to church and was disappointed, but not entirely surprised, that Jimmy wasn’t 
there.  She’d only seen him there twice, since he often worked so Sheriff Wright could attend the service with his wife.  When Kelly didn’t see Sheriff Wright, she found it hard to concentrate on the sermon.  She was so wrapped up in trying to figure out where both the sheriff and deputy were that she didn’t realize everyone had finished the song was sitting down.  Annabelle touched Kelly’s 
elbow and she flushed deeply as she quickly took her seat.

When church was over, Kelly told Annabelle she had a stop to make and then she’d join the family 
in a minute.  Annabelle smiled as her friend walked off in the direction of the jail.  It seemed despite all of her protesting the deputy had grown on her.  It’s almost like she’s smitten, Annabelle thought, and she doesn’t even know it.  I wonder what Mr. Hickok’s feelings are?

Mr. Jeffries saw the look on his wife’s face and wondered briefly if he should warn Kelly. 
Annabelle definitely had her matchmaking face on.  When she got that look, nobody in town was safe.  He knew she considered Kelly to be the younger sister she never had, and so felt protective 
of the younger woman.  He also knew Annabelle felt it would be good if Kelly found someone, and it appeared she felt the new deputy was that someone.

Kelly opened the door to the jail and was surprised to see Sheriff Wright sitting with his feet 
propped up on his desk.  Jimmy was nowhere to be seen.

“Afternoon, Miss O’Brian.  Somethin’ wrong?”

“No, no,” she smiled at the elderly man.  “I was just wondering if Ji-…I mean Deputy Hickok was here?”

“Nope,” the sheriff replied rather gruffly.

“Do you know when he might be here?”

“He’s supposed to be here now.  In fact Mrs. Wright was quite upset I couldn’t join her for church since it appears my deputy’s taken up his former ways,” he groused.  Then he winked at Kelly, “Though don’t tell Celeste I don’t really mind missing the good reverend’s sermon.”

“What?” Kelly gasped.  Her eyes slightly widened.

“Oh, now don’t get me wrong.  The reverend’s a good man.  It’s just his sermons can be a bit dull.”

“No, no, no,” Kelly said impatiently.  “What did you mean about Jimmy?”

“Hmm?” the sheriff asked.

Kelly was really beginning to lose her patience with the addle-minded man.  “You said he’s reverted to his former ways.”

“Oh,” the man’s mood instantly changed.  “He didn’t show up last night, so I went lookin’ to see if 
he was sick or somethin’.  He wasn’t at his room, so I went lookin’ elsewhere.  Stopped by your 
place since my deputy seems to spend a lot of time there.  Your house is lookin’ real nice by the way.”

“Will you just get on with it?” Kelly snapped.  “Where was Jimmy?”

The sheriff took a breath and looked at Kelly mildly perturbed.  He didn’t like having his stories interrupted, and he didn’t understand why the hotel owner was so fired up about his deputy’s whereabouts.  “I’m getting to it.”

“Sorry,” Kelly said contritely.

“Thank you.  Now as I was sayin’, he wasn’t at your place so I looked around.  People hadn’t seen him, but finally someone said they’d seen him headin’ towards the saloons.  So that’s where I went.  And I found him down in the Golden Nugget in the middle of a poker game lookin’ pretty drunk.  He seemed pretty surly ‘cause he was losin’ his shirt at the moment.”

“I don’t believe it,” Kelly said softly.

“Yep, he was none too happy about it,” the sheriff added.

“Oh,” she growled.  “I’m not talking about the money.  I’m talking about him gambling and drinking again.”

“Ah,” Sheriff Wright replied.

“Ah?  That’s all you have to say?” Kelly asked in exasperation.  “He played this town like a cheap fiddle and you’re sitting there like it’s just another day in the office.  Why am I even bothering talking to you?”

Kelly turned and stalked out, slamming the door behind her.  The sheriff pushed back his hat and scrubbed his hand over his face.  He hadn’t counted on Kelly being this upset.

Kelly sat in her darkening house, staring blankly at a spot before her.  She had left the jail and went straight home, where at first she stalked around the room angrily.  Then anger slowly faded and she kept the curtains drawn and hid in her house.  When Annabelle stopped by to see why she hadn’t come to dinner, she ignored the knocking and her friend’s pleading questions until finally the restaurant owner left.  All she did the rest of the afternoon was sit in front of the empty fireplace 
and watch the shadows slowly march across the floor.

A month ago or more she would have regaled in Jimmy’s fall.  Everyone from the sheriff to 
Annabelle thought he was hard working and committed to the job.  She was certain the job and the claims he’d changed were nothing more than a sham.  It would only be a matter of time until he slipped.

Then she got to know him, and began to believe the changes were genuine.  His help towards her 
and others seemed heartfelt.  His attention to the town; troubles that he stopped from becoming big ones; they didn’t seem the actions of someone who only planned to move on.  Maybe the sheriff was wrong, maybe Jimmy wasn’t as bad as he’d said.

There was only one thing for her to do.  She’d just have to go to the Golden Nugget and find out for herself.
 
 

Jimmy sat at the felt covered table and peered at his cards through the thick swirl of cigar smoke from the man sitting next to him.  He picked up his glass and took a very small sip before setting it back down.  After nearly six months of nothing stronger than sarsaparillas, he found his stomach and his mind rebelling at the strong drink.

The others may think the whisky helped them play, but he preferred a clear head.  The glass was more for show, and every time he took a drink he felt like the Kid, fighting to keep from sputtering like he did during the poker game with Cyrus Happy.

The man sitting across from him was cheating, he knew it.  Proving it was harder than he thought it was going to be.  Jimmy sneered in disgust and put his cards face down on the table.  “I’m out.  Seems Lady Luck just ain’t with me.”

“Sometimes, she’s a hard lady to charm,” the man said patronizingly.  He fanned out his hand, 
laying it on the table.  “Seems she just likes me better.”

Jimmy watched him start to rake in the chips.  He was grateful he had a good poker face, because 
he really wanted to smile at the moment.  “Sorry, but I don’t think so.”

The man looked up and noticed the change in Jimmy’s eyes.  “And why is that?”

Jimmy turned his cards over, revealing the Ace of spaces and the Ace of clubs, which mirrored the two in the man’s hand.  “Last time I checked, a deck only had four aces.  Not six.”

While he was speaking, Jimmy had removed his gun and now had his arm resting on the table, the barrel pointed at the man’s chest.  “In this town, we don’t take kindly to cheaters.”

“This town?  What are you?  A civic-minded gambler?” the man sneered with a laugh.

Jimmy stood up, his gun still aimed and reached for the lapel of his coat.  “No, I’m the-“

“Jimmy!” Kelly gasped from the batwing doors when she saw Jimmy with his gun drawn on the man.

The cheat took advantage of Jimmy’s distraction and quickly pulled his gun and fired.  Kelly 
shrieked in horror when Jimmy staggered and then fell backward to the floor.  The last thing she 
saw before the world went black was a dark red stain spreading outward from Jimmy’s body.
 

Chapter 11

Kelly opened her eyes, blinking slowly in the pale lamplight.  She was in her bedroom and even though it should have felt natural, it didn’t.  She didn’t remember getting ready for bed; in fact she remembered leaving the house earlier that evening.  Then it all came back to her.

She threw back the blanket and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.  Sitting up slowly, she was pleased that the room spun only briefly.  She walked to the door and opened it, surprised to see Annabelle on the other side.

“Kelly, what are you doing up?  Get back in bed.”  She tried to steer Kelly back to bed, but the younger woman resisted.

“No.  Jimmy was shot.”

Annabelle would have smiled that her friend’s first comment was about Jimmy, but she was 
concerned about the pale looking woman.  “He’s fine.  Now come on, back to bed.”

“No,” Kelly said as she pushed past Annabelle and walked into the front room.  She sat in her favorite chair by the fireplace and waited for Annabelle.  “He’s really fine?”

“Yes,” Annabelle smiled.  “He’s over at Doc Zimm’s right now.  He was shot in the shoulder, and aside from being sore for a while, he’ll be fine.”

“I’m going over there,” Kelly declared as she stood up.

“Kelly,” Annabelle said firmly as she stood up and placed her hands on the other woman’s shoulders.  “Doc wants you to rest.  Jimmy will be fine.  You can see him in the morning.”

"Doc,” Kelly sneered.  “He’s a butcher.  I’m fine, and I’m going.”

“Kelly, I know you don’t like the doc, but he used to be in the Army.  He knows gunshot wounds.”

“Be that as it may, I’m still going.  Now, you can either help me, or get out of my way.  The choice is yours.”

“Alright,” Annabelle said, throwing her hands up in frustration.  “You know, sometimes you can be more stubborn than one of my daddy’s mules.”

“It’s all part of my charm,” Kelly said as the two women walked toward her bedroom.

Kelly sat in the doctor’s front room, constantly stealing glances at the closed door across from her.  She’d been sitting in the small chair for over an hour, and still there was no word from the doctor.  The long wait was giving her a headache, but she wasn’t about to tell Annabelle that.  She could see her friend watching her, probably looking for signs of her tiring.  She refused to leave until she could see for herself that Jimmy would be all right.

Finally the door opened and the doctor walked out, wiping the blood off his hands with his apron.  Kelly stood up, unable to keep her eyes off the bright red stains.  “How is he, Doc?”

“He’ll be fine.  He just needs to rest now,” the doctor said tiredly.

“I want to see him.”

“Miss O’Brian, he’s going to be asleep.  And even if he wakes, the laudanum will make him pretty incoherent.  If you ask me, you should just go home.  You can see him tomorrow.”

“Thanks, but I don’t remember asking you,” Kelly said as she walked past the doctor.  She went down the hallway and into the recovery room.  Jimmy lay on the bed, the white bandages stark against his shoulder.  He looked pale and she could see a little bit of blood beginning to color the white cloth, but he was alive.

“Thank you,” she whispered heavenward.  “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Oh gah!  Jimmy; don’t scare me like that.  I thought you were asleep.”

“Yeah, but everybody’s makin’ so much noise I can’t sleep.  There’s all this bangin’, I can hear it echoing around my head.”  Then he added as almost an afterthought, “It’s a nice and steady though…almost like music.”

Kelly bunched her eyebrows together in confusion.  She knew the doctor said he wouldn’t make 
much sense, and considering there was no noise in the room or outside she figured Jimmy was imagining things.  Maybe she should just go.  Jimmy was alive; she’d seen that.  He really was in no condition to talk.

“I should go,” she said to Jimmy.  “You should get some sleep.”

“Go, stay, all the same…” Jimmy said trailing off.

“Alright then, I’ll just let myself out.”  Kelly said turning for the door.  She stepped out and looked into the room one last time; Jimmy was once again asleep.

In the morning, Kelly made her way back to the doctor’s clinic.  Mrs. Zimm met her at the door, a motherly concern for the young woman coloring her words.  After Kelly reassured her that she was fine, Mrs. Zimm led her to Jimmy’s room.

“Go right on in,” the woman told her.  “And try to get him to eat his breakfast if you can.  He’s got 
to keep his strength up.”

“Alright,” Kelly said as the older woman slowly made her way down the hall.  Knocking lightly, 
Kelly opened the door and stepped inside.

“Hey,” Jimmy said, a smile crossing his face.

“Hey, yourself,” she said as she took a seat by his bed.  “How do you feel?”

“Hurts,” he grimaced, shifting slightly on the bed.  “But it ain’t the first time I’ve been shot.  Just another scar for my collection.”

Seeing her shocked expression, he dropped the cavalier attitude.  “I’ll be fine.  I’m just sore.”

“Do you want?” she gestured toward the bottle of medicine on the table.

“No,” he shook his head.  “I don’t like how it makes me feel.”

“Alright,” she said with a shrug.  “Jimmy?  Last night, you weren’t trying to rob that man, were 
you?”

Jimmy gave her a reassuring smile.  “No, no.  Sheriff Wright and I were trying to catch a thief.  It 
was just part of the plan.”

“Why didn’t he tell me that yesterday?”

“The whole point of a secret plan is keeping it secret,” Jimmy laughed.

“Well, if he’d only told me I wouldn’t have got you shot,” she said pointedly.  “I’m real sorry ‘bout that.”

“I was more worried about you getting hurt,” he told her.

Kelly paused; sensing this conversation could go on forever.  Each one concerned about the other, just going round and round.  So she figured it was best to just move to a different subject.

“Mrs. Zimm wanted me to make sure you ate your breakfast,” she said, reaching for the bowl on the table.

“Well,” Jimmy said reluctantly.  “I tried to eat it.  But it tastes like paste.”

Kelly let out a large laugh, and then quickly stifled it with her hand.  Leaning toward Jimmy she said softly, “Mrs. Zimm is not known for her cooking, though she tries.  She’s going to insist you eat it, though.”

“You can’t be serious,” Jimmy protested.

“Every last bite,” she told him.  “Eat the porridge and I think I can help you after this.  You just 
have to insist on going home as soon as possible.”

The following afternoon, Jimmy walked slowly outside the clinic and to the wagon where Sheriff Wright was waiting.  The doc and sheriff helped Jimmy climb up, as he grimaced in pain.  It had been a while since he’d been shot and he’d forgotten how much it hurt.  He was sure his refusal to take 
any laudanum wasn’t helping, but he just didn’t like the loss of control he felt even though it helped the pain.

As the sheriff climbed up on the wagon and slowly started the team, Jimmy asked, “Where’s Kelly?  She said she would be here.  It was her plan that I go home early.  I’d gladly take Mrs. Zimm’s cooking if it meant I could have stayed in bed instead of being on this wagon that seems to be 
finding every last rut in the road.”

“Stop your grousin’,” the sheriff laughed as he set the brake.  “We’re here.”

Jimmy looked up and saw Mrs. Hamswich’s boarding house and smiled.  The woman was kind, and made him think of what Emma would be like when she was a grandmother.  He was sure she would help take care of him while he recovered; he laughed to himself thinking he probably couldn’t stop her.  Yet he couldn’t stop the feeling of disappointment washing over him thinking Kelly had 
changed her mind about her offer to help.
 

Chapter 12

Jimmy paused at the top of the landing, leaning slightly against the wall while he caught his breath.  He couldn’t believe climbing up a set of stairs had winded him so badly.  He knew he was healing, 
but he was used to being able to bound up the stairs two at a time.  He wondered what possessed 
him to take a room upstairs.  Just because he didn’t like people walking on his ceiling he was going 
to end up passing out trying to get to his room.

“You alright there, son?” Sheriff Wright asked.

“Yeah,” Jimmy said as he straightened up.  “Just waiting for Mrs. Hamswich.”

Mrs. Hamswich was slowly making her way towards them.  She was sweet, but a little plump and didn’t like climbing the stairs.  Jimmy figured that if he had to depend on her for his meals he’d probably be lucky to get two a day.  Yeah, living on the top floor was going to kill him.

Starting down the hall he realized that the door to his room was open.  No wonder Mrs. Hamswich was walking slowly, she’d already been up here today.  As he neared, he saw a shadow move across the floor.  Quickening his pace as he felt his pulse increase, he reached his room and looked inside.

“You’re here,” Kelly smiled.

“Yeah,” Jimmy answered.  “What are you doing here?”

The sheriff came up behind Jimmy and laughed.  “Hickok, she’s been waitin’ for you.  Don’t go offendin’ the person who’s gonna take care of you.”

“Sorry.”

Kelly ignored the whole exchange and got down to business.  “Into bed.  The only reason Doc Zimm let you leave is because I promised him you would stay in bed.  Don’t make a liar out of me.  Thank you, Sheriff, for getting him.  Did he give you any trouble?”

“He complained about my driving.  But somehow I think if it was you drivin’ he wouldn’t have 
noticed any of the bumps,” he said as he winked at Kelly.  Turning to Jimmy he mock-whispered, 
“I’d listen to what she says.  I don’t doubt she’d hesitate to send you back to Doc’s.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Jimmy told him.

“Good, good.  Well, if you need anything, let me know,” he said to Kelly and Jimmy.

“Thanks, Sheriff Wright.  And thank you too, Mrs. Hamswich,” Kelly answered.

“My pleasure dear.  You get well soon, Deputy,” she said as she patted Jimmy’s good arm.  Then 
she and the sheriff turned and headed downstairs.

“Finally,” Jimmy breathed as he closed the door.  “I hate bein’ hovered over.”

“Open the door,” Kelly commanded.

“What?”

“Open the door, Jimmy.  We are not married and it’s not proper for us to be alone with the door closed.”

Jimmy almost laughed until he saw her stern expression and realized she was serious.  “Alright, I’ll open it.”

“Good,” she said.  “Now, get into bed before you pass out.”

“Can I take my shirt off, or would that be improper?” Jimmy asked, a saucy grin on his face.  “Doc Zimm helped me put it on, and I’d like to take it off.  It’s a little uncomfortable.”

“That’s fine, I suppose,” Kelly said, hoping she wouldn’t blush.  “I need to check your bandage anyway.  So I’ll just…turn around until you get into bed.”

Now Jimmy did laugh.  “Kelly, I’m leavin’ my pants on.  Besides, I think I’m gonna need some 
help.”

“Help?” she almost sputtered.

“Yeah, there’s no way I can take this off by myself.  My shoulder’s pretty stiff.”

Kelly glanced nervously at the hallway, then stepped forward as she cleared her throat.  “Alright, 
I’ll just…I…I can do this.”

She said the last part so softly that Jimmy thought he’d heard wrong.  Of course with his pulse echoing so loudly in his ears, it was a wonder he’d heard anything.  He stood perfectly still as she raised her slightly trembling hands to the buttons on his shirt.  Every time her fingers lightly brushed his skin through the fabric, he tried not to gasp as he felt a charge rush through him.

“Turn around,” he heard faintly.

“What?” he asked, the haze in his mind clearing slightly.

“Turn around so I can slip your shirt off,” she commanded.

“Oh, yeah, right,” he said and hastily complied.

When his shirt was off, Kelly said, “I’ll just put this away.  You get into bed.”

“You know, that seems to be a favorite phrase of yours,” Jimmy teased as he pulled the coverlet back and sat down.  “Got another problem.”

"What?" Kelly asked, trying to concentrate on the task at hand.  This wasn't going quite as she expected.  She was used to being in control of things -- her hotel, her home, her life, and most of all, her feelings.  Yet here was Jimmy, making the most impertinent remarks and clearly finding a measure of amusement in her discomfort.

“My boots,” he said, pointing down at his feet.

“Right,” she said.  “Alright, give me your foot.”

When Jimmy was finally settled in and Kelly was sitting down, he looked at her and said, “I’m glad you’re here.  When you weren’t at Doc’s earlier, I thought you’d changed your mind.”

“I’m sorry,” she said softly.  “I meant to be there, but I hired a new clerk and had to show him around.  It would have been too much work for Hannah to do alone, with me being over here.  Then 
I had to see what you had in here and bring some things up.”

“It’s alright.  I’m just glad you didn’t decide not to help out.”

“Why would I do that?” she asked.

“I don’t know.  I just thought, maybe you had.”

“You think I would go back on my word?”

“No, no,” Jimmy said, suddenly feeling that he’d stepped into dangerous territory.

“Relax, Jimmy,” she laughed when she saw his apprehensive face.  “I’m teasing.  I said I would 
help and I plan to.  I was wrong about you when you came back, you’ve helped me out, and if it 
wasn’t for me you wouldn’t be in this problem.”

“Right,” Jimmy said, almost disappointed.  “So you’re just making it up to me?”

“I am, because you’re my friend.  You’ve helped me out with my house, and you’ve done that as my friend, because I’ve told you over and over that you’ve more than made up for the damage to my hotel.  So I’m going to help you now, ‘cause that’s what friends do.”

“You know?  I gotta say, I never thought you’d ever call me your friend after the way you acted 
when I first got here.”

“Well,” she said, smiling slightly, “that’s because you stopped being the boorish ‘Wild Bill’ Hickok and showed me Jimmy.”

“I had some help remembering him,” Jimmy said warmly.  “Thank you.”

“You get some rest,” Kelly told him.  “I’m going to go check in on the hotel and pick up our dinner 
at Annabelle’s.  Any special requests?”

“As long as I’ll have your company, anything is fine,” Jimmy smiled lopsidedly at her.

“Anything?” she smirked.  “Then I’ll have Annabelle fix you up a large plate of liver and onions.  And maybe some creamed spinach too.”

“Ha-ha,” Jimmy laughed flatly.  “Fine, how ‘bout some fried chicken, biscuits and gravy?”

“You got it.  Try and get some sleep.  I’ll be back soon.”

“Some sleep,” Jimmy yawned.  “Sure, I’ll just…”

“Sleep,” Kelly laughed softly when she heard Jimmy snoring already.  She stepped into the hallway and closed the door.  “Be back soon.”
 

Chapter 13

Kelly walked into the boarding house, carrying a covered tray of food.  It had been several days 
since Jimmy had come home, and she had quickly fallen into a routine.  Saying good-morning to 
Mrs. Hamswich, she climbed the stairs to Jimmy’s room.  After she shifted the tray to one hand, she knocked on the door and waited.

“Come in,” he called.

“Good morning,” she smiled as she walked in.  “How are you feeling?”

“Hmmph,” Jimmy grunted.  “Some fine good morning.”

“Oh, I see someone woke up grumpy today,” Kelly laughed.  Even when Jimmy glared at her she couldn’t keep herself from laughing.  Finally getting control of herself she said, “I’m sorry.  I know you hate being kept inside.”

“Thanks for noticin’.  Is that my breakfast you’re holding, or do I have to starve in addition to being cooped up?”

“Here you are,” she said as she placed the tray on his bed.  Then she turned and opened up his dresser drawer and reached for a shirt.

“What are you doing?” Jimmy asked sharply.

“I was getting you a shirt,” she explained.

“Well, I don’t like people goin’ through my stuff.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, taken aback by his brusque manner.  “I just thought instead of the doc coming here, you could go there.  That way you’d be able to go outside.”

“Next time tell me before you just go rummaging through my things.”

“Don’t worry,” she said, trying desperately to remain calm.  “There won’t be a next time.”

“Even better.”

When breakfast was finished, Kelly helped a sullen Jimmy get dressed.  His shoulder was less stiff and he insisted on doing much of it for himself.  It was only when he couldn’t reach the top buttons 
on his shirt that he relented, grudgingly letting Kelly help him.

By the time he was dressed and they started towards the doctor’s office, there was a chilled silence between them.  It was markedly different from their other days together.  With nothing to do but 
talk, as Kelly helped Jimmy and made sure he rested, they’d really grown to know each other.

She had learned about the Pony Express and the people he’d rode with.  She learned about the 
things Jimmy was less proud of; his time with The Judge and the years he wasted gambling. 
Mostly, Jimmy wanted to talk about his friends from the Express.  He regretted that he hadn’t kept in touch with the people he considered his friends and family.  So one morning when Kelly arrived, she’d been more than happy to post two letters that he’d stayed up writing the night before.  She’d looked at the addresses, wondering whom he’d written, and saw they were to his sister Celinda and his old boss Teaspoon.

“Here we are,” Kelly said, ending the silence between them as they finally reached the doctor’s. 
“Do you want me to come in with you?”

“Go, stay, makes no difference to me,” he said indifferently.

“I’ll just wait with Mrs. Zimm then.  I’d like to hear what the doctor has to say,” she said, trying not to sound hurt.

“Suit yourself,” Jimmy answered as he opened the door and stepped inside.  Kelly stood on the boardwalk, and then slowly stepped through the door that he’d left open.

Annabelle walked out of the kitchen into the restaurant and smiled when she saw Kelly sitting at a table.  Crossing through the dining room, she saw down next to the younger woman.  “Are you here for yours and Jimmy’s lunches?”

“Nope,” Kelly replied with determination.  “I’m here for my lunch.  I’m eating it here.”

“Is Jimmy asleep?  Do you want to take something to him?”

“Nope and nope,” she said with satisfaction.  “Last time I saw him, he was up and walking around.  Doctor said he’s going to be fine so I guess he can get his own food from now on.”

“Kelly, what’s going on?”

“Nothing.  Jimmy went to the doctor today.  He’s doing fine.  His shoulder’s still a little stiff, but he doesn’t need to stay in bed.  So he wanted to go see Sheriff Wright and told me he didn’t need my help anymore.  So I’m done.”

“And you’re alright with that?” Annabelle asked.

“Absolutely.  I can go back to my hotel.  I can work in my garden.  I can just focus on my stuff.”

“Alright, cut the lies.  Tell me what’s going on.”

“Annabelle, nothing is going on,” Kelly said, looking her friend in the eye.  “Jimmy’s fine.  We’re friends, but it’s time for us to get back to our lives.”

Annabelle knew there was something else going on, but Kelly had dug her heels in and wasn’t changing her story.  She would just have to wait until her friend decided to talk to her.  “All right 
then, what would you like for lunch?’’

“A serving for one of whatever’s quickest to make,” came the reply.  “I want to get over to the 
hotel.  The books haven’t been done in nearly a week and I better get to them.”

“One special coming up,” Annabelle promised.  “While I’m gone, why don’t you think about the 
social and dance coming up next week.  The ladies will be asking you for help, I’m sure.”

Kelly stifled a groan into her hand as Annabelle walked to the kitchen.  The dance.  She’d forgotten about it, but it didn’t matter because she was too busy to go.  She never liked them, and if she ever went she was always helping out.  Right now she just didn’t have the time, the energy, and 
especially the desire to deal with other people having a good time.

When Annabelle brought her lunch out, Kelly let her know that she wouldn’t be going to the social and didn’t have time to help out.  This past week had put her behind in things, she said.  And as her friend stood there silently appraising her, she went through the litany of items she needed to get 
done at the hotel and at home and that she just really had to catch up on them.  Annabelle tried to convince her to help, but Kelly stood firm.  As she left the restaurant later, she couldn’t help but feel that Annabelle had accepted her arguments a little too easily.  And that thought made her wary.

“Afternoon, Mrs. Jeffries.”

“Afternoon, Deputy Hickok.  Just the person I was hoping to find.”

Jimmy eyed her skeptically; her smile was too bright, her tone too happy.  This was not going to be pleasant.  “What can I do for you?”

“You can tell me what you did to Kelly.  She was at the restaurant, happy as a cat with a dish of cream to be rid of you.  For nearly a week, she’s been happy to be helpin’ you out, eager to say how you’re getting better.  Suddenly, that all changed.”

“Nothin’ happened, Annabelle.  Doc Zimm said I was fine and I figured I could take care of myself and I told her that.”

Annabelle gave him a measuring look.  “Hmmm.”

“Hmm?”

“Probably didn’t give her any thanks, did you?  Just you’re all better so she can go.  You men can 
be so stupid.”

Jimmy blinked his eyes in surprise.  “What?  Of course I told her thank you.”

“But how?  Did you ask her to dinner, to the social and dance next week, or did you just say ‘see ya around’?”

Jimmy said nothing and Annabelle just ‘hmmphed’.  “That’s what I thought.  Do you men need everything spelled out for you?  Kelly likes you.  She got past who you were and saw who you are.  She doesn’t even realize the extent of her feelings, but I thought maybe that you knew yours.  Apparently not.”

“What are you goin’ on about?” Jimmy asked in frustration. 

“Well, I have been extolling your virtues, convincing her to give you a chance because I thought you were sweet on her.  But that’s obviously not the case, so never mind.  I suppose it is good that she has a friend closer to her age, and she does seem to like talking to you, so you better fix whatever you did wrong and make things right again.”

With that she was out the door in a swirl of skirts, leaving behind a very bewildered Jimmy.

When the sheriff returned a little while later, Jimmy headed off to the boarding house.  The doctor had told him to continue to take it easy, and his employer and friend had insisted he head back to 
his room for some rest.  He didn’t really want to admit it, but he was a little tired, so slowly he 
walked up the stairs to his room.  Entering, Jimmy suddenly felt very lonely.  Kelly had become 
such a fixture in his room the last week, that he wondered what he’d do with himself without their conversations.

“Get a grip, Hickok,” he told himself.  “You’ve survived just fine on your own this long without someone.  You’ll remember how it’s done.”

Yet there was a nagging voice in the back of his mind that said he wasn’t fine.  He’d wasted years of his life, drifting from place to place as a gambler.  He’d lived in a bottle, trying to forget his friends and family.   He had to forget them all because if he remembered just one, he’d remember Lou.  But he didn’t fear that anymore.

When he wrote to Teaspoon, he’d included a return address for the first time.  He said how he’d lost his way for a while, but that he was back on course; he was a deputy and he was happy.  Jimmy had mentioned that he’d met some people who reminded him of his friends; hard-working, honest people.  He nearly mentioned Kelly by name, but he’d stopped himself.

He didn’t know why at the time, but he knew now.  His feelings for Lou had really been no secret, though he thought he’d hidden them well.  For years he’d lived with her ghost haunting him, but as 
he was writing his letter he realized he hadn’t thought of her in months.  In fact, when he did think about her, he found himself comparing her to Kelly.  And it surprised him when he found Lou falling short in the comparison.

When he first came to Walker Flats and saw Kelly in her hotel, he thought she was a plain looking woman.  Certainly nothing like the women that he was used to being around as a gambler.  Now, he knew that some men would never consider her pretty, but he certainly did.  Her large, green eyes mesmerized him.  They could be cool and pale when she was angry, but deep and vibrant when she was laughing and happy.  The sprinkling of freckles across her nose and cheeks that he’d once considered her only distinguishing feature, were now the perfect frame for her pure, natural beauty.

All the time that he and Kelly had spent together, Jimmy had found out about her family.  The businesses her father had owned and how she’d blossomed under his tutelage.  He learned about 
her mother, a banker’s daughter from St. Louis who’d given up her wealthy friends and family and headed west with the man she’d fallen in love with.  He’d already known that her parents had died from smallpox, but he got a rare look into how frightened and alone Kelly had been during that time.

Kelly would never see herself as amazing.  She was just doing the things that needed to be done. 
But Jimmy certainly found her extraordinary.  A single woman, on her own, living in a boom town, 
and yet she never lost sight of the person her parents had raised.

He wanted to tell Teaspoon and the others about her, because he knew Teaspoon would share his letter with everyone.  Yet Jimmy wanted to keep Kelly to himself.  This was something that 
belonged to him, their friendship, and he feared somehow that he’d lose it if he told the world.  It 
was the first good thing in his life in over five years and he wanted to hold onto it.

However, he knew now that he couldn’t be so afraid of losing what they had.  He couldn’t let fear 
stop him from doing something about the future, a future he hoped she would share with him.  He 
was finally able to admit to himself what he really felt for Kelly.  It was time to act on those feelings before he ended up driving her away.  He just had to figure out how, but Annabelle had given him a good idea.
 

Chapter Fourteen

Kelly opened the door, intending to go check over her garden.  When she saw Jimmy at the bottom of the steps coming towards her, she had the strong desire to turn around and close the door.  Instead, she stepped stiffly onto the porch and gave a weak smile.  “Afternoon, Jimmy.”

“Afternoon, Kelly,” he said, smiling broadly.  “Were you heading out?”

“Just to spend some time in my garden,” she said as if it was nothing important.

“Ah, shoulda guessed by the gloves in your hand.  It’s looking real good,” he said as he turned and gazed out at the small patch.

“Thank you.  I think it’ll be a good harvest, thanks to you,” she said, and then wished she could take the last part back.  She wasn’t ready to forgive him quite yet for his brusque manner towards her.

“Yeah, well, just helpin’ out,” he said casually.  “Could I give you a hand?”

“Oh no,” Kelly said insistently.  “Your shoulder’s still healing.  You can’t be doing things like pulling weeds unless you just want to reinjure yourself.”

“No,” he assured her.  “But I’ve been doin’ better every day.  I’ve been meaning to stop by and see you, but you haven’t been at your hotel very much, or I just haven’t seen you.  I wanted to thank you for all your help while I was recovering.”

“It was no problem,” she said, her voice a little tight.  “It’s what friends do, right?  I really am glad you’re up and around.”

She looked off at the horizon and then at her garden.  “I guess I better get working or I won’t get things done before dark.”

Jimmy looked up at the sun, still high in its zenith.  It would be several hours before it was dark and he knew there wasn’t even an hour’s worth of work in her garden.  She kept it tended so well that he wondered if there were even five weeds in the whole patch.  She was avoiding him, he knew that, and it was time to end it.

“Kelly, could we talk a minute?” he asked, motioning to the chairs on the porch.

“I…really should…” her grip tightened around her gloves as her eyes darted around her porch trying to escape Jimmy’s piercing look.  “I don’t…” all the fight drained out as she glanced back towards Jimmy and she thought she might as well talk to him.  “All right,” she finally said.   She couldn’t think of a reason not to talk to him, especially under his earnest gaze.  Following him over to the chairs, she sat down and waited for him to speak.

Jimmy stretched out his legs and looked around her porch.  “You know what you need?  A porch swing.”

“A porch swing?” she asked.  The last she expected Jimmy to talk about was her need of a porch swing.

“Sure, for when people come calling.  Emma had a porch swing.  I always thought it was a nice touch to the house.  I missed it when the station at Rock Creek didn’t have one.”

Kelly looked at him out of the corner of her eye.  “When people come calling?  The only people who stop by regularly are you and Annabelle, and she likes to sit inside.”

“Alright,” Jimmy said.  “What about for when you want to sit outside in the evening?"

“Then my rocker here does just fine,” she told him.  She couldn’t understand why he was so insistent on her having a porch swing.

“What about when a suitor comes to court you?  Having a porch swing then sure could be nice.”

Kelly laughed hollowly.  “A suitor?  Jimmy, you’ve been here for two months, have you ever seen a suitor call on me?”

“Don’t see why one couldn’t start calling on you,” he said, keeping his tone even and casual.

“Jimmy, you and Annabelle are the only two people who I talk to regularly.  What man is going to suddenly start courting me?”

“I’d like to,” Jimmy said, taking a bold step in their relationship.  “What would you say about going to the social with me?”

Jimmy looked at her, trying to read the expressions crossing her face.  He didn’t like the one that settled there.  “This is some joke, right?  Or something Annabelle put you up to.  Poor, pitiful Kelly.  No one to take to her to the dance so let’s get the handsome deputy to take her.  She probably said you owed it to me for helping out while you recovered.  Well, I don’t need her charity and I don’t need your pity.  I’m not going to the social with you or anyone.  And no suitors will be dropping by anytime soon.  I’m not the kind of person men want to court, let alone marry.”

As her voice cracked and tears spilled over her cheeks, Kelly stood up and ran into her house.  Jimmy stood and followed to the door.  He knocked, but was only greeted by a slamming door from the interior of the house.  He put his hands in his pockets and leaned against the corner of the porch post.  He hadn’t anticipated that reaction from Kelly, but that only meant he had to try again.  And Jimmy was never one to back down from a challenge.

Kelly walked to the door, muttering under her breath.  For five minutes someone had been knocking on her door, pausing briefly, but never letting up and worse, never going away.  The pounding on the wood was now being matched by the pounding in her brain.  Before she reached the door she called out, “Annabelle, I’m not going to the social.  So please just go away and leave me alone.”

She forcefully opened the door and gasped out in surprise.  “Jimmy.”

“Evening, Kelly,” he smiled at her as he presented a small collection of wildflowers.  His freshly cleaned hat was in his other hand and he was wearing a new linen suit.

“What are you doing here?” she asked in annoyance.

“I was hopin’ I could change your mind about going to the dance.  And if I can’t change your mind, then maybe we can just sit out on porch and listen to the music coming from the Social Hall.”

“What if I say no to both?” she asked.

“Then I’ll just stand on your porch all night and knock on your door,” he grinned at her.  “That’s sure to catch more people’s attention than the two of us sittin’ and talking.”

“You’d really be stubborn enough to do that, wouldn’t you?”

“I can be just as stubborn and determined as you are,” he winked at her.

“You sure are impudent tonight,” she retorted, even if she couldn’t fully hide a bit of a smile.

“It’s all part of my charm.  Would you like to come out and sit down?”

“Alright,” she relented.  “Since you asked so nicely.”

She just wasn’t up for the fighting any more.  All they did when he first arrived in Walker Flats was fight, and they’d worked so hard to move past that.  She didn’t know what exactly caused him to sound so angry when she got a shirt out of his bureau, but she knew she was holding a grudge about it too long.  Though she still wasn’t convinced he truly wanted to court her, she did miss their friendship.

When she stepped out onto the porch, she was once again surprised.  A little table had been placed between the two chairs and covered with a tablecloth.  A small oil lamp was between the two plate settings, and a picnic hamper sat on the porch beside the table.

“I got Annabelle to help me out,” Jimmy confessed.  “The French call this dining ‘al fresco’.”

As Kelly sat down in the chair Jimmy held out for her, she couldn’t help but ask, “Jimmy, what’s going on?”

“We’re having dinner.”

“That part I got,” she said with a nervous laugh.

“Well then, you should be able to figure out that I’m calling on you.”

“Paying court?” she asked.

“Well, if you want to put a formal label on it, yes.  Why is that so surprising to you?”

“Nobody’s ever done it before,” she told him.  “Nobody’s ever paid attention to me like that.  I feel like this is all a joke.”

“I can assure you that this is not a joke,” he told her as he took her hand in his.  “Do you know why I came back to Walker Flats?”

She shook her head and so he explained.  “You were the first person who told me I was a fool.  Everyone else was afraid of ‘Wild Bill’ or women just wanted to be a part of the power and mystique.  But you told me I was wasting my life and you made me remember my friends and who I’d been.  I was in your hotel for a week at the most and I treated you and the rest of your staff badly.  But you still told me I was a fool and you threw me out.  No one had ever done that.

“When I made up my mind to change my life around, I felt like I needed to come back here.  I needed to show you that you’d been wrong.  And at first, that’s all it was about.  Make you eat your words.  You may not think people pay attention to you, but you made such an impression on me that I couldn’t stop thinking about you.  I felt honored when you called me your friend and I wanted even more to be the kind of person who deserved that title.  Then I realized that it was even more than that.  I’ve come to care about you.  That’s why I want to call on you.  I want to court you properly.”

Kelly looked away from Jimmy, a flush covering her cheeks despite the cool evening breeze.  Her head was swimming as Jimmy’s words penetrated her senses.  It wasn’t a classic declaration of love, like she’d read in books, but this was real and she understood Jimmy perfectly.  She looked around her porch and then finally back to Jimmy.  When she spoke, her voice was soft but gradually grew stronger.  “You know, you’re right.  I do need a porch swing.”

Jimmy smiled warmly and nodded his head at her.  “Yes, I think you really do.  So, would you like to see what Annabelle packed for us?”

“Actually,” she said, looking at him a bit shyly, “I think I’d like to see what’s being served at the social.”

“Really?” he asked in surprise.

“Give me just a few minutes to change, please?”

“Take whatever time you need,” he told as he pulled her chair out for her.  “I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

Mr. Jeffries made his way through the crowd of people near the dessert table and finally to his wife’s side.  She was marshalling the women clearing empty plates and bringing out new confections like the seasoned pro she was.  The band was taking a break at the moment and everyone was crowding around the table for refreshment.  He stood beside her for a minute 
without her noticing him, despite his attempts to get her attention.  Finally, he just gave up and pulled her away from the serving tables.

“Walter, what are you doing?  I’m busy at the moment.”

“I know,” he said.  One of the saloon owners had provided some free drinks for the men and Walter had had a few beers while talking with some of the shop owners whose wives were also helping.  He was oddly excited to point out to her something he was sure she’d want to see.  “But take a look there.”

He turned her toward the dance floor where couples were starting to gather.  The musicians were picking up their instruments and getting ready to start the music again.

“Walter, what am I supposed to look for?” Annabelle asked in exasperation, even as her eyes kept darting back to the press of people still at the refreshment tables.

“There,” he answered, and guided her gaze to a couple taking their place. 

He was leading her by the hand, saying something to her that caused her smile as a slight flushed crept onto her cheeks.  As they faced each other, their total attention to the other was evident to the entire room.   The budding romance, that not many people had really suspected but surprised no one, could not be mistaken.

“Kelly and Jimmy,” Annabelle smiled.  “I’d nearly given up hope for them.  Looks like they both finally came to their senses.”

As the music began and Kelly and Jimmy joined the other couples twirling around the floor, Annabelle forgot the desserts and the other people.  All she could focus on was Jimmy and Kelly, much like they could only focus on each other.  It was only when Walter nudged her elbow that she remembered her duties.  As she made her way back to the desserts, it was with a definite lightness to her step.
 

Chapter 15

“You ready?” Buck asked, as he tightened the cinch on his horse.

Ike nodded as he climbed up into his saddle.  He waited for Buck, and then they turned their horses east.  Even though they were at the edge of the camp, they still led their horses silently away.  There wasn’t any need to anger the others by waking them on their first day off in ten days.  Once they were far enough away, they urged their horses faster.

Both friends were eager to get to Walker Flats.  The sooner they got there, the more time they could spend with Jimmy.  They hadn’t believed it when they’d received a letter from Teaspoon that said he’d finally heard from Jimmy.  It seemed the wayward sheep were making their way back home.  Jimmy had at long last contacted his friends, and this time everyone was hopeful.  Instead of being like his previous letters that had no return address, he told them where he was staying and that he had a steady job.  And when Buck and Ike were done with this cattle drive to Utah they were going to Sam and Emma’s in Sweetwater.

For so long they’d wandered around searching for a place for themselves.  They’d finally realized they weren’t being true to themselves and until they were, they’d never find a place they could truly call home.  Each man found himself lost in his thoughts about the last six years.

Buck looked over at Ike, but his friend was staring straight ahead, a slight furrow creasing his brow.  He had a flash to nearly six years before when early one autumn morning they’d set off for Alaska after saying good-bye to their friends in Rock Creek.  They’d both been apprehensive about traveling so far away from everything they knew, but the lure of starting fresh away from the trappings of society had appealed greatly to them.  If they’d known it was going to be such a harsh environment, Buck was certain they’d have never gone past Red Bear’s camp.  After trying for a year to scrape by an existence, they decided the possibility of gold sometime in the future was not worth starving in the present.  Even though he felt like a failure for walking away, he knew that they couldn’t continue on as they had.  He and Ike had sold their claim and headed south, drifting until they’d ended up at a logging camp when their money ran out.

Logging had certainly been an adventure, Buck thought ruefully.  When the group was small and they needed the workers, the others had welcomed Buck and Ike in, even if it was warily.  He and Ike liked that they could go off in their own section and work without interference from the others.  They worked hard, they got their jobs done on time, and they didn’t cause problems with the others.  They should have been the ideal workers to any boss, and yet the foreman turned a blind eye to the taunts and insults the others would throw at them.  As the camp grew larger, the conditions grew worse.  Buck always feared when they’d get a liquor supply in camp, because then his and Ike’s unique qualities were tolerated even less. 

He still shivered in fear as he remembered the night they knew they had to leave.  After a particularly boisterous celebration, several of the men had banded together determined to show the breed and his dummy friend a lesson.  He and Ike had lain awake in their tent, their hands clutching their revolvers, not daring to make a sound.  That was the only time the foreman had intervened on their behalf, stopping the group and sending them back to their tents.  The next morning he told the foreman he and Ike would be gone by the end of the week after they got their pay.  By the end of the week the two friends were exhausted, because they still found it impossible to sleep for fear someone would come after them.

Buck had been greatly relieved to leave.  Not only did he feel safer, but also he was glad to no longer be cutting down trees.  He knew from his time living among the white men, that they used a lot of wood.  He wasn’t going to suddenly stop living in wooden homes, but he couldn’t be part of the tree’s destruction any more.  He could longer belong to a group that so recklessly and irreverently cut down these majestic giants.  Wood would always be necessary, but he’d leave the gathering of it to someone else.

Buck looked up when Ike came up next to him and nudged his shoulder.  His friend pointed and Buck nodded his head indicating he saw it too.  A town was appearing on the horizon and they knew it must be Walker Flats.  Their boss said it wouldn’t take them long to reach it.

They slowed as they entered the town and headed for the sheriff’s office.  Stopping in front, they climbed down and brushed off some of the trail dust.  Then they stepped up onto the boardwalk and walked toward the door.

**Think he’ll be surprised?**

“It’s a pretty safe bet,” Buck smiled.  After nearly six years they were finally going to see another member of their family, and to say they were excited was putting it mildly.  Jimmy was bound to be shocked because as far as they knew, he had no idea they were on a cattle drive passing by his town.

Opening the door, they stepped inside the jail and blinked as their eyes adjust to the dimness.  They looked around and were disappointed not to see Jimmy.

“Somethin’ I can help you fellas with?” the middle-aged man sitting at the desk asked.  There was a hint of wariness to his voice, but the friends noted that, unlike many of their previous experiences, there wasn’t any open hostility in his tone.

“Yes, sir,” Buck answered.  “I’m Buck Cross and this is Ike McSwain.  We’re looking for Jimmy Hickok.”

“Buck Cross and Ike McSwain,” the man said to himself, then looked up at them.  “You ride in the Pony Express with Hickok?”

“Yes we did,” Buck confirmed.

“Then pleased to meet you,” the sheriff said as he stood up.  “I’m Clarence Wright, the sheriff.”

He shook each man’s hand, then grinned.  “You fellas sure are in luck.  Jimmy just got back day afore yesterday.  He’s not on duty ‘til tomorrow, so y’all will be able to have yourselves a nice visit.”

Ike and Buck walked out of the sheriff’s office a few minutes later with directions to Jimmy’s.  Sheriff Wright had chatted with them a few minutes, saying it sure was nice to meet some of his deputy’s friends.  The two climbed on their horses and started down the street.

“That sheriff seemed a bit…”

**Odd?** Ike finished for his friend.

“Guess that’s the word I was looking for,” Buck shrugged.  “Seemed awfully happy to see people he’s never met before.”

Ike shrugged, even though he did agree it seemed a little strange.  He looked over at Buck as they turned the corner and the buildings ended a short distance down the street.  There were several small houses that they could see, but it wasn’t what he envisioned for a place for Jimmy to live in.

When the sheriff told them how to get to Jimmy’s house, all Ike could think was ’house?’.  Jimmy just didn’t seem to be the kind of person who would buy a house to live if he was just living by himself.  He’d figured they’d get directions to a boarding house.  They passed by the garden patch filled with plants varying in size and shades of green.  It reminded him of Emma’s little garden and if he closed his eyes he almost expected to see Emma out there gathering some vegetables to serve for supper that night.  He shook his head, surprised at how something so simple as a garden could transport him to an image so real he could smell Emma’s stew bubbling over the stove in the bunkhouse.

They stopped their horses and tied the reins to the porch rail.  Walking up the steps Ike noticed the porch swing which seemed like a recent addition.  The late August breeze was pushing it slowly back and forth, causing a slight creak to emanate from the large ropes holding it up.

**Are you sure this is the right place?**

“It’s what the sheriff said,” Buck answered.  “Does seem rather domestic for Hickok though, don’t it?”

Ike nodded as he stood to the side of the door and waited for Buck to knock.  The door opened and a petite woman stood on the other side of the threshold.  Her brown hair was pulled back in a loose braid and her green dress seemed to match the color of her eyes.

“May I help you?” she asked.  Her forehead was knitted together in confusion as she studied them intently.

“We’re sorry to bother you, ma’am,” Buck said, sweeping off his hat.  “We seem to have the wrong house.  We’re looking for Deputy Hickok’s place.”

Suddenly the woman broke into a large, warm smile.  She looked over her shoulder and called, “Jimmy, come here.  You’re never going to believe who’s here.”

Now it was Ike and Buck’s turn to look confused.  A door opened and Jimmy walked into view as he finished tucking his shirt into the back of his pants.  “Who is it, Kelly?”

Suddenly he stopped in the middle of the room and stared at the open door.  A mixture of shock and pure delight spread across his face as he quickly crossed the remainder of the room.  He stepped out on the porch and hugged the first man he reached. 

“Buck!  It’s so good to see you!” he exclaimed even as he released his hold and turned to the next man.  “Ike!  You look great!  Well, don’t just stand there, come in.  Come in.”

He ushered the men inside and then turned as he heard Kelly’s happy laughter while she closed the door.  He grinned as he turned from his friends and held out his hand towards her.  She slipped hers into his and he pulled her to his side.

“Kelly, this is Ike McSwain and Buck Cross.”

“From your Express days,” she said.  “I recognized them from the photo.”

“That’s right,” he said as he placed a kiss on her head.  “Buck and Ike, this is my wife Kelly.”