The next morning Christy awoke with a start. She was embarrassed to find that during the night she had apparently gotten over her shyness of sleeping next to Jimmy. She was snuggled up very close to him and her head was lying on his chest. She quickly moved away from him causing him to stir.

"Whazzamada?" He mumbled sleepily.

"Nothing." Christy lied. She surely didn’t want him to know how close they had been sleeping. "I thought I saw a bug."

Jimmy slowly raised up and rubbed both his eyes. He yawned and Christy thought she caught a glimpse of what James Hickok must have looked like as a child. His expression was vulnerable and his dark brown hair was a mess, which made him look years younger.

Jimmy cocked his head, listening. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Christy asked after a minute.

Jimmy jumped up and ran to the barn door. "Nothing! The wind has stopped, the blizzard is over!"

He threw open the barn doors and a pile of snow rushed in to greet him. Although the sky was cloudy, the sun was peeping out and the driving snow had finally stopped. The bright sun reflected off the white snow making a glare that was impossible to look at too long, however Christy was glad to see it.

"We got lucky." Jimmy stated. "If it had lasted three or four days, we could have froze to death."

Christy glanced at the small pile of wood remaining and shivered. "Will we be able to leave?"

Jimmy tried to judge the depth of the snow. "I think so, we’ll just have to go slow."

Within an hour, Jimmy and Christy were once again loaded in the buggy bundled under the quilts. The trip was slow going. The small pony had to be encouraged to brave the deep snow, but once she started, she pulled the buggy easily across the packed snow. Jimmy had to keep her at a walk to avoid falling into deep drifts where the pony would sink up to her flanks. Despite his precautions, twice the small mare foundered. Jimmy would then have to climb down from the buggy and pack the snow down until she could climb out. It was well after dark when the familiar buildings of Rock Creek rose up against the horizon and Christy breathed a sigh of relief.

Jimmy smiled at her sigh. "You weren’t worried, were you?"

"A little." She admitted. "I just hope Kid is alright."

As soon as they pulled into the barnyard, Buck ran outside to greet them. "Here, I’ll take care of the horse. Go on inside and get warm." He grabbed the reins from Jimmy and drove the buggy into the barn.

Inside the bunkhouse, Rachel, Lou, Teaspoon and the others were waiting. Rachel looked very pale as she set about heating up coffee to warm Christy and Jimmy. Kid sat at the table with his head in his hands. He looked up as they came in, then jumped to his feet and engulfed Christy in his embrace.

"Are you alright?" He held her face between his large hands and looked at her worriedly.

She nodded tiredly. "I’m fine."

"We’ve been so worried!" Rachel looked as if she might cry. "Cody and Kid were fixing to leave to start looking for you."

"We stayed in an old barn." Jimmy said simply.

Kid flashed him a murderous look. "How come it is, every time Christy is with you, something happens to her?"

"What’s that supposed to mean?" Jimmy’s voice had a tone of warning in it. He was tired, cold, and in no mood to listen to Kid’s lecturing.

"I’m saying, why don’t you stay away from her!" Kid said hotly.

"Kid—" Christy began, but Jimmy cut her off.

"I think Christy is old enough to decide for herself whether she wants to spend time with me. Why don’t you stay out of it."

"Because she ain’t known you long enough to make that decision." Kid stated stubbornly. "Trouble seems to follow you around, Jimmy, and I don’t want her involved in it."

"You tryin’ to say I ain’t good enough for her?" Jimmy felt his temper spinning out of control.

"Well, you ain’t exactly got a good history, do you? First, you try to take Lou away from me, and now you’re trying to get my cousin killed."

"Kid, I’m warnin’ you." Jimmy shook from his anger as he pointed his finger at the Kid. "This ain’t none of your concern, so stay out of it."

"And I’m warning you, Jimmy. Stay away from Christy." Kid said flatly.

Jimmy shook his head, then suddenly he made a lunge for Kid. The two of them fell to the floor, fists flailing. Jimmy sat astride Kid, but Kid managed to land a punch that caused Jimmy’s lip to start bleeding. Chairs fell over as the two men struggled with each other.

"Now hold on a minute!" Teaspoon struggled to be heard above the noise.

"Boys! Jimmy, Kid!" Rachel hollered helplessly.

"Cody, grab Kid!" Teaspoon yelled as he yanked a very angry Jimmy to his feet.

Cody pulled Kid up by his arms and strained to hold him. Jimmy also struggled to break free of Teaspoon’s grasp. The two men glared at each other menacingly.

"Let me go, Teaspoon!" Jimmy growled.

Rachel stepped in between them and placed a hand on each of their chests. "Stop it, both of you!"

Teaspoon pushed Jimmy down onto one of the bunk beds. "I don’t know what in tarnation is going on here, but both of you had better cool down!"

"He started it!" Jimmy protested as he rubbed his sleeve across his bleeding mouth.

Kid’s chest heaved as he pushed Cody away and sat down on another bed on the opposite side of the room. "You could of got her killed!"

"Enough!" Rachel yelled at the top of her lungs. "Will somebody please tell me what’s going on here?"

Both Jimmy and Kid began to speak at the same time, their voices rising as the tried to out talk the other.

"Hush!" Rachel bellowed. "Kid, why are you so upset with Jimmy? You know he would never do anything to hurt Christy! Jimmy, hush, let Kid speak!"

Kid hung his head. "I just don’t think Christy needs to get involved with him is all."

"You don’t know what she needs! You still treat her like a child!" Jimmy snapped.

"Excuse me!" Christy interrupted loudly. "Do either of you think maybe I can speak for myself?"

Teaspoon raised an eyebrow at her. "She’s right. Christy, why don’t you tell us your opinion on the matter?"

"I think," She began slowly. "Both of you are acting like children! Kid, you know perfectly well that I am capable of making up my own mind about Jimmy. Jimmy, likewise, I don’t want you to think that one kiss gives you the right to take charge of my life." Christy turned on her heel and stalked out of the bunkhouse.

Cody stared at Jimmy with his mouth agape. "You kissed her? Dammit, Hickok, I can’t have nothin’ around you!" Then he too, turned and left the bunkhouse, slamming the door behind him.

Kid said nothing. He reached down and picked up his hat from the floor and walked out the door. The small room seemed to reverberate with the blast of the door closing. Lou followed closely behind him. After a minute, Jimmy stood shook his head, and left, too.

Teaspoon looked around at Rachel, Ike, Buck, and Noah. "Well, now, that’s better, isn’t it?"

The next morning dawned gray and cold. Christy hurried to the hen house to gather eggs in a foul mood. All night she had tossed and turned, thinking of the evening before. She didn’t know who she was angrier with, Jimmy or Kid. She began chunking the eggs into her basket, her face set into a grim scowl.

She turned when she felt a tap on her shoulder. "You’re going to break those eggs." Ike signed to her.

"What? Slow down, you’re going too fast." Christy watched as he repeated his movements. "Break the eggs? Yeah, well, I’d like to break something else right now; like Jimmy’s and Kid’s heads."

"I think they both care for you." Ike insisted.

Christy observed him carefully. "That kind of caring I can do without. Besides, I think it has more to do with some stupid grudge between them than it does me."

Ike smiled. "Those two are very different people, but they are like brothers. If you mess with one, you mess with both of them."

"Ike, can I ask you something?" When he nodded, Christy continued. "What do you think of Jimmy?"

"What do you mean?" He signed.

"I’m not sure." She absently plucked another egg from the nest. "I like him, a lot. Maybe Kid’s right, though. Maybe I should stay away from him."

"Why would you do that?" Ike asked.

Christy sighed. "Because I don’t want to mess things up with Kid. He’s the most important person in my life, and he’s all the family I’ve got left."

"Kid will come around." Ike comforted and he patted her shoulder. "Don’t give up. If being with Jimmy is something you really want, then don’t let anyone change your mind."

"You know something, Ike? For someone who doesn’t say much, you sure are smart." Ike grinned and grabbed the basket of eggs from her. Together they walked back to the house.

After a very quiet and tense breakfast, Kid and Christy set out to Thompkin’s store to pick up some supplies. They trudged through the snow without saying anything, their breath’s mingling in the frosty air. The warmth emitting from the buildings they passed beckoned them.

"Hello, Kid, Miss Tunstall." Thompkins called to them as they entered the store. "Glad to see you two survived the blizzard. What can I get for you?"

"Just some supplies; flour, sugar, coffee, salt. And Christy wants to check on her dresses." Kid handed over the list Rachel had written out for him.

"Let’s see, coffee I got, sugar I got, all out of salt, though. Folks been buying it like crazy to put down on some of this ice we’ve been having. Should come in on the next train, though. Check with me day after tomorrow. Miss Christy, your dresses should be done next week. My seamstress has been working on them night and day, but this blizzard slowed her down some." Thompkin’s moved busily around the store gathering items as he talked.

Within minutes they were hurrying back towards the waystation, packages in hand. Kid’s stride was so long; Christy had to take two steps to his one to keep up. She glanced at him warily. His mouth was set in a firm line, and his blue eyes looked dark and cloudy.

"Slow down a little, would you?" She panted. "Kid? Come on, Kid, talk to me, please."

"Ain’t nothin’ to say." Kid muttered, shifting the flour to his other arm.

Christy grabbed his free arm, forcing him to stop. "So you’re not going to talk to me from now on? Just because I went for a buggy ride with Jimmy?"

"That ain’t all you did with him, is it?" Kid spat.

Her fair face flushed. "One kiss, Kid, one kiss. Is that a crime?"

"You’re missing the point." His eyes flashed.

"Explain it to me, then. What is the point?" Christy led Kid away from the bunkhouse and into the barn, where they could have some privacy.

"The point is Jimmy’s reputation. Folks believe he’s a gunfighter and as long as they think that, he’s gonna be trouble. I don’t want you in that kind of situation." Kid removed his hat and ran a hand distractedly through his curly brown hair.

"I’m not thinking of marrying him, Kid." Christy sighed. "Besides I haven’t had any problems because of Jimmy’s so-called reputation."

"Not yet." Kid said ominously. "But believe me, you hang around ‘Wild Bill’ long enough and you will."

"Know what I think? I think you’re no better than those people who believe he’s something he’s not. You’re saying just because he has gotten falsely labeled that he doesn’t have a right to happiness. That’s not fair, Kid."

"Why do you have to be so hard headed about this?" Kid demanded. "Just listen to me, for once."

"I am listening to you! What you’re saying is absurd. I am a grown woman. I have a right to make my own choice, and if that choice includes James Hickok, then it’s none of your business!" She snapped.

"Then I wish you never would have come here!" Kid yelled. "Cause messing with him will get you killed!"

"Kid!" He turned to find Lou standing in the barn door, her hands covering her face and her eyes wide in shock. Christy took one last look at her cousin, then ran, sobbing, out of the barn and down the street into town.

"Christy! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that!" Kid ran outside after her, but she had already disappeared.

"What do you mean she’s gone?" Teaspoon bellowed.

Kid and Lou had made a frantic search of Rock Creek to no avail. Christy seemed to have vanished into thin air. Finally, they had returned to the bunkhouse to enlist the help of the others. After explaining the situation to Teaspoon, a very contrite Kid waited for the haranguing he knew was coming.

"This is all your fault, Kid." Jimmy said angrily. His dark eyes seemed almost black with rage.

"Jimmy, hold on a minute. I think what we need to do right now is find Christy and quit worrying about who’s to blame." Teaspoon stepped between Jimmy and Kid before they could come to blows again. "Kid, you and Lou come with me. The rest of you boys split up and search this town inside out. Rachel, you stay here in case she comes back. Cody will be back from his run soon and you can send him out looking."

"You think something’s happened to her, Teaspoon?" Buck asked quietly.

"No, at this point, I don’t. I think she’s just got her feathers ruffled, but you never know when another blizzard will pop up, and I’d feel better having her back here safe and sound." Teaspoon grabbed his coat and headed out into the cold, followed by Kid and Lou.

Christy wandered aimlessly around town. Twice she saw Kid and Lou looking for her, but each time she ducked out of sight. Deep in her heart, Christy knew Kid hadn’t meant the things he said, and really his words were not what troubled her. She felt like she was in a game of tug of war, and she was the rope, caught between Jimmy and Kid.

Kid was her strength, her link to the past. No one would ever understand her like Kid did, simply because they had shared so many of the same struggles. Christy knew why Kid was so overprotective; there had been so much pain in their past, he wanted to shield her from anything else hurtful.

Jimmy, however, was new and exciting. He was charming, obviously good-looking, and so, well, masculine. Christy had heard that girls tended to seek out men like their fathers, and even though she had been very young when her father died, the few memories she did have reminded her somehow of Jimmy. It wasn’t merely the physical that attracted her to him; Jimmy made her feel womanly and safe. She didn’t know how Kid could worry about her being in danger with Jimmy around, because she had never felt so protected.

Christy also realized there was a flip side to the coin. If she choose Kid, he could marry Louise, leaving her alone again. And who was to say that things would even work out between her and Jimmy? Their blossoming friendship was so new and fragile; it wouldn’t take much to break it. Maybe he didn’t even think of her in a romantic light. The kiss they shared could have been just a whimsy of his. Christy didn’t know when she had been more confused.

She walked slowly past the saloon, thinking of the night that Cody had dragged her inside. Cody was another person who had been hurt during this mess, although Christy had the feeling he would be the first to recover.

The inside of the saloon was smoky and dim. She looked in the window, examining all the people moving around. The saloon girls were dancing around in their gaudy red costumes, rough looking men sat at tables, hunched over cards. Christy watched for a minute as the men placed their bets and laid down their cards. One of the men in particular caught her eye. He looked younger than most of the worn, grizzled cowboys he sat with. His brown hat was pushed down low on his head, obscuring most of his face. She studied him closer. There was something almost familiar about the way he was sitting, slouched down in his seat, with his legs sticking out straight in front of him. Just then the man turned to face her, and Christy gasped. It was Harry Turner.

Christy rubbed the grubby window to get a better look. It was definitely Harry, although he had changed since she last saw him. He had lost weight, making his already lean frame look slightly bony. He sported a week’s worth of stubble and his black hair was longer. She watched as he stretched his thin frame then quickly downed a shot of whiskey. He glanced casually around the saloon, his eyes following the saloon girls as they paraded by him. He absently glanced at the window where she stood, then did a double take as he noticed her there. He stood, knocking over his chair and tipping over his whiskey glass. The other men at the table grumbled at him, but he took no notice.

Christy waited nervously until he made his way outside. Up close, Harry’s appearance had changed even more. His eyes had a wild look in them, and his hands seemed to shake as they reached up to embrace her face.

"Hello, Harry." She said quietly.

"Christy?" His eyes were disbelieving. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you." Christy tried to hide the bitter tone in her voice unsuccessfully.

He glanced over his shoulder at the saloon doors. "Just got here this morning. I’m passing through actually."

She noticed he didn’t tell her where he planned to go next. "It’s good to know you’re doing alright."

Harry flinched at her sarcasm. "I know, I’m sorry. I should have let you know where I was."

"It would have been nice." She stared at him icily.

"Why are you in Rock Creek?" He asked again, obviously trying to change the subject.

"My cousin is here." Christy felt a flash of guilt as she thought of Kid. He would be worried sick, wondering where she was.

Harry glanced at her, then looked away. "Look, Chris, I know you have every right to angry with me, but—"

"Christy!" Harry was interrupted as Kid ran up to them. "Where have you been? We’ve been looking everywhere for you!"

Just then Kid noticed the man standing next to his cousin. Kid looked the young man up and down and noticed he appeared very drunk. "Is he bothering you?" Kid asked with a steely glint in his eyes.

"Not anymore." Christy replied. "I was just leaving."

"Christy, wait! I want to talk to you." Harry pleaded.

"I don’t think we have anything to talk about." She said stiffly. She grabbed Kid by his arm and pulled him reluctantly after her.

Harry quickly stepped in front of her. "Please, wait. Can I see you before I leave?" His tone sounded desperate.

Christy studied him for a minute before replying. "Alright. I’m staying at the Pony Express station. You can meet me there tomorrow.""

Harry flashed his lightening quick grin, and for a second, he looked like his old self. "Tomorrow would be great. See you then." He tipped his hat to her and jogged away.

"What was that all about?" Kid stood with his hands on his hips.

"Just an old friend." Christy tried to sound casual.

"What’s he doing here?" Kid asked.

Christy seemed lost in thought. "That’s what I would like to know."

"Christy," Kid changed the subject, sensing he would get no further with her on her mysterious friend. "I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things earlier. You know I don’t want you to leave. I just-- I was just being overprotective, I guess."

Christy’s eyes filled with tears. "Kid, I know you love me, and don’t want me to get hurt, but you have to let me make some decisions on my own."

Kid nodded. "I just can’t stand the thought of losing you again. If something happened to you…"

"It won’t, Kid. Between you and Jimmy, how can it?" She teased. "But I can’t go on feeling torn between the two of you."

Kid took her hand. "I’m sorry. Just promise me you’ll take it slow with him, please."

"I promise." She sighed.

They made their way back to the bunkhouse. Teaspoon and Lou were already there waiting with Rachel, but the rest of the boys were still out looking for Christy. Christy felt immense guilt at having the riders out in the bitter cold because of her.

"I’m sorry, Teaspoon, that was immature of me." She apologized.

"Well, that’s alright. I reckon everyone of us in this room has done somethin’ foolish at one time or another." The older man comforted.

Jimmy and Cody was the last to come in. "We didn’t have any luck—" Cody stopped as he saw Christy sitting quietly in the rocking chair.

"I’m sorry, Jimmy, Cody." Christy said sincerely.

"Are you alright?" Jimmy asked. It was hard to tell if he was concerned or angry.

"Fine. I just let my temper get the best of me. I’m sorry all of you had to suffer because of me." Christy couldn’t stand the thought of any of them being mad at her, but at the same time, she couldn’t blame them if they were furious.

"Well, now, everyone’s home safe and sound. Why don’t you help me start dinner, Christy?" Rachel said lightly.

The boys sat down at the table and began playing a game of cards. Christy helped Rachel cook, barely saying a word. As if she didn’t have enough to worry about, now she had Harry’s visit tomorrow to think about. Why on earth had she ever agreed to let him see her?

"Don’t be so hard on yourself." Rachel said quietly to Christy. "These boys will have forgotten all about this in the morning."

"I just feel so stupid and childish." Christy explained.

"Believe me, I know the feeling." Rachel laughed. "The best thing to do is forget about it, and get on with your life."

Christy looked at the motherly woman with admiration. "You’re way too nice, you know that?"

"Shh." Rachel put a finger to her lips. "Don’t you dare tell these boys!"

After dinner Christy wandered out to the barn. She went to Katy’s stall and fed her a carrot. While the brown and white horse munched, Christy absently stroked her mane. It must be nice to be a horse, Christy thought.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Came a voice behind her.

"Jimmy!" She breathed a sigh of relief. "Don’t sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry." He said as he came closer. "Didn’t mean to scare you."

"Are you mad at me?" Christy glanced at him uncertainly.

Jimmy shook his head. "No."

They stood looking at each other for a minute. Finally Jimmy took another step closer and reached out gently to touch her face. Christy closed her eyes.

"Jimmy—" She whispered.

"Shh, let me talk. Christy, since the day I found you, I’ve been fighting these feelings I got for you, because I knew it would cause problems with the Kid. Kid—he’s stubborn. When he latches on to an idea, he don’t let go, and Kid thinks I ain’t right for you. I know what he means to you, but you gotta tell me, before this thing goes any farther; Christy, how do you feel?" Jimmy looked at the floor as he talked and Christy saw something in him she’d never seen before—Jimmy was scared.

"When I first came here, I was just so happy to see Kid again, I didn’t think I would ever look at another man. The things Kid and I went through, Jimmy, well, they made us closer than most cousins. I need him. He understands me in a way others can’t." Christy tried to make sure Jimmy understood her love for Kid before she went on.

"Then you gave me that tour of Rock Creek, and you changed all that." She sighed. "You made me realize I could trust someone besides Kid. I just never thought it would be this hard. I don’t want to have to choose between you and Kid."

Jimmy nodded. "I understand."

He started to walk away, but Christy caught him by the arm. "Wait." She said. She pulled him back close to her, sensing his puzzlement as she wrapped her arms around him. She kissed Jimmy then, trying to express in that one kiss what words would not let her.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked gruffly. "If you’re not, say so now, because I think I’m falling in love with you."

Christy leaned her head against his broad chest. "I’m sure."

"Then damn Kid. Damn him and anyone else that gets in our way." Jimmy held her closer and breathed for what felt like the first time in a very long time.

Christy decided the next morning to seek out Kid and Cody. She couldn’t stand the tension hanging in the air between the group. She decided the sooner she talked things over with them, the quicker things could be smoothed over.

She found Cody sitting on the bunkhouse porch, cleaning and polishing his rifle. She felt very relieved when he grinned at her as she climbed the steps to join him.

"Hello, Miss Tunstall. You’re looking pretty as ever." Cody drawled as she sat next to him.

As always, Cody’s blatant flirting caused her to blush. "Thank you, Billy. I was hoping I could talk to you."

Cody turned his baby blue eyes to her, batting his eyelashes shamelessly. "Sure, talk, or anything else you want to do."

She couldn’t help but laugh. "It’s about Jimmy, Billy. I—"

Cody held up one hand. "No need to go any further. From the day me and Hickok found you, I knew you were destined to be with him."

Christy raised an eyebrow at him. "You did?"

"Yep. No hard feelings, the better man won." Cody leaned forward to take her hand. Grinning devilishly at her, he kissed her palm. "But, if you ever reconsider…"

"Billy!" She pretended to be shocked. "You’re going to make some woman very happy someday, you know that?"

"I intend to make a lot of women very happy someday." Cody laughed.

Feeling buoyed by Cody’s attitude, Christy approached Kid with a lighter heart. She located him behind the bunkhouse, feverishly chopping wood. Lou was leaned against a fence post watching him.

"He always does that when something’s bothering him." Lou commented as Christy approached.

"He does?" Christy asked worriedly.

"Yep, when we first started courtin’, he chopped a lot of wood." Lou smiled mischievously.

Lou left, heading toward the barn, leaving Christy and Kid alone. Christy walked toward her cousin cautiously. He swung the axe forcefully, cracking the slab of wood down the middle. He paused to wipe the sweat from his forehead, for the first time noticing Christy.

"Hey." He picked up another piece of wood.

"I hope you’re not pretending that wood is me." She tried to sound lighthearted.

"Nope." He took another swing with the axe.

"Kid, please don’t be mad at me." Christy pleaded.

He laid down the axe and sighed. "I’m not mad. I’m not anything. You’ve got a right to live your own life."

"Good." Christy nodded. "I just don’t like this feeling of distance between us."

Kid put his hands on his hips as he observed her. "Neither do I."

"What do you mean by that?" She asked curiously.

He paused. "Christy, who was that fellow you were talking to in town yesterday?"

"I told you—an old friend." She looked away guiltily.

"Since when have you become friends with con artists?" Kid watched her closely.

"What do you mean?" Christy’s tone registered surprise.

"Last night, I asked Teaspoon whether he knew of any new faces in town." Kid sounded casual, but his gaze was direct. "He told me he was keeping his eye on a fellow who rode into town yesterday. He said this fellow liked to hang around saloons, cheating folks out of their money. According to Teaspoon, his description matches the man you were talking to yesterday. Who is he, Christy?"

Christy tried to hide her irritation. "Kid, I had forgotten how nosy you always were." Kid said nothing, merely waiting on her answer. "Fine, I’ll tell you. His name is Harry Turner."

Kid looked stunned. "Harry Turner? As in, ‘Blackjack’ Harry Turner?"

"You’ve heard of him?" Now it was Christy’s turn to look shocked.

"I heard he murdered two men." Kid said with some disgust.

"Yes, he did." Christy’s tone turned bitter.

"You knew?" Kid asked incredulously.

She nodded. "You remember I told you about the man I stayed with before I came here? Well, his name was Charles Tunstall. He was a good man, Kid. He took me in when I had no place to go, and not only me, he took in several boys who were homeless. Charles gave us a home, he taught us, loved us. Harry was one of those boys.

"When Charles found Harry, he had been accused of cheating by two card sharps. They were going to kill Harry, until Charles showed up. He distracted the men long enough for Harry to get away, then Harry came to live with us. A year later, the two men showed up at our farm looking for Harry. They attacked Charles and burned down our main house. Charles died." She looked up at Kid with tears in her eyes. "Harry swore he would get revenge, and he did. The last time I saw Harry was the night he killed them. I’ve never seen him like that, Kid, never. I think—I think it destroyed him. I stayed in the farmhouse, hoping he would come back again, but that was the last time I saw him, until yesterday."

"You were in love with him." Kid stated.

"Yes." Christy admitted.

"Why does he want to see you now?"

"I don’t know." She answered.

Kid shook his head. "I don’t trust him. You may have thought you knew him once, but I don’t think he’s the same person anymore."

"Kid, it will be alright." Christy grabbed his arm. "I’m meeting him here. What could he possibly do with you and the others around?"

Kid sighed and picked up the axe again. "I hope you’re right. I have a bad feeling about this."

Harry didn’t arrive until late afternoon. Christy had already given up on him and was contemplating saddling Katy for a ride, when he rode up. He jumped down from his horse, offering her an uneasy smile. Again she noticed how bad he looked, although he looked more sober today.

"Thank you for seeing me." He began shyly.

She nodded curtly. "What do you want?"

Was it her imagination, or did he look a trifle hurt at her tone? "I wanted to see you, of course."

She stared at him silently.

"Are you going to be mad at me forever?" He demanded.

"No." She said calmly. "After today, I don’t plan to see you again."

"Chris, I’m sorry if I hurt you—" he started.

"Hurt me?" Christy fought to keep from yelling. "Harry, you walked away from me when I needed you the most! All you could think of was revenge."

"What did you want me to do? Just let those two lowlifes get away with murder? Charles deserved better than that, and you know it." Harry’s eyes flashed indignantly.

She glared at him for a moment, then threw her hands up in the air. "It doesn’t matter now anyway."

"It does matter." Harry said quietly, with urgency. "Christy, I told you I would come back for you, and I did."

"You also told me you couldn’t be with me, to find someone else!" She cried.

He shrugged. "I didn’t mean that. I just went through a bad time, I needed some space."

"You’re unbelievable!" Christy stamped her foot for emphasis. "You left me. I didn’t hear from you for months, and now you just want to pick up the pieces and pretend like nothing happened."

"Why can’t we? Chris, we had the beginnings of something good. Do you just want to let it all slip away?" Harry begged.

"It’s too late, Harry." She whispered.

"Too late? Why?" He grabbed her hand. "Because I made a mistake? We can get past that, can’t we? Please just give me another chance."

She removed her hand from Harry’s grasp and shook her head. "It’s too late."

"Why do you keep saying that?" He asked. He gazed at her, then slowly, comprehension seemed to dawn. "You’ve found someone else."

Christy looked down guiltily. "It doesn’t matter. If I have or haven’t, it’s still over between you and I."

"Who is he?" Harry’s eyes were dull, his voice soft.

"Why do you care, Harry?" Furiously, she turned away from him. "It’s none of your business."

Harry grabbed her by the arm and pulled her roughly to him. "Who is he?"

"Harry, let me go. You’re hurting me." Christy tried to sound unafraid.

He shook her. "Tell me who he is, Christy."

"Let her go!" Jimmy walked into the barn, his Navy Colt drawn and pointed directly at Harry.

Harry smiled and it chilled Christy. It was the smile of a madman. "Stay out of this."

Jimmy walked closer, his gaze never leaving Harry, his gun never wavering. "I’m not gonna tell you but one more time; let her go."

Harry laughed. For one dreadful minute, Christy thought he would ignore Jimmy, but then he let go of her arm and pushed her away. "I guess I got my answer."

"I think you better leave." Jimmy said to Harry. Christy ran quickly to hide behind Jimmy.

Harry slowly mounted his horse. He looked down at Christy and Jimmy before tipping his hat to them. "This ain’t over, Christy."

"It is now." Jimmy replied.

Harry smiled wickedly again. "Ya’ll have a good day, now." He said as he rode away.

Christy breathed a sigh of relief as he disappeared. "Thank you."

Jimmy uncocked his pistol and put it away. "Who was that?"

"Harry Turner. We used to be friends." Christy said nervously.

"Friends, huh?" Jimmy looked suspicious. "I think you better stay close tonight. I don’t doubt he’d try something foolish."

Christy was dismayed to see Jimmy begin saddling his palomino. "Where are you going?"

"I’m leaving on relay." He replied. "I’ll be back in the morning."

He noticed Christy’s worried look and continued in a softer tone. "Look, don’t worry. As long as you stay here, he wouldn’t dare try anything."

She nodded and tried to look reassured. "You’re right. Be careful and I’ll see you tomorrow."

Jimmy gave her a quick kiss before riding away. Christy watched him go and she couldn’t help but feel apprehensive. She comforted herself with Jimmy’s words. He was right; Harry wouldn’t come back here with Kid and the others around. Slowly she walked back to the main house to help Rachel with the cooking.

After dinner, Christy sat on the porch swing next to Rachel and listened to Teaspoon tell stories of his days as a Texas Ranger. Lou and the boys sat scattered around, listening, too. The night was warmer than it had been all week, with a touch of the coming spring in the air. If Jimmy had been here, it would have been a perfect evening for Christy.

One by one, everyone began turning in for the evening, until Christy and Rachel were left alone. They rocked in the swing for a while silently, enjoying the night. The only mother figure in Christy’s life had been Kid’s mother, and she felt a strong urge to confide in Rachel.

"I’m sorry we worried you during the blizzard." She began unsure how to broach the subject of Jimmy. "And I’m sorry I ran off yesterday without telling anybody."

Rachel leaned forward to pat her knee comfortingly. "Well, I guess you have a lot on your mind with Kid and all. You can talk to me, you know, instead of running away."

Rachel’s words were all the encouragement Christy needed. "I just feel like I’m being pulled in two different directions."

"Because of Jimmy and the Kid?" Rachel clarified.

Christy nodded. "Kid is the most important thing in my life, Rachel. But Jimmy…"

"Jimmy is becoming important to you, also." Rachel finished for her.

"Yes." Christy sighed. "It’s almost like it’s a competition between them, to see who can win me."

Rachel chuckled. "Well, you may not be far off. Now, I wasn’t here when Kid and Jimmy first started working for the Express, but Teaspoon has told me some stories. They are total opposites, those two. Sometimes that works for them, but sometimes, they are like oil and water-they don’t mix."

"What happened between Jimmy and Lou?" Christy leaned forward in the swing, hoping to look casual.

Rachel hesitated. "I’m not sure, Christy. All I really know is for a time Jimmy and Louise seemed to be getting really close. It happened around the time Kid and Lou were having some problems and they had sort of parted company for a while. Jimmy was trying to get over a lady named Alice because things hadn’t worked out between them. Jimmy and Lou had to go to Willow Springs, and I think they spent quite a bit of time together."

"So, did Lou and Jimmy---?" Christy trailed off.

"No, not that I know of." Rachel shook her head. "Things were kinda tense for a while, but I think Lou realized that she really did love Kid. I think it’s that connection between Louise and Jimmy that worries Kid. He doesn’t really believe there can just be a strong friendship between a man and a woman without anything else."

"Hmmm." Christy mumbled. "Do you think maybe that’s why Kid doesn’t want me to be with Jimmy? He’s getting back at Jimmy because of Lou?"

"I don’t know." Rachel considered. "Could be, or it could just be Kid is just afraid of you getting hurt, like he says."

"You mean, Kid thinks Jimmy is in love with Lou and is just using me?" Christy asked.

Rachel shrugged. "Maybe, Kid can be awful hard-headed sometimes. Just give it time; things got a way of working themselves out." She stood and stretched. "You want some coffee?"

"No, I think I’ll pass." Christy said.

"Well, I think I’m going to fix a cup and take it to bed. Maybe I’ll read for a while. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Rachel. Thanks."

Rachel went inside, but Christy decided to stay outside for a few more minutes. She walked around the porch for a minute to stretch her legs, thinking over what Rachel had told her. Could Kid be right? Would Jimmy ultimately end up hurting her because of feelings he still had for Lou? Now Christy understood Kid’s hesitation at expressing his feelings to Lou better.

She walked down the porch steps, enjoying the feeling of the night air on her skin. Life had certainly become more complicated since she had come to Rock Creek, but Christy still felt happier than she ever had. She thought back to the terrible night right before she had gotten separated from Kid and Jed.

That was the night Kid had vowed he would never take anything from his father again, including his name. Never would she have guessed then that she and Kid would end up in a place like this, with a sort of makeshift family to ease some of the scars of the past.

Lost in her thoughts, Christy hadn’t noticed that she had wandered so far away from the house. With a start she realized where she was and hurriedly walked back toward the house. She hadn’t gone two steps when out of the darkness, a figure loomed in front of her.

"Harry." She murmured a feeling of dread growing within her.

"Shh." He whispered as he stepped closer with a foul smelling piece of cloth in his hand. He grabbed her arm before she could even think of running and brought the cloth up to her face.

For Christy the world suddenly ceased to matter…

On to Chapter 11!

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