This is the episode after Ike (one of the regular characters) dies. Buck is grieving and cannot get over the loss. The army has had guns stolen by a gang, presumably in preparation for the approaching civil war.

Cody and Buck go to Tomkins’ store. Cody is admiring a knife when Buck gets into a fight with Tomkins because he is selling Indian medicine pouches. In the confusion, the knife is stolen by a young boy of about 12 years of age. Cody chases him outside where he finds out his name, Daniel, and meets his mother, Julia Tobin, a widow. His mother forces him to return the knife and it is clear that there is an instant attraction between Cody and Julia. The next day, Cody breaks up a schoolyard fight involving Daniel. He takes the boy home on horseback and lectures him on the importance of going to school. He makes a deal, if Daniel goes to school for an entire week and doesn’t get into any fights, he will give him the knife. Daniel agrees. When they arrive, Cody shows off in front of Julia by carrying an enormous bundle of wood.

The subplot has Buck finding a pregnant woman in an abandoned wagon, she draws a gun on him because her husband and brother have been murdered

At Julia Tobin’s farm (after Cody has left), we find out that a man, Kimble, is part of the same gang as Julia’s now dead husband was a part of and they are responsible for stealing the army’s guns. He forces her to hide the rifles her barn, threatening her child if she doesn’t cooperate.

After a two-day ride, Cody finds Daniel waiting for him at the express station. He wants to go fishing, Cody declines but Lou reminds him that he took on a responsibility and that the boy needs someone he can count on. Cody reluctantly goes with him. While they are fishing Daniel reveals that he thinks his mother is responsible for his father’s death. Cody tries to find out why but Daniel won’t tell.

The next scene has the riders going to lunch at Julia and Daniel’s farm. There is a tug-o’-war contest and Daniel, Cody and Lou win. They have an outdoor lunch and Noah notices Julia’s nervousness at the mention of the guns. When the others have left and Daniel has gone to bed, Cody and Julia are alone and she tells him of the problems in her marriage before her husband died. As he is leaving they look into each others eyes. There is a lot of sexual tension and Julia kisses him on the cheek and he leaves.

The subplot continues with Buck defending the pregnant woman from three bandits

The next day, in town, Kid and Jimmy tease Cody for buying cologne because they realize he is in love. Lou apologizes on their behalf and reminds him how he teased her and the Kid when they first got together. Cody confirms that he is in love and that it’s worse than being shot. He can only think of Julia and laments that unlike the Kid, Julia could never love him. Lou encourages him to tell her how he feels. Later that evening, Cody visits Julia and she promptly sends Daniel to bed. He asks her to sit on the porch but before he can say anything, the gang approaches. She begs Cody to hide, saying that they will kill him. Cody witnesses them storing the weapons in the barn. When they leave, Julia cries and tells him everything. He holds her. The next day, Cody indirectly asks Teaspoon what to do. (I have this friend......). Teaspoon says he will let the gang think he’s about to do a raid on Julia’s farm so they move the weapons and he will only arrest them after they have left so that they do not suspect Julia. His only condition is that ‘your friend gives me a big kiss when this is over’. Cody smiles.

Meanwhile Buck tells the pregnant woman how Ike died. How he died to save Emily and how pointless his death was. She says that if he was in love, he couldn’t have done anything else. She starts to have contractions

The next scene has Julia and Cody sitting alone on the swinging seat on Julia’s porch. Cody tells Julia about Teaspoon’s plan explaining that no one will ever know she was involved. She is so grateful that she hugs him, and then kisses him slowly on the mouth. They don’t realize that Daniel is angrily watching them through a window. He runs away to Kimble’s hotel room. He tells him about Cody and something of the plan.

Meanwhile, the pregnant woman gives birth to a boy

When Julia awakens in the morning she is frightened to find out that Daniel is gone. She then finds the knife by the window pane and realizes that he must have seen them kissing. She runs and tells Cody. They find out from the whore who was with Kimble that Daniel had been there and that they’ve gone back to Julia’s house. Kimble has decided to use Daniel for protection while he retrieves the weapons from the barn. Cody, Julia, Teaspoon, Jimmy Kid, Lou, Ike and Noah go to the farm and when they encounter Kimble and the gang, a lengthy gunfight ensues. When all the gang has been shot, Kimble grabs Daniel and threatens to kill him. Cody drops his gun and tells him to let the boy go. Kimble declines and says he’ll kill Daniel just like he killed his traitor father who as it turns out, had left the gang before he was killed. Upon hearing this, Daniel struggles and hits his captor, Cody uses the opportunity to dive on Kimble. They struggle and Teaspoon shoots Kimble. The next day in town. Julia thanks the boys for their help and gives Teaspoon his promised kissed. Daniel presents Cody with a horse that he whittled with the knife. The others disperse to leave Cody and Julia alone. She explains that she is leaving to live with Daniel’s grandparents back east because Rock Creek isn’t a good place for him to grow up. Cody says he understands that she’s doing the right thing and that it just wasn’t the right time for the two of them. The both say they’d like to see each other again. They kiss and say good-bye.