"I know that it's got a problem, but I can't figure out exactly what it is," Sadie said impatiently, tucking a stray strand of hair back into her braid. "That's why I brought the saddle to ya. Now are ya gonna fix it or am I gonna have to wait 'till Mandy decides to show up?"

"Ya may as well wait fer Mandy, Sadie," replied the livery owner, and blacksmith, Amos Green. "Everybody knows she's better at this horse equiptment than anybody else in town."

"I know that and if I had a choice, I'd bring it to her, but she ain't been round much. She's been too busy trainin' that new horse she bought a couple of weeks ago."

"Well, I guess you're just gonna have to see her pretty soon, cause this thing doesn't look like it's gonna hold out much longer."

"Well thanks anyway, I..." Sadie trailed off as she saw four unfamiliar faces a few yards down the street. Santa Fe was a quiet, sleepy western town, and unfamiliar faces were a rarity. Everyone knew everyone else. "Hey Amos, who are they?" Sadie asked, still watching the four young men as they walked cautiously down the wooden sidewalk.

"Don't reckon I know, Sade," he replied, using her nickname. "Are ya interested in any of em?" he asked with a sly grin.

"Don't start with me, Amos Green," she warned. "Just cause my pa and my brother ain't here any more, doesn't mean that ya gotta start actin' their parts, 'kay?"

"Okay, Sadie, whatever ya say." He chuckled. "Hey, look, they're comin' over here." Sadie looked back and indeed, the four young men were making their way towards the livery. She stood upright, for she had been kneeling on the ground, trying to judge what was wrong with her saddle. She shaded her eyes from the sun as the four approached.

"Can I help ya with somethin'?" she asked. One of the men, apparently the leader, who wore a red bandana and a cowboy hat, stepped forward. Of the four, he was only one who looked like he was dressed to be in Santa Fe and even then it was a stretch of the imagination.

"I'm Jack Kelly," he said.

"Sadie Michaels," she replied and held out her hand. Jack hesitated for a moment then shook it. He caught her eye as they shook hands and she felt a tingle start in her hand and run all the way up her arm. She quickly pulled her hand away and glanced toward the other three. "Ya'll got names?" she asked. They looked flustered.

"Dis is Racetrack, Kid Blink, and Mush," Jack replied. Sadie accepted these names without a hint of amusement. Names could run pretty odd in Sante Fe too.

"Hi. What are ya'll doin' in Santa Fe?" she asked. "Ya sound like you're from New York or somewhere up that away."

"Manhattan, actually," Racetrack replied. "Jack's always wanted ta come out ere, so we decided ta come wid im. Ain't much keepin' us in New York."

"Good reason. Everybody out here has the same story. We were all lookin' for somewhere better."

"Yeah, well, if it doesn't work out, we can always go back, Mush said.

"If it---" Blink was cut off as a horse approached the livery at full canter, and a girl about Sadie's age nearly fell off of it. She dropped to her the ground breathlessly and Sadie reached out to steady her.

"God, Mandy, it looked like ya had coyotes on your tail. What's the matter?" Sadie asked. "The deal went through!" Mandy managed to exclaim. Sadie's eyes grew wide.

"Ya mean ya sold all of that land to someone?"

"Yep, every acre," Mandy replied proudly. "I just got word of it 'bout an hour ago."

"That's terrific! Somethin' to celebrate. We're gonna have to get you, Lacey and Claire over to my house sometime soon for dinner or somethin'," Sadie said. Then she looked over and saw the four still standing there, looking somewhat confused. "Sorry guys," she apologized. "This is one of my best friends, Mandy Tarleson. She just sold some useless land her father left her in his will. She's been tryin' to get rid of it for more'n a year."

"One year, three months, and ten days," Mandy elaborated and Sadie rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. This is Jack Kelly, Racetrack, Kid Blink, and Mush," she said, introducing them to Mandy.

"Welcome to Santa Fe," Mandy replied and they all thanked her. Blink in particular looked interested and rather distracted. It was an easy thing to do. Mandy's pale blonde hair was pulled back into a messy braid that allowed curls to escape and frame her face. Her green eyes were wide and seemed to notice everything that went on around her. She was petite and thin and wore a white shirt and tan suede pants that her black riding boots fitted over, reaching halfway up her shins. Sadie's hair was in contrast to Mandy's and was somewhere between dark red and dark brown. It seemed to change in the light. Her eyes were dark brown and heavily flecked with gold. She too wore pants, though hers had very wide legs and looked almost like a skirt. She wore a beige shirt and a brown belt encircled her slender waist. Both girls were tan and wore hats, much like Jack's, down their backs. Jack and his cohorts were busy hoping that all girls in Santa Fe were this pretty.

"Where are ya'll plannin' to stay?" Mandy asked.

Blink was quick to be the first to reply. "I guess we're stayin' at the hotel. It seems pretty nice," he said.

"It is and it's cheap too. Ya'll want a tour?" Sadie asked.

"If ya don't mind," Jack answered. She looked towards him and then immedietely looked away from his gaze. There was something there that she just couldn't identify. It made her uncomfortable, but in a good way. A very good way.

"I don't have anything to do today. Listen, Mandy, I've got a problem with this saddle so will ya take a look at it later?" Sadie asked her friend.

"Sure, I'll have time this evenin'."

"Good, now let's get this tour started."

The tour of town was relatively short, since there wasn't much town to show.

"We'll take ya out to show ya where some people, including us, live outside of town, but ya wanna stop in the saloon for a drink first?" Mandy asked. The newsies looked surprised.

"Ya drink?" Mush asked the two girls.

"Not really," they both replied at the same time. They looked at each other and grinned, then Sadie continued. "They're pretty used to us comin' in, though. We usually get a root beer or a sasparilla." (Author's note: this is for everyone who's seen "Calamity Jane"-my fave next to "Newsies", of course) The saloon was an ornate building inside and was about half full. A poker game was going on in the corner and several saloon girls hung around various tables. The six entered and Sadie spotted one of the saloon girls in a far corner, observing the poker game.

"Hey Lace!" Sadie called out, though there really wasn't any need, for it wasn't noisy. The girl, a honey blonde with wide blue eyes, looked up and grinned, seeing Sadie and Mandy in the door. She left the game and sauntered over.

"Heya Sadie, Mandy. What did ya come into town all fired up 'bout a while back?" she asked Mandy.

"I finally sold that land," Mandy informed her. Lace squealed and wrapped her arms around Mandy's neck.

"That's terrific!" She pulled away and noticed the newsies. She turned a curious gaze to Sadie.

"This is Jack, Racetrack, Kid Blink, and Mush," Sadie said introducing them to her. "They're new in town. Just got here from New York."

"Nice to meet ya. I'm Lacey Winters," she said and they all said hello. Then Lacey turned toward Sadie and Mandy again. "Where's Claire. Didn't she come with ya?"

"Nope," Mandy replied. "She was up on the roof when I left, so she didn't come."

"Mandy and our other friend, Claire Barrett live together on a couple hundred acres south of town and I live on about six hundred acres east of town. We ain't really all that far from each other. Lacey lives here, above the saloon," Sadie explained and they nodded. She turned to Lacey again. "Mandy and I are gonna show them around our places. Ya wanna come?"

"'Course I do, but I can't, Sadie, ya know that," Lacey said quietly, speaking only to Sadie, though Mush, who stood nearby, could hear the conversation. Lacey glanced pointedly toward the saloon's owner who stood behind the bar. "I'm workin' all day today," she continued.

"Lace, ya gotta get outta this," Sadie said, whispering as well. "I don't want anything to happen to ya. You're my best friend."

"I know, Sadie, but what else am I gonna do? I didn't have family who left me lots of land and money like you and Mandy and Claire did. I can't hardly even read, ya know that too. What else could I ever do?"

Sadie sighed, for it was the same argument Lacey had been giving for the past three years since she had started working there. "All right, well, are ya workin' tomorrow?"

"After dinner."

"How 'bout ya come over to my house for dinner then, 'kay? We'll help Mandy celebrate."

"Are your new friends comin' too?" Lacey asked, dropping her voice even farther.

"I don't know, why?"

"Just wonderin'," Lacey said, but Sadie caught the glance that her friend sent towards Mush and she smiled to herself.

"Maybe I'll invite 'em. They're pretty nice and fun to be around too," Sadie allowed. "Well, we'll tell Claire ya said hello if we see 'er."

"'Kay, see ya later."

"Bye." * * * * * Everyone, minus Lacey set out again toward the livery, where they had started from.

"You're gonna need horses to get out there," Sadie explained.

"Uh...I don't know 'bout the rest of ya, but I ain't neva ridden 'fore," Blink said slowly as they stood in the livery gate.

"Once," Mush replied.

"Ev'ry now an' then down at da track," Racetrack said.

"A couple of times," Jack answered.

Sadie glanced at Mandy, then turned toward the livery once again where Amos was welding a chain. "Hey Amos, ya got a wagon we could borrow 'till later tonight?"

"Sure, Sade, over on the other side of the buildin'," he replied, never looking up.

"Thanks. Mandy, you get your horse and mine ready and if someone could help me pull the wagon around, we'll be all set," she said to them.

"I'll help ya," Jack was quick to offer. Sadie hesitated for a moment.

"'Kay, thanks," she said, turning on her heel and walking quickly around the livery barn. Jack hurried to catch up. On the opposite side of the barn in the shade was a wagon covered with a large tarp.

"Ya get dat side an' I'll get the other one," Jack said. Sadie only nodded. A minute later they had the tarp off and rolled up against the side of the barn. With Sadie pushing from behind and Jack pulling ahead, the wagon was easily rolled around to the front where the others stood waiting. The newsies watched with interest as Sadie and Mandy quickly hitched up the horses. Then they piled in the back while Mandy and Sadie drove the wagon.

Twenty minutes later the newsies watched as they pulled up in front of a sprawling one story ranch-style house that belonged to Mandy and Claire. A white fence ran around it with a gate in front and a stone walkway that led to the front door. Interestingly enough, on the roof, cleaning out the chimney, was a girl who they assumed was Claire. She heard the wagon approach and waved, seeming slightly puzzled by the passengers. She tossed her sweeper to the ground and hurried down the ladder, running to meet them as they approached the gate.

"Hey Sadie! Did Mandy tell ya about the land?" she asked.

"Sure did. Lacey and the three of us and our new friends here are gonna celebrate at my house tomorrow night for dinner," Sadie told her. "This is Jack, Racetrack, Kid Blink, and Mush," she said, introducing them for the third time that afternoon.

"Hey, nice to meet ya'll," Claire said and held out her hand. Racetrack hurried to shake it and ended up with soot all over his hand. "Oh God, I'm sorry!" Claire exclaimed, jerking her hand away and wiping it on her already soot covered shirt."

"Go on inside and ya can wash it off in the kitchen," Mandy told him. "We'll just be out here when you're done. Ya go with him, Claire. For heaven's sake, ya look like ya've been working down at the coal mine!" Claire giggled and shook her head.

"At lease ya don't have to do it this time. I got stuck with cleanin' the chimney. All ya've gotta do is wash the dishes," she reminded.

"Just go."

"Come on, I'll show ya where the kitchen is," Claire said to Racetrack, motioning for him to follow her inside.

They left everyone else outside and she closed the front door behind them as they entered. Ten foot ceilings gave the house an airy atmosphere and all the decorating was done in light colored wood and vibrant colors. Racetrack, though, was too busy studying Claire to notice any of this. He had thought Mandy, Sadie, and Lacey were pretty good-looking, but he thought Claire was gorgeous. She was petite, maybe only five feet in height, and she had silky black hair that she had braided then coiled in a bun on the back of her head. She was not as tan as Mandy and Sadie had been and he perceived several freckles that were sprinkled across the bridge of her nose and across her high cheekbones. Her dark blue eyes were unusual considering her hair color, but on her they looked perfect.

Claire led him to the kitchen in the east wing of the house and he washed his hands and then stepped back, drying them on a towel and watching as she scrubbed at the soot on her hands and arms. She started to turn off the water when he saw that she still had a streak of black across her forehead.

"Ya missed a spot," he said and she turned her head to look at him as he stood less than a foot away from her. She reached up to her cheek, but he shook his head. "On yer forehead," he told her and she reached up---to the wrong side. "'Ere, let me," he said, dipping a corner of the towel in the sink and dabbing at the streak. He wiped it away and then realized just how close they were to one another. Claire had realized it too and she quickly stepped to the side, a faint blush staining her cheeks.

"If ya think ya can find your way back outside, I'm gonna go to my room and change clothes," she said, not looking directly at him.

"Tell the others I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Yeah, I'll find my way," he replied after a silent moment and she nodded as she left the room. Racetrack stared at the door she had exited through for a moment before he looked back down at the towel he still held in his hands. He slowly set it on the counter and chuckled to himself. "Ya jus' met 'er five minutes ago, Race," he said quietly to himself. "Stop actin' stupid."

He went back outside and a few minutes later, Claire came out too, now dressed in a pale blue shirt and black pants like Sadie's.

"Are we goin' over to your house now Sade?" she asked.

"If you're ready."

Claire rode behind the wagon on her horse and it only took about ten minutes for them to reach another house, that looked completely unlike the first one. It was a two story wooden house that was painted white. Forest green shutters flanked every window and a muted red door was accessible from the wrap around porch. It sat up on a slight hill and was surrounded by tall, sturdy oak trees, who's leaves rustled gently in the breeze. It was much bigger than Mandy and Claire's house was and all the land, as far as one could see, belonged to Sadie.

"It's kind of an unusual house for these parts," Jack observed to Sadie.

"Yeah, but that's what my mother wanted so my father built it for her before they got married," she answered.

"Do your parents live 'ere too?" he asked. Her smile faded and she jumped down from the wagon to unhitch the horses.

"No, my mother died when I was born and my father and brother were both killed in gun fights," she answered softly and Jack wished he didn't have such a big mouth.

"Come on in if ya want and we'll get somethin' to drink before we get ya'll back to town," Sadie added and they all trooped inside after her.

They followed her into the kitchen which was very spacious, even with seven people in it. She poured them all some iced tea and they sat out on the porch to drink it.

"So are ya gonna be in town tomorrow?" Jack asked her while they all watched the sun sink below the horizon.

"Probably," she replied, "but I've got some things to do around here before I leave the house for the day. I haven't cleaned in weeks and if I'm gonna have everybody over for supper tomorrow...speaking of that, do ya'll want to come?" she asked the newsies. They exchanged glances, then all nodded. "Great, do ya think ya could be out here by five?"

"We'll do our best," Mush replied.

"Well don't dress up or anything. It'll probably just be a picnic on the lawn or somethin'," she cautioned.

"Okay."

When they prepared to leave a little later, Blink hopped into the back of the wagon and then offered Mandy a hand up to the seat in front. It was totally unnecessary, but she smiled shyly and accepted it anyway. Sadie watched, amused. So Mandy was interested in Blink and Lacey was interested in Mush. She looked toward Racetrack and then over at Claire, wondering how they would like each other. She decided quickly that they would be a wonderful couple. Then she realized that that left her and Jack both "available". She looked over at him to find him looking at her. They both looked quickly away and she climbed up into the wagon before he even had a chance to think about offering her a hand. * * * * * As she rode home alone that night, she kept thinking of Jack, no matter how hard she tried to think of something---anything---else, and that night she lay awake for nearly thirty minutes, reliving that moment that he had shaken her hand. Why had she had that instantaneous reaction? Finally she shut her eyes tightly and rolled over onto her side, trying to think of neutral things.

* * * * *

The next morning Sadie slept late and finally staggered out of bed at ten o'clock. She showered and dressed in one of her brother's old shirts and the same pants she had been wearing the day before. She covered her hair with a green scarf that nearly matched the shirt. She folded it in a triangle and tied the two ends together under her hair which she left loose. She worked for the rest of the day and had picked up a broom to sweep around two that afternoon.

Jack and the other three had slept late as well, enjoying not having to awaken early and hawk the headlines. Once they did awaken around noon, they all seemed to go their separate ways, each exploring the town, and planning to meet back at the hotel around four to head over to Sadie's house. Jack, however, informed Blink---the only one he could find---around one-thirty that he was going to take a walk and would meet them at Sadie's house at five and to not wait for him at the hotel.

He walked around for about half an hour before he found his way to Sadie's. When he approached the house he found her sweeping off the front porch. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and looked up, pausing the broom in mid-sweep. Jack waved, for he was too far away to shout. She waved back, then remembered how she was dressed. She had managed to get her clothes covered with dust and grime, her hair was in tangles, she was sure, and she knew for a fact that she had a streak of flour across her left cheek. However, he was almost to the house and she didn't have any time to clean herself up at all. Jack bounded up the porch steps and stopped in front of Sadie.

"You're a little early," she said with a smile. "About three hours early, actually."

"I know. I was takin' a walk an' jus' decided ta come over early. If it's a problem, I can come back when ev'rybody else does," he said quickly, already starting to back down the steps. "Oh no, that's okay," she said. "Don't worry about it. I was almost finished with this. Then I was gonna change my clothes and start fixin' our dinner."

"I can help ya wid dat, if ya want," he said, then flushed. "Dinner, I mean," he added.

"Sure," she replied. She bit her lip as she turned back into the house. He followed her and she left the door wide open to let in both air and light. She propped the broom up in the hall closet and headed up the stairs.

"Ya can either wait here or in the kitchen," she said over her shoulder. "I'll only be a few minutes."

"Okay, I ain't in any hurry," he said. "I'll jus' wait 'ere." Sadie reached the second floor and looked back down over the railing, for the entry hall had no first floor ceiling. Jack had placed himself in a chair near the door, his hat over his face as he leaned his head back against the wall. She tore her gaze from him and then hurried to her bedroom.

Her room was the largest one in the house, though she had four others to choose from. It had been decorated in tones of green. She went into her walk-in closet to change and dressed in a clean pair of pants that were forest green in color, and an ivory shirt. She went into the washroom and groaned softly as she saw her reflection in the mirror that hung above the sink. The flour streak was larger than she had realized and her hair was terribly tangled. She removed the scarf and scrubbed her face until all traces of dirt were gone. She then brushed out her hair and pulled half of it back with a wide tortoise shell comb that had been her mother's.

Finally satisfied with her reflection, she left her room and hurried downstairs. Jack looked up as she came down the stairs and he grinned. "Better?" she asked as she stopped in front of him. He shrugged and grinned again. "I didn't think ya looked that bad before," he answered. She blushed again and thanked him.

"Well, we'd better get started on dinner if we wanna finish before everyone gets here," she said and he followed her into the kitchen. "Have ya ever cooked anything in your life?" she asked. "Well, no," he admitted. She laughed at his serious expression and began to gather things from cabinets.

"That's okay. Ya can just keep me company," she told him then paused, looking up at a high shelf. "Well, that and ya can get me that really big pan that's sittin' up there," she added, pointing. Now it was Jack's turn to laugh as he reached up and easily handed the pan down to her. "Havin' someone around who's a little taller ain't that bad," she joked as she turned from him to the counter where she began sifting flour into a huge porcelin bowl.

Jack sat in a chair by the counter and they mostly talked while Sadie put dinner for eight together. Every now and then Jack would be asked to retrieve something else that she could reach. He found her easy to talk with and ended up telling her all about the friends he had left back in New York and about the strike. She told him a little about her family, but he could tell that she didn't really like to talk about what had happened to her parents or her brother and he never pushed the issue. He only found out that her mother had gotten sick the day after Sadie had been born and had died two weeks later, leaving her husband and six year old son with a baby girl to raise.

"Dey did a good job," Jack told her gently and she leaned back against the counter, regarding him as he stood in front of her.

"Thanks," she finally replied, equally as quiet. The silence around them had crept up, unnoticed, and Jack moved closer to her, bringing one hand to her face and leaning down towards her. Sadie watched, feeling her cheek tingle at his touch. She closed her eyes and waited for his lips to join with hers. Just before he kissed her, though, several voices could be heard on the porch and her eyes flew open as she pushed him away.

Jack looked a little taken aback, but understood as he sat back down in the chair he'd been in a few minutes before. Sadie turned to the oven and pulled out the cornbread she had put in there earlier, just as Mush, Racetrack, Blink, Lacey, Mandy, and Claire entered, seeming surprised to find Jack already there.

"Hey ya'll, dinner's just about ready," Sadie said, turning to the picnic basket, beginning to pack it, therefore concealing her flaming cheeks from them.

Once she had gotten a hold of herself, she finished packing the basket and closed it. She handed the basket to Jack, a pitcher of lemonade to Lacey and took two large blankets herself. Everyone else followed her to a tree a few yards from the house. She spread out the blankets and they all sat. For a few minutes, mindless chatter reigned as food was passed around. While dinner was consumed, they all talked as though they'd been friends for years. Sadie even managed to talk to Jack without blushing.

"Oh, by the way," Blink said, "I heard 'bout some big party 'appenin' in a couple of days when I was in town dis afternoon an' I was jus' wonderin' what it was all 'bout."

"I heard 'bout it too, but I don't know any more'n ya do," Mush told him. Sadie swallowed a bite of her sandwich and answered.

"There's a huge get together in town every year around this time," she said. "Everybody comes from all over and there's a ton food 'cause everybody brings somethin'. It starts around lunchtime and goes until around ten or eleven at night," she explained.

"Dat sounds great," Blink commented and the others all nodded.

"It is," Mandy told him. "It's the day after tomorrow."

"We'll definetely come," Jack said. "Do ya all go?" he asked the girls.

"'Course we do," Claire answered.

"Haven't missed it yet and I don't plan on startin' now."

"Well, we did miss that one year when we were all about fourteen or thirteen..." Sadie said with a grin and trailed off dramatically.

"Don't remind me!" groaned Lacey, leaning back against the trunk of the oak tree they sat under.

"Really, Sadie," Claire agreed. "Did ya have to go and bring that up?"

"Sorry," Sadie said, but she still grinned.

"What happened?" Racetrack asked, and the other three guys looked interested themselves.

Sadie glanced at her girlfriends. "Should we tell them?" she asked.

"We have to now, thanks to ya and your big mouth," Mandy retorted, but grinned as she shook her head.

"Well, it was like this," Sadie said. "I was fourteen which would've made Claire and Mandy thirteen, and Lacey fifteen. At school the day before, the four of us, two other girls, and five boys, who we were all good friends with, and who we were all sweet on, I'm sure," she said with a wicked grin at the other three girls, "decided to skip the festivities and spend the day by the river. So we did."

"It started off just like any other weekend, but this time the boys had the bright idea to push us in the river when we weren't looking," Claire added.

"And Lacey couldn't swim," Mandy cut in and Lacey flushed scarlet.

"Well, I didn't think they'd do anything like that," she protested.

"Neither did we, but we ended up having to rescue her, half drowned as she was," Sadie finished.

"It was not a fun day, by any means," Lacey said.

"The rest of us thought it was," Claire said.

"Yeah, Will Parks even kissed me," Sadie said and the others glared at her, teasingly.

"Believe us, we know. You've reminded us enough since then," Mandy said.

"Well, he's married now and his wife's gonna have a kid any day now," Lacey said and the others nodded.

"Ya turned him down, remember?" Mandy said.

"I could forget?" Sadie asked, her grin gone and a shadow having passed over her face. "What 'appened?" Jack asked, seeing the shadow and hearing that changing of tone. Sadie paused before she answered.

"Will and I were sort of a couple for about two years and he asked me to marry him, but I turned him down. That was a year ago," she said.

"Why'd ya turn him down?" Blink asked.

Sadie fiddled with her fork nervously. "It ain't important," she mumbled. She suddenly turned to the picnic basket and pulled out a chocolate cake. "Does anyone want some?" she asked and everyone forgot about her mood change as they devoured the cake. Everyone, that is, except for Jack.

* * * * *

Lacey had to get back to the saloon by nine and so everyone dispersed about eight-thirty, going their separate ways after they helped Sadie carry the things back inside. Jack stalled for time until everyone else had left. He waited in the hall and after a moment, she entered from the kitchen, looking around curiously.

"Has everyone else left?" she asked him and he nodded, putting on his jacket as though he had been heading out when she had come into the hall.

"So, I guess I'll see ya tomorrow?" he asked and she shrugged.

"It's a possiblity," was her answer.

"What's wrong, Sadie," he asked suddenly, stepping closer to her and gazing at her intently in the soft light that the hall lamps gave off. "Why didn't ya marry Will?"

"The day before he asked me I went for a walk by the river, like I did a lot," she said, not pausing to wonder why she was telling him this without any hesitation of any kind. "Will was there, but he wasn't by himself. There was a girl there too, the one he's married to now, and...well, let's just say I saw 'em at a very inopportune moment."

"God, I'm sorry, Sadie," Jack said quietly.

"It was almost a year and a half ago," she said, trying to brush it away lightly. "I just try to avoid him whenever I can. He never knew I saw 'em and I don't intend to tell him. I don't want to talk about it anymore," she said. Jack nodded.

"Listen, about dis party day afta tomorrow," he said. "I was wonderin' if ya wanted to go with me or if I could meet ya there or somethin'..." he trailed off, seeming flustered.

"I'll meet ya in the hotel lobby at noon," she said with a smile. Jack grinned back.

"Okay. Noon it is then."

"Well, good night," she said, as they moved to the porch.

"G'night," he said in reply, but he didn't leave and instead moved closer to Sadie. She knew what was coming, but seemed powerless to do anything. Maybe she just didn't want to do anything. Maybe this is what she had wanted since she first saw him yesterday. That electric shock she had felt hadn't been imagined. It had been there. This had been intended ever since then. Jack's hand seemed to fit perfectly against her cheek as he bent his head slowly toward hers. Sadie closed her eyes once again, but this time they were not interuppted and a moment later, Jack's lips pressed to hers, the kiss intense from the beginning. He broke off a full minute later, and Sadie slowly opened her eyes and she tried to catch her breath that was trying it's level best to speed ahead of her heartbeat, which was busy thudding against her temples.

"I'll see ya at noon," Jack whispered and Sadie nodded, not knowing how to use her voice just yet. Suddenly he was off the porch and walking back towards town, his pace hurried. Sadie hoped he would look back, but he didn't and at last his retreating figure slipped away into the darkness of the night.

* * * * *

Sadie didn't venture into town the next day and Jack didn't visit. She felt as though she spent the day in a daze, accomplishing a chore here and there, but for the most part, just sitting on the front porch in one of the two rocking chairs that decorated it. She thought a lot. Thought about what she had done with her life and what she had missed of it, while she tried to mend the heart that Will had broken.

Then she had let Jack kiss her. And she had kissed him back. It was something that she hadn't thought she would ever do again. If there was one thing she was, it was loyal. She had been completely devoted to Will and then he had gone behind her back with Vivian. If she hadn't come across them in the woods, she would have accepted his proposal without a second thought. She wondered how loyal he would have been to their marriage. Not very, she figured. After a year and a half, Sadie felt as though she had recovered most of what she had had before Will, but she had been determined not to get involved again any time soon. Love could be twisted and manipulated in so many ways. Why involve yourself? Then she had met Jack. That tingly feeling in her hand when he had held it...she had never felt anything like that before. It was almost a current of electricity. She had only known him for exactly two days. So why did she never want him to leave?

* * * * *

Jack wandered around town that day, embarassed to face Sadie. He had kissed her barely twenty-four hours after he had met her, and she wasn't someone to toy with. Not that he wanted to at all, but she seemed like the kind of person who would be a little suspicious of his intentions. He ended up in the woods near the river about a five minute walk from town.

There were dozens of old, sturdy trees, but one in particular seemed to have been there for thousands of years. It must have been about fifty feet tall and it's branches stretched out forever. Each one was covered completely with large green leaves that rustled comfortingly in the breeze. The ground below it was covered with soft, thick grass, due to the shade it received from the foliage of the tree, and wild violets decorated the ground in large patched of stunning purple and white. Jack settled down on the grass and leaned against the tree's trunk. The day was hotter than any day in New York had ever been, but being under the tree seemed to cool the air by at least fifteen degrees.

Deciding that a nap wouldn't be bad, he lay back a little more, covering his face with his hat as he drifted off, Sadie's face flashing before his eyes.

* * * * *

Sadie awoke around four-thirty the next morning, determined to fix some food to bring to the party and still have a good two hours to get ready. She was also picking Mandy and Claire up in the wagon on her way, so she would have to leave about twenty minutes early if she wanted to be on time to meet Jack. She knocked around in the kitchen for a while, finally leaving it around nine that morning, two cherry pies, cornbread sticks, and a ham casserole all ready to go. She hurried to her bedroom and closed the door, drawing the curtains. She wasn't sure why she was making such a big deal out of getting ready, but it helped to heighten her excitment.

She took a long, hot bath, scenting the water heavily with rose perfume and she scrubbed until all traces of desert dust ran down the drain when she released the water. She dried her hair and then brushed it a hundred times like her father had always done when she had been little. He always said that that's what her mother had done and that that's why her hair had been so pretty. Sadie had just as many dresses as she did pants, but she preferred the pants. Today, however, she wanted to impress everyone, not just Jack. She figured they would have forgotten what she looked like dressed up. She hadn't done anything out of the ordinary in at least two years. After a few moments of deliberation, she chose a dark rose colored dress that was sprigged with little green flowers. She tied the green silk sash around her corseted waist and added three starched petticoats.

She spent nearly thirty minutes fixing her hair before she was finally satisfied. She had braided it into one long, tight braid, coiling the braid up on top of her head, purposefully pulling several strands down for her to curl with the hot iron. As she started to close and lock the front door behind her, she remembered her mother's jewelry that was locked away in the safe in the study. Setting the food in the wagon, Sadie ran back inside, finding what she had been looking for---a gold chain that held on it, both her mother's engagment ring and wedding ring. She fastened the chain around her neck, letting the rings rest in the square neckline of the dress that was edged with a row of tiny white lace. She took a quick glance in the mirror and then smiled to herself as she hurried to pick up Mandy and Claire.

* * * * *

Jack had spent nearly thirty minutes getting ready, something that he didn't believe he had ever done before. He had dressed in the nicest clothes he owned, which Bryan Denton had given him as a going away gift before he had left New York. This was the first time he had worn them and as he looked at himself in the full length mirror in his hotel room, he was pleasantly surprised. The outfit was a pair of gray slacks, a white shirt, a gray vest and a gray jacket. Jack had polished his black shoes that morning and they shone from the cuffs of his pants. Not feeling right without his red bandana, he folded it and put it in his back pocket, where it was out of sight, but he knew it was there.

He was waiting in the hotel lobby when Sadie came in, looking around hesitantly. He looked up and his jaw nearly hit the ground as he saw her. He had thought she was pretty, even with flour across half of her face, but now... She looked toward him and he stood, quickly closing his open mouth and stepping forward to meet her.

"Sorry, I'm a lil' late," she apologized.

"Dat's okay," he said quickly. "On'y bout five minutes. Ya ready ta go?"

"Sure," she said, smiling up at him. They stepped out of the hotel and headed toward the main street of town, where a crowd had alread started to gather. Long tables had been set up under a tent on the church lawn and rows upon rows of food decorated them. A barbeque pit had already been set up and delicious smelling smoke rose from it, wafting gently away from the crowd. Families had spread blankets on the ground under the trees in the church and schoolyard lawns and children of every age ran around, their laughter echoing off the buildings. Adults chatted and laughed and caught up on the past events. A band of sorts had been set up on one of the sidewalks and some people danced in the street to lively tunes.

"Ain't this fabulous?" Sadie asked Jack as they stood, taking it all in.

"Yeah," he murmured, still too busy looking at her, to notice his surroundings very much. "Ya look beautiful today," he told her. She looked toward him, surprised.

"Thanks," she said as she flushed brightly and looked away once again. "Now come on, or all the best food'll be gone."

She took his hand and they made their way to the tables. After filling their plates with everything they wanted, they found a spot in the shade under a tree and sat, their plates in their laps and their glasses beside them on the grass. They had just begun when Mandy and Blink sat beside them, each holding a plate as well. They pointed out Claire and Racetrack to Jack and Sadie. While the four of them sat under a tree, Racetrack and Claire had decided to forego lunch for the moment and were busy organizing the kids into a baseball game.

"They're so cute," Mandy said, "and I don't mean the kids," she added and the other three grinned.

"Where's Mush?" Jack asked Blink and Blink shrugged.

They all began looking around and finally saw him, watching several boys play horseshoes in the schoolyard. Sadie glanced around for Lacey, but never spotted her and gave up the search a few minutes later, returning to her lunch.

* * * * *

The party continued for the rest of the day, but people began to spread farther out around two o'clock that afternoon. Jack left Sadie in the shade under a tree in the schoolyard while he went to find Blink to ask him something, and Sadie sat back against the tree trunk, smiling as she watched Racetrack and Claire, still engaged in the baseball game. She laughed aloud as Racetrack tripped as he ran to first base and was immedietely pounced upon by several little kids.

"Hello Sadie, long time, no see," said a voice from her left. Sadie's laughter died as she recognized the voice and she turned her head to see Will standing above her.

"Yeah, it has been a while," she answered coolly.

As if he had been waiting for her words as a cue, Will settled himself down on the grass across from her, lounging comfortably. Sadie set her jaw, determined not to say anything impolite, not matter how strong the urge.

"So how have ya been gettin' along?" Will asked her, trying to start a conversation.

"Quite well, thanks for askin'," she answered.

"Why so indifferent, Sade?" Will asked, sounding amused. "We used to be good buddies."

"First of all, to you, my name is Sadie, and second of all, we used to be more than just "good buddies", though it seems it didn't take ya too long to replace me," she said, deciding that her trying to make civil conversation with Will didn't have a chance in Hell of working. Will's grin faded.

"It was you who changed that, Sadie, I asked ya to marry me, remember?"

"I remember perfectly and I had excellent reasons for refusin'. I wouldn't change my mind now or ever," she retorted.

"Why did ya say no, Sadie?" he asked.

"Don't ask me questions like that, Will. What does it matter now?"

"I want to know. I've always wanted to know."

"Well, I don't care to bring up old hurts, so you're just gonna have to go without knowin'," she said. "Like I said before, it doesn't matter anymore."

"I still care about ya, Sadie, I never stopped," Will said, his voice low as he looked deep into her eyes.

"Then maybe ya should've thought about that before ya and Vivian went and---," Sadie broke off, realizing that she had almost told him. Will's eyebrows knitted together.

"Before we what? What were ya gonna say?" he asked.

"Never mind, I already said that I didn't wanna get into that," she replied, stubbornly.

"I do still care about ya, Sadie. I really mean that," he said quietly. He reached over, brushing a strand of hair off of her cheek, his fingers lingering on her face for a minute.

Moving suddenly, Sadie jerked her head away and pushed Will's hand back towards him before she scrambled to her feet.

"If ya ever come near me again, Will, ya better hope God keeps me from shootin' ya," she warned, her voice shaking with hate, fright, and nervousness, all at once. Not waiting for him to reply, she turned on her heel and began running swiftly towards the woods, wanting to escape the party before she began to cry.

* * * * *

Jack had been returning to his place beside Sadie when he saw Will settle down beside her. He turned to the nearest person to him.

"Who's dat guy with Sadie Michaels?" he asked.

"Oh, that's just Will," they replied, sounding unconcerned as they went along their way. Jack put two and two together and was headed toward them when he saw Will brush his hand over Sadie's cheek. He saw her leap up and say something before picking up her skirts and running toward the woods.

"Damn," Jack muttered under his breath as he took off after Sadie.

He caught up with her at the edge of the schoolyard, about three or four hundred yards from where Will still sat, looking after Sadie, amazed and shocked. Jack caught Sadie's arm and turned her around to face him. Tears had pooled in her brown eyes and threatened to spill over at any given moment.

"Jack please, let me go, I can't be around people if---," she broke off as the tears began to spill down her cheeks.

"Come on, I'll come wid ya," he said, leading her quickly into the woods, where she had been heading in the first place.

They walked for about five minutes, ending up at the huge tree Jack had napped under the previous afternoon. Jack stopped under it and turned Sadie to face him once more. She had stopped the tears while they had been walking, but now they started again and she trembled. Jack had been holding her shoulders, but as she began to cry, he gathered her into a close embrace, not saying anything, but merely holding her and letting her cry until her tears were spent. After a few moments, she gathered herself together and stepped away from Jack, trying to wipe away her tears with her sleeve. Jack handed her his bandana and a moment later, she handed it back.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to him. "I didn't want ya to have to see this or---."

He stopped her by putting a finger to her lips. "Don't be sorry," he said. "I don't know what he said ta ya, an' ya ain't gotta tell me if ya don't want ta, but jus' don't be sorry."

She nodded mutely and Jack hugged her close once again. She didn't cry again, but closed her eyes anyway, listening to the sounds in the woods around them some, but mostly listening to Jack's heart as it beat near to her ear.

"Will was just actin' like he always has. It was just seein' 'im that made me react like that," she said after silence had reigned for a few minutes.

"Dat's okay, don't worry 'bout it anymore," he told her again.

"Thanks."

Jack tilted her face up toward his. "Ya know what? Even afta ya've been cryin', ya're still gorgeous," he said with a hint of a grin. Sadie blushed slightly and bit her lip as she smiled. "Either ya really think so or ya'll up in New York are pretty good actors," she said teasingly.

"I've neva been more serious," he told her, honestly.

"Good," she said. "That's what I like to hear."

Without waiting for his reply, Sadie stood on her toes and pulled Jack's head down toward hers, kissing him. He tightened his arms around her and returned her sweet kiss, reassured now of what he had been worrying about earlier.

Mush had been looking for Lacey ever since the party had started, but it was almost three before he spotted her. She and several of the other saloon girls were watching the festivities from inside the saloon, coming out onto the sidewalk every now and then before retreating back inside again. It was pretty obvious that they were outcasts around town and had not exactly been invited. However, it was an off day for them and when he spotted her, she was dressed differently than she was on a normal day. She still wore a red silk skirt, but her blouse was an average one like Sadie or Mandy's rather than one that was low cut in the neck like the ones she usually wore. Her hair was done up plainly too, rather than elaborately like it usually was.

After this moment of observation, Mush crossed the street and caught her before she went back inside. He touched her shoulder and she jumped before turning, her eyes widened. She relaxed when she saw him.

"Oh, Mush, it's only you!" she exclaimed, sounding relieved. "Ya startled me!'

"Sorry," he apologized. "I was jus' wonderin' why ya were stayin' inside."

"Well, I'm...not exactly welcome...I guess," she answered, flushing hotly as she avoided his gaze.

"Well, why don't we take a walk or somethin'," he suggested, seeming a little embarrased himself.

Lacey hesitated a moment before nodding. "Sure, I'd like that," she replied softly. They stepped farther out on the sidewalk and began walking away from the party, towards the other end of town. Lacey was so quiet and Mush racked his brain trying to come up with something to say.

"Did ya grow up 'round 'ere?" he finally asked, chiding himself for not being able to come up with anything better than that. She didn't seem to mind.

"I moved here when I was two with my family, but they all died in an epidemic 'bout four years ago. I waitressed in the saloon for awhile, but I wasn't makin' much and the guy who owned it back then told me I'd do better as...well, anyway, I guess that's why I am where I am right now," she said, crossing her arms across her chest tightly and watching her feet as she walked. Mush didn't know what to say in response to that so he just stayed silent.

"I'm sorry," she said a moment later. "I ain't a very good conversationalist."

"Dat's okay, neither am I," he said. "Jack, Blink, an' Race...dey're all betta at talkin' than me. I jus' sorta go along wid what ev'rybody else says an' let them make the decisions."

"That sounds like me, Sadie, Mandy, and Claire," Lacey said with a smile as she glanced over at Mush. "They've always been the leaders and I've always been their follower."

"Yeah, well, it ain't dat bad, actually. I neva get in as much trouble," he said and then grinned as she laughed.

"But they have more fun, right?" she asked and he nodded. "I sympathize with ya there. 'Course, I guess I sorta got myself into all this in the first place. They've been tryin' to talk me into quitting ever since I started, but I don't know what else I'd do."

"Ya said ya couldn't read, right?" Mush asked, remembering what he had overheard. "Yeah, how'd ya know that?" she asked.

"I overheard ya talkin' ta Sadie. I wasn't tryin' ta listen or anything," he said quickly.

"Don't worry about it. I went to school 'till I was seven, but then I had to quit to help out at home. My parents couldn't read either, so they couldn't teach me. Sadie, Mandy, and Claire all offered to teach me their lessons so I could keep up with the class, but I wouldn't accept. I kinda regret it now, I guess," she said, looking at her shoes once again.

"Are ya still willin' ta learn?" he asked suddenly and she looked at him for a minute. "Yeah," she said cautiously.

"'Cause I can teach ya. I can't do much, but I know how ta read. I learned sellin' papes back in New York. It ain't dat hard once ya get the hang of it," he promised. Lacey looked thoughtful.

"Well, if you're willin', I'd like to learn," she said at last.

"Sure. Jus' whenever ya've got some time off from..." he trailed off, not knowing how to phrase her occupation.

"Just say workin', 'kay?" she said and he nodded, flushing. She stopped at the telegraph office door and he turned to face her. "Look, I ain't proud of what I do, Mush, not one bit. I just don't know what else I could do that would make nearly as much money as this job does."

"But if ya dislike it so much, does money matta?"

"Unfortunately, yeah, it does," she answered. "Ya know, sometimes I just wonder what it would be like to be normal. Average. Like Sadie or Mandy or Claire or any of the other women in town. That's all I dream 'bout, but it ain't never gonna happen. I'm just gonna be doin' this 'till I'm too old and then...I don't really know what'll happen then."

"Can't ya quit and live with Sadie or Mandy and Claire?" he asked.

"I ain't gonna be dependant on my friends. Don't ya think they've asked before? Plenty, believe me, but I do have a lil' bit of pride left and I'm gonna hang onto it. If I can support myself, then I'm gonna do it however I have to."

"I thought ya said ya weren't proud of what ya did," he countered.

"I ain't, but at least I earn my own money."

"Yer friends worry 'bout ya, ya know," he said. "It's dangerous, Lacey, I've seen girls in New York who...well, it ain't a nice way ta go," Mush finished, being more vehement than he usually was.

"I've seen it too, but I just have to hope that nothin' like that'll happen to me," she said, her voice lower than it had been before.

"But what if it does?" he asked slowly. He searched her eyes, but found no signs of life. They were dark. Empty.

"Then I'll just be glad that I don't have to live with myself anymore," she answered. Mush looked shocked, but Lacey paid it no attention as she gave him a sympathetic glance before turning and heading back toward the saloon, leaving him behind, alone.

* * * * *

Claire and Racetrack collapsed on the schoolhouse steps, both out of breath from the baseball game.

"Oh God," Claire gasped. "That's harder than cleanin' the roof! I don't know when the last time was that I was so tired."

"Me either," he agreed, fanning himself with his hat as he lay back against the step above him.

"It was fun though," she said with a grin in his direction. He looked over and grinned back.

"It was, wasn't it?" he replied.

"How about somethin' to eat?" she asked, gesturing to the tables under the tent.

"I say...I'll race ya," he said and took off before she could stand.

"Racetrack!" she called after him. "That's not fair!" She laughed as she scrambled to her feet and picked up her skirts in her hand, trying to run faster. He beat her to the tent and she crashed into him. He steadied her and she tried to catch her breath as she also tried to stop laughing. "This dress ain't made to run in!" she exclaimed between gasps and he laughed.

Claire, like the others, had dressed up for the occasion. She wore a dark blue calico dress that was covered with a pattern of tiny white flowers. Her hair had been up in a bun, but after the baseball game, she had taken it down and braided it in one thick braid that reached the middle of her back. Her dark hair was extremely curly and loose curls strayed here and there. More than anything, Racetrack wanted to kiss her, right then and there. It startled him, and he immediately knew that he couldn't do something like that. Not in front of all these people.

"Come on, let's get something to eat," he said, his laughter having died. Claire looked puzzled, but he didn't explain himself and only turned, getting a plate for his food.

* * * * *

Blink and Mandy wandered around the main street of town, hand-in-hand. They were both rather shy, but had taken an immediate liking to one another. Blink had asked a question about her new horse that Sadie had mentioned to him, and she told him all about it.

"Ya say ya've never ridden before?" she asked and he shook his head.

"There ain't exactly opportunities in New York ta ride horses," he said.

"I guess that's true," she allowed. "Ya want me to teach ya?" she asked. "If you're gonna live out here, ya better learn."

"I don't know..." Blink said warily.

"Aw, come on, it's lots of fun," Mandy pestered.

"Well, okay," he said, giving in.

"How about your first lesson right now?" she asked.

"Now?"

"Why not?"

* * * * *

Sadie and Jack walked slowly back to town and he kept his arm around her waist in case Will should see her and get any more bright ideas. Suddenly Jack stopped short and peered out into the empty field just beyond town in the opposite direction of the party.

"Is dat Blink on dat horse?" he asked Sadie and she grinned.

"Sure looks like it," came her answer. "Looks like Mandy got him to take a lesson or two from her on horse riding."

"He ain't doin' dat bad," Jack said, sounding surprised.

They watched as Mandy walked along beside the horse, letting Blink do most of the guiding.

"Reminds me of Mandy the first time she got back on a horse," Sadie said and Jack looked at her, surprised.

"I figured she'd always ridden," he said.

"She knew how when she was little, but when she was five she watched her dad get thrown from his horse. He died instantly and she wouldn't step foot near a horse for the next ten years," Sadie explained sadly. "I was there too. Her ma kept her from runnin' to his body, but she couldn't keep her from cryin'."

"Dat's awful," Jack said a moment later, his voice lowered. "What made 'er ride again?"

"Her ma was real sick and there wasn't anybody else who could go to town for the doctor. She had to get there fast so she took a horse from the barn and rode it into town. 'Cause of that, her ma lived for another six months. Her ma had TB and couldn't have lived much longer anyway," Sadie said.

"So none of the four of ya 'ave family left?"

"Well, we ain't sure about Claire. She was left on the front steps of the General Store when she was born and the owner of the store and his wife raised her for a while. When she was two, the wife died and the owner asked if anyone else could give her a home. Since then she's lived with four different families, including Mandy's. She came about a year before Mandy's ma died and after that, she and Mandy just stayed in the house by themselves," Sadie explained.

"So maybe 'er real parents are alive an' maybe dey ain't?" Jack asked.

"Exactly."

* * * * *

The rest of the afternoon passed much as the first had. Dinner was served around eight that night and once it was dark, the candles and lamps were lit in the main street. The band had been silent for the better part of the afternoon, but they started up again, this time with softer melodies. Jack and Sadie were among the first to begin dancing, and Blink and Mandy and Racetrack and Claire followed soon after.

Mush stood on the sidewalk, watching his friends and wondering where Lacey had gone. Finally he bolstered up his courage and walked down the street to the saloon. As he had hoped, Lacey was right inside the door. All of the other girls had gone up to bed a few minutes earlier, leaving her alone. She sat in the dim saloon at one of the tables, staring down at the wooden surface blankly. She looked up as she heard someone entered and looked back down as she saw Mush.

"Hi," he said hesitantly.

"Hi," she replied. "I'm sorry for everything I said earlier today."

"Ev'rybody has their opinions," he said, stepping across to sit at the table with her. Lacey nodded at his words, but said nothing. "Yer friends..." he began. "Dey jus' worry 'bout ya, dat's all."

"I know," she said with a sigh. "But maybe that just ain't enough to change my mind." Mush reached over and slowly closed his hand over hers. "I worry 'bout ya too," he said. Lacey looked up and into his dark eyes where she saw the single lamp's light reflected. Several moments of heavy silence followed his words and Lacey was at a loss of how to fill them. Suddenly the music from outside swelled a bit, making it more audible in the silent building.

"Ya wanna dance?" Mush asked her. She slowly smiled.

"I'd like that a lot," she whispered back. Mush took her hand and helped her from her chair. They moved to a somewhat clear spot in the room and he put his arms around her waist as they began to dance in time to the slow music. Not wanting to say anything to marr the moment, Lacey lay her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, letting her mind run free. Letting herself forget who she was and what her life was like. For a few moments, she was average.

* * * * *

People began to scatter around ten that night, and Jack walked Sadie home, although she protested. After all, he was already in town, where he was living, and it would be at least a thirty minute walk on his part. But Jack prevailed and so they ended up on Sadie's front porch at ten-thirty.

"Thanks for everything today, Jack," she said. "That thing with Will and everything else." "You're welcome," he replied. "I had a great time today."

"So did I."

"Betta than the one ya skipped out on a few years ago?" he asked teasingly and she pushed him playfully.

"That's not nice," she admonished.

"Sorry."

"Maybe I'll forgive ya."

"I'll stay hopeful," he said with a roll of his eyes as he grinned.

"Goodnight," she said as she slid her key into the lock on the front door.

"G'night," he replied.

Her door swung open and she turned back toward Jack.

"See ya tomorrow?"

"Sure." Jack pulled Sadie close and tilted her chin, bending his head just enough to kiss her. After a long several moments, he pulled away, still keeping his arms around her.

"Do ya think everything's movin' too fast?" Sadie asked him, running her finger along the edge of his collar.

"Nope," he said. "It all feels like it's movin' jus' right."

Sadie smiled with relief. "That's what I was hopin' ya'd say. Listen, why don't ya come over for breakfast tomorrow?"

"Dat'd be great," he agreed. "I'll see ya at nine?"

"Nine."

* * * * *

Jack came for breakfast the next morning and for every following morning, for the next two months. Occasionally some of the others would join them, but for the most part, mornings were their time alone. Jack found out more about her family. Sadie also showed him three pictures that she had tucked away in her rolltop desk in the study. The first was of her parents when they first married, in 1875. The second picture was one that had been taken outside in front of the house when the house had first been completed and when Sadie's older brother, Johnny, had been a toddler. The last and final picture was carefully wrapped in tissue paper to keep the dust off of it. It was a photograph of Sadie's entire family, when Sadie had been a day old. It had been taken on the front porch. Mrs. Michaels was seated in a rocking chair and Mr. Michaels knelt beside the chair, his head level with his wife's shoulder. Johnny, only six years old, sat at his mother's feet while she cradled baby Adelaide (Sadie).

"She was beautiful, wasn't she?" Sadie asked, breaking the long silence as she ran her finger lightly over her mother's image. "I used to ask Pa if she was a pretty angel up in heaven. He told me that even if she was only half as beautiful in heaven as she had been on earth, that she'd still be the prettiest angel ever to pass through the Pearly Gates. Those were his exact words too."

"Ya look jus' like 'er, Sadie, ya really do," Jack said, truthfully.

"I'd like to think so," Sadie said. "I hardly even got to meet her. I just wish I could've known her."

Jack looked up to see that Sadie's eyes had pooled with tears. He was sitting in one of the wingback chairs in the parlor and she was standing beside him. Without another word, he pulled her onto his lap. She lay her head on his shoulder and hid her face against his neck. Jack felt a single tear soak through his collar, and he hugged her tightly, rubbing her back.

"Ya know, I neva knew my ma either. She died a couple days afta I was born an' my pa died in jail 'bout two an' a half years ago," Jack told her. "It's funny ta think 'bout, but do ya think our mothers are up there, watchin' us from 'ere?" he asked, sounding curious.

"Oh, I hope so," Sadie said. "I truly hope so."

* * * * *

True to his word, Mush began to teach Lacey how to read. She was rather embarassed for anyone to know that she was illiterate, so she and Mush would take afternoon walks away from town. Then he would pull out the newspaper, or whatever else was handy, and slowly she began to learn.

It was a warm June evening when Lacey suddenly stopped reading aloud and sighed. She had felt defeated before and so Mush was quick to assure her that she had been doing just fine. In fact, she had improved greatly, just since the day before.

"Oh, it isn't that," she said, her voice sounding tired. "I'm just feelin' kinda poorly, that's all." Mush was instantly concerned. He moved closer to her and peered at her carefully. "Ya are lookin' sorta pale. Are ya sure yer not really sick?" he asked, his mind racing with possiblities. "I'm sure. One of the other girls was sick this afternoon from somethin' she ate at lunch, and I had some of what she did, so I guess I've sorta got a light case of what she had," Lacey explained and Mush sat back again.

"Well, maybe ya oughta go back ta yer room an' rest," he suggested.

"No," she was quick to protest. "I enjoy every minute of bein' away from there. I've gotta work tonight and I'd rather not spend the afternoon there too."

"Ya shouldn't work tonight if yer feelin' bad."

"I ain't really got much choice, Mush. I ain't exactly allowed to have sick leave." She gave a small laugh, but Mush could only smile weakly.

* * * * *

Jack, Mush, Racetrack, and Blink were all gathered in Jack's room at the hotel for a few games of cards around eleven-thirty that night.

"Come on, Jack, keep yer mind on da game an' off Sadie," Racetrack complained and Jack glared across the table at him.

"Sorry we don't all play as religiously as ya do, Race," he said.

"Would the two of ya jus' cut the crap an' play?" Blink asked. They shut up and the game continued for several more minutes. Suddenly a bloodcurdling scream cut through the quiet night air and all four of them jumped, losing most of their cards in the process. The scream was followed by another and a cry for help.

"God, dat's Lacey!" Mush exclaimed, tossing the rest of his cards on the table and heading for the door.

"Come on," Jack said to Blink and Racetrack as he too dropped his cards and headed after Mush. The other two followed. The four of them burst into the saloon a moment later to find it nearly deserted. The owner was nowhere to be seen and only one of the other girls was downstairs, cleaning off the tables. She looked toward them, frightened, when they entered.

"I think that came from Lacey's room, but I don't dare go up there by myself," she said and Jack nodded.

"Stay 'ere, we'll go up," he instructed her and followed Mush, who was already halfway up the stairs.

Mush wasn't sure which room was Lacey's but when they got to the upstairs hallway, they could hear a man's loud, slurred voice behind the third door on the right. They nearly broke the door down, getting in.

Lacey was crumpled on the floor beside the bed, not even fighting back, as a large man towered over her, beating her mercilessly. He turned abruptly when they broke in and they saw that his eyes were bloodshot and glazed over from the effects of alcohol. Mush dropped to his knees beside Lacey immediatly and smoothed her hair back from her face. When Jack saw the blood that poured from her nose and the gash on her forehead, he became enraged. He had seen this far too often in New York and he wasn't about to take this man doing it to someone he knew and someone one of his best friends cared so much about.

Jack took the man by the collar and threw him up against the wall, leaning his face close. "I don't care if ya are too drunk ta see straight, ya goddamned bastard," he said menacingly. "If ya ever lay a finger on 'er again yer gonna wish ya'd died as a child." (Author's note: Has anyone seen "Good Morning Vietnam?")

The man tried to reply, but he was cut off as two men from neighboring businesses entered.

"We'll take care of 'im," they told Jack and Jack shoved the man toward them, wanting badly to take care of him himself. He knew, though, that if they let him, the man probably wouldn't ever see the light of day again.

The two men led the one man out of the room and Jack turned to where his friends knelt beside Lacey. He knelt down beside them and looked her over quickly.

"Race, ya go get the doctor, an' Blink, ya go tell Sadie, Mandy, an' Claire, okay?" he said, issuing orders.

"Sure Jack," Race answered for them both as they bolted from the room. "Try not ta move 'er too much," Jack cautioned Mush and Mush nodded, trying to stop the blood that seeped from the wound on her forehead. "'Ere," Jack said, handing him his red bandana. Mush pressed the bandana to her forehead with shaking hands, trying to hold it in place.

"I told 'er somethin' like dis was gonna 'appen," he said, his voice nearly a whisper. "She wouldn't listen, though. Said dat if somethin' 'appened she'd jus' be glad she didn't---hafta---live wid--'er---'erself---anymore," he said, not really speaking to Jack. "Why Lace, why didn't ya quit when Sadie asked ya to? Why'd ya hafta be 'ere when did 'appened?"

* * * * *

The doctor came then and immedietely ordered that Mush carry Lacey to his office, across the street. Mush obeyed without another word and Jack and Racetrack followed silently. The doctor's main office was equipt with an examining table and several lamps which were all lit, flooding the room with light. Mush laid Lacey on the sheet-covered table and stayed by her side, keeping pressure on the wound on her forehead. Jack and Racetrack waited farther back, against the wall, not quite sure how to respond to the way Mush was acting. They had never seen him so distraught, yet they understood perfectly. Had it been Sadie or Claire...

The doctor looked first at the injury to her forehead and decided not to put stitches in it. Rather, he cleaned it and taped several layers of gauze over it. Her nose was not broken, thankfully, but the doctor had a difficult time stopping the flow of blood from it. He had Mush lean her forward a bit, for she was choking when she lay back. One of her eyes was black and swollen shut. The doctor taped a thick bandage over it and then asked Jack, Mush, and Racetrack to step outside. Jack and Racetrack quickly obeyed, but Mush stood his ground.

"I ain't leavin' 'er, not even for a minute," he said and the doctor held his gaze for a minute before relenting.

Mush looked down on Lacey's face, smoothing her blond hair back from her forehead, unable to straighten out the snarls in it. The doctor checked her torso to find that she had several bruised ribs, though none were broken. He taped her up and pulled her rather torn blouse back over her.

"Why hasn't she woken up yet?" Mush asked and the doctor looked serious.

"I really don't know," he said. "Obviously she's sustained a blow to the head, but there's no evidence of bleeding, so hopefully it isn't too bad. We really won't know anything until she wakes up."

Lacey's ankle was swelling rapidly and the doctor put a bag of ice over it until he could elevate it.

He had just finished with this when Sadie, Mandy, and Claire burst in, Racetrack, Blink, and Jack on their heels, all trying to keep them from seeing Lacey just yet.

All three girls stopped short, their gasps collective.

"Oh my God," Sadie managed to choke out, her shaking hand going to cover her mouth. Jack saw her legs grow weak and reached out to hold her up. "I told her somethin' like this was gonna happen and she just wouldn't listen," Sadie said, tears beginning to run down her cheeks.

"We all tried to tell her," Claire whispered.

Mandy burst into sobs and threw her arms around Blink's neck. Choked up himself, he held her tightly, letting her soak his jacket with her tears. Racetrack slid his arm around Claire's shoulder and she leaned against him, tears spilling from her eyes as well.

Mush helped the doctor carry Lacey upstairs to one of the rooms that were up there, above his office. The doctor very nicely allowed everyone to stay in the room and brought them extra chairs. Mush sat beside Lacey's bed, holding her hand, never letting go for even a second.

* * * * *

It was five that morning. Jack was in a chair by the open window and Sadie was on his lap. Both were asleep. Racetrack and Claire sat in seperate chairs and only she was asleep, but had her head on his shoulder. Blink and Mandy were both awake and he had kept his arm tightly around her. Mush still sat beside Lacey's bed, holding onto her hand and watching her anxiously. They had all been there for more than four hours and hardly a word had been spoken. The doctor had come up once every hour, but nothing had changed.

The rising sun gave the room a rose-tinted hue and a piece of the sunlight came through the window, square on Sadie's face. She awakened and raised her head, yawning. She looked toward Lacey and her face fell as she saw what she had seen when she had gone to sleep.

Sadie lifted herself gently from Jack's lap and crossed the room, kneeling beside Lacey's bed on the opposite side from where Mush sat. She looked over at him.

"Nothin'?" she asked and he shook his head sadly. She looked back to Lacey and reached out a tentative hand, touching her friend's pale cheek. "Oh Lace," she whispered. "Why don't ya ever listen to me? Why do ya have to be so damned stubborn?"

Jack had awakened when Sadie had stood and now he crossed over to her, kneeling beside her and putting his hand on her arm, though he said nothing. She turned to look at him briefly before turning back to Lacey.

"Come on, Lace," she whispered. "Please wake up and let us know if you're gonna be okay. We love ya so much, Lace, and we always will, no matter what. Isn't that what I've always said to ya? Come on, just wake up."

She dropped her hand from Lacey's face and took her hand, grasping it tightly in both of hers. She kissed Lacey's fingers then bent her head to Lacey's hand, letting her tears splash onto the bedspread. Jack bit his lip and put his hand to the back of Sadie's neck, rubbing it gently.

Suddenly Sadie's head snapped up and she stared at Lacey. "I swear she just squeezed my hand!" she exclaimed and everyone else leaned a little farther forward. Racetrack nudged Claire awake and told her what was happening. Sadie sat on the edge of the bed and leaned over Lacey.

"Lace?" she asked softly. "Can ya hear me?"

Lacey's forehead creased and a moment later her unbandaged eye fluttered open only to close again. After a moment, it opened again and she tried to focus it. She moved her head ever so slightly and looked up at Sadie.

"Hi Lace," Sadie whispered, blinking back her tears.

"Hi," Lacey managed to whisper back, her voice hoarse. She cleared her throat and Mush helped her sip some water from the glass that had been beside her bed.

"We've been so worried about ya, Lacey," Claire said as she knelt at Sadie's feet. "Ya had us so worried." She sounded like she was on the verge of tears herself.

Racetrack went to get the doctor who returned with him a moment later. He took a couple of minutes to examine her. Everything seemed to check out normal. Lacey complained of a headache, though and the doctor gave her some aspirin, then asked everyone to leave the room so she could get her rest. Sadie made arrangements to take Lacey home with her to finish recuperating. Then everyone except Mush left.

The doctor let Mush have a moment alone with Lacey.

"I'm sorry I scared everyone," Lacey whispered, her full voice not quite back yet.

"Don't worry 'bout it," he said, "jus' concentrate on gettin' betta."

"I will," she said with a small smile.

"Well, I'll leave an' let ya get some rest 'fore Sadie comes back dis aftanoon," he said as he stood and gave her hand a parting squeeze. She smiled again and he started toward the door. At the last moment, he stopped, turned around, and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, before disappearing from the room.

Lacey watched him hurry out, closing the door behind him. After a shocked moment, she reached up and gently touched the spot he had kissed, seeming amazed.

* * * * *

Sadie arrived with the wagon around two that afternoon. Mush and Jack carried Lacey out to it, where Sadie, Claire, and Mandy had piled layer upon layer of blankets in the wagon bed to make the ride more comfortable for Lacey. Blink, Racetrack, and Claire were waiting there. Mush handed Lacey up to Blink and Racetrack and they helped her get settled in the back of the wagon. Mush, Racetrack, and Claire rode in the wagon with her, Mandy and Blink each rode a horse behin