Chapter One

"Something sure smells good in here." Aloysius "Teaspoon" Hunter said as he came into the bunkhouse. His wizened face was reddened by the brisk walk he had taken from the jailhouse to the Pony Express waystation on the outskirts of Rock Creek, Nebraska. He shrugged out of his jacket and hung it up on the pegs by the door, along with his hat and gun belt.

"Supper will be ready in a few minutes." Rachel Dunne, the housekeeper, told him from her position near the cook stove where she was stirring the contents of a large black kettle that perfumed the air with its savory fragrance.

"What are you fixing Rachel?" asked Jesse James as he came into the bunkhouse behind the stationmaster with an armload of firewood. He carried it over to the box by the stove and dropped it inside and then peered curiously into the pot that Rachel was stirring. He reached into the pot to dip his finger in for a taste but had it smacked by Rachel.

"Go wash up." Rachel instructed the teenager as she began to slice a loaf of bread. "We're having beef stew with all the fixings, biscuits, bread pudding and apple pie."

"Mmm…" William F. Cody murmured from his prone position on his bunk in one corner of the bunkhouse, where he had remained for most of the day once he had returned from an overnight run. 'Sounds good, Rachel."

"Leave it to Cody to awaken right when supper was ready." Noah Dixon remarked with a wide grin that lit up his dark face as he set aside his oil rag and whip, and walked over to the washbasin to clean up, before taking his seat at the table.

Laughter filled the bunkhouse as the other members of the Pony Express family gathered around the long wooden table in preparation of eating the evening meal. As the blond headed rider took his seat at the table, he shot Noah a glare across it. Noah's only response was to smile wider.

The Kid and Louise McCloud were the last two riders to take their places at the table as Rachel began dishing up the stew and handing the bowls to Teaspoon, who passed them down the table. As soon as all of the bowls were filled, Rachel took her own seat, and the next few moments were spent in companionable silence as the makeshift family paid dived into their food.

When Teaspoon had finished eating his slice of apple pie, he leaned back in his chair and patted his stomach appreciatively. "I need three riders to pick up a package from Fort Laramie."

"Three riders, Teaspoon? Isn't that a bit much for a single package?" James Butler Hickok, "Jimmy" to his friends, asked.

"It's a very important package and I want more than one gun on it." Teaspoon replied.

"Can you tell us what's in the package?" Buck Cross asked.

"Nope. Only that it's military. As you all know there has been a bit of trouble lately with carriers getting ambushed along, and so the Army wants to try things differently. The lot of you has made a name for yourselves with being the best riders hereabouts so they sent me word so I can arrange it."

"I'll go." Jimmy said.

"I'll go, too." Lou volunteered quickly, eager to get back in the saddle after her long recuperation.

"No, you will NOT." Kid responded automatically.

Lou turned to look at him with a darkening expression on her face. After all they had worked out between them over the past several weeks; she certainly hadn't expected to be having this argument with him again. "Why now, Kid? Don't you think I'm capable of handling myself?"

Kid saw the darkening expression on Lou's face and knew he was treading on thin ice. He knew that if he didn't watch his step, all the hard work the two of them had done in repairing their relationship would come tumbling down around his head. "Of course you are. It's just that you've only just recovered and this will be your first time back in the saddle. Don't you think maybe you should start out on a shorter ride?"

Lou's face lightened and she smiled softly at him. She knew how hard it had been for him to rein in his over-protectiveness and appreciated it. "The doc gave me a clean bill of health when he was here this morning. He told me not to push myself too much and I intend to do just that."

"Teaspoon, I'd like to go, too." Kid said, turning to the stationmaster.

Lou arched an eyebrow at him.

"That is if Lou and Jimmy are both okay with it." Kid was quick to add.

"Fine by me." Jimmy agreed.

The two riders exchanged a look across the table. It wasn't so long ago when the two of them had been at each other's throats. It was partially due to their competition for Lou's affections that had chased Lou away from Rock Creek in the first place. In the past several weeks they had straightened out their differences, and had become close friends again.

"I haven't even agreed to let Lou go on this trip yet, and the two of you are already making plans." Teaspoon cut in.

Seven pairs of eyes were suddenly focused on him, as the six male riders readied themselves to defend Lou's position as a Pony Express rider, and Lou stilled herself for battle against the stationmaster. She had expected Kid's protest, but not Teaspoon's.

Teaspoon's blue eyes settled on Lou's slender form. Her dark hair had resumed its glossy shine, her pixie features had a healthy glow, and there was a happy light in her doe eyes. It made him smile to see Lou healthy and happy again after her prolonged sickness. Several weeks earlier Lou had discovered she was pregnant by Kid. Things between the two riders had been as bad as they could have been at the time and so Lou had left Rock Creek. A short time after she found out she was pregnant, Lou had started to get sick, and the sickness had grown increasingly worse as time passed.

Kid, Jimmy, Buck, and Ike McSwain had rode out of Rock Creek to look for her and bring her home. Trouble was Lou hadn't wanted to be found. Nor did she want to come back to Rock Creek with her fellow riders. She had acted so oddly, and looked so sickly, that Kid and Jimmy had taken it upon themselves to bring her home anyways. Especially since Teaspoon had given them the ultimatum not to return to Rock Creek without her.

Lou had collapsed as soon as she had dismounted her horse, and subsequently lost their baby. Blood loss and infection had left Lou battling to stay with them for a time. It appeared to him now that she was finally healed, emotionally and physically.

"Teaspoon, are you going to let me go on this ride?" Lou finally asked after a few moments.

Teaspoon broke out of his reverie at the sound of Lou's voice. There was a hopeful expression on her face as she waited for his answer. He glanced down the table at Rachel for her opinion. Rachel nodded slightly.

"The three of you better get some sleep tonight. You leave at first light." Teaspoon said at last.