Chapter 7

Lee was trying to get some sleep, she didn't feel good, and the boys were just making it worse with all the carrying on about the Valentine's Dance. Teaspoon came in and announced, "I need two riders right now to go to Willow Springs to pick up some bank drafts."

"Why do you need two riders Teaspoon? Just one of us could handle this," Cody said.

"I need two guns on this one."

The boys all started arguing about who would go and Lee had enough of it and shouted, "Fine, I'll go!"

"Lee, you look sick. Are you up to it?"

"Teaspoon, It's just a head ache and I'm sure that as soon as I get away from these shouting boys, I'll be fine." Lee assured him. She needed to get away. If she didn't get away she'd kill whoever made her head hurt worse.

Teaspoon saw the determination in her eyes, and agreed against his better judgment. The others were still arguing when Jimmy walked into the bunkhouse. Teaspoon told him what was going on and Jimmy said that he'd go. Lee felt a little better having Jimmy go with her. It wasn't that she didn't trust the other boys, because she did, it's just that if Lee didn't want to talk, then Jimmy wouldn't talk, and that silence would help her headache to get better. Hopefully by the time they made camp that night, her headache would be gone. If she still had a headache by the time she got back, she would go check up on Lynn.

As they made camp, Jimmy was getting worried about Lee. It wasn't the silence that worried him; it was the worried look on Lee's face that worried him. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Jimmy finally asked.

"Nothin's wrong. I just got a headache."

"So why do you look so worried?"

"I don't know. I guess I was just remembering the last time I had a headache like this."

Jimmy waited for Lee to continue. When she didn't, he prompted her, "So what happened?"

"I don't know, I must've been 6 or 7. Lynn was real sick. The doctors didn't think she was going to make it. The higher her fever went, the worse my headache got. Ma would spend some time with Lynn while Pa would hold me to keep me from crying because it hurt so bad. The doctors didn't know why I had a headache and couldn't stop it. After a while Ma would come in and hold me while Pa went in to tend to Lynn. My headache went away when Lynn got better. A month later I came down with whatever it was that Lynn had and Lynn had the headache."

"You think Lynn's sick?"

"Um, I don't know. I hope not. If my headache's not gone by the time we get back with the bonds, then I'm going to Denver to see her."

"OK."

After they made camp, Jimmy was getting more worried about Lee. She didn't eat anything, just went to sleep. He was worried about Lynn too. He knew that Lee would not worry about her sister unless she had a good reason to worry.


~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*


Meanwhile in Denver

One of Lynn's friends, Christine, came to see why she wasn't at school that day. When Lynn didn't answer the door, Christine got the boarding house owner to open the door with the extra key. They both knew it was unlike Lynn to miss school and wanted to make sure she was OK.

They found Lynn on the bed, drenched in her sweat and unconscious. When the boarding house owner felt Lynn's forehead, she said, "She's burning up. Go get the doctor and hurry!"

When Christine had gotten back with the doctor, Lynn had been changed into some dry nightclothes and the sheets on her bed were clean as well. Lynn woke up when the doctor came in and she recognized him. She knew from her studies that she needed help. "Miss Ethridge, can you tell me what's wrong? Does anything hurt?"

"My lower side hurts." Lynn said through clenched teeth and between ragged breaths.

"I'm going to feel your stomach OK?" The doctor explained. Lynn just nodded. She didn't care, she just wanted the pain to stop. "Have you been nauseous?" Lynn nodded. "OK, Miss Ethridge, I'm going to have to move you to my clinic. I need to operate. But after the operation, you'll be fine." He turned to the worried friends in the room and explained, "She's having an appendicitis. I need to remove her appendix."


~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*


Kid was returning from a ride when he saw a lady in distress. Of course, he had to rescue her. After he stopped the runaway horses, he found out that the woman on the wagon was the new schoolteacher, Samantha. He also found out that she didn't know the where the location of the house she was supposed to live in was, so he decided to do the gentlemanly thing and take her to the house. What he didn't realize was that Samantha was falling hard for him.

When they got into Sweetwater, Louise was coming out of the general store from buying supplies for her father. Kid stopped the wagon and introduced Louise as his fiancée. Kid didn't see the look of detest that came across Samantha's face, but Louise did. She just took note and would try to be her friend anyway, but she would be careful of what she said around her. Samantha's mannerisms reminded her of some of the girls in the finishing school that would stop at nothing to get what they wanted.

While Kid was stopped, Cody hopped on the wagon, Kid thought it was just to get out of loading the station's wagon with supplies. But then Cody said that Kid would need help unloading Samantha's things, so Kid wasn't sure why Cody wanted to ride along, until he saw the look of lust on Cody's face.


~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*


Lee woke up about ten minutes after she fell asleep. Jimmy hadn't fallen asleep yet, but the blood curling scream that came from Lee would have woken him up in a heartbeat. Good thing he wasn't asleep or he would have drawn his gun.

"What's wrong?"

"My side, it feels like someone just stabbed me." Lee said through ragged breaths. There was no wound or anything to suggest the reason for pain. They were both puzzled, but after an hour, the pain went away and she was able to go back to sleep. This time, Jimmy was just a foot away from her instead of on the other side of camp.


~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*


The surgery took just a few minutes, but Lynn did not wake up for an hour or so after. Her temperature went back to normal and she was fine, even though the doctor recommend bed rest for a week.

"What about school?"

"They'll understand. I'll talk to the dean about getting your studies delivered to you at the boarding house. But you are not to get out of bed for week. You have to heal."

"Yes, Sir."


~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*


When they got back to the station, Kid teased Cody about Samantha. Cody just brushed him off and replied, "What are you so upset about, Kid? You got Louise."

Kid smiled and laughed, "I'm not upset, I'm glad that I finally get to tease you like you've teased me!" Then he turned serious, "No, really I'm happy for you and I hope that it works out between you two."

"I'm going to ask her to the dance for tomorrow night."

"Great. Maybe she won't feel out of place going with the town flirt." Noah chimed in.


~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*


When Lee woke up the next morning, her headache was gone and so was the pain in her side. They decided to go on to Willow Springs and as soon as she got back she would pay Lynn a visit. She told Jimmy of a dream that she had while she was asleep. She dreamt that Lynn had some sort of surgery performed on her and she was worried about her. So Jimmy decided that he would go with her to Denver.

When they got to Willow Springs, the bank bonds were not there and they ended up having to stay the night. What made matters worse was that there was just one room left. Even after an argument with the hotel clerk, there was still just one room left.

"We'll take it." Lee said in a deep voice.

Jimmy signed the hotel registrar and mumbled on the way up the stairs, "Don't worry you can have the bed, I'll sleep on the floor."

They found a sign on their hotel door about a Valentine's Dance that night and decided to go. Jimmy thought, Maybe it would help ease Lee's worries a little bit, well at least take her mind off of her sister for a while.


~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*


Samantha's reason for going to the dance with Cody had nothing to do with Cody. She wanted to get Kid jealous. What she did not realize is that Kid was totally unavailable and uninterested in her. He was in love with Louise and to him there was no other woman on earth.

Cody was totally unaware that Samantha was using him. He thought she really liked him. So Cody took Samantha to the dance and Kid took Louise, while the others went alone. Buck was brooding that Lynn wasn't there and he was worried about her. He had the same dream that Lee had, only he didn't tell anybody, passing it off as just missing her.


~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*


Lee had bought a royal blue dress to go to the dance and Jimmy had bought a suit to go with her. They went to the dance together, and even though a lot of gentlemen asked to cut in, they politely refused them saying that she was shy and didn't want to dance with anyone that she didn't know.


~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*


At the dance back in Sweetwater, one of Samantha's old boyfriends tried to reclaim her and Cody stepped in. A duel was called and well, Teaspoon barely stopped the duel in time with Martha, Samantha's mother telling Robert that Samantha was his daughter and he couldn't love her in a romantic way.

When Robert realized this was true, he raised his gun to kill Cody anyway, but Teaspoon stopped him from pulling the trigger by firing his own gun and shooting the gun out of Robert's hand. Teaspoon told Robert to get out of town and to never return or he would lock him up for attempted murder.


~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*


He dared hardly breathe at the delicacy of the moment. Standing outside on the verandah and just watching the beauty before him. The dance was over, and their night was about to end. However, he wished it would never end. He looked at the love of his life in the moonlight. She was so beautiful in that royal blue dress. The color just brought out her blue eyes. Her short red hair was swept up off of her neck and a nice lace bow held it all in place. She was the bell of the ball in his eyes. A number of suitors had asked to dance with her at the dance, but she declined them all to stay with him. What did I do to deserve her? he wondered. As he unlocked the hotel room door, she spun around into the room and smiled at him. He walked inside the hotel room and as he lit some candles, he remarked, "You're beautiful, you know that?"

"You're not too shabby yourself." she breathed. She reached up and kissed him deeply.

"LeAnn," he said as he broke the kiss. As he looked into her eyes, nothing else existed but them. "I love you."

"I love you too, Jimmy." LeAnn said right before Jimmy kissed her again. Lee walked backwards as Jimmy walked forward. Lee did what she felt like she should do, as she fell onto the soft bed. As Jimmy deepened the kiss, Lee started to undo his shirt.

Jimmy stopped and looked at her intensely, "Are you sure?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life."


~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*


Lynn dreamed what her sister was doing, but just passed off as a medicine-induced dream. She couldn't see everything, but she could see clothes on the floor, Lee and Jimmy in a bed together. She had an idea what the dream was implying. She wasn't sure if she hoped that the dream was true or not. On one hand she hoped it was true, but on the other hand, she hoped that her sister would wait until she was married to do what the dream said she was doing.


~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*


As they laid there in each other's arms breathing heavily, LeAnn's thoughts turned back in time. Her mother had told her that sometimes, for one reason or another, you just couldn't wait until you're married. She truly felt like this applied to her and Jimmy. She knew how Jimmy felt about marriage. It wasn't for him, J.D. Marcus had taken that option away from Jimmy. With the reputation that Marcus had spun, with lies for Jimmy as a gunfighter, there was no way he was going to endanger the woman he loved to some gunfighter-wanna-be or to someone who thought he had killed or wronged a friend of theirs. She knew that somehow God had made her Soul Mate not the marrying kind. She had made a decision in the heat of the moment tonight. A decision that was irreversible, but she blamed God for her decision. She wanted to give herself to her Soul Mate and nobody else, weather he was the marrying-kind or not. She would marry no one else and she made up her mind right then that she would not be bitter. She would take whatever consequences there were for her decision tonight and would hold her head up high.

Jimmy's thoughts also turned back in time. He remembered the first gunfighter that came after him because of Marcus. He cursed Marcus. He cursed himself for giving into his desire. He knew there was no other woman for him other than LeAnn, but at the same time, he knew that he could never marry her because of his reputation. If something happened and she left him, he would understand, it would kill him, but he would understand. If marriage would be an option for him, then LeAnn would be the woman he would ask. She could take care of herself, he had taught her well. She was almost as fast as he was with the draw, maybe ... He would have to think on it some more, but maybe, just maybe, he could marry her.

They fell asleep in each other's arms. When Lee woke up in Jimmy's arms the next morning, she looked around the room and saw that their clothes were strewn about. Good. It wasn't a dream. She thought. The next thing she noted was time. It was 9:00 they were supposed to have picked up the bank bonds at 8:30. She got Jimmy up and they rushed as they got their riding clothes on and Jimmy ran across the street to get the bonds as Lee packed up their belongings. They had not planned on making love all night long, but they did and now they were running late, but if they hurried, they could make it back to Sweetwater in time for supper.

Jimmy met Lee at the livery where they had the horses and she was ready to go. "The bonds just got there, so we're really not late."

"Well, do you think that we can make it back to Sweetwater by supper?"

"If we hurry, maybe, we still might have to stop and make camp, though."

"OK. I'm just worried about Lynn is all."

"Still think that there was something to your dream?"

"Yeah I do." Lee answered as she mounted her horse.

"OK we'll get home as fast as we can." Jimmy said as he mounted his horse. They rode off at top speed.


~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*


They ended up having to make camp about 10 miles outside of Sweetwater. And they spent the night in each other's arms again.

The next morning they woke up early and broke camp on schedule. Lee was still worried about her sister and wanted to find out why she had this nagging feeling that Lynn was not well.

About 5 miles outside of Sweetwater, Jimmy and Lee decided to race. Lee was in the lead when she pulled back on Black and made him stop. Jimmy immediately stopped also, "What's wrong?" he asked.

"There's the windmill. They can't see us yet, though." Lee said as she stared off into the distance.

Jimmy couldn't follow her train of thought. "So why'd you stop?"

Lee took a deep breath, "Because we need to talk."

Jimmy thought he knew what she wanted to talk about, but he wasn't sure. "About what?" He asked and took a deep breath also.

"Last night and the other night." Lee said as she dismounted.

Jimmy was afraid that Lee had started regretting what they did. If she felt like he had pressured in any way, he would never forgive himself. But that was not the case. "Jimmy what if the others find out and Teaspoon fires us or never lets us take a ride together anymore, or makes me move into the house with Rachel ..." Jimmy shut her up with a kiss. If this was all she was worried about, he could handle it.

"Well, then we'll deal with it when that happens. But for now, I'm not going to tell a soul. What happens between you and me stays between you and me and is nobody else's business."

Lee smiled and kissed him. "I love you, Jimmy."

"I love you too, LeAnn."

Lee had learned that first night that Jimmy did not like being called James. He had told her that his mother was the only person to call him that and that was only when he was in trouble, so he had come to hate that name. On the other hand Lee loved her full name, especially when it rolled off of Jimmy's tongue. So there were times when he would call her LeAnn when they were alone.

They rode into the station at a slow canter and Buck came out of the bunkhouse with a letter for Lee. Lee took the letter and Jimmy took the bank bonds to Teaspoon who in turn took them to the bank.

My Dearest LeAnn, Feb 14, 1861

I am writing to tell you that I am laid up for a week or so. I had what they call appendicitis. That is when your appendix is infected and needs to be removed. Please don't worry about it, I'm fine now. Just bored out of my mind, because I have to stay in bed. I should be up and around in a week's time though. Hope all is well with you and hope you had a very happy Valentine's Day.

Love,

Your Sister,

Lynnette

Lee sat down on her bunk and just sighed a sigh of relief, her sister was in trouble, but now she's fine. When Jimmy came in she let him read the letter and chills went down his spine. "Do you still want to go see her?"

"If I can, yes."

"Teaspoon's up at the house now, it's time for lunch."

"Thanks."

When Lee saw Teaspoon, she explained to him what the letter said and Buck over heard what was said. He knew what his dream meant now and was relieved to find out that she was OK. He had written her the same day that she had written Lee to see if everything was OK and in his letter he explained the dream.

"So, can I go check up on her?" Lee asked.

"As long as you're back for your next run." Teaspoon said.

Lee thanked him and went to get ready to ride out. When she was ready to ride out, she ate a light lunch and headed to get Black. Jimmy was waiting for her in the barn. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too, but I need to do this."

"I know, just let me know if I can help you."

"If I'm not back you can take my ride."

"OK. But if you're not back by then, I'm coming after you."

Lee smiled, "OK."


~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*


The visit with Lynn went fine. Lee told Lynn of her pain and dream and Lynn confirmed that she indeed did have fever, but that she had no pain during the operation, but her side did hurt before the operation. Lee also read the letter that Buck had sent to Lynn asking if everything is OK and was shocked that he, too, knew when Lynn was in trouble. She promised Lynn not to say anything to Buck unless he said something to her first.

Lynn also told Lee of her dream and how she thought it was a medicine-induced dream. However, she knew that it was not a medicine-induced dream when she looked up and saw Lee's face beat red.

"Have you had that dream since then?"

"No. Just the once. It was the night that I sent off the letter to you." Lee just nodded, relieved that her sister would not know every time she and Jimmy made love. "Lynn, promise me that you won't tell anyone about your dream of me and Jimmy."

Lynn laughed and said, "OK I promise. Like I would tell anybody that. Just be careful, Sis. I don't want you to get hurt. I still wish you would've waited."

"I promise I'll be careful. But I love him, Lynn. And remember Ma said that there are times, when marriage just isn't an option."

"I know. I just never thought it would apply to us."


~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*


Lee returned the day before her run and let everybody know that her sister was fine. Buck was relieved, if he could have, he would have gone with Lee to see about Lynn, but he had a ride the day after Lee left to go Denver.