By the time they arrived back at the farm, Rebecca was feeling slightly better. The pain in her head was still commanding, but the tightness in her chest had eased and she no longer felt dizzy. She knew that if she could just get inside, take her medication and get to bed she would feel a lot better in the morning. It always worked that way. Preston had refrained from talking any more to her on the ride back, seemingly to instinctively understand that she needed the time to bring herself back under control. Indeed, the only knowledge she had that he was there was the occasional movement of his body against hers and his breath periodically landing on the back of her neck. Only when he pulled Thunder to a halt in the farmyard did he speak to her again.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, thank you," she replied. He slid down and then reached up to help her down. Once she was on the ground, she moved away from him. "Thank you again."

"I should see you inside."

"You don't have to, really."

"I'd feel better," he insisted. Relenting, Rebecca opened the front door and stepped inside. Preston followed her and closed the door behind him. "You should drink something," he said efficiently, "tea or…something…"

"Since when did you become a doctor?"

"I'm sorry," he said, looking away, "I didn't mean…"

"No, I…" Rebecca realised that he had misread her meaning, "I was only joking. I appreciate your concern, but I'll honestly be fine."

Preston hovered at the door, seemingly unsure as to what to do next. "I really think I should get Michaela to come and check you over. Especially to take a look at your head."

She touched the wound self-consciously. "I don't need that, really I don't," she insisted. "I'm just going to go to bed and I'm sure I'll feel a lot better in the morning. Really," she emphasised, seeing as he still looked unsure. She wanted him away from her, away from her sickness, her frailty.

"Well…" he said, "if you're sure…"

"I am, thank you. Please, I've taken up enough of your time as it is."

"Well…" he seemed to be fighting for the right words, "I'll…well…good night Rebecca."

"Good night, Preston." She replied. She watched as he opened the door and stepped back out into the cool night air. Climbing back onto Thunder, he gave her a brief smile before turning and heading away from the property. Rebecca closed the door behind him and leant against it, letting out a long sigh. Then, she moved into the kitchen and lifted the vial of digitalis from the drawer. She took the requisite dosage and then began boiling water to make tea. As she waited, she moved into her bedroom, taking off her slightly damp dress and replacing it with a nightshirt. Brushing out her hair, she examined the cut on her forehead. The bleeding had eased, but it was a nasty gash. She would have to have Michaela take a look at it, for cosmetic reasons if no other.

The kettle whistled, indicating that the water was ready and she moved back into the kitchen to pour the tea. Then she sat at the table to drink it and thought back over the evening's events. She would never have thought that Preston would have been so concerned. But then, she said to herself, if she had come across his prostrate body in the road human nature would have made her equally as concerned.

"He was only being gentlemanly," she said aloud to nobody in particular. After drinking the tea, she made her way back through to the bedroom, slipped under the covers and was asleep in seconds.

XXXX

The following morning, as Preston was preparing to open the bank, he caught sight of Michaela about to go into the clinic. Thinking about Rebecca, he hurried over. "Michaela!"

She turned, "Preston."

"I was hoping to catch you. I think you should ride out to Rebecca's farm this morning."

"Really?" Michaela asked, "Why's that?"

He found himself irked by her. "Because I found her unconscious in the road last night, that's why."

Michaela's eyes widened, "What?"

Preston nodded. "She didn't really say what happened, but she had a nasty gash to her forehead. Now, I'm no doctor, but I think it could use a stitch."

"She was at the homestead for dinner last night. It must have happened on the way home. Why didn't you come and get me?"

"Believe me, I tried," Preston replied, "She wouldn't let me. That woman is insufferably stubborn."

"Well," Michaela said, "it certainly takes someone equally as stubborn to see that." She unhooked her horse's reins from the fencepost. "I'll ride up there now."

"I'll come with you. Just give me a moment to get my horse."

"I really don't think that'll be necessary," Michaela said. "I can manage."

"I'm not suggesting for a minute that you can't. But I would like to see that Rebecca is all right."

Michaela sighed, "Well, I don't suppose I can really stop you." She waited while he retrieved Thunder and then they began making their way out of town towards the farm. "What exactly happened?"

"I don't know," he replied truthfully. "Her horse came thundering past me and the next moment, I saw her lying there in the middle of the road."

"How long was she unconscious for?"

"I've no idea. Perhaps two or three minutes after I got there? Does it matter?" he looked over at her.

"It might well do. Head injuries can be serious." Michaela sighed heavily.

Preston looked at her curiously, "What's wrong with her?"

"Who?"

"Rebecca," he said, slightly impatiently. "Come on, Michaela, we've all seen it. Those fainting spells at the café, now what happened last night. There's something seriously wrong with her, isn't there?"

Michaela kept her gaze fixed ahead, "Even if I knew, Preston, I couldn't tell you."

"Even if you knew?" he echoed, "you mean you don't know what it is?" Michaela didn't reply. "If it's something serious…"

Michaela pulled her horse to a stop and faced him. "Preston, I'm a doctor. I can't divulge what patients tell me. If Rebecca wants you to know then she'll tell you herself."

He really had no answer for that, and had little alternative but to continue to follow her towards the farm. When they reached it, the blinds were still drawn and there was no sign of life. Michaela pulled her horse to a halt and slid down. Moving over to the door, she knocked and called out Rebecca's name. At first there was no reply, so she knocked and called out again.

"I hope she's all right," she said.

"I'll check at the back," Preston said. He made his way around the side of the farmhouse to the backyard. As he did so, he marvelled once again at the improvements Rebecca had made. The place did really look much better. She really was quite determined. He admired that in a woman, liked it even. He couldn't ever have imagined Helen toiling on a farm like this. As he made his way to the back door, he heard a noise behind him and turned to see Rebecca coming out of the barn and closing the door behind her. He immediately noticed that she was wearing only her nightshirt and dressing gown.

When she turned and saw him, her eyes widened in shock. "Preston!" She gasped, pulling her dressing gown tighter around her.

"Oh…uh…" Preston averted his gaze, "good morning Rebecca…I…"

"What are you doing here?"

"Well I…" he fought for words while trying to not look at her. "I ran into Michaela this morning and…"

"Michaela?" At that moment, Michaela appeared around the side of the house and stopped short when she saw them both.

"Ah, Michaela!" Preston exclaimed, "Well…I found her."

"So I see."

"What are you both doing here?" Rebecca asked.

"Preston told me what happened last night," Michaela said, "I wanted to come and take a look at your head."

Rebecca touched it gently, "It's really nothing, honestly."

"I'd still like to look at it anyway." They both looked at Preston.

"Oh, I'll wait out here," he said quickly.

Rebecca led Michaela into the farmhouse and through into the kitchen where she dutifully sat down and allowed her friend to examine her head. "What did Preston tell you?" she asked after a few moments of silence.

"That he found you unconscious in the road."

Rebecca sighed, "I don't know what happened. One minute I was trying to get my horse to move and the next…" she winced.

"Sorry. Did you fall from your horse?" Rebecca didn't reply and Michaela paused to look at her. "Did you?"

"No."

"You had another attack?" Rebecca nodded wordlessly. "Rebecca I wish you would let me examine you."

"Michaela, we've been through this," Rebecca replied, "I already know what's wrong with me."

"Yes, but your condition might have changed since you last saw your doctor. If it has, perhaps the medication you're taking isn't enough. You might need more or less, or different medication. Rebecca…" Michaela sat down, "I know you think I'm interfering…"

"No I don't…"

"But I wouldn't be saying all this if I wasn't concerned about you."

Rebecca sighed heavily, "I suppose I thought that…if I ignored it, it would go away. I suppose I thought that by coming back here I had left it behind me in Boston." She looked up. "Does that sound crazy?"

"No," Michaela replied, "it sounds human." She finished treating Rebecca's head. "Why don't you come to the clinic tomorrow and I'll give you a full examination." Rebecca nodded. "And, if you give me your doctor's name in Boston I can wire him and tell him I've taken over your treatment."

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt," Rebecca replied, lifting a piece of paper from the table and hurriedly scribbling down her doctor's name.

Michaela pocketed it, "Tomorrow then."

Rebecca nodded, "Tomorrow."

"And no heavy work today. You need to recover."

Rebecca laughed, "Believe me Michaela, I wouldn't have been wandering about the farm in my nightshirt if I had been planning to do any heavy work. Or if I had been expecting Preston to appear out of nowhere."

Michaela smiled, "He did seem rather concerned about you."

To her surprise, Rebecca found herself blushing. "I'm sure he was only concerned in case I wasn't able to fulfil my side of the bargain."

"Perhaps."

"Michaela…"

"I didn't say anything."

"Anyway, he's getting married, remember? His fiancee's in town." Rebecca stood up and looked out of the window where Preston was standing next to his horse. "Besides, he has the power to take the farm away from me. I have to remember that. Not to mention the fact that…"

Michaela looked up from where she was packing up her bag, "What?"

Rebecca fought down the familiar feelings of sorrow and self-pity. "Nothing," she replied, "nothing at all."

XXXX

"So, you're here all the way from Boston," Jake sat down next to Helen at Grace's Café. She nodded. "What made you come all the way to Colorado Springs?"

"Well…" she paused, wondering exactly what to say. Did she want everyone to know what had happened between her and Preston? "I'm a friend of Mr Lodge."

"A friend?"

"That's correct."

"So you came out here for a visit?"

Helen focused on her breakfast, "Something like that."

"Well you know, if Mr Lodge is too busy, I'm always available to show you around town. I don't believe there's anyone better qualified than the town's mayor."

This piqued Helen's interest, "Mayor?" Jake nodded. "I had no idea."

"Yeah well, one day I'll actually get a sign made for me," Jake replied, glowering at Robert E as he replied. "Well you're probably the first friend of Preston's that I've met."

Helen looked at him out of the corner of her eye, "Do I detect a slight note of irritation?" Jake looked at her. "You and Preston aren't friends?"

Jake snorted. "No, we're not."

"Really?" Helen put her fork down and gave Jake her full attention. "Do explain."

"He came here so full of himself. Opening that bank, chopping down the Kissing Tree…"

"What's the Kissing Tree?"

"It was a large oak tree folks in town liked. He cut it down because it was standing where he wanted to build his homestead. Folks weren't too pleased."

"I see," Helen said, "so Preston isn't exactly the most popular person in town?"

"You could say that."

Helen smiled to herself. This was all good to know.