"Yes New Years is coming! A new chance." Lila muttered while cooking lunch. She heard someone come in but she ignored them.

"Hey Lila you got somethin to eat?" Billy said walking up to me.

Lila turned around and stuffed a blueberry muffin in his mouth then turned back around to cook.

"Wow this ish good." Billy exclaimed with his mouth full of muffin. "What is it?"

"You've never had a blueberry muffin?" Lila gasped. When Billy shook his head she said, "You poor deprived person! Here take these and give them to the rest of the boys. They might want to try some." And she handed him a basket of muffins.

Billy shrugged and walked out.

"Now where was I?" Lila muttered.

"Lila would you come here for a moment?" John called from outside.

"You know what, if he wants dinner cooked he can cook it himself. With all these interuptions I can't cook anyway." Lila grumbled while walking out. She walked into the yard and stopped when she saw a bunch of men, along with Murphy and Brady, in the yard.

"Yes John?" She asked hestitently.

"Ah there's the beautiful Lila, what are you doing in this dump anyway?" Murphy drawled.

Lila glared at him and said, "John's property isn't a dump. And it's private besides."

"Ah but soon you won't live on this...property. Soon you'll be living in Lincoln again." Brady chuckled.

"Fat chance." Lila spat. She turned to John and said, "Did you want me for something?"

"Hm? Oh yes I needed you to find Billy." John muttered.

Lila noticed him in the pig pen, hiding, but she nodded and started "looking" around. She glared at Brady and Murphy again then went back in the house to finish dinner.

---------------------------------

"So what did they want anyhow?" Lila asked at dinner.

"They were threatening John, claiming that we stole merchendise." Dick growled.

"That's a total lie!" Lila exclaimed.

"Yes but Murphy doesn't seem to think so." John said softly.

"Are we still going to the New Years party?" Lila asked.

"Of course, I will not be detered from living my life." John replied.

Lila smiled and noticed that most of the boys kept glancing back at her. She looked down and almost giggled when she noticed that she was wearing an almost see through blouse and night pants. It was the quickest thing she could slip on before dinner.

"So Lila where do you come from anyway?" Billy asked.

"Nebraska. I lived in Omaha until my dad moved us here when I was about five. When I was thirteen my family was killed so I just stayed here." Lila replied evenly. Surprisingly she didn't feel extremely sad.

"Oh. Sorry bout asking." Billy said sheepishly.

"It's no problem." Lila smiled.

-----------------------------

The next day Lila challenged the boys to a shooting match. She beat Chavez, Steve, Charlie and Billy but Doc and Dick were a bit better.

"Damn I just missed." She growled after she tried to shoot a bucket about fifty feet away.

"Language Lila." John warned. He was sitting on a chair watching.

"Sorry John."

John nodded and went back in the house.

"I can't believe I got beat by a woman." Steve grumbled.

Lila laughed and said, "Get used to it pal. I've been practicing for almost nine years."

Lila smiled as Steve glared at her but didn't say anything. She picked up a knife, threw it up in the air and threw it towards the bucket she shot at. It hit the target dead center.

"Damn she's better then you Chavez." Charlie chuckled.

"Not hardly." Lila giggled.

"Gentleman and lady." John called. Everyone turned around and Lila raised an eyebrow when she saw a young man accompaning John.

"This is Jay McClousky. He'll be staying here." John introduced then smiled at Jay and left.

"Howdy Jay." Lila said stepping forward. She narrowed her eyes at him, knowing he used to ride with Murphy but she didn't mention it. "I'm Lila. Lila McCarty. That's Billy, my cousin, and Chavez, Doc, Dick, Steve and Charlie. The regulators of the place."

"Pleased to meet you ma'm." McClousky said tipping his hat. "And all of you." He added.

Everyone nodded in his direction but Lila was partly pleased to see that Billy was eyeing McClousky with distaste.

"I gotta go make lunch. Be right back." Lila smiled to everyone and pranced to the kitchen. She was starting to feel a bit nervous with McClousky.

"I don't trust him either." Billy said coming in.

"I never said I didn't trust him." Lila replied curtly.

"Nah but your body movements said it all. Not to mention you pretty much rushed away from him." Billy chuckled and sat on the counter.

Lila glared at him and started making some sandwhiches. She stuffed extra meat in Doc's and Billy's since she thought they weren't eating much. Since she didn't know what kind of meat McClousky liked she just stuffed some beef in.

' I can't wait until New Years.' She thought happily. It was tomarrow and she was positively glowing with anticipation. She was going to wear her beautiful blue dress with lace trimming it and she was sure every male there would be watching her. Good thing she had the boys protecting her. She'd dance with all the boys, plus John, and probably Alex if he was there. It would be the most fun she'd have in a long time, and she'd make sure of it.