The sun was just setting when Buck and Jane rode into the station. Buck got off of his horse and took Berry's reins from Jane and tied both horses to the post in front of the bunkhouse.

"They can stay here while we have dinner." Buck said as he lifted his hands to help Jane off of Berry. "I'll bring them over to the stable later."

"Buck is that the best idea?"

"No. But I want to get you in and have dinner with you and if we're late Cody will have eaten everything." Buck said as he held Jane to him a moment longer than he had to. He slid his hand into hers. "They'll be alright for an hour." Buck promised.

Jane looked up at him and shook her head but walked with him into the bunkhouse.

"There you two are." Teaspoon called out. "I was beginning to think I'd have to send Barnett to find you." Everyone laughed at that.

Jane looked at Buck blankly and he leaned down and whispered, "Barnett can't find his way out of a jail cell." Jane covered her mouth as she giggled. Buck walked Jane over to Rachel and said quietly, "Rachel, this is Jane. Can she stay with you?"

"Of course. I'm glad you're here. " She said and gave Jane a quick one armed hug. "Go on and sit down. I'm just putting dinner out."

"Thank you." Jane said softly as she looked around at the faces of Buck's family. Buck still holding her hand walked her over to a spot on the bench and sat beside her.

"Son, you need to let go of her hand at some point or she'll never be able to eat." Teaspoon whispered loudly. And Jane blushed brightly as Buck gently placed her hand on her lap.

Everyone talked over each other as they ate and Jane mostly just watched and listened having never really been around this many people before at one meal. Buck kept looking at her as they were eating and though he was joking and talking with the others his free hand was laid discretely on her knee the whole meal and Jane would occasionally lower her hand and touch his long fingers or trace his knuckle or just simply rest her hand lightly on top of his so he knew she appreciated his quiet attention to her.

As the meal ended and the riders began heading out to do evening chores, Jane stood and said softly, "Miss Rachel? May I help you?"

"I would appreciate that but please just call me Rachel."

Jane quickly gathered up dishes and when her arms were loaded followed Rachel over to her house to begin washing.

"I'm real glad you're here." Rachel said as they entered the kitchen. "I think we all are. This is the first meal since Ike passed that Buck has talked more than a few words."

Jane smiled slightly, "I'm glad. I didn't want him to be alone. I know how close him and Ike are….um….were."

Rachel nodded as she began to hand Jane wet dishes to dry and stack. "Buck told us all you'd been through when he returned from Benton."

Jane gripped the edge of the plate and stammered, "What?"

"Your mother passing and being raised by your father and then everything that happened to him. He was so impressed with how determined you were to honor your parents and try to run their business. Are you going to try and make a go of it here in Rock Creek?" Rachel explained.

Jane let out a deep breath and then said, "I might. I brought my tools and supplies with me, I didn't know how long I'd be here or what my next step would be. All I knew was that Buck was in pain and I needed to go to him, so I did."

Rachel paused at the sink and didn't say anything for a moment just held the dish she was washing still in the water. She turned slowly, "Jane? How young were you when your mother passed?"

"Six. Why?"

Rachel put the dish down and stepped over to the table, "I want to ask you a few questions if I may, though I know we just met."

Jane nodded and walked to the table and sat down in one of the hard wood chairs. She suddenly had the nervous bubbling in her stomach like when she had forgotten to do her assignments for school. "Have I done something wrong?"

"Not at all." Said Rachel as she sat across from the young woman. "How do you feel towards Buck?"

"I love him. I think he loves me too." Jane said honestly

"What have you two talked about for the future?"

"Nothing specific, he asked me to stay, I said I would. He asked me to stay forever and I said ok." Jane shrugged

Rachel nodded and thought a moment, "How old are you?"

"15. I'll be 16 in 2 months."

"Jane do you know about babies?"

Jane giggled nervously. "A little. I didn't have any brothers or sisters but I helped rock the babies at church sometimes. Oh and Mrs. Mathias came down with a really bad influenza last winter so everyone spent time at her farm helping with her 4 children. Why?"

Rachel nervously rubbed her hands together and then asked, "Do you want me to explain to you where babies come from?"

"You mean how they get inside the mother?" Jane asked turning several shades of deep crimson.

Rachel nodded.

"No thank you." Jane whispered, "I'm not ready yet."

Rachel smiled, "That is an honest answer. When you are ready, if you would like, I can talk to you about it." Jane nodded and looked down at her lap embarrassed. "Do you want to go and say goodnight to Buck while I finish the last of these dishes?" Rachel asked feeling sorry for having put the young lady on the spot. Jane nodded and walked quietly out of the house.

On the porch, Jane saw Buck heading her way and waved and then suddenly embarrassed lowered her hand and sat on the swing. Seeing her, Buck hurried his step, as he got closer he realized something was wrong and leapt up onto the porch.

He kneeled in front of the swing. "Jane? What is it?"

"I think I embarrassed myself in front of Rachel. I think she won't let us be together. She'll say I'm not good enough for you." Jane bit her lip at the last word as tears began to well up in her eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

"She was asking me about us and I, I…" a tear slipped down Jane's cheek.

Buck sat on the bench next to Jane and wrapped himself around her crushing her to him. "Listen to me Jane. You and I are going to always be together. No one can stop that. Rachel isn't my mother. I love her but she's not my mother. Even if she was she couldn't stop me from being with you for the rest of my life."

"Are you sure?" Jane whispered. "I really embarrassed myself."

"I promise. Just tell me what happened."

Jane recounted the conversation for Buck and when she was done he smiled, "Jane she wasn't trying to come between us. She wanted to protect you. She wanted you to know…." Buck stopped afraid of going too far and embarrassing Jane.

Jane looked up at Buck curiously, "Know what?"

Buck took Jane's hand, "C'mon. We're gonna go look at the horses."

Jane was thoroughly confused as Buck walked with her to the stables. "Why are we looking at horses Buck?"

"Because they are kinda the same as humans and it's a lot less embarrassing to talk about what horses do." Buck said matter of factly.

Jane nodded but didn't say anything as Buck walked her over to Lightning, Lou's horse. He knelt down and pointed, "Take a look. See that." Jane looked underneath Lightnings belly and giggled.

Buck looked at Jane intrigued, "Haven't you ever looked under a horse, or a dog, or sheep?"

"Not really. Horses were always just there in town but I never had much use for them. Other animals weren't in town too much and when they were, I don't know, they didn't really interest me." Jane shrugged and this time Buck laughed.

Buck slid his hands around Jane's waist and led her to a large soft pile of hay and laid down on his side and let her lay near him. "Rachel was trying to help you understand, so you would know when to tell me to stop, that's all. She was just trying to protect you."

Jane nodded then asked, "So do you have an underbelly hanger?"

Buck put his hands in front of his face and rubbed, "All men do. Humans are smaller than horses so there's are smaller than a horses but they still have one."

Jane nodded and thought for a few moments and then it appeared like she was putting some things together. "That's why before I left Amanda told me to enjoy my time with you but not let you under my skirts."

Buck's eyes suddenly widened and his mouth dropped. He took a breath and held it and then slowly said, "Yeah. She and Rachel were thinking the same thing."

"That makes a lot more sense. I couldn't understand what you would want with my skirts. I was really confused for most of the stage ride up."

Buck laughed lightly, "I'm sure you were. Jane, you can ask me anything. I don't have anymore experience than you but I have learned a lot just from how I grew up."

Jane nodded, "Buck I told Rachel I wasn't ready to learn how babies got inside."

Buck nodded silently. He felt sad inside but sad nothing.

"The thing is," Jane paused and looked over her shoulder at the horses, "That wasn't really true. I just didn't want to talk about it with her."

Buck smiled and said softly, "This is gonna take a while, let's have a picnic one day and I'll see if I can explain."

Jane smiled and scooted forward into Buck's arms and kissed him. Buck smiled as her lips touched his and rolled Jane onto her back. He applied pressure with his lips and felt her mouth open under his. Slowly he slid his tongue into her mouth and ran it across her teeth and over her tongue. She moaned into his mouth and when she did that his body instantly responded, his hips pushed down on her hips his desire pushed into her and his arms tightened around her body. Jane pulled lightly on Buck's hair while simultaneously pushing his head down deeper into hers. The more he pushed down on her body the more she found her body responding to his. Her legs fell open under his weight getting tangled in her skirts as he lay over her.

"Buck? Jane? You in here?" Jimmy called, "Rachel's looking for Jane. She's worried."

Buck pulled back from Jane and put a finger over her lips, keeping her quiet. When he was sure Jimmy had left he pulled Jane up and walked her back to Rachel's. "I'll see you in the morning." Buck whispered and gave Jane a quick kiss.

Jane walked in the back door of the house.

Just before dawn Buck came up to Rachel's house and quietly knocked on the kitchen door. Rachel had just gotten up to start breakfast and the bread dough going for the day and was surprised to hear anyone knocking. Looking out the window she saw Buck and smiled.

"Buck," she said as she got downstairs and opened the door, "It's barely dawn. What are you doing here?"

"I was wondering if Jane would want to go for a walk with me before breakfast?"

No one had seen or heard Jane sneak down the stairs and sit on the landing. She smiled happily at Buck's request, "I'll be ready in just a minute." Jane said as she began running back upstairs.

Rachel laughed at Jane's obvious excitement at being asked on a walk. "Buck. Be careful. She's very innocent. More so than most girls. Her father most have been very protective of her."

"I know Rachel." Buck said as he walked into the kitchen and picked up Rachel's big kettle and placed it on the hook and started the fire under it. "We talk about everything. She let's me know what she feels ready for and what she likes. I won't ever do anything to hurt her."

"I know you wouldn't Buck, not intentionally, just be careful."

Buck turned and hugged Rachel, "Thank you for protecting Jane."

"I'm ready" Jane said happily. Pulling her hair back into a ponytail as she walked into the kitchen. "Where are we going?"

"Just a short walk away. I go every morning for a little while to think before the day starts." Buck said and held his hand out. Jane happily intertwined her fingers into his as they walked out the kitchen door and down the steps. They walked for about 15 minutes until they had gotten to a small clearing away from town where there was a small creek running and a quiet grassy area but you could see fairly well in most directions.

"It's so pretty Buck. I never would have thought this was so close to town."

"This is kinda what our place in Sweetwater was like. Near town but away from it and quiet and peaceful." Buck walked Jane over to a log and motioned for her to have a seat.

"This is where I come to pray every morning. I thought maybe you would want to see how I pray since you showed me yours." Buck felt nervous but hopeful.

"Please." Jane said curious.

Buck kissed Jane softly and then walked quietly away to a spot near the water. He took something sand like from his pocket and sprinkled a small circle on the ground and then knelt down facing the west and the sinking moon. Quietly he began to chant, Jane could just make out his voice on the wind. After a moment Buck stood and turned to the north and repeated the kneeling and chanting, then to the south and finally to the east. This time though he rocked as he chanted and moved his arms as though he were lifting the sun up into the sky as he chanted. When he was done he covered his eyes with his hands and said something softly then leaned all the way down to the ground nearly touching the earth but not quite. Finally, he sat back on his heals and rested a moment, watching.

Slowly Buck stood and walked back to Jane and sat down next to her. He felt nervous, afraid, he'd never willingly allowed anyone to watch him pray accept Ike and he felt almost as if he were standing naked in front of the one person he needed to think positively of him, the only person whose opinion mattered to him.

Jane quietly laid a hand on Buck's arm, "You were praying for Ike at the end. That last bit, weren't you?"

Buck's head snapped up, "How did you know?" he said in barely more than a whisper.

"You always get the same look in your eyes whenever anyone mentions Ike. Also you tighten this spot on your back." Jane said and lightly dragged her finger down Buck's neck and between his shoulder blades.

"I do?" Buck asked as he slowly leaned forward and rested his forehead against Jane's. "How do you know that? You've only been here 1 day."

"We were together for two weeks in Benton and I learned you. I've been watching you since I got here. Don't you know me?"

Buck smiled and ran a finger down Jane's cheek, "Yeah, I do." He touched the lobe of Jane's ear, "You always rub your ear when you're making a hard choice." Buck smiled "and when you want to ask me something and you're not sure about it you suck in your stomach."

Jane laughed, "See and that's the stuff you learned back in Benton."

Buck pulled Jane close and hugged her, "You are very smart, remind me never to forget that."

"Deal." Jane said and pulled Buck to his feet, "That being said we better get back before Rachel gets worried. I did promise to help her cook."