Mikayla followed the girl up the stairs in the saloon to one of the rooms, Lucas waited outside the door. A young girl lay in the bed groaning in pain, holding her stomach. Mikayla sat down next to her feeling her head.

"What happened?"

"She started bleeding and then she just was having all this pain... I don't know. She just started screaming," another girl told her breathlessly.

Mikayla noted the sheets were red with blood. She asked the woman, "Are your monthlies usually bad?"

The girl shook her head, saying through tears, "no, and I haven't had them for a while, am I dying!?"

Mikayla thought for a second. "Is there any chance you could be pregnant?"

"Well, I mean..." Samantha was quiet for a bit, then flushed. "Is this what happens when your pregnant?"

"No, I think you had a miscarriage," Mikayla explained. It happens sometimes early in a pregnancy. Usually with excessive blood loss and cramping in the stomach." Motioning to the girl's skirts she added, "May I take a look?"

The young woman nodded, and Mikayla lifted her skirts, examining the area.

"Have you noticed the blood flow slowing?"

One of the other girls who was crowded around the bed nodded. "Yeah, it's not as bad as when she first started screamin."

"Well, that's a good sign. Get washed up, put something warm on your belly for the cramps. I'll try to get word to Doc Burrage to come check on you ASAP," Mikayla told Samantha, patting her hand.

Thank you Miss..." Samantha trailed off, looking at her for an introduction.

"Mrs. McCain. But you can call me Mikayla," she said, smiling gently. The young woman couldn't be much older than Mikayla herself, and her heart ached for the girl's situation.

Samantha smiled awkwardly, thanking her, Mikayla asked the busty blonde to get Samantha something warm for her belly. The pain was starting to subside, the girl's worries temporarily put at ease. It was quite alarming to wake up in a pool of blood, unsure of the cause.

Mikayla stood, looking around at the girls. "If any of you need any help, please let me know. I have experience in midwifery and infant care if you need any assistance."

Shyly, many girls thanked her as she left the room, giving her questioning expressions. It was very unusual for a proper woman of the town to give them the time of day, much less kindness. She met Lucas at the door, watching him glance around nervously, and she wondered if he'd ever visited these rooms. Brushing the thought away, she followed him back over to Hattie's, where they gathered their things and climbed back into their wagon, heading back to the ranch. She was silent on the way home, thinking of the young girls at the saloon, wondering how close she'd come to being one of them. When they arrived home she headed to the house and he out to the fields, both working on their tasks for the day.

A while later, Lucas was trying to plow the first furrow of a new field, but the horses kept going crooked. He threw down his hat in frustration, wiping his sweaty brow. Glancing up, he saw a figure walking towards him, carrying a ladle and a bucket of water.

"Thought you might be thirsty," Mikayla said, handing him the ladle full of water. After he'd had a few mouthfuls, she held the bucket for the horses, who lapped at it greedily. Lucas was grateful, noting how thoughtful she was.

"How's it going?"

Lucas sighed. "Not good. I can't keep the horses straight."

"Well what do you usually do when you start a field?"

"Well, Mark guides the horses, but he's at school and I need to get this field done and planted tonight. Feels like rains comin."

Mikayla thought for a moment. "I could lead them."

Surprised, Lucas said, "Well that's not usually women's work."

Crossing her arms, Mikayla stared, "You need help, Lucas. I can do it," she said confidently.

He saw the determination in her eyes, and although he didn't know her well, he got the feeling he shouldn't argue. He handed her the reigns, showing her how to walk at a steady speed, making sure the horses didn't slip.

They started working, moving twice as fast as Lucas could on his own. They worked silently, moving up and down the field. Not once did Mikayla complain about the heat or the labor, and Lucas found himself transfixed on watching her pull the horses along. Although she had a small frame, she was strong, not letting the horses boss her around. Lucas smiled, thinking she probably didn't let anyone boss her around. Her hair was loose around her face, some having fallen out of her bun. The bottom of her skirt was dirty, sweat forming on her brow. And yet she didn't complain. Lucas knew for a fact, Margaret never would've done this.

After the field was worked, they planted corn, Mikayla dropped the seeds in the ground and Lucas covered them up. Alas, dark clouds were starting to form just as they were finishing. Lucas unhooked the plow and walked the horses to the barn, Mikayla followed, watching him rub one horse down, then she picked up another rag to do the other. When they were finished and the horses were in their stalls with fresh water and feed, they opened the barn door to see drops starting to fall from the sky. They were no sooner out the door when the clouds let loose, dumping rainfall onto them. Lucas and Mikayla ran for the house, getting soaked in the process. Mikayla stopped short, pulling the pins from her hair and shaking it loose, turning her face up to the sky, laughing. Shocked, Lucas stood on the porch, breathing heavily, watching her. Lucas found himself smiling, watching as she spun around in the rain, letting it cool her skin. Finally, she glanced over to him, suddenly remembering her audience, she ducked under the porch.

"I'm sorry, that was childish."

Water dripped from her chin as she frowned, worried about Lucas's opinion of her.

"No, it's alright. I like to see you happy," he said quietly. She was standing close to him, near enough that one step and they would be touching. He could pull her into his arms easily. His eyes ran over her concerned face, to her full, wet lips. Lucas pursed his lips, taking a step closer, watching as her concern turned to confusion. He took one of her hands, leaning down, her face softened in realization and she closed her eyes...

"Hi Pa!"

Lucas and Mikayla lept apart. Mark was standing at the open door. "They let us out of school early!" He exclaimed.

Following him indoors, Mikayla was looking anywhere except at Lucas's face. Mark was already jabbering about his school day, and it was easy to let him carry the conversation. With the rain outside there weren't any more chores to be done, so they spent a rare evening playing a card game. Mikayla had never played before, and Mark mostly won, but she had the feeling Lucas was going easy on him. She watched him tease the boy, his love for his son was evident, it made Mikayla even fonder of Lucas. Finally at bedtime, Mikayla found herself alone with Lucas again, wanting to pick up where they'd left off, but unsure how to restart that moment. It had been so perfect, maybe he was developing feelings for her? Or more likely she was just the closest available woman to a man of desire. Her mind flashed back to the girls she'd met earlier that day, and she turned to Lucas's sleeping frame. In the years since his wife had died, had he been with any of those women? Why was it bothering her so much? She rolled back over, listening to the rain pound the roof, she finally fell into a restless sleep.