On a rather gloomy morning, Lee woke and dressed and went down to the barn to clean stalls and milk the cows. She walked by the bunkhouse, and saw the boys leaving for the stables, where they would saddle up and ride out to the corrals. In the barn, Natalie noticed nothing suspicious; the regular mooing and lowing of the cows greeted her. She opened the large barn door and herded the Guernsey cows out. Grabbing the pitchfork, she went to work.
"Hey, Natalie." Lee spun around to face the addresser. Ted stood there, a mocking smirk on his face.
"What d'you want?" she asked grimly.
"Natalie, my girl, please, don't you remember your old Ted?" He walked towards her. "What's changed between us?"
"The fact that you abandoned me to save your own hide," she replied. She gripped the pitchfork handle tightly. "I wish you would have been hanged."
"You can't hang what you can't catch, hon," he replied. He stepped forward. "I know that you won't complain to Tunstall that I'm here; it's not your nature. You better keep your friends close to you, Natalie." He winked slyly and walked out of the barn. Lee trembled for just a moment, and then started cleaning stalls.
Lee never reported the encounter with Ted to anyone. Though she disguised it, he haunted her thoughts. She no longer cared about her feelings for Billy; Ted now concerned her far more. However, a slight relief came when the holidays rolled around. On Christmas afternoon, all members of the Tunstall ranch gathered in the parlor to exchange gifts. Lee gladly received her presents; all the boys gave her appropriate things. Lastly, she opened her gift from Billy. Inside the box lay a brush identical to the one he had ruined.
"Thank you, Billy," she gasped. Chavez nudged Dick and nodded toward Billy: William was blushing ever so slightly.
On New Year's Eve, they all rode to town for the celebrations. When Lee emerged from the house in her crimson and cream dress, the boys could hardly take their eyes from her; she radiated beauty. Natalie climbed into the sidesaddle (her gift from John), and tried to ignore the stares of her friends and the ever-present smirk of Ted.
In town, the boys split up to talk with their various town friends and dance with the ladies. Natalie looked around, not sure of what to do with herself. The situation was resolved, however, when a tall, dark-haired man walked up to her.
"Hello," he said. "May I have this dance?" Natalie nodded dumbly. She took the man's hand, with a shock running through her: I don't know how to dance!
This didn't seem to matter, however. The man danced superbly, and practically danced for her.
"What's your name?" he asked pleasantly.
"Natalie." She had nearly forgotten her real name, having been called "Lee" for the past months.
"Natalie, eh? I'm Scott Olson." They danced for a while, and then he asked, "Do you live around here? I haven't seen you before?"
"I, uh, live in the country on a ranch." She chose her words carefully. She hated lying, but the truth of her being a ranch hand seemed entirely repulsive at the moment.
"Really? That's fascinating; I've never really been on a ranch before. I help my parents run the town hotel, and I work at the post office." The song ended, and he took her arm in his. "Mind if I walk you around a little?"
"No," she answered. They walked around the outside of the crowds, with him chatting about town life and his interests. He doesn't seem self-centered, Lee surmised, he just likes sharing what he thinks.
"So, Natalie, what about you?"
"What?" She had been caught up in his melodious voice, not really digesting what he said, but just listened to the sound.
"What interests you? What's your family like?"
"My family?" Uh oh. Time to fake it 'til I make it. "Well, on our ranch, I'm the only girl at the present."
"Oh. Your mother has passed?"
"Yes." This was not a lie; her mother had died when Natalie was three.
"Lots of brothers?"
"Yeah."
"That must pose many challenges."
"Well, I could probably hog tie any of them if they get out of line." Natalie's hand shot to her mouth, not believing what she had just said. Scott looked at her for a moment then laughed merrily.
"I bet you could," he said. Lee forced a smile, relieved he didn't find her crude.
"I do ride my horse good, I guess that's an interest."
"You ride?"
"All the time."
"Well, as do I. Not as much as I used to, though. About twenty years ago, I was a Pony Express rider."
"Really?" Natalie had always idolized the Pony Express riders, and wanted to be one of them despite her gender. The idea of just riding all day meant thrill to her.
"Oh, definitely. I was one of the youngest riders; I was only fourteen when I started, but I was taller and stronger than most boys my age. My parents actually encouraged me; they thought the experience would greatly enrich me. They were quite right."
"But, I didn't know the Express rode through New Mexico."
"No, I lived in Missouri at the time. When I turned eighteen, my parents moved down here. Have you lived here all your life?"
"Yeah, in the general area or so." Natalie looked around her. Only a minute of the old year remained. "Do you have any plans for the new year?" she asked.
"Well, I was hoping to start a family." He paused. "That is, if I find the right girl first." He smiled at Natalie, who returned the smile. "Any resolutions for you?"
"Not really, but there are still a few seconds to think of some." They laughed as the countdown progressed.
"…Three, two, one, happy New Year!" The band started playing Auld Lang Syne, and gunshots were fired. Couples around them shared their first kiss of the year, and Scott bent down, to make himself audible over the noise.
"Natalie, would you do me the honor?" She smiled a bit reluctantly, hoping he wouldn't take favors, but smiled when he delivered a chaste peck to her cheek. They danced together as the band struck up a lively tune. The partner-less Regulators on the side scrutinized their actions.
"Check out Lee with that high and mighty town boy," stated Steve. "He's more polished than a silver saddle."
"Don't be jealous, Steven," said John, who walked up to the group. He smiled at the dancing pair. "It's nice to see her as a lady. It's nice to actually see her smile."
"You don't think this is going anywhere, do you?" asked Billy. "They've been together since we got here."
The Regulators glanced at Billy, a knowing look in their eyes. He frowned and turned the other way. He then noticed the newest Regulator, who wore a strange look on his face. Ted watched the smiling Lee hatefully. She belonged to him, not this town boy!