Breathing out, I broke the seal on my letter, already recognizing the handwriting of my friend from San Francisco. It was only the second letter I had received from Mrs. Dawson since I had informed her of my arrival in Virginia City.

Of course she had offered for me to come back and work in the orphanage. The wage she could offer me was small, but it would have been a roof over my head among old friends. I couldn't be surprised that she had not taken my refusal well and repeated her offer in each letter.

She also spent an entire page detailing the recent movements of Mr. Joshua Peters, a teacher I had admired. Apparently, he was now in position to become the head of a boys' school. Mrs. Dawson had nothing but words of praise for the man.

Did she think that would persuade me back by appealing to my heart? Thinking back, I was a little ashamed that I hadn't made a secret of my infatuation with Mr. Peters. I'd cried when he had wished me well when I said goodbye so long ago.

But I was not the same girl who had left, and I was sure that Joshua Peters, for all that he was a fine young man, was not the one who could make me happy.

Returning to California didn't seem like an option anymore. What was for me there?

My head ached even more as I folded the letter back. While it was lovely to hear news about the children I had helped look after, Mrs. Dawson's urgings only annoyed me.

Falling back, I closed my eyes. How had everything been turned upside down so quickly?

The evening meal was quiet. Ben tried to reassure me that all would be well and that my position was secure until Miss Jones returned. Joe and Hoss added their comments that the school board would be fools to turn me off for no reason. I didn't feel like telling them that was the least of my worries at the moment.

Clearly, Adam hadn't shared our suspicions about Slim's actions, which I was grateful for. There was no reason to sully Slim's reputation without anything concrete against him.

I turned in early, though I wasn't truly tired after sleeping so much during the afternoon. Disappointment weighed heavy on my mind. I'd hoped for better from my student. I went without saying that I had expected better of Slim. I couldn't help but feel as though I had failed in some way.

If I'd been a better teacher, would I have been able to reach Ron and direct his energy into learning? If I had been more outgoing, like other girls, would Slim have thought me worth courting?

Where had I gone wrong? What could I do to fix things?

Morning brought me nothing but an even worse headache. When I stepped out of the bedroom, I found only Hoss at the table, calmly sipping coffee. It didn't take a genius to guess why he was there at this hour of the morning and no one else was there.

"I suppose you are my guard for the day?"

Hoss' smile was sympathetic. "I'm afraid so. Pa had to go to town for a meeting," he explained. "Adam didn't say where he was going. And given the trouble that Joe has tried to get you into these past few weeks... Well, we would have asked your preference, but—"

"No, I understand." Hadn't I wished that someone would just decide what was best for me? Here, at least, was one thing I didn't have to think about. "So. What are we going to do today?"

For a moment, Hoss looked uncertain. "What would you like to do?"

"I don't want to keep you from your work, so what do you need to do?" I asked, sitting down. There was a covered plate, so it wouldn't have been too long since the rest of the family left the table. "There must be something you would need to do if you didn't have to babysit me."

Hoss shook his head. "There are some supplies that ought to be taken up to the line shacks. With winter almost here, it's been put off too long and someone should make sure the cabins are set in case of some emergency."

While I wasn't sure what kind of emergency would warrant the need of the "line shacks", —a sudden snow storm, maybe?—Hoss' serious tone convinced me of the importance of this task. I picked up my fork, and said, "Let me eat and then we can do that. A ride in the fresh air actually sounds nice."

"Are you sure? It's a little cold today."

I assured that of course I was sure. While I ate, he went to saddle our horses and gather whatever he needed. When I carried my empty plate to the kitchen, I informed Hop-Sing of what we were going to do. The cook immediately began to prepare a lunch for us to take with us, one that was nearly double what he would give me and Joe for our rambles.

Hurrying to my room, Put on another petticoat under my skirt and buttoned on another blouse. I didn't have a coat yet, a deficiency I would have to correct as soon as possible. Hopefully, what I had would be enough to endure whatever the day's temperature would be.

Hoss gave an approving nod when I stepped outside with the saddlebags. "I left a note for Pa," he said as I joined him. "No sense worrying him when we're not here when he gets back."

"I told Hop-Sing what we are doing," I said, patting Belle's side. I titled my head to catch the sun';s rays. There was a cold edge in the air, but I suspected it would warm quickly. "Great minds think alike?"

"I don't know about great, but maybe reasonable people who don't want to worry anyone else?" Hoss took charge of the saddlebags with our lunch, securing them behind his own saddle. Then, he helped me mount and waited to make sure I was set before he mounted himself. "Are you ready?"

I nodded and then followed him out of the yard. It didn't take long before I didn't know where we were. In fact, once I lost sight of the Ponderosa house, I couldn't have found my way back. My sense of direction was atrocious. It was a wonder it hadn't gotten me killed when I had wandered the wilderness.

My companion whistled as he rode to my right. He was leading a pack horse that had all the supplies. Otherwise, there was a comfortable silence between us that was both enjoyable and a curse: it left me with too much time for thinking.

Had Adam gone to Slim's property? Was Slim talking to him? Or worse, what was Adam saying to Slim?

Joe's temper I knew how to manage. It flared up quickly, but he usually calmed down when he had time to think. I'd never actually seen Hoss lose his temper before, so I wasn't sure what it would be like to see it happen or what would trigger it. Ben's anger was one of justified outrage, but there had only been a few times I had heard him shout at someone.

But Adam? Adam's rage usually resulted in him fixating on the situation or whatever had upset him. I'd seen it happen when the Ophir mine collapsed. He had thrown himself into making sure it didn't happen again. I'd wondered if he even slept during that time. His anger burned deep and quiet until it was like he exploded with words or actions.

"You're worrying over something," Hoss said, pulling me from my thoughts.

With a slight laugh, I looked over at him. "Seems there's a lot to worry over lately."

"Maybe, but sometimes worrying just causes more trouble than it's worth. Sometimes, you just have to focus on what's happening here and now. Leave the future to whatever will happen."

Breathing out, I had to acknowledge the truth of that point. Riding through the forest, hearing the singing of the birds, and the creaking of tree branches swaying in the breeze, if I didn't think, there didn't seem to be anything wrong in the world. It was calm and peaceful.

"Is this why you enjoy nature so much?" I asked.

"I suppose so," He said with a grin. "There are times people just make a mess of things and a body just needs to get away from it."

That was a sentiment I could agree with, though it was one of those easier said than done things to just stop thinking about things that had gone wrong. Fortunately for me, we soon came upon a small cabin tucked among the trees. The walls were made of wood and there didn't appear to be any windows.

"What is a line shack for?"

"Sometimes in winter, cattle can get lost in the snow when they wander off," Hoss explained as he brought Chub to a halt. "They don't know land borders, and they might leave the Ponderosa. So we occasionally have to ride out and turn back any stragglers we might find. Someplace where we can have a hot fire and shelter from the wind is mighty welcome in the middle of winter."

He dismounted and went to the packhorse. While he carried the supplies to the little cabin, I remained in my saddle, studying the structure. It was a humble thing. I couldn't imagine how lonely it might get if someone were to be stuck alone in a line shack. At the same time, even I could see how useful it would be to have them stocked and ready.

Within a few minutes, Hoss closed the door. "Ready to keep going?" he asked.

"Ready."