Chapter Thirteen

Cricket woke up and stretched. Today she was fifteen. All week she had been trying to look for clues that someone remembered her birthday was coming up, but everyone she knew seemed so busy with other things. Admittedly she was busy with other things too. Buck had really helped cheer her up after everything that happened with Frank. The only thing about today that weighed on her more than her birthday was Speedy. Buck said that Speedy was getting a new owner soon. She wondered if it was today or possibly tomorrow. Cricket hoped whoever was getting Speedy lived in another town. She didn't think she could cope with seeing Speedy with someone else all the time.

Cricket dressed quickly and went out into the Jones family kitchen to see if her parents were up yet and if there was anything she could do to help with breakfast. Cricket thought it might be a good opportunity to see if her mother had made her a birthday cake. There might also be presents on the kitchen table.

Cricket burst through the kitchen door with a smile only to have it fade from her face. The kitchen was empty except for a basket of muffins on the table with a tent card next to them.

Dearest Cricket,

We had to go to town on an errand. Meet us at the Pony Express Station at noon. We left you some muffins for when you are up. We need to take a trip to St. Jo, so don't be late!

Love

Ma & Pa

Cricket grabbed a couple of muffins to eat on her way in town. She wished Speedy was here, she could get into town much faster if she had a horse. Speedy probably wouldn't even be at the station any more. She didn't know if she could handle going to the station and not being able to see Speedy.

Cricket thought maybe she might visit Violet. She had enough time and Violet's house wasn't too far out of the way.

When Cricket reached Violet's door and knocked, nobody answered. Cricket walked around the house and looked into the windows. The house was empty.

Cricket was wondering if maybe she should try and see Jesse. He had all week to cool down and he was avoiding her, she knew, but she just couldn't face her birthday without him. She could check the blacksmith shop or the jailhouse. Between those two places, she should find Jesse alright.

The town was bustling for a Saturday and Cricket looked to see if anyone she knew was milling about. She didn't recognize anyone. Cricket stopped by the blacksmiths first and Jesse wasn't there. She went on to the jailhouse. One of Teaspoon's deputies was there. Cricket didn't know his name. He hadn't seen Jesse and worse he told Cricket that Teaspoon and the boys had gone out on a posse to chase down an outlaw. The deputy didn't think the marshal or the riders would be back for a few days. Cricket tried to hide her disappointment. This was turning out to be the worst birthday in the history of birthdays. Cricket thought maybe she would go to the Pony Express barn. Perhaps Speedy was still there. She would spend her birthday with at least one friend.

Cricket opened the barn door and looked inside. She was greatly disappointed. The barn was completely empty. Buck must have taken Speedy to her new owner before he left on the posse. Cricket tried not to cry, but this day was miserable.

Cricket's last stop was up at Rachel's house. Surely Rachel would be home. She knocked on the door, but again nobody answered. Cricket decided to wait for her parents on the bunkhouse steps. She sat there for what seemed like hours with her face in her hands and her elbows resting on her knees.

Finally her parents pulled the buckboard up to the bunkhouse. Cricket sullenly crawled in the back without saying a word. She heard her father say they needed to go back home and pick something up that her mother forgot. Cricket just slouched down in the back of the wagon and wished she could start the day off different. They hadn't even wished her a happy birthday.

Rachel and Violet hid alongside the road until Cricket was walking toward town and out of sight. Violet gave the signal and the riders came out of hiding.

"Now we only have a couple of hours before the Jones' get back so let's hurry," Rachel said. "Violet and I will set up the food in the kitchen. Buck you take Jimmy and Cody with you to the barn and get everything ready there. Kid, Lou, Noah, I need you three on decorations and to keep a look out. Teaspoon is on his way with Jesse. Now let's move!"

The riders scrambled every which way trying to get to their assigned task. Cody and Jimmy made up a stall in the barn for Speedy while Buck put the tack nearby. They would need to saddle Speedy as soon as the lookout crew saw the Jones' coming. The extra stall was completely void of all things necessary to house a horse. Jimmy and Cody needed to replace a rail and shake in fresh straw. Buck made sure there was a container inside the stall for hay and grain. When they were done with that the three gave Speedy a good brushing down so her coat was nice and shiny.

Buck saddled Speedy up just as Lou started yelling that they Jones' were coming. All three boys ran into the house and hid in the kitchen with everyone else.

The door opened and everyone yelled, "Surprise!"

"Rachel, Lou, boys?" Teaspoon called when he entered the house.

Much groaning came from the riders.

"Teaspoon, we thought you and Jesse were the Jones'," Rachel scolded.

"Well, I do believe they will be here soon. I saw them go over a pickup Miss Cricket at the station," Teaspoon said.

Lou went over to the window and looked out.

"They're here!" she cried, "Everybody hide!"

Cricket slid off the end of the buckboard and wandered to the house at the request of her father. Her mother had left her shawl and would need it in St. Jo. It seemed a little trivial to go back for, but Cricket wasn't in a mood to argue. In fact, Cricket wasn't in the mood to do much of anything.

Cricket turned the knob on the door and slowly opened it. She walked through the door with her eyes cast to the ground.

"Surprise! Happy Birthday!" a chorus of voices sang and they all jumped out from behind furniture.

Cricket screamed involuntarily and struck out her fist at the nearest person, who just happened to be Cody. Cody put his hand up to his eye as Cricket put her hands up to her mouth.

"Oh, Cody, I'm so sorry," Cricket squeaked out.

"Don't worry about Cody, Cricket," Jimmy said trying hard not to laugh. "Cody gets smacked by pretty girls all the time."

Cricket's parents came into the house and Mrs. Jones hurried into the kitchen to fetch a raw steak for Cody's eye.

Violet brought the cake out of the kitchen and Rachel lit the candles. Cricket stared at the cake and smiled.

"Make a wish, Cricket," Violet urged.

Cricket looked around the room. Her parents were smiling and standing near the cake. All of the riders were there and smiling. Jesse, Teaspoon, and Rachel were there. These people had become her family. Cricket didn't know what to wish for that she didn't already have. Then she thought about Speedy and closed her eyes and wished. She knew it was futile to make that wish, but it was a birthday wish and it was what she wanted. Cricket opened her eyes and blew out the candles. Everyone clapped as the candles smoked.

Cricket cut the cake and she and Violet passed out plates.

"Oh Violet," Cricket said as she tasted the sweet sticky goodness of Violet's sure to be famous applesauce cake. "You've outdone yourself. This is the most delicious cake I've ever tasted."

"I'll second that," Jimmy said with a delirious smile.

After cake was eaten and Violet made sure Jimmy got seconds, packages were passed around to Cricket who opened them eagerly. From Rachel and Lou, she received a couple of riding skirts. One in a pretty lavender and the other a nice forest green. They both had yokes with buttons down both sides. Teaspoon gave her a leather-bound journal and an ink well and pen. Jesse gave her a book of poems by Edgar Allan Poe.

"Oh, Jesse, I love it," Cricket said and Jesse nodded. There was so much said in the nod and Cricket knew at once her friendship with Jesse was repairable.

Cricket's father cleared his throat and announced that their present to their daughter was outside and asked Buck if he would be so kind as to retrieve it from its hiding place in the barn.

"I think we should all go outside and see it," Lou declared.

Buck ran out ahead and went inside the barn.

"I think you should close your eyes, Cricket," Lou said putting her hands over Cricket's eyes.

"Everyone ready?" Buck asked shouting from inside the barn.

"Yes!" Cricket said dying to know what was so big it couldn't be wrapped up and put in the house.

Buck led Speedy out of the barn and all the riders were stunned. Speedy's coat was so shiny and the brand new black saddle and bridle trimmed with a scant amount of silver, made that horse look absolutely beautiful.

"Ok, open your eyes," Buck said.

Lou took her hands away and Cricket opened her eyes. Her vision slowly came into focus and there standing before her was the object of her heart's desire. "Speedy!" she cried.

Cricket ran up to the horse and hugged her. "She's really mine?" she asked with happy tears glistening in her eyes.

"She always was," Buck answered with a kind smile. "Your parents hired me to find her and train her for you."

"The rest of us pitched in for the saddle and bridle," Cody said with a bright smile.

"You are very sneaky, Buck Cross," Cricket decided. "All of you are very sneaky!"

"Are you up for going for a ride?" Buck asked with a satisfied laugh.

"Are you kidding? I would love that!" Cricket said. She looked over at Violet who suddenly looked at the ground and started to play in the dirt with the tip of her shoe. "Can Violet come too?"

"Sure, she can ride with me," Jimmy said and Violet looked up and beamed.

"I'll be right back," Cricket said. She started jogging to the house grabbing Violet's hand and pulling with her along the way. A moment later the two young ladies came out with Cricket's riding skirts on. Cricket wearing the green one and Violet wore the one that most fit her name.

Kid, Noah, and Cody came back with the all the rider's horses and they all mounted up and took off with Cricket and Speedy leading the way.

After a nice long ride, Jimmy volunteered to take Violet home and the rest of the riders left to go back to the station leaving Cricket to ride home with Buck. Buck offered to help her get Speedy cooled down and settled into the barn.

"Thank you, Buck," Cricket said as she and Buck rubbed down Speedy's legs after the nice long ride.

"For what?" Buck asked.

"For Speedy," Cricket answered. "My parent may have paid the money for her, but you were the one who found her for me."

"You're welcome," Buck said, "I was hoping you wouldn't catch on. Black and white pintos aren't exactly common horses and that is what you said you wanted.

"I was completely in the dark," Cricket assured him. "My parents had said 'no' to a pony so many times before so I just didn't think they would actually let me have one."

Buck took a small package out of his saddle bag. "I wanted to wait until after you knew Speedy was yours to give you this."

Cricket unwrapped the plain brown paper, and looked on a pair of cream colored, thin, leather gloves trimmed with crocheted lace at the top.

"They're for riding," Buck explained.

Cricket thought they were the most beautiful gloves she had ever seen. "This has been the best birthday ever," she said.

Buck gave her an all encompassing hug and kissed her head lightly. Cricket settled her head against Buck's shoulder. It felt so safe and like she was just the right size to fit in that space with him. She stayed in his embrace for a long time. She knew she liked being in his arms but wasn't sure how much Buck liked it. Cricket looked up and searched Buck's eyes seeing the same contentment she felt.

There was only one other thing she wanted for her birthday and she wasn't sure she could get it, but she felt bold. She moved her arms up and around Buck's neck and was almost surprised when his arms lowered to her waist and drew her closer. Their foreheads touched and Cricket could feel her heartbeat quicken. She looked quickly into his eyes and saw her longing mirrored in his eyes. Cricket swallowed hard. It was going to happen. She trusted Buck as their faces got closer. Cricket could feel Buck's nose against the side of hers. Her heart was beating out of her chest and she thought his was too. She looked quickly into Buck's eyes again and found them lightly closed. Cricket decided to close her own and move her lips toward his. It seemed like she would never get there but she didn't want to rush this. Even though she and Buck had kissed before this was going to be her first real kiss. Cricket thought she was going to melt into a puddle when her lips found his. They eagerly accepted her and sought her out in return. Cricket let the experience wash over her. She had never felt such a thing before. His lips were warm and sweet and the kiss was so very tender and slow. When the kiss concluded Cricket kept her eyes closed for a few seconds more just to burn the experience in her memory. It was something she never wanted to forget.

Cricket let her eyes open and looked into Buck's eyes again. He looked happy and she smiled back.

The sound of a throat clearing startled the pair as they were gazing into each other's eyes. They both looked up quickly and released each other as Cricket's father came into the light.

"I better get going," Buck said quickly.

He walked over to his horse and untied the reins from the post they were secured and started to walk his horse out of the barn. He paused long enough to lean over to Cricket's ear.

"Happy Birthday, Cricket Jones," Buck whispered sweetly.

A/N Thanks to everyone who read this and reviewed it, especially the ladies on the plus. I think there is one more Cricket story left before I grow her up. Next up I think will involve Cricket and baby sitting...that should be fun. Then I have to decide what kind of career she wants to have. Private Investigator? Lawyer? Intrepid Reporter? Mad Scientist? My husband is currently voting for Criminal Mastermind...which would be kind of funny, but no.