Chapter 1

September 1871

The door was slightly ajar and through the gap the luminous bedroom was visible to the naked eye. The flowery wall paper and the light-colored curtains at the wide windows cast no doubt about the gender of the room's owner. It was clearly a female, and every single object around oozed femininity and delicacy.

A figure had stopped at the half-opened door, and dared to scan the inside of the room. The sunlight through the spotless window panes fell on the bed dominating the place. A patchwork quilt covered the length of the bed, with matching cushions. A white blouse and blue skirt rested on top as well as one single stocking. The other one dangling from a thin hand softly flapped in the light breeze coming through the slightly open window as a woman got ready to pull it on her naked leg. After a relaxing bath, she was just wearing her white undies, and feeling totally laid-back. It was a young woman in her late twenties, and her fibrous, slim body clearly evidenced that motherhood had not touched her yet.

After a few seconds, the onlooker finally rapped her knuckles on the wooden surface of the door, and the half-dressed woman directed her eyes in that direction. A smile lit up her features as she said, "Come in, Tessie. You know you don't need to knock."

Theresa stepped into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. With slow steps she approached the bed and her sister. Her curvy hips swung gracefully in the plain dress she nicely filled. Her brown eyes and a fleshy mouth highlighted her beauty and youth, and her golden hair done in a very serious bun embellished the soft pallor of her skin.

Theresa sat down on the bed next to her older sister, and in silence continued watching her putting on both stockings. "Anything I can do for you, honey?" asked Louise, brushing her hand over her leg to smooth the folds in the material of the stockings.

"The shop's closed for the day, and I thought I could enjoy my favorite sister's company for a while."

"I'm your only sister," Louise reminded her with a smile.

"All the more reason for me to love your company. That's what sisters are for."

Louise giggled. "If you say so," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest barely covered by the flimsy chemise she was wearing. "Isn't Albert at home?"

"Yes, he returned an hour ago and…" Theresa paused, and lowering her tone of voice, she added, "he told me you got a letter today."

Lou smiled knowingly. Theresa had come to see her because she wanted to know all the details of her letter. Living with her sister and her husband of two years meant that it was almost impossible for her to keep her personal matters private. Her life was an open book for Theresa and Albert to read, and Lou guessed the same happened from their angles as well. In any case, that was a lesser evil, and she could not complain. Losing her privacy was a little price to pay if that meant she got to enjoy the pleasure of their company and the feeling she still had a family. Otherwise, life would be too lonely.

"It's a letter from Rachel," Louise explained even though her sister surely knew that already. "Apparently, next month is the tenth anniversary of the end of the Pony Express, and there's gonna be a celebration in Rock Creek."

"A celebration?"

"Yes, I'm not sure about the details, though. All I know is that it's Tompkins' idea. Remember he was elected the mayor last year?" Theresa nodded, and Lou continued, "He's decided that Rock Creek should commemorate the day since there was a station at the time. So he's asked Rachel to help him by bringing the riders to town."

"Sounds interesting," Theresa remarked, and eyeing her sister carefully, she asked, "And are you going?"

Lou hesitated. "I ain't sure, but I've thought that maybe a change of airs would do me good," Lou said. A sigh escaped her lips, and then she added, "Since we lost Miah, I've felt too suffocated, too lost… I don't know. Maybe this is what I need."

Theresa could not deny she was openly surprised. It was true that Jeremiah's death had affected Lou too much, at least more than her. Maybe it was because she could rely on Albert for comfort while Lou had nobody. Yet, just the fact that her sister was considering going to Rock Creek was really baffling. "You said once nothing in this world would make you set foot in Rock Creek again."

Lou shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "Things sometimes change."

"The memories you were so intent to flee from six years ago still remain there," Theresa remarked pointedly. When she and Jeremiah had followed their sister to Seneca, Lou had sworn she would never go to Rock Creek again. In these years Rachel, Teaspoon, and even Jimmy had visited them in their new home from time to time because Louise was adamant to keep her promise, and not even Rachel's wedding had been enough reason to persuade her to reconsider her resolution.

"I guess I'll have to face them," Lou admitted in a soft voice, doing up the last button of her blouse. "Memories never leave us no matter where we are."

Theresa kept quiet for a few seconds, pondering what her sister had said, and what she had not. Lou was a very particular person in some aspects, and Theresa hated to walk on tiptoe around her sister and certain points that in her rule book should not be mentioned. In fact, Theresa was sick and tired of being shushed, and for some reason she was feeling rebellious today. So even though she knew the risks, she said, "Louise, was Kid that important for you?"

If looks could kill, Theresa would be a dead woman at that very precise moment. "I don't want to talk about Kid," Lou muttered between gritted teeth. Just hearing his name made her throat go dry and her eyes sting.

"Yes, I know. You never want to talk about him," Theresa replied, and shifting her body so that she could look her sister directly in the eyes, she took her hands and her tone softened as she added, "Don't you think it's time for you to move on and leave the past behind?"

"The past is way behind me," Lou retorted defensively.

"I beg to differ," Theresa counterattacked. "Louise, there hasn't been a single man in your life in the last years. And not because you haven't had suitors calling at your door. Gosh, even Albert tried his hand."

Lou shook her head. "That's before he met you, and you know he was a goner the moment he set eyes on you."

"Yes," Theresa admitted with a smug smile. "But that's not what I'm talking about. Louise, what I'm saying is that you're a beautiful, young woman, and I want you to be happy."

"I 'am' happy," Lou stated, and as Theresa raised an eyebrow showing her skepticism, the brown-haired woman added, "In any case, I don't need a man. And even if I wanted, I couldn't… I just couldn't."

"Yes, I know," Theresa replied patiently. "That's why I'm telling you to break your ties with the past, free yourself from your yoke. You need to start from scratch, honey, and stop thinking about Kid and his memories, because that's all he is. It's not healthy, Louise."

Lou lowered her eyes as the pushy tears kept trying to force their way out. "I don't think about him. I think about me." A new sigh escaped her lips as she added, "You're right, I ain't really happy."

"Maybe this chance to go to Rock Creek is what you need, as you've said yourself. Take the bull by the horns, Louise, and set things right in your heart and in your life. I know you're a brave woman, and it makes no sense to let life pass you by. You have too much to give, and you just can't bury or hide your heart forever."

Louise sighed. She still did not want to talk about this whole matter; maybe she was not ready yet, and her demons still haunted her even though too much time has passed. "I haven't made up my mind whether to go or not. I told you, I ain't sure."

"Then you need to think about it." Lou nodded, flashing a forced smile, and Theresa rose to her feet. "I'll let you finish getting dressed, and I'd better start dinner."

Theresa waltzed out of the bedroom, and as the door clicked closed behind her, Lou let out a sigh, and in a very tiny voice, she whispered in the empty room. "Thank you."