Chapter 1
It was late May and the days in Rock Creek were already warm but that morning there was a light breeze that made the air pleasant. The coach arrived punctually as it did every Monday morning, but this time it was not carrying many people, only a couple of elderly gentlemen, a reverend and a girl with decidedly foreign features, with long blond hair, green eyes and a crumpled hazelnut dress with a long journey she probably had.
"Rock Creek, we've arrived at Rock Creek. The stagecoach will leave in about 15 minutes", said the driver who refrained from helping the elderly couple and the young woman unload their luggage. He was too thirsty and as soon as he announced his arrival, he headed straight to the saloon to wet his throat. It fell to the reverend to offer his help to the travellers, but while the elderly couple let themselves be helped, the young woman thanked him but did not want to disturb the reverend any longer. She greeted him politely and walked towards the sign indicating a hotel.
Entering the hall, she was greeted by a young man with glasses and black hair, who asked her with a big smile: "Good morning, miss, can I help you?"
"Oh yes thank you, I need a room please"
"Sure, we have just one that's right for you. How long will you be staying?"
"Oh I don't know, until I find my own home. I hope it won't be long"
"Well, welcome to Rock Creek then and we hope you are having a good time. Room 101, 1st floor, at the bottom of the stairs on the right. Breakfast is served from 6.30 a.m., lunch from 12 a.m. and dinner from 6.30 p.m."
"Thank you sir. Could you also let me prepare a nice hot bath?"
"Of course", then he took her personal details and made her sign the rental of the room.
"Can I help you with your luggage?" the guy at the reception asked again.
"No, thank you, don't bother, I can do it myself".
Arrived at the indicated room, she began to unpack, while a girl joined her to prepare her a nice hot bath. After the journey she had faced she really needed it.
When the young woman was out, she stripped off her crumpled and dirty clothes and plunged into the foam that filled the tub. She rested her head on the edge and relaxed for a while, then took the rag and began to brush the dust and dirt off herself.
She felt reborn after that beautiful bath and lay down on the soft bed to rest a bit, still wrapped in the towel. She fell asleep and woke up after noon. She hastily got dressed and settled down and went down to lunch. Many hotel guests looked at her curiously, perhaps sensing that she was a foreigner from her imperfect pronunciation but she didn't care. She was used to being looked at with curiosity due to her behavior not always following the rules. She just hoped she could keep her exuberance in this new city. She needed to start a new life after she had left Italy due to the impossibility of accepting what her mother asked of her.
Jinny, whose real name was Ginevra, but whom everyone called by that nickname she adored, had never found herself in line with her family's conservative thinking. She had no desire to sacrifice her life to look after a husband not chosen by her, children born not out of love but to pass on the good name of the good match that would make her marry and above all to always remain segregated at home to do household chores or chatting at 5 o'clock tea with the other frustrated wives. She wanted a different, exciting, adventurous and above all independent life. She had never expressed her ideas except in her secret diaries, but when she reached marriageable age, her parents had begun to introduce her to men "suitable for her". At first she had tried not to contradict her parents, believing that maybe if she met the right man, she could also fall in love and her life would not be as monotonous and flat as that of her mother and some of her friends, but after two or three tries, her father was getting impatient and she felt more and more suffocated, so she spoke clearly and said she was not willing to bend over to lead that kind of life. A furious quarrel with her parents had followed, but then she had talked openly with her father, the more "modern" of the two, and they had reached a compromise: she would go to America for a year and if she could achieve the life she wanted and meet the man of her dreams, they would give in, otherwise, she would have to go back and marry the man her mother had already singled out for her.
Jinny had thought about it and it had seemed like a good compromise: if it was fate, she would have met the man who would have made her happy, otherwise, she would have bowed to the fate of all women but at least she would have had an adventure. She had randomly opened the map of America and her finger landed on this little town in Nebraska, Rock Creek. One place was as good as another, so she had packed her bags, her father had given her the necessary amount for the trip and for the first month, but then she would have had to manage on her own.
Jinny was thrilled at the idea of this chance that she had been given, but at the same time she was afraid that she might not be able to handle it. She did not know the language perfectly and her too explicit and direct character could be a problem in relating to people. Luckily she had enough to live for a month and decided to take things slow: she would look around and look for an honest job that would also allow her to have a house either to rent or, if she was lucky, she could even buy it .
After having lunch, she decided to go for a walk in the city to see where the basic necessities were: the marshal's office, the Church, the general store, the bank, the post office and other shops that could be useful.
As she made this tour of inspection, she noticed a banner hanging on the sides of the church announcing a charity ball for next Saturday.
"Wow, how nice, as soon as I arrive I already have the opportunity to participate in a dance. In this way I will be able to begin to know someone and I hope to make friends soon ".
She tried to observe the clothes of the women of the city and some clothes displayed in the shop windows to evaluate if there were any differences in American fashion, but she noticed with relief that the women dressed like in Italy, so she could rest easy. Among her luggage she would surely find the right dress for the ball on Saturday.
The next day she went to the general store for some purchases and Mr. Thompkins, the owner, asked her: "Are you new here miss? I've never seen you"
"Yes, I arrived in the city yesterday and I'm trying to settle in. I need a job and a house, for now I'm staying in a hotel but if I want to stay, I have to get busy"
"Well, if I hear anything around I'll let you know. My name is Thompson"
"Nice to meet you, my name is Ginevra but everyone calls me Jinny. Thank you for your interest. I really hope to settle down soon"
"If you go to the dance on Saturday maybe you will meet some people and it will be an opportunity to let you know and hear if someone is looking for a girl as a helper"
"I will go there for sure, thank you"
"Where are you from? Not that I want to mind your business, but your accent is not from here"
"No, in fact I'm Italian, but I hope to improve my language by staying here. Thank you Mr Thompkins and have a good day"
Thompkins greeted her and Jinny left satisfied: if they were all nice like the owner of the store, she would have been fine.
She spent the week looking around and trying to be friendly to everyone she met. She really wanted to make a good impression.
On the day of the ball, she decided to wear a white and green dress, with a full skirt, bare shoulders and lace that decorated it. She gathered her hair at her temples and fixed it with silver combs. At the foot of the white ankle boots, matching the dress and a green satin handbag. She decided to arrive half an hour after the starting time, so as not to risk being among the first people and not knowing who to talk to.
When she entered the living room, she placed herself in a sheltered corner from where she could see the whole room but at the same time she felt protected from the gazes of onlookers. She saw arrive the reverend who had made the journey with her and Mr. Thompkins and saluted them politely.
It wasn't long before she was approached by a strutting young man who asked her to dance. She felt like her chest tightening and suffocating and decided to listen to her instincts, so she refused the proposal. She didn't want to spend her first official evening fending off attacks from boring young men. Others approached her but all received the same denial. Jinny carefully scrutinized all the people in the room and had noticed a group of 7 boys accompanied by a woman and what must have been the marshal with the star he wore on his chest. She noticed that the boys laughed and joked merrily and that almost all of them danced except for two: one with a small build who stood aside and often exchanged a few words with the woman and with another of them, and a boy who most attracted her attention: he was tall, well built, with long black hair, deep dark eyes and an earring hanging from one ear. There was something wild about it that intrigued her. Ever since she'd noticed him, she couldn't take her eyes off him, he was a really handsome young man. He apathetically watched his friends dance with several girls, but he approached none and none approached him. It seemed very strange to her that such a handsome boy didn't enjoy himself with the girls in the room.
As she stared at him, their eyes met for a moment but she quickly looked away to avoid him realizing she was looking at him.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a proposal from another young man, which she again politely declined. She was joined by Mr Thompkins who must have noticed her embarrassment.
"Of course if you turn down all the suitors, you won't have many opportunities to make your way here"
"I know, you're right, but every time a young man approaches me, I feel like I'm suffocating and I really don't feel like agreeing to dance with them"
"I understand, but you can't even stay here in the corner all evening"
"You're right, but I still need some time to settle in"
"Good luck then"
"Thank you Mr Thompson"
Jinny knew Thompkins was right, but then she didn't want to be stuck all night with young men who her instincts told her were pretty boring.
Instinctively she looked again in the direction of the dark haired boy and found him in exactly the same position as before.
She decided to go crazy: if she had to get to know someone, she wanted to start with someone who communicated something to her and that handsome boy communicated something very strongly to her.
She plucked up her courage and walked towards him.
Buck Cross, the boy Jinny noticed, was one of 7 couriers for the Pony Express, the mail service run by Marshal Teaspoon Hunter and the woman Jinny had seen talking to the boys, Rachel Dunn. His friends loved the dances, but he wasn't particularly keen on these evenings as he regularly spent in a corner watching others enjoy themselves. As he looked around, he noticed that a girl he had never seen had come in, very pretty and almost frightened. He assumed she wasn't from Rock Creek and just passing through. He had noticed that several boys had approached her, but she had fired them one after another and he found it very strange. For a moment their eyes had met and he had felt a strange sensation in the lower parts of his stomach.
"You're an idiot Buck Cross, you can only dream of one like this, she will never be interested in you", he said to himself, cursing himself for the joke his senses were playing on him. Their eyes had met for a moment, but, as if to confirm his thoughts, she had quickly looked away.
"Here, she doesn't even dare hold my gaze, as I could even think for a moment…Bah, I swear this is the last dance I'll ever attend, Rachel or no Rachel"
Buck always protested when he had to attend these evenings, but Rachel was adamant, she was convinced that sooner or later her boys would meet the right woman for them.
"The others maybe, certainly not me", Buck had tried to counter but Rachel always replied: "Have faith Buck, you'll see..."
But the facts had always proved him right. His friends had had some opportunities from time to time or at least had fun dancing with the girls, but he, as a Kiowa half-blood, was always bored and had a little punch now and then.
He was immersed in his thoughts, when suddenly he heard a female voice addressing him: "Hello".
He roused himself at the sound of that greeting, focused his gaze on the girl who had spoken and was dumbfounded: it was the young woman he had noticed earlier. A little embarrassed, he answered his greeting: "Hello".
"My name is Jinny"
"Buck Cross, nice to meet you Jinny"
"Hi Buck. Don't you like these evenings?"
"Why do you ask me that?"
"Well, I noticed you haven't danced with any girls, so either you don't like dancing or you step on girls' toes and make them run away"
"I could say the same thing about you, you haven't hit the track yet"
"Touchè. But I have a good reason, I'm not from here, I just arrived and I don't know anyone"
"And who is to say that I am not in the same situation?"
"I've seen you talking to the marshal and your friends, so you definitely know more people than me. At that time? The answer?"
"Let's say that these evenings are not for me"
"So you don't love to dance"
"I did not say this"
"How enigmatic you are! Or maybe I'm disturbing you and I was inappropriate, sorry"
Jinny feared she was wrong to approach him.
"No, you don't have to apologize, it's nice to talk to you"
Jinny gave a beautiful smile heartened by those words and Buck's knees almost melted. He realized he had been a bit stiff, but he really didn't expect to be approached by that beautiful girl. He tried to fix it.
"And why did you reject all those young men? Don't you know they're some of Rock Creek's hottest bachelors? They wander around these parties to find a girl from a good family with a good dowry to consolidate their position"
"Thank goodness I turned them down then. I really don't want to deal with fortune hunters!"
"I have to say you are very forthright! So you're not going to find a well-bred bachelor?"
"I don't know how we ended up on this topic, but no! Marriage is not in my plans for now, unless I meet the right person but my heart will guide me, not the bank account" and she looked into his dark eyes in which she got lost.
Buck felt himself melt again in front of those bright green eyes staring at him.
"However, you haven't answered me yet"
"Let's say that since I'm not counted among the most coveted bachelors, I don't know any girl who would like to dance with me"
Jinny, without thinking, instinctively replied: "Oh well I know one who would be happy to dance with you".
Buck, incredulous, tried to control the emotion by asking: "Oh yes? And who is that?", with a joking tone.
Jinny, feeling her embarrassment grow for not knowing how to hold back, decided to be honest and replied: "A girl who is dying of shame because she realized she was very cheeky..."
Buck smiled seeing her blush a little and pulled her out of the way: "Well, let's see if I can fix it by inviting this nice girl to dance! Let's go, do you want?"
She nodded, accepted his arm and they began to dance.
To get out of the embarrassment, Jinny jokingly said: "Well, I have to say you don't stomp your feet, so that's no excuse not to dance."
Buck smiled and replied: "Indeed I never said I stomp feet"
"So you don't invite girls over just because you're not rich?"
"For this and because I'm sure girls from good families wouldn't want to dance with me"
"Why?"
"Because I'm half a Kiowa." There, he said it.
"But are you serious?"
"Absolutely"
"Well then they are very stupid. Would they give up dating someone like you just because you're half Indian?" and again Jinny bit her tongue. It was just louder than her, the words spilling out of her mouth uncontrollably.
"Well ... yes. What exactly do you mean by someone like me?". Buck was curious at this point. That girl was really special.
Meanwhile the dance had ended and another had begun but they hadn't even noticed and continued to dance.
Red-faced and with downcast eyes, Jinny steeled herself and replied: "Again my cheek put me in trouble... I mean you're a nice guy and... very nice too"
"Well, thank you. You are also very pretty and I thank you for choosing me as your partner"
She smiled and he melted again.
The second dance also ended and the two stopped for a moment as they looked into each other's eyes without speaking. Their exchange of glances was interrupted by a black boy who approached Buck and said: "Hey man, can I steal your checkers for the next dance?"
Before Buck could answer, Jinny said quickly: "I'm sorry, but I promised Buck my entire dance card."
Buck's eyes widened and she looked at him imploringly, so much so that he, amused, replied: "I'm sorry Noah, it will be for another time" and kidnapped her in a merry dance.
The black boy, Noah Dixon, was blown away and went back to his other friends. "I can't believe she just dumped me and said she's gonna dance with Buck all night"
The others didn't hesitate to tease him.
While they were dancing, Jinny said to Buck: "I wonder what opinion you are forming of me: I approached you, I invited you to dance and I forced you to dance with me all evening"
"Actually something like this had never happened to me in my entire life, but I can't say I'm sorry"
She smiled and answered him: "Sorry, but with you I feel calm, I know you are not a fortune hunter" and she burst out laughing followed by Buck who replied: "Oh well, this absolutely not"
"Also because you would fall badly, I really don't have a talent"
"Then we will get along very well" and they both laughed.
"You said you're not from here. Where do you come from?"
"From Italy. I convinced my family, especially my father, to give me the chance to try my luck in America for a year. If I manage to settle down well, I can stay, otherwise I will have to go back and marry the man my mother has chosen for me."
"Oh oh, a boyfriend in Italy…"
"Absolutely not, we never dated. However, he is a coveted bachelor and my mother would like to arrange the marriage. I felt like I was dying, my father understood it and gave me this opportunity"
"He's a great man"
"Yes it is. And you? What do you do for living?"
"I work for the Pony Express. I live with my friends, the marshal and Rachel, the woman who looks after us, at the station"
"Good, so when I have to send letters to my family I know who to contact"
"Glad to help you. So you want to settle down here?"
"Yes, but I have to find a job because my resources will run out soon. I'm staying at the hotel for now but I plan to find my own home"
"Do you already have something in mind?"
"No, I adapt to any kind of honest work"
"I'll try to help you if I can"
"Thank you, you are very kind" and they continued to dance throughout the evening trying to get to know each other a little better.
Buck's friends began to comment maliciously on their mate's situation and Rachel, the wisest of the group, said to them: "Leave him alone, for once he's having fun with a girl! If he wants, he'll tell us something tomorrow. I forbid you to bother him now, is that clear?"
"Yessir", the boys replied to attention, amused.
When it got a little late and people started leaving the hall, Jinny said to Buck, albeit reluctantly: "I better go now, it's not good for a lonely girl to go out too late at night."
"But you're not alone, if you want I can take you to the hotel"
"Would you really do that?"
"I'd love that"
"Thank you Buck, you are very kind"
Buck escorted her to the hotel and when they were at the door of Jinny's room, she said to him: "Thank you Buck for a lovely evening, I had a great time."
"Thanks to you for choosing me as your knight" and kissed her hand.
Jinny blushed.
They were silent for a moment, then Buck made her a proposal: "Would you like to go for a picnic by the river tomorrow? I could show you around a bit if you like."
"Very gladly", Jinny replied excitedly.
"Can I pick you up here at 10?"
"Come to church, I'll go to the service first"
"Very good. See you tomorrow then"
" See you tomorrow. Good night"
"Goodnight Jinny"
Jinny walked into her room and leaned against the door out of breath. She couldn't believe that he had snatched an evening from that beautiful boy and an invitation for the next day just the two of them. She was so excited that it took a long time to fall asleep and dreamed all night of dancing with Buck.
The latter returned to the station almost without realizing the road he was taking. He still couldn't believe he was approached by that beautiful girl who seemed interested in him. He decided to take all the time to enjoy this moment and very much hoped that something beautiful could be born.
When he arrived at the station he saw the light still on in the bunkhouse: he knew what he was facing. He took a deep breath and entered the lions' den….