Chapter 12
Abilene, Kansas
April 1866
Kaylie spent two months in Salina, residing with Marshal Tucker and his family as she focused on her recovery. However, the local doctor offered little reassurance. He explained that she had sustained some form of damage, the extent of which could result in either temporary or permanent memory loss. Only time would unveil whether she would regain her lost memories.
Despite the kindness of the townsfolk and the warm hospitality of the Tuckers, Kaylie felt an urgent need to uncover the truth about her past and her identity. With only one lead to follow—the sender of the letters she carried—she resolved to embark on a journey to Abilene, Kansas, in search of Buck Cross. The words penned in his letters had stirred something within her, a connection that hinted at deep affection between them.
Standing at the edge of the ranch where Buck Cross had worked, her hands trembled with anticipation. She couldn't ignore the passage of time since those letters were written; many years had slipped away.
Questions flooded her mind: had they argued? Had they grown apart? Had he perished in the war? Perhaps she had lost some of the letters, but whatever the reason, she hoped Buck could shed light on the missing years. Did she have any family? What had her life been like before? These questions weighed heavily on her as she prepared to confront the unknown.
"Miss? Can I help you?" the stranger called out when he saw the young woman walking towards the house.
"Hello," Kaylie greeted him warmly. "I'm looking for Buck Cross."
"I'm sorry, miss," the man replied, tipping his hat and riding his horse closer to her. "Buck ain't worked here for years."
"He doesn't?" Kaylie's heart sank at the news.
"No, ma'am. Him and that mute fella, they went to work for the Pony Express, I believe."
"The Pony Express?" Kaylie repeated, trying to process the information.
"Sorry, miss."
"Thanks," Kaylie said with a wry smile, turning to walk back down the pathway where she had tethered her horse. The news left her feeling unsettled, she knew she had to continue her search elsewhere but really had no idea where to go from here.