Jimmy woke up when he felt the sun hit his face. He quickly disentangled himself from Priscilla’s body, but not before dropping a quick kiss on her forehead. He grabbed his gunbelt and he hurried away, searching for some kind of water, cold water.

He was supposed to have gone to a dance with a girl who had peaked his attention. But he was out here, alone, sleeping with her, holding her tight. He was not supposed to rush headlong into an intimate relationship again. He had done that with Sarah Downs and ended up almost dangling from a noose. He was going to go slow, with a girl he could bring home to his family.

Mercifully, he found a pond and waded right in, tossing his gunbelt on the shore. The water was not cold but it helped; well it helped a little bit. He at least was able to think a bit more coherently. He realized he was not taking things slow. He was falling hard and falling fast. What was he thinking? He wanted nothing better last night than to undo the buttons of Priscilla’s dress, unhook all of her underpinnings, and touch her bare skin – Jimmy suddenly ducked his head underwater. Stop!

He wanted all these things so badly. But he could not have them. He could not sleep with Priscilla. She was not that kind of girl. Jimmy rose from the water and shook his head. What were Emma’s words doing in his head? He had slept with her, literally. Of course it was not enough. It had taken every bit of self-control he had not to sleep with her the way he wanted to sleep with her.

No! he told himself sternly. He would get Priscilla home in one piece and then he would try to court her properly. He would not make the same mistakes he had with Sarah Downs. He had learned his lesson.

*~*~*

Priscilla waited, rubbing one of her feet, hoping Jimmy came back soon. She smiled to herself. It had felt good lying in his arms last night. He felt so warm and solid. She had been a bit surprised when he behaved so dispassionately when taking off her shoes and wrapping her feet. He did not even once let his fingers brush against her calf or any part higher. She was not expecting a perfect gentleman. But then he had held her when she could not sleep. She was not sure if he was even aware of it, but he was not the perfect gentleman then. His hands had wandered. She had hoped he was interested when the dance was initially mentioned to her. But then the evening had gone so badly. At the tiniest glimmer of some fun that man had appeared and all hell had broke loose. But then Jimmy came for her. She wrapped her arms around herself. He came for her!

But the tingle of pleasure soon disappeared. Where was he? She was feeling skittish again. But much to her relief, Jimmy soon appeared.

“I found water,” he said. He studied her carefully. “Can you walk?”

Priscilla smiled. “Of course.” She rose to her feet and took a few steps and much to her surprise found herself swept into Jimmy’s arms.

“No,” he told her firmly, “you can’t.” He began moving quickly. “There’s a pond nearby,” he added.

“So I see,” Priscilla said, pulling on a lock of his wet hair, happy to have him hold her close again.

They soon reached the pond and Priscilla removed all her clothes save her shift. She suppressed the urge to laugh when she saw Jimmy look away. Good Lord, was he really that innocent? But as she eased her way into the water, she realized he thought she was.

She split the water cleanly, enjoying the sensation of having the grime that covered her simply dissolved away. As she made her way to the water's edge, she cupped her hands and drank deeply.

“Here,” Jimmy said, holding out her dress as she stepped out of the pond. Priscilla noted that with some amusement that he was still averting his eyes. He really did want to cover her up, she decided, suppressing her laughter.

“Thanks,” Priscilla replied, her eyes dancing. She chose not to make him even more uncomfortable. He had been too good to her for that. She quickly and silently dressed. Once her dress was on, Jimmy took another petticoat and tore it up.

Priscilla bit the inside of her cheek to keep her smile hidden. He looked miserable wrapping her feet. But he did it.

Once she was dressed and her feet in some sort of repair, she stood up. “So now what?”

Jimmy pointed. “Sweetwater is that way, so I guess we walk and hope to find some kinda help.”

“Hope?”

“I don’t know what else to do,” Jimmy told her, his eyes filled with regret.

“No, its fine,” Priscilla said. “We’ll find something.”

Together they began walking slowly, exchanging bits of conversation about members of their respective families, how they arrived in Sweetwater. Jimmy told her that he had two older sisters and that his parents had died; thus he joined the Express. He had also told her about his father and the anger he felt toward him for hurting his mother. He then moved on to his Express family, Teaspoon, Emma and each of the riders. She still could not believe that they had thought Lou was a boy. ‘Look at her neck, no Adam’s apple,’ Priscilla had told him. ‘And her hands, they are so small.’

She in turn told him about her parents. That they had moved here after an aunt was killed back east. Her father was not a farmer or rancher, but he wanted to be away from the big city and the growing crime rate. So they moved way out west and her father used his bookkeeping skills to assist the various shopkeepers, save Tompkins who was too cheap to hire him. They raised a few crops, sold some eggs and somehow made do. It became more difficult when her mother had died giving birth to John. She then regaled with him tales about her sisters and brother. There was Grace, who was a busybody, Jane the shy one, Emily, the tomboy, and John, everyone’s baby. Nothing too meaningful, Priscilla thought. But it was nice first outing material.