The stone hit the face of the rock with a sharp sound, much to the satisfaction of the thrower. Another stone quickly followed in its path, hitting the same spot with deadly accuracy.

Buck had been an expert at the stone throwing game when he was a child and his skill hadn’t decreased. Unfortunately it did little to cheer him up and after the tenth or eleventh stone he sank down on the rock he’d been standing on.

He was both angry and confused and the mixed emotions were frustrating.

Teaspoon had yelled at him and Buck wasn’t sure he deserved to be yelled at, since he hadn’t done anything wrong. He had already finished his chores and Rawnie had asked for a favor so he had simply helped her out. All he had done was take his employer’s niece for a trip.

Because she asked him!

All he had wanted was not to be rude. ‘If Teaspoon was worried about his niece he should be concerned over Cody,’ Buck thought sullenly. He hadn’t seen Teaspoon corner Cody about the blonde rider’s constant efforts to ask Rawnie out.

But then there was a big difference between him and Cody.

Cody wasn’t half Indian.

The thought caused him to inhale deeply. Teaspoon was not like that. But the doubt lingered. He had seen it before. While he was tolerated as long as he kept a distance, any attempt to get closer into the white man’s world would be met with rejection. Rawnie was Teaspoon’s niece. It was natural he would be protective of her. A half-breed was not exactly the best choice as a possible suitor, even Buck could admit to that.

What hurt him was that Teaspoon had gone through the roof without giving him a chance to explain. That just confirmed to him, Teaspoon was no different from any other white man he had encountered. Down deep inside, they didn’t want him close to them or their families.

He closed his eyes.

Unwanted tears burned behind his eyelids, but he would not allow them to fall. He should have expected it. He really had no reason to believe Teaspoon would be any different because he accepted Buck as an Express rider.

A silent ‘NO’ echoed in his mind.

This was wrong – Teaspoon was not like that. Hadn’t he expressed his concern for Buck when the Kiowa had attacked the way stations? And his respect for Buck’s decision? Teaspoon had lived with Indians, he had told Buck so himself. One of his wives had been Indian, hadn’t she? He desperately tried to convince himself that Teaspoon’s yelling at him was nothing other than the stationmaster having a bad day. However, this line of thought didn’t do much to convince him.

With a heavy heart he slowly got to his feet and walked back to his horse. He had been foolish to hope for something more in the white world than what he had among the Kiowa. Maybe it was better getting use to the world as it was, rather than walk with the disappointment of failed changes. ‘I can live with what I have, can’t I?’ he pondered morosely as he got onto his horse and headed back.

***

“What’s on your mind, Emma?” Teaspoon asked wearily as they headed out from the station.

Emma turned her head slightly and glanced suspiciously at her stationmaster.

“I was kind of hoping you could tell me,” she replied somewhat shortly.

“Me?” Teaspoon asked. “I’m not sure I understand, Emma.”

“Well then, you can start by telling me why I found Rawnie upstairs in her room crying her heart out and why the riders are hiding in fear of running into you. Why don’t you start there?”

Teaspoon closed his eyes and sighed heavily. He should have known this would be coming.

“It’s not what you think, Emma,” he said sadly and lowered his eyes. He could almost feel the anger from Emma and didn’t need the confirmation in her eyes.

“Then let me tell you what I think,” Emma replied, reining in the horses. Confirming the animals were still she lowered the reins and turned to Teaspoon. “I think you’ve just done your very best to destroy a friendship between two young people, of which I at least think deserve some happiness in their life. Now I have no clue why you, of all people, should want to interfere in something that, when everything comes to a halt, is nothing! Rawnie is heartbroken ‘cause she thinks you made Buck mad at her and as for Buck I have no idea where he is, since obviously you scared him away!”

Teaspoon held up a hand to stop her. “Hold on there, Emma, I didn’t mean to make Buck mad at Rawnie, or to make her upset. It was just that we had an agreement and when she didn’t stick to it, I kinda lost it.” He sighed again.

“I would say you lost it,” Emma muttered. “What do you mean an agreement?”

“Rawnie promised she wouldn’t see Buck, and…”

Emma frowned. “Why on earth would you tell her that?” she said skeptically when it dawned on her. “I never thought you of all people would hold Buck’s heritage against him,” she said in disbelief. “If this is because he’s part Kiowa…”

”No,” Teaspoon interrupted. “It’s because he’s half white,” he added sadly.

Emma stopped and looked at Teaspoon and for the first time she saw the frustration and concern in his face.

“What – what is it really about then?” she said softly, realizing that whatever was behind this, it had the stationmaster scared and nervous – things she normally didn’t associate with Teaspoon Hunter.

“My brother – Rawnie’s father,” he began. He stopped and took a deep breath. “Before he met her mama, we were hunting and trading with the Indians. We had been trading with the Kiowa when he saw her...”

He paused again but Emma didn’t push him. Whatever Teaspoon was about to tell her, he would have to do in his own time.

“She was the wife of one of their war chiefs. When I caught him, I didn’t know what to do – all I knew was that I couldn’t let him get caught by the Kiowa. So we took off and as soon as we reached safety I told him he would have to continue on his own. I guess that’s when he met Rawnie’s mother.”

“The Kiowa woman,” Emma prodded gently, “was she…?” She let the question hang unfinished in the air.

Teaspoon nodded.

“Buck’s mother. When he told us about his brother and I learned his name, I kinda realized the possibility, but since then there has been other things, you know, small things. Like the way he taps his fingers when he’s irritated, in his looks…” Teaspoon stopped and closed his eyes for a second, while Emma, stunned by the news sat in silence, looking out toward the plains.

“So,” she said after a minute of silence, “that would make Rawnie and Buck sister and brother.”

“Yes.”

“And they don’t know.”

“No.”

“Oh my God,” she breathed when it finally hit her. “And if they would fall in love…”

“If they haven’t already,” Teaspoon muttered.

Emma smiled softly at him. “I don’t think we should let fear run away with our imagination – I think they’re just friends. Rawnie just called him a friend, and I’m sure Buck is a bit more protective of his heart since Miss Devlin. Let’s not forget, Rawnie hasn’t been here for that long.”

“But what if…”

“We’re not going to go there,” Emma said determined. “We’re going to go back and when we return you will have to tell them the truth, it’s as simple as that.”

Teaspoon cringed inside. It sounded so easy coming from Emma’s mouth, but he knew it would be the hardest thing he had ever done.