Buck frowned at him. “What are you talking about?” he muttered as he pulled his shirt over his head.

Cody sat down on his bunk next to Buck and proceeded to pull off his boots. “Rawnie – that’s who I’m talking about,” Cody informed him.

Buck stopped with his shirt in his hands. “I still don’t know what you are talking about?” he repeated as the other riders, preparing for the night, turned to them.

“Didn’t you see her smile at you today? She’s been doing that for the last couple of days now – and she never smiles at anybody.”

Buck turned away from Cody and hanged up his shirt. “You’re mistaken,” he muttered.

Cody smiled. “Wish I was, but I don’t think so. I’m telling you she’s sweet on you.”

“How do you know, Cody?” Lou interrupted, seeing Buck’s predicament over suddenly being in the focus. Buck never talked about girls and with Kathleen Devlin all too fresh in everybody’s mind, she could understand his hesitation.

“Because I do, Lou,” Cody said softly as if he was teaching a child. “A man with my expertise can see when a woman is interested in a man – been the subject of that myself.”

Jimmy snorted from his bunk. “Admit it, Cody,” he smirked, “you’re just jealous that after all that pursuing you’ve done, she still doesn’t see you.”

“Jealous?” Cody turned to his constant opponent when it came to bickering. “Jealous?”

Lou hid her smile behind her hand, when she realized Cody for once was speechless. In fact, there was nothing he could say. Saying that he wasn’t interested in Rawnie would be futile, since all of them had seen him prancing around her, and admitting he was jealous would just make Buck the winner. Cody spun around to look accusingly at her, which only increased her mirth. Jimmy and Ike joined her, and even Buck had to smile.

“Never mind,” Cody muttered and threw himself on his bunk. “I was just saying she’s sweet on Buck, that’s all.”

Nobody cared to respond to his comment and, when Ike blew out the last of the lights, silence settled in the bunkhouse. A gentle snoring soon broke the silence as a well-deserved sleep fell over the riders, all except for one.

With Cody’s words still ringing in his ears, Buck found it hard to find a suitable position to sleep in. He had noticed that Rawnie smiled at him, but had so far put it down to just chance. He had never said more than a few words to her, and the most he had said was in anger over how she had treated Ike. There was no reason for her to smile at him. There were several reasons why he should be the last person she would smile at.

Cody’s comment, innocent as it seemed, had made him unsure. What if Rawnie really had smiled at him? What should he do then? He didn’t like her; he didn’t even know her. Still, there was a part of him wondering if he could like her if he got to know her. If she could like him, then he could like her, couldn’t he? A small ray of hope leaped in his heart at the thought of somebody to care for, somebody who cared for him. After Kathleen, he had sworn never to carelessly fall in love again, but then his heart had never fully complied with his intentions. With a sigh he pulled the blanket over his shoulder and turned to the wall. Pondering the situation would not solve it.

***

The morning chill sent the riders shivering as they emerged from the bunkhouse for the early chores. Buck pulled up the collar of his jacket and put his hands in his pockets as he headed towards the barn to feed the horses. He was almost done, when Ike entered the barn.

“You’re done?” Buck asked casually as he carefully moved Cody’s horse to the side so he could fill its trough.

Ike nodded his response and leaned on the next stall, looking at is friend.

“What’s on your mind?” Buck asked with a frown as he stepped out and closed the door to the stall.

Ike shrugged and turned to him. *Well?* he asked.

“Well, what?”

*You know, what Cody talked about last night.*

“Rawnie?”

Ike nodded with a smile in his face.

Buck shrugged. “What about it?” he asked casually.

*Aren’t you interested in knowing if she likes you?* Ike asked innocently. There was nothing more he wanted for his friend than to find happiness and he would do anything to help.

Buck shook his head. “Cody’s mistaken,” he said as he finished feeding the horses.

*Are you sure?* Ike insisted.

“Even if he would be right, there’s nothing I could do about it,” Buck said. “Why are you so interested anyway? After how she treated you, I would think she was the last person you’d have me seeing?”

Ike shook his head sadly. Sometimes the others were too quick to pass judgment on other people.
*She’s just scared,” he signed. *Wouldn’t you be, if you arrived here, with nothing more than the clothes on your body, looking for somebody you’d never met?*

“That doesn’t apologize for her behavior,” Buck muttered.

*Just give her a chance,* Ike winked and placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. *Come on, breakfast must be ready by now.*