After lunch, Ike was sent off and with Kid still on a run, a sense of tranquility lowered itself over the station. Emma took Lou with her into town, and Cody managed to do one of his disappearing acts, leaving Buck to tend to the chores. He still marveled over how much there was to be done at the station. Not that he complained, he had never shunned hard work, but some of the chores seemed incomprehensible to a boy who had grown up among the Kiowa. He smiled to himself when he thought about what his brother would have said about some of the chores, chopping wood for example. ‘Women’s work’, Red Bear would have snorted and there was a time when Buck would have agreed. But the white world worked differently than the Kiowa and he saw nothing to grumble over.

‘Except perhaps Cody’s uncanny ability to disappear’, he frowned. The blonde rider had a peculiar knack for when he could disappear without Emma or Teaspoon noticing. Buck finished chopping and placed the last logs on the pile next to the barn wall where the roof protected them from rain. Wiping his hands on his trousers, he turned around and saw Teaspoon occupied in mending a bridle. For a second he contemplated walking over to the man, taking a few minutes of rest for a chat, but then his sense of duty got hold of him and he walked into the stable.

Rawnie watched from the garden where she had found herself a hidden spot. Cody had tried to ask her out for a picnic earlier, but she had firmly refused and sent him on his way. She hadn’t seen him for some time, but undoubtedly he had sneaked away somewhere where he could get a nap or even do some fishing. She carefully watched her uncle and, when she was sure he was completely occupied by his chore, she silently got to her feet. With one eye on Teaspoon, she carefully sneaked over to the barn. Outside she hesitated for a second, but then she remembered Teaspoon’s wish to send her away. Ignoring the old man’s wish would only be just punishment for treating her like that. With a last glance over her shoulder, she walked inside.

It was darker in the barn and it took her a few seconds to adjust her eyes. When she had got used to the soft light she could make out Buck at the other end, pushing some hay bales into a stall. She slowly walked up to him.

“Hi,” she said as she leaned over the stable.

Buck looked up, bewildered. He had not expected her to show up and her presence suddenly made him feel uneasy.

“Hello,” he replied, a bit of uncertainty in his voice.

“What are you doing?”

“Cleaning out the stable,” Buck muttered and continued. He wasn’t sure what she wanted and he wasn’t even sure he wanted to know.

“Must be tiresome,” she offered.

“Has to be done,” he replied curtly.

Rawnie sighed audibly. He was more stubborn than a mule. ‘She was just trying to be friendly, wasn’t she?’

“You’re still mad at me?” she asked, now with a little more edge in her voice. At least that got his attention.

“What do you mean?” he asked with a frown.

“Because I yelled at Ike that one time. You’re still mad?”

“I ain’t mad. You didn’t have to yell at him, that’s all,” he muttered and returned to his chore.

“Well, he had no right meddling in things,” she replied in the same tone. “Besides, what is it to you? You’re his guardian or something?”

Buck stopped working and looked at her, something akin to anger in his eyes.

“He’s my best friend and I don’t want to see him hurt, especially…,” he stopped before finishing the sentence. Rawnie frowned at him.

“Especially someone like me? That what you mean?” she asked angrily and hurt. Suddenly all her original intentions were gone and she just felt like leaving. ‘Nobody had the right to treat her like this – especially a half-breed!’ Tears threatened to fall and she turned and started to walk away.

Buck stared after her, suddenly feeling guilty. He had hurt her and it hadn’t been his intention. It wasn’t her fault Kathleen Devlin had broken his heart; it wasn’t her fault he was distrustful of women. Basically, he had been rude to her, and he felt bad. Something Ike said echoed in his mind about her just being scared. He bit his lip and then dropped the hayfork and rushed after her.

“Rawnie, I’m sorry,” he said apologetic as he placed his hand on her shoulder. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Rawnie quickly wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her blouse. This wasn’t exactly how she had planned it and she silently cursed her own weakness. Adjusting her face, she took a deep breath and turned around.

“I’m sorry I yelled at Ike,” she offered back.

Buck smiled hesitantly at her as he removed his hand. For a few seconds they just stood there in awkward silence, neither of them knowing what to say.

“I better get back to work,” Buck finally managed. Rawnie nodded. Buck nodded back and turned, wondering if he should say something else. Not coming up with what, he simply let it go and returned to the stable.

Seeing him walk away, Rawnie suddenly remembered her original mission and quickly walked after him.

“Buck,” she begun, “we really got off to a bad start, didn’t we?”

Buck shrugged. “You might say that,” he admitted.

“Well, can we forget that?”

Another shrug. “Don’t see why not.”

“Friends, then?” She stretched out her hand.

Buck hesitated for a second, but then he reached out and took her hand. “Friends,” he confirmed.

Rawnie smiled at him. “Emma left some lemonade in the kitchen, if you would like some?”

Before Buck could decline, as this friendship went a bit too fast for him, they were interrupted by Teaspoon.

“Rawnie? What are you doing here?” His voice was filled with hesitation and disbelief and Rawnie smiled gleefully to herself.

“I was just asking Buck if he wanted some lemonade,” she replied innocently. “Would you like some too, Uncle?”

“Naw, I’m fine,” Teaspoon stuttered. ‘Hadn’t he told the girl to stay away from Buck?’ He tried to tell himself that seeing them was probably just as innocent as the girl’s explanation, but there was something he couldn’t put his finger on. Suddenly he caught Buck staring oddly at him and he quickly arranged his face into a smile.

“Thanks anyway,” he smiled at the girl and then quickly changed the subject. “Buck, have you seen Cody today?”

Buck shook his head as he tried to hide a smile. If Cody didn’t show up in the next few minutes, Teaspoon would have his hide.

Rawnie saw the change of subject as her cue, so, with a friendly nod towards Buck and a smile as she passed Teaspoon; she quickly let herself out of the barn. It hadn’t exactly gone as she had planned, but at least Teaspoon had seen them together and that was enough. In fact, she was more than pleased. She had managed to upset her uncle and she wasn’t interested in Buck, at least not in any romantic way. Being friends seemed to do the trick anyway and it would mean less complications.