Buck walked with light steps up the porch to Emma and knocked on the door. Emma opened with smile on her face.

“She’s almost ready,” she said. “Why don’t you come in? I’m sure she can use your support right now.”

“You’re sure?” Buck asked, with a hint of hesitation.

Emma smiled but before she could answer a voice found its way down the stairs.

“Buck? Come on up!”

Emma just shrugged and stepped aside to let the young man passed. She hummed softly to herself as she walked into the kitchen.

It had been eight months since a soaked Rawnie had appeared on her porch and those eight months had certainly rendered a lot of changes. Good ones in her mind. Buck did seem to smile more often and, although he and Teaspoon had treaded lightly around their newfound kinship, it was obvious to the housekeeper that the knowledge had strengthened them both.

But the most dramatic change was Rawnie’s.

From being a bitter, grumpy and awfully thin young girl, she had blossomed into a healthy and happy young lady. And with several suitors as well, Emma mused, as she remembered Rawnie’s slow discovery of male attention at the dances in Sweetwater. It had taken her some time, and more often than not had hid behind her kinship with Buck.

Emma smiled to herself as she slowly took out the coffee cups for the reception later.

At first Emma had been cross with the girl because she believed Rawnie hinted that Buck was her half brother more as a way of getting rid of one young man or another. Unfortunately it had worked – almost a little to well. The young men had immediately backed off either because of fear of the knife attached to Buck’s boot or by the fact Rawnie claimed relationship with an Indian.

Emma was sad over the treatment Buck occasionally faced and didn’t like Rawnie using it, but soon she had realized that Rawnie often seemed rather proud over who her brother was. Slowly she stopped using the kinship to get rid of suitors, but rather as a quality mark to see if the young man met her standard. Buck had realized this too, and it had taken him some time to get use to this stubborn girl rather proudly expressing her family relation with him.

Well, everything had turned out for the best, she mused, as she couldn’t help herself humming a familiar tune.

---***----

Buck hesitated outside the door, but encouraged by the call, he gently knocked. The door was immediately opened and Rawnie took a step back and Buck’s jaw dropped open.

“What do you think?” she asked hesitantly.

Buck closed his mouth.

“You look stunning,” he admitted as he carefully looked her over.

There was no false flattery in the words; she did look beautiful. The dress was not new, Rawnie had insisted on not spending too much money and had already chided Teaspoon for going over board with the reception, so Emma had suggested altering an old Sunday dress of her own. It was in pale yellow with discreet patterns of flowers, matching the dark hair and grey eyes of Rawnie perfectly.

“You’re sure?” Rawnie asked hesitantly and twirled in front of the mirror. “You’re not saying that just because you’re my brother or anything?”

Buck shook his head. “You’re beautiful,” he assured her. “Pete will be speechless.”
Rawnie slumped down on the bed.

“What if he changed his mind?” she asked in a small voice. “What if he realizes what a mistake his making?”

Buck walked up to her and, taking her hands, pulled her to her feet. “He won’t,” he said promising. “And if he should…” He tried to look stern but failed miserably. At least he managed to get a lopsided grin from Rawnie.

“I know,” she snorted, “you and Ike promised to take care of him. What a comfort – neither of you could raise a hand towards him, you’re too soft-hearted!”

Buck sighed. She was right. He liked Pete too much. In fact, the young wrangler’s persistent courting of Rawnie had surprised them all, and most of all Rawnie. All her tricks to throw a suitor off had failed and she had been left perplexed of what to do. Buck still remembered his own surprise of being approached by the man without hesitation, asking his permission to court Rawnie. He smiled at the memory;

“You want to ask me what?” Buck asked baffled as he stared at Pete.

“Your permission to court your sister,” Pete replied with a wide grin. “I know I ain’t got much more than my name and the clothes on my body but…”

“No,” Buck interrupted, “why are you asking me?”

Pete’s grin grew wider. “I figured since she’s always referring to you, you must be an important person in her life. Didn’t think I’d be worse off by asking.”

By now Buck had a slight amused look in his face. It was obvious to him Rawnie had used her usual tactic to get rid of Pete, and he couldn’t help feeling happy this time she was failing.

“Pete won’t let you down,” he said calmly, returning to the present time. “You know that.”

”Then why am I so nervous?” Rawnie sighed and turned away. She started walking to and fro in the room, before turning to Buck again. “What if I’m doing the wrong thing? Blue Creek feels so far away.”

“It’s not,” Buck assured her and quickly gave her a hug to offer his support.

Pete hadn’t been as broke as he had let on, but the almost tumbledown farm outside Blue Creek was the only thing he’d been able to afford. “Me and Ike pass there often enough – you and Pete probably will grow tired of our visits.”

“Never,” Rawnie said and hugged him back. “I guess we should go now, right?”

“We should,” Buck replied and offered her his arm. “Are you ready, future Mrs. Lyle?”

“As ready as I ever be,” Rawnie replied and took his arm.

---***----

Emma wiped away a tear as the wagon with the newlyweds headed out from the station. Sam placed an arm around her and gave her a quick hug.

“They’ll be fine,” he said.

“I know,” Emma said. “That’s not why I am crying. It’s just so many mixed feelings when a family member takes off for a life of her own.”

“Family member, eh?”

“They are family, Sam. All of them.”