by Karen

Author's Note: Thanks to Sameena for all her help with this story. You're the best!

Disclaimer: The characters of The Young Riders were created for television by Ed Spielman. The series aired on ABC TELEVISION from 1989 - 1992. This story is a sequel to my stories "Acceptance" and "Morning Sun" which took place six years after the Pony Express was disbanded.

Prologue

A year had past since the birth of their child. Buck and Teresa Cross had decided to celebrate by having a nice meal in town after talking with the priest about her baptism. This was something that was very important to Teresa, so Buck had finally agreed.
Even though they had been married a little over two years, Teresa still hadn't found the time to fill Buck in on a part of her past. This oversight was about to come back to haunt her . . . .

Chapter One

Teresa McCloud Cross stepped out of the sheriff's office. "I'm sure you're mistaken. Why would he come back here?"
Her brother, Jeremiah, joined her on the sidewalk. "I don't know, but I'm sure it was him. Seeing him still makes my skin crawl. You need to be careful."
"Careful about what?" Louise asked as she joined her siblings. "Here, Jeremiah, I brung your lunch."
Careful about Nathan Jones," replied Jeremiah taking the basket of food from his older sister. "Thanks."
"Is he back in town?" asked Louise with a worried look.
Jeremiah just nodded as he took a bite of the fried chicken Louise had packed for him. After chewing for a few seconds, he mumbled, "I just saw him and his boy ride into town."
"I don't think it will be a problem," Teresa said calmly. "That all happened over five years ago. I'd forgotten all about it until Jeremiah here brought it up. Besides, if he's got a son he must have calmed down some. So, I'm going to go back to the hotel diner to meet my husband and daughter for our big night out."
As she stepped off the sidewalk to cross the street she added, "Jeremiah, you really should go back inside to eat."
Louise looked at her younger brother, "She's right."
"I'm not so sure," Jeremiah said. "He was pretty upset last time I saw him."
"I don't mean about that," said Louise. "I mean you should go inside to eat. I can't believe that letting you go to Abilene to spend two months with their new marshal, Jimmy Hickok, can give you such bad manners."
"Aw, Louise," said Jeremiah taking his basket and going inside the office where he worked as Mole Hill's newest deputy. He sat at his desk in the far corner of the office.
"I still think Teresa needs to be careful. I don't trust Nathan Jones as far as I can throw him. I don't care if he has a boy or not," he said to Louise as she followed him inside.
"Maybe Teresa' right," sighed Louise. "I sure hope so. Things are going so well for her, Buck and Mary Morning Sun. It would be a shame if Nathan started causing trouble for them."
"I don't think he's changed much, Louise," said Jeremiah. "When Marshal Hickok asked him to leave Abilene he wasn't real happy. If it had been anybody else asking, I don't think he'd of gone without a fight."
"You know something you're not telling me," said Louise.
Jeremiah nodded. "The night before Marshal Hickok had Nathan leave town, I ran into him at the saloon. He recognized me before I did him. He came over and started talking. He asked about Teresa. I told him she was married right at two years now, and that she had a daughter. He got angry -- real angry -- but managed to calm himself down. After a few seconds he asked who she married. I told him that he didn't know the man. It was someone who had come into town after he left. I explained that he was a real decent fellow. Nathan kept pushing so I finally told him Buck's name."
"That all you told him?" asked Louise.
"I didn't mention Buck being Indian, if that's what you mean. Not at first I didn't. I swear," Jeremiah said looking panicked.
"Jimmy did," said Lou matter-of-factly.
Jeremiah nodded. "Marshal Hickok and me was eating. He asked if it was the same Buck Cross he'd rode with in the Pony Express. I told him I thought so since they both knew you and Kid. Then to clarify things Marshal Hickok asked me was my Buck Cross part Kiowa. I had to tell him yes. That's when Nathan grabbed the saloon girl and dragged her upstairs.
"He almost killed her; he beat her so bad."
"Is that why Jimmy had him leave? Beatin' a saloon girl?" asked Louise as she gathered Jeremiah's lunch things to take home.
"That, and just basically being a nuisance," said Jeremiah.
Louise sighed. "I guess you're right. We'll need to be careful, and we'll need to tell Buck everything that happened before." She closed the lunch basket and headed towards the door.
"Can't it wait until morning?" asked Jeremiah jumping up and following her.
"Why?" asked Louise pausing in the doorway.
"Well," began Jeremiah. "This is a special day for them. Mary Morning Sun's turning one, they just set the date to have her baptized, they've decided to make it a special day - just the three of them. I'd hate to be the one to ruin it.
"Besides, shouldn't Teresa be the one to get to decide how much or even if to tell Buck. I mean, it was her that Nathan went after. And," he paused, "Nothing really happened because you showed up. Don't you think you should talk to Teresa alone first?"
"I guess you're right," replied Louise. "I'm going home to talk to Kid. Maybe he'll have an idea. You be careful."

"I will," said Jeremiah as he turned to go back to his desk. "I think I'll stay here until the sheriff gets back in tonight. I want to let him know to keep an eye on Nathan. Even if he doesn't try and cause trouble for Buck or Teresa, I'd bet my last dollar that he's for sure going to cause trouble over at the saloon sooner or later."

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