"Never mind," she laughed."I guess I just grew up."

He dug his shoe into the soft soil."You grew up really nice too. I knew you would."

She smiled warmly at him."So did you, Bo. I meant what I said before." She pulled him into a hug. "Thank you."

Unseen by Lindsay, the man beamed. He'd gotten the hug that had lurked in his childhood dreams. Life was good.

She released him, but this time there was no awkwardness when their eyes met.

"Are you sure I can't give you one of the horses so you can ride back to town?"He'd tried to convince her to come with him, but one look in her eyes told him it was a lost cause.

"Oh, I'm sure."She regarded him seriously."But how about your shirt?"

He was unbuttoning it before she finished making her request. Bo turned his back while she stripped out of hers and slipped into his.

"Done."

When she held hers out to him he just shook his head."It's a warm day. I have another in my bag," he lied.

"All right."She lowered her hand."Watch him, Bo," Lindsay said softly, her gaze drifting to Albert."You know you can't trust him."

Bo shrugged."I don't have to trust him. I'm gonna do just what you said. Load his stupid ass into the back of that wagon and drive to the next town. I'll dump the wagon and then after tomorrow you'll be gone. He won't follow you anymore. I think he only came this far because he was madder than a hornet's nest. By the looks of it, that snakebite will slow him down for quite a while. If he forgets his promise I'll let the sheriff know that he stole the wagon."

Lindsay nodded approvingly and tucked in the too-large shirt and rolled the sleeves up to the middle of her forearms. The cotton was a deep forest green and the sun-warmed cloth felt good against her skin. They shared crooked smiles and Lindsay winked at her old friend. After a moment's hesitation, they began to walk in opposite directions, just as they had in five years before.

Bo's feet ground to a halt and he sighed, unable to stop himself from turning and watching her go. He admired her steady gait and the way the wind tossed her dark hair. She exuded confidence in every step and if he listened hard enough he could almost hear what he thought was a whistle as she rambled back to town.

Their tracks would never cross again, but they'd never forget each other either. And sometimes that was as good as life got.

Ginny pushed open the door to the Gables' general store with one hand. She was holding Jane with her other, and Lewis and James came barreling in behind her.

Calvin smiled his greeting and began wrapping up a stack of purchases on his countertop.

The boys ran in the back of the store to examine a display case that held pocketknives.

Ginny smiled warmly as she watched them go. She turned when she heard Calvin's voice.

"Mrs. Lichtman, will you excuse me for just one moment?"

The woman nodded politely, though she was anxious to get back home with her purchases.

Calvin trotted over to Ginny and pressed a piece of paper in her hand, deciding not to comment on her queer choice of clothing, he was only thankful his Laura wasn't a slave to the oddities of what he assumed was big city fashion."This came for you this morning. I haven't had a chance to read it."

Ginny looked around for Lindsay but was distracted by the sound of her sister's voice.

"Daddy!" Jane exclaimed, an enormous smile creasing her chubby cheeks. She extended her arms to Calvin, who scooped her up without question."C'mon, Janie, I'll teach you to wrap things." His enthusiasm was infectious and Jane clapped her hands happily as they walked back to the counter. Over his shoulder he said to Ginny, "There's a bench outside; enjoy the beautiful morning and read your telegram. The kids and I will be fine."

Ginny worried her lower lip. She wanted to talk to Calvin before Laura did, but her cursory inspection of the telegram told her it was from Christian Spence and her curiosity quickly got the best of her. Setting aside her reservations, she waved at Jane, who waved back. Then she called out to the boys."Be good and mind Calvin. I'll be back in a minute."

Both boys rolled their eyes but dutifully responded, "Yes, Ginny," in drone-like voices that made it very clear they didn't believe she needed to remind them of that any longer.

Ginny pursed her lips and shook her head."You're lucky I love you both even though you're rotten."

Lewis and James laughed, but never took their eyes from the display case.

At the end of the bench stood a brightly painted cigar Indian, who stoically gazed at each passersby."Mmm... You don't look too happy," she mumbled to the wooden statue."I know just how you feel. Of course, it could be those." She wrinkled her face at the box of cigars clutched in the chief's hand.

Her gaze dropped to her own hand."Maybe this will be good news."I could use some good news. When they found Jane, Ginny had splurged and sent a short telegram back to Queens to let Christian know of her success and to thank him for all he'd done. She never expected a reply.

The sun was shining and the temperature had risen into the upper sixties, making Ginny glad the boys had talked her into allowing them to leave their coats. She sat down and people-watched for a moment, taking the rare opportunity to sit all alone-save for her Indian companion-and gather her thoughts in peace.

She let the wind ruffle her red hair and smiled a little as a couple walked by her arm in arm. an Marcos, she decided, was very nice place. Quiet but vibrant, it was far smaller than what she was used to. Which was a good thing. There were no congested tenements, no streets clogged with people, horses, dilapidated carts, and packs of homeless children who wandered aimlessly, stealing and barely scraping by as the twilight of their youth came years too early. The streets here were wide and clean and the sound of the wind and bugs and birds wasn't lost amidst the traffic noise.

Ginny sat there long enough to relax. By the time she opened the telegram, she was far more centered than when she'd left the Gables' house earlier that morning.

She was shocked by the telegram's length and was tempted to count the words, but breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the ever-present 'Reduced Rates' sticker that was used for charitable organizations and churches.

G&SB.

Success!

God was with you Letter to follow Remain in SM to receive?

Reported in Times Jeremiah and Isabelle Ward local entrepreneurs and child welfare advocates indicted for fraud Foundling Placement Society closed pending investigation Three cheers! (from C not Times) Ginny looked up from the telegram."I can't believe it," she whispered, every ounce of the awe she felt showing in her voice."He actually stopped them." She shook her head."You inspire me, Christian Spence. If God is with anyone, it's he is with you." She looked back at the paper.

A few more seconds of reading and a hopeful smile crept across her face and caused dimples to appear for the first time in days."Lindsay." She clutched the paper to her chest."Oh, Lindsay!"Ginny jumped to her feet, the desire to show her partner the telegram so strong she suddenly remembered she hadn't seen her inside the store.

She had the door halfway open when she spied a lone figure walking at the very end of the street. Ginny froze and for a few seconds just watched, grinning when she saw Lindsay fussing with her hair the way she always did when she forgot her hat.

She didn't even remember the dead run she made down the long dusty road. Didn't remember people's curious stares as she wove between the riders and wagons, or how she tucked the telegram into her pocket and pumped her arms harder, feeling the cool breeze against her face as she got closer and closer to her goal.

It wasn't until she threw herself into Lindsay's arms that she started thinking at all. And even then she couldn't do more than start to cry and hang on for dear life.

"Whoa!"Lindsay wrapped her arms around Ginny, determined not make a sound even when her ribs were squeezed tightly and strong arms wrapped around her back, pressing against her newly acquired cuts."Take it easy."Lindsay stroked Ginny's back."It's okay," she soothed, realizing that the morning must have been hell on her lover. Not that it was great for her either. Still, Ginny had it worse.

"You did it then?"

Ginny nodded and sniffed as the emotion she'd been holding in since she spoke with Laura came pouring out and threatened to swamp her. The telegram forgotten for the time being, she buried her face in Lindsay's neck, greedily soaking in the comfort that was so easily given and desperately needed at this very moment."I-I," she stuttered, then started over."Yes."

Lindsay closed her eyes in emphatic pain. "Aww, Ginny," she said softly. Damn. The redhead began to cry harder, and, glancing around, Lindsay decided that there was probably a better place to do this than the middle of the road, even if they were well past the last downtown building. "Here."She led Ginny to a grassy spot about twenty yards away and just this side of a grove of black cherry trees. It couldn't be seen from the road and was as private as they were likely to find.

Once they had both dropped onto the grass, Lindsay opened her arms and Ginny found her place again.

Ginny collected herself as best she could and plucked at Lindsay's shirt, a puzzled expression on her face."Are you going to tell me why you're in someone else's shirt. Her eyes lifted, then narrowed."And why your hair is damp?"

Lindsay traced Ginny's cheek with her knuckles, doing her best to gently remove the tears."I think my story will be a lot longer than yours. And it can wait."She gazed sympathetically at Ginny."Talk to me. Tell me what happened."

Ginny swallowed a few times, torn between wanting to forget and needing to get it off her chest."I spoke with Laura." Lindsay nodded encouragingly.

"And I told her why we really came here."She cringed, remembering the look on Laura's face and her biting, truthful words that unerringly struck home.

"She wasn't happy, I take it?"

"That's an understatement."Ginny rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand."She burst into tears before I could even explain. She felt betrayed and I hadn't even started."

Lindsay let out a low whistle. She liked Laura and part of her was selfishly glad she hadn't been there to witness that."Oh, boy." She closed her eyes for a moment, as if to fend off the mental images created by the younger woman's words.

Ginny licked her lips, feeling Lindsay's hand stroking her arm in silent comfort."And then..." She swallowed thickly and raised to eyes to met Lindsay's. She tried again, but the words wouldn't come. God, how can I be doing this when I can't even say it? "I-I." A deep breath."I..."

"And then you told her that you weren't going to try to take Jane," Lindsay finished, her own eyes filling."That you thought she'd be happiest with them."

Ginny nodded miserably as a fresh wave of tears splashed onto her cheeks."I did," she whispered, feeling as though the air was being squeezed from her chest.

"I-I-I've never...I've never heard someone cry so hard in pure relief as when I said I wasn't going to try to ta-take Jane. I thought the woman was going to fracture in two."

Lindsay had an overwhelming urge to hug Ginny until there were no more tears left to cry. But she had more to say first. She cupped Ginny's chin with her palm.

Ginny leaned into touch and closed her eyes.

"Was it the right thing to do, Ginny?"'Cause if you're not sure, I'll go snatch that child myself, if I have to.

Ginny was quiet for so long that Lindsay had begun to think her companion had made a horrible mistake. Her breathing quickened and her body stiffened as she prepared to stand.

"Lindsay." Ginny stopped her with a hand on her arm. A gentle tug of her sleeve. "Calm down."

Lindsay blinked."You're the one who's been crying her eyes out and you want me to calm down?" She lifted her eyebrows meaningfully to show that she was playing.

Ginny laughed through her tears and the simple sound made her feel a little better. Sometimes you say just the right thing. "I'm telling you that because even though I'm crying, you're the one who is getting ready to do something crazy, right?"

A bashful expression shot across Lindsay's face. Does she know me that well? She scowled."No."

Ginny reached out and affectionately smoothed the skin on Lindsay's forehead. "Uh huh. Sure you weren't."

The rail-rider couldn't resist any longer and she pulled Ginny into another embrace, sucking in a deep lungful of morning air and the scent of her partner's skin and hair. She murmured her approval as Ginny wholeheartedly returned the embrace.

Ginny sighed, feeling frayed nerves begin to calm. "I just wanted to take a few minutes before I answered, because I wanted to think. Again. I don't want to have to ask myself that question every day for the rest of my life."

"Though you probably will," Lindsay said knowingly, kissing Ginny's cheek and tasting salty skin.

The corner of Ginny's mouth quirked and she lifted one hand and ran her fingers through Lindsay's thick hair, enjoying its coarse texture."Though I probably will."She drew in a deep breath."The answer is yes. I've known that from almost the start." Her voice grew quiet."But it just...I dunno. It still hurts, Lindsay. She's still my sister and a big part of me feels like I'm letting her down."

Lindsay pulled back enough to place a tender kiss on Ginny's forehead. "I know it does. But you're wrong. You're not letting her down. You're being strong enough to let her go. There's a big difference. I know what it's like to be abandoned by your own flesh and blood." She took her hand and squeezed it."This isn't it, Ginny. I swear it's not."

Ginny idly watched as a cricket crawled across her leg and then jumped down into the grass and disappeared. "A promise to the dead..." Her jaw worked for a few seconds as she thought of Alice, "can't be more important than what I owe the living. I love both my sisters. But Alice is gone now, and Jane and what's best for her had to come first."It's what Alice would have wanted anyway. There's just no way she could have imagined all of this. She looked at Lindsay with a painfully open expression."Right?"Her voice cracked a little and sent a shooting pain through Lindsay's soul.

"Right," Lindsay breathed. What else was there to say? Lindsay believed that Ginny was right, that the Gables would be loving and good parents and that Jane would have the kind of childhood she deserved with them. They were already a family, really. And it hurt Ginny to see, and then later to admit, that. She also believed that Ginny would be a wonderful mother to the toddler herself, but would be strained to the limit providing for the boys and herself.

Ginny finally broke the silence."It was an impossible choice...that had to be made. I do believe it was the right one." She gave Lindsay a wishing look."You just might have to remind mesa loti-I don't think I could have made it without you."

Lindsay let her heart show a little when she said, "You don't ever have to be without me, Ginny."She smiled and cupped Ginny's cheeks, stroking the puffy, wet skin below her friend's eyes with her thumbs."You are the bravest person I've ever met."

"Funny," Ginny sighed, falling in love all over again."I was just thinking the same thing about you."

Suddenly, Ginny remembered the telegram in her pocket. She pulled it out and showed Lindsay."You know how our lives are mostly out of control and changing every single day?"

"Err..." Lindsay gave her a questioning look behind dark lashes. "Yeah?"

"Guess what."

Six weeks later...

The sun had set and it was that magical time when stars began popping out of the purple sky. Ripe spring blossoms were everywhere, their sweet scent filling the air, and the lively strains of a fiddle and guitar floated on the breeze. The two women were sitting at the top of the same grassy hill that Lindsay had fled to the night of their argument. In the distance they could see a solitary train track and the winding river cutting a path through the terrain. And something new. Something that hadn't been there before.

Ginny clutched the doll in her hand."Do you think they're cold?"She turned to face her partner and await her answer.

Lindsay laughed, an affectionate smile transforming her into a thing of pure beauty.

Unconsciously, Ginny smiled back, feeling the vibration sing through her as her heartstrings were plucked one at a time.

"Do they look cold?"

Ginny stuck out her tongue."That's not what I asked."

"Are you cold then?"Without waiting for a reply, Lindsay wrapped a long arm around Ginny's shoulders.

An impish grin curled Ginny's lips."I am if that's what it gets me."

Lindsay chuckled, her eyes trained on the scene before her.

Several bonfires had been lit and cast a happy glow on a wooden foundation for what would be a large home. The frames for the walls lay on the ground next to the floor, waiting to be raised the next day. Tonight, however, this wasn't a house, it was a dance floor for the citizens of San Marcos, who had turned out to help in the building, and for a visiting Christian Spence. They stomped and swayed as the music dictated, the lively party around them raging on.

Calvin had Jane on his shoulders and Laura was feeding them both a bit of something from a long spread of food set out on saw horses covered by boards that formed makeshift tables.

Lewis and James stood around one of the fires, trading tales with several boys their ages, and Ginny imagined she could hear their excited voices as they continued to make friends. Time was what they needed to begin to heal and to start over. But it was old-fashioned luck that had changed their lives.

They had been ready to move out of the Gables' home, fearing that, once the young couple found out why they'd originally come to San Marcos, it would be too awkward to remain. Though the Gables were stung that Ginny and Lindsay hadn't felt comfortable enough to be honest up front, they did understand why and they offered them a place to stay for as long as they needed it.

Despite the lie Lindsay had told Albert, she and Ginny had never planned on leaving San Marcos. While Ginny decided that the Gables should raise her sister, she wasn't ready to lose her completely. They would simply have to find jobs and then a place to live nearby.

That's where fate, and a very rich dead person, intervened.

Christian's telegram and then letter had explained that the Society for the Betterment of Children had just been bequeathed the amazing sum of $9,000.00.The windfall was unexpected and a godsend. The Society for the Betterment of Children had been struggling with overcrowding for some time now, and he decided that San Marcos, Texas, might be just the spot. Not only was it a place where Catholic boys and girls wouldn't be shunned, but he already had a fairly good idea of who he could hire to get things off the ground and maybe even stay on a while.

Ginny shook her head as she remembered the conversation she and Lindsay had with Christian just last week.

"All right, String Bean, Ginny." He rubbed his hands together anxiously. He'd always wanted to see the West. He desperately wanted to open another orphanage. His face bore the smile of a man realizing his dreams. "You know why I'm here. Would you like to work for me?"

Ginny and Lindsay looked at each other and finally shrugged. Then they looked back at Christian.