JANUARY 4, 1860

Blythe bowed her head against the cold January wind. It was the middle of the afternoon, and business at the post office was pretty slow, so Mr. Cromwell had asked her to deliver a package to the sheriff�s office, as Teaspoon was busy and couldn't get to the store to pick it up. It was bitter cold that day, and the wind was stronger than normal, so Blythe was concentrating more on keeping her hat from blowing away and not dropping the package than where she was going. Suddenly, she bumped into someone. Looking up, she saw a young man, probably in his early twenties. She recognized him from the times he had come in to pick up his mail.

"Oh, I'm sorry Edward!" she apologized.

"No Miss Winslow, it was my fault," Edward bent down to pick up the package she had dropped. "Where were you heading? It's too cold a day to be out unless you have to."

"Mr. Cromwell asked me to deliver this package to Teaspoon," Blythe attempted to take the package from Edward.

"Well, I was just on my way past his office," Edward smiled. "Why don't I accompany you that far?"

Blythe blushed. She wasn't used to getting attention from such good looking men . . . well, besides Kid, but she didn't really know where that was going.

"That would be nice, Edward." They began to walk toward Teaspoon's office.

"Miss Winslow . . ." Edward began, but Blythe interrupted him.

"You've asked me to call you Edward," she said, "so I insist that you call me Blythe . . . no more of this Miss Winslow stuff."

"Well then, Blythe," Edward smiled. "I was just going to remark on how lovely you look today."

"Why, thank you Edward," Blythe found herself blushing yet again, just as they reached Teaspoon's office. "And thank you for walking with me."

"It was my pleasure," Edward tipped his hat and handed her the package.

"Thank you for allowing me to walk with you. I'll be seeing you soon Blythe."

Edward's a nice man, Blythe thought as she walked back toward the store after leaving the package with Teaspoon. He was such a gentleman, not trying to flirt or anything, but being friendly.