JUNE 25, 1861

Lee had tied her horse in the woods at the front of the house and silently had crept to Jimmy’s window, hoping not to be seen. She was in luck because no one had seen her. She had wanted to arrive from the back way but Jedidiah and Jacy was back there, so she had just crossed her fingers hoping that they would stay back there until she had a chance to see Jimmy.

Lee climbed up the tree and scooted across a branch. Then she tapped on the window to get Jimmy’s attention. Seeing Lee outside his window, Jimmy hurriedly opened it and let her in. They talked, but Lee didn’t learn anything more than she had already known. Jimmy hadn’t found anything out from Jacy yet, but he was trying. Unfortunately, shortly after Lee had arrived, Jacy came looking for Jimmy, so she had to hide.

Jimmy motioned for Lee to get under the bed. Not seeing anywhere else for her to hide, she crawled underneath the bed. They left, and she had waited a good ten minutes to make sure that they wouldn’t return. She crawled out and went to listen at the door. She didn’t hear anybody. Although she wished that Jimmy would return, she knew that he probably wouldn’t. He was probably buying her some time, so that she could get out the window and to her horse without anybody seeing her.

Lee climbed down from the window. She landed on the ground and went to the front of the house. Sprinting she took off for the woods. She made it just in time, too, because when she turned around to look from behind a tree, Jimmy and Jacy came out onto the porch. She watched them for a few minutes, and then led her horse through the woods to come out farther down the road. She watched as she saw Cody heading towards the house. UH OH, she thought, maybe she’d better stick around just in case there’s trouble.

Cody rode towards the Starshine Heaven ranch. He was hoping Jacy would agree to attend the first church service in the new church with him. He knew they hadn’t been getting along well lately, but he had to try something.

As Cody rode into the yard, he spotted Jimmy and Jacy sitting on the porch. Riding closer he got angry, as he thought that he should be the one sitting with Jacy, not Jimmy. Then he saw Jacy lean in closer, and they kissed.

This stunned Cody for only a split second, and he jumped off Trixsy before she had even stopped. He ran up the steps.

"What are you doing? Lee isn't enough for you?" Grabbing the front of Jimmy's shirt, Cody pulled him to his feet.

"I'm not trying anything." Jimmy exclaimed.

Still hanging onto Jimmy’s shirt, Cody hollered, "I saw you kiss her." Jimmy tried stepping backwards to get out of Cody’s grip, but didn’t succeed. Furious Cody gave Jimmy a hard shove. Before Jimmy could defend himself, Cody threw a punch and it connected with Jimmy’s jaw that sent him sailing backwards across and over the porch railing.           

Startled by the sudden attack, Jimmy started to get to his feet, his anger rising. Not giving him a chance to stand, Cody jumped the rail and tackled Jimmy to the ground. Never one to let anybody beat him, Jimmy started fighting back. Getting his boot under his friend he pushed him backwards, and then he scrambled to his feet.

"I thought you were my friend." Cody said as he got up ready to attack Jimmy again.

"I thought I was, too.”

“You’re no friend of mine.” Cody shouted.

“STOP IT! STOP IT, BOTH OF YOU JUST STOP IT!” Jacy yelled at them.

Jedidiah had heard the commotion, and he had come running from the back yard where he had been with Jewel. He had seen Cody fly through the air and attack Jimmy. Now he stepped up in between them. “My sister wants you to stop. Cody, I think you should leave now.”

Lee waited not far from the ranch and when she heard the shouting, she doubled back and rode into the yard. As she had rode in, she had seen Cody and Jimmy fighting. Jumping off Black, Lee grabbed Cody. "Stop Cody. He doesn’t know who he is."

Cody stopped and looked at Lee, and then he shrugged Lee's hold off of him. Hurt and angry, he climbed back onto Trixsy and rode off.  

Lee didn’t say a word but mounted Black and rode back to the station. She knew that Cody should be alone right now, so she didn’t follow him.

While all this was taking place Jewel had followed Jedidiah, but she had hung back and watched from around the side of the house. No one had seen her. She didn’t know what the fighting was all about, but she felt sorry for the blond-haired boy. He was angry about something. She just didn’t know what.

“Jacy, what was that all about?” Jedidiah asked.

“Cody was mad because we were kissing.” She replied as her eyes glanced towards Jimmy. “I’m sorry he’s taking this hard, but I can’t do anything about it. Jimmy come on, lets go have our dessert.” Jimmy had been watching Lee ride off. He stopped, turned around and followed Jacy inside.

Jedidiah said goodbye to Jewel. He had been about ready to leave anyway before the fight had started. He left, and Jewel went to the barn and saddled a horse. She decided to go after Cody, and see if she could be of some help. She hated seeing anybody hurting, be it physically or mentally.

Jewel followed Cody to a river. She watched as he kicked stones into the water. She thought about turning around and going back home because she really didn't know this man. He might hurt her if he was angry enough. But something inside her told her that he wouldn't hurt her. She got down off her horse and walked over to him. That's when Cody noticed her.

"Why? Why Jacy? I thought you liked me. Why do you now like Jimmy instead of me? Well?"

"I'm sorry but--"

"You think saying your sorry is going to repair what we once had." Cody shook his head. He was hurting big time, and he hated feeling this way, the pain in his heart.

"No, you're mistaken. I'm not Jacy. I'm her sister, Jewel. I don't know what's going on between you and my sister, but I'm sorry because you're mad. I wish I could help you. I don't like to see anybody hurting." Jewel rapidly said before Cody could interrupt her again.

"You're not Jacy?"

"No, I'm her twin sister, Jewel. Jedidiah is our triplet. My brother and I were stolen at birth and raised out east. But I have amnesia due to those outlaws that escaped from the marshal."

It was hard for Cody to believe that the girl standing in front of him wasn't Jacy, but she did have another dress on, and Jacy couldn't have changed clothes so fast and got here so soon. So she had to be telling the truth. Besides why would she lie to him?

"Your Jacy's sister?" Cody knew it was true, but he wanted her to confirm it again. Jewel nodded her head. Unbelievable! Cody sat down and stared off into the water.

Jewel walked over and sat down beside him. "I'm sorry if my sister has hurt you."

"She used to be -- She loved me, or at least I thought she did." Cody barely whispered his thoughts. Not knowing what to say to that, Jewel sat quietly beside him, waiting for him to say something else. Cody smirked and shook his head. "It's funny. Our first date was here."

"Here?" Jewel looked around. It was kind of beautiful here.

"Yeah, I brought her here to go fishing because her little sister -- I mean your little sister, Melissa, told me that she liked to fish. But boy did she pull a fast one on me. Jacy hated fishing, and we got into an argument, and she rode off."

Jewel was perplexed. "Why would Melissa do that? She seems like a very nice person, the little that I know of her."

"Because she wanted Jacy and Jimmy to be together. Well, I guess she's got her wish now." Cody turned glum once again and starred off into the water.

Jewel didn't like seeing Cody so unhappy. He seemed to be a very nice man. Of course she didn't know much about him, except that he was a Pony Express rider. Jedidiah had told her that.

And he had the cutest smile that is when he smiled. That had been the first thing that she had noticed about him when Cody had visited the ranch several weeks ago. He hadn't seen her, but she had seen him from the upstairs hall window, and she had asked her brother who he was.

Tired of the silence, Jewel said the first thing she could think of, "You know I don't even know if I've ever fished before. I don't remember anything . . . before the accident."

"Not anything?"

"Nope, I didn't even know my name until Jedidiah told me. I wish I could remember. It's hard to not remember a thing. In fact I didn't even know that I could ride a horse or even saddle one until just a little while ago. I just did it. I haven't left the ranch. Jacy doesn't want me to, at least not yet."

"Well, I guess things you've learned, like saddling a horse, is still with you. You just don't remember things. Like Jimmy, even though he doesn't remember who he is, he still knows how to fight." Cody's face turned sour thinking about Jimmy and Jacy.

"I wonder if I can saddle a horse, can I fish, and I just don't know it." Jewel said to try and get Cody to think about something else besides Jimmy and her sister.

"Maybe."

"Could you show me how? And then maybe it will come back to me." She inquired. Seeing Cody's expression, she continued, "Of course if you don't want to that's alright. You probably don't even want me here because I remind you of my sister. I'll leave." Jewel stood up to go.

"No, wait. I shouldn't judge you because of Jacy. I'll show you how to fish, but I don't have my fishing pole now. How about another day?"

"Well," Jewel hesitated. She wasn't sure if she could get away from the ranch again. Maybe she could. "When?"

"How about tomorrow evening." He had a run in the morning, but he would be back by then. "Say around seven."

"That would be fine." She would have to sneak away, but she thought she could do it without any trouble. "I'll see you tomorrow then," Jewel stood up and walked over to her horse. She mounted and timidly waved goodbye to Cody.