Desiree walked into the livery stable with a beaming smile on her face. Samantha stopped brushing Visions when she saw her friend walk in. Samantha was getting Visions ready for Martha's ride.

As Desiree walked up to Samantha, Samantha asked, "What's got you in such a great mood?"

"I could ask you the same thing. I heard you whistling as I came in." Desiree stroked Visions neck as she stopped by her. "Well, I'll tell you why I'm in such a good mood if you tell me why you are." Desiree was hoping to encourage the information out of Samantha. She hadn't seen Samantha this happy except when she saw her with Tally. Tally's good for her, Desiree thought.

"Well maybe." Samantha wasn't sure if she should say anything about her Cupid note or not. The note had said not to tell anybody about it, but she really couldn't see where it would hurt telling Desiree. Desiree could keep a secret. She was no way like that Charity gal who would tell anybody anything and wouldn't even bat an eye if it wasn't true.

"Maybe? Well, if your not going to tell, then I won't tell either." Desiree was disappointed that her best friend wouldn't talk to her.

"Ok, lets swap. You go first." Samantha said. She had been wanting to tell somebody about her secret for two weeks now, and now she had the opportunity.

"I'm just happy because I've been doing so well in the square dancing classes, and we're going to graduate February the tenth. Melissa and Caller Bob has said I've been doing very well in class. That's why I'm happy. I feel as though I've accomplished something, and I've made some really good friends since I came here. I learned how to ride from Melissa. You're a great friend."

Samantha butted in, "And what about Walter?"

"He's a great friend, too."

Samantha grinned and Desiree blushed. To let her friend off the hook, she changed topics, "What about Jacy?"

"Well . . . hmmm . . . well, she was a close friend at one time, but since she left and came back . . . well--"

To let her friend off the hook again, she stepped in, "Yeah, I know what you mean."

"So why are you so happy? Did Tally pop the question?" Desiree asked.

"No! He didn't. But--" Samantha paused.

"What?" Desiree's patience was wearing thin.

"Look what I got several weeks ago. I found it attached to one of the stall gates." Samantha handed the note to Desiree.

Desiree read the note and then her eyes lit up. "It has to be from Tally, right?"

"I don't know." Samantha wished it was from him, but she just wasn't sure.

"But you hope it is, right?" Desiree was sure that Samantha really liked Tally.

"Yeah, but it could be from anybody." Samantha sounded disappointed.

To cheer her up Desiree said, "I think Tally did it. I'm sure he was the one. I can't think of anyone else who would. I haven't seen anyone else interested in you."

"And that's suppose to cheer me up?" Samantha asked.

"Well, what I meant was that the fellas aren't interested because they know that Tally is. Of course if Tally wasn't, I'm sure several of the other fellas would be." Desiree quickly tried to rescue herself from her prior statement.

"Oh really, who do you think would be." Samantha smirked as she put Desiree on the spot.

"Ummm . . . uhhh . . ." Desiree was trying to think of a fella that didn't like someone and might be interested in Samantha, but no name was popping into her head.

"That's ok . . . forget it." Samantha let her friend off the hook once again.

Desiree was relieved especially since Marta just walked in.

"Good evening ladies," she said as she joined them.

"Let me just saddle Visions, and she'll be ready to go." Samantha left Desiree and Marta alone while she went and grabbed the saddle.

"So how are you doing at the hotel?" Desiree asked to make polite conversation.

"It's busy at times, but I like working there. I just wish we had a cook and full-time hotel clerk. Most of the time I have to do the cooking and the waitressing, and sometimes I have to be the hotel clerk."

"Oh you are busy. So how do you have time to go riding?" Desiree inquired.

"I do get some time off. Ted is cooking and Walter is helping him and taking care of checking customers into the hotel." Marta replied.

"Ted cooks?" Samantha threw the saddle over Visions back.

"Yes, and he's a very good cook, too." Marta supplied.

"Maybe he learned from Jacy." Samantha suggested.

"He must have learned before she left then." Desiree smirked at her own joke. Samantha grinned. For both of the ladies knew that Jacy hadn't been cookin' much of anything lately.

"I don't know about that. I just know he's a good cook. He doesn't talk much, so I don't know much about him." Marta didn't know anything about Jacy except that she's the newspaper owner. She was glad that they were making fun of Jacy and not her friend Ted.

Even though Ted had taught Marta to ride, she still didn't know much about him. She had been surprised when he had volunteered to do some of the cooking, so that she could have some time off in the evenings. Marta smiled at the girls and then took the reins from Samantha. She led Visions out of the barn, mounted up and started out of town.

Marta didn't want to ride around town because she thought people would talk about her if she was just riding around in circles, but she wouldn't go too far from town because she wasn't that confident in riding yet. As she left town, she thought about what she had overheard Samantha and Desiree talking about before she had entered the barn. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but she hadn't wanted to interrupt them either. She had been curious about them. They seemed to be really good friends. She wished she had a best friend. Someone she could talk to like Desiree and Samantha had each other.

A lot of the people in town were into that square dancing, and there was a Valentine's dance coming up. She wished she could go, but she didn't know anything about square dancing. And even if she did, she wouldn't have a partner. She envied Grace because she knew several people were teaching her to square dance, so that she could go to the Valentine's dance.

Samantha didn't know how to square dance, and she wouldn't be going to the dance. Maybe she could spend time with her. The hotel wouldn't be serving supper that night. Walter had told her that they wouldn't need to because most everybody would be at the dance. Of course Walter couldn't go. He had to stay and run the hotel, but he had gave her the night off. She wondered what that Cupid note for Samantha was all about. Was it from Tally? I wish I had a fella who would leave me Cupid notes. That whole evening she rode around thinking about Desiree, Samantha, Tally, and Ted.