JULY 21, 1861

Jedidiah tethered his horse to a bush and walked over to where Melissa was fishing. Smoke looked up and wagged his tail. He was lying right beside her.

Smoke's a very good guard dog. Too bad he hadn't been at the house the day of Jewel and Jimmy's fiasco wedding. He might have prevented Jake from kidnapping Jacy, but Melissa had left Smoke at his ranch in order to guard the place while she was gone. Oh well, that was water under the bridge now. Thank goodness Jake was dead now. Now he could never hurt Melissa or Jacy again.

"Catching anything?" He inquired as he saw her turn around and look up at him.

"Nope, not yet. Whatcha doing out here?"

"I need to talk to you." He sat down on the other side of Melissa.

"Oh!" Melissa thought it must be something serious because he had never came to her fishing spot before.

"I'm going away, and I need you to go and stay with Jacy and Jewel just until I get back." He hoped she wouldn't be too upset.

"Where are you going, and when will you be back." She didn't want her brother to go away.

"I'm going to Wyoming. Samantha's brother is in trouble there, and I need to help them. I don't know when I'll be back, but hopefully soon. At least before school starts again. I hope. Will you be ok?" He worried that she might get so distraught that she wouldn't finish getting caught up with her schoolwork. "Do you think you can check on my place and horses while I'm gone? Aaron and Brandon will still be working at the ranch and looking after the place for me, but I'd feel better if I had you keeping an eye on things for me, too."

"I can do that. I'll be ok. I'll look after things while you're gone." She smiled at him. She appreciated that he considered her reliable enough to look after things while he was gone. "Can't I stay at your ranch? I can look after things better."

"No, it's better if you stay with Jacy and Jewel, so that they won't worry about you, and so I won't worry about you while I'm gone. I don't want you to be alone, especially with the new hired hands. I don't know much about them yet." Jedidiah hoped that he wouldn't have to argue with her.

"Alright, when are you leaving?"

"Today, I'm going to tell Jacy and Jewel, and then I'm going to have supper in town. Then I'm going to head out."

Wondering how he was traveling, she voiced her question, "Are you going by train?"

"No, I'm going to try and follow Samantha's trail. I don't want to miss her by going ahead on the train. Something might happen to her on the trail, and then I'd have to backtrack to find her. I know she's got a big head start on me, but I still think this is the best way. Besides Ernest and John are going back to Wyoming by train, and they are going to keep their eyes peeled for her."

"I'll go pack some of my things and go over and stay with Jacy and Jewel." Melissa stood up, and Jedidiah followed right behind her. He helped her mount Braids. "Goodbye, hurry back home, ok?"

Her brother nodded, "I'll get back as soon as I can." He watched until he couldn't see her or Smoke anymore, and then he headed for Starshine Haven.

Jedidiah rode up to the house, dismounted and went up on the porch. He sat down on the swing near Jacy. "What's the matter? You don't seem very happy." Jacy had given him a quick smile and then she had returned to her sewing. Melissa had been out playing and had ripped her shirt on some branches, so Jacy was mending it for her. Jacy shook her head while continuing to work. "Come on, you can tell me. Maybe I can help." Jacy again shook her head. "Alright." Jedidiah wasn't at all happy that Jacy wouldn't confide in him. "Well, I came over to tell you that I'm leaving town for a while."

Astonished Jacy stopped sewing. She looked at Jedidiah. She finally choked out, "Why?"

"Samantha left town to go and get her brother. He's in some kind of trouble, and I want to go and help her. I hate leaving at this time, but she might need my help. I hope you can understand." He waited patiently for her reply.

She nodded her head. "I understand. Please be careful."

"I'm going to Wyoming. I'll send you a telegram once I'm there that way if you need anything you'll be able to get in touch with me. I've spoke with Melissa about it, and she's going to move back here until I get back. Is that alright with you?"

"Of course. I don't want her staying at your ranch alone." Jacy sat down Melissa's shirt and gave Jedidiah her full attention. "Melissa is always welcome here. She's my little sister, and I love her."

"I know." Jedidiah smiled at her.

"What about your ranch? Do you need me to check on it for you? Melissa and I can look after it for you."

"I've hired two fellas to work at the ranch. I just have a couple of horses there for them to look after. One of them is working night shift at the saloon, and the other one is working at the train station for me. I'd be much obliged if you'd look in on them for me. I've also hired the Pinkerton agency to do a background check on them. In a few days a letter should come in. If you read anything in the letter that you don't like about them, then you can fire them. Before I leave I'll inform Jennifer at the post office to let you get all my mail. Ok?" Jacy nodded. "I've also instructed the fellas to come over here to help you with anything. Like chopping wood and taking care of the stock while I'm away because I know you have your hands full with Cody, and Jewel has her hands full with the newspaper. Also I’ve told Mr. Simmons that if you need any money that you, just you Jacy, could withdraw any amount you’d like."

She started to protest but then thought better of it. She wouldn’t use it, but it probably would make Jedidiah feel better knowing that if they needed money that they could get it from his account. "Thank you." Jacy said.

"Now are you sure you don't want to tell me what's bothering you? I'll do my best to help you with whatever it is." Jedidiah realized that she wasn't going to say anything, so he stood up. Trying one more time, he asked, "Is it because Ernest and John are leaving?"

"Leaving?" Jacy was getting a lot of surprises today.

"Whoops, I thought they might have told you already. Well, since I've already let the cat out of the bag, they are going to be leaving soon. I've given them free passage on the train back to Wyoming. I thought it was the least I could do for them taking care of you all those months." Jedidiah paused and then continued, "I hate leaving you, but Teaspoon and Caller Bob said they would look after you, and they will also keep an eye on the two fellas I hired, too."

Jacy had been thinking about telling her brother about Jewel and her odd behavior, but then she changed her mind. He didn't need more worries to weight heavily on his mind while he traveled. "You take care of yourself and don't worry about us. There's nothing wrong with me. I'm just a little tired." A little white lie was all right, as long as it was for a good cause.

Jedidiah wasn't sure he believed her, but he nodded. "Melissa should be here soon. She's packing up some of her stuff to bring. She can help you with supper. So wait until she gets here, so she can help you. You don't need to do it all by yourself." Jacy nodded. "Where's Jewel I need to say goodbye to her, too."

Tempted again to say something about Jewel, she immediately shrugged the thoughts away. "She's in town, probably at the newspaper office." Jedidiah nodded. "Take care," Jacy stood up, and they hugged.

"You too," Jedidiah replied as he gave her a big squeeze. "I'll get back as soon as I can." He left the porch and mounted Joker.

"Be careful." Jacy leaned up against the porch column and watched her brother leave. She was sad by his departure.

"I will," he responded and then rode away.

In town Jedidiah stopped by the post office first and gave Jennifer strict instructions to let only Jacy or Melissa get his mail while he was away. Then he went over to the newspaper office to inform Jewel that he would be leaving later today.

Jewel was more upset than Jacy and Melissa had been. She begged him not to go because he was the only person she could rely on here. Everybody else hated her. Jedidiah tried to assure her that it wasn't true. That Jacy loved her and had somewhat forgiven her.

"You won't be alone, Jewel. Jacy and Melissa are here for you." He couldn't make her believe it, but she had finally calmed down enough to really accept the fact that he was leaving. They had supper together at the Silver Spoon, and before they departed, Jedidiah gave her an envelope.

“What’s this?” She studied the envelope and then looked up at Jedidiah.

“It’s a wedding present for Grace and Charlie. I know they’re engaged. When it’s official about their wedding, would you please see that they get it? It’s from you, me, Jacy and Melissa. It’s free passage aboard the train, wherever they want to go.” Jewel was about to protest, thinking that Jacy should be the one to give it to them instead of her, but she had always had a hard time saying no to her twin, so she nodded. Jedidiah saw Jewel to her horse and watched as she took off for home. Then Jedidiah left Dreamville to find Samantha.