SEPTEMEBER 29, 1861

Jennie was waiting outside the hotel in anticipation of her brother’s arrival. She kept pacing back and forth so much that Walter just had to say something. “Jennie, you’re going to wear out the boards if you keep doing that.”

“I’m sorry. I just wish my brother would come on. I hate not being busy doing something, but I know sure as shootin’ that if I start anything that he will show up.” She knew that Walter was just kidding with her, but she felt a little guilty pacing in front of the hotel, so she stepped down into the road and began to pace. She hadn’t gone but four steps when she saw her brother driving the buggy into town. As he stopped the wagon in front of her, she noticed the young girl with him. She was mystified. She didn’t know who the girl was.

Ike signed ‘Hello’. That was one of very few words that Jennie knew. Buck and Ike had been teaching her sign, but she hadn’t learned very many words yet. Ike took out a piece of paper and wrote Jennie a note.

It said that the little girl was Blaine. She couldn’t speak, but she could hear, and Buck and Ike were teaching her sign language. It also said that Blaine was learning very fast because she loves to communicate with everybody. After reading the note, Jennie asked Ike how to sign Blaine. Ike showed her, and Jennie signed, ‘Hi Blaine’. I’m Jennie.’ As Jennie signed it. She also spoke it. Blaine nodded and signed ‘Hi Jennie’.

Ike took the picnic basket and put it in the back seat of the buggy. Jennie climbed aboard. She didn’t mind sitting in the back seat. Although she kept having to leaned forward to watch Ike and Blaine sign, but most of the time she didn’t know what they were saying. Ike stopped Shyster and wrote a note and handed it to Jennie. Jennie smiled after reading it. Ike and Blaine had been signing about how pretty the land was. Jennie had to agree with them. It was beautiful country here around this Nebraska territory. She nodded to Ike to let him know that she agreed.

They arrived at Cricket Creek, and Ike helped Blaine and his sister down from the buggy. Blaine was wearing a new sky blue dress that Rachel had made for her. At first she didn’t want to sit down for fear that she might get her new dress dirty, but after some coaxing from Jennie and Ike, she finally sat down on the blanket.

After lunch, Blaine and Ike started signing, and Jennie felt left out. She was beginning to get a little jealous because she had to share her brother with another. She had just found Ike not too long ago, and she hated sharing him with anyone. ‘Uhhh, she silently voiced in her head. She would have to stop being jealous. This little girl needed Ike just as much as she did. They both got along very well. She chastised herself for envying their relationship. Besides she and her brother had a very good strong relationship that she didn’t need to be afraid of losing her brother’s attention. As she brought her attention back to her company, she realized that they were staring at her. They probably thought she had been ignoring them, so she smiled and told a little white lie. “I was daydreaming.” Blaine signed to Ike, and he signed back. “I wish I knew more sign.”

Ike wrote on a piece of paper and handed it to Jennie. She read, ‘Blaine thinks you were daydreaming about Kid because I told her that you kind of like him.’ She dropped the note to her lap, and Ike smiled. Although Jennie did like Kid, she also liked Brandon. Ike obviously didn’t know about the picnic that she had a few weeks ago with Brandon, Marta and Aaron. She would have to introduce Ike to Brandon. She hoped they would get along.

The rest of the picnic went along very well, even though Ike had to sometimes write down what him and Blaine were signing. Jennie didn’t get the jealous bug again, and she silently praised herself for getting over it quickly. She would have to learn more sign language quickly, too, so that she could understand Ike and Blaine more. Learning more sign would be an immediate task that she would endeavor, and running a close second would be to get Ike and Brandon together.

Ike dropped Jennie off at the hotel and wrote her a note. It told her that he would be back to see her in a couple of days because he had a fairly long mail run to make next time. Jennie wished Ike had another job. One that would keep him here near town. She worried about him riding all around the plains. She feared that an Indian or a bad man might kill him or that he would have an accident. She always was relieved when he showed up back in town after being on a mail run, and every time he left, she would say a silent prayer for him to return back to her safely.

As Ike started the buggy, he wished that Jennie didn’t have to live at the hotel. He knew lots of unsavory men passed through town and stayed at the hotel. He worried about his sister. He wished they could have a home of their own, but Ike didn’t have enough money saved for that yet. If Jimmy’s friend wasn’t at the station then Jennie could stay there with Rachel, but as of right now all the bedrooms were taken, with Jimmy’s friend, Blaine and LeAnn occupying the only three guest rooms there.

Blaine turned around in the buggy and waved goodbye to Jennie. Jennie waved back to her. Blaine was a sweet girl, Jennie thought. How any man could even think of hurting such a sweet young thing was beyond Jennie’s comprehension. She looked over at the jailhouse. Those horrible abusing men were inside that jail right now. Jennie thought about walking over there and telling those men what she thought of them, but in the end she figured it wouldn’t do any good, so she headed to her room, wondering what she would do about getting Ike and Brandon to meet each other. She would have to have them both for supper because she wanted the two special men in her life to be very good friends.