Melissa had tried all week to make it out to the waystation, but because of one thing or another she hadn’t made it. It was Saturday, and Melissa had done all her chores, homework and helped Jacy with the paper. Now she had some time to spend alone, so she hurried to the livery stable and saddled Braids.

She left Braids tied up in the woods and sneaked over behind the barn where she found the buggy that Jimmy had taken her to the dance in. No one has probably used it since that night. She pulled back the blanket and there it was. She started to pick it up when she heard voices coming her way. She quickly tucked it back under the blanket, but being in a hurry unbeknown to Melissa she didn’t tuck the bear under the blanket enough.

"Jesse where are you going?" Jimmy asked as he followed behind him to the barn.

"I’m going for a buggy ride. Teaspoon said it was ok if I got all my chores done." Jesse hollered back over his shoulder. Jimmy followed Jesse into the barn. Jesse put a halter around Express. He wasn’t being used on any of the mail runs today. He led him out of the barn and was going around the corner.

Melissa was creeping along side of the barn. She couldn’t hear the voices any more and she wanted to make sure there wasn’t anybody around that might see her. She was about to peer around the corner of the barn when suddenly there was a horse and Jesse right in front of her, and Jesse stepped right into her, not expecting anyone to be right around the corner. Jesse stepped right on her left foot. Melissa let out a shriek of pain and collapsed to the ground holding her foot. Upon stepping on Melissa’s foot, Jesse quickly pulled his foot back and stood there surprised at what had just happened.

 Jimmy was just leading Sundancer out of the barn when he heard a bellow. He dropped the reins and came around to see what the commotion was.

"What happened?" Jimmy asked as he saw Melissa sitting on the ground.

"That oafe ran right into me!" Melissa exclaimed then moaned.

"I didn’t mean to. What are you doing here?" Jesse asked.

"Don’t change the subject. You ran into me. You should be more careful." Melissa’s face turned red with anger.

"I didn’t do it on purpose. I wasn’t expecting anybody to be coming around the corner, especially not you." Jesse explained.

"Excuses! Excuses! The least you could do is apologize." Melissa said with a hurt face.

Looking at Jimmy, Jesse was hoping for Jimmy to back him up.

"Yeah, Jesse you should at least apologize to the young lady." Jimmy said.

Puzzled that he would take her side instead of his, Jesse finally gave in, "I’m sorry."

"Alright you’re forgiven." Melissa slowly stood up, but as she was getting up she almost fell and Jimmy caught her. Boy Melissa thought if she was a little older that he would be the perfect guy for her. But she chastised herself. She was out to land him for Jacy not for herself and besides she likes Michael, even though it seems that Michael likes Jemima.

Now what would Melissa do? How could she get the bear without them knowing? "Can you stand? Jimmy broke into her thoughts. Melissa tentatively put her foot down on the ground. "You should have a doctor look at it. Shall I take you to town? I was heading to town anyway." Jimmy offered.

"NO!" Melissa didn’t want to leave. She had to get the bear for her plan. She knew she had answered too sharply, so immediately in a softer nicer tone she said, "No thanks, Jimmy. I’ll be fine." Before anyone could say anything else she limped off the way she had come to find Braids.

"Where are you going?" Jesse asked as Melissa limped away.

"I left my horse over that way." She motioned with her hand in the general direction of her horse.

"I can drop you off in town if you like?" Jesse offered.

She shook her head and answered, "No thanks. I can manage."

"Girls, who can figure them?" Jesse rhetorically asked as he led Express to the front of the buggy. Shaking his head and grinning Jimmy returned to his horse. But as Jesse was passing by the buggy he saw something under the blanket. He stopped and threw back the blanket to reveal the bear. He picked it up and noticed the letters on a piece of paper pinned to the bear’s bow.

Before Jimmy got back to his horse he heard Jesse calling his name. He turned back around and went to see what the boy wanted. "What you need Jesse?"

"Looky here!" He held out the bear to his mentor. "It looks like Melissa left you a little present."

"How do you know it was her, and how do you know it’s for me?" Jimmy inquired.

"Well, it has the initials J.H. on it, and Melissa was just right here." Jesse passes the bear to Jimmy, and then goes back to hitching Express to the buggy. Jesse’s eager to get over to Rose’s to see if she will go for a ride with him.

Without a word Jimmy takes the bear and mounts Sundancer. It’s about time for him to have that talk with Melissa. He stuffed the bear into his saddlebag and rode to town. He thought and thought all the way there on how to let Melissa know that they could only be friends.

Melissa waited in the woods and watched as Jesse pulled out. Unawares that the bear was no longer in the buggy, Melissa followed Jesse but kept a good distance behind. Hopefully where Jesse was going he would leave the buggy alone for a few minutes, so that she could get the bear.

Jimmy dismounted and as he was about to climb the steps to the PEG, Jacy came out the door. "Well, hello! Jacy pleasantly said. She felt that she had been a little harsh with him the night he brought her home from the dance. Jimmy joined Jacy with the bear in his hand. Before he could begin the conversation she did. "Oh Jimmy, what a pleasant surprise. It’s so nice of you." She smiled at him for he had brought her a present to apologize. She knew it was for her because it had her initials on it.

Confused Jimmy started to say, "I’m sorry . . ."

"Apology accepted." Jacy took the bear out of his arms. "This is sweet. But you know you shouldn’t be giving your girl’s sister a present, she might get jealous. But don’t worry I’ll let her know that it was just an apology gift." She started to examine the bear more closely and saw the gold locket. She was getting ready to say something like she couldn’t accept the gold locket, it wouldn’t be right, when someone decided to stick their nose in her business.

"What is this?" Beauregard asked as he came upon Jimmy and Jacy from the boardwalk. He had just come out of the hotel, and he saw Jacy take a bear from a young dark haired man’s arms. He didn’t want Jacy to have a suitor. It might ruin his plans.

"It’s a bear. Haven’t you ever seen one before?" Jacy giggled and Jimmy grinned.

"No, I mean why is he giving you a present. Is it your birthday?"
Beauregard was fishing for information.

"No, he’s giving it to me because he wants to." Jacy replied. She didn’t welcome Beauregard sticking his nose into her business.

Beauregard pulled Jacy aside, "I don’t like men giving you gifts."

"What? Who are you to tell me who I can and can’t accept gifts from!" Jacy was getting angry and didn’t like that Beauregard had a hold of her arm.

Beauregard grabbed the bear out of Jacy’s hands and shoved it back into Jimmy’s hands. "You stay away from my gal."

"You’re girl? Mister, it don’t look that way to me. In fact I think she would rather you stayed away from her." This man was riling Jimmy because the way he had manhandled Jacy.

CJ stepped out of the saloon and saw Jacy, Jimmy and another man standing on the boardwalk. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he just saw the man shove a bear into Jimmy’s hands, and Jacy looked mad about something. He didn’t like two gentlemen around his gal, so he walked over and put his arm around Jacy. "What’s going on here?" He said as gentle as he could.

"Why does everybody want to jump in to our business. If Jimmy likes me and wants to give me a present then that’s our business and no one else’s." Jacy grabbed the bear back out of Jimmy’s hands "Thank you, Jimmy. I love the present." She hurriedly kissed him on the cheek and then held the bear close to her bosom. "So there!" She directed her venom at Beauregard and walked off down the boardwalk.

CJ wasn’t sure what to say, but he had thought Jimmy was Melissa’s beau. He would have to find out about that. "Well, may the best man win gentleman." CJ knew somehow someway that he was going to be that best man. He walked off contemplating his next move. Beauregard gave Jimmy a menacing look and then walked off too.

Angry Jimmy swung up on Sundancer and rode off. Gosh how and the world did he get himself into this mess. Now besides Melissa thinking that he’s her boyfriend, now Jacy thinks I like her and that the bear was from him. He just seemed to be getting in deeper and deeper with both the Hagan sisters.

Later that afternoon Melissa came into the PEG. "What happened to you?" Concerned Jacy watched as Melissa limped inside.

"Oh nothing." Melissa shrugged off her sister’s question and continued on her way to their bedroom. She wanted to relax and look more closely at her foot. She had watched Jesse and Rose all afternoon, and not once did they go very far away from the buggy, so she couldn’t get her bear. It had been a horrible day for her and she still didn’t know how she was going to get her bear. She sat down on their bed and then her eyes went wide for there sitting on the vanity table was her bear. She couldn’t believe it.

Jacy entered the room and saw Melissa staring at the bear. "Isn’t he cute?"

"Where did you get him?" Melissa whispered. She was afraid of the answering coming.

"Jimmy gave him to me." Jacy went over and picked up the bear. "Don’t worry Melissa he just gave him to me to apologize for our argument the night of the dance. I’m sure he still likes you."

"Jimmy gave that to you?" Melissa asked.

"Yes." She held the bear out to Melissa.

"That’s great!" A big grin appeared on Melissa’s face.

"It is." Jacy was puzzled.

"Yes, I’m glad he gave you that bear. He must like you, and that’s great." Melissa said.

"But I thought you liked Jimmy?" Jacy was more puzzled than ever.

"No, I like him as a friend but nothing more. I think you and him would make a great couple." Melissa took off her boot and looked at her swelled foot.