Melissa was in the general store looking around. Her birthday was coming up and she wondered what Jacy would give her. Turning around she saw Michael enter the store.

One day on their school break Melissa had told Jesse about Jimmy being Jacy�s beau, and without realizing until it was too late Melissa had noticed that Michael was near by and had probably heard her.

Not wanting Michael to think that she didn�t have a beau, she decided to let him think that she liked Javier.

"Javier, do you ever get time off from working at the store?" She asked.

"Yes, my pa gives me Sunday off and now and then different days through the work." He replied.

"Would you like to go fishing tomorrow?" She innocently inquires.

"I guess so. I don�t have any plans." Javier didn�t see any harm as two friends going fishing.

"Great! How about two o�clock?" Melissa asked.

"Sound good to me." Javier answered.

"See ya tomorrow." Melissa waved to Javier and headed for the door. As she passed Michael she said hello.

Michael left soon after. As he rode Bear home he was deeply jealous that Melissa had a date with Javier.

Jesse entered the store and looked around a bit. Javier and Jesse struck up a conversation. "I saw you at the dance with Lilly. Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah, I sure did. Did you? I saw you dancing with Rose." Javier smiled. He was happy that Jesse and Rose had finally got together.

"I had a great time due to Melissa." Jesse smiled at the thought of his good friend.

"What do you mean?" Curious Javier asked.

"Melissa arranged it so that I would be dancing with Rose." Jesse couldn�t get that night out of his head.

"She was in earlier and so was Michael. It seems Melissa will be having a birthday soon." Javier came out from behind the counter.

"Did him and Melissa talk?" Jesse really wished that they would get together.

"No, well, she said hi to him as she left. And Michael left soon afterward. I didn�t even get the chance to ask him why he had come in." Javier leaned back against the counter.

"Hmmm . . . so what did you and Melissa talk about." Jesse wondered what was going on with Michael.

"Well, her birthday and fishing tomorrow." He replied.

"Fishing?"

"Yeah, we�re going fishing tomorrow."

"You and Melissa?"

"Yep!" Javier noticed the scowl on his face. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"No . . . it�s just . . . well, I was wondering . . . was Michael in here when you were discussing fishing plans?"

"Yep! Why?"

"Well . . . Melissa likes Michael, but Michael asked Jemima to the dance. I just found out he did that because he thought I had asked Melissa to the dance. But I think Melissa still likes Michael, and Michael likes Melissa, but she asked you to go fishing because she thinks Michael likes Jemima. I just don�t know how to get them together."

"You know I don�t like it that Melissa asked me to go fishing with her just to make Michael jealous. I know a way we can get them together." Javier had a naughty glint in his eyes as he told Jesse the plan and Jesse loved it.

The next day Melissa went over to the store a little bit before two o�clock. She was eager to go fishing, hopefully it would help keep her mind off of Michael. She looked around the store until Javier told her it was time to go.

Javier and Melissa arrived at the fishing hole. They baited their lines, sat down on some blankets cause the ground was cold, and after making small talk Javier asked Melissa if she had a boyfriend. Now unbeknownst to Melissa, Jesse and Michael were coming to the same fishing hole, and upon hearing Javier and Melissa, Jesse grabbed Michael�s arm and pulled him down behind some bushes. Michael tried to ask him why but Jesse shushed him.

"No I don�t have a boyfriend." Melissa replied.

"What happened to you and Jimmy?" Javier asked.

"He wasn�t ever my boyfriend. We�re just friends. I think he likes my sister." She replied.

"Really?" Javier smiled because he knew Jesse and Michael were listening to them. Melissa nodded her head. "What about the boys at school?"

"What about them?"

"Don�t you like any of them? How about Jesse?"

"He�s nice. He�s a good friend except when he steps on my foot." Melissa smiled to show that there were no hard feelings for him doing that.

"Well, I know you wouldn�t like Michael. We�re running out of boys."

Puzzled Melissa asks, "Why did you say that?"

"Because there�s not that many boys in Dreamville."

"No, why did you say I wouldn�t like Michael?"

"Well, because . . . because he�s not your type."

"My type, I don�t understand. What do you mean?"

"Well, Michael is one of those rich kids and you�re probably just not his type."

"What do you mean? Are you saying I�m poor, and that�s why Michael wouldn�t like me." Melissa had never thought of that as a reason for Michael not showing any interest in her.

Michael didn�t like the way Javier was talking about him and was going to say so, but Jesse firmly pushed him back down and shushed him again before he could protest.

"Well not exactly, but what does it matter to you anyway. You don�t like that stuck up little brat do you?"

"He�s not stuck up. He�s very nice."

"Better watch it, people might really think you like the kid."

"Well, so what if I do? You shouldn�t say such mean things about people. You don�t know him. He�s very nice even if he does like Jemima and not me." Melissa hadn�t meant to say that out loud but it had just slipped out. Melissa�s temper was boiling higher as Javier kept smiling.

At this time Michael came walking into view followed by Jesse who had a big grin on his face. "So you do like Michael?" Jesse asked for verification.

Melissa realized that it was all a set up. "How could you? How could you do this to me? And I thought you were my friend." Melissa threw the accusation at Jesse. Angry beyond reproach, she stormed off on Braids, not event taking the time to grab her fishing pole.

"See Michael she does like you." Jesse said as he smiled at his friend.

"You did this for me?" Michael asked angrily.

"Yep!" Javier replied as he stood up. "Now you know she really likes you."

"How could you do this to her. It was a cruel insensitive thing to do. You hurt her." Michael didn�t like it one bit what Javier and Jesse had done.

"Some thank you. We do you a favor, and you jump down our throats." Javier said.

"Well, don�t do me any more favors." Michael yelled at him, "Or you either," referring to Jesse. Right now he would love to knock some sense into both of them. But Melissa was his first concern. She had stormed off, and he was afraid something might happen to her and also he feared that Melissa thought he had been in on the whole plan. He took off for his horse and went after Melissa.

********************

Caly came out of the house looking for Michael. She headed to the barn looking for him. Not finding him there. As she was coming out of the barn she saw Michael come riding up. Caly smiled as she watched him ride into the yard, thinking he is going to break a few hearts someday.

Pulling to a stop and dismounting he said, "Hey sis, were you looking for me?"

Smiling Caly said, "Yes, I was. I wanted you to go into town and invite Catherine over for supper tonight. I wanted to get to know her better. By the way, where were you?"

Michael smiled and said, "I was out fishing with Jesse when we came upon Javier and Melissa. They were talking, and then Javier said something that made her mad and she rode off upset. I rode off looking for her, but she wasn�t at home, an I don�t know where else to look. So I decided to come looking for you. Caly, can I ask you a question?"

Caly took a step closer and said, "You know you can ask me anything. What is it?"

Michael looked down and said, "How do you know when someone likes you?"

Caly smiled and said, "Well, I don't really know for sure, but they might act different around you. They might even talk about you to other people. With each person it�s different. Why did you hear something?"

Michael blushed a little at the thought of telling his sister what he had heard, but he knew that she would know what he was going through, so he said, "Well, I did hear Melissa say that she likes me, but she thinks I like Jemima. Don't get me wrong I like Jemima but only as a friend. I like Melissa like you like Buck."

Caly smiled and said, "Then just be yourself around her. She will let you know for sure about liking you or not."

Michael smiled and mounted up a said, "So does this mean you are going to be spending less time with the express riders, mainly Buck?"

Shaking her head she said, "No it doesn't. I will still spend time with them, but it doesn't mean I will stop spending time with you. Michael smiled and turned Bear towards town and rode off.

Michael rides up to the hotel, dismounts, and ties Bear to the post. As he enters he sees Catherine working at the front desk, checking in a customer. Michael waited while she tended to the customer. After handing the customer the key to his room Catherine looked up and saw Michael standing there.

Catherine smiled as she came around the counter and said, "Hello may I help you?"

Michael smiled, "Hello Miss Paige. Caly asked me to invite you to supper tonight."

Catherine motioned for him to sit on the bench in the lobby, and said, "Please call me Catherine. Aren't you Caly�s brother, Michael?"

Michael nodded "Yes ma�am Caly�s my sister. May I tell my sister to expect you for super tonight?"

Catherine smiled at the boy�s honesty and said, "I thought you two were related. You look like her, but I wish I could, but I have planes tonight with my friend Bird. Maybe another night we can get together."

Michael blushed as his hand brushed her leg and said, "Thank you ma�am. Caly will be disappointed, but she will understand that you have plans tonight."

Catherine smiled at his shyness and said, "Please tell her I will call on her in a few days. I hope you'll come back and visit with me again."

Michael nodded, "I would like that. I like to visit my friends. I hope you will consider me your friend."

Catherine smiled and said, "I already consider you my friend. It�s settled then. I better get back to work. I'll see you in a few days then."

Michael nodded and extended his hand to her and said, "Okay. You have a good day, Catherine."

Taking his hand and shaking it, Catherine said, "You too, Michael."