OCTOBER 16, 1861

Zee had grown up riding horses, so she got to ride one of the Pony Express horses to school, but Blaine had never rode a horse before, so she would either have to ride with Zee or Jesse. Zee would feel a little jealous when Blaine rode with Jesse, so Zee always tried her best to be the first one to ask Blaine if she wanted to ride with her. Zee wasn't taken any chances of Jesse asking Blaine first today, so at lunchtime Zee had asked Blaine to ride with her when they left school. So now the children were on their way home from school. They chatted about the day's events, and they discussed the upcoming wedding.

 "It will be different without Buck living at the bunkhouse. I wish Teaspoon would see that I can be a good Pony Express rider." Jesse stated.

"He probably knows that you would make a great rider, Jesse, but he wants you to finish school first." Zee was glad that Jesse attended school instead of delivering the mail. The letters that she had received from him had her believing that he was a Pony Express rider. Of course she didn't remember him ever stating that exact fact, maybe it was just something that she had put in her head. She could have read the letters the wrong way.

Blaine slid down off the horse first and then Zee dismounted. "You can go on inside Blaine. I can put up Sassy." Zee led the horse into the stables followed by Jesse leading Express.

"Hi Blaine," Rachel said as she entered. Blaine signed hello. "Did you have a good day at school?" Blaine nodded. When Zee and Jesse came inside, Rachel said the same to them.

That evening after supper and after Zee and Blaine had finished their homework, Rachel, Zee, Blaine and Lou sat around sewing curtains for Caly and Buck's wedding presents. Because of her mail run, Lou had arrived back at the station after the fellas had already left to go and work on Buck's new home, so Rachel had asked her to stay and help them with the curtains.

Jesse was on guard duty outside on the porch. He was to whistle if Buck was coming, so that the girls could put away the materials. They didn't want the groom to be to see his wedding presents before the wedding.

"Uh Oh!" Zee said as she heard Jesse's whistle. The girls scurried about gathering up the curtains and hiding them.

As Buck stopped on the porch because Jesse was leaning against the door, Jesse said, "Hi Buck, aren't you suppose to be building your house?"

"The others are still working. I have a morning run. I thought I would tell Rachel that I'm back before going to the bunkhouse." Buck replied.

Rachel opened the door and heard Buck say bunkhouse. "You're going to the bunkhouse, Buck?"

"Yes ma'am. I have an early run, so I'm going to bed now."

"Alright, I'll see you in the morning." Rachel smiled at him as she stood in the doorway.

Buck thought something strange was going on, but he decided not to ask. His wedding to Caly would be here very soon. Most of his thoughts were on his wedding day. He said goodnight to Jesse and Rachel and then went to the bunkhouse.