Ryan stood glaring in the general direction the man rode off to and shook the loose water from her drenched shirt sleeve.  She figured by how much her right hand hurt, she had hit him pretty damn hard.  She glanced down at her hand and noticed three little bloody cuts on her knuckles and shook her head at how purple it was already getting.  "Great," she said sarcastically.  *I'm gonna have ta explain this one,* she told herself.  She picked up her package in her left arm and began to walk back to the James home.  Christopher and his mother both had insisted the girls move in there, and not stay in the hotel. 

    She stepped through the doorway and dropped her package on the closest counter top.  "I need somethin to clean my hand with," she grinned at Christopher's mother.  "My goodness child!  What have you done!" she yelled, taking Ryan's hand into hers.  "Ooww," Ryan cried.  "Ladies don't act like this Ms. Anna," she scolded her, grabbed her collar and drug her into the kitchen.  Her hand was now swollen beyond anything Ryan had ever seen, and colored purple, yellow and blue.  "He pushed me into the water!  I couldn't help it....  He was so rude....  I don't know why I did it.  I was just so, well..." her words faded off.  Ryan didn't know what to say to the woman.  She knew what she did was wrong but she just couldn't help herself.  Mrs. James smiled at the girl.  "I guess I should be a bit more understanding.  You've been through so much child."  Mrs. James grinned and began to clean the blood from Ryan's knuckles. 

    "Aagh!" Ryan jerked her hand away.  "I'm sorry girl.  But, you did bring this onto yourself dear."  Ryan bit her lip as Mrs. James tried to be careful.  "You have to had broken something in here," she said quietly.  A few tears began to roll down Ryan's cheek at the amazing amount of pain.  "Mrs. James poured alcohol on the cuts to clean them out and Ryan all but jumped from her seat.  "Hold still girl!" she scolded her.  Ryan sighed and faced her reality that she had most likely broken her hand and needed to go see the Doctor.

    "Since Christopher and Amy are still gone, I'm going to go fetch someone to make sure you make it to Doc. Bogard's without getting yourself into trouble again," she smiled and darted out the front door.  A few moments later, she returned with a handsome blonde man.  "William?  Will you be so kind as to take this young lady, my daughter in law's cousin, to Doc. Bogard's?  I fear she has broken her hand."  "Sure Mrs. James.  I ain't due back in Sweetwater for a few hours anyway," he grinned widely at the older woman, then looked at Ryan with a funny grin.  Ryan heard the word Sweetwater and quickly became very interested in this tall blonde stranger with piercing blue eyes.  Cody took Ryan's good hand and began to lead her out the door.  "Well Ms. Anna.  Whad ya hit?" he grinned.  "I don't know what that woman told you but it's Ryan, not Anna.  And if you must know, a face!" she said shortly, her face covered in pain.  Cody's smile fell from his face as fast as his eyebrows raised.  "Oh," he said quietly. 

    Cody waited for a moment, then couldn't handle the silence any longer.  "The name's William F. Cody.  Cody's what everyone calls me.  I ride for the Pony Express outa Sweetwater.  Mrs. James is friends with our station master and he sends me out here once and a while to help with chores," he grinned  *This one likes to talk,* Ryan noted.  "Why Ryan?  Anna's so much prettier.  Ryan's a man's name," he smiled again.  Ryan sighed.  "My Pa wanted a boy.  Ryan is my middle name.  It's easier to go as a boy doin what I'm doin," she said matter of factly.  Cody waited for her to go on.  She didn't offer any more information.  She smiled realizing the man she punched was an Express rider as well and wondered if the two men knew each other.  Cody opened the door for her and they walked into the Doctor's Office. 

    Not to her surprise, the Doc told her she had broken a small bone in her hand.  He wrapped it up well and gave her some medication for the pain.  "No doing anything with that hand for five weeks.  You hear me girl?" he smiled.  "Five weeks!" she wined, raising her voice.  "I didn't stutter.  Yes.  Five weeks," he smiled, hands on hips.  "Of all the...," she mumbled off, very upset.  *How am I gonna ride, kill those men!* she thought.  She can shoot with her left just as well as with her right but now she's only got one gun instead of two.  "Stop punching people, act like a lady and you won't have to worry about this," the doctor scolded her.  Ryan sighed loud.  "No one understands," she said as she stood and walked out the Office, Cody following behind.  She stopped outside a restaurant and turned to look at Cody.  "I'm hungary.  I'm going inside.  You can come if you want."  

Ryan found herself a seat in the restaurant and ordered herself a sandwich and a sarsaparilla just as Cody walked up to the table and grinned down at her.  "I'd love to join ya Ma'am.  I promised Mrs. James I'd get you home safe."  Cody threw her one of his 'ladies man' grins and sat across from her.  Ryan shook her head and smiled.  *What a charmer,* she thought to herself.  He ordered his food and situated himself in his chair.  "So, what is it that you're runnin to, or from?" he asked right out.  Ryan shot a glance straight up at his pushiness.  "Well, no point beatin around the bush," she said, as she straightened herself up.  She shot a quick glance at her surroundings, looking for ears that she may recognize.  None.  "My family was slaughtered and I know where the men are that did it.  The Law did nothin about it so, here I am.  I can take care of it myself," she offered, and mad at herself for blurting out her intentions.  She shook her head and kicked herself for it.  She came to the conclusion that it was the pain that made her do it. 

    Cody sat back and looked at her.  "Not like that you ain't," he stated, pointing to her hand.  "I still got my left," she snapped.  "How ya gonna do anything else?" he asked as he leaned in towards the table.  "How ya gonna fight if the guns don't do the job?" he continued, concern spread across his face.  Ryan shot a wicked glare at him and took a bite of her sandwich.  "Ain't your problem is it," she shot out between bites.  He studied the beautiful woman for a moment.  Her gorgeous green eyes carried so much pain that it made Cody sad.  *Ain't nothin anyone should have to go through, especially a woman like her,* he thought to himself as he shook his head.  "What's Mrs. James think of all this?" he asked.  "She ain't gonna find out," she answered looking at him, eyebrows raised waiting for him to agree.  He nodded his head, understanding her request. 

    They finished their meal and Cody walked Ryan back to the house.  "Well Ms. Ryan, it was good meetin ya but I gotta get back to Sweetwater.  I told ya I'd get you home safe," he grinned like he had accomplished some great task.  If yer ever around, come say hi.  I'll take ya out for a meal you'd never forget," he grinned wide.  Ryan laughed out loud.  "OK, Mr. Cody," she answered him, shaking her head at the man trying to charm her.  She could tell that it was just his nature to be like that to every woman.  He was a doll, and a harmless one at that.  Cody waved and sprung up onto his horse with ease.  He shot her one last charmer grin and rode off out of town.  Ryan smiled at the encounter she had just had with the Express rider.  She definitely would be running into him sooner than later.  Hopefully, he wouldn't spoil her plans.

Ryan sighed and turned to face what was waiting for her beyond the doors.  She saw the buckboard and knew she had some explaining to do to Christopher and Amy.  Ryan reluctantly opened the door and before she could get all the way into the house, words began to fly her way.  She paid no attention to who was speaking and what was being said and just smiled up at everyone.  Ryan's eyes met her cousin's and they shared an understanding grin.  Mrs. James must have explained everything.  "So whats his face look like?" Amy grinned.  Ryan dropped her head and laughed.  "Didn't see, but it didn't seem to faze the jerk," she smiled. 

    Amy watched Ryan's glazed eyes flutter and knew the girl had quite a day.  "Come on," Amy grinned and took Ryan's good hand.  She led her cousin up the stairs to her bedroom.  "You need to rest," Amy grinned, unbuckled Ryan's gunbelt and hung it next to the bed.  Ryan stood and smiled unable to speak as the drugs began to kick in.  She took Ryan's hat from her head and pointed to the bed.  "You rest cousin."  Ryan didn't argue at all.  She laid down as Amy tugged her boots from her feet and covered her with a blanket.  At that, it was lights out for Ryan.

    Ryan had the best sleep she had in years.  She woke feeling great, besides the pounding and the constant feeling like her hand was being slammed in a door over and over.  She dressed slowly and walked down into the living room.  The house was a constant blur of people flying one way and the other.  Most were people she had never seen before.  It finally donned on her that her cousin's wedding was in three days.  "Mornin dear.  I take it Mr. Cody took good care of you," Mrs. James grinned.  Ryan could see on her face that the woman knew exactly what Cody was all about.  "Yes Ma'am, he took good care of me," Ryan smiled, leaning against the door jam.  "He's definitely a charmer," Ryan laughed.  "That he is.  I tell you, he is popular with the ladies.  You know, he does ride for the Pony Express.  He has a stable job, and a steady income.  I think he's sweet on ya," the woman grinned harmlessly at Ryan.  "I think he's sweet on any woman he has the honor of escortin around," she smiled and stood straight. 

    A sweetheart was the furthest thing from Ryan's mind at this time of her life.  Changing the subject fast, Ryan asked, "Where's my cousin?"  Mrs. James gave in and changed with her.  "It's after noon darlin.  She's with the dressmaker gettin it altered.  You know that," she smiled.  Ryan stood a bit taken back.  *After noon!* she thought.  "Oh," she grinned.  Ryan reached up and took her hat from the hook Amy had hung it on and went for the door.  "Where do you think you are going young lady?"  Ryan turned to face the woman who had just scolded her.  She opened her mouth to shoot back at her but quickly changed her mind.  She sighed and spoke.  "I gotta tend to my horse."  "That's what the stable boy is for!" Mrs. James retorted.  "Not my horse," Ryan mumbled and walked out the front door.  She had to get away from everyone, everything.  "I'm sorry," Ryan said quietly closing the door behind her. 

    Ryan's spirits lifted when she saw her beautiful chocolate mare.  "Stubborn brat," Ryan chuckled at how the horse neighed and kicked the dust up.  "So Blue.  How they been treatin ya?" she asked as she reached out and pet the horse's nose.  "Wanna go out?" Ryan laughed.  "Just don't buck me."  The horse was a bit wild still, like her rider.  She had only been broken in only a few weeks before the family was all murdered.  Blue was getting better but she wouldn't let anyone but Ryan ride her, not even Amy.  Ryan named her horse after her favorite color, blue.

    Ryan saw the stable boy and almost asked him to help her saddle Blue but thought it best she did it herself.  She needed to learn one handed if she planned on traveling on her own.  After a while, she managed to get the thing on the horse's back.  Buckling the straps was a whole different question.  It took forever but she finally managed to get them secured.  Having only one functional hand really wasn't fun for Ryan.  The girl flung herself onto her horse and rode out of the barn off into the wooded area behind town.  She needed to practice maneuvering her guns with one hand.

    When she was far enough to shoot without being bothered, she dismounted and found a tree.  She drew on her target and shot.  She drew and shot, drew and shot, load after load of bullets until she was exhausted.  The acwardness had passed and her precision was perfected.  Satisfied, she walked Blue to a nearby boulder.  Ryan climbed up and laid down, staring up at the sky as the warm sun caressing her face.  She grinned, taking in a breath of the sweet air.  She closed her eyes and emptied her mind.  Finally, the warm sun she had been basking in lowered itself behind the Mountains off in the distance.  It occurred to her as dusk fell that she should get back to St. Jo before her new family sent out the search party for her.  As she rode back, she smiled realizing she was going to catch hell when she returned but the day alone was a God send.