November 13, 1869

Nebraska. 

I was working in the office this morning when there was a loud knock on the door. “Who is it?” I called, going to the door. 

“Jim!” 

I sighed and asked, “Come to make fun of me some more?”

“Well ya comin to the door or ain’t ya?” he asked and I opened the door and walked out, closing it behind me. “Afternoon, ma’am,” he tipped his hat. 

I glared at him and asked, “You insult my friend, my friend’s tribe, me.. and you come here and just say ‘Howdy ma’am’?”

“Well what ya want me to say? Snow’s comin soon?” 

“An apology would be nice,” I looked at him. 

He looked at me, up and down, and grinned. “Ya know, you don’t clean up bad. Miss you really think I need to apologize?” he asked and I folded my arms across my chest and leaned back against the wall quietly. “Well ma’am, if you truly feel offended, then I reckon I’m sorry ifn it was cause of something I said.” 

I smiled and relaxed then. “Thank you, Jim. How about a drink?” I asked, nodding to the saloon across the road. 

“T’weren’t my intent to get yer bloomers in a knot,” he insisted. “Ya, reckon I could use a little something to wash down the dust from the trip.” 

“Shall we?” I asked and we headed across the road. We sat down at the counter and ordered two whiskeys and started to drink them. 

“So how ya been miss? Apart from gettin all upset with me?” 

“Things are good now that I’m here. It’s good to have a fresh start here.”

“Ya know miss... you look different that when I saw ya last. Much as I hate to tell ya, you turned in to a right pretty looking filly. You sure you ain’t got no man?” 

I blushed and said, “There was none that could handle my busy lifestyle. I had a few back in Amiville but I was so dedicated to my work as detective and reporter that I just didn’t have time for them.”

“You keep hangin round them injuns, one of them gonna get eyes for ya.” 

“Most of ‘em are taken.”

“An, that wouldn’t look right anyway to white folks. White woman bedin a injun.” 

“You might have your hands full next time you try and go out there by the way. They do take care of their own...”

“They upset with me?” 

“You could say that.’

“You ain’t fancyin to warm one of them redskins furs are ya?” 

“They are my friends and you insulted them,” I glanced at him and drank my whiskey. 

“No more english than they know I doubt they even know what I said.” 

“You think everything’s about sex don’t you?”

“No... not everything. You drinkin’ that whiskey pretty fast.” 

“Your point?” I asked, setting the empty glass on the counter. 

“Reckon maybe it’s cause I ain’t had a woman since St Louie. That’s been nigh on to two years ago.” 

“That’s a long time, Jim,” I said and he looked at the wall. I saw the emotion in him for the first time and reached over to put a hand on his shoulder. “Jim, I’m sorry I was so harsh to you before. It just seemed like you’d changed a lot and I was a bit surprised by your demeanor.”

“It’s okay ma’am... just had a moment there.” 

“Please, Jim. We’re way past Sir and Ma’am. Call me Trin,” I said and removed my hand from his shoulder. I looked over at the saloon door when it swung open and greeted Sasha. “Haáaae, my friend.” Jim took my hand and I blinked, not quite sure what to do. 

“Hey Trin.” 

“Everything alright, Sasha? I think this is the first time I’ve seen you outside the village.”

“Don’t come around here much, so just looking around,” she nodded. 

“It is good to see you. This is Jim, a... friend from Amiville” I said as Jim had to go take care of some things back home and left quietly. 

“Care to come see my home? It’s just across the road,” I offered. 

“How have you been?” She asked. 

I felt lost in the emotions of the past day and looked at her blankly, unsure how to answer. “I um... That’s a good question.”

“You made it to the village all right yesterday?” 

“Making it there was no problem. It was getting back that had some... surprises.”

“Sasha can we go sit in my house?” I offered, not wanting to be in the saloon when Jim returned. I stood shakily from lack of sleep and when she started to follow we headed across the road to my house. We sat down on the couch and I looked over at her, not sure where to start. 

“I was on my way back from the village last night when I ran into Jim. I’ve known him since Amiville, though we’d only interacted a couple of times there,” I started, explaining the situation to her. “He was a lawyer there... and I’d talked to him about my situation and how I may need a good lawyer, but it never came down to that and I never saw the man again... until last night. He questioned where I was coming from and was surprised that I was hanging out with the Natives as they don’t usually trust palefaces. He started to talk badly about Chief Bear and the tribe and I lost it, Sasha.”

“I see how that can happen,” Sasha nodded. 

“Then a woman from the tribe came out to watch my back and made sure I was safe. He started hitting on her and everything. So then a man from the village came out and suggested we go back in, so I went there to speak with all of them about Jim... I felt so awful, Sasha. Jim was the last person I’d ever expected to see out there. It’s not even that we had a bad history but the way he acted last night when I saw him... Anyway... Chief Bear said that I should not be so quick to be angry with him, as I may need him some day. So when he came to my house today I waited for him to apologize, which he did, then offered him a drink in the saloon.” 

“Perhaps he had been drinking,” Sasha suggested. 

“He told me how he’d not been with a woman in a long time and then got very introspective... I reached over to put a hand on his shoulder and he reached for my hand when I started to take it down to my lap. That’s when you walked in.”

“I just saw you thought the window and thought I’d come say hello.” 

“I’m glad you did, Sasha. Really. What do I do now...? The tribe wants to scalp him for talking so badly towards me... They said they’d shoot him the next time they saw him.”

“Simply avoid him,” she smiled softly. 

“But Chief says that I should keep him as a contact in case I need him. Unless I want to defend myself in court some day, which I could do as I was an attorney in Colorado Springs.”

“That could just be attracting more problems,” Sasha shrugged. 

“He is hurting though, Sasha. I can see it in his eyes. I think he just needs a friend...”

“You have enough problems as it is,” she said and I sighed, knowing it was true. 

“If I started to befriend him and the tribe saw us together.. I’ll have to talk to Chief Bear about this interaction today. Maybe he’ll change his mind on me keeping connections with this man.”

“Perhaps. But then what gives him the right to dictate to you? You are still your own woman. You should simply do what is right for you.” 

“That’s true...” I nodded and leaned forward, “And you, Sasha? Any more firmly placed wedding plans?”

“Everything is set. All that is left is the waiting.”

“Glad to hear that.”

“The time is good for us to be sure... it’s right for us.” 

“I should get to work here.. I have some notes I need to get sorted,” I said and she headed back to the village as I went to my office.