Most of the gossip centered around the fact that while the issue of Cheyenne murdering someone wasn’t being disputed it was the why that was in question. Molly wished she could have been in the trial to hear first hand Cheyenne’s account of why she’d taken a life. She didn’t want to believe that it had been done without reason and desperately wanted to know what that reason was. She felt tied to Cheyenne somehow as though she were a kindred spirit.

In spite of all that was going on, Molly went about her day, holding school even though it seemed her students were as distracted as she was. She ended her day by going home with her papers to be graded. She couldn’t concentrate. Dune, the cat from the window had decided to remain and Molly was grateful for the company. Dune was named because he looked like the sand dunes that were near the ocean and his eyes were just as blue. He wasn’t helping her concentration any by rubbing up against her leg. Molly bent down and picked him up and he rewarded her by purring.

“Oh you ridiculous thing. I can’t possibly hold you all the time,” she good naturally scolded him. She hopped that a good nights sleep would help and resolved to simply go to be early. A restful night’s sleep would be just thing.

The next morning she woke up with a start. She had been dreaming and the dream was unlike any she’d ever had. She struggled to make sense of it but couldn’t. She got out of bed and went to her desk and journal. She wrote as much of the dream down as she could remember. The more she wrote it out, the more disturbed by it she became. She wanted desperately to talk to someone about it. The only person that came to mind as a confidant was Lily.

She made up her mind that at lunch recess she’d walk to the saloon and talk to Lily. But when she got there she was told that Lily had left for the day with Mr. Sanchez to a town near by called Stillwater. She was due back later that evening. Molly arrived to the saloon once again after supper. The dream along with everything else stewed around inside her making it impossible to think clearly. It was everything she could do to be coherent in class. Lily was behind the bar with a woman Molly had never seen before. Wondering if this was a good idea, Molly timidly approached the bar.

The saloon was rather busy and she was grateful for it. Not many people paid attention to her as she walked across the room toward the bar being too busy in conversation or card games. The woman that was with Molly turned toward her as she approached. She looked like someone out of a painting Molly had once seen in a book of people from the Far East. She had long black hair that was pulled away in a low pony tail. She was shorter than Molly and Lily but she looked strong. She was dressed in a man’s pants and shirt but had an exotic beauty.

Lily noticed who her attention was focused on and a smile broke out. She hadn’t seen Molly in a while. The young woman had become at times like a younger sister and at times like a daughter to her. After the news she’d heard that day she was grateful for her presents. In spite of her youth and naivete she had a way of seeing things in the proper perspective and made Lily smile. That she needed now. She stepped from behind the bar and walked toward her with arms outstretched. Molly returned her smile and embraced her with a kiss on each cheek.

“I’ve missed you,” Lily said to her.

“I haven’t been far,” Molly said. “I’ve heard you had a day of traveling though. I hope that all is well.” Lily wanted to tell her what she’d found out that day but decided against it. Not just yet, she told herself. Besides, it was clear from the look on her face that something was troubling her young friend.

“Lily, may I talk to you?” Molly asked her.

“Of course, Cherie,” she said.

“Could we go somewhere private?” she asked her.

“Yes, let’s go up to my room,” she said. She turned toward the bar and the woman still behind it. “Bo Jun, could you keep an eye on things down here for a few moments.” The woman nodded. “Oh I’m so sorry, how rude of me. Molly Gallagher, this is Bo Jun Caine,” Lily said introducing the two.

“How do you do?” Molly asked in greeting. The woman’s eyes dropped in shyness.

“I am well,” she said to her. The woman’s voice was soft and heavily accented.

“We’ll be just upstairs,” Lily said to her. She led Molly to the stair way and the two women made their way upstairs and into Lily’s room. Lily sat on the side of the bed and motioned for Molly to sit next to her. “Now, what is it that you need to talk about?”

“It’s, well, it’s personal,” Molly stammered. Lily had her attention. Molly took in a breath. “I had a dream last night. I haven’t had one like it before and I’m not quite sure what it means. I was lying in my bed. My window was open letting in the breeze and the moonlight. In the shadow at my door I could see someone standing there. It was a man. I knew I should be scared or at the very least furious but I wasn’t. The man walked toward my bed and sat on the edge of it. He kissed me, I didn’t pull away. Then he…started to unbutton the front of my nightgown. I didn’t stop him.” Molly had begun to blush furiously and Lily struggled to hide her amusement at the girl’s embarrassment.

“Did the dream end there?” she asked her. Molly bit her lip and shook her head. Lily didn’t need her to continue, she knew how the dream ended.

“I woke up and I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t upset or afraid,” Molly rushed out. Lily put a hand on top of Molly’s. The pieces were starting to fall into place a bit now.

“Molly, have you ever been with a man?” she asked her gently, already knowing the answer. Embarrassed, Molly stood and walked to the other side of the room.

“Of course not, Lily, I’m not married,” she stammered. Lily stood and walked toward the girl. She had some explaining to do to this girl about the ways of men and women. She put her hands on her shoulders to make her turn and face her.

“How much do you know?” she asked her gently.

“Before she died, my mother explained things to me about. . . what happens,” she stammered. Lily smiled at her. Clearly whatever the girl’s mother told her wasn’t at all an adequate enough of an explanation. She knew that she shouldn’t interfere but the girl didn’t have a mother to talk to about these things now and she had come to her for advise. She decided to continue.

“To be with a man like that can be. . .” she struggled for the right word that wouldn’t startle the poor girl more than she was. “. . . nice, it can be comforting. There’s nothing wrong with dreaming the way you did last night. When people get close like you and JD have, you develop feelings like that for them. It doesn’t mean you need to act on it, not until you’re ready,” she stressed. “The man you share your body with like that should be someone you love and trust.” She watched confused as Molly stepped away from her again.

“It wasn’t JD I dreamt about,” she said softly. She turned to Lily’s confused look. She answered her unspoken question. “It was Vin Tanner.” Lily wasn’t sure how to reply. Her and JD seemed so close. She didn’t understand where Vin Tanner fit in to the picture. Unless it had something to do with what happened at the jail several weeks before.

“Do you feel that way about Vin?” Lily asked her.

“I’m not certain,” Molly answered her. “I mean he’s a good man but I don’t know him.”

“Oh cherie, don’t fret so much over it. It was only a dream. Just understand that it wasn’t wrong or bad in anyway, alright?” Molly nodded her understanding.

“You should go back downstairs although I would like to hear of your trip today,” Molly said to her. Lily got a far off look for just a moment but shook it off.

“It was perfectly boring I assure you. Just legal matters from Terrance’s death,” she said opening the door. The two women walked back down the stairs. It seemed as though the saloon got even more busy. In a corner table Chris sat with the rest of the men. Vin was among them and caught site of the pair walking down the stairs. Molly stopped and Lily took note of the blush that crept up her face. She also caught the look on Vin’s. It was there for only a moment but it was unmistakable to the more experienced woman, it was a longing, wanting look. She decided then and there to talk with Chris about what he knew.

Vin Tanner was a fine enough man but the protective nature came out in Lily when it came to Molly, even more so now that she knew just how sheltered she was about the ways of men and women. “Are you heading home now?” she asked Molly. She shook her head.

“No, I need to go back to the school first. I’ve forgotten my grade ledger. I’ll see you soon,” she promised the older woman. She turned back to her and took her hand. “Lily, thank you. It means a great deal to me to have you as a friend.” Lily squeezed her hand in reply.

“Good night, Cherie,” she said to her and watched her walk out the door under the watchful gaze of both Vin Tanner and JD Dunne each of whom didn’t know the other was watching. Lily rolled her eyes and shook her head. Something was going to happen between those three, she just knew it.

Molly made her way up the street in the late evening. She wanted to get her grade ledger from the school to finish posting her grades. Ahead in the street was a figure she recognized. It was Cheyenne who was walking in a brisk gait to the livery. Molly wanted to follow her but decided against it. What’s done was done and maybe it she wasn’t supposed to understand no matter how desperately she wanted to. She watched her disappear into the livery before resuming her walk to the church. She had a feeling when the time came to learn the truth behind Cheyenne’s secret it would be much like her own.

The sketch was nearly worn from the times spent folding and unfolding it. The man sitting in the first class sitting area of the west bound train held it toward the light coming in the window. ‘The sketch didn’t do her justice,’ he thought as he gazed at it. It didn’t bring out the light in her eyes when she smiled or the true beauty in her face. He knew most people would never understand his infatuation with one of his former students. The high society of the Island would never approve and scandal would break out. He head made up a story about accepting a temporary tenure position at a university in the western part of the United States. His dutiful wife didn’t question her husband’s decision to take position half a world away. His true reasons would never have been accepted or understood. He would have her, he vowed. She would be his. They would go to Europe and begin their lives. She would see when he arrived in the town where she was now living just how much he loved her. She would love him the same when she saw he had come to take her away from a place that he was sure didn’t value or appreciate her as much as he did. He leaned against the pane of the window staring at the kohl drawing. “I love you Molly Hartman,” he whispered kissing his fingers and placing them on the mouth of the drawing. Soon, he would kiss the real thing.