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Grady square in the eyes.
    "I’m going now, Grady. Wish me luck."
    "You’re going to need it, you fool girl. And more luck than I can give you.
    "Here, let me carry some of that stuff for you," he offered as she grabbed up the saddle bags, bedroll and cooking utensils.
    She went to the stalls and selected two sturdy, reliable horses and led them out to be outfitted. Grady watched as she threw on a blanket and then a saddle on one, tightening the cinch carefully.
    "I’ll never forget you, Grady." She flung herself into his arms and hugged him with all her strength. "I’ll try to send word to you and let you know how I’m getting along. Be happy," she ended wistfully.
    Then, before she could change her mind, she swept up into the saddle. Grabbing the reins of the second horse, she trotted both animals to the eastern boundary of the small town. She turned the horses and sat statue still in the saddle, gazing at the village that spread before her, making note of each and every building and person in view. She sat there for several minutes, and then, with a loud whoopee, she slapped her hat against the rump of her mount and rode thundering down the familiar street, riding hard until the town was far behind her.

Chapter 4
    Grady’s right, I must be crazy, Shinonn thought as she sat on her haunches beside the creek, washing her dinner dishes. I must be daft, being out here on the trail alone like this.
    Gathering the utensils, she returned to her small campfire. The sun was just beginning to sink beneath the western horizon. She eyed the burning coals with concern. Would their light announce her presence to others? Did she dare keep the fire going as the night grew colder?
    Sitting on a boulder close to the still warm remnants of her campfire, she cradled a mug of coffee in both hands. A wave of apprehension swept over her as she sat there all alone in the gathering darkness.
    Although the campsite offered a fair amount of seclusion, she still felt exposed. She had chosen a site in a thick stand of trees that straddled a swiftly running stream, more than half a mile from the lightly traveled road. Although the remoteness of the site gave her a fair amount of assurance that her presence would not be noticed by other travelers, in truth, she had never felt so alone before.
    If she felt this insecure hidden as she was, what could she expect of the next night? And all of the nights she would have to face before she reached her destination. For that matter, where exactly was her destination, she wondered.
    Embers sizzled and spit steam as she threw the remains of the coffee onto the glowing coals. Refilling the mug with water from the stream, she returned to the campsite and doused the last of the fire, opting for the safety of total darkness.
    Lying on her back, head pillowed on her saddle bag, Shinonn stared at the millions of stars above, forcing aside the fear which had been building within her. She didn’t have time for fear. She had some decisions to make. She must decide once and for all just where it was she was headed. She had told Grady she was going out west, but from Plainsville, Illinois, "west" consisted of thousands of miles of alien territory.
    She had assumed long ago that her brother, Patrick, had most likely headed to California’s gold fields.
    Should she trail after him? Did she even want to find that worthless excuse for a man?
    But he’s all the family I’ve got left, she reminded herself. Seems like the right thing to do would be to find him and give him another chance to be the man he should be.
    Or is it that gambling man you really want to see, a taunting voice from the deep recesses of her mind asked. If she were to be honest with herself, she would have to admit that the man had always teased at her memory. She could never completely forget his soft, rasping voice and admiring eyes. Would his lips be as warm as his eyes, she wondered?
    She tried to put his image out of her mind, ashamed she harbored