Flick Masters admired her older brother. He had brought them from their Ohio orphanage to St. Joseph, Missouri, without getting them into too much trouble. Jas protected her from the moment she could first remember things clearly. Their parents died of consumption when they were very young. Unable to recall them, she knew only the nuns at the orphanage.

Prospective parents came and went. While Felicity and James grew older, other children went to new homes and started new lives. For some reason, they remained unwanted. Perhaps people didn't want to adopt two children together. Or maybe they were too old. The women who came to look always wanted infants or toddlers. James was sixteen, and Flick was fifteen when they headed out alone.

At first, their escape was an adventure. The brother and sister journeyed under cover of night, sheltering beneath towns' wooden sidewalks or under hedges during the day. They survived by stealing their food and swiping clothing from wash lines behind farmhouses. As time passed, the thrill faded. Flick's thoughts turned to her warm bed at the orphanage and the laughter of the other children. The dusty roads stretched with only Jas as her constant companion.

"Where are we headed?" she asked one morning. They'd stolen a slab of bacon from a butcher and had stopped to eat at a pond in a hollow. The frying bacon smelled good to a girl who hadn't eaten much during the last few days.

"California, I suppose," Jas answered, his voice uncertain. He poked at the meat in the stolen frying pan with a stick.

"It's a long way to California," Flick complained, removing her brogans and rubbing her feet. "There are blisters on my blisters. Haven't we walked far enough?"

"Maybe," Jas conceded, shrugging. "I'll think about it."

"Where are we now?" his sister asked, glancing at the landscape surrounding them. It all started looking alike miles back.

"Missouri, I supposed," James guessed. In truth, he didn't know where they were, but he didn't want to admit they were lost.

"Missouri sounds nice." Flick sighed. Anyplace would sound nice if she could sleep inside on a bed with clean sheets and a mattress that smelled of fresh straw. She would like a bath, clean clothes, and a glass of new milk straight from the cow.

"Sounds like misery to me," Jas grumbled. "Do you want to live in misery all your life?"

"Missouri, Jas, not misery." Felicity curled her legs beneath her bottom and stared into the crackling fire. "It's one of the three Miss states: Mississippi, Missouri, and Misconsin."

James's brow furrowed as he tried to interpret her statement. He rarely paid attention in school but knew something was wrong with the states she mentioned. The bacon snapped in the pan, and he removed it, portioning it out for both. They ate silently. Finally, he understood her mistake.

"Wisconsin, stupid," he yelled triumphantly, "not Misconsin."

Flick began to protest. She knew there were three Miss states. Sister Mercy had shown them to her on the map, and she recalled the nun pointing to them. Sister Mercy was kind and always willing to explain difficult questions after class. Flick had remained behind to talk to her. The map was on Sister Mercy's desk, and she named the Miss States for her. Then she remembered that Sister Mercy corrected her, too.

"Wisconsin," she stated, slowly drawing the word out. "That's right. It's Wis, not Miss."

Flick sat on the ground with her legs curled beneath her. Her trousers were stained, and her shirt was torn in several places. She wore her long hair tucked beneath a cap. Jas thought it better if she pretended she was a boy. If the Ohio authorities searched for them, they would look for a brother and sister, not two youths.

They ate in silence, then began their trek again. Flick looked wistfully at the farmhouses they passed. The more she thought of fresh milk, the more she wanted it. She suggested they stop and ask for a glass. Jas continued walking; his eyes focused on the horizon. His sister determined they were stopping at the next town they came to.

"We're stopping at the next town," she stated out loud. "I'm not walking any further, Jas."

A town appeared on the horizon the following morning. True to her word, Flick marched toward it and stopped. She refused to move any further until her brother agreed to stay. Curling up in an alley, they slept until noon. Flick awoke first and headed toward the bustling street. It didn't take her long to find out the town was St. Joseph, and they were, indeed, in Missouri.

"Wake up, Jas." Flick squatted beside her brother, shaking his arm.

James sat up, stretching. He yawned and gazed at his sister.

"We're staying here," she insisted firmly.

"Ain't California," Jas remarked.

"California's too far away. We'll get jobs here; start afresh."

They washed themselves in a rain bucket and walked along the main street. The more Flick saw of St. Joe, the more she liked it. For the first time in her life, it felt like home. She talked a mile a minute about settling down, earning a living, and finding a nice place to live. Jas listened with half an ear. He set his mind on California and felt disappointed about stopping.

Perhaps he would leave while Flick slept. He could gain time alone without her pestering him every step of the way. Yes, he decided he would. His sister could make her home in St. Joe. He wasn't staying.

"Look here, Jas," Flick exclaimed excitedly. She stood at a storefront window and read the sign aloud. "Wanted: Pony Express United States Mail Orphans Preferred. That sounds like us."

James Masters stopped thinking about California. He looked over the sign carefully. Adventure sparking his imagination, he pushed open the door and entered. Flick trailed inside after him.

"I want to ride for the Pony Express," he exclaimed, resting his arms on the counter.

"Me too." Flick slanted her body from behind her brother's back. "We're orphans," she stated for good luck. "I'm Flick; he's Jas."

"You ain't riding." James turned on her.

"I will if I want," she answered hotly.

Jas snatched the cap from her head. Flick's long hair tumbled around her shoulders.

"Sorry, Miss, we're not hiring girls," the man behind the counter exclaimed, chuckling. "Russell, Majors, and Waddell are only hiring young men, preferably orphans."

"Humph," Felicity snorted, grabbing the hat and plunking it on her head. "Who are Russell, Majors, and Waddell when they're around?"

"The owners." The counterman slid a job application toward Jas. "How are you at cleaning out stalls?" he asked.

"I cleaned out the cow barn at the orphanage," Flick relented. "Does that count?"

"Certainly, only it's horses, not cows."

"Okay, a job's a job." Sticking out her palm, she shook hands with her new boss.

Taking out an advance on their salary, Flick and Jas walked to a nearby restaurant. They ordered a steak dinner and ate heartily for the first time since leaving Ohio.

"I'll ride between ninety and one hundred twenty miles, then relay the mailbag to the next rider," Jas explained, shoving potatoes into his hungry mouth. "When the next bag comes in, I'll bring it back to St. Joe. Or maybe I'll wait and head further west toward Sacramento."

"California?" Flick suddenly lost her appetite. Would James ride off and leave her in Missouri? Her stomach sank. He was the only family she had, the only family she had ever known. If he went to Sacramento, she would never see him again.

Jas continued to talk about California. Flick played with her food, not wanting it. Her brother finished his meal and confidently paid the check. They returned to the Pony Express station and found bunks for the night. Jas made his first run the following day. When he left, Flick wondered if he would come back.

Flick worked in the horse stalls, cleaning and currycombing. She took care of the saddles and bridles. Days passed with no sign of Jas. She began to worry about him. Had he gone on to Sacramento? She might never know.

"You got a horse ready for me?" a voice asked from behind her.

Flick turned. A tall shadow stood in the open barn door. The figure emerged and strode toward her.

"Name's Jack, Jack Baros. I'm next up. Got a pouch to deliver," he stated briskly. "Can't keep the mail waiting."

Flick stared at the tall man. His blonde hair hung to his shoulders, and he wore a black hat and long rawhide duster. She'd never seen anyone look more rough and ready. Shifting uncomfortably, she continued to ogle Jack Baros.

"Something wrong with you, boy?" the newcomer prompted, stepping toward her.

Flick continued to stare.

Jack Baros ambled toward her. Towering above her, he looked down upon her for a considerably long time. Finally, he tipped her hat with his finger, pushing it off her head. Long chestnut hair tumbled across her shoulders. Flick gasped and began piling it up again.

"I thought so." Jack grinned. "Get that horse ready, girly, so I can hit the trail."

Flick rushed to saddle a horse and led it out of the barn. Jack swung the mail pouch onto the saddle and sat on it. His heavy body would protect the bag on his long, arduous journey. When he galloped away, Flick returned to the stalls. Lifting the pitchfork, she threw hay and manure onto a growing heap. She began thinking about Jas again.

Her brother didn't return the following day. Flick felt sure he continued on toward California. His determination would carry him through life. Would he look back and think of her? She heaved manure onto the pile, concentrating her frustration on her job.

Jack returned before Jas. He teased her about doing boy's work, and she humored him back. She bought a pretty blue sprigged dress and a matching floral hat when she had enough money. Jack escorted her to the hotel dining room for dinner. When he wasn't on a Pony Express run, he escorted her around town. It felt good to look and feel like a woman for a change. Little by little, Flick realized she was falling in love with Jack Baros.

"Is Flick your real name?" Jack asked. He had hired a buggy from the livery stable. They sat on a rise, watching the sun sink over the horizon.

"My name's Felicity Maria Masters," she confessed. It was a long time since she'd stated her full name. Except for the orphanage nuns, everyone called her Flick.

"Felicity is a pretty name. You should use it more often," Jack decided, placing his arm around her shoulders. "I was born with the impossible name Warren Jonathan Baros II. Jack to my friends. My father's back in Boston. He's a banker. I couldn't take the humdrum, so I came west."

"We ran away from an orphanage. Jas and I walked from Ohio to Missouri. He wanted to go on to California, but I refused. We stopped in St. Joe," Flick confessed, snuggling into Jack's welcoming arm. "I wish he'd come back. You've gone on several runs, but Jas never returned."

"Think he went on to Sacramento?"

"Yes." Flick didn't have to think about it. She knew Jas was in California.

"I'm here," her companion stated. "What do you think about that?"

"I think you're okay."

"Just okay?" Jack asked, frowning. He'd hoped for a more substantial response. A few moments elapsed before he spoke again. "Are you thinking of hightailing it to California?"

Flick thought about it. She liked St. Joe and her Pony Express job. Mucking out the stalls wasn't as exciting as riding one hundred twenty miles while sitting on a mail pouch. Still, it gave her a steady income, and she slept in a bed every night. Jack was kind to her. He always returned with a huge smile and an occasional wildflower bouquet. She had to admit she liked him, probably loved him.

"No, maybe, I don't know." Her words jumbled together. She sighed heavily. "I just wish I knew what happened to Jas."

"I'll ask on my next run," Jack promised.

Jack didn't have to ask. Jas rode into St Joe the following afternoon. Travelworn and exhausted, he leaped from his horse and rushed toward Flick. The brother and sister embraced warmly.

"I made it all the way to Sacramento," he exclaimed, removing his hat and wiping sweat from his forehead. "It's beautiful out there. We can get land and settle down. You should see the Pacific Ocean. I'll take you to see it. It will simply take your breath away."

Flick thought about California. She thought about St. Joe and Jack Baros. Her life felt settled. She had a good job. Jack treated her well.

On the other hand, she wanted to stay with Jas. If she lost touch with him, she wouldn't have a family. She hooked her arm into her brother's elbow, and they walked to the bunkhouse together.

"How about a steak dinner?" Jas asked after he bathed. "All I've had for a week is hardtack. I could do with a huge hunk of beef."

"Sure," Flick agreed. "Can I ask a friend to eat with us?"

Jas raised his eyebrows and looked at his sister curiously. When Jack Baros joined them at the hotel, he realized Flick was in love. It startled him since he considered her a little girl. She had grown up while he was away exploring the West.

"I was telling Flick about California," Jas stated over their meal. "Thought we could pack up and head out that way. I'll keep my Pony Express job, just work it from the other end."

"I considered heading westward but thought I'd take it a bit at a time," Jack responded, sharing a glance with Flick. "I'll work here for a while, then move onto Dakota territory and eventually Wyoming or Oregon. Unless Flick wants to go to California."

The Master's siblings stopped eating and stared at Jack. His statement took them by surprise. Felicity beamed with delight while Jas glowered at their companion. Jack continued to chew his steak.

"You aim to wed my sister?" Jas finally asked.

"If she'll have me," Jack responded.

Flick had expected a more formal proposal. Annoyance filled her for a moment, then sudden joy overtook her. She realized she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Jack.

"Yes, I'll have you," Flick answered, grinning from ear to ear, "but I'd rather go to California than Wyoming or Oregon. I want to stay close to Jas."

"California it is, my darling." Jack returned her grin. "And no more mucking stalls for my pretty little bride. You're going in style."

The newlywed Baros remained in St. Joseph, Missouri. Jack continued to ride for the Pony Express, but Flick gave up her job. She became a schoolteacher instead. Jas returned to Sacramento and delivered mail until he had enough money to open a mercantile. The Baros moved west gradually until they finally reunited with Jas in California.

!!!COMING SOON!!!

ARKANSAS