Zack’s words from that morning rolled around in his head. It’s like we’re a family. The boy was right. Jase felt it himself, and he wouldn’t be surprised if Marietta felt it too. But, what was he to do? He’d never wanted a family. He’d always had everything a man could want. He loved adventure and new undertakings like starting a ranch in Texas and another one in the Nebraska territory, and building a new town along the Oregon Trail. He stood on the threshold of opportunity few men had ever known. He was becoming an integral part of a growing nation’s advancement. It was only a matter of time before the railroad came through Nebraska and the territory became a state. His plans for the future had been made. He left his bunk and went to the window. A light burned in Marietta’s bedroom across the yard from the bunkhouse. He swallowed hard. He’d never truly, deeply loved anyone before, not anyone. He’d been on his own as long as he could remember. When he became a man, he made good friends with people like Clint, Stub, Lone Wolf, Miguel, Spike, and, of course, Kathy, Amy, and Will.
