This story takes place just after Kodiak escorted Samantha down from his mountain where she would eventually meet and marry Quin. This story is Kodiak’s story.

Chapter 1

The short beady-eyed man reached back under the decking of the porch and dragged me out. "Let go of me, you asshole!" I hissed and swung at him. He pulled me up onto the steps and with a firm grasp of my hair and hauled me inside his saloon.

As we passed the bartender, he spoke as though it was any other day, "Snuff out the candle that this street rat had lit under my porch, I don't want this little shit causing a fire!"

Forcibly, I was thrown into a small room, knocking over a single chair. Behind me I heard the door slam shut and lock, with a very audible click.

Chapter 26

I came inside from the barn, stood at the threshold of the door, and hung my hat. Grandfather was sipping his cup of coffee. The shaft of morning light split the darkness of the interior as I stepped through the doorway. Grandfather looked up at me and winked, at that same moment, Samantha stepped from the bedroom wearing the yellow dress that I bought her some time ago. "I trust you slept well?" he asked her.

She blushed and patted his shoulder as she passed, again he winked at me. "Yes, and I trust that you also slept as well, Grandfather." she replied coyly.

He almost spit out his coffee and began laughing, "Honey, it's been quite a long time since I've slept THAT well!" She shot me a smirk and I smiled back, it wouldn't take one of those big eastern college professors to know what had happened between us last night.

Chapter 16

When I got back to town, I fell into my routine and kept putting off going back to the homestead for nearly a month. Finally, I felt a great void in my heart, seeming to draw me toward the old farm. I bid Grandfather goodbye and headed back out, sneaking some food and a crate containing a few chickens from our own large stock.

I pulled the wagon into the barnyard and sat still upon the high seat I listened, trying to identify whether she was still there at the farm. I climbed down and unhitched the horses from the wagon, slowly guiding them into the corral. Once done, I closed the gate and carried the crate of chickens toward the coop.

Chapter 5

I rubbed my chin and looked at her, "That's some story!"

She scowled, "It's no story! It really did happen!" Standing, she moved to the table.

I shrugged, "Okay then, what happened with the bear? Did someone frighten it off?"

She sat down on a tall, straight-backed chair and held the sheet to cover her intimate parts. "There's more to it if you're interested."

"It's Sunday; I've already missed church. Please continue with your tale." I moved over to the table. Sam sat, she was scowling at me as I took a seat.

"I'm not making this up, it really did happen!" Her eyes looked as though I had hurt her, and I felt like such a heel.

"A guy suddenly changing into a girl is just too hard to believe, Sam! You've got to realize that much! You are asking me to believe that a stupid necklace caused all of that to happen to you?" I pointed at the feminine shape hidden under the sheet.

"It happened," she frowned. "Do you want to hear the rest of it or not?" she asked as she pulled the sheet tighter and folded her arms.

"Go on," I said softly, shrugging my shoulders.

Richard Kimble immediately saw he had made a mistake. The street was a dead end, or rather a cul-de-sac with homes on all sides. He knew he was finished. Then he heard a voice.

"Hello, Richard," said Claire Mathews. "It's been a long time."