By Lisa and Melissa
Chapter 7
Jimmy was telling Teaspoon about my accident and everything that I had said afterward when the door unexpectedly swung open. All heads turned to see Buck standing in the doorway.
"Devon, Devon I need to talk to you."
I stood up in shock at the look of complete desperation in his features. I took a step forward but was stopped by Jimmy's hand clasping mine.
"Buck, it has to wait." Jimmy said.
Buck looked down at Jimmy's hand holding mine, then back up at his friend. The look in his face was that of a man whose prized possession was being held by another.
"It can't wait." Buck growled, "I have to talk to her now."
Just then Rachel and Lily came rushing into the bunkhouse. Lily wore the same look of a woman rejected I had worn just hours before. I wondered just what had happened between these two.
"What's going on in here?" Rachel asked.
"That's what I'm trying to figure out." Teaspoon said, "Now why don't everybody just take a seat and explain. Buck your talk will have to wait."
Buck sighed loudly, seemingly complacent to the fact that our talk would have to wait. He took the seat directly to my left, while Jimmy sat to my right. The placement of the two didn't escape anyone's notice, especially Lily or Lou. The two women sat with Rachel on a bunk to my left.
I watched Lou as Jimmy explained my situation to Teaspoon. Armed with the knowledge of Jimmy's feelings for her, I studied her for any trace of feelings for him. If the cold stare I was receiving were any indication, I'd say that she was surely torn between two men. I had the chance in the minutes before Buck's entrance to meet Jimmy's rival. I assessed him and came up with the fact that if you could somehow combine the two men, he'd be almost as perfect as Buck.
Once everyone was seated, my story was told from everyone's perspective but mine. Rachel gave the facts of the accident which brought me into their lives, she then told Teaspoon of my reaction to Buck and everything that I had said afterward, including the whole birthmark incident. I watched the older man as he was told these things and was surprised when he did not look at me judgmentally. Jimmy was next. He told everyone about what he had heard in town after leaving my farm, and how he believed I was in danger.
Teaspoon seemed to take a few minutes to digest all the information he had been told, then eyed me curiously.
"So what have you got to say for yourself?"
"I'm not killing cows."
"How can we be so sure?" Lou asked, "You, yourself say you're a witch."
"What I am," I said, "is sick and tired of having to defend my beliefs to people who don't even want to try and understand. What I do is treat ailments with herbs and meditation. Yes I gave Mrs. Garnett a tea, but I never told her it was a magic potion. That is the imagination of a little girl who was never told any better."
"She does the same thing as a Medicine Man or Shaman in an Indian tribe." Buck said. As everyone stared at him he took my hand, "That is what you were, a Shaman right?
My eyes widened, as I'm sure, did everyone else's. "How - how did you know?" I gasped, then I saw the glint in his eyes. "By the Goddess, you remember!"
He nodded slightly, and Lily gasped. I would have gotten up and thrown myself into his arms were it not for Jimmy's hold on my other hand.
"There's something . . ." Teaspoon began, "actually, there's a lot I don't understand, but the first thing that pops into my head is what scared you so much in town?"
"Thompkins." Buck answered, "It was Thompkins wasn't it?"
I nodded.
"Why?" Rachel asked.
"It's a long story." I said.
"So what do we do next?" Kid asked.
Teaspoon leaned back in his chair, and thought for a minute. "I agree with Jimmy, you could be in a lot of trouble. So I think you should stay here until we figure this thing out."
"No." I said. "I will not bring all of you into this. Besides I have to take care of my farm."
"I can have the boys check on your farm."
I shook my head; "I will not hide."
"Dammit Devon, don't be stupid!" Jimmy said.
"I'm not! I appreciate your concern, really I do, but I need to be home." I pleaded.
"If that's how you feel, then I can't stop you. However as Marshal I have to make sure you're safe." He looked at Jimmy and Buck each with one of my hands in theirs and knowing that Buck had been courting Lily, Teaspoon said "So I'm sending Jimmy home with you."
"No!" Both Lou and Buck said at the same time. As everyone eyed the two, I looked at Lily whose eyes were wide with shock.
"And why not Buck?" Teaspoon asked.
"I have to talk to Devon, and it's a talk best done in private."
Teaspoon nodded thoughtfully, and turned to the female rider, "Lou?"
"Jimmy's got a lot to do at the waystation, and Buck has responsibilities here." She glanced pointedly at Lily. "Couldn't you just send Barnett?"
"Barnett is an-"
"Jimmy . . ." Rachel, warned.
"Idiot. This is real danger Lou, you didn't see how those farmers looked."
"Jimmy, I'm just saying-"
"Would you be acting this way if it were anyone else in my position?" I interrupted, "Or is it just me?"
Lou stared straight at me.
"Lou didn't mean any-" Rachel began to say but was cut off by Lou's soft spoken "Just you."
"Well then, there you have it" I said as I rose to leave. "I'll make sure the lynch mob let's you pull the lever at my hanging." I said as I walked out.
Jimmy and Buck got up at the same time.
"Where do you think you're going?" Jimmy asked.
"To take her home."
"Oh no, Teaspoon said I was going." Jimmy said as he grabbed his hat and walked to the door.
"I need to talk to her." Buck said as he met Jimmy at the door.
"What about Lily?"
"What about her?" Buck said, "Jimmy I need to do this. Lily understands that."
"Does she? Look at her."
Buck looked over at Lily, whose hurt features were silently begging him to stay. "Please understand." He said, then walked out into the night, never seeing Lily break into tears.
Chapter 8
I was on Starlight and turning her towards home when the sounds of hoof beats behind me made me stop. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Buck coming my way.
"I forgot about our talk." I said as he rode up beside me.
"We'll talk at your house." We both turned at the sound of another rider approaching.
"You're not needed Jimmy." Buck said angrily.
Jimmy shrugged, "Well someone needs to keep watch tonight, and since you're leaving after your talk. . ."
"Who said that?" Buck asked.
"Boys," I said, "Can we figure this out later? I really just want to go home."
When we arrived at my house, Jimmy offered to take the horses to the stable to cool them off so that Buck and I could start our talk. I have to admit that having Jimmy worry about me felt good, especially after Buck's initial rejection.
Both Buck and I were silent as we walked the short distance to the house, but the sight that greeted us as we walked to the door made me gasp. Several windows had been broken and written across the front of the house in black paint were the words "WITCH GET OUT"
I looked over at Buck who was trying to keep his temper in check. "I never liked the color of the house anyway, now I have a reason to paint it."
"How can you joke about this?" He asked me.
"What's done is done." I said as I opened the front door. "There's nothing I can do to change it now."
"How can you be so forgiving? This is your home Devon."
As I lit the lanterns and grabbed a broom to sweep up broken glass I explained. "I live by one rule Buck. 'Though it hurt none, so mote it be'. It means as long as I don't hurt anyone, I can do whatever it is I wish to do." I motioned for him to sit on the couch in my small parlor.
"All so called witches live by the same creed." After I picked up the pieces of shattered glass and put away my broom I sat across from him, I'd decided that we needed distance between us if we were to talk. "I seem to have forgotten that rule the minute I saw you." I said as I sat.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"I mean, I hurt Lily. I didn't mean to but I did."
Buck shook his head. "If you hadn't said what you did, I would never have remembered our past."
"And this is a good thing?" I said.
Buck stood up and knelt before me. "Yes, because now I know you're not crazy and I can convince the others."
"No Buck, they'll all think we're both crazy, or worse, they'll think what Lou does."
"What's that?" He asked
"Lou has the same look that Mrs. Hawthorn had when she accused me of casting a spell on her husband. I wouldn't be surprised if that's her explanation for why you turned your back on Lily and Jimmy was so persistent in coming home with me."
"I can't speak for Jimmy, but I'm here because I need to know why."
"Why we were brought together again?" I asked. Buck nodded. "Who knows?" I shrugged, "Some say it's fate or destiny that brings people together, and maybe we'll just keep meeting in different lifetimes until we get it right."
Buck stood, walked over to my small fireplace and placed his hands on the mantle with his head hanging down. "I have all these feelings for you that I never felt before. It's like a piece of my heart was missing and I didn't know it until you put it together again. I don't understand how, when I don't even know you."
He sounded so tormented, and though I swore to myself to keep my distance from him I still found myself taking him into my arms. He turned and held me against him and I felt as if I had finally come home. I sighed contentedly, "You know me Buck, I'm not very different from the woman you knew 170 years ago."
He pulled back slightly to look down at me. After what seemed an eternity he leaned down to kiss me, but I pushed him away.
"Devon-"
I turned from him. "How much do you remember?"
"All of it." He said, his voice coming from the area in front of the fireplace.
I wrapped my arms around myself, and turned to face him. "I'm sorry I caused you so much pain then."
"You said it yourself, what's done is done." He said, "The question is, what's next?"
"Who knows?" We stood silent for a few minutes.
"Do you know what my favorite memory is?" He asked. I shook my head. "The way you looked when you smiled, your eyes could light up the entire village. I'd like to make you smile like that again."
I wondered how long it had been since I had really smiled. "Well, I just about lost it when Cody said that thing about the two moons." I said.
Buck stared at me a moment then smiled, "Me too." Buck knew as he looked at me that I was trying not to laugh at the memory, so he arched his eyebrow and gave me the sternest look he could, knowing that I always laughed at him when he did. As usual the eyebrow worked it's magic and I began to laugh. Before I realized what had happened, Buck had me in his arms again.
"I missed that laugh too." He said, then bent his head to mine and kissed me.
A tremor ran through my body at the first touch of lips. His mouth played with my lips sensually and I found myself returning the kiss. With a moan, his or mine I still don't know, the kiss deepened and I threw my arms around his shoulders, molding myself to him, my hands cupping his neck, my fingers entwined in his hair.
Lily.
The thought of her cut my passion like a blast of cold air. I tore myself away from Buck.
"Buck, I - we can't do this."
"Devon, I love you."
"Oh Buck, I've never wanted to hear anything so much in my life, but you don't love me, not really." I said.
"I know what I'm feeling."
"What about Lily?"
Buck ran his hand through his hair, "Why does everyone bring up Lily?"
"How many times have you told her you loved her, that you wanted to be with her, marry her? Buck I'd love to spend the rest of my life with you, but can you honestly say that you love me more than Lily? Or does she still have a hold on your heart?"
Buck started to speak but I covered his lips with my fingers. "Think before you answer. There are a lot of things you need to work out before you can give me an honest answer, and if we're going to be together I need to know that you are mine completely. You owe that not only to yourself but to me and Lily as well."
Buck listened silently and nodded. I exhaled sharply, "I think you should go now -" he looked at me in confusion. "-Before we do something we'll both regret in the morning."
He seemed to think about it for a minute then nodded, grabbed his hat and turned to leave. It was then that we noticed Jimmy standing in the doorway.
Buck glared at Jimmy then turned to me. "Don't worry I'll be fine." I said as I walked him to the door. "I'll make you two promises. I promise whatever you decide I'll be here."
"What's the second?"
"I promise to smile more often."
Buck smiled slightly and kissed me on the cheek. "Take care of her Jimmy." He said as he walked down the porch steps.
I closed the door after Buck rode off, and caught my reflection in the hall mirror. My lips were swollen from Buck's kiss and my hair and dress disheveled. I could only imagine what Jimmy was thinking, but when I turned to face him I saw understanding, that only he could give me, in his eyes.
"I had him, and now I may be giving him away." I said quietly.
Jimmy came to me, wrapped me in an embrace and kissed the top of my head.
"What am I going to do without him."
To Be continued...
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Copyright 1999: Not to be reproduced without written permission from the author.
The Way Station
Campfire Tales
