He sat up in bed and looked around. It wasn't luxurious, but slowly it was becoming a strange version of a home for him. He felt safe there, surrounded by strangers he was getting to know. Once, Four Corners had felt that way to him, but not anymore. He knew everyone there, and lately everything he'd known had been turned upside-down.
A week earlier, Buck Wilmington had ridden into the village to check on his protegee and close friend, and found JD a somehow different young man. For one, he seemed older.
"Damn boy, I figured you'd be a mess," Buck had greeted warmly, bounding off his horse. The famous grin was out in all its abundance, he was geniunely happy to see JD.
JD grinned back, and let an old familiar injoke play. "Buck, you look terrible."
A loud belly laugh was Bucks response. "Now, son, we both know thats impossible."
It was like old times. For a while, they just laughed and joked, talking about the more humorous aspects of their lives. But soon, the reason for Buck's visit became apparent.
"JD," Buck began."I came to let you know whats going on in town. Mary seems to have taken it upon herself to try and drive Sam out of town. She wrote an article, its in my saddlebag..Anyway, Sam and Ezra are the town outcasts right now. Of course, it being them, they've teamed up, and taken Melanie in as well."
JD was stunned. "What?"
Buck sighed. "Mary decided that it would be best for Sam to not work at the clinic anymore. So Ezra enlisted her as the new hostess of the hotel."
"Damn," was all JD could manage to say.
Buck nodded. "I know."
"Have you talked to her?" JD wanted to know how far this backlash had gone. From the look on Buck's face, he knew his answer. Buck was not to be outdone, he had a plan.
"Come back to town," Buck pleaded. "You are the only one who can put an end to all this. All you have to do is-"
"Ride back into town and rescue the damsel?" JD cut him off. "Buck, it doesn't work like that. I love her, and I always will, but I'm not going to interfere unless she wants me to."
Buck hated that JD was making sense. He'd pictured the way it should be many times, JD returning to town and sweeping Sam up in his arms, kissing her and never letting her go.
"Well, then," Buck said. "I brought you some things, figured you could use them."
JD raised an eyebrow, as Buck removed the newspaper, a bottle of whiskey, and some cigars from his saddlebag and handed them to the younger man. "Always prepared, aren't you?"
Buck winked and chuckled.
It had been over a week since Buck had gone to visit JD, and everthing was slowly falling into place in town again. The difference was, the places things were falling wasn't their original positions.
Every morning he sat at the window table in the saloon and watched Sam and Ezra, seemingly happy, greet the new visitors at the hotel. If Sam was suffering, she wasn't showing it at all.
The visitors to the town were mostly the same. One morning, Maude Standish had returned to Four Corners, loaded with bags as usual, and greeted both Ezra and Sam with an almost maternal warmth Buck had never seen before.
For Chris Larabee's part, he sat at the window table with Buck and couldn't help but notice the man's undivided attention cast across the street. Chris could see Buck's agony over not being able to talk to Sam every day, see how she was, but he was putting up a strong front. Looking across the street, seeing Sam look so unbothered by what had happened, she was putting up a front too.
Nathan Jackson felt terrible about the fact that Sam had taken to avoiding her eyes when she saw him on the street. He hadn't wanted to side with Mary in casting the poor girl out of the clinic, but with Rain there to help now...and Mary was right, the town was talking about the events of the past weeks. At the time, he'd thought he'd been doing the right thing.
Seated around the table with the three of them were the remaining members of the once magnificent seven, now a table of five. Vin Tanner watched Doyle, the saloon owner, out of the corner of his eye. He'd been hearing stories about Doyle not treating his saloon girls very well, and was just waiting for some proof. Leaning back in his chair, Josiah Sanchez was peering over Buck's shoulder out the window at the hotel.
"Lively conversationalists," he muttered.
Vin grinned, but didnt say anything. Nathan took a drink. Chris glanced at Josiah with a raised eyebrow.
"You know, I swear Ezra never stops looking at her," Buck said, his attention aimed out the window.
Vin laughed, he couldn't hold it in. This situation was getting ridiculous, with Buck spying on Sam. "Hell, Buck, you seen the guests at the hotel this week? Sam's probably the only pretty girl Ezra's seen in days."
"''Cept for Melanie Hills," Nathan offered, knowing that was bound to start something. Buck finally looked away from the window and started to fire a comment back.
Luckily for their conversation, Maude Standish entered the saloon at that moment and approached the table. The men all stood.
"Gentlemen, keep your seats," she insisted, but Josiah gave her his anyway. She smiled at him, the oldest of the seven was smitten with her and had been for some time. "I just wanted to stop by and assure you all that despite whatever sort of jealous back-stabbing has taken place in this town, I have no problems with any of you personally and hope you won't mind if I choose your company from time to time over that of the hotel guests."
Nathan smiled at her. "Not lively enough for you?"
Looking around, Maude shook her head. "Seems a damn shame to have Ezra, Sam, and myself, three such skilled poker players, locked up in a building with guests who have never heard of the game. It's a waste of their talents. But I refuse to get rusty. Gentlemen, if you'll excuse me, I think I see a potential gaming partner." Slyly, she slipped from the table and up toward the poker table.
"Amazing woman," Chris said. Everyone toasted to that.
Later that day, Vin looked across the street and saw Ezra looking at his watch as he leaned contentedly outside the hotel. Noticing he was being watched, Ezra was even more shocked to see Vin coming toward him. A Peace offering? Going down the stairs, Ezra met Vin halfway.
"Buck's worried about Sam," Vin said softly. "Only he's too stubborn to ask for himself."
Ezra nodded, he understood. "She's fine. She's worried about JD, but too afraid to ask any of you."
"JD's at the village for a while. He's fine, I've heard."
"Samantha is doing very well. I'm taking good care of her."
Vin's eyes sparkled with the humor of the situation. "I think thats what Buck is worried about." He only slightly indicated over his shoulder, and Ezra's eyes flickered in time to see Buck pull the saloon curtain in front of his face.
"Despite the town gossip, Samantha and I are only friends and partners. Business partners." Ezra winked at Vin. "Alright?"
Vin nodded back, "Alright."
They seperated, leaving the street their two seperate ways.
JD found himself thinking about where he'd come from. Boston, back east. Was there anything keeping him in the west anymore? He couldn't think of anything anymore....Maybe just a visit back east....