"Four Corners!" The Coach driver hollered as the town came into sight. The redheaded female passenger stirred, she'd been lost in a dream for the past several hours. She squinted against the sun and looked out the window, smiling to herself.
If her source had been right, she'd find a piece of her history in this dusty little town the coach was approaching.
When the coach finally stopped in the town, she was helped out and the coachman handed her the one bag she'd brought with her. Faith Moore always traveled light,
'Alright,' she throught to herself. 'Now where would be the most likely place to find him?'
She heard whistling and turned around. She practically laughed as she realized she was standing in front of the saloon.
'Perfect.'
She quickly pulled out a hand mirror and looked at herself. Not a hair out of place.
Faith walked into the saloon, making a grand entrance as usual. She looked around at the unsavory males who made up most of the crowd, debating where to start. To her right, a handsome older man tipped his hat at her with a smile. Seemed like as good a place as any to start.
Chris Larabee damn near choked on his whiskey when the face from the past walked in. Faith Moore was the furthest back his mind had traveled in a long time, and though it had been ten or so years, she hadn't changed - except to grow more luscious to look at. Her still-flame red hair was put up elegantly, and the deep green dress she wore showed to maximum effect that her figure was still as enviable as the girls back in Culverton had always aspired to.
"Ma'am," Josiah stood up and spoke as she approached their table. Vin, Ezra, and Nathan stood up as well. Rarely did a unknown beautiful woman walk into the saloon. Most everyone in the town knew each other, and strangers generally meant trouble.
"Keep your seats gentlemen," she began with a captivating smile. "I hate to bother you, but could any of you tell me where I can find Buck Wilmington?"
The men saw Chris Larabee walk up behind her with a smile on his face.
"Still chasing Buck after all these years, Faith?" he asked with a devlish smile.
Nathan and Vin looked at each other with raised eyebrows.
Without turning around, she obviously recognized his voice. Her face gave away her delighted surprise, but she kept her cool.
Still facing away from him, she retorted: "This heat must be getting to me. I could have sworn I just heard the unmistakable voice of Chris Larabee."
With amazing grace, she turned around and they took their first look at each other.
"And Chris, you know I only chased Buck cause I couldn't have you."
He opened his arms and she fell into them, the stories between the two people unknown but the connection unmissable.
"It's been years too long," Chris said, flashing back to days past with her body pressed to his.
Faith nodded. "Most certainly. I didn't know you were here too. Someone told me Buck was living here, but I didn't expect to find you too."
Chris noticed his friends watching them closely. He cleared his throat and introduced Faith to his comrades at the table, never completely letting go of her. While he ran through names, his mind ran away with the wonder of Faith's walking back into his life.
"Anyone know where Buck went?" he asked.
Nathan pointed out the door with a smile. "Vamanos."
Chris knew what that meant. A hundred dollars said Buck was chasing Inez, the striking bartender.
"Si," he replied, and took Faith outside.
"Your spanish has improved," she chuckled, staring at him.
A young man in a bowler hat came up to them, excitedly.
"Chris!" the younger man exclaimed. "You shoulda been there! Buck was working all his charms and that damn animal magnetism and Inez-"
Buck's boisterous voice interrupted his tale.
"Great God Almighty!" Buck shouted with a big smile when he saw Faith. Running toward her, he picked her up and swung her around. "Faith Moore! My God, you're still the prettiest dang thing I have ever seen!"
Chris rolled his eyes. Buck never gave up.
"Hey Buck!" she cried happily when he put her down. "Oh honey, you look so good. Time's been good to both of you," with those words she brought all three of them together again and took the men back in time a few years.
Chris remembered himself, younger and wilder, on a hot summer afternoon chasing a giggling Faith toward a waterhole. They'd stripped down to damn near nothing and jumped into the water with such youthful abandon and a feeling of invincibility. That had been the first time he'd ever kissed her honey lips, but for some reason that had been as far as they'd ever gone. Not that Chris hadn't wanted to pursue their relationship further. It had been Faith who refused, fearing it would hurt Chris and Buck's friendship.
For his part, Buck was remembering a starry night spent sitting shoulder to shoulder with Faith, talking all night long about everything and nothing at all. She had a special place in his heart, and had from the moment he'd ridden into Culverton with Chris and seen her walking down the street with Edgar McMullins, a banker who'd been courting her. Edgar had been wealthy, but ridiculously boring, and from the moment Buck and Chris looked her way Faith had broken off her courtship with him to pursue these rugged and rowdy strangers.
"It's been a long time," Buck said, bringing everyone back to earth from their respective reveries. "What are you doing here?" He put an arm around her and pulled her close to him.
Faith smiled at the man holding onto her. Buck had been such a huge part of her life, his laughter and warmth always a reliable way of lifting her mood. "I'm just passing through. I heard mention of you two being here, and wanted to see some good friends."
Chris saw JD still standing there and indicated him. "Faith Moore, JD Dunne."
"Nice to meet you," she said with her trademark smile, and JD like so many men before him was under her spell.
"Ma'am," he said, tipping his hat and blushing.
Faith smiled. Looking sideways out the corner of her eye at Buck, she prodded JD for more info. "You were saying something about Buck using his animal magnetism?"
JD laughed. "Yep. And Inez shot him flat down."
"Thanks JD," Buck said, ironically.
"Don't mention it," JD replied. He tipped his hat at Faith and excused himself.
Faith giggled. "So I suppose I don't need to try and figure out if you're exactly the same as you always were," she teased. "My favorite handsome rouge."
Buck pulled her to him tightly, looking over her shoulder at Chris, who was smiling broadly.
When Buck released her, she remained holding on to his hand. In her other hand, she took Chris's.
"My boys," she said, looking at them. She almost wanted to cry.
Chris looked at his fingers intertwined with hers. "How long are you in town for?"
Regaining herself, she let Buck take her bag from her. Always the gentleman.
"Just until tomorrow," she explained.
"Well damn," Buck said. "That ain't nearly long enough, but I suppose we'll just have to make the most of it."
Chris remembered something. "Buck, can I trust you with her for about an hour? I promised Vin I'd watch the jail for him so he could go fix Nettie's fence for her."
With a lecherous grin, Buck nodded.
"Oh don't worry," he said. "I'll take good care of her."
"Thats what Im afraid of," Chris replied. "This shouldn't take more than two, three hours."
Buck nodded. "We'll be fine. Won't we, darlin?"
Faith nodded. "As long as you promise me I'll get to spend some time with you before I leave tomorrow."
Chris took her hand and kissed it. "Guaranteed."
Faith looked up at Buck, still every bit as handsome as he ever had been.
"Well?" she asked. "What should we do?"
He wrapped his arms around her. "I know a nice haystack-"
She laughed and swatted him before he could finish. It was a joke, they both knew it.
"Libations?" he asked, and she nodded in agreement.
Buck brought Faith back in the saloon and came toward the gathered group of JD, Nathan, Ezra, and Josiah, who were playing cards and drinking.
"Boys," Buck said in greeting. "You've all met Faith."
He pulled up two chairs for them, and they joined the gathering. Faith was seated by JD, and she leaned over to whisper something to him. He listened intently for a few seconds then cracked up.
"Why do I have a feeling that was about me?" Buck asked, rolling his eyes.
Faith looked at him with challenge in her eyes. "I was just telling JD about Charlotte Futterman."
Bucks eyes widened.
"Ms. Moore," Ezra pleaded. "You must let us in on any embarrassing stories about our Buck that we may not be aware of."
"Don't you dare," Buck shook his head as he looked at her.
She moved so her face was inches from his. "What are you gonna do? I don't see any waterholes in the surrounding area." With a big smile, she turned to the rest of the men. "Charlotte Futterman was a perfectly lovely girl who my sweet Buck was hopelessly enamored of. However, she didn't quite feel the same way about him."
"To say the least," Buck interjected, blushing a little. He knew where this story was going, and knew he'd never live it down. "I guess I pursued a little too hard. She finally had to show me directly that she wasn't interested."
Josiah, seated across from Buck, put down his cards. "Oh yeah?"
"How'd she show you?" Nathan wondered, wrapped up already in the story.
JD couldn't hold it in anymore. "She shot him with rocksalt!"
The tables occupants all laughed fully at that, except Buck and Faith, who looked at each other with the fake anger that only lifelong friends can muster.
"So the three of you go back aways," Josiah assumed.
"Oh yeah. Chris and I fought over Faith for years," Buck explained with a big smile as he put his arm around her shoulders.
Faith moaned and buried her face in her hands. "They were horrible, but I don't know. They each have a few redeeming qualities."
"Yeah well," Buck said with mock sadness. "Sadly for me, Faith here only had room in her heart for one of us, and for some reason Chris seemed to be the one she chose."
"Not that Buck didn't try every trick in the book to change my mind," she informed them all. "You know how he is."
Ezra smiled. "Unfortunately."
"So how did Chris end up with Sarah?" Josiah asked. "If you had feelings for him, and Im assuming he felt the same about you."
"Chris had to make a choice," she said calmly. "And he made it." Her voice became audibly different. "Well," Faith stood to leave. "On that note, I think I'll take my leave. Gentlemen." She left the saloon, every man's eyes watching her as she walked out.
Except one. Buck started at his bottle, and didn't watch her go. Nathan, Vin, Ezra, Josiah, and JD stared at him.
"I'm sorry about that," Josiah said, feeling horrible he'd started the conversation in that direction.
Buck shook his head. "Its always been a hard thing for her. Thats why Chris and I havent seen her in so long. After Chris and Sarah got engaged, Faith packed up her things and left town."
"Ain't you gonna run after her?" Nathan asked. "You like her so much, and you're letting her go? That ain't the Buck Wilmington I know."
"Hell," Buck said. "I can do whatever I want, it aint gonna make a difference. There has never been another man in Faith's eyes than Chris. She was the one time we nearly fought ourselves out of a friendship. It wasn't her fault, it was just us being stubborn fools. It ain't a secret that I can have a lot of women...I could never have Faith."
Faith left the saloon and walked out into the street, trying to breathe normally and regain her composure.
"Every time I see you, I swear you get more beautiful."
She whirled around and there stood Chris, looking like every fantasy of him she'd ever had.
"You like showing up unexpectedly, dont you?" she asked.
He nodded. "Keeps things interesting. I was looking for you, actually. I come to ask if you wanted to stay out at my homestead tonight instead of at the hotel. I figured maybe it would be more comfortable, we could talk, not talk, either way..."
Faith nodded. "I'd like that."
They rode the short distance to Chris's homestead and corralled their horses, then went inside. Faith was impressed, it was a very nice home. Cozy, comfortable, and somehow decidedly male. It needed a woman's touch, she thought, then brushed that thought aside.
"Make yourself at home," he told her.
She nodded, and went to look at the photograph that caught her eye. It was on a desk. The photo showed Chris and Sarah on their wedding day.
Chris saw what she was looking at. "I've been having trouble remembering what she looked like," he explained, almost embarrassedly.
"My father wrote me about what happened to Sarah and Adam," she began softly. "I'm so sorry, Chris. I can't imagine what you must have gone through."
He nodded. "Hell on earth, honestly."
Faith saw the moment of sadness pass his eyes, and took the moment to wrap her arms around him. That was how he'd always made her feel better during their time together. His arms, where she felt like the most beautiful woman in the world. He held her in response.
"I'm just passin' through," she said quietly. "But I wanted to see you, and hold you again."
Her hair fell across his face, a soft cascade of red softness. "I'm awful glad you did," he replied.
She pulled away from him a little and put her hands on his chest, looking deep into his eyes. Faith knew she'd probably never see him again, and wanted to remember every fleck of color in his clear blue eyes.
"Hardest decision I ever had to make was whether to go with Sarah, or stay and try to beat Buck to get to you," he said.
Faith shushed him by putting a finger to his lips. "I don't blame you one bit. You and Sarah were the two best people I ever knew for each other, and Buck being as close to you as he is, I wouldn't have wanted to destroy that either. You made the right choice. I cursed your name, and Sarahs too, for a little while, but with time I've come to understand why you chose her."
Chris put his hands on her neck, leaned in and kissed her, lightly. Both of their bodies ignited with years of unrequited feelings.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked during a break to breathe.
Chris smiled. "I bet I am. Are you sure?"
She laughed and nodded. "I've only wanted you for nine years, Chris. I've never been more sure of anything in my entire life. Come tomorrow morning, I won't regret a thing," she stated, believing it with all her heart.
Chris let one hand get twisted in her hair while the other slid the shoulder of her dress aside. Faith's eyes closed as his lips met her bare skin.
He looked down at her. What an incredible thing he'd missed all these years, she'd been right there. With great ease he picked her up in his arms and carried her toward the bed.
In the morning, Chris awoke wound together with Faith's arms still around him, her body pressed to his like it was meant to be there.
She was leaving on that days coach. Could he let her go after everything that had happened?
Chris and Faith rode back into town just an hour ahead of the coach. They acted casual, not needing the world to know what had gone on between them. Those who knew Chris Larabee could tell, however, that something had put a smile on the man's face, the likes of which they'd never seen.
Vin, unspeaking, looked from Chris to Faith and smiled a little also. It had been a while since Chris had looked near as happy as that moment. Faith obviously meant a lot to him, and he to her.
The coach rolled into town and Buck came out of the saloon to bid his former flame farewell. He saw Chris and Faith, how they looked at each other, how she used every possible opportunity to touch him and vice versa. Buck knew years of their hidden feelings for each other had been brought to life in the hours they'd spent at Chris' homestead.
To his surprise, he didn't feel betrayed or sad. Instead, he was filled with happiness for Chris and for Faith. Maybe he'd been kidding himself all these years that he had played any sort of major part in the love triangle.
Chris saw the coach and felt his heart fall. Faith had to leave his life, probably forever. What was he to do now?
Faith saw the coach too and wanted to make it go away so she could have more time with this incredible man she'd rediscovered. He still did magical things to her.
"You know," Chris said softly. "You don't have to go."
Faith looked up into his dead-serious eyes. "Yes, I do," she replied. "Chris, I'm engaged to be married in a few weeks." She saw his face change with surprise. "I'm on my way to San Francisco to join my fiancee, Jacob. When I heard you were here I knew I just had to come see you and try and find out if...my feelings for you were still there. And they are."
"So if you have feelings for me, you should stay," he insisted, taking her hand. Those watching from various places around the town could see the urgency on his face. "I lost you once, and I don't want to lose you again."
"Hey kids," Buck said, striding up to the duo with a big grin, hoping nothing was seriously wrong.
"Stay," Chris urged. "Faith, please."
"Give me one good reason I should," she replied, watching him closely.
All three of them knew exactly what she wanted him to say. Three simple words. Buck looked back and forth between them.
Chris didn't speak, he froze. Buck silently urged him along, praying he would get over what was holding him back and just say it already.
Faith nodded, understanding, and took his face in her hands, kissing him one last time.
"Goodbye Chris," she whispered. "Buck, you gonna help me into the coach?"
"Would be my pleasure darlin'," he replied, following her away from Chris and toward the coach.
"Oh, goodbye sweetheart," Buck said when they were right beside the coach, throwing his arms around the redhead and giving her a big hug. "You know I love you."
"I love you forever Buckling," she whispered in his ear.
He squeezed her tightly then helped her into the coach.
She waved from the coach, and both men waved back, then it pulled around the corner and out of sight forever.
"Saloon," Chris sighed and Buck fully agreed.
Settling at their normal table, they were joined by Vin and Nathan, who had been watching the whole thing.
"A toast," Buck offered, sliding into the seat next to Chris and handing him a bottle of whiskey, which Chris poured himself a shot of. "To women."
Chris nodded. "Amen."
"I'll second that," Nathan jumped in.
Vin nodded. "Hell yes."
All the men toasted and drank.
Buck asked a question he'd been meaning to ask. "So Cowboy, why'd you let her go?"
Chris leaned in toward his friend. "She's engaged. To a good man, with a stable job who can give her the life she deserves. I ain't much of a husband, you know that. Any wife of mine would have to be afraid every day that I wouldn't come home at night. I can't do that to Faith."
"Do you love her?" Buck asked.
Chris looked at him with awe. "I always have."
Buck nodded and reclined in his chair. Both of them may have lost their chances of being with that incredible woman, but she was true to her name and had renewed both their faiths in love and life.