Louise is totally helpless as she watches Kid storm away from her. In Kid’s eyes she is in a
compromising embrace with Jimmy. She tries to get her mind to think on what she should be doing at
this point. Her only problem is, is that she can’t or simply doesn’t want to let go of the man holding
her.

Buck stays glued to the ground. He wants to will himself away from the scene before him, but his mind
won’t allow him to. He stares down at Jimmy still wrapped up in Louise’s arms. Buck’s eyes are
staring right through Jimmy as if they are forcing his separation from Louise.

Jimmy releases Louise and takes hold of her trembling hand. He guides her out of the creek. He can’t
take his eyes from the Kiowa’s saddened eyes. Jimmy also sees strength in those eyes. He knows
he’s in for a brutal battle with the Kiowa.

Jimmy reaches his clothing and bends down to pick his things up. He doesn’t bother dressing. He
figures what would really be the point now. For a moment he turns his eyes away from Buck’s and
gives all his attention to Louise. “I’m sorry about this.”

At this point, Louise has her anxiety about Kid discovering her and Jimmy half dressed together
under control. She thinks that if she can explain what really happened, Kid will understand and easily
forgive her. Her real problem is the concern she has for her feelings toward Jimmy. She had thought
they had died a long time ago. Obviously they haven’t. “Don’t worry yourself about it Jimmy. Kid will
get over it.”

“Kid might,” Jimmy whispered. He forces Louise’s attention to Buck who is watching them intensely
from the top of the small bank. “But, I don’t think Buck will.”

Jimmy turns to Charlene and offers her a hand to stand on her feet. He points to the hill. “I think you
have visitors.”

Charlene turns around to see her sister and brother standing next to Buck. “Hannah! Phillip!”
Charlene hollered. She is elated to see the both of them.

“Charlene we need to speak with you,” Phillip spoke loudly.

Charlene once again turns to Jimmy for approval. Her eyes are asking Jimmy if it would be all right
for her to visit with her brother and sister.
“You can take them over to Buck’s house. I’ll be over shortly.”

“Thank-you Jimmy,” She spoke quietly as she reaches to him and hugs him warmly.

Charlene races up the slight incline to reach the top of the bank. She glances over at Buck, but she
senses that even the slightest gesture will set him off! She decides against saying hello to him. Instead
Charlene turns to her sister and brother and takes a hand from each of them into her hands. The three
of them take one last look at the scene before them. All three are thinking the same thing. Jimmy is in
hot water, and much hotter than being in the creek with Louise! The three stroll over to Buck’s home.

Once Jimmy sees that Charlene is well taken care of, he turns his attention to Louise. “You should
gather up the girls and take them inside.”

“Buck isn’t looking for a fight Jimmy,” Louise spoke softly.

“Maybe not with our fists, but I’m positive our words shouldn’t be heard by the children.”

Louise gathers the girls up along their towels and clothes. The four of them climb up the hill. Louise
only glances Buck’s way, but his glaring eyes make Louise feel ashamed of what took place in the
creek. She looks away from Buck and she heads over to the house with her daughters.

Jimmy stands still for moment while the two young men simply face each other. He wonders if maybe
he should explain his actions, but before he can Buck starts in on him about his behavior with one of
his friend’s wife!

“I hope you’re real pleased with yourself,” Buck spoke exhaustingly.

Jimmy smiles sadly. “No matter what I say to defend myself, you would punch me in the mouth for it.”

“You promised!” Buck’s anger is starting to overflow to the surface.

“What did I promise Buck?”

“You promised that you wouldn’t come between them!”

We were having a little fun in the creek Buck! It is a hot afternoon today! Where is there a law stating
Louise and Jimmy can’t be in the creek cooling off at the same time?” Jimmy spoke his anger starting
to run away from him.

“It didn’t look like the two of you were cooling off! It looked more like the two of you were heating up
the creek!”

“You only see what you want to see Buck.”

“Look at you Jimmy. You don’t have any clothes on. What am I suppose to think?”

“I have clothes on Buck.”

“Barely.”

Jimmy has had quite enough from Buck. At first he really thought Buck would throw the first punch,
but now he feels like throwing the first punch at Buck! He starts to walk away from Buck.

“Jimmy I’m not through talking with you.”

Jimmy glances back at Buck over his shoulder. “I’m through trying to defend myself to you.”

Buck isn’t satisfied that Jimmy was being totally innocent with Louise in the creek. He walks right
with Jimmy towards Teaspoon’s home.

“Your promises don’t mean nothing to you, do they Jimmy?”

“I promised you I wouldn’t come between them and I haven’t, yet.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“What I mean is that if you keep accusing me of flirtations with Louise, then I’m going to have a lot
more then flirtations with her.” Jimmy spoke loud enough for Teaspoon to hear. Teaspoon is resting
on a chair in his front yard. Jimmy pokes Buck in the chest. There won’t be a damn thing you’ll be
able to do about it.”

“Why don’t you just go back from whatever hole you crawled out from under. We don’t need your
help around here any longer,” Buck stated sadly.

“You are so damn naïve Buck! You couldn’t see the truth here if it were written out on a piece of
paper for you to read. I ain’t the only one whose having thoughts of fornication here Buck.”

Buck hides his shock over Jimmy admitting that he is thinking of Louise in other ways besides
friendship. “Where did you learn such a big word Jimmy?”

Buck doesn’t give Jimmy time to answer. He turns and walks away from a man he no longer cares to
know.

Jimmy watches Buck as he walks toward his home. He is sure he has hurt all three of his friends. Now
Buck knows for sure that he wants Louise married or not.

Teaspoon quietly places his arm around Jimmy’s shoulder. Jimmy turns around to see Teaspoon
leaning on his crutches.

“I suppose you heard most of that.”

“I heard all of it,” Teaspoon stated disapprovingly.

“That figures.”

“Yeah. That figures is right. You’ve got deep feelings for Louise, don’t you?” Teaspoon asked but he
is already aware of Jimmy’s answer.

“I always have Teaspoon, but I’ve always kept them under control.”

“Until now. Why are they surfacing now? Louise is a happily married woman, and I might add that
she’s married to one of your family members.”

“She may be married Teaspoon, but you can leave out the word happy when you’re describing her
marriage to Kid,” Jimmy stated flatly.

“Why is that? Do you think it’s because you’ve come back into her life. She isn’t in love with you
Jimmy or else she would have married you.”

“I didn’t want marriage.”

“Oh. So you’re telling me that if you would’ve wanted marriage six years ago, Louise would have
married you instead of Kid?”

“No, I ain’t saying that.”

“That’s what it sure sounds like.”

“Doesn’t anyone around here see what is going on between the two of them besides me?” Jimmy
spoke his voice rising with anger.

“I sense that Kid and Louise are having a few small problems. I don’t think those problems are large
enough to warrant a separation. Now if you plan on compromising her, and she’s feeling neglected
because Kid has been so damn busy with the ranch, then I’d say we should all worry about the three of
you.”

“Are you asking me to stay away from her also?”

“Is that why Buck has gotten himself thrown in the middle of this?”

“I sort of promised him that I wouldn’t break the two of them up. But, I only promised because Buck
was getting himself worked up about it. To be honest Teaspoon, I don’t see anything wrong with
Louise and I spending time together.”

“Oh and I suppose Kid should thank you for keeping his wife company while he works and repairs the
ranch.”

“It wouldn’t kill Kid to be a little more appreciative of Louise. I think you already know it, and I
believe Buck realized it today, that if I decide I can’t wait any longer to bed her, Louise would consent
and give in to her passion for me.”

Teaspoon shakes his head, worried that these strong feelings between Jimmy and Louise will drive a
deep wedge between his family. “I can only hope you won’t approach Louise with an offer like that. It
would surely wreck her and Kid’s marriage.”

Jimmy doesn’t wish to talk about Louise any further. He knows what his feeling for her are, and he
may just choose to act on them feelings. Why shouldn’t he be allowed happiness? “Teaspoon, I really
need to get going. Phillip Anderson is over at Buck’s visiting with Charlene. I promised Cody that if I
met up with the man I’d ask him a few questions about that arrow he found stuck in his barn door with
the note attached to it.”

“Alright, go on. There isn’t anymore I can say to fix this situation anyway,” Teaspoon spoke
disheartened.

Buck, Charlene, Hannah and Phillip are all gathered in Buck’s living room. Their voices are rather
loud. Each one is trying to get his point across to the others concerning Charlene’s predicament.

“Our father wants her back in his home! She doesn’t belong here with you!” Phillip hollered at Buck.

“She isn’t here with me! Don’t make it sound like there’s something going on between your sister and
I! Cause there isn’t!” Buck shouted.

Hannah steps in-between the two hot headed men. “Could we just sort this mess out without yelling at
each other?”

“Our father wants Charlene back in his home Hannah. You know he’ll stop at nothing to do just that,”
Phillip remarked.

“So your father is bitter that Charlene is staying here. That makes him seem rather guilty in my
eyes,” Buck spoke without yelling.

“Guilty about what Buck,” Charlene asked softly.

“Your father doesn’t believe you. He doesn’t think Simon Davenport is the one who left you for dead
in the alley.”

“Then that simply settles it! I will not live in my father’s house until he can see the truth about
Simon,” Charlene spoke gruffly.

“Can I say something here?” Jimmy asked as he enters the room.

“Haven’t you already done enough damage for one day?” Buck asked his bad feelings toward Jimmy
about to explode.

Hannah faces Jimmy. She extends her hand to shake his. “I am Hannah Anderson.” Jimmy shakes
her hand and the two let their hands go once they’re met. “Standing over by Buck is my brother
Phillip.”

“Phillip, real good to finally meet you. I’ve been trying to track you down for days concerning the
arrow you found embedded in your barn door,” Jimmy spoke easily changing the subject.

“I was out of town.”

“Lets get back to why we are all here,” Hannah spoke as she gazes at Jimmy. She doesn’t want to
take her eyes off of the marshal. He seems strong enough to handle her womanly needs!

Jimmy is smitten with the young Hannah Anderson. The woman is a bit more aggressive then her
younger sister. She seems like a woman who knows what she wants, and also knows how to get it.

“She’s not going anywhere,” Jimmy replied before Hannah could say another word on the matter.

“I really think…” Hannah had started to say.

“Let me do the thinking when it comes to Charlene’s welfare. She isn’t going back to that house. You
can come here and visit anytime,” Jimmy stated turning his attention to Phillip. “Now about that
arrow.”

“I don’t know what else you want to know about it. I found it lodged in the barn door. There was a
note attached telling the army where two soldiers could be found. That’s all I know,” Phillip replied.

Jimmy accepts Phillip’s answer. Why would the man have any reason to lie to him? “Now may I escort
the two of you back to your ranch?” Jimmy offers Hannah an escort home more than he does Phillip.
He simply realizes that Phillip will be tagging along.

“I really think the two of us can make it home safely. But, thank-you for volunteering your services.”

Jimmy reaches over and whispers in her ear. “I have other services I am willing to volunteer for. If
you’re interested, of course.”

Hannah gets a teasingly pleasant smile on her face. “I would love to check out your other services.
But, right now my brother and I really need to get back to our ranch before our father throws one of
his famous temper tantrums.”

Hannah turns to Charlene. “Walk out with us.”

Charlene, Hannah, and Phillip leave the house. When they open the front door they are surprised that
dusk has fallen over the sky. Hannah stops and turns to face Charlene before she gets onto the
buckboard.

“Are you sure you want to stay here?”

“I wouldn’t think of leaving at the moment,” Charlene spoke with a smile.

Hannah senses that her sister is up to something once again. “What are you scheming this time
Charlene?”

“Two words. Buck Cross.”

Hannah rolls her eyes and gets up on the buckboard. Phillip has already taken his seat, and is ready
to guide the horses away from the ranch.

“Just be careful sis. He may have once been interested in you, but that was long before you became
the talk of Rock Creek.”

Phillip steers the horses away from the ranch. They leave behind a wanton woman to consider
Hannah’s last words to her. Charlene smiles restlessly as the buckboard vanishes from her sight.
“You know sister, we both always get what we want,” she spoke only to amuse her own thoughts.

Simon knows the plan all too well. He is supposed to get Charlene Anderson to fall in love with him.
Then he is to marry her, giving him a home that would be his. It would be a place Jesse and his
brother Frank could live when they’re not out holding up a bank or robbing a stagecoach.

He stumbles out of the swinging doors of the saloon. Jesse is going to be mighty upset that his bride is
living with another man. The only good news he has to report is that her father believes he didn’t beat
the woman up. Simon pegged the man for a fool a long time ago. How could any father doubt his own
daughter over a ranch hand? It didn’t really matter to him. He just wonders how long Oliver Anderson
will continue to have this kind of blind faith in him.

Simon gazes to the schoolhouse and sees that an oil lamp is still burning inside. “Now she sure is a
beautiful woman that brand new school teacher,” he spoke to anyone that would listen. “I bet she
would fall head over heels in love with me. Unlike that tramp of a bride-to-be of mine.”

He walks a crooked path to arrive at the front door of the schoolhouse. He pushes the door open with
his fists. The door slams against the wall behind it. He stumbles inside. He searches for the warm
female body he had seen earlier in the day when she arrived on the stage. He doesn’t see her. He
notices another room in the back with the door open. He starts to walk towards the door.

The schoolteacher frightened by the sudden slamming of the front door, walks cautiously out to the
front room of the school. Her heart is racing as fast as her mind is thinking on what she should do!

Simon lurches himself toward her! She tries to hold him at arms length away from her body, but he
insists they get closer! He wraps his arms around her tiny waist, and tries to kiss her. She turns her
face away from his lips to avoid the wet, smelly contact he wants with her.

“Please stop this!” she screams at him.

“Don’t be so unpleasant like the tramp I’m going to marry,” Simon stuttered through his words.

She tries with her arms to push is pressuring body away from her. Her attempts are only causing his
grasp of her to be stronger. She pounds her fists into his chest as hard as she can manage. All she
receives for her effort is his loud laugh seething with the smell of stale whiskey.

“You’re gonna be mine!”

“No! Let go of me!” she yells as loud as her lungs will allow her to.

Cody is at the marshal’s office about to mount his horse and ride on home. He stops abruptly when he
hears a female screaming. He looks around the streets, but he can’t make out where the muffled
screams are coming from.

The streets are too dark to see if anyone could possibly be in the streets hurt. This town has far too
many damsels screaming out in the night, or too many men that can’t keep their hands to themselves.

Cody hears her shrilling scream again. It goes right through him. He notices the light at the
schoolhouse. He runs in that direction when she screams out again! The screams are definitely coming
from inside the schoolhouse.

Her screams are making him nervous. He figures a lawman will be on his tail in no time flat. He
decides his best course of action would be to get out of the building before he ends up in jail. As he
releases her to make his escape she knees him right between the legs. He howls out in pain while
grasping at his privates, stumbling to get out the back door of the building.

She collapses to the floor holding her dress to her chest. During his attack, he had ripped her dress
from her shoulders. She had kept her emotions composed during his attack, but now that he has fled
the schoolhouse, she can’t seem to stop the tears from cascading like a river down her cheeks.

Cody comes storming through the front door of the schoolhouse! He hears her sobs, and races for the
back room. He crouches down on the floor next to her trembling body. He sees that she has been
bruised a little, and that she is clutching her dress to her chest! He assumes that the man who
attacked her must have raped her just by the sight of her torn dress!

Cody lifts the sobbing tiny woman into his arms. “Lets get you over to Doc Barnes. He’ll be able to fix
you up.” He speaks to her tenderly as if she were a rag doll that can be sown back together again.

She leans into him. She feels safe and secure in this man’s arms.

Kid and Louise are standing in front of the steps that lead up to the front porch of Buck’s home.
Louise has her hands stationed on her hips. Her mannerisms show resentment and irritation.

“I really would prefer that you come home. You are my husband, and even if we are having a slight
disagreement, you shouldn’t let our fighting pull us apart,” Louise spoke snappish.

“I am not the one having thoughts about another woman other then my wife.”

“Exactly what is that suppose to mean?” Louise asked angrily.

“It means that you and Jimmy are always starry-eyed when you’re in each other’s presence. When
the whole family is having a conversation, you are the one who is always first to stand up for Jimmy.
Jimmy can do no wrong in your eyes, but I can never seem to do anything right.”

I stand up for Jimmy because it seems to me that everyone is always ganging up on him,” Louise
stated boldly.

“I’m staying at Buck’s for the night,” Kid spoke sadly.

“Fine,” Louise spoke irritatingly. She turns away from Kid and storms through her backyard and
opens the backdoor to her home that leads into the kitchen.

Once inside, Louise slams the door causing the walls of the kitchen to shake. Rachel, who has been
waiting for Louise, is seated at the kitchen table. She has been waiting for Louise to come back over
to the house. When Louise enters the kitchen Rachel is startled by Lou slamming the door and the
fierce look in her eyes.

Rachel walks over to Louise, and guides her back over to the table. She pulls a chair out for Lou to
sit on.

“Teaspoon mentioned to me what took place this afternoon. I thought perhaps you needed someone to
listen. What did Kid have to say?” Rachel asked softly.

“He’s over at Buck’s. He isn’t planning on coming home tonight,” Louise spoke through silent sobs.

“Oh, I see. That may not be such a bad idea at this point. Isn’t Jimmy over there?”

“He disappeared after Hannah and Phillip Anderson left. Buck and Jimmy had a disagreement about
Kid and I. I’m thinking Jimmy just needed to get away for a while. Why do you think it’s best that Kid
spend the night at Buck’s home?” Louise asked confused.

:If Kid were here the two of you would only fight and argue. It wouldn’t be good for the children to
hear their parents fighting.

“I’m a pretty good listener if you want to talk.”

“I do, but I’m not sure where to begin.”

“The beginning is usually the best place to begin,” Rachel smiled knowingly.

“That would probably take us back seven years ago. That is where this scene today really began.”

“Do you have feelings stronger than friendship for Jimmy?” Rachel asked hesitatingly almost
dreading an answer from Louise.

“I’m not sure. I do know one thing though. I’m terribly jealous of Buck.”

Rachel laughs louder than she planned to. She places her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry. Why are
you jealous of Buck?”

Because Kid is spending the night with him instead of with me!”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Rachel spoke seriously wondering what is going on with Buck and Kid
that Louise is so distressed over it.

“It isn’t like that Rachel.” She thinks a moment before continuing. “At least I hope it isn’t. I think you
know what I’m getting at.”

“Yes, I think maybe I do. The two of them share a common goal Louise. They both want to build this
ranch into our future. That requires hard work and a lot of time. I had hoped by getting Jimmy to come
here and play marshal that that would give Kid a little more free time.”

“The only thing bringing Jimmy here accomplished is that Kid has more time to spend with Buck.”

Rachel snickers again. “My you are jealous.”

“Told you.”

“It’s getting real late. We’ll chat some more tomorrow. Don’t fret about Kid tonight. Let him stay with
Buck. I know Buck is upset with Jimmy, so I’m sure he’s probably trying to convince Kid to come
back home.”

“Which of my many problems are we going to work on first?” Louise asked disheartened.

“I don’t even think Jimmy takes presence over the jealously you’re feeling towards Buck.”

“I just don’t understand men, Rachel.”

“I just don’t understand women, Buck,” Kid spoke disheartened. The two men are seated on the
porch steps of Buck’s home.

“Don’t look at me for answers. I’ve never understood women,” Buck spoke looking a bit confused at
Kid’s confession.

“Do you think I’m doing the right thing staying over here tonight?”

“I wouldn’t send my worst enemy over to stay with Louise tonight.”

Kid smiles, but the smile doesn’t last long, and Kid becomes too quiet. Buck senses that Kid is
dwelling on what took place today in the creek with his wife and Jimmy. He knows that seeing the two
of them clinging to each other had to have hurt Kid.

“Do you want me to leave you alone?” Buck asked barely above a whisper.

“Buck, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to trust Louise again, Kid spoke somberly.

Buck is at a loss for words. He doesn’t know what to say to Kid that would give him comfort. Buck
feels that Louise can be trusted as long as Jimmy isn’t around to compromise her. “You have to give
yourself some time to heal.”

“Why? So she can make a fool out of me again!” Kid asked angrily.

Buck arches an eyebrow and looks upset that Kid would holler at him over Lou’s actions today.

Kid realizes that he shouldn’t be hollering at Buck. It isn’t Buck’s fault that Jimmy can’t keep his
mind and hands off his wife. “I’m sorry Buck. I feel like I’m blaming you. It’s Jimmy I should be
taking all this out on.”

Buck slaps Kid lightly on the back. “Don’t worry about it. Tomorrow you and Louise can sort
everything out. The new day will make everything a lot more clear.”

“Buck, what am I going to do if Louise has feelings for Jimmy?” Kid asked tormented by the very
thought of this being a reality.

“Kid, don’t worry yourself about that. Louise married you. She loves you.”

“Then where exactly does Jimmy fit into her life?”

“Jimmy fits into her life when Louise wants you, but you’re busy with the ranch.”

“You think that’s all Jimmy means to her?”

“I’m sure of it.”

“Hey Buck, I thought you said that you don’t understand women,” Kid asked trying to smile.

“I don’t. But, I do know how Louise feels about you.

“Thanks Buck.”
 

CHAPTER SIX

“What do you think?” Jimmy asked Cody.

The two are at the marshal’s office bright and early the next morning after everyone at the ranch
stormed away from each other to simply avoid further conflict. When Cody arrived at the law office
this morning, it took him all but two seconds to notice the wanted posters on the bulletin board as
Jesse James and his notorious James Gang. He stares at them as if he looking right through them,
thinking how betrayed Teaspoon is going to feel that Jimmy posted them.

“What’s your gut feeling on this one Jimmy?” Cody asked without answering Jimmy’s question.

“Buck thinks it’s the right thing to do,” Jimmy spoke disheartened.

“I didn’t ask you how Buck feels about it,” Cody replied.

Jimmy thinks a long moment before he answers Cody. He gazes at the wanted poster of Jesse. The
photo seems to come alive to haunt Jimmy’s thoughts. He notices how Jesse is even smiling in the
poster as if he posed for it. Damn kid probably did. Jimmy can tell that the man, and the boy he once
cared for, achieves great satisfaction from the line of work he has chosen.

“I know I’m right for pinning up the posters. I’m just worried how Teaspoon is gonna react when he
sees them,” Jimmy stated flatly.

“Teaspoon doesn’t know about the posters?”

Jimmy shakes his head with a negative response to Cody.

“Does Teaspoon ever talk about Jesse?”

“Don’t know. I suppose Buck would be the one to answer that question.”

“What question?” Buck asked. He strolls into the marshal’s office looking a bit embarrassed about
his argument with Jimmy the day before. He really doesn’t want to fight with Jimmy. He only wants
Jimmy to search for happiness somewhere else besides in Louise’s arms.

“Good morning Buck,” Jimmy spoke calmly.

“Jimmy, I’m really sorry about yesterday,” Buck spoke humbled.

Jimmy gives Buck a friendly smile to let him know that all is forgiven. “Don’t worry about it Buck. I
did some thinking last night, and I realized that you are just concerned about everyone getting hurt.
I’m not planning on pursuing Louise. I don’t want Kid or Louise hurt by my actions. Not to mention
those two beautiful girls of there’s.”

“I had a long talk with Kid last night after you left. I think he knows that what happened yesterday
was all in fun. Louise explained to him that you had frightened her and that’s why she ended up in
your arms.”

“Sounds like I missed out on all the fun,” Cody spoke smiling broadly.

“Cody wants to know if Teaspoon mentions Jesse at all in conversation,” Jimmy spoke flatly trying
desperately to forget the events of the day before with Louise.

“Not in quite a long time. I’d say it’s been at least two years since he has talked to me about him.
Why are asking?”

“Just wondering how he’s going to take these posters hanging up in his office,” Cody spoke with little
concern.

“I think he’ll be fine with it, but to be honest I’m not real sure. I do know Teaspoon always makes
sure the new wanted posters are posted the minute they arrive,” Buck spoke concerned that
Teaspoon may be hurt by his actions.

“You don’t seem as sure about this as you were the other day, Buck,” Jimmy commented. He was
totally surprised when Buck insisted the wanted poster of Jesse be hung up for the whole town to
view. He usually has more concern for others and their feelings then the amount he showed when he
told Jimmy to post them and he would take the blame for it.

“I know Teaspoon is a marshal, but he also loves Jesse. I know he would want to do what’s right as
far as the law goes, but his feelings for Jesse could possibly alter his judgment.”

“Enough on Jesse. We need to concentrate on Simon Davenport.” Cody turns to Buck. “Buck, Jimmy
and I are riding out to search for Simon. He attacked another woman last night.”

“Who?” Back asked.

“The new schoolteacher. Cody here came to her rescue,” Jimmy spoke grinning at Cody who has his
foot already in the door with the teacher.”

“She’ll probably be calling me her knight in shining armor,” Cody boosted confidently.

“Yeah. I’m sure she will Cody. But, you weren’t able to apprehend Simon?” Buck asked
disheartened.

“I really didn’t even see Simon. The way the schoolteacher described
the man had me picturing Simon Davenport in my mind. That plus the owner of the saloon told me
Simon was at the saloon most of the day yesterday. By the time he left, which was about twenty
minutes before I heard the teacher’s screams, the owner said Simon was well on his way to being
drunk.”

“Where is the teacher now,” Buck asked trying to keep his interest in meeting her hidden.

“She’s at the doc’s office resting,” Cody spoke.

“Well I’m free for the day. Kid needed a day off to spend some time with Louise and the girls,” Buck
spoke calmly.

“Lets get going then!” Cody spoke excited about tracking the man he secretly suspects is the killer
he’s searching for.

Simon rides cautiously into the James Gang’s campsite. The camp is located in the hills a few miles on
the outskirts of Rock Creek. Many trees surround the campsite that Jesse chose. The trees
surrounding the camp could hide an entire gang if a posse should show up. At the far end of the camp
Simon views what appears to be a cave. No guns are drawn as he rides in. Jesse is expecting Simon’s
arrival. Jesse had sent one of his men to Rock Creek to find the man who keeps Jesse well informed
of any news he hears from the town, especially the marshal’s office.

As Simon rides deeper into the camp, he distinctively is aware of the new breed of horses that Jesse
has acquired. They don’t belong to the James Gang, yet Jesse is trying to change his ways. That will
be the day Simon thinks to himself.

Jesse walks out of the cave to greet Simon. He walks up to Simon’s horse just as he is dismounting.
Another gang member automatically comes up and takes the reins of Simon’s horse, leading her away
from Simon until he is ready to ride out.

“I see we can add horse thievery to your list of crimes committed. Some of those horses I know
belong to the Anderson Ranch. Where’d you rob the other four from?” Simon questioned Jesse’s
intelligence.

“I know it was a bad move, especially if anyone from The Kid & Buck Ranch sees us riding their
horses. But, our horses are worn out. I had no choice but to find fresh stock,” Jesse spoke gruffly.

“No need to get angry with me. I just think it was a stupid stunt. Are you or are you not trying to
convince Teaspoon Hunter that you want to turn into a hard working, honest man?”

“I’ve already got him convinced. I went to the ranch and he gave me protection from the law as long
as I stay out of sight until our name cools down some.”

“Then what?” Simon asked almost dreading Jesse’s answer.

“Then Simon, you’re going to wed Charlene Anderson, and we’re all going to become your ranch
hands.”

“Jesse you know you’ll never be able to live a straight life.”

“Who said anything about living a straight life. Our ranch will just be a cover. That way no one will
suspect us of robbing any more banks or holding up any my stagecoaches. We’ll be honest,
law-abiding ranchers.”

“Sounds like a plan that has a lot of flaws in it,” Simon remarked coldly.

“Quiet,” Jesse whispered.

Jesse directs his gang members to get out of sight. Frank walks out of the cave with some of the other
gang members. Jesse motions for them to get ready to ride out. Jesse grabs Simon’s arm and has him
walking backwards with him closer to the cave.

In the clearing right before the campsite, Jesse can see his old family on horseback. Jimmy, Buck and
Cody all seem to be searching for something or someone. Jesse’s guessing that someone they’re
searching for is the James Gang. He doesn’t think Teaspoon would have mentioned his visit to the
new marshal and his deputies. The only other explanation is that they followed Simon. But why? No
one knows that Simon is part of the James Gang. He has gone to great lengths to keep Simon out of
the laws sight so he can use him as an informant.

Jesse realizes they won’t be able to get away without the boys spotting them. He doesn’t have to wait
too long when he notices that Jimmy has detected his presence. Now his only problem will be
explaining Simon Davenport’s existence at the James Gang’s campsite.

“Shouldn’t we be a bit more cautious about riding into their camp?” Cody asked apprehensive about
getting too close to Jesse and his gang. It’s clear to Cody that Jesse is no longer the naïve boy they
once all cared about.

“Cody, if Jesse frightens you that much, you can ride behind me,” Jimmy stated slightly agitated.

The three men slowly approach the center of the camp. Jesse and Simon have since retrieved their
horses and are mounted a top them, ready to ride if a gunfight should enter this cozy picture. The
three halt their horses about twenty feet away from where Jesse and Simon have their horses
stationed.

“It’s been a long time Jimmy,” Jesse spoke his face beaming with an overly friendly smile.

Jimmy tries not to let his mind wonder backwards to the boy that Jesse James once was. The friendly
smile on his boyish face is just as phony as the man behind the smile. “Actually Jesse, I’m thinking it
hasn’t been long enough.”

Jimmy’s statement wipes the smile right off Jesse’s face. He never could fool James Butler Hickok,
but then not many men could. “What do the three of you want?”

“Well Jesse, we were tracking your friend next to you. A few young ladies from Rock Creek have
been beaten up pretty bad, and it seems their attacker is none other than your accomplice, Simon
Davenport,” Jimmy spoke calmly.

“Looks like we hit the jackpot finding you as well. Won’t everyone across this territory be shocked
when we bring you in, and you weren’t even that difficult to capture? Of course the bounty hunters
might get a bit irate about it,” Cody spoke as he flashes that wide Cody smile of his.

“You can’t take me in Jimmy.”

“And why not?” Buck asked slightly agitated.

“I’ve got myself protection. Teaspoon Hunter is protecting me from lawmen like you and from bounty
hunters.

Buck’s eyes are disbelieving mixed with shock that Jesse could come up with such a lie. It upsets
Buck that Jesse would degrade Teaspoon’s name by insinuating that Teaspoon would commit an
unlawful act for a murderer. Teaspoon would never protect Jesse and risk losing his job.

Jimmy glances over at Buck who appears to be still in shock over Jesse’s announcement. “Would
Teaspoon do something like that and forget to tell us about it?” Jimmy asked baffled.

“I’m thinking if he did do it, he didn’t forget to tell us. He simply chose not to tell us,” Buck spoke
sadly. He needs to get back to the ranch and ask Teaspoon about Jesse’s so called protection. He
doesn’t want to believe Teaspoon would do something so irrational.

“Do you think we should take Jesse and Simon both in anyway?” Jimmy asked. He’s thinking this
marshaling business is getting tougher and tougher everyday.

While Jimmy and Buck are conversing about what to do with Jesse, Simon and Jesse are backing
their horses up to make an escape. Jesse had noticed that Jimmy and Buck are apparently in a
profound discussion. Jesse has no doubt in his mind that the conversation is about him and his gang.
He almost feels sorry for Buck. The deputy just can’t believe that Teaspoon would grant him
protection. He’s betting that Buck can hardly wait to get back to the ranch to make sure he is telling
them the truth. It’s no wonder that with his reputation the boys would think he is lying to them.

Jesse wants to make a quick getaway, but his horse doesn’t see things the same way. As he shifts his
horse to the right, the horse responds with a disapproving neigh. Simon and his horse are hugging up
against Jesse’s horse. There is absolutely no place for Jesse’s horse to pass through unless he
tramples over Simon and his horse.

“Hey! Jesse’s trying to retreat!” Cody hollered boisterously.

Jimmy and Buck both advance forward to the area where Simon and Jesse are. Cody quickly follows
behind them.

Jimmy draws his colt at Jesse. “Don’t move Jesse!”

Jesse isn’t going to wait around for Jimmy and Buck to haul him into Rock Creek.

“Lets get out of here,” Jesse yelled at Simon.

“You go I’ll hold them off,” Simon spoke responding to Jesse’s command.

Jesse maneuvers his horse around Simon’s just as he hears a gun go off coming from Jimmy’s
direction! He speeds his horse away and doesn’t look back. Simon is no longer is main concern.

Jimmy had only fired his colt toward the ground. He meant it as a warning shot for Jesse to go no
further. After Jesse takes off, all three men barrel their horses through the campsite towards Simon!

Simon lifts his pistol, and without really aiming accurately he fires a shot! Simon waits until he
witnesses the bullet hitting the blonde rider around the left shoulder area. The other two men stop to
help their fallen friend. Simon speeds out of the campsite.

Cody stays a top his horse, but he’s wincing and holding his shoulder.  His shirt is quickly covered
with blood. “Go after them! I’ll be all right!” Cody mumbles through pain.

Jimmy dismounts his horse. He gets a couple bandanas out of his saddlebag. “There’s no way we’re
leaving you here to fend for yourself.”

“They won’t be coming back Jimmy. Jesse is too smart for that.”

“We can track them down later Cody. Right now we need to get you back to Rock Creek and have
doc look at that shoulder,” Buck spoke softly. He continues to gaze out at the direction Jesse and
Simon rode out in. They’ll probably set up a new camp in this same vicinity. Jesse won’t go too far if
what he claims is true about Teaspoon offering him protection from the law. Buck’s mind is
over-whelmed with the possibility that Jesse is telling the truth.

Jimmy places the bandanas inside Cody’s shirt. “Press on them tightly. That will help the bleeding
slow down until we can get you to the doc’s office.”

“Thanks Jimmy.”

Kid has just finished helping Teaspoon from the buckboard that they rode into town on. Teaspoon
leans against the buckboard while Kid fetches his crutches from the back of the buckboard.

“I’m sorry I took you away from Louise. I didn’t realize you was taking the day off,” Teaspoon spoke
hoping that Louise doesn’t become upset with him also.

“Lou said it is okay. She understands that you need to do something besides sit on the front porch
twiddling your thumbs all day,” Kid spoke as he hands Teaspoon his crutches.

Teaspoon glances at the office he has occupied for the past seven years in Rock Creek. “I kind of
miss the office. Didn’t think I’d ever say that, but I guess I’m not quite ready to give her up
completely.”

“I didn’t realize you were even contemplating retiring as marshal. I figured since you do the job so
well, you’d keep it forever.”

Teaspoon is amused by Kid’s way of pleading with him not to retire. Having Jimmy around full time
endlessly would probably not only grate on Kid’s nerves, but everyone else’s as well. “Don’t you
think Jimmy would make a good permanent marshal?”

“Yeah. In another town,” Kid spoke seriously.

Teaspoon laughs at the young man by his side. “Lets get inside. We’ll surprise them when they get
back.

Kid walks ahead of Teaspoon into the marshal’s office. It is slow going for Teaspoon as he squeezes
himself and his crutches sideways to get into the office.

Once inside the office Kid walks around Teaspoon to shut the door. Teaspoon gazes around his office.
“You boys have really kept the place looking respectable and clean. Damn this office has never been
this clean before.”

Kid can’t hold onto his laughter. “I did most of the cleaning. Buck swears we can now eat off the
floor.”

“Well I wouldn’t go that far, but it looks real nice,” Teaspoon spoke as his eyes suddenly deciphers
the meaning of the bulletin board’s new faces. He promptly becomes quiet.

Kid is watching Teaspoon closely. He can’t seem to comprehend why he has become so quiet. Kid
decides to follow Teaspoon’s eyes. They land on the bulletin board. Kid sees what has put Teaspoon
into a silent rage! He walks over to the bulletin board to take a closer glimpse, and to decipher the
words on Jesse James’ wanted poster.

Teaspoon doesn’t have to read the poster. The fact that it’s posted on his bulletin board is enough to
send him into a rage!

Kid turns around to face Teaspoon who is still in a shocked state of mind. Kid figures Teaspoon is
fighting his emotions because he hasn’t hit the roof with his temper yet! “I’m sorry Teaspoon. I didn’t
know they was posted.”

“Who would do something so irresponsible?” Teaspoon spoke his voice cracking with emotion.
 

CHAPTER SEVEN

Kid turns around when he hears the office doors open and then shut. Jimmy and Buck stand inside the
office silently watching over Teaspoon’s slouched frame. The wanted posters of Jesse seem to have
aged the marshal by at least twenty years. At that very moment, Buck realizes from the despair
written on Teaspoon’s face that everything Jesse had said to him and Jimmy is the truth. Teaspoon
indeed is offering Jesse amnesty from the law and from bounty hunters in the territory where he is
marshal.

“Where’s Cody?” Kid asked quietly. Someone needs to cut through the tension in the jailhouse. Kid
assumes that role since apparently no one else wants it.

“Simon Davenport took a wild shot at us. He nailed Cody in the left shoulder. It didn’t appear to be
too bad. It just bleed heavily,” Jimmy spoke calmly his senses telling him that Teaspoon is about to
explode. Teaspoon hasn’t removed his eyes from the wanted posters since he and Buck ambled into
the jailhouse. Jimmy also has noticed that Buck appears to be a bit on edge. Neither of them had been
expecting Teaspoon to show up at the marshal’s office. Now that he has discovered their secret,
Jimmy feels the tension in the office before a single word is uttered.

“Why are you in town Kid? I figured you’d be busy with Lou all day,” Buck spoke his voice hoarse
from the nervousness that he is feeling.

Before Kid can answer Buck’s question, Teaspoon turns around to stare right through Jimmy and
Buck. “I asked him to bring me into town so I could make sure everything is running smoothly around
here.”

Jimmy grins nervously. “Well Teaspoon, as you can see we’ve taken real good care of your office.”

“Yep. I see that. The place is clean, practically spotless and all the paperwork seems to be in order.
Even the wanted posters are clearly updated everyday.”

“Like they should be,” Buck spoke boldly.

“Well I guess that answers my next question before I even ask it,” Teaspoon spoke gruffly aiming his
harsh words at Buck.

“What’s the question Teaspoon?” Kid asked feeling the tension smothering everyone in the office.

“Who posted Jesse’s wanted poster on MY bulletin board?” Teaspoon asked in an angry tone.

Jimmy and Buck glance at each other with remorseful expressions. Jimmy doesn’t say a word, and
Buck realizes he has to. Teaspoon’s disappointment is well written on his face. Buck needs to know
why.

“I did,” Buck spoke so softly that he isn’t sure that Teaspoon hears his confession.

“I see. You have an explanation for posting them without my permission?” Teaspoon asked. His tone
of voice has a nasty attitude with it. He’s letting Buck know that he is the marshal of this town, and
before Buck ever does anything this disrespectful again he should ask permission before taking
matters into his own hands.

“I didn’t think I needed your permission. I’m a deputy. Those are wanted posters. They normally are
posted on bulletin boards at the marshal offices in every town,” Buck spoke anxiously. Buck isn’t the
boy that Teaspoon often felt the need to shelter so many times from the malicious words of the
townsfolk. He is now an adult capable of owning up to his actions. Buck isn’t so sure how his emotions
will handle the explicit reprimanding that Teaspoon is about to bestow upon him.

“Well son, I DON’T WANT THEM POSTED IN MY OFFICE! Am I making my self clear on that
point?” Teaspoon spoke rather calmly for a man about to lose the control he has on his temper.

“Why? Or maybe I should ask you about the so called protection you offered to Jesse and his gang,”
Buck stated his voice filled with resentment that Teaspoon would treat him badly over Jesse’s wanted
posters.

Jimmy sees the shock on Teaspoon’s face over Buck’s statement of fact. He decides Teaspoon
deserves a response. “We caught up with the James Gang today while we were tracking Simon
Davenport. We found Simon with Jesse. Jesse made it quite clear to us that we couldn’t escort him
into town because you had given him protection from the law here in Rock Creek.”

Teaspoon decides not to deny the facts that he is being accused of by his boys. He thought it would be
better for Buck, Jimmy and Kid if they didn’t know about the favor he’s doing for Jesse, but now that
they are aware of it he can relax about them not finding out. “That’s exactly what I did. I don’t really
see where it’s any of you boys business. Jesse is my concern now. I want him left alone so he can start
a new life.”

“Is that what he told you? A new life doing what? Can’t you see he’s just using you?” Buck spoke
with no control over his animosity toward Jesse.

Kid has been standing in the background trying to absorb all of what has happened over the past few
days. He doesn’t like where this conversation is headed. He walks over to Buck and stands in front of
him. “Why don’t we just go back to the ranch?” He turns sideways and aims his words at Teaspoon.
“We all need to calm down and think this through rationally, instead of throwing accusations at each
other.”

“Kid you go on back to the ranch. I’m not going to cool down. Buck and I will talk this through now,”
Teaspoon spoke rather gruffly at Kid.

Kid turns his attention back to Buck, who seems to Kid, about near the edge of losing control of his
emotions. “You’ll be okay if I leave?” Kid asked Buck.

“Yeah. Go on home and spend the rest of what is left of this day with Louise,” Buck spoke not taking
his eyes off Teaspoon.

“Okay.” Kid walks out the door hesitatingly. When the door shuts quietly Buck resumes the
conversation without a moments rest.

“You didn’t answer my question?” Jesse is just using you! We could all see it today. If he really is
trying to start his life over, then what’s he doing hiding out with a shady character such as Simon
Davenport? Not to mention the fact that his entire gang is hiding out with him.”

“You don’t make my decisions for me. If Jesse is in fact using me, it’s my decision to let him use me.
It ain’t your decision to make!” Teaspoon bellowed loudly.

“He’s wanted by the law Teaspoon! Not only is he robbing banks, but he’s killing innocent
bystanders,” Buck spoke a bit louder than he would normally talk to Teaspoon, but not quite yelling.

“Killing innocent bystanders. That would be something you’d be familiar with,” Teaspoon uttered in
an unremorseful tone.

Buck’s eyes glisten over with tears, but he won’t let them fall. His lower lip begins to tremble, but he
bites into the flesh begging it to not give away the emotional state he is in. He won’t let Teaspoon see
the hurt he has caused. “Neville wasn’t innocent.”

Even though Buck tries to hide the hurt caused by what he had said, Teaspoon is attentive to the pain
he has caused the young man. As soon as the words had escaped from his mouth he regretted saying
them. Teaspoon knows his words have cut the Kiowa deeply. He had no reason to hurt Buck like that.
He tries convincing himself that his reasoning is due to the fact that Buck has him upset at the
moment. He really didn’t mean the words he spoke. He had said them in anger. He decides to change
the subject back to the wanted posters. “I don’t want Jesse hunted down like some sort of…”

“Criminal Teaspoon? He isn’t the same boy we all knew six years ago,” Buck spoke bitterly. Buck’s
unforgiving eyes are penetrating deeply into the marshal’s soul. Teaspoon has a difficult time looking
the Kiowa in the eyes. Jimmy’s voice gives Teaspoon the escape he needs to look away from Buck.

“Buck’s right Teaspoon,” Jimmy spoke flatly. He had been standing back listening and watching the
heated argument between Teaspoon and Buck. But Teaspoon’s callous mentioning of Buck killing
Neville hurt Buck.   Jimmy could see the unshed tears that didn’t fall simply because Buck wouldn’t
allow Teaspoon to see how much his words had hurt him.

“You stay out of this!” Teaspoon spoke rancorously to Jimmy. But he immediately turns his attention
back on Buck, forgetting that seconds before he had made Jesse sound like a saint compared to
Buck. “This is a betrayal to me! You will not search for Jesse. The wanted posters are coming down
from the board. I don’t want to hear another word uttered about Jesse and the James Gang. Do you
understand me?”

“Yeah, I understand perfectly,” Buck spoke softly as he unfastens the deputy badge from his shirt
and tosses it onto the desk in front of where Teaspoon is leaning on his crutches. “I quit!”

Buck storms out of the office slamming the glass door on his way out! The glass panes shatter, but
Buck doesn’t hesitate his movement away from the office or glance back at the destruction he left
behind.

“Uh…when did Buck develop such a temper?” Jimmy spoke with sarcasm.

“Shut-up Jimmy.”

“Yeah. Well I guess we’ll need to get a new door,” Jimmy stated flatly.

Teaspoon limps aggressively, without his crutches, over to the bulletin board and rips down each
poster of Jesse and his gang. One by one he tosses them into the trash can by his desk. At this
moment he’s not sure if he’s more upset at Buck for posting the wanted posters, or more upset at
himself for the unnecessary emotional pain that he has just caused Buck.

“Good going Teaspoon. That should make dinner pleasant this evening,” Jimmy spoke unemotionally.

“I ain’t much worried about dinner right at the moment.”

“Oh. Then you’re thinking about apologizing to Buck before dinner?”

“No. I don’t plan on apologizing to anyone. He was wrong for not discussing the posters with me
before he took it upon himself to post them.”

“I meant apologizing to him for the ugly remark you made about Neville. You hurt Buck. He didn’t
deserve that no matter how angry you are at him. You shouldn’t place Buck in the same category as
Jesse James.”

“I suppose whether I want to know why or whether I don’t, you’re going to offer your opinion
anyway,” Teaspoon spoke gruffly.

“Buck wasn’t in his right frame of mind that day. Ike had just died. He was hurt and grief-stricken.”

“Are you making excuses for Buck’s behavior, but not Jesse’s?”

“You’re kidding right?”

“No, I’m not kidding.”

“Teaspoon, Buck killed Neville without really thinking about it. He was in shock. You even said that
yourself. Buck sure as hell didn’t think out and plan to kill Neville. Jesse and his gang plot out the
banks they plan to rob. If someone gets in their way of doing just that, they don’t think twice about
gunning them down.”

“Jesse has promised me that he’s going to change. I have to give him the benefit of the doubt on this
one,” Teaspoon spoke sorrowfully.

“What about Buck?”

“What about him?” Teaspoon asked saddened.

“Teaspoon, Buck has been working by your side for quite a few years. He’s a good deputy and you
know it. This thing with Jesse is actually the way you taught him to do things. Where has Jesse been
for the past six years? He’s been through this territory and every other territory breaking the law
over and over again. I can’t believe you’re choosing to side with Jesse over Buck on this one.”

“Jimmy, this conversation is ending right now,” Teaspoon spoke as his anger starts to flare up again.

“Why, because you don’t want to face the truth about Jesse James? Maybe you should have turned
Buck in for the crime he committed against Neville.”

“I could never have done that! Buck would have been hanged without a fair trail!”

“Yeah that’s right. So don’t throw it up in his face now. Because it sounds to me like you wish Buck
would have paid for his crime against scum like Neville.”

Jimmy walks out of the office and he also slams the door. He looks back in at Teaspoon. “Too bad the
damn glass is already broken! I would have liked the chance to break it myself!” Jimmy leaves
Teaspoon standing alone in the marshal’s office and feeling very much alone in his life at this moment.

Charlene gazes out a window from the living room of Buck’s home. She wonders where he could
possibly be. He has been gone most of the day, and she is set on using her seductive charms tonight to
charm him right into her bed.

“Have you heard a word I’ve said sister?” Hannah asked standing behind Charlene.

Charlene spins around to glance at her older sister. “Did father send you here again?”

“What makes you think father sent me the first time?”

“I know you very well Hannah. I know you were afraid for me the other times Simon had become
enraged with me when I wouldn’t surrender to my wifely duties.”

“You are getting too smart for your own good Charlene. You are right though. I don’t think it’s right
that you should have to give yourself to him before you’re actually married to the heathen! Just so
you know, father did not send me here this time.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Simon has left the ranch. I believe he’s in some kind of trouble with the law. The marshal that stays
here in Buck’s home came out to the ranch searching for him. I thought perhaps you would consider
coming home now that the brut has disappeared.”

Charlene hesitates before answering her sister. She doesn’t really wish to return home just yet. Buck
would totally ignore her if it weren’t for the fact that she’s living in his house. While she is here under
his protection, he can’t help but notice her. “I can’t come home just yet.”

Hannah is aware of the scheming smile on Charlene’s face. The young woman is playing games again.
Hannah feels a tremendous amount of pity for Charlene’s victim. “I know you’re up to something
Charlene. I’m not leaving this house until you tell me what games you’re playing now and at who’s
expense.”

“I’m going to seduce Buck Cross tonight!” Charlene spoke impulsively.

“Buck Cross isn’t interested in you Charlene. Please come home before you make a complete fool of
yourself,” Hannah pleaded.

“He’s a man Hannah. All men have strong desires that need tended to. Buck is no different than any
other man,” Charlene spoke confident that she may be able to lasso Buck in.

The women hear the front door open and slam shut.

“You better hope he’s different than most men,” Hannah spoke barely above a whisper.

Jimmy stops in his tracks when he sees Charlene and Hannah in the living room. The two women
apparently were deep in conversation before his door slamming had interrupted them. He best
apologize to the two women for his behavior. Besides, he’s rather interested in the dark haired beauty
Hannah, who is Charlene’s sister. He takes his hat off and walks into the living room.

“Jimmy, do you know where Buck is at?” Charlene asked whimsically.

“He’s probably on his way here as we speak.”

Hannah has definitely noticed how the marshal is watching her every movement. “Well I should be
getting back to the ranch.”

Jimmy’s attention has drifted far away from Charlene. “May I escort you home? There are some
dangerous men on the loose. I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to you on your way home.”

“What about me? Who will be here to make sure I’m safe?” Charlene spoke while she whines hoping
Jimmy will stay until Buck gets home.

“Like I said, Buck should be here momentarily. You wouldn’t want your sister riding alone with
criminals on the loose, now would you Charlene?”

“No, of course not,” Charlene replied sadly.

Buck took his good old time coming back to the ranch. He had gone over to the doc’s to check up on
Cody, but the doc had already sent Cody on his way. He can’t understand how Teaspoon can
comprehend the way he is thinking. Simon Davenport, obviously one of Jesse’s gang, had even shot
Cody and that still didn’t seem to make a difference to Teaspoon’s attitude toward the outlaw.

The cruelty of Teaspoon’s words he had used to put Buck in his place about killing Neville had truly
cut him deeply. Teaspoon acknowledged today, through his words, that he believes Buck’s act of
violence against Neville is no different then the acts of violence Jesse has been performing for the
past few years.

He feels betrayed by Teaspoon. A man he has stood by and worked with for the past seven years.
Where has Jesse James been through those years? He has been out robbing, stealing, and killing
whoever gets in his way of committing the robbing and stealing. Buck had one fatal act of vengeance
toward another human being and Teaspoon is treating him like he’s a natural cold-blooded killer.

Buck keeps trying to convince himself that it really doesn’t matter what Teaspoon thinks about him.
So if he doesn’t care about what Teaspoon had said about him, then why does he hurt so bad trying
desperately to forget the unforgiving words Teaspoon had spoken to him.

He approaches the ranch only to see Cody standing outside by the bunkhouse waving for him to stop.
He really doesn’t want to stop and have a conversation with Cody, or anyone else for that matter. It’s
the insistent look on Cody’s face that makes him pull Warrior to a stop in front of Cody.

Buck slides down off Warrior, and stands in front of Cody. “How’s your shoulder?”

Cody’s left arm is in a sling. His shirt is unbuttoned and bandages are visible around his left shoulder.
“The bullet went clear through. Doc wants me to rest for a few days.”

“Are you going to listen to him or are you going to be as stubborn as Teaspoon can be when he gets
injured?”

“I’ll listen, but only for one day. Listen I didn’t stop you to make idle chit chat about my bum
shoulder. I need a really big favor,” Cody spoke pleadingly.

Buck arches his brow and starts to get back up onto Warrior. Cody garbs hold of Buck’s arm with his
good arm. “Could you at least listen to what I have to say?”

Buck hears the desperation in Cody’s voice. He leaves out a heavy sigh of exhaustion. He turns back
around to pay closer attention to Cody.

Cody relaxes a bit knowing Buck will at least hear him out. He stumbles through his words worried
that Buck may not want to help him out. “You know Simon is probably the one that attacked the
schoolteacher. When I went over to get my shoulder patched up, Doc Barnes was just getting ready to
release her.”

“Cody what does this have to do with me?” Buck asked agitated.

“Well, I promised her that I would keep her safe. Unfortunately I didn’t think the doc was going to
bandage me up so much that I wouldn’t be able to ride.”

“No!” Buck spoke gruffly.

“You haven’t even given me a chance to ask you to help me and you’re already saying no,” Cody
whined.

“All right Cody, go ahead and ask, but my answer isn’t changing.”

“Be reasonable Buck. Simon is still on the loose. He could come after her again.”

“Cody, I’m not running a protection home for distressed females. I’ve already got one female living in
my house for god knows how long. Thanks to you I might add. I really don’t need another one living
with me.”

“Buck it will only be until we find Simon Davenport and bring him in.”

Buck is gazing at Cody with a disgusted look in his eyes. He can’t believe Cody is going to saddle him
into this. How is it that Jimmy and Cody both know how soft hearted he is. Why can’t he just say no
when it comes to distressed females?

“Buck, think how badly you’re going to feel if the teacher is attacked again only this time Simon is
able to finish what he started,” Cody spoke trying to play on Buck’s emotions. Cody knows deep down
the Kiowa has trouble with anyone who purposely hurts another human being. “Buck, I kind of
already told the schoolteacher I would be picking her up this evening and bringing her here to stay
until Simon is caught. If it’s any consolation to you, she didn’t put up much of a fight about it. I think
she’s really worried about Simon coming back after her.”

He can’t simply say no, because Cody and Jimmy make him feel bad for it. “All right. Where shall I
pick her up at?” Buck asked feeling defeated.

“She’ll be at the schoolhouse. She had some papers and books to gather up to bring out here with
her.”

“Fine. I’ll do this for you Cody, but I’m dropping her off at your front door.”

Cody has a roaring grin spread across his face from ear to ear. “That will be fine with me. I’ll share
the bunkhouse with the beautiful, and young teacher. Perhaps she can even teach me a few things,”
Cody spoke boisterously.

Buck grabs the saddle horn of his saddle and without touching the stirrups he swings himself up into
his saddle. “I’ll let her know that she needs to teach you some manners,” Buck spoke smiling as he
turns and rides back out away from the ranch.

Cody’s beautiful grin rapidly turns into a sulking frown. “Very funny Buck,” Cody spoke quietly into
the night air. Cody stands still for a brief moment watching Buck disappear and wondering if Buck will
really let the teacher know that his mouth can be distasteful at times where his language is concerned.

Jimmy is lying in a bed at the hotel in Rock Creek. He’s propped up on his elbows viewing the
stunning beauty that is at the foot of the bed slipping her dress on over her head.

Hannah Anderson gazes at a satisfied Jimmy. She smiles contently at the crumpled up sheets and
blankets that are covering his naked body. She is positive he’d like nothing better than for her to get
back in the bed with him and tease him to ecstasy all night long. She bends her knee to place a shoe
on her one foot. She repeats the action with her other leg.

“What’s your hurry?” Jimmy asked his voice husky.

“You wouldn’t want to leave your friend all alone with my promiscuous sister.” Hannah replied her
voice calm with no after effects of her sexual encounter with the marshal.

“I don’t?” Jimmy asked bewildered.

Hannah gazes at Jimmy with a quizzical expression. “Okay. Perhaps you want to leave Buck alone
with Charlene, but you shouldn’t. He could end up in trouble.” She walks back to her side of the bed
and bends toward Jimmy to give him a good-bye kiss.

Before she realizes what is happening, Jimmy grabs her arms and brings her up onto the bed. In one
breath, she is beneath him!

He takes advantage of Hannah’s parted lips and kisses her passionately, hoping to arouse her again.
Hannah won’t go for it. She soon pulls away from him and pushes his heavy body off of her and to the
side. She quickly sits up in the bed.

“Mister Hickok, I don’t make it a point to spend the night with my male friends,” Hannah spoke as
she straightens out the tangled mess he has made of her dark locks.

“Oh, I see. Well why don’t you try courting one of your male friends. Then they’d be no questions
asked when you want to spend the night in his arms.”

“Is that what you want Mister Hickok?”

“Please stop calling me Mister Hickok.”

“Okay. Jimmy, is courting what you want?”

“I ain’t looking for a commitment if that’s what you’re asking. But, I wouldn’t mind spending more
time with you other than in bed,” Jimmy stated boldly.

Hannah gets her weary body back out of the bed they had shared moments before releasing each
other’s physical tensions. She isn’t sure she wants their relationship to be any more than that. She is
perfectly content to simply have a tumble between the sheets with Jimmy, and then proceed to her
home and her own bed without him.

“I’ll think about it Jimmy. I’m not making any promises.”

“Well how about while you’re thinking about it, you accompany me to the Annual Summer Dance. It’s
this Saturday. We could have a good time socializing and dancing.”

“And afterwards Jimmy?”

He reaches out for her again and brings Hannah toward him for a soft kiss. “We could have even
more fun,” Jimmy spoke his voice growing husky with constant thoughts of coupling with her again.

She laughs loudly at his attempt to ask her for a date. Because of his boldness and the satisfaction he
brings her in the bedroom, she will grant him a few meaningless hours dancing the evening away with
her. “Okay I’ll go with you to the dance. But, won’t you have to escort my sister?”

“Nah. That’s what I have Buck for.”

“Oh. Charlene will just love that,” Hannah remarked presumptuously.

“Charlene is interested in Buck, isn’t she?”

“Oh yeah! She’s interested in Buck all right. He has her mesmerized, and he isn’t even aware of it. If
my sister could have her way, she would have seduced Buck the first night you brought her to his
home.”

“That’s funny. She acted to me like she was a little leery of Buck due to his Indian heritage.”

“I’m sure she was, at first. It didn’t take Charlene any lengthy amount of time to see how breath
taking he is. She has vowed to me that she’s going to have him more sooner than later.”

“Oh boy! Buck’s in trouble!”

The two giggle together about the predicament Buck is in but unaware that he’s in it.

The oil lamps appear to be burning dimly from the distance Buck is at on horseback away from the
school. She must still be there. She surely wouldn’t leave the lamps burning if she weren’t. He had
been hoping as he rode back into town that she wouldn’t be waiting for him, or in her mind Cody.

She thought while waiting for Cody she would go over a few papers before the start of school coming
up in a few weeks. She thinks silently about the blonde military man. She can’t seem to place where
she has met him before, but somewhere in her past Cody had been a brief encounter. She has been
trying to place the face from her past for most of the time that has passed since he had rescued her
from that awful man’s clutches. It will come to her eventually.

She lowers her beautiful head of tawny cinnamon locks onto the papers spread out on her oak desk.
Her deep brown eyes are intensely poring over the words she must read. If she is to teach the children
of Rock Creek than she must be well prepared concerning the town’s history. Doc Barnes had given
her some papers and a book concerning the town’s history and its laws. She let him know that his
kindness is greatly appreciated. She really doesn’t know much about Rock Creek.

Before attending school back east, she had lived out this way. But, she had never managed to pass
through this town. It seemed pleasant enough except for the man who attacked her. She hopes that
isn’t a regular happening for her. The next time she may think seriously about defending herself with
her gun. She thinks there must be a few good men lurking about the town. After all, Cody had saved
her from a fate worse than death. She trusts that there must be a few more men around like Cody, and
less men like Simon Davenport.

Her head looks up from the papers when she thinks she has heard the returning sound of Simon’s
footsteps! Surely he wouldn’t come back and try to finish with her what he had started! Cody had
promised that he’d come for her, but he is extremely late, and she is too frightened to search him out
in the dark streets of town. Normally the dark doesn’t bother her. She has been on her own for seven
years now, and she has learned to take care of herself in most situations. Simon is one man she has a
difficult time defending herself from. He had been so strong the evening he attacked her. His brutal
strength had over-powered her, until she had the sense to kick the poor fool.

The quiet footsteps are out in the front room of the school. The man is definitely arrogant. She’s
betting that Simon has no morals. When he was growing up, he was probably one of the little boys in
his town that beat up on the little girls.

The footsteps are getting closer to the back room where she is seated at her desk. The footsteps are
enhanced in her head. She places her hands over her ears to shield out the penetrating sound of the
footsteps. She has to take some sort of action this time. She can’t allow this man to intimidate her.
She has to let everyone in this town recognize her ability to take control of a bad situation. The town’s
children will be placed in her care. She can’t let herself get unnerved when it comes to animalistic men
like Simon.

She lays her pencil down on top of her paperwork that she had been going over. She silently pulls
open her top desk drawer to reveal a hidden gun! She retrieves the gun from the desk and shuts the
drawer quietly. She stands up from the desk and without glancing at the figure in the doorway, she
aims the gun with her arms outstretched, at the tall, lean man leaning on the doorframe.

Buck is baffled by the teacher’s actions toward him. The only explanation is that Simon had battered
her once and perhaps she’s frightened that he may come back and try it again.

She tosses her long locks away from her face and searches for the stranger’s eyes. When her face is
in full view of him, she notices the smile that creeps onto his face.

Buck thinks back to the young girl he had been a mere acquaintance with. It has been seven years
since the last time he had laid eyes on her. Seven years is a long time to pass without seeing a person,
and then suddenly they are standing right in front of you. She is different. There is more of her in all
the right places. He shouldn’t be thinking this way about her. But, she has grown up into an intensely
alluring young woman. Buck can hardly picture the young girl he once knew.

The sound of her gun cocking brings Buck back to reality. He notices how her hands are shaking a bit
as she concentrates on handling the gun. He decides to take a chance that she wouldn’t really shoot
him, and he steps forward. She aims the gun straight at his chest.

Even though she knows Buck, she’s a little unsure of him. She knew him seven years ago, but she
didn’t really get a chance to know him very well. After the Pike Brothers were out of their lives, Buck
went his way and she went hers.

He is pleased that Jane remembers him as well. Buck takes another footstep forward, only to meet
up with a woman who has a powerful hold on a gun that is directly aimed at him. He remembers she
had been a bad shot seven years ago. He prays that she still is. She quickly changes his mind about
approaching her any further.

“I’m a much better shot then what I once was Buck,” Jane spoke with fire in her voice.

He decides he isn’t so sure that she wouldn’t shoot him. He raises his arms to surrender to her. He
assumes he should take her a little seriously, at least until he can wrestle the gun from her feminine
hands. “Does that mean you are going to shoot me?” Buck spoke calmly.

“I will if you take one more footstep toward me.”

He is having a hard time with his emotions. He is astonished at the beautiful Jane that stands before
him. He isn’t quite sure how to act on his emotions. She has grown up not only into a woman, but a
high-spirited woman at that. He had been the wrath of her temper once before, but it seems as if that
has also grown up!

He throws caution to the wind and advances another footstep closer to her. She in turn aims the gun
slightly above his head and fires it into the wooden door behind Buck!

Buck is startled almost right out of his boots. He becomes a bit shaken up. Buck turns his head slowly
around to look at the bullet hole she put through the door. He turns back around to pay attention to
her.

“That was a warning. The next bullet won’t be just a warning,” Jane spoke her voice smoldering with
fire that Buck should resist tempting fate with.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Buck insisted.

“How do I know that?

“Jane, you do know me. I haven’t turned into a monster over the past seven years.”

“You’re always sneaking up on me. What’s your excuse for sneaking up on me this time? Let me
think. The last time you snuck up on me, you said it was because I was shooting at you and your
friends.”

“Well at least you remember that I wasn’t exactly mean to you. So why don’t you put the gun away
before one of us gets hurt?”

“The way I see it Buck, is that you’re the only one of us that’s on the receiving end of getting a bullet
in his gut.”

With his hands still in the air, he walks forward again. He is a little startled by her rebuke, but not so
much that he truly believes she could harm him in any way.  He tries to keep from laughing at her
attempt to keep him from advancing toward her. He has to continue to believe that she wouldn’t really
shoot him. “Jane, I’m here to take you to my ranch. Cody asked me to come and escort you back to
the ranch.”

“Why didn’t Cody come for me?” Jane asked. Her memory of Cody comes flashing into her mind. She
had met Cody as one of Buck’s friends.

“His shoulder is really bothering him. He didn’t think he could ride.”

If Buck moves another inch closer to Jane, the barrel of her gun will be in his gut. He slowly brings his
arms down, as she watches carefully his every movement. He dilatorily takes the gun from her hand.
The soft feel of her skin heats up his soul. Jane closes her eyes as she yields the gun to Buck. She
braces herself for an attack, but instinctively she knows that Buck won’t hurt her. When she opens
her eyes, he is staring down at her with an unusual look in his eyes. Jane can’t help herself but to be
lost in the darkness of his soft brown eyes. It seems an eternity that the two of them continue to gaze
into the other’s eyes without a word spoken between them.

Jane starts to feel flushed from the thoughts that she is thinking about him. Before she embarrasses
herself completely she must pull herself away from his enticing eyes. She doesn’t dare scrutinize down
the rest of his body! Her blushing skin would surely give her thoughts away. Why is Buck having this
effect on her? He didn’t have this sort of impact on her emotions seven years ago!

“I think we should go,” Jane spoke softly.

Her words snap him out of the alluring trance she had put him in. He wants to look every inch of her
over, but he knows he doesn’t dare. He is captivated by Jane’s closeness to him. Buck hasn’t had this
kind of feeling for a woman in a long time. He wonders if she has noticed what her presence is doing to
emotions. He needs to distance himself from her before his body responds in a way that Jane would
definitely notice.

“Yeah. It is getting pretty late,” Buck spoke his voice husky.

“Cody will be getting himself worked up into hysterics if he’s expecting us back at your ranch any
time soon,” Jane spoke stepping away from Buck and looking away from his alluring eyes. She
gathers up the papers from her desk with trembling hands, and places them in a bag with her other
belongings that she plans on taking to Buck’s ranch with her.

Buck steps up behind her and places his hand over her hand on the handle of her bag. She looks up
into his dark eyes again. “Let me help you with your things,” Buck spoke softly.

She smiles up at him. She takes her hand away from the bag and from under his skin that is heating up
her senses. “I suppose I can allow myself to be doted on just this once.”

“Why just this once? Don’t you like anyone pampering you?” Buck asked wondering if her father’s
murder had never changed the girl he once knew.

“I’ve been on my own since we parted ways seven years ago. I had to learn to take care of myself.”

Charlene is pacing violently back and forth across the living room floor wondering where in god’s
country Buck could be! It isn’t like Buck or Jimmy to leave her alone after the sky has become dark.
She didn’t mind being left alone during daylight hours, but nightfall is an altogether different story.
She slows down her pacing long enough to glance out a front window. She can’t really see much from
Buck’s home. It sets back in, and she can’t even see the entrance of the ranch from her window.

Cody has been frantically pacing outside the bunkhouse. He keeps stopping and looking in the
direction of Rock Creek. There still is no sign of them. What if Buck ran into trouble? What if Simon
came back into town to finish the job he started with Jane? What if Buck didn’t get to her in time? He
is driving himself crazy worrying about all the what ifs. He pauses and glances back up towards town
again. There still is no sight of them. He stomps into the bunkhouse and slams the door behind him.

Teaspoon is standing in the barn leaning on one his crutches for support. He had been trying to feed
the horses a bit when Jesse walks up casually behind him. They are now engaged in a heated
discussion concerning Cody and the bullet he took from Simon.

“You didn’t do a very good job keeping yourself hidden from Jimmy and Buck,” Teaspoon spoke
gruffly.

“I’m sorry Teaspoon. It couldn’t be avoided. I didn’t realize Simon had been beating his fiancée and
that the law would be following him.”

“How are you associated with Simon Davenport?”

Jesse had prepared an answer for this exact question. He knew his old stationmaster would be asking
him this very question. “He once was a member of our gang. He found out we were close by. He has a
sense about these things. He can always find us. Anyway he figures I owe him some of the money
from the last job we did together. Simon’s been searching for me for quite some time now.”

Teaspoon is a bit skeptical about believing what Jesse tells me. Ever since his argument with Buck,
demons have been tugging at him to believe Jesse, but likewise Buck’s non-belief of Jesse has his
mind thinking feverishly.

“I suppose I am being asked to believe this story?” Teaspoon spoke with a hint of sarcasm.

“I’m not going to beg you to believe me Teaspoon.”

Without warning Teaspoon gazes up into Buck’s eyes when he enters the barn with a beautiful woman
by his side. Teaspoon is shocked speechless. Jesse is aware that there is someone behind him from
the shocked expression on Teaspoon’s face. Jesse turns around to face Buck’s animosity towards
him.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Buck spoke loud enough for everyone at the ranch to hear him.

Teaspoon takes notice to the lovely female with Buck. She looks vaguely familiar, but he can’t place
where in the past they have met.

“I’m visiting with Teaspoon. He does live on this ranch,” Jesse spoke with his wise mouth attitude.

“You have no right being on this ranch,” Buck spoke harshly.

Teaspoon takes a footstep toward Buck with his crutches in hand. “You don’t have any right saying
who can or can’t be visiting me. Please let me handle Jesse. It isn’t any of your business.”

“It’s my business when he’s on Kid’s and my ranch. He’s an outlaw. If you want to visit with your
outlaw friends Teaspoon, I suggest you meet with them far away from this ranch and Rock Creek. Or
the law from some not too far away town may just get wind of Jesse James hiding out near Rock
Creek.”

“I’m only going to say this once son and I’m not repeating it. You do a fool thing like that, and I’ll
take my family and leave this ranch.”

“Go right ahead,” Buck spoke unemotionally.

“Who the hell do you think you are talking to Teaspoon like that?” Jesse spoke trying to convince
Teaspoon he is a changed man.

Buck grabs Jesse by the shirt collar and forces him up against the outside of a horse stall. “Don’t
even try your lies with me. Teaspoon may not be able to see through you, but your promises of
changing don’t fool me. You’ll never change. You’re too much of a punk to ever change into someone
decent.”

Buck hears the cocking of a gun behind him. “Let go of him Buck,” Teaspoon spoke saddened by the
actions he had to take in order to get Buck to release the grip he has on Jesse.

Buck glances over his shoulder at Teaspoon and the gun he has aimed at him. He tries not to show
how difficult a time he is having with the way Teaspoon has been treating him lately. He lets out a
heavy sigh and before letting the arrogant Jesse James go, he slams his back hard into the stall. He
dissociates his hands from Jesse’s shirt. Buck turns around and faces Teaspoon with a cold stare. The
two men don’t exchange any words. Teaspoon simply places his gun back in his holster.

Buck takes Jane’s hand and escorts her out of the barn. She has a hundred questions for Buck, but
with the way his mood is right now, she’ll ask them later, much later.

Teaspoon watches the young man as he leaves the barn. He doesn’t suspect that Buck will be
forgiving him anytime soon for his actions tonight.

“Would you have really shot him?” Jesse asked with a gleam in his eyes over the possibility.

Teaspoon turns around to face Jesse. He notices the gleam and becomes concerned about the joy
Jesse finds in another man being hurt. “You’d best be riding on out of here for your own safety.”

“You don’t think Buck will follow through with his threat do you?” Jesse asked selfishly.

“Jesse, you have to understand where Buck is coming from concerning this matter.”

“He doesn’t like me much Teaspoon. That’s really all I have to understand about Buck Cross.”

“Buck is a lawman Jesse. He has been working with me for four years now. I’ve never made
exceptions for any criminals in the past.”

“Except for Buck himself.”

“Jesse please don’t bring up what happened between Buck and Neville again. That was a long time
ago. You know how Buck was feeling that day. He wasn’t himself, and I knew it. I should have been
able to stop what happened that day.”

“So you made allowances for Buck?”

“Jesse, I partly blame myself for what happened. I knew Buck was hurting over Ike’s death. I just
hadn’t figured on him wanting Neville dead. I should have locked Buck up at the way station until
Neville was out of town.”

“Don’t blame yourself Teaspoon. That isn’t fair to you,” Jesse spoke softly to a distraught Teaspoon.

As soon as Buck gets Jane safely into his home, he slams the door attempting to release it from its
hinges, behind his own entrance into the house.

Buck escorts Jane into the living room. An oil lamp still burns brightly in the room. Buck assumes that
Charlene has been waiting up for his return.

He isn’t in the living room two seconds when Charlene comes sprinting toward him, and leaps into his
arms clasping her hands tightly about his neck. He holds her trembling body for a second, but then he
notices a look of disappointment in Jane’s eyes.

Jane hadn’t thought that Buck might be married. Seven years is a long time. Of course he would be
married by now. Its not like he had been waiting for her to grow up and search him out when she had
done so.

Buck grasps onto Charlene’s hands with his own hands, and releases her tight hold on him. He stands
her a few feet in front of him.

For the first time Charlene notices the beauty that has been glued to Buck’s side. He’s brought
another female into his home. For a man that didn’t want even one female living in his home, he sure
is easily persuaded to allow two females to stay at his home. Charlene has made up her mind that she
is not happy about the competition for Buck’s attention.

“Where’s Jimmy?” Buck asked his voice still rattled from his outburst with Jesse and Teaspoon.

“He didn’t check in with me. I haven’t a clue,” Charlene spoke with a brazen air about herself. She
glares up and down at Jane. She is trying to measure up her competition.

The scowl on the young woman’s face is telling Jane that she isn’t too thrilled to see another woman
next to Buck.  It’s pretty obvious to Jane that this woman is interested in Buck for one thing and one
thing only. The way she throws herself at Buck is a dead giveaway at what this little tramp is after!

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend, Buck?” Charlene asked in the sweetest voice she
can withstand without making herself sick.

“Oh. I’m sorry. Jane this is Charlene. She is engaged to Simon. He had attacked her and left her in an
alley to die. Charlene this is Jane. She’s an old friend of mine who just came back to Rock Creek a
few days ago. Simon had attacked her in the schoolhouse the other night.”

“Pleased to meet you Charlene,” Jane spoke softly.

“Likewise,” Charlene replied.

“Charlene, I’m going to take Jane upstairs and show her a room to put her things in. I’ve already
locked the front door. Your welcome to stay up longer if you wish, but I won’t be coming back
downstairs tonight,” Buck spoke softly.

Buck takes Jane’s hand in one of his hands, and carries her bag in his other hand. They head up the
stairs and out of Charlene’s sight.

This isn’t how I had planned for things to go between us tonight Buck.
She thinks quietly in her mind. “You can take Jane to her room Buck, just so long as you don’t stay in
it with her,” Charlene spoke quietly out loud not realizing that she had done so. The deceitful glare in
her eyes can only mean trouble for Buck and Jane.
 

CHAPTER EIGHT

Shortly after sunrise the next morning, Charlene is busying herself in Buck’s kitchen. She is
searching through the many cupboards for a skillet to make pancakes and sausage. Of course, it isn’t
upsetting her day that she allows the cupboards to slam shut when she can’t find the utensils she
needs to prepare breakfast with. “Men simply have no inclination on how to arrange a kitchen.” She
speaks quietly aloud to anyone who cares to listen. She hasn’t actually spent a great deal of time in a
kitchen, but she figures if she is ever to marry Buck Cross, then she best start learning how to use
one.

Buck and Jane enter the kitchen hand in hand through the dining room smiling warmly at each other.

“Charlene, is something wrong?” Buck asked concerned about the loud clanging and banging of pots
and pans.

“We heard the banging, and…uh who where you talking to?” Jane spoke as she glances around the
kitchen to see whom Charlene could have been holding a conversation with.

Charlene slams the skillet onto the stove. She isn’t too happy about Jane questioning her motives.
The truth is, she just plain isn’t thrilled about Jane living in Buck’s home at all!

Buck who had taken a seat at the table watches the two women who seem on the verge of a duel. He
smiles wondering which woman would come out the victor.

Charlene proceeds to look for a mixing bowl for her pancake batter. Again, she can’t seem to locate
one. She turns from her task of annihilating the cupboards to glare at Buck harshly. He will just have
to hire a cook if she is to continue to reside in his home. “You certainly don’t keep a very orderly
kitchen Buck Cross.”

Jane watches the woman glare at Buck. She is having a difficult time keeping her laughter from
bursting out. “Charlene, are you sure you know how to use a kitchen?” Jane spoke as she reaches
into a cupboard near the stove and finds a stoneware batter bowl for mixing and pouring pancakes.

“Perhaps you should be the cook, Miss Jane,” Charlene spoke in a smug tone of voice.

Jane turns to the counter and begins to mix ingredients for the pancakes. As she’s mixing the batter
up with a spoon, she also manages to heat up the skillet to cook her pancakes on.

Buck is amazed at the young woman before him. He never thought of Jane as being much for
domestication. He has to keep reminding himself that she was quite young when he first met her
seven years ago. She isn’t the same girl. Thank the heavens for the young woman she has become.

Charlene huffs about the kitchen with her arms flung in front of her. She can’t allow this delicate
woman to take her rightful place with Buck. After all, Buck had brought her into his home first to live.
As far as she is concerned, Jane has no place in her newly established place of residence. Charlene’s
main concern with her newfound life is the look in Buck’s eyes as he watches Jane’s every movement.
It is the look of a man falling hopelessly in love.

The first batch of pancakes are just getting done when Jimmy and Cody come strolling through the
back door of Buck’s home which brings them right into the kitchen. They both grin unbearably when
they smell the delicious breakfast that Jane is preparing.

“Are we too late for breakfast?” Cody asked gleefully.

“Buck?” Jane asked with a nod that it’s fine with her that the two men join them for breakfast.

“You two must have a keen sense of smell. You’re welcome to stay only since Jane doesn’t mind
making breakfast for you,” Buck spoke loud enough for everyone to hear him over top Jane’s
cooking and Charlene’s fuming.

The two men seat themselves at the table. Charlene also sits down in a chair. She makes sure she sits
in a chair next to Buck. Everyone in the room takes notice to the fact that she inches the chair as
close as she can get it to Buck without sitting the chair on top of him.

Jimmy clears his throat as Jane delivers a plate of pancakes and sausage to him and Buck.

“So where were you all night Jimmy? I thought we agreed that we have a responsibility here toward
Charlene,” Buck spoke insisting on an answer from his friend.

“Uh. Well….I thought for one evening you could handle Charlene by yourself.”

“Please don’t speak about me as if I weren’t in the room. I am perfectly capable of keeping myself
out of harms way for one evening. You don’t need to worry yourself about me all the time Buck,”
Charlene spoke as if she had taken in an overdose of sweetness this morning.

“What about you Buck? I thought we had agreed that you were to drop Jane off at the bunkhouse?”
Cody spoke his tone demanding an answer from Buck.

Jane places a plate of food in front of Cody. She glances at Buck to surmise what his answer to
Cody’s question will be.

Buck’s eyes gently meet with Jane’s. He is fully aware that he is developing some feelings for this
woman, but he isn’t quite ready for her to know it. “I…I thought that Jane might like her own room
instead of sharing a room with you. Besides, the bunkhouse roof hasn’t been patched up yet. She
would get all wet if it stormed,” Buck spoke as his eyes look away from Jane and focus on Cody.

“What do you think Jane? Do you want to stay here with Buck in this warm, comfortable house? Or
would you rather stay in the cold, damp bunkhouse with Cody?” Jimmy asked with a grin teasing both
men. He’s well aware of what is going on here. Buck always has had a rough time keeping his true
feelings hidden. Cody is just boisterous about everything in his life. If he has to use the privy he boldly
announces his intensions.

Jane looks from Buck to Cody and back to Buck again. She even catches the sour disposition on
Charlene’s face. The young woman is almost pouting with the thought of having her as a roommate in
the same house with Buck. That seals her fate. It will be outlandishly humorous to annoy Charlene. “I
would rather stay in a nice warm house with Buck. Oh and with Charlene too of course.”

Buck notices the disappointment on Cody’s face. He selfishly doesn’t really care about how Cody will
deal with Jane being closer to him. It’s obvious to Buck that Cody is interested in Jane for more than
just a friend. If he is to have any kind of chance with her, he has to keep Cody a little further away
from her than arms reach.

“Now that that has been settled, do you think you could pin your badge back on Buck? I really need
my deputy back,” Jimmy spoke calmly about the subject hoping not to upset Buck.

Jane has seated herself in-between Buck and Jimmy. When she sits down she glances up at Buck and
finds him looking her way. She smiles tenderly at him before turning her attention away from him and
back on Jimmy’s question.

“You going to answer the question Buck?” Cody asked angrily. He’s getting a bit upset that Buck and
Jane don’t even try to keep their eyes off of each other.

“I can’t do that Jimmy,” Buck replied flatly.

“What about Teaspoon?” Jimmy asked somberly.

“What about him?”

“You plan on never speaking to him again?” Jimmy asked trying to get Buck to give in and admit that
not talking to Teaspoon is hurting him more than the argument they had had.

“I can’t speak with him right now. Don’t ask me to bend over backwards for Teaspoon. I just can’t do
that right now,” Buck replied with a frown.

“Okay. I’ll drop it, for now,” Jimmy spoke thinking perhaps he did at least get Buck’s mind on the old
man. “I need another favor Buck.”

Buck puts his cup of coffee on the table in front of him with a disgusted clang. He decides his best
approach from now on when dealing with Jimmy and Cody and all their favors is to hold nothing back
and just tell them like it is. “No!”

Everyone at the table including Cody and Charlene, who had been intensely engrossed in their
breakfast, look over at Buck in disbelieve of the answer he had just given Jimmy.

“No. You didn’t even hear me out!” Jimmy spoke gruffly.

Buck shakes his head in disbelieve. Once again Jimmy has roped him in. He can’t help but want to
help his friend out when he needs a favor. “I’m listening.”

“Great. I’ve asked Charlene’s sister Hannah to the dance this Saturday. I need for you to escort
Charlene,” Jimmy spoke hurriedly. He wants Buck to say yes he’ll do it without an argument. He
senses that Buck would have liked to ask Jane to the dance. Jimmy knows by asking Buck to escort
Charlene, it will leave the door wide open for Cody to ask Jane. He hates doing that to both Buck and
Jane, but he had already asked Hannah and he really doesn’t want to cancel his night with her,
especially his plans with her for after the dance.

“Go ahead Buck,” Cody spoke as he turns his attention to Jane. “Jane would you do me the honor of
accompanying me to the dance this Saturday?” Cody asked ever so politely.

Buck’s mouth drops open in shock, but he quickly covers the shock that he feels and tries to act like if
Jane accepts Cody’s invitation to the dance it won’t bother him at all.

Jane glances at Buck to see if she can register how he is feeling. She caught the disappointment in his
eyes when Cody had initially asked her to the dance. He became subdued with his words and in his
actions. She’ll allow Cody to escort her to the dance, but only because she knows Buck will be there
with Charlene. She’ll need to keep her eyes on Charlene’s hands and wherever they may roam!

“I’ll attend the dance with you Cody. Thank-you for asking me,” Jane stated flatly. She couldn’t help
but not act enthused about her upcoming date with Cody when it’s Buck she’d rather be with. When
she makes her answer known, she takes notice to Buck’s lowered eyes and sad smile. It gives her
some hope that he is bothered by her date with Cody. She will admit that his date with Charlene has
an unsettling feeling in her stomach, but she won’t allow Buck to be aware of it just yet.

Cody is grinning from ear to ear over his date with Jane. He isn’t one to hide his accomplishments. He
wants to make sure that Buck witnesses the gratification that he feels that Jane has said yes to his
courting her, or at least courting Jane is what Cody has on his mind. “I’ll pick you up at about six
o’clock Saturday evening. Now how about I give you a ride into town. I don’t want you taking
unnecessary chances with Simon Davenport still on the loose.”

“That would be fine Cody. Just let me get my things,” Jane spoke as she gets up from the table. She
takes one last quick glance at Buck, but he isn’t looking her way. He seems distant to her since she
agreed to a date with Cody. She doesn’t bother saying anything to Buck she simply disappears from
the kitchen.

“Cody, you’re just so damn proud of yourself, aren’t you?” Jimmy asked. He doesn’t want Jane to
over hear his declaration to Cody about his aggressiveness towards her, on her way out of the
kitchen.

“Yes, as a matter of fact I am,” Cody spoke boldly.

Jimmy turns his attention to Buck. “I’ll see you later today.”

Jane bursts back into the kitchen. “I’ll also see you later today,” Jane spoke to Buck on her way over
to stand near Cody.

“Will you need a ride home?” Buck asked Jane somberly.

“I’ll bring her back home Buck. There’s no need for you to stop your work just to come into Rock
Creek to bring Jane home when I’ll be right in town,” Cody spoke confidently.

Cody leads Jane to the back door. They depart as Kid is walking in. He looks at Jane oddly as if he
recognizes her. Jane smiles at Kid with acknowledgement as they pass each other in the doorway.
Jimmy follows right behind Cody and Jane. He tips his hat to greet Kid, but Kid doesn’t care to
acknowledge the over-confident Jimmy this morning.

“Was that Jane? Our Jane?” Kid asked pointing a finger back toward the closed back door.

Charlene stands up from the table and heads toward the kitchen door that leads to the dining room. “I
would like to know just one thing.”

“What do you want to know Charlene?” Buck asked disheartened by this morning’s mishandled
events. None of them going the way Buck had wanted them to go.

“What is so damn special about this Jane woman? You all act as if you haven’t seen her in years,”
Charlene spoke gruffly.

“We haven’t,” both Buck and Kid spoke in unison.

Kid takes his eyes from Charlene and tries to focus on their work schedule for the day. “We’re
patching up the bunkhouse roof today right?”

Buck hesitates for a moment before answering Kid. A little knavery on his part will keep Cody at a
substantial distance from Jane. He won’t allow Jane to stay at the bunkhouse until the leaky roof is
patched.  “Perhaps we should tackle the back of Rachel and Teaspoon’s roof before the bunkhouse,”
Buck spoke voicing his opinion explicitly.

“Buck, Rachel isn’t really using that back room right now. However, Cody is staying in the
bunkhouse. He could get kind of wet if it should rain,” Kid spoke softly.

“A little rain won’t hurt Cody none. As a matter of fact, a significant downpour might drown his
arrogant, unrestrained personality out into the creek,” Buck spoke flatly, but with a gleam in his eyes
at the thought of Cody being out of the picture where Jane is concerned.

Kid acts confused at why Buck would say such a thing about Cody. He thought that the only two
fighting were he and Jimmy. Maybe Buck and Cody got into a brawl when he was busy sorting out
what has been going on in his own life.

Buck’s intentions are clear to him even if when he looks into Kid’s eyes he sees a hint of perplexity.
He knows that Cody has some honor underneath all his overconfident mannerisms. Cody also won’t
allow Jane to move out to the bunkhouse before the roof is fixed. With that in mind, Buck is thinking
the bunkhouse roof may never get fixed.

Charlene has been watching and listening to Buck extremely close. His intentions concerning the
bunkhouse roof are very clear to her. She must come up with a plan to get rid of Buck’s most recent
houseguest! She isn’t sure how she’ll do it, but a plan of action will have to wait. She has other
planning to do for her date on Saturday. At least she is the one who Buck will have attached to his arm
on Saturday night at the dance. She’ll make an extra effort to look her most beautiful and appealing to
ward off the likes of miss sweetie pie Jane. She’ll have Hannah bring all her dresses from home that
show-off her most stunning feminine features!

While Charlene is daydreaming about her dream date with Buck, the two men have almost slipped out
the back door without announcing that their intentions are for her to be alone once again. She clears
her throat to divert their sole attention back onto her.

The two men glance over their shoulders to look at a flawlessly poised Charlene. Her hands are glued
to her hips and the smugness on her face looks even more displeasing than normal. “What am I
suppose to do all day by myself with the two of you working on the ranch?”

“Stay in the house. That way you’ll be out of danger and out of trouble as well, and I won’t have to
worry about what you’re doing,” Buck spoke a little more gruffly to her then he really wanted to.

The two men leave the house through the back kitchen door. After they leave, Charlene is in a huff
over Buck’s apparent disinterest in her as a lover. He acts totally dispassionate when she is near him.
You would think that the man would show a slight interest when she is practically throwing herself into
his bed. No! Not Buck Cross! He’ll suppress his passion for her as long as Jane is around. She has
seen how the two can’t keep their eyes off one another and how they are always smiling tenderly at
each other. It almost makes her want to retch up the awful breakfast she was forced to eat!

Cody could very well be the answer to her dilemma. She has witnessed Cody’s despising mannerisms
whenever it appears Buck and Jane are gazing at one another as if they are the only two in the room.
She will have a chat with Cody about asking Jane for her permission to court her on a serious level.
Surely Buck would feel depressed over Jane saying yes to courting Cody. Charlene would make sure
she is the one to comfort Buck. Once she manages to get Buck to take her into his bedroom, she’ll
make damn sure he wouldn’t want to be without her!

Rachel is stepping out onto her front porch from inside her home balancing a basket of wet clothes
that she had just washed in one hand, and a fresh cup of coffee for Teaspoon in her other hand.
Behind her the screen door slams after she releases it with her foot. She takes notice that the forceful
banging of the screen door against the wooden doorframe doesn’t snap her husband out of his
hypnotic state. While still handling both the basket of clothes and cup of coffee, she maneuvers
herself around Teaspoon and his crutches to avoid tripping over them.

Rachel tries to hand Teaspoon his cup of coffee, but he is so wrapped up in his thoughts that he
doesn’t even comprehend her hand extended with the cup right in front of his face. She sighs heavily.
She gives up on trying to get his attention, and places her basket of clothes down on the porch. She’ll
consider herself lucky if she gets any household work done today with the dazed condition her
husband is in.

Teaspoon is sitting in one of the wooden rocking chairs that adorns Rachel’s porch. Rachel, with
Teaspoon’s cup of hot coffee in her hand, sits down in a rocking chair right next to him. All of these
actions still don’t warrant any acknowledgement from him that she is even within earshot of him.

“Teaspoon,” Rachel spoke softly barely above a whisper. She doesn’t wish to startle him out of his
half-conscious state, but a whisper doesn’t even get a blink of an eyelash out of him. “Teaspoon
Hunter!” Rachel hollered. But on the other hand, she is quite tried of his melancholy state of mind
ever since he and Buck had their argument. The silence between the two lawmen is bothering
Teaspoon a lot more than he has been letting on to anyone with the exception of his wife. She knows
him like the pages of a great novel. He’s disliking himself immensely for the hurtfulness that his
words have caused Buck.

“If this moodiness of yours is about Buck and Jesse, you already know how I feel,” Rachel spoke
rather gruffly at her husband.

“Rachel,” Teaspoon spoke somewhat still dazed.

“Your current situation can be easily remedied,” Rachel spoke bluntly. She has no pity for the man
before her. She figures he brought this battle to their home out of his love for a young boy that he
once sheltered from the harshness that life, as an adult has to offer.

“I love them all you know,” Teaspoon spoke somberly.

“I realize that. I believe deep in my heart that they all know it. But, Teaspoon Hunter you are dead
wrong about this thing with Jesse and Buck. There is no good that can come out of it.”

“You think so?” Teaspoon questioned with a hint of sarcasm in his tone of voice. He really hates to
admit to her that he has been totally wrong about something. He doesn’t mind admitting it to himself.
The vantage point of that is that he knows he’s wrong, but everyone else just says he’s a stubborn old
man. At his age he’ll take stubborn any day over being just plain wrong.

She rests a comforting hand on his forearm. She hands him the steaming cup of coffee that she had
made especially for him and his mood. “Teaspoon, I love Jesse too, but he’s turned into a young man
that we no longer know. I can’t understand why you are defending him and hurting Buck in the
process. Buck has been by your side for years. Your willingness to throw that all away simply because
Jesse has decided it’s time to come home after years of breaking the law, has me and the rest of this
family flabbergasted.”

“Yeah I know. How do you think I feel? I feel terrible over the way I spoke to Buck. I’m ashamed of
the way I hurt him concerning Neville. When all that went down with Ike and Neville, I was the first
one to blame myself for what happened. Buck was just a boy then, and I still believe that he was so
grief-stricken that he couldn’t comprehend the act of violence he was committing.”

“Well, I’m at least happy to see you’re admitting you are wrong,” Rachel spoke strongly.

“Admitting I’m wrong, and fixing what I’ve shattered are entirely two different aspects of life. Buck
won’t even look at me much less talk to me. Jesse came hear again last evening, and Buck happened
to be just getting home at the same time. We had yet another misunderstanding in the barn. He had a
beautiful young woman with him though. He didn’t even take the time out from our bickering to
introduce her to me.”

“I am assuming the young lady is the new school teacher. It seems a few evenings ago a man attacked
her right in the schoolhouse. Cody came to her rescue, and he in turned asked Buck if she could stay
at the ranch until Simon Davenport is caught.”

“Simon Davenport attacked this young woman also?”

“The description she gave Cody matches Simon. Now lets get back to what you are gonna do about
healing your relationship with Buck.”

“You seem to have all the answers today. What am I gonna do about my relationship with Buck?”
Teaspoon asked quietly.

“My guess is that you have two choices. You’ll either apologize to Buck or you can plan on moving
out into the bunkhouse with Cody,” Rachel spoke astutely. She gets up from her chair and picks up
her basket of clothes and proceeds to walk off the porch to hang them on the clothesline.

“Rachel darling, that sounds more like an ultimatum rather than a choice,” Teaspoon bellowed.

She glances back over her shoulder at him. “You can take it anyway you like, just make sure it gets
done.” She continues forward to hang up her clothes, not once making any further attempt to speak
with her husband.

He’s been given his warning. It’s time he made amends with the young man that has stood by him
through not only the best of times, but through a lot of bad times too.

Charlene, not thinking that she is still in any danger, slips out the backdoor that is located in the
kitchen to Buck’s home. Buck had given her strict orders to stay in the house where she would be
perfectly safe. He doesn’t love her, so why should he care whether she is safe or not. The thought of
her safety being a mere job that he must do, doesn’t sit too well with her. She has fallen in love with
Buck. She has already ruled out the fact that it isn’t only lewd thoughts she feels for Buck. For him,
there is a genuine feeling of want and love mixed with lust.

She shuts the kitchen door quietly, but tightly behind her. She glances out over the landscape of
Buck’s back yard. The bustling sounds of the creek hitting against the embankments has a calming
effect on her frazzled nerves. Nothing or no one person can usually rattle her steady composure, but
Jane has done both. Jane has already become a monumental task for Charlene to contend with. If it
weren’t for the look in Buck’s eyes whenever he gazes at Jane, Charlene could have tolerated the
arrival of the new schoolteacher into Buck’s home. It is those endless gazes of yearning from Buck to
Jane that Charlene can’t, and won’t tolerate!

Charlene rounds the corner of Buck’s home to walk further down toward the creek. Her heart
fleetingly jumps from her chest as a masculine hand is cupped over her mouth to suppress her scream
that is caught in her throat!

He pulls her body against his and drags her further into a small wooded area! Charlene tries
feverishly to release his hand from her mouth. Her attempts are meant with a more secure grip
around her mouth.

When his body finally stops moving, Charlene’s heart begins to pulsate from her chest. If this is
Simon she is well aware that his intentions are to rape her, and probably torture her to a slow,
agonizing death.

The man turns her around to face him! Charlene is stunned to see that the face does not belong to
Simon Davenport her nemesis. Her only thought now is who is this man, and what does he want with
her?

“If you promise not to scream, I will remove my hand from your mouth. However, if I remove my
hand, and you scream out, I will have no choice but to kill you. Do you understand?”

Charlene hesitates momentarily, but then decides it is in her best interest to agree. She nods her head
in agreement.

He slowly takes his hand away from her mouth. As he first removes his hand, Charlene thinks that if
she should scream out, that perhaps Buck and Kid could get to her in time before this young man
makes any attempt on her life, but the gun that he pulls out from his holster has her pursing her mouth
closed.

“A wise decision on your part Miss Anderson.”

“How do you know my name?”

“I will ask the questions here.”

“You look like the type of man Simon would hang out with. I’m sure that is how you know who I am.
You needn’t answer my question.”

“You are quite a bit more intelligent then Simon gives you credit for being.”

”Simon is the unintelligent one, not I.”

“Good. Then I shouldn’t have any trouble persuading you to do a few small favors for me.”

“Before I do any favors for any man, I want to know who you are?”

“The favors that I ask of you will be in return for the safekeeping of your beautiful body. My name is
Jesse James! Perhaps you have heard of me.”

”Your name has been mentioned around the ranch. You’re a wanted outlaw.”

“That’s correct.”

“Why should I help you?”

“Because if you don’t, I will unleash Simon Davenport onto your beautiful being. He knows you’re
staying here. How do you think I knew where to find you? Simon isn’t a very forgiving man. But, as
long as you do as I say, then Simon will not come anywhere near you.”

Charlene looks the young man over. He actually looks a little younger then the men that she has
come to know at the ranch. His eyes are what she is intensely afraid of. They are blinding her with a
scowl of pure hatred. She actually fears these eyes more than she fears Simon.

“What favors can I possibly do for you?”

“I need to know every more that Buck Cross, Jimmy Hickok, and the man they call the Kid are going
to make before they make it.”

“Why?”

Jesse takes his hand and rubs it gently across her cheek. The pressure of his hand suddenly becomes
harsh, and he lowers his hand to her throat where he squeezes her ever so tenderly.

“Do we have an understanding?”

Charlene contemplates that this could work to her advantage. If she complies to want this outlaw
wants, then perhaps he would do her a tremendous favor! “I would be happy to oblige.”

Kid and Buck have established themselves on yet another roof in dire need of patch up work before
cold weather hits the growing town of Rock Creek. The enormous tree that had crashed onto the roof
lies on the ground in a pile. Jeremiah had spent a good two weeks cutting the wood up for winter after
he finished fixing and painting the picket fence.

Kid and Buck have the new roof on. They have started hammering the shingles in place. Kid glances
at Buck every so often wondering why he hasn’t said two words all morning. Kid thought that he is
suppose to be the one that is in a bad mood, but Buck is certainly outdoing Kid this morning.

“What’s bothering you Buck?” Kid asked. He figures he may as well just come out with it rather than
beat around the bush at what could be putting Buck in his foul mood.

Buck doesn’t look up from his work to talk with Kid. “Nothing I want to talk about,” Buck spoke
bluntly.

“I guess by now I should know well enough to leave you alone when you answer me like that, but
dammit Buck I’m worried about all these quiet moods you’ve been having lately.”

Buck stops working and looks at Kid who had already ceased working a few minutes before. “Have
you noticed how everything in our lives has turned upside down since the night of that bad storm?”

Kid has to think on Buck’s question for a moment. He thinks back to the early evening of the storm
that wrecked havoc on their ranch and their lives. Everything that has lead up to where they are at
right now is because of the cruelness of Mother Nature. Teaspoon broke his leg in that miserable
storm. That in turn made Buck the marshal and Kid became Buck’s deputy. Which in turn
immediately set Rachel and Louise into action on searching for Jimmy, and pleading with him to help
out. Jimmy came to town. Kid figures his life became a disaster the second Jimmy rode into Rock
Creek. He suffered a severe headache for days when he landed on the floor with his chair, after
Jimmy startled him from a sound sleep. That did unable Buck and him to stay at the ranch and work
on the repairs, which were also caused by the storm. In between this entire enjoyable goings on, Kid
becomes jealous of Jimmy for paying too much attention to his wife, Louise is jealous of Buck because
he is spending too much time with Buck. Then there’s the army soldiers that had been murdered,
Cody’s return, the horse thieves, Jesse’s return, Charlene living with Buck for protection against her
own fiancée, Cody getting shot, Teaspoon and Buck not speaking to each other, Jane reentering their
lives. “Oh my god!”

Buck grabs hold of Kid’s forearm when he thinks he’s going to take a tumble off the roof. “What’s the
matter?”

“I’m giving myself a splitting headache,” Kid stated as he rubs his temples with his fingers ever so
gently.

“See what I mean. We haven’t had one minute of good luck since that storm hit.”

“Oh I don’t know about that Buck. You and I don’t have to worry about getting struck with old Miss
Cooper’s walking cane,” Kid spoke with a broad smile attached handsomely to his face.

Buck doesn’t even smile slightly at Kid’s wisecrack. “Okay, that thing about Miss Cooper was
suppose to cheer you up, and you didn’t even crack so much as a tiny grin. What’s eating you?”

“It’s everything and everybody,” Buck spoke sadly.

“No it’s not. It could be that Louise is driving you crazy with this act of jealously she is having toward
you with me. But, I don’t really think that’s it. It could possibly be that my fighting with Jimmy is
getting on your nerves. But, hell that’s getting on everyone’s nerves. So I don’t think that’s it either.”

“It’s Teaspoon and Cody,” Buck spoke disheartened.

“Gee Buck. You really relinquished that information in record time.”

“I might as well tell you because you won’t give me any peace until I do,” Buck spoke gruffly.

“Okay, I’m sorry. It’s just high time people started getting back to normal around here.”

“That’s never going to happen. Not as long as Jesse James is roaming around Rock Creek with no
laws to protect the innocent people he will hurt.”

“Including yourself Buck?”

Kid gets no response from Buck. The only thing Kid gets from Buck is a blind stare that penetrates
right through him. “I know you’re hurt from all that’s going on with Jesse and Teaspoon. But, I really
want to believe that Teaspoon will come to his senses and realize that Jesse is playing him for a fool. I
mean I can see it, and I haven’t even been around Jesse to witness his treachery in action.”

“Are you planning on talking with Jesse?”

“No. I just meant that from what you, Jimmy and Cody have said about Jesse it makes me just want
to stay away from him. Actually, I’m hoping the law catches wind that he and his gang are hiding out
here. Jesse would be long gone if that should happen.”

“Maybe I should give that a little shove in the right direction,” Buck spoke with a grin and a plan.

“I wouldn’t if I were you. Just let this ordeal with Jesse ride out naturally. Jesse is a smart mouthed
punk who thinks he knows everything about life in his mere twenty-two years of existence.”

“Sort of puts me in mind of Jeremiah. Only difference being is that Jeremiah won’t turn to a life of
crime because Louise would strangle him if he did.”

“Now about Teaspoon. Maybe you should try talking to him when Jesse isn’t around. Maybe without
Jesse’s influence working on Teaspoon’s soft spot, the two of you could discuss the problems between
you.”

“The problem between us is Jesse.”

“Yeah it started out that way. But, the problem is a lot deeper than just Jesse hanging around Rock
Creek.” I think what you have to ask yourself is do you care enough about Teaspoon to forgive and
forget the remarks he made comparing you to Jesse, and also the fact that he’s looking the other way
where Jesse and the law are concerned. Those two things seem to be what is causing the two of you to
have such a problem with communication.”

“I can’t promise that I can forgive him. I can only work on forgiving him. Then of course he may not
ask me to forgive him either.”

“Tell Teaspoon how you feel about this whole mess without making any accusations. It also wouldn’t
hurt if the two of you could talk without yelling and hollering at each other.”

“I’ll try,” Buck spoke still sounding down and out.

“What’s up with Cody?”

“What about Cody?”

“You mentioned Cody as your other problem. What’s he doing that’s upsetting you?”

“He’s just got this way about him that gets the best of me sometimes.”

“That’s cause you let him get the best of you.”

“Sort of the way you let Jimmy decide what kind of day you’re going to have,” Buck stated with half a
smile.

“Buck, please don’t ruin my day just because you’re having a lousy day. Besides, Rachel is going to
have a talk with Louise. So far from talking with my wife, Rachel tells me that Louise’s biggest
problem will be overcoming her jealously of you my friend.”

“Oh come on. Louise isn’t really jealous of me. How can she be? What do I have that she doesn’t
have that would make her jealous of me?”

“Me. I spend more time with you then I do with her. My only problem with that is that back when we
were just courting, Louise begged me more than once to allow her to have time of her own. She said I
was always crowding her.”

“Women can sure keep men guessing can’t they?” Buck asked truly confused about women.

“Are we talking about Louise or Jane?”

Buck is shocked that Kid has surmised that he is interested in Jane. He hadn’t mentioned it to his
best friend because he’s really not sure how he feels about Jane just yet. And then there’s Cody, who
has already proved he’ll stop at nothing to get Jane in his bed. “How did you know?”

“Buck, you have never been real good at keeping your feelings hidden. I could tell right away that
Charlene Anderson is just simply getting on your nerves. On the other hand, it’s obvious that Jane
has your undivided attention just by the way you look at her. You were staring pretty intensely at Jane
this morning when she was leaving with Cody.”

“Did I appear that obvious?” Buck asked softly.

“Yeah. Charlene noticed it to. I could see smoke coming from her nostrils. She doesn’t seem like the
type of woman who gives up easily on what she wants.”

“I find Charlene’s interest in me rather amusing. I was fascinated with Charlene a few years ago.
That is before I found out what kind of woman she really is. She wouldn’t have anything to do with me.
Now she’s interested, and I’m not. Instead I want Jane, and Jane’s with Cody. Now do you see why
I’m having such a miserable day?”

“How’s the roof coming you two?” Teaspoon hollered up to Kid and Buck from the ground below
where they are working. He is standing as he leans into his crutches, and shadows his eyes with his
one hand to look upwards where the sun is beaming brightly.

“Good morning Teaspoon,” Kid hollered back down at Teaspoon.

When Buck doesn’t give Teaspoon a morning greeting, Kid nudges him in the side. But, instead of
acknowledging Teaspoon’s presence, Buck goes back to work pounding a few more nails into the
shingles with such intensity that Buck almost shatters the nails he is driving into the roof.

Kid had thought he had convinced Buck to give Teaspoon a chance to explain his actions toward him
concerning Jesse. Kid is baffled by the sudden impersonal way Buck is behaving to Teaspoon. “We’re
almost finished with the roof Teaspoon.”

Teaspoon stands silently for a few passing moments hoping that Buck will join in on the conversation.
His hopes are diminished when Buck turns his back to him to repair shingles behind him. Teaspoon
looks toward the ground not wanting Kid to see the hurt in his eyes. He slowly turns with his crutches
to walk back to the front of his home.

Kid keeps a watchful eye on Teaspoon for a moment as he maneuvers his way through the piles of
split wood. Kid then returns to the task at hand also. Buck’s heart aches to talk with Teaspoon. He
hopes his pride of not wanting to get hurt again doesn’t keep him from eventually trying to patch their
relationship up.

Buck has been blindly watching Teaspoon. He snaps out of his blindness just in time to see Teaspoon
place his one crutch onto a piece of loose firewood. The firewood doesn’t hold Teaspoon’s weight and
slips from underneath his crutch. The firewood flies into the air, causing Teaspoon to fall with his
crutches falling right behind him!

“Teaspoon!” Buck yelled. He is up from his place on the roof and descending upon the ladder with
Kid trailing right behind him. He reaches Teaspoon who is already starting to get himself up from the
ground.

Kid latches onto Teaspoon’s forearm to steady him while Buck scoops up his crutches and places
them underneath his arms. When Buck looks up his eyes meet with Teaspoon’s.

“I guess you still do care,” Teaspoon spoke quietly.

“I never said that I didn’t,” Buck spoke his voice cracking with emotion.

At this moment Kid backs away from the marshal and his deputy. “Rachel probably has a nice cool
glass of lemonade waiting for me. I think I’ll just go and claim it,” Kid spoke as he backs up and
leaves the two men alone.

“I’m sorry Buck. I’ve said some shameful things to you lately that I am really regretting. I have so
much to apologize for that I don’t even quite know where to begin.”

“I’m sorry for not being more understanding about your feelings toward Jesse. He is a notorious
outlaw, but I shouldn’t have expected you to hunt him down and turn him just to have to watch him
hang. You didn’t turn me in, and you should have. You knew that day that I killed Neville in cold
blood, but you let it go. I shouldn’t have asked you to do any less for Jesse,” Buck stated sorrowfully.

“I’m the one that should be apologizing Buck, not you. Rachel has had to remind me about all the
times I tried to teach you boys right from wrong. My hollering at you over posting Jesse’s wanted
poster and my hiding Jesse out from the law when I am the law is teaching you wrong from right. I’ve
been contradicting the rules I taught you boys years ago. It isn’t fair on my part to expect you to do
just the opposite of how I tried to bring you up.”

“I’ll try to stay out of your business with Jesse. I can’t make any promises though.”

“You do understand that I can’t bring Jesse in. You are right about the fact that he would hang. I can’t
watch that happen.”

“Someday it may happen Teaspoon, and you won’t be able to stop it,” Buck spoke softly.

“I know. I just don’t want him to hang here in Rock Creek. I don’t know if I could bear to live here if
Jesse were to hang in my town. Just as I’m sure I would have resigned as marshal if you would have
hanged for Neville’s act of violence toward Ike.”

“I really dislike our arguing. I’ve been in such an unbearable mood to be around. I know Kid has been
afraid to work with me the last few days. I don’t know if I can just watch Jesse waltz in and out of your
life the way he does without opening my mouth about it. I can only say that I will try to let you handle
Jesse.”

“What about coming back as my deputy?”

Buck glances down toward the ground. A tense silence falls once again between the two men.
Teaspoon doesn’t want to hear this awkward silence between them any longer. He has been disturbed,
since his berating Buck, with fits of sleepless nights and a terrible loss of his appetite.

“I’ll understand if you’re not ready to resume your job as my deputy. I can wait on that decision until
later,” Teaspoon spoke trying his best to reassure Buck that he isn’t upset with him about not wanting
his job back just yet.

Buck looks back into the eyes of the old marshal. “I’ll think about it. I can’t do my job as deputy with
Jesse lurking about every corner.”

“I understand. With all this talk my mouth feels like tumbleweed. I think we deserve a nice tall glass
of that there lemonade that Rachel made. That is as long as Kid didn’t drink it all.”

Buck laughs warmly at the marshal. He puts his arm around the marshal’s shoulder, and the two men
head toward the front of the house where they know Kid is relaxing with their glasses of lemonade.

Rachel is hanging out the last article of her laundry on the clotheslines when she discovers Louise
walking toward her. She leaves her basket sitting on the ground, and strolls over to meet with Louise
just outside the picket fence.

“Kid and Buck are out back repairing the roof. Why don’t we take a walk?” Rachel suggested.

“Good idea. I wouldn’t want Buck to bust up over my jealously of him with my husband.”

“You don’t think Buck doesn’t already know?” Rachel asked surprised that Louise thinks Buck
doesn’t know her little secret.

“He doesn’t?” Louise questioned as her face turns ten shades of red from embarrassment by Buck’s
discovery.

“I think he does,” Rachel spoke knowingly as she places her arm around Louise’s shoulder for some
reassuring comfort.

The two women walk toward the creek. When they reach the creek both women sit down on the
embankment that overlooks the cool, refreshing water.

Rachel, what am I going to do? I’ll never be able to look Buck in the eyes again now that he knows
that I’m jealous of him!”

“Have you asked yourself why all of a sudden you are jealous of Buck being around your husband?”
Rachel asked smiling at Louise’s discomfort at Buck knowing. “They’ve been working together for a
good many years now, first with the Pony Express and now with their horse ranch.

“It’s not so much the time Kid is with Buck, it’s the fact that he is never home with me and our
children. Sometimes I feel like he’s avoiding us for some reason. His sleeping over at Buck’s the
other night didn’t help my attacks of jealously any.”

“Buck couldn’t convince Kid to come home?”

“If he even tried. The two of them were probably plotting out Kid’s revenge on Jimmy and I. Rachel,
have you noticed that Jimmy hasn’t been around the ranch much since his and my blunder in the
creek?”

Rachel hesitates briefly on telling Louise what she knows about Jimmy’s disappearing acts lately.
Rachel knows that it is for the best. She only hopes that Louise will think that the fact that Jimmy is
courting Hannah Anderson is best for her marriage also. She would like to warn Louise ahead of time
anyway. She doesn’t want Louise to attend the dance Saturday and see Hannah in Jimmy’s arms
without a warning before hand.

“He’s been seeing Hannah Anderson. He’s taking her to the dance Saturday evening.”

Much to Rachel’s surprise Louise looks heart broke that there is another woman in Jimmy’s life
other than her.

“How did you hear about this? Did Jimmy tell you?” Louise asked
disheartened.

“Actually, I overheard Buck complaining about it to Kid. It seems that since Jimmy is escorting
Hannah to the dance, Buck must escort Charlene. That left Cody wide open to ask Jane, which he did
and she accepted.”

“Why is Buck complaining about that?”

“I think Buck had wanted to ask Jane to go with him.”

“Buck was closest to Jane than any of us when we met her seven years ago. I had the feeling back
then that she was kind of special to him. One thing is for certain; Jane has grown up into a beautiful
young woman. She was kind of boyish seven years ago.”

“What about you? Are you all right with Jimmy courting Hannah Anderson? You seemed a little sad
when I mentioned about the two of them being together.”