The soft glow of the moonlight tonight had been perfect for romance. He lies quietly on the hotel 
bed, which much to his dislike has become the center of their relationship; next to Hannah who is sleeping in a dream contented slumber. 

Jimmy briefly wonders if her dreams are centered with him being her knight in shining armor. Romance. Jimmy smiles at his foolishness. He had thought that Buck was acting somewhat naïve when he had mentioned to Jimmy that he wanted there to be romance between him and Jane before lust overtook their bodies. How absurd Jimmy had thought at the time of his and Buck’s conversation. He had simply chalked it up to Buck’s being inexperienced with women. But, now the thought of romancing Hannah is the only emotion Jimmy has on his mind. He is falling head over heels in love with Hannah, but all he is to her is a romp in this repetitious old hotel room. 

Jimmy gazes at Hannah and gently tucks a strand of her molten black tresses that have fallen onto her face, behind her ear. He ponders the thought of being a good husband if Hannah would allow herself to fall in love with just one man. Her negative attitude concerning love and marriage has Jimmy wondering if Hannah can even feel the emotion of love. Hannah certainly respects her 
father, but does she really love him? She is protective of Charlene and Phillip, but does she really love them? Would she tend to them if they were ill? Would she stand by them if they were in some kind of trouble? Jimmy doesn’t see those feelings in Hannah for her father or her siblings. She can care deeply, but can Hannah really love another person? It is also possible that Hannah has built up 
a wall around her emotions to avoid getting hurt.

Jimmy carefully pulls back the blankets from his body, and exits the bed quietly not wishing to 
arouse Hannah from her blissful dreams. He glances back down at a sleeping Hannah. The black leather gloves are still harping at his mind to figure out the truth behind them. Jimmy doesn’t want 
to believe that the woman he is falling in love with could be a cold-blooded killer, but the evidence 
has been right in front of his eyes on two separate occasions. He turns away from a princess-like sleeping Hannah, and with a hesitant feeling in the pit of his stomach, he searches the room for her purse. Before Jimmy’s feeling become too intense for this woman, he needs to find out the truth behind her gloves and behind the murders going on around Rock Creek.

Jimmy’s eyes focus in on Hannah’s purse stationed on the chair close to the window that faces the Doc’s clinic. If he ignores the purse then Jimmy figures he’ll never really know the truth. He doesn’t want to lose Hannah. He tries to avoid looking at her purse that is just waiting for him to take a peek inside. Jimmy hesitates. He can’t allow anyone else to lose their life simply because he doesn’t want to lose her. 

“Damn,” Jimmy spoke cursing his intolerance for law breaking.

Jimmy walks with hesitance over to the chair. He slowly picks the purse up from the chair and prays silently that his suspicions about Hannah are wrong. He fumbles with the opening of the clasp that holds the purse shut to intruders. He doesn’t make a visual inspection of the contents. With his one hand holding the purse, he uses his other hand to rummage through the contents. Jimmy breathes a sigh of relief when the items that he finds are just normal female possessions. He pulls out of her purse and places a mirror, make-up, handkerchief, keys, and money on the chair beside him. 

Jimmy places his hand back inside the purse, and a sudden feeling of despair comes over him! He pulls out the cloth that his fingers became entangled with. His hands reveal to his eyes a pair of 
black leather gloves! Jimmy carefully spies the gloves over cautiously for bloodstains! He holds his breath until he realizes that the gloves are clean.

“Jimmy, why are you always going through my purse?” Hannah asked, smiling warmly at the 
marshal of Rock Creek who is standing naked holding a purse in one hand and a pair of woman’s gloves in the other hand.

Hannah’s somewhat loud voice startles Jimmy from his intrusion of her belongings. “Jimmy, do you have some sort of sexual fetish that involves a woman’s purse and her black leather gloves?”

Jimmy puts the purse down onto the chair, but he holds onto the gloves. He ambles over to the bed, and stands at the edge facing Hannah. “Why is it that everything you think about ends up having something to do with lust?”

“Isn’t that why we are in this hotel room together, Jimmy?”

Hannah has pretty much confirmed Jimmy’s earlier thoughts of their relationship from her standpoint; she simply has no feelings of love for him. The feelings she has for him are lust or 
nothing at all. “Yeah. I suppose that’s why we come to this stylish hotel room,” Jimmy spoke disheartened, as he briefly glances around the room.

Hannah stares at her leather gloves that Jimmy keeps caressing with his hands. “Would you like for me to put them on and do naughty things to you?”

“Hannah, please. This is serious,” Jimmy spoke angrily. 

“Yes, I know. We only have a few hours till dawn. If you want me to satisfy your appetite one last time, you best crawl back into this bed and warm me up!”

“Hannah, we really need to talk.”

It had taken Hannah a while, but she now notices the serious tone of Jimmy’s voice, and the slight frown fixed on his face. There is something definitely wrong. Hannah only hopes that it isn’t another conversation that includes love and marriage. For Hannah, those two topics take away the passion 
in her.

“I’m listening,” Hannah spoke tiresomely of all the talk between them.

Jimmy holds up the black leather gloves so Hannah can receive a real good look at them. “Why do you carry leather gloves in your purse?”

Hannah’s reaction to Jimmy’s question is pure confusion. She wonders silently if Jimmy has lost his mind. “They are my riding gloves. Mister Marshal Hickok, I don’t believe it is against the law to have in your possession a pair of riding gloves,” Hannah spoke a bit angrily at Jimmy. 

Jimmy senses Hannah’s anger at his intrusion into her private world. He feels the need to explain why he had rummaged through her purse in the first place. “The person who is doing the killing near and around Rock Creek has been wearing a pair of black leather gloves just like yours.”

Hannah is shocked when the realization hits her that Jimmy believes she is the person behind the killings. “You think that I am a cold-blooded killer?”

Jimmy keeps quiet for a brief moment trying to figure out in his mind exactly what he does believe. “No, I don’t believe that you could harm another person that way.”

A smile slowly replaces the frown on Hannah’s face.  She holds her hands out for Jimmy to come back to bed. 

Jimmy places the gloves on the night table, and takes hold of Hannah’s hands. He allows Hannah to guide him into their bed.
 
 

Jane had succumbed to a hot lavender bath before the rest of the Hunter household awakened. She had hoped that the refreshing water would wash away the passion that she had felt with Buck the night before outside in Rachel’s garden, and then in his bedroom. As Jane strolls quickly over to the bunkhouse, she comes to realize that last night’s kissing and touching between her and Buck will 
stay embedded in her mind and heart for a very long time, not to mention what these feelings of heated rage with Buck are doing to her body!

After the onslaught of passion that she and Buck had released onto one another, she had been completely ready to surrender her heart and body to him! She had wanted him more last night than ever before! But, she left the warmth of his embrace when she removed his shirt revealing his bandaged chest that brought all the emotional turmoil back to the surface that she has concerning 
her inability to love him totally because of an outlaw’s revenge. ‘It is better to leave you than to love you and than have you taken away from me because of a vengeful outlaw.’ Jane had tried, on her 
way to the bunkhouse and Cody, to convince her heart that for her, Buck is her past. 

To help make her mind forget about Buck Cross and all the feelings that are raging within her, Jane has decided that today will be the start of a new life. She walks up onto the creaky wooden porch of the bunk-
house that leads to her new life.

Jane raises her fisted hand to knock on Cody’s door just as Cody is opening the door to ride into town.

Cody’s smile stretches across his entire face when he opens the door and he sees a warm smile attached to the woman he intends on making his wife. Cody walks up to Jane and lowers his head to place a friendly kiss on her awaiting lips. “What are you doing here so early?”

Even though Jane couldn’t allow her heart and body to make love to Cody last night, she is thankful that he appears to be elated to see her. “I’ve been up all night thinking about last night.” She tries convincing her heart that she really isn’t lying to Cody. She was up all night, but her thoughts were 
of Buck. Cody had not entered her mind or heart at all! At least the part about being up all night is the truth even if she needs to fabricate the rest of her story. “I want to start a new beginning for the two of us.”

Cody is speechless. The only feeling on his mind is how happy Jane has made him with her declaration of love for him. He lowers his head again to kiss her; only he allows a bit more passion 
on his part, to pass between them.

Louise and Kid are walking across the ranch to get to the Hunter homestead. They both witness the shared kiss between Jane and Cody.

“Jane still doesn’t kiss Cody the way she had been kissing Buck,” Louise spoke flatly.

Kid takes Lou’s hand and tries to hurry her steps to Rachel and Teaspoon’s home. “It isn’t any of our business.”

Louise halts their forward movement to watch Jane’s body language as Cody tries to kiss her senseless. “Cody sure does have to put a lot of effort into kissing Jane. Jane acts as if she’s trying 
to break free of his hold and kiss. Jane always seemed like she wanted to devour Buck whole,” Louise spoke with a naughty smile.

Kid gently places his hand on Lou’s back, and he pushes her forward. “Come on.”

“I know, I know. It isn’t any of our business,” Lou spoke as she mocks her husband’s earlier words.

Jane stops the kissing between her and Cody. It’s obvious to her that Cody would never stop. She is beside herself with worriment because Cody’s kisses still don’t bring out the passion in her that 
she’ll need to convince him that she wants to make love with him. She’ll have to work on feeling passion for Cody. How does one work on feeling passion for someone when passion is not there? 
She surmises that perhaps she’ll have to fake it!

“I’d like for us to try last night over again,” Jane spoke disheartened, almost not believing the 
words that came from her mouth.

Cody is dammed near stunned right out of his boots over Jane’s words that he has waited so long to hear. 

Jane waits patiently for an over exuberant Cody to say something about her request. She wonders why all men are so dumfounded when a woman makes her intensions known to him. Buck had 
always been so fretful about their encounters that he couldn’t get them past the state of kissing each other senseless. She never really minded though. At least with Buck she wanted the kissing to never end. Then last night happened. Buck had willingly allowed her to remove his shirt. All she could see were the bandages that covered his wound! A wound that a notorious outlaw put there. Jane shuts 
her eyes tightly from the memories that she wants to forget. 

“Perhaps we could have dinner in Rock Creek, and then a romantic night here in the bunkhouse,” Cody spoke as calmly as his over excited body would allow him to. 

Cody’s monotonous voice snaps Jane out of her reminiscing about last night with Buck. “That 
sounds wonderful.”

“Good. I’ll see you this evening,” Cody spoke, as he kisses Jane good-bye and heads out toward 
the barn to retrieve his horse.

Jane stands alone at the bunkhouse wondering how in the world she will get through this night 
without constantly thinking about how much she wants Buck Cross!
 
 

By early afternoon Jimmy strolls into the marshal’s office in a foul mood unlike any mood that Teaspoon has witnessed before. He watches Jimmy as the young man walks in, doesn’t speak one word, and slumps down into the chair in front of Teaspoon’s desk.

Teaspoon wonders what it is that has the boy in such a grumpy mood. He gives Jimmy a reasonable amount of time to come clean with whatever it is that is troubling him. Jimmy doesn’t speak a word within the reasonable amount of time that Teaspoon gives his boys before he has to start the talking.

“Beautiful day out there today,” Teaspoon spoke loudly trying to awaken Jimmy from whatever his mind is being tormented by.

Jimmy glances up at Teaspoon. “What?”

“I said, what’s troubling you son? Teaspoon spoke softly. Teaspoon has found since he took on the job eight years ago on raising all these boys, that occasionally you’ve got to trick them into opening up, and telling you what’s on their minds. It hasn’t failed him yet, so he figures he’ll use whatever method it takes until the day it fails him.

“Hannah,” Jimmy stated flatly.

“Oh. I see.”

“No. You don’t see, Teaspoon,” Jimmy spoke more harsh to Teaspoon than he had intended to.

“I can see that Hannah is stirring up other feelings in you other than lust.”

“Yeah. Well that’s just Buck’s foolishness, and look where it got him.”

Teaspoon sighs heavily. “Jimmy, Buck isn’t the only one of you boys that is capable of falling in 
love. Buck just happens to fall in love entirely too fast, and it just takes you a bit longer to admit you’re falling in love.”

“Where does Cody fit?” Jimmy asked trying to divert the conversation away from him.

“Cody. Well Cody is always falling in love with himself. Take him and Jane for instance. I don’t 
think Cody is really in love with Jane even though he claims he is. He hasn’t been with her long enough to fall in love. With Cody just having a woman gives him a reason to gloat about his being a man.”

“Yeah. Well Buck fell in love with Jane without really knowing her for very long, and Buck doesn’t act nothing like Cody.”

“Buck and Jane that was a little different. You could see it in their eyes almost right away how they felt about each other. But, enough about the three of them. I want to know what’s going on with you.”

“Teaspoon, you’re either going to lecture me, or you’re going to tell me, I told you so.”

“Let me be the judge of that. What is it about Hannah that has you all agitated today?” Teaspoon asked wanting to make sure Jimmy’s bad mood isn’t because he found information that would incriminate Hannah to the murders.

“I was with Hannah last night. I couldn’t sleep not knowing whether she’s involved in these murders. I went snooping in her purse, and I found another pair of gloves.”

“Go on,” Teaspoon pleaded.

“Hannah woke up and bluntly asked me why I am always going through her purse. I told her about the leather gloves being worn by the killer, and that her gloves are an exact replica of the one’s 
used by the killer.”

“I see. What did Hannah have to say about that?”

“She said they are her riding gloves,” Jimmy stated flatly.

“Well that’s a logical explanation.”

“Yeah, it would be except that Hannah doesn’t use riding gloves when she’s out riding.”

“Oh Lord. Are you thinking she could be the killer?”

“Who is the killer?” Cody spoke as he stands in the doorway of the marshal’s office. 

Teaspoon and Jimmy glance at one another cursing themselves that they allowed Cody in on their little secret before they could find out the truth themselves.

“I asked you both a question?” Cody spoke harshly.

A few hours later after Cody had listened to Jimmy’s suspicions and Teaspoon’s doubts, he rode 
onto the Anderson ranch with Jimmy and Teaspoon escorting him.

Cody had arrested Hannah for the murders of six army soldiers, a member of Jesse’s gang, Mister Carson, Henry Walker, Joseph Foster, and Andrew Johnson.

As Cody is placing Hannah onto the buckboard with two soldiers guarding her, she is staring back at Jimmy with pleading eyes to help her out of this situation.

Jimmy who is beside himself with sadness, turns away from Hannah and rides in front of the buckboard.
 

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Louise had decided all on her own, without permission from her objecting husband, that she is going 
to find out exactly what it is that is going on between Jane and Buck, and Jane and Cody.

Her actual intentions are to make Jane aware of the deep feelings she has for Buck, and of the long life of happiness that she will give up by being with a man that she really doesn’t love or want. Lou 
is certain that Jane doesn’t love Cody. She is certain the young woman is not being honest with 
Buck, Cody or herself for that matter.

Jane had told Buck that his Indian Heritage is why she has turned away from him. Lou doesn’t believe one word of that. Buck’s Indian background had never bothered Jane, until after Jesse had shot Buck. Louise is positive that the answers to Jane’s abrupt dismissal of Buck’s love, and her quick falling in love with Cody, are hidden deep within Jane’s heart. Lou intends on finding out exactly what happened in Jane’s life that may have caused her to walk out on a life with Buck.

Louise and Jane are sitting on the swing on the front porch of Lou’s home. It is a beautifully warm day for late November and Louise has been informed that Buck is going to watch Kid break in some new horses this afternoon. Lou figures a perfect opportunity to carefully gauge Jane’s reaction to Buck’s presence with no Cody in sight.

“What did you want to speak with me about?” Jane asked hesitantly.

Before Louise can give Jane a half honest answer, their attention is drawn to Kid and Buck walking away from the Hunter home and toward the corrals.

Louise takes notice to Jane’s tense appearance, and the way her eyes follow Buck as he walks to the corrals. Once Buck is leaning against the corrals, Jane still can’t pull her eyes off the back of his form. 

“Don’t look so worried,” Lou spoke with a grin.

Jane quickly removes her eyes from Buck.

“Doc Barnes gave Buck permission to get out of bed and walk around a bit. Buck is only going to watch Kid attempt to break in the new horses,” Lou spoke grinning at Jane’s misfortune of being caught by Louise.

“I’m not worried. Whatever danger Buck puts his life in is no longer my concern,” Jane spoke trying to convince herself that she doesn’t care about Buck. 

Louise smirks. She has hit a nerve with Jane. Jane’s eyes tell Lou a totally different story as Lou catches her taking glimpses of Buck when she thinks Lou isn’t watching her.

Lou for the life of her can’t understand how Jane is managing to keep sane. It’s obvious that she loves Buck. Louise avoids making chitchat with Jane for a while longer. She wants to see how long it takes Jane to notice that she is being studied under Lou’s watchful eye.

Jane suddenly notices that Louise hasn’t said anything to her for a few minutes. She almost dreads glancing the woman’s way. She will surely see a smirk attached to Lou’s face laughing over Jane’s inability to take her eyes off Buck.

“That’s it isn’t it?” Louise spoke as Jane finally glances Lou’s way. “I don’t know why I didn’t see what is going on with you before this,” Louise spoke confident that she has Jane figured out. 

“Louise, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You’re afraid of losing him,” Louise spoke softly not wanting Buck to hear any of this conversation just yet.

Jane is becoming weary of all Buck’s family members insisting on understanding her motive for ending her relationship with Buck. “He isn’t mine to lose.”

“Your father was killed by Emery Pike, was he not?”

“What does my father’s murderer have to do with Buck and I?” Jane asked angrily.

“Your father left you alone, and he was killed by an outlaw. Buck was shot and nearly died because 
of Jesse, who is also an outlaw. Are you afraid that Buck will leave you alone, like your father had done?”

“I don’t love Buck. That is the reason why I broke off our relationship,” Jane spoke insistently. “What I don’t understand is why all of you are trying to find some other reason for my ending my romance with Buck. Can’t all of you just leave well enough alone?”

“Do you mind convincing me of just how much you love Cody,” Lou asked, determined to uncover Jane’s secrets.

“I don’t have to convince you or anyone else about my feelings for Cody.”

“You’re lying to yourself, Jane. There is no way that I will ever believe that you fell out of love with Buck just so you could fall in love with Cody.”

“Believe what you want Louise. I’ll convince you of how deeply I love Cody. Tonight Cody and I are planning a romantic dinner together and then an evening in each other’s arms!” Jane spoke boldly, 
as she stands up to go inside Lou’s home. She takes one last look at Buck wondering if she’ll really be able to keep him off her mind and out of her heart when she’s engaged in lovemaking with Cody. Jane takes her eyes off Buck and glances down at Louise. “May I still get ready for my evening out with Cody at your house?”

“Yes.”

“I’m going inside to take a bath then.”

“I’ll be in later to help you,” Lou spoke disheartened that there isn’t any way she can talk Jane out 
of the mistake she is about to make.
 
 

The long day is getting even longer for Jimmy. He didn’t really think seeing Hannah behind bars would bother him a whole lot, being that she has made it clear on several occasions that she has no room in her heart for love. To Jimmy that clearly says she has no room in her heart for him. But, seeing the paleness from the fear of being arrested for a multitude of murders, has Jimmy a little worried for her safety. He guesses it is a sign that he really loves her. Jimmy is pacing back and 
forth listening to Cody and Teaspoon’s arguments over Hannah’s arrest.

“How can you lock Hannah up just because she owns a pair of woman’s leather riding gloves? You can’t just go on assumptions Cody. You’ve got to have some prove that Hannah is guilty,” Teaspoon spoke loud enough for all the citizens of Rock Creek to hear him. He figures they’re all listening anyhow, so he might as well make it easy for them to hear by hollering.

Jimmy halts his pacing in front of Teaspoon and Cody. Cody is either trying to choose his words 
very carefully or he just plain hasn’t thought up a good enough lie to compensate for his rash behavior. Jimmy wonders what kind of answer Cody will come up with this time.

“You two are the ones that suspected something was amiss when you found those gloves in her 
purse. And you Jimmy, you said that earlier you found a pair of blood stained gloves in Hannah’s purse.”

“There was never blood stains on my gloves, Jimmy,” Hannah spoke adamantly.

Jimmy walks over to Hannah’s jail cell. “Hannah, they were in your purse.”

“Then someone purposely put them into my purse to make me look guilty. You wouldn’t have any idea who would do such a horrible thing, do you Jimmy?” Hannah asked blatantly accusing Jimmy 
of the deed.

Teaspoon walks over to stand by Jimmy. He understood the force behind Hannah’s accusations. He knows that Hannah’s words will bother Jimmy. “If you’re innocent Miss Anderson, I’ll make sure 
you aren’t locked up any longer than need be.”

“Why am I always wrong around here?” Cody asked in a whiney tone. 

“An easier question to answer would be, when have you ever been right?” Jimmy spoke flatly. 

Teaspoon walks away from Hannah and Jimmy feeling that the couple may need a chance to talk 
this entire mess out.

“I can’t believe that you actually think a committed these murders. I mean just because I won’t subject myself to a steady relationship with you or any other man for that matter, doesn’t mean that I’m a cold-blooded killer!”

“I’m not saying you’re a killer, Hannah.”

“You obviously gave your Mister Cody friend here the shrewd evidence that you have against me,” Hannah stated angrily.

“I didn’t actually give Cody the evidence that he used to arrest you with. But, how Cody got the gloves really doesn’t matter. The point is Hannah, if you’re telling me you didn’t kill those men then 
I believe you. I’ll do everything I can to get you free.” 

“That’s real sweet of you Jimmy, after you got me locked up in the first place!” Hannah stated with sarcasm as she turns away from Jimmy and proceeds to the back of her cell. 
 
 

Louise gathers the courage to walk out to Buck. She figures by now Jane must be soaking in her tub trying to calm her frazzled nerves over the evening she has planned with Cody. To Louise the 
evening sounds almost like a death sentence.

Louise finds Buck still standing at the corral watching Kid get thrown off another horse. 

“We need to talk,” Louise spoke softly to Buck.

Buck turns to glance at Louise. “What about?”

“Jane.”

Buck looks as if Lou has just punched him in the gut. “Jane has made it perfectly clear to me that what she does and whom she sees is none of my business,” Buck spoke turning his attention back to Kid and the horses.

“I wouldn’t have thought that you would give up on Jane so easily.”

Buck is getting somewhat irritated that Louise is bothering him about Jane. Can’t Louise see that talking about Jane still upsets him? “Jane doesn’t want anything to do with me. I tried Louise, just last night.”

“Where? When?”

“I couldn’t sleep and apparently Jane couldn’t either. We both went out into Rachel’s garden and we inadvertently ran into each other. We started our usual kissing. I even managed to get Jane into my bedroom. Uh…do you want to hear more?”

“Jane obviously didn’t spend the night with you,” Louise spoke disheartened.

“No. She didn’t. Jane ran out of my bedroom as soon as her senses came back to her that she’d be sleeping with an Indian. She doesn’t want to be with me Louise, and I’m not going to allow her to 
keep breaking my heart.”

“Maybe you should hear what I have to say before you decide to just ignore what Jane is about to do.”

Buck has to admit he is curious about Jane’s plans. He almost wishes she would leave Rock Creek. He isn’t sure how he will handle it if Jane and Cody end up getting married. “I know I’m going to live to regret this. What is Jane about to do that I need to know about?”

“Cody is planning a romantic dinner and night at the bunkhouse. Jane has accepted his invitation.”

Louise can see by the look in Buck’s eyes that her announcement has upset him. She can see a collection of moisture beginning to surface in his eyes. She almost wishes that she hadn’t brought up Cody’s evening plans for Jane. 

Buck glances down at the ground. He sensed that Cody and Jane’s relationship would become more serious sooner or later. Why did Louise feel the need to share this information with him? He gazes back into Lou’s sympathetic eyes. “I would have rather you kept this information from me.”

“Buck, don’t give up on Jane. I know she still loves you.”

“Louise, if Jane loves me, than why in the hell would she sleep with Cody?” Buck asked, the anger showing in his tone of voice.

“Buck, I’ve been talking to Jane. I see the way she still looks at you. I know she’s not being honest about why she broke things off with you. Jane won’t admit it, but she’s afraid of losing you. I think in Jane’s mind that it would be easier for her to be with Cody and lose him than it would be to be with the man she loves and lose you.”

“If that were true, Jane would talk to me about it,” Buck spoke adamantly.

“Buck, Jane’s problem goes a lot deeper than just not being able to cope with losing you.”

“I’m tired of arguing about this Louise. You believe what you want to believe. Jane told me she doesn’t want to be with me because of my Indian background. Until Jane tells me otherwise, I’m just going to believe that that is the problem between us.”

“I have a plan. Cody messed up an evening of romance you had planned with Jane when he falsely arrested you. Wouldn’t you at least like to pay Cody back?”

Buck is sure by Jane’s reaction to his shirt being off that he is disgusting to her, but the thought of messing up Cody’s plans does make Lou’s plan sound tempting. 

“What’s your plan?” Buck asked with an evil smile.

Louise reaches up to Buck’s ear and whispers the plan that she has for him and Jane. 

Buck laughs. Louise has out done herself again.
 
 

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Jane is seated in front of Lou’s vanity mirror trying to fix her hair in a special way for Cody. But, her tresses are being rather stubborn tonight, and they simply refuse to stay in an upswept bun.

Through the mirror Jane glances up at Louise who is laying her dress out on the bed. “Could you 
help me with my hair? It doesn’t want to behave tonight.”

Louise walks over to the vanity. “Why don’t you just wear it down loose?”

“Because that is the way Buck likes it, and I’m trying to alter a few things about myself to please Cody. Cody likes my hair pulled up.”

“Jane, don’t change yourself for any man. If you want to wear your hair down loose, than by all means wear your hair loose and down. Don’t think you have to change to please Cody. If he can’t love you just because you were with Buck at first, then I would simply give Cody a piece of my mind.”

“A few changes won’t hurt. It might even help me to get closer to Cody.”

“Jane, you’re spending the night with Cody. Now is not the time to hope the two of you can become closer. That should have already happened.”

“I didn’t mean that we’re not close. What I meant is that I think every time Cody looks at me he envisions the woman that Buck loved.”

“You are the woman that Buck still loves.”

“Cody wants a fresh me. You know, a woman that Buck didn’t have before him.”

“Jane, if you ask me, Buck never really had you. I’ll I’m telling you is that you shouldn’t change yourself just to make Cody happy. You should do what makes Jane happy. Because someday when you’re Mrs. William F. Cody you’re going to look at yourself in a mirror just like this one, and 
you’re going to wonder where Jane went.”

Louise picks up the hairbrush and fixes Jane’s hair in an upswept bun. She watches Jane closely through the mirror. She wonders if any of her words to Jane are making the woman think about all she must give up just to be with Cody.

“It’s all done. What do you think?” Louise asked with a warm smile.

Jane stares at the woman looking back at her in the mirror. It really doesn’t look like her, but it 
does look nice. “It looks nice Louise. Thank-you for fixing it for me,” Jane spoke disheartened.

“Cody will be here in about thirty minutes. You should get dressed. You wouldn’t want to be late for such an important night for the two of you.”

“Yeah. I guess he will be here soon,” Jane remarked somberly. 

“Well, I’m going to go check on Kid and the girls. I left Kid in charge of dinner so the girls are probably head to toe in spaghetti sauce,” Louise spoke as she walks to the doorway. 

Jane walks to the bed and touches the dress that she had allowed Louise to choose for her to wear tonight. She had loved wearing a dress that would make Buck’s breath catch in his throat, but with Cody she doesn’t much care. Louise believes this night is special for her and Cody. So she picked 
out the most beautiful dress she could find.

Louise turns one last time to watch Jane who appears very sad to her. She watches Jane as she touches the soft fabric of the dress. Louise is no fool, and she can read Jane like a book from cover 
to cover. She loves Buck and the very thought of spending the night with Cody repulses her. “Don’t worry Jane. Nothing is as it seems,” Lou spoke quietly in her mind. She turns and finishes her 
decent down to the kitchen.

Jane nervously slips on the emerald green taffeta dress that Louise had chosen. Jane is actually surprised that Louise would pick such a low cut dress in the front for her date with Cody. Jane has tried to make it clear to Louise that she loves Cody. Perhaps Louise has finally decided to stop insisting that she belongs with Buck instead of with Cody.

Jane reaches around her back to button the dress at the neckline. She delicately unruffled the front 
of the dress with her hands. She takes a deep breath to calm her nerves. Cody is the first man she’ll have ever spent the night with. Cody isn’t exactly what she had pictured for herself during the many discussions she had with her Papa about men. 

“Men can be so exasperating! Why is it that they think they know every thing there is to know 
about life? Why do they have such nasty tempers?”

Her Papa had laughed at her questions concerning men. “There are some men who think they are Gods gift to a woman.”

“What exactly does that mean?”

“Well, they usually regard themselves as very handsome, rugged and tough. Some men simply 
believe they can, all alone, fight of the entire Lakota Nation!”

“What do Indians have to do with the way men behave?”

Jane remembers how her Papa had just about died laughing at her innocence. 

“That was just a figure of speech my daughter. But, there are some men who are ruthless, and quite difficult I would imagine to live with. They lack patience, and their tempers are way above the boiling point. These type of men you are better off distancing yourself from.”

“I haven’t met any other type of man than the type that you just described,” Jane spoke 
disheartened.

“They are out there. Be patient daughter. You certainly are not ready to be with a man.”

“How will I know when the right man comes into my life?”

“You are full of difficult questions today. Let me see. I suppose the first thing that you might 
become aware of is that he won’t be able to take his eyes off of you.”

“Papa, most men look at women all the time. I’ve taken notice to how the men can’t pull their eyes off the women who work over at the saloon.”

“That my dear is a totally different kind of look in a man’s eyes. I am referring to the love that you will see in his eyes whenever he glances your way.”

“This will happen?”

“Of course. It will happen when you have grown into a young woman.”

“What else will I notice about the man that I will spend the rest of my life with?”

“He will want to take care of you forever, he will protect you and he will certainly love only you.”

“I still don’t understand how I will know when this man enters my life,” Jane spoke sadly.

“You will know.”

You will know. Those had been her Papa’s finally words on the last talk they had concerning men. 
She smiles warmly. He had always managed to go around any questions she had on intimacy with a man. He had once told her that when your heart beats more rapidly by the mere sight of him, then 
you would know that this is the man you will marry.

Jane takes another deep breath. This man is not Cody. When had her life become so muddled? “It really doesn’t matterrrr…..” 

Jane’s words are muffled together when a hand reaches around to her face and covers her mouth!

Jane begins to struggle. But, her captor is much stronger then she. Amongst her attempts to struggle free from her captor’s hold on her, she manages to get in a few kicks, but his hold is still too strong 
on her.

He places a bandana over her mouth to avoid listening to her screams of terror. He places her hands behind her back and guides Jane backwards out of Lou’s bedroom.

Jimmy has succumbed to having dinner with Charlene over at Buck’s house. They are both trying their best to eat the over-cooked meal that Charlene did her best to cook.

Charlene watches Jimmy closely as he tries to cut a piece of the tough beef with a knife. “You don’t have to eat it. I know I am a terrible cook.”

“It’s all right Charlene. A little burnt roast never killed anyone. At least I don’t think so.”

“Cooking dinner for you wasn’t the reason I asked you to come here tonight,” Charlene spoke disheartened that Jimmy can’t even consume one tiny morsel of her cooking.

“Why did you insist we come over here to Buck’s home? We could have talked over at Kid and Lou’s.”

“I didn’t want to get in the way over there.”

“What’s going on?”

“Louise is helping Jane get ready for a romantic evening with Cody. You know how much Jane and I like being around one another.”

Jimmy just about chokes on the piece of roast that he is trying his best to chew on. He quickly takes 
a large gulp of water from the water glass in front of him.

“Are you all right?” Charlene asked, concerned that her cooking is what had made Jimmy choke.

“How can any woman get romantic with Cody?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. I have no idea what Jane sees in Cody after she’s been in love with 
a man like Buck.”

“I’m sure this temporary insanity of Jane’s isn’t bothering you any,” Jimmy spoke flatly. 

“Jane isn’t the right woman for Buck.”

“I suppose you think that you are,” Jimmy spoke amused by Charlene’s lack of tactfulness.

“Jimmy, I didn’t ask you to dinner to discuss Buck, Jane or Cody. I want to discuss the situation 
with Hannah.”

“I was afraid of that. It would probably be better if we just keep discussing Jane, Buck and Cody.” 

“Jimmy, you’ve been sleeping in the same bed with my sister for a couple of months now.”

“Your point is what Charlene?”

“My point is that you’ve got to know that Hannah isn’t a cold-blooded killer.”

“I’m not really sure what the truth is. I don’t want to believe Hannah is capable of murder, but she 
did have blood stained gloves on her possession.”

“Hannah is telling me that those gloves don’t belong to her.”

“Charlene, they are the same black leather gloves as the unstained ones that I also found in her purse.”

“I’d like to know what your intentions are? Are you going to try and prove that Hannah is innocent, or are you planning on abandoning her when she’s in trouble?”

“I’m going to help Hannah, but unfortunately there isn’t much I can do. Cody is the one that 
arrested Hannah. You should talk to him.”

“Oh, I plan on having a talk with Cody about his obsessive behavior where his investigation is concerned. Cody tried to pin these murders first on Buck claiming he had a witness that saw Buck commit murder.”

“Yeah. Well we all know why Cody falsely arrested Buck. With Hannah there’s no hidden agenda. Unless of course you know something that I don’t,” Jimmy spoke flatly.

“What about the fact that Cody hasn’t been able to solve these murders? What if he’s accusing Hannah just to have someone to blame?”

“Well, don’t take this wrong, but if Hannah isn’t really the killer then there is bound to be another murder. That is ultimately what freed Buck. Cody was pretty determined to have Buck take the blame for something he didn’t do. But, when another murder took place, Cody had no choice but to 
let Buck go. The same thing could happen with Hannah.”

“I won’t interrupt Cody’s intimate evening with Jane, but tomorrow you can bet that I will have a few choice words for Mister Cody.”

Jimmy stands up from his chair. “I’m calling it a night. Good luck with getting Hannah freed.”
 
 

The evening is as pitch black as a coal mine as a horse gallops steadily along a dirt road. The only sound beside an owl hooting from far away, are the echoing sounds of the horse hooves thumping against the dirt road. The horse veers into a sparsely forested area. The horse travels at a walking pace through the woods for about fifty feet until a cave is within sight up ahead. The hands on the reins pull back for the horse to stop completely. 

Jane, who is sitting a top the horse, is trying her best to mumble her disapproval through the tightly tied bandana. The warmth of her captor’s body leaves her as she feels him dismount his horse. His warmth had felt familiar to her, but she is sure that she doesn’t know her captor on a personal level. Jane is sure that she has been kidnapped to bring more ruination to the family who lives on Kid and Buck’s ranch. She suspects that her captor is none other than Jesse James!

Jane feels the warmth of his hands reach around her waist as he helps her down off the horse. He hesitatingly unties her hands from behind her back. As soon as Jane’s hands are free she works quickly to remove the bandana that is around her mouth.

“I demand you take me back to the ranch!” Jane spoke with authority as she finally slips off the bandana that has covered her eyesight for the past hour.

Jane throws the bandanas to the ground and stares up into the smiling eyes of her captor! 

“Buck!” Jane hollered as she brings her hand up to slap him, but Buck is too quick for her. He is 
able to block Jane’s slap that would have connected with his face, by grabbing gently onto her wrist.

Buck swings Jane up over his good shoulder and carries her kicking and screaming into the cave. 
He grimaces in pain as he puts Jane back down on her feet.

“Are you all right?” Jane asked sincerely, worried that she may have done damage to his healing wound.

“Yeah. You’re just too rough on me.”

Jane hadn’t really heard Buck’s reply. She can’t believe her own eyes as she gazes around the 
inside of the cave. All around the cave there are cream and white candles of different sizes burning incandescently and giving the cave a passionate romantic glow. Jane also sees that there is a fire burning in the fire pit helping to keep the luminous cave filled with warmth. 

Jane simply can’t believe what she is seeing. She tries to think to earlier this evening, but her mind has gone completely blank. The only memory of tonight is that Buck had kidnapped her and brought her to this cave with one thing on his mind for her. There are just so many mysterious things about him that she is unaware of. Jane gazes back into Buck’s eyes that are overflowing with love for her. She remembers her Papa’s words. The man you will marry won’t be able to ever take his eyes off of you. “Louise, she’s in on this with you, isn’t she?”

“It was Lou’s idea for me to kidnap you. The cave is my idea,” Buck spoke softly.

Jane can’t possibly make herself be angry with him. She can only smile at the extreme ways Buck 
will go through to show her just how much he loves her.

“I figure Cody once ruined an evening that we had planned for romance. I’m simply returning the favor.”

Jane becomes disappointed at his admittance that he didn’t do this for their love, but rather because Buck wanted revenge. “Is that all this is about, revenge?” Jane asked referring to all the candles that are making her feel intimate and seductive toward the man standing before her.

Buck doesn’t answer Jane’s question. He isn’t sure how he should answer her question. Buck had noticed the sad look in Jane’s eyes when he had told her that he was just paying Cody back for all 
the hardships he had made him endure. Perhaps Jane cares more than she’s saying.

“Why did you do all this? Jane asked not wanting to believe that Buck only did this because he’s looking to mess up Cody’s night with her.

“You don’t know?” Buck asked disheartened that perhaps all his efforts have not made Jane realize just how much he loves her.

“No.” Jane spoke softly.

Buck is a bit scarred to lie out his feelings for Jane to stomp on again if she so chooses. But, he rationalizes that he didn’t kidnap Jane and make this cave romantic for the both of them, to at least not try to make her see that they belong together. Buck takes a few steps toward Jane to close the distance between them!

“I did this for us,” Buck spoke gasping a deep breath before he can continue to tell Jane how much he loves her.  “Before you commit your life to Cody, I want the chance to make you realize just how much I love you,” Buck spoke the words trembling from his lips. 

Buck forgets about his sore ribs as he leans into Jane, and only ends up making Jane nervous when he grimaces loudly from pain.

Jane lets her guard down and shows Buck how much she really does care about him. She takes his hand in her hand to calm him. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah. I guess they’re still a bit sore.”

“I know for a fact that you weren’t suppose to be riding yet.”

“Well, I couldn’t hardly kidnap you and then make you walk to this cave. That wouldn’t have been very romantic.”

Jane smiles warmly at his romantic, loving nature. “So it is romance that is on your mind.” 

Jane gazes up into the depths of Buck’s deep brown eyes. A woman solely raised him. Buck instinctively knows how a woman’s emotions work. That is one characteristic about Buck that Jane loves. He is always in tune to her needs, her wants, and her desires even before his own.

“And in my heart,” Buck spoke, as he lowers his mouth to kiss Jane’s parted soft lips that are 
waiting eagerly for him.

Jane welcomes Buck’s kiss! She makes no attempt to separate herself from him. Instead of acting like a woman who is disgusted by his Indian blood, Jane encircles her arms around Buck’s neck. 
With Jane’s admittance to wanting him, Buck encloses the distance between their bodies by grasping onto Jane tightly and pulling her body to his!

Jane releases her arms from around his neck, and runs her hands down his back feeling the strength of his muscles, until she has her hands resting on his hips. She pulls Buck’s hips to her own hips! When Jane hears soft moans of desire uttering from Buck’s lips, she brings her hands up to unbutton his shirt!

Buck leaves the comfort of Jane’s arms. He takes her hand in his and guides her gently over to the bedrolls by the fire pit! 

Jane doesn’t wait for Buck to make the next move. She proceeds to take his vest off and tosses it casually to the ground. Jane then pulls his shirt out from his trousers, and continues to unbutton it where she had left off. Jane notices that Buck is watching her every move with inquisitive eyes. It’s no wonder with the many ways she has hurt him lately that he wouldn’t wonder why all of a sudden she can’t wait to get his clothes off of him! 

Once Jane has his shirt completely unbuttoned, she pulls the shirt from his body and quickly disperses of it onto the ground with his vest! Jane gazes into his dark eyes and she witnesses the familiar look of desire and love for her in them. Jane reaches up to his sensual mouth to continue her assault on his senses! She kisses Buck until they are both breathless!

Jane allows their onslaught of kissing to subside. She leans into his chest, and is pleased to hear the rapid beating of his heart. The bandages are gone now, and Buck is only left with a wound that has healed over, but is still pinkish in color. Most of the evidence of his bruising has disappeared. Jane closes her eyes against his warm flesh. She doesn’t want to think about her almost losing him 
tonight. Jane just wants to think about him, and how she has yearned a long time for this night to happen.

Jane assaults Buck’s chest with tiny kisses and nips of his flesh! She runs her mouth over each of 
his nipples, causing Buck to moan softly with pleasure. Jane feels the quivering of his legs! She knows that she has this incredible power over him. She has assaulted Buck’s body so many times, that she is really surprised that he just didn’t bed any woman to simply relieve the built up 
frustration of not being able to make love to her. But, of course Jane is elated that Buck is not that kind of man. When Buck gives his heart to a woman, she becomes the only woman he loves, and wants! 

Buck gently raises Jane’s head back up so he can look into her eyes. He is hoping to see the same love in her eyes for him that he has in his eyes for her. Buck can’t help but feel afraid that Jane 
might abandon their lovemaking again. She has brought him to such tremendous heights of entrancement only to take the physical pleasure and the emotional sensations away just as quickly 
as she had given them to him. Buck is sure his body and his heart can’t go through another battering of passion and then only to be left unsatisfied physically and emotionally because Jane decides that she doesn’t want to be intimate with him!

Jane understands the fear Buck must be feeling just about right now. Each time she has assaulted Buck they have made it a little further in the progression toward making love. But, each time someone has put an abrupt halt to their lovemaking! The last time, she had taken Buck’s shirt off 
and immediately ran from his bedroom frightened by the bandages and bruising on his chest. Buck’s need for reassurance that she won’t stop their lovemaking captivates her.

“I love you. If we don’t stop this right now, I can’t promise you that I will be able to if we should continue,” Buck spoke his voice cracking with emotion.

Jane cups his face in her trembling hands. “I love you. I want to show you just how much I do love you.”

Buck doesn’t need any further encouragement. He undoes her hair so that her soft tresses flow 
freely against her supple skin. He begins another assault on Jane’s already swollen lips! Jane feels the extreme heat coming from Buck’s body! She melts into him causing a loud moan to escape from within him. 

Buck continues to kiss Jane passionately as he fumbles with the back buttons of her dress. When he has them all undone, he halts the kiss between them. Buck, gazing into Jane’s passion filled eyes takes the shoulders of her dress and unhurriedly slips the dress from her arms! 

Jane feels her body about to explode when his hands seductively caress her shoulders and arms as he pulls her arms out of the sleeves.

Buck takes the dress that is now laying on Jane’s waistline, and gives it a slight tug. The dress willingly cascades to the ground! Buck takes Jane’s hand in his and helps Jane to step out of the mound of emerald fabric.

Buck’s exquisitely dark eyes tell Jane all she needs to know about how much he needs and wants her! She is now clad only in one under slip. She had wanted to make it real easy for Cody to get to 
her flesh so that she wouldn’t be submitted to Cody’s prolonged, annoying touch of her skin. Buck’s eyes roam sensuously over her body! Jane grasps his hands to pull his warm body back close to 
hers. His hands on her almost bare back have Jane reveling in the excitement that is yet to come. Buck’s touch is unlike Cody’s. Where Cody’s touch makes her feel cold and wanting to put clothes 
on instead of taking them off, Buck’s touch feels like a flame that is burning her flesh! 

Once back in Jane’s arms, Buck resumes the assault on her eager lips. Buck is so lost to anything going on outside the cave. All of his senses are drowning in a pool of Jane’s love. His mind can’t 
even comprehend anything at this moment except the deep hunger he has to make love to her! 

Jane is totally aware of what Buck needs right at this moment! He has one thing on his mind, and the onslaught of many passionate moments between them has taken its toll on his body, his mind and mostly his heart. Jane intends on repairing all the damage that she has caused tonight in this cave!

Buck continues to kiss her passionately. Her sensuous moans of pleasure are driving Buck over the edge toward madness. He lowers his mouth down to the smoothness of her neck, exploring every 
inch of her skin. 

Jane slips her hands down to Buck’s trousers! She boldly unfastens his gun belt, allowing it to drop with a thud onto the ground of the cave. 

Buck senses what it is Jane is about to do. He halts the attack he had been relishing on her neck. He looks deeply into her eyes and sees a mischievous glimmer in them. 

When Jane brings her hands back up from undoing his gun belt, she glides her hands over his hardened manhood! The feel of him as her body aching out of control for him! Upon her actions, 
Buck inhales sharply. His moans of desire let Jane know that she has Buck right where she wants him. He won’t be able to back down from all the sensations she is giving him tonight. This time Jane is secure in the knowledge that this man will make love to her tonight.

Buck feels as if he can’t wait one second longer to make them one! He takes the under slip and maneuvers it off Jane’s shoulders, down past her breasts, and then the slip simply glides gently off the rest of her body! Jane allows Buck the time to visually take in her body. Buck gazes over her 
and then he pulls Jane’s body close to his!

“You are so beautiful,” Buck whispered as he places tender kisses down her neck.

Buck wraps his one arm around her back to hold Jane close to him as he sensuously arouses each 
of her breasts until Jane can no longer stand the build up of pleasure Buck is unleashing onto her!

“Buck,” Jane whimpered softly. She pleads with him to make her, his. Jane can’t wait another moment longer to devour him! She reaches her hands back down to his trousers to pull them down! She is having a little trouble getting them off of him with Buck still engaged in driving her over the edge of insanity.

“Buck,” Jane spoke pleading with him to stop long enough for her to get his pants off of him. 

Buck obeys Jane’s plea. He understands that the two of them can’t continue with his trousers still 
on him. Buck had just wanted to make Jane crazy with desire for him. He doesn’t want any repeat performances of her exiting before they can accomplish making love. Buck kisses her soft lips, but Jane pulls away from his kiss! For a second passion is replaced by fear in Buck’s eyes. 

Jane takes her hands and places them on the inside of his trousers. “These need to come off,” Jane spoke softly as she tugs at his pants to come down! She lowers her body while pulling his trousers 
and long johns down to his ankles. Buck steps out of his pants. Instead of leaving his pants in a heap near him, Jane tosses them far from the both of them. If Buck’s modesty should get the best of him, Jane wants to make sure that it wouldn’t be easy for him to retrieve his pants.

On the way back up to greet his lips; Jane brushes her mouth lightly against the inner area of 
Buck’s thighs! She is pleased to hear his intake of breath! Jane then takes notice to Buck’s struggle to stay standing. She grasps her arms around his legs to quiet the quivering of his thighs, but her strength doesn’t help him much! Jane lightly brushes a trail of kisses up his abdomen and chest until she once again is assaulting his swollen lips!

Buck stops the kiss and buries his face in the warmth of her tresses. “Jane, please,” Buck spoke 
with labored breath. 

Jane can feel the heat of his breath on her bare skin. She searches for his lips to resume the 
pleasure that she wants to give him. She makes the mistake of pressing her aroused body full force into Buck! His moans come in loud gasps as she continues her passionate assault on his body! With her arms encircled around him, Jane takes it upon her self to begin a backward decent onto the bedroll behind her.

While still kissing one another senseless, Jane finds her body lying on a bedroll with Buck’s very aroused body above her! Jane deepens their kiss. She has waited too long for this man to satisfy the yearning that she has for him and only him!

Jane can feel the throbbing of Buck’s body! She presses his buttocks down onto her! Buck can’t endure anymore-unsatisfied encounters with Jane, and with the consent that she has given him to make love to her, he finally makes them one!

Jane tries clutching onto any loose skin of Buck’s, but she can’t find any. She has finally given her body to the man who invades her sleep every night! His lovemaking is causing her body to react in a frenzied rage! Buck is her first, and she is overwhelmed with all the love that he is bestowing onto her. Buck deepens their lovemaking as he kisses any part of her flesh that is within his grasp! She embraces him tightly and claws her nails into the flesh on his backside! With every movement 
upward that Jane makes, loud moans of fulfilled pleasure escape from his lips. Jane wants to make damn sure this first time together drives Buck back to her every night for the rest of their lives!

Louise and Kid are stationed on the porch of their home. The late night air has a strong hold on romance, and Cody who is standing on the ground in front of them ranting and raving about Jane being missing, had interrupted a passionate moment between the young married couple.

Louise has a difficult time holding onto her laughter as she watches Cody become a maniac over the knowledge that Jane had departed the ranch to avoid their planned evening of romance.

“I know that you know where she’s at Louise!” Cody hollered loud enough to have Rachel and Teaspoon walking across the ranch to see what all the fuss is about.

“Kid, have you seen Buck? He’s not over at the house,” Teaspoon asked with concern, but 
sounding like a question he is suppose to ask to get under Cody’s skin even a little more about Buck and Jane.

Cody’s face becomes red hot with embarrassment. “Where are they, Louise?”

“I told you Cody, that I have no idea where Jane has run off to. But, I can sure tell you one thing. If 
I were waiting for a hot tempered man like you to spend an evening of romance with, well I’d plum 
run away too,” Louise spoke with a snicker.

“Buck’s horse,” Cody spoke as if he’s just discovered that if Buck’s horse is missing than Buck is behind Jane’s disappearance.

Cody runs full force to the barn. The rest of his family stands back and watches the blonde man 
trying to keep control of his hysterical behavior. 

Jimmy had heard Cody’s obnoxious whining, and so he walked on over to Kid’s to see what has Cody in such a rage.

Jimmy takes a stance next to Teaspoon. “What’s the matter with Cody?” Jimmy asked flatly.

“Jane and Buck have disappeared,” Louise spoke with a smile that one gets when they are proud of an accomplishment achieved successfully.

“Oh. You wouldn’t happen to know where they are and what they are doing, would you Lou?” Jimmy asked while trying to control his own smile.

“Whatever they’re doing, I’m sure they’re doing it together,” Lou spoke while all her family laughs 
a bit until they hear Cody’s hollers from inside the barn.

Cody comes rushing out of the barn at full speed back to the group of people who are protecting Buck.

“Mark my word when I find the two of them, Buck will pay dearly if he’s laid one hand on Jane,” Cody spoke harshly.

“You might as well give it up Cody. If Buck and Jane are together, you can bet they are in one another’s arms.” Jimmy looks around at the rest of his family. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I for one think it’s about time they’ve found one another,” Jimmy spoke calmly with a smirk on his face.

“Why you!” Cody spoke as he goes after Jimmy, but Teaspoon and Kid manage to hold the blonde man back before he can attack.

“What’s a matter, Cody? You sure dished out a lot of grief to Buck, you can’t take it when Buck gives it right back to you?”

“I’m warning you Jimmy. Shut-up!” Cody spoke his anger causing Teaspoon and Kid to take a tighter hold on the man.

The candles had all been blown out, but the fire in the pit shown enough of a glow on the two lovers sleeping exhaustingly in one another’s arms. 

Jane smiles warmly as a sleeping Buck pulls her body closer to him. She gazes up into his sleep-hidden eyes. He truly showed her tonight just how much he loves her. The first time they made love was with such intensity that Jane couldn’t imagine his loving could get anymore feverish than that! But, Buck had made love to her a second and third time, and with each time their lovemaking had been more powerful! 

Jane reaches to his peacefully sleeping face and tucks a loose strand of his dark hair back behind 
his ear. How she wants for him to awaken and make passionate love to her again. She had given her body to Buck completely not holding back any of the love that she feels for him. Jane blinks a few tears out of her eyes. She truly loves him.

Jane kisses his nose, and listens to him moan softly in his sleep. At least for tonight he is safe in her arms. There are no outlaws that will intrude on this night and shoot him down. Tonight Buck belongs to her.
 

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Early the next morning over breakfast at the Hunter homestead, Cody is actually avoiding the food on his plate, and grumbling to his self about what a damn fool he has been.

Teaspoon watches Cody with bewilderment. There has never ever been anything or anybody in Cody’s life that has upset him badly enough to prevent him from enjoying his food!

“You gonna play with your food all day, Cody?” Teaspoon asked with a hint of concern for the 
young man.

Cody gazes up at Teaspoon, an inconsolable expression covering his usually over-confident expression. Cody is sure that Teaspoon is getting a big kick out of this. As a matter of fact, Cody is pretty sure that his entire family is enjoying his misery just a bit too much. They are all getting a tremendous amount of pleasure over Buck kidnapping Jane away from him. 

Teaspoon feels a slight tinge of pity for Cody, but he feels that the young man has brought this onto his self. Cody had made Buck’s life quite miserable when he falsely arrested Buck for a crime he knew damn well that Buck didn’t commit. Cody had done it to keep Jane from spending the night in Buck’s bed.

Jimmy walks into the Hunter home. He gazes and smiles at a miserable looking Cody.

“How can you all be so calm about their disappearance?” Cody asked frustrated.

“Because we all know that Buck can take care of Jane just fine. There really is no reason to worry about Jane. Cody, you’re a gambling man. What do you think the odds are that Buck and Jane spent the night together in one another’s arms?” Jimmy asked with a wide smirk across his face and laughter in his eyes.

“I’m warning you Jimmy!” Cody spoke harshly.

Jimmy takes a seat at the table trying to hold in his laughter.

Teaspoon can’t help but be happy for Buck if indeed he and Jane worked out their problem and then had spent the night together. His only worry is that they didn’t work out their problems. If they made love and ignored the problem between them, Teaspoon fears that Buck will be feeling hurt all over again. 

“I don’t think any of us should be assuming anything, Jimmy. At least not until the two of them get back here,” Teaspoon spoke trying to keep peace between Cody and Jimmy.

Jimmy casually wipes the smirk from his face and tries to take on a more serious approach. “Do we get to ask for details?”

“Details?” Teaspoon questioned somewhat confused by Jimmy’s question.

“Yeah. You know; details on how they spent the night together,” Jimmy spoke maintaining his 
serious expression.

Teaspoon can’t help but smile a bit due to the horrified look on Cody’s face.

“Jane wouldn’t allow her self to be with Buck. If they slept together it would be because Buck forced him self onto Jane,” Cody spoke harshly.

Jimmy can’t help the laughter that escapes from deep within his torso. “Are you kidding Cody? 
Every time I caught Jane and Buck in a compromising position, it was always Jane who was doing 
the compromising. If anyone forced anyone, it would have to be Jane forcing Buck!” 

Cody slams a fork down onto his plate. He stands up from the table and tosses his napkin onto his plate. “I’ve had just about as much of you as I can take for one day.”

Cody walks abruptly out the front door in a huff. When he slams the door both Jimmy and Teaspoon let loose on the laughter that they had to hold in while Cody was still in their presence.

Cody walks out onto the front porch only to be greeted by Kid and Louise walking toward the porch. 

“I suppose the two of you will also have your assumptions about how Buck and Jane spent last night together,” Cody spoke agitated by his family all believing that Jane spent the night making love to Buck.

Lou and Kid walk up onto the porch to stand in front of Cody. Louise can see the visible stress that Buck and Jane’s disappearance is bestowing onto Cody. She has a hard time feeling badly for Cody. She had tried to warn him that Jane’s heart belongs to Buck, but Cody wouldn’t hear it. Cody only wants to hear what Cody wants to hear.

“Cody, there’s no assuming about Buck and Jane’s evening together in my book,” Louise spoke confidently that the two reveled in love for one another.

“What makes all of you so sure that the two of them engaged in lustful behavior?” Cody asked angrily.

“There were no interruptions Cody,” Kid spoke amusingly.

Cody’s attention is drawn away from Kid and Lou. He squints his eyes to search the faces of the two people on one horse riding onto the ranch.

Kid and Louise both turn around to see what has grabbed Cody’s attention away from their conversation.

“It’s Buck and Jane!” Lou shouted gleefully.

Cody makes a mad dash for the gate. Louise and Kid follow close behind in case Cody starts trouble with either Jane or Buck.

Teaspoon and Jimmy who had heard Louise scream come barreling out of the house and down to the gate also.

They all gather outside the fence to wait for Buck and Jane to get to them. 

Teaspoon latches onto Cody’s arm, a bit nervous that Cody will charge after Buck.

Buck appears content and relaxed to have Jane sitting on the horse in front of him. He has his arms around Jane guiding his horse to the ranch. Jane looks captivating. She looks like a woman that is totally in love with the man that she is leaning into.

Louise takes notice that even with Cody staring at the two of them, that Jane makes no attempt to make this situation seem like a bad thing.

Cody doesn’t want to admit it to his self, but Buck and Jane both look exhausted from their lovemaking, but yet somehow they seem well rested. It’s obvious to him that the love in Jane’s eyes isn’t meant for him. 

Buck sees the crowd gathered at the fence. He had hoped that he would get Jane back to the ranch before his family woke for the day. It would have made the situation of their night together easier for Jane. Even though he had awoken early enough to do so, when Jane awoke she encouraged him to come back to bed. He wanted to feel the warmth of her body against his one last time before coming back home. He had crawled back into the bedroll and all his thoughts were on making lover to Jane.

Buck halts his horse a little ways away from the tiny group that has gathered for his and Jane’s homecoming of sorts. He dismounts his horse. 

As soon as Buck’s feet hit the ground Cody makes a mad dash for the Kiowa. Unfortunately for Cody, Jimmy and Kid are just too damned fast anymore when it comes to holding him back.

“Buck, I swear when I get hold of you!” Cody seethed through clinched teeth.

Buck doesn’t even acknowledge Cody. Instead he places his hands around Jane’s waist and helps 
her down off the horse. Once down from the horse, Jane stays in Buck’s arms and they gaze into 
each other’s eyes. Jane loves him and Buck loves her, and everyone in the tiny group gathering can see it too. They are all holding their collective breath wondering what went on between the two of them.

Cody struggles his arms free from Kid and Jimmy, as he watches Buck and Jane approach him. Cody’s face becomes red as his hot temper flares up!

Buck senses Cody’s hostility toward him and Jane. He stops and forces Jane to also stop a few feet away from Cody.

“Thought I’d just pay you back for the night you ruined for Jane and I. Only difference is that when you ruined our evening you didn’t get to spend the night with Jane,” Buck spoke trying to get Cody 
to blow up.

Cody makes a maddening charge at Buck! “Why you!” 

Before anyone can latch onto Cody, he shoves Buck in the chest and then knocks him to the ground with Cody falling right behind Buck!

Buck is trying to defend him self, but the excruciating pain in his chest has Buck clutching at his 
chest instead. 

“Cody stop! You’re going to hurt him!” Jane screamed as she watches in horror at the way Buck is having trouble breathing.

Jimmy, Kid, and Teaspoon are gathered around Cody trying to get him away from Buck!

Teaspoon pulls at Cody’s legs and Kid and Jimmy finally manage to each grab a swinging arm. Louise and Jane rush to Buck’s aid to help him up from the ground.

“Are you all right?” Jane asked frantically. She is truly frightened that Cody has hurt Buck.

Buck holds onto Jane for support but he can’t really talk because he’s having a difficult time even catching his breath. 

Kid rushes to Buck’s side. “Let’s get him in the house.”

Jane steps aside, but not before her saddened eyes meet with Buck’s once more. Cody’s temper is too much for her to handle. He would have seriously hurt Buck, if Jimmy and Kid weren’t nearby to stop the battering. 

Teaspoon and Kid than help Buck walk into the house. Jane stands alone as a few tears escape from her eyes. She doesn’t take her eyes away from Buck. She had spent the night loving him, and even this morning she had coaxed him back to bed one last time before leaving for home. Jane will never be able to rid her heart of the memory of her and Buck making love in the cave! How can she ever 
go back to Cody with the feelings that she has for Buck that she knows she will never have with Cody. How can she ever live without the warmth of Buck’s body against her body every night and morning for the rest of their lives?

Louise who has been watching Jane’s reaction to everything that has happened walks up behind the young woman.

Jane turns around when she hears Charlene’s voice in the background, but what she meets up with are Lou’s eyes of understanding. Jane’s eyes are drawn to Charlene and Cody who are scheming together in the distance. 

Jane glances back at Louise. “Should I be thanking you for last night with Buck?”

“You may if you’d like,” Lou spoke seriously.

“I thought so.”

“Someone has to make you see the mistake you are making. You love Buck. If you thinking you’re fooling anyone, you are sadly mistaken.   Oh….except for perhaps poor old reliable Cody.”

“I am staying with Cody!” Jane spoke harshly.

“Why? You don’t love Cody. I bet you don’t even like him much. They are total opposites Jane. 
How could you have been in love with Buck, but now all you want is Cody?”

For the first time Jane is silent. She doesn’t know how to answer Lou’s question because truthfully she doesn’t want Cody, and all she can think about is the intense, passionate, many ways that Buck had loved her last night and this morning.

“You do understand that I don’t mean to upset you, but the fact is that it is obvious to everyone, including Cody, that you and Buck spent last night loving one another.”

“I won’t admit to that,” Jane spoke softly.

“How can you do this to Buck? How can you allow yourself to make love to him and then turn back 
to Cody the very next morning?” Lou asked baffled.

If only Louise knew that she had made love to Buck just a short time before arriving at the ranch 
this morning. “Louise, this is really none of your business.”

“Do you love Cody?”

Jane once again finds that there are no words forthcoming from her vocal cords. She tries to escape Lou’s questioning by walking away from her, but when she heads toward Cody, Jane sees that he is still busy scheming with Charlene. Without thinking about what she is doing, Jane turns back toward Louise’s direction. 

Lou is smiling at the uncomfortable feeling that she gives to Jane. “I thought not. I guess your not so true love is busy with his deceitful partner in crime.”

“Louise, I don’t want to fight with you over my feelings for Cody or Buck. Both men are a part of your family so it really surprises me that it even matters to you which one of them I am with.”

“You are hurting Buck! That is what matters to me. Buck loves you. You spent last night showing Buck just how much you love him, and now today you’re pushing him away. He doesn’t deserve what you are doing to him.”

“I can’t help the way I feel.”

“Yeah. I know all about having feelings for two different men. The problem here is that you don’t have feelings for Cody. You don’t really even want to be with Cody. My guess is that it would be a whole lot easier on your emotions to lose Cody then it ever would be for you to love Buck and possibly lose him,” Lou spoke eagerly awaiting for Jane to try and lie her way out of the truth.

Jane doesn’t know what to say to get Louise to stop meddling into her feelings concerning Buck. Louise is so right about her feelings of losing Buck. Why had she weakened and allowed her self to ever love him even for one night? Louise is right. She will have to hurt Buck all over again. Why 
can’t she just stop worrying about the past and just live in the present?

“I’m right, aren’t I?” Louise asked jolting Jane out of her silence.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jane spoke as her eyes become moist, and she walks 
away from Lou to walk toward the Hunter’s home.

Louise grabs onto Jane’s forearm and turns her around. “You don’t even have to answer me Jane, 
I know that I am right. You’re afraid of losing Buck.”

“Leave it be Louise,” Jane spoke as she pulls away from Lou and walks the path to the front porch trying to wipe the tears from her face before going inside.

Louise stands back and allows Jane to escape her pursuit of the truth. But, Lou knows that the only man Jane will ever truly love is Buck. The question is how is she ever going to open Jane’s eyes to see that the future with the one you love is always unpredictable. Her life with Buck could last one day, one week, one month, one year, but their future together could also last fifty years. The predictable part about love is to simply love that person for as long as God allows.