THE ROCK CREEK
ADVENTUROUS TALES, PART 1
Kid stands on the porch watching Buck walk down the path at the side of his and Louise's home to reach his own home. It bothers him that night after night, after working on the ranch, his best friend goes home to an empty house. Although Buck never complains about it, deep down Kid knows it bothers him. He watches Buck until his friend is well out of his sight. "I just wish Buck's being alone was my only problem that warrants attention," Kid muttered to himself.
Kid glances up at the dark window above the porch. He had hoped she would wait up for him so they could have a much-needed talk. They don't seem to agree on anything in their shared life anymore. Everything was so much easier before they were married. It's so easy to hurt someone's feelings without really knowing what you've done. Every event in their life is a conflict in the making. Like a percolator just about to boil over, and then at the last minute someone takes it off the fire! Problem is, he knows the fire with Louise and him is about to burn out unless he can put a halt on the bickering and disagreeing that's been going on between them for quite some time now.
Kid walks up the stairs and into the dimly lightened house. He blows out the single oil lamp that is burning near the foot of the stairs leading to the second floor. As he works his way up to the second floor, he wonders what has made Louise become so infuriated almost on a daily basis with him. He thinks that he may not be spending enough time with her. Maybe he hasn't been giving her the attention that she desires. The ranch has taken a lot of his time over several years to build it to the reputation that he and Buck have developed it into. Now, with his added deputy duties, to help Buck out, he hasn't spent any time at all with his lovely wife.
"That can't be it. She's been moody longer than just this past week," he muttered to himself.
He hopes as he wanders to their bedroom that she has waited up for him. The rest of the bedrooms, on the second floor, are dark behind the closed doors. He turns the doorknob to the bedroom that he shares with his beautiful wife of six years, and opens the door quietly so he doesn't disturb her peaceful sleep.
Kid walks slowly over to where she is sleeping. The warm glow of the moonlight shines in through their bedroom windows giving him enough light to touch her alluring body with his eyes. He gazes down at his sleeping wife snuggled under the covers in the bed he made her after he returned home from the war. She appears to be so comfortable, yet in his heart he knows she's not. He starts to undress laying his clothes over a chair. He leaves his long johns on and crawls into bed lying on his back. He stares blindly at the ceiling. With her back turned to him, he takes the hint that she doesn't want to cuddle with him. His heart is crushed that she would pretend to be asleep to avoid talking to him. They can't go on denying the problems between them. He sighs heavily waiting for Louise to confess her betrayal. He waits for a few seconds. Louise makes no attempt to admit to him that she is really awake.
"Louise, I know you're not sleeping," Kid spoke his voice cracking with emotion.
Louise opens her eyes shamefully. She wonders when her husband has become so perceptive. Most days she feels that Kid doesn't notice that she's even around much less what she's doing or how she's feeling about things.
"We need to talk about what it is that's upsetting you," Kid spoke softly.
She continues to keep her back turned to him as she speaks to him. "There's nothing upsetting me," Louise spoke harshly.
"It seems to me by your tone of voice that something I've done is bothering you."
"Alright. You are not married to Buck!"
"I hope not. I mean Buck and I have a lot in common, but I just don't see us being real well suited for one another," Kid spoke with a hint of sarcasm in his words.
"You're not funny Kid," Louise spoke while sitting up in bed next to her husband. "You've been taking Buck's side on things lately and completely ignoring my opinions and not to mention my feelings."
Kid pulls his body up into a sitting position next to his wife. He takes her hand in his while looking very confused by her words. "If this is about Jeremiah, you haven't been real happy with him lately either."
"He's my brother, Kid. He is just a boy," Louise spoke softly wanting her husband's understanding.
"He wants to be treated like a man. If he insists that we treat him like a man then he'll have to learn to deal with disapproval when he says or does something that hurts others."
"I don't think Jeremiah really meant to act unconcerned about Teaspoon's condition."
"You're right. His actions were that of a teenage boy. At that age most boys aren't concerned about anyone else's well being but their own. The thing is Louise. Jeremiah wants all of us to treat him like he's all grown up. If Jeremiah were all grown up, I believe he would have been more compassionate and affected by Teaspoon's injuries. He would have been asking how Teaspoon was doing instead of snickering about Teaspoon's bad disposition."
"Kid, don't forget that both Rachel and I found it a bit humorous concerning Teaspoon's disposition," Louise stated sheepishly.
"That's different."
"How so?"
"You and Rachel were both distressed over Teaspoon's well being. Jeremiah completely ignored the fact that Teaspoon was hurt badly from his accident and that it could have been a lot worse then it was. Jeremiah has growing up to do yet. I'm not ready to treat him like an adult until he shows signs of being one."
Louise thinks on her husband's words for a brief moment. She truly understands how Kid feels, but she also knows her brother didn't purposely mean to upset anyone the night of Teaspoon's accident.
"Alright, I can agree with what you're saying. Just please promise me you won't be as harsh towards Jeremiah as Buck can sometimes be," Louise spoke her eyes pleading with Kid.
"Buck was just hurt by Jeremiah's reaction."
Louise throws her hands up in the air. To her there is just no use trying to make him see that Buck is coming between them. "There you go defending Buck again."
"Louise I'm sorry, but I happen to think Buck is right on this issue. Besides, Buck did apologize to you. I don't hear Jeremiah doing any apologizing."
She looks at Kid with a confused but grouchy look on her face. "Buck should apologize for his mean words aimed at Jeremiah. Buck is an adult and he shouldn't be so harsh on a…..boy." Louise spoke fully understanding the meaning of the words that just came from her mouth.
Kid is warmly smiling at his embarrassed wife. She has calmed down since their conversation first began. "I still think Buck is a little over-sensitive where Teaspoon is concerned."
"Louise, you know that Teaspoon and Buck have been through a lot together. Remember back six years ago when we were all going our separate ways after the Pony Express closed. Noah had been killed. Ike was already gone. Both their deaths really hurt Teaspoon more than any of us really knew except for Buck. Buck was going through the same pain, and he knew Teaspoon had lost two boys that he thought of as his son's. Then Cody joins the army as a scout. Teaspoon loses another son. Jimmy decides to roam for a while, settling down in whatever town needs a lawman at the time. Teaspoon loses another son. I decide to leave and head back home to fight in the war. Teaspoon loses another son. Jesse had left to go on the run with his brother Frank. Teaspoon loses another son. Buck was the only one of us left."
"I was staying."
"That's different Louise. You're like a daughter to Teaspoon. I meant all his son's was leaving him. Teaspoon never wanted his family to break up. I'm sure he thought, before the war started to head west, that we would all live in Rock Creek together as a family forever. He wanted Buck to stay. Teaspoon knew in his heart that if Buck wanted to leave then he would have to let him go. I think it kind of broke Teaspoon's heart just a little that Buck needed to work things out with his Kiowa family. I also know from the letters Teaspoon was writing to me that he was deeply afraid Buck would get hurt again by the tribe's treatment of him."
"Sure enough one year later Buck came back home to his real family," Louise spoke proudly.
"I remember Teaspoon's exact words in the letter he had written when he told me that Buck had returned to Rock Creek. Kid, at this moment I am the happiest man alive."
"I remember the day Buck came back. Teaspoon was so excited bringing Buck to the homestead. It was like Buck had been gone a lifetime instead of just one year," Louise spoke her eyes misting over from the thought of happy memories.
"I believe some of that excitement from Teaspoon was because his family was returning to him. It started with Buck. I think Teaspoon envisioned all of us returning to settle down with our Pony Express family."
"I realize Teaspoon and Buck have a special bond. But we all rode for The Pony Express. We are all a part of Teaspoon's life."
"Yeah, but you haven't been Teaspoon's deputy for the past four years. Teaspoon and Buck have become closer than the rest of us because of their working relationship. Teaspoon worries about Buck, and Buck worries about Teaspoon."
"Why does Teaspoon worry about Buck?"
"Because Buck is alone. Teaspoon is going to worry about Buck, until Buck finds someone special to share his life with."
"You don't have to be married to him until he does."
"Are we back to that again. Louise, you are beginning to sound as insensitive as your brother. I remember not to long ago you playing matchmaker. You wanted to get Buck married off because you didn't want him being alone."
"Are you concerned about Buck?"
"Not really. When the right woman comes along Buck will know. But, what I am concerned about is that you are bringing Buck into our marriage. I don't really think Buck is our problem. I think you are using Buck as a scapegoat to avoid the real problem in our marriage."
"What is the real problem in our marriage kid?" Louise asked not really knowing what the problem is.
"I thought perhaps you could clue me in on the problem. Maybe I'm not spending enough time with my beautiful wife."
Louise slips back under the blankets and covers Kid's body with her own. She showers him with pleasurable kisses until he reaches around and hugs her tightly to his body. He slides down on the bed and kisses Louise deeply. Her soft moans urge him to continue.
The moonlight is bright this summer night. The sky is clear of any clouds. Brilliant stars can be seen scattered about the sky. Tonight is nothing like a few nights ago when the thunderous storm had caused havoc onto their homes.
Buck stands on the edge of the porch to his home. The holds onto a steaming
hot cup of coffee. The steam endlessly soars from the hot liquid and disappears
into the heat of the summer air. Even in the summer heat, Buck prefers a hot
cup of coffee to any other beverage.
Louise often would say how crazy he is as she's gulping down a full glass of
lemonade. He smiles to himself thinking about Louise.
He gazes over at Kid and Louise's darken home wondering if he's the problem brewing in their relationship. Could he possibly be coming between them because of his friendship and business partnership with Kid? It was some years ago when he thought he had come between another couple.
It was 1860. They were as close of a family as any blood relations were. There was seven of them riding for The Pony Express. Teaspoon Hunter was their stationmaster, friend and father. He loved them all as if they were his own flesh and blood. They all loved him back, and respected the man also.
Buck had meet Ike at an orphanage where they both lived. With neither one of them really fitting in very well, they found the courage to walk away from the orphanage. Neither one ever looked back. It was some months later that they ended up in Sweetwater. That's where they found The Pony Express and Teaspoon Hunter.
They had a few bad times together as a family, but each of them knew they could lean on the others if need be. Isn't that what family do? They help each other when times are bad. They laugh together when times are good.
In 1861, Ike meet a beautiful young woman who he lost his heart to. Buck feared that Ike would only get hurt. He had begged Ike to stay away from Emily. He had never had much luck with the women he fell for. Buck sensed that Emily's father was bad news. It wasn't to be. Ike helped Emily fix up the farm she lived while her father was in another town. That night after Ike had come home to the bunkhouse, Neville had gone out to the farm and set the barn on fire. Emily wouldn't admit that it was Neville who had set the fire, the man her father had already gotten into some heated words with over a poker game. Ike invited Emily to The Annual Summer Dance. The happy couple had been enjoying themselves at the dance. They danced almost every song together. They left the dance after awhile to go for a walk. Later Buck had found them coming out of the barn. Ike seemed different. Content. Ike seemed very much in love with the woman in his arms. Ike's clothes were a bit disheveled. Buck knew instantly that something more than a few kisses had transpired between Ike and Emily Metcalfe.
That's when all hell broke loose. A gambler Neville had killed Emily's father. A man who witnessed the episode proclaimed the gunfight self-defense. Emily was beside herself with grief. Buck had figured that out later. She went to the saloon with the intentions of killing Neville. There was only one thought that stood in her way. That one thought would be guilt. Buck also knew a lot about that.
Ike had found out about Emily's intentions. He tore out of the bunkhouse with the rest of the express riders close on his heels, but too far back to stop what happened next. In the process of coming to Emily's rescue, Ike was badly wounded. After the Doc had examined Ike and cleaned and dressed the wound, Buck was allowed inside to visit his friend and brother.
The sight of Ike saddened Buck that day. Ike laid motionless in one of the Doc's healing rooms. Once Buck looked at the wound, he knew it was a wound that would take his best friend away from him forever. They cried together. Ike also knew he would be leaving his best friend. They were two friends who thought they had all the time in the world, and now that time was being taken from them. They told each other they loved the other. The tears and sadness wouldn't stop! They gazed into each other's tear-filled eyes and neither one could utter the words good-bye. This wouldn't be good-bye forever. Buck got up from the chair he'd been sitting on and walked out. Later that same day after Ike died, Buck killed Neville in cold blood. The man deserved to die. Buck felt no remorse in what he'd done to Neville. But as the years have passed since that dreadful day, Buck has grown up and has realized that it wasn't his place to take Neville's life.
He sipped on the hot coffee. He definitely knows a lot about grief and guilt. The two simply don't mix well together. He felt, for the longest time, his meddling into Ike's business was the fatal outcome of Ike and Emily's love story. Kid was the one friend that kept reminding him that Neville was the intruder in Ike and Emily's romance and not him.
He would suggest tomorrow that Kid stay home and work on the ranch close to his wife. He could handle the town by himself. Kid needs to spend more time with his beautiful wife. He cares about Louise. He can sense that lately Louise has been acting more moody than her normal self.
He sits on the porch swing tired of thinking, but sleep isn't quite ready to overcome him.
The only light in the room comes from an oil lamp located on a nightstand next to Rachel's side of the bed. Rachel briskly walks across the wood floor in her bare feet. She is dressed in a long ivory colored cotton nightdress. She pulls the blanket back and climbs into bed next to her husband. She takes notice that Teaspoon is quietly awake and staring blindly up at the ceiling.
"Is it too hot tonight for you to sleep?" Rachel asked puzzled by the fact that Teaspoon has yet to acknowledge her presence in their bed. She gazes up at the ceiling wondering if there is something up there. "Is the ceiling dirty?"
That catches Teaspoon's attention. He clears his throat, and turns his head to look at her. "I didn't hear you come in. How long you been sitting there?"
"You really are in a trance tonight." Rachel makes herself more comfortable in the bed. She turns to her side to face her husband. "Is everything ok?"
"I'm just trying to figure out human nature that's all."
"How's your leg holding up?"
"My leg is fine. It's the rest of me that's a bit sore," Teaspoon spoke in a rather harsh tone to his lovely wife while trying to get more comfortable.
She hadn't really wanted to ask. Rachel knew she'd get a grumpy answer back. She only asked because she didn't want Teaspoon thinking she didn't care about his condition. "So what kind of human nature are we talking about?" She reaches her hand up to his face to place a strand of loose hair back behind his ear.
"Buck, Kid, Louise and the rest of this family."
"Is there a problem?"
"Just seems like they're all on edge lately. I'm thinking that it has to do with my being laid up. Buck and Kid don't get too much time away from the marshal's office or working on the repairs here at the ranch."
"So you're worried about how Louise is holding up with Kid spending so much of his time being a deputy and repairing the ranch," Rachel stated knowing exactly what her husband is thinking. Louise has had problems in the past dealing with Kid's lack of interest in her and the girls. The ranch has to be top priority if they are to have any kind of a future that they can depend on for income. Buck and Kid both have always been hard workers. During the Pony Express days, neither one of them ever shunned away from their chores. That was always Cody's job. Back then Louise was more content to have Kid fusing less then what he wanted. Nowadays Louise wants more of Kid's attention then he can give. Human nature definitely is difficult to figure out.
"Us husband's all know that you wife's require a certain amount of loving and attention," Teaspoon spoke proudly as if he was just discovering something brand new.
"Us wife's might require a certain amount of love and attention, but it's you husband's that get it all," Rachel spoke a little proud of herself for putting the men in their rightful place. Her husband knows perfectly well who gets all the attention in this relationship.
"Are you telling me you don't get enough attention my lovely wife."
"What I'm trying to tell you is that for example, when a husband comes down sick, his wife makes him homemade soup for his nauseated stomach. She drapes a cool cloth over his forehead to comfort his rising fever. She props his broken limps up with pillows. She makes sure he is covered with blankets to keep him from getting a chill. She feeds him when he is too weak to get a spoon to his mouth. She cleans his gun wounds and changes his bandages to keep away infections. But, let a wife get sick and what does her husband do for her. He goes out and mucks out the stalls in the barn."
"I guess you're trying to tell me that I get my fair share of attention around her," Teaspoon spoke somewhat apprehensive.
Rachel places a warm kiss on Teaspoon's cheek. She smiles at him reassuringly. "I'm not angry from all the attention you receive. But let's just analyze your present situation. You have Buck acting like a mother hen. You've got Kid putting socks on your feet. That's something I won't even do. Louise and I are spoiling you with cooking anything your stomach fancies. Addison and Daniel keep you company practically all day long. Doc Barnes is out here every chance he gets to make sure you are as comfortable as you can possibly be."
"He hasn't brought my crutches out yet," Teaspoon spoke saddened.
Rachel laughs at her husband. "That's because I told on you. Doc Barnes wants you to rest for a few more days before you try hobbling about on crutches."
Teaspoon seems to accept the news about his crutches rather well. He is unusually quiet.
"What is it that is really troubling your thoughts tonight?"
"Can you feel the tension between Buck, Kid, Louise and Jeremiah? Something doesn't feel right amongst the four of them. I feel like there's something going on that no one wants me to be aware of."
Rachel sighs heavily. She wonders in her mind and heart if perhaps she should confide to Teaspoon what has them all on edge. Teaspoon gazes at her quizzically. He can tell by the sorrowful appearance in her eyes that she is hiding something from him.
"Out with it," Teaspoon spoke more gruffly to her then he intended to.
Rachel sits up in their bed and faces her husband. "I don't want you getting yourself worked up over any of this. They are all adults and they can fix their problems without you getting involved."
"Is there too much for Buck and Kid to handle by themselves? They could rope Jeremiah into helping them. I'm sure the boy won't mind. He's usually always under their feet anyway pleading with them to let him help out."
Rachel clears her throat trying to stall for time. Teaspoon isn't going to let her off the hook so easily. His eyes are glaring right through her very soul. She can't lie to this man. "Jeremiah is some of the problem."
"Whatever it is, I can handle it," Teaspoon spoke annoyed that his wife would keep a secret from him.
"I don't want you getting upset. Just stay calm until I'm finished."
"I think I can hold my temper steady until you finish telling me what you're going to start telling me right now," Teaspoon demanded calmly.
"Jeremiah had said some things about your accident and kind of laughed about how bad your disposition would get from being made to stay in bed."
"Why would I get mad about that? He's just a boy. Boys have a tendency to be smart with their mouth once in awhile."
"Buck took it to heart," Rachel spoke softly.
"Buck took it to heart?" Teaspoon questioned confusingly.
"Buck was real worried that you were hurt a lot worse than you was. Jeremiah was mouthing off a bit about your injury and your temper. Buck didn't appreciate the funning Jeremiah was having associated with your accident. Kid wasn't real pleased with the way Jeremiah behaved either. I think more because Buck was upset."
"I suppose Louise witnessed all of this between Buck, her husband and her brother?"
"She was right there. Actually Louise and I let out a few quiet giggles about your mood as well. Buck and Kid didn't seem to take offense to us though."
"You know what I think? I think I better have a talk with Buck," Teaspoon spoke harshly.
"Teaspoon please don't blame Buck. He is only concerned about you. The
trouble between Buck and Jeremiah isn't anything that can't be fixed. You know
Buck has always been sensitive and caring towards others. Jeremiah is young.
He says things before he thinks about what he's saying. Sometimes what he says
hurts others. I don't really think Jeremiah means anything by it."
"I already had a conversation with Buck and Kid about Jeremiah's immaturity.
I thought they both understood what I was preaching concerning Jeremiah's maturity
level compared to theirs at that age."
Rachel kisses Teaspoon softly on the lips. "Personally, I think we all need a good night's sleep. Everything will look better in the morning."
Rachel and Teaspoon both slide down onto the bed. Rachel turns out the oil lamp. Darkness is upon the Kid and Buck Horse Ranch.
