ROCK CREEK ADVENTUROUS TALES
PART 2

GHOSTS FROM THE PAST

by Debra © 2001

CHAPTER EIGHT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Are we too late for breakfast?" Cody asked gleefully.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"I can't do that Jimmy," Buck replied flatly.

"What about Teaspoon?" Jimmy asked somberly.

"What about him?"

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

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

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

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

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

"No. You didn't even hear me out!" Jimmy spoke gruffly.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jimmy turns his attention to Buck. "I'll see you later today."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"We haven't," both Buck and Kid spoke in unison.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Rachel," Teaspoon spoke somewhat still dazed.

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

"I love them all you know," Teaspoon spoke somberly.

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

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

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

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

"Well, I'm at least happy to see you're admitting you are wrong," Rachel spoke strongly.

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

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

"Simon Davenport attacked this young woman also?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"A wise decision on your part Miss Anderson."

"How do you know my name?"

"I will ask the questions here."

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

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

"Simon is the unintelligent one, not I."

"Good. Then I shouldn't have any trouble persuading you to do a few small favors for me."

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

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

"Your name has been mentioned around the ranch. You're a wanted outlaw."

"That's correct."

"Why should I help you?"

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

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

"What favors can I possibly do for you?"

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

"Why?"

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

"Do we have an understanding?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"See what I mean. We haven't had one minute of good luck since that storm hit."

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

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

"It's everything and everybody," Buck spoke sadly.

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

"It's Teaspoon and Cody," Buck spoke disheartened.

"Gee Buck. You really relinquished that information in record time."

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

"Okay, I'm sorry. It's just high time people started getting back to normal around here."

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

"Including yourself Buck?"

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

"Are you planning on talking with Jesse?"

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

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

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

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

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

"The problem between us is Jesse."

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

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

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

"I'll try," Buck spoke still sounding down and out.

"What's up with Cody?"

"What about Cody?"

"You mentioned Cody as your other problem. What's he doing that's upsetting you?"

"He's just got this way about him that gets the best of me sometimes."

"That's cause you let him get the best of you."

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

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

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

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

"Women can sure keep men guessing can't they?" Buck asked truly confused about women.

"Are we talking about Louise or Jane?"

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

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

"Did I appear that obvious?" Buck asked softly.

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

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

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

"Good morning Teaspoon," Kid hollered back down at Teaspoon.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"I guess you still do care," Teaspoon spoke quietly.

"I never said that I didn't," Buck spoke his voice cracking with emotion.

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

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

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

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

"I'll try to stay out of your business with Jesse. I can't make any promises though."

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

"Someday it may happen Teaspoon, and you won't be able to stop it," Buck spoke softly.

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

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

"What about coming back as my deputy?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Good idea. I wouldn't want Buck to bust up over my jealously of him with my husband."

"You don't think Buck doesn't already know?" Rachel asked surprised that Louise thinks Buck doesn't know her little secret.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Buck couldn't convince Kid to come home?"

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

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

"He's been seeing Hannah Anderson. He's taking her to the dance Saturday evening."

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

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

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

"Why is Buck complaining about that?"

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

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

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

"Jimmy's only using her for one thing and one thing only. We all know that Hannah and Charlene both sleep around town with any man who will have them. What shocks me is how smitten Charlene has become with Buck. She wouldn't have nothing to do with him a few years ago when he had got up the courage to ask her to dinner."

"I didn't know Buck asked her out," Rachel spoke stunned by the news.

"I pushed him into it. After she turned him down because of his being half Indian, I vowed to Kid that I would never play matchmaker again where Buck is concerned. I know her insult to his heritage had hurt him, even though he denied it."

"I'm sure he'll probably have doubts about Jane then. Unfortunately for Buck, Cody doesn't own any doubts."

The two women share a brief giggling spell at Cody's expense. While Buck, Kid and Teaspoon look on from the porch of the Hunter home.

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