STANDING
BETWEEN LOVE AND BETRAYALSTANDING
BETWEEN LOVE AND BETRAYAL
CHAPTER TWENTY
Jane strolls into the Hunter kitchen, and immediately finds herself backing out of the kitchen clutching her arms around her stomach. The smell of Rachel cooking breakfast doesn't agree with her stomach this morning.
Rachel witnessed Jane's strange behavior and followed her out of the kitchen after removing her frying pan of fried eggs off the stove.
She places a hand on Jane's arm as Jane tries to straighten her body up from bending over with obvious nausea.
"Are you alright?" Rachel asked with a worried tone.
"I'm fine now. I need to get into town. The children are anxious to get this last day over with before their Christmas Holiday starts," Jane spoke a smile across her face hoping to make Rachel relax a little bit.
"Alright. But, you and I need to talk later today after you come home."
"Sure."
Jane makes her way out the front door. She leaves Rachel staring out the window at her as she leaves the ranch on the buckboard.
After Jane is out of her sight, Rachel turns around and wonders what secret Jane is hiding now. But, Rachel's thoughts of Jane disappear when Teaspoon walks down the stairs apparently in a bad mood already this morning.
"What is wrong with you this morning?" Rachel asked calmly.
Teaspoon places a meek kiss on Rachel's cheek. "I just got a lot of thinking to do."
"Well, you might think better on a full stomach."
"I think I'll pass on breakfast this morning. I need to get into town, and get a few matters cleared up."
"Suit yourself." Rachel plants a kiss on Teaspoon's cheek, and walks back into the kitchen.
Just as Teaspoon opens the front door to leave, Jack is ready to pound his fist on the outside of Teaspoon's front door.
Teaspoon gives out a heavy displeasing sigh as he stares back into the anxious eyes of his friend from the past, Jack Morgan. "What did I do to deserve this wonderful early morning visit from you today?" Teaspoon asked with a scowl.
Jack suddenly gets a look of disappointment on his face. "I thought you'd be happy to see me leaving town for a few days."
Teaspoon steps outside onto the front porch of his home. "You don't have to kiss me good-bye everytime you decide to leave town for a day or two. I can survive your leaving."
"My someone is grouchy today," Jack spoke as he makes room for Teaspoon to walk past him, and head toward the barn. Jack picks up his pace, and before long he is able to keep up with Teaspoon's swift stride.
"I'm real happy for you Jack that you can continue your life's work. I know that shooting outlaws in the back is what keeps the blood pumping in those cold-hearted veins of yours," Teaspoon spoke with a sarcastic tone.
"I came hear to say good-bye for a few days. I really didn't expect to find a bear waiting for me."
Teaspoon halts his progression to the barn, and turns rapidly to face Jack. "Look Jack, I told you before that I don't really want to know about your hunting down Jesse and his gang. I told you to keep any news about it to yourself. But, for some reason you ain't hearing what I'm saying. You have to come over here to my home, and announce your intentions everytime you're ready to saddle up and ride on out of here."
"I came by to give you some more information to think about while I'm gone. I thought perhaps you might want to know the Indian woman's real name that you fathered a child to."
Teaspoon once again gets a wave of disgust over his facial features. "How do you know that I don't already know her name? I mean I did sleep with the woman for gods sake Jack."
"But, she kept her real name from you to protect the child that she might be carrying. She told you that her name was Gentle Spirit. Am I correct?"
Teaspoon doesn't want to admit that Jack is correct. How would Jack know that Gentle Spirit is the name the woman gave Teaspoon if he hadn't talked to the Indian woman? Teaspoon isn't too sure he wants to know the Indian woman's real name. He could open up a can of worms that might best be left unopened.
"Her real name was Six Moons," Jack blurted out before Teaspoon could object.
By the shocked reaction written all over Teaspoon's face, Jack knows that he has caused the earth to move under Teaspoon's boots. Teaspoon Hunter's life will never be the same.
Jack stands silently next to Teaspoon wondering if he will ever speak again. He clasps his hand onto Teaspoon's back, but the lawman still doesn't open his mouth to vocally mount an excessive amount of questions. Jack mounts his horse with the intention of riding out.
Jack gazes down at Teaspoon Hunter one last time before heading off the ranch, and out into the wilderness to track down Jesse and his gang. "I hope you'll do the right thing Teaspoon."
Teaspoon gazes up at Jack sitting firmly on his horse. "Right now I don't know exactly what the right thing to do would be Jack."
"I know you Teaspoon Hunter better than you think. You're a man that always does the honorable thing," Jack spoke calmly as he leads his horse off the ranch, and leaving Teaspoon feeling quite lost.
Jimmy and Cody are watching Doc Barnes examine Phillip Anderson from outside Phillip's jail cell.
"So Doc, did you ever sleep with one of my sisters?" Phillip asked Doc Barnes in a very monotone voice.
"I have a wife and children," Doc Barnes replied very proudly.
"That makes no difference to my sisters, or the men they have slept with," Phillip replied.
Jimmy and Cody turn around when they hear Teaspoon enter the marshal's office.
Jimmy walks over and greets Teaspoon. "Phillip Anderson has admitted to all the killings. I really don't think it is necessary to keep Hannah locked up any longer."
"Cody, I'm going to allow Jimmy to free Hannah.
Cody glances over at Hannah who has been watching her brother the entire morning. Her tear-stained eyes have become even redder than last evening. "Yeah. I guess we should have let her free last evening."
Jimmy grabs the keys from the hook on the wall, and proceeds to Hannah's cell. He unlocks the door, and opens it to allow Hannah access to her freedom.
The very moment that Hannah steps out of the cell that has been her home for a brief part of her life, is to slap Jimmy swiftly, but strongly across the face!
Jimmy's reaction is not shock. He rubs his tender cheek, and gazes into Hannah's liquid eyes. "I guess I deserved that."