STANDING
BETWEEN LOVE AND BETRAYAL
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
The Christmas dance at the Rock Creek town social
hall is the largest Holiday event of the year. Everyone from parents, grandparents,
aunts, and uncles, sweethearts, and children dress up in their fancy outfits
to attend the Christmas dance.
For this years dance, Rachel, Louise, and Jane had
been chosen for the decorating committee. The doors of the social hall open,
and with her arm entangled in his, Rachel and Teaspoon walk through the doors.
Rachel is in awe over the fabulous job that her and the girls did to make the
hall look its absolute best. Rachel is praying that the warm atmosphere of the
social hall assures everyone of having a great time while dancing, eating, and
drinking the night away.
Teaspoon leans in to whisper into Rachel's ear.
"You and the girls did a fine job with the decorating this year."
Rachel smiles back at Teaspoon showing her appreciation
for his complement. "Thank-you Marshal Hunter."
Rachel gazes at the interior making sure one last
time that all the decorations are beautifully displayed. On the ceiling twists
of red, green and gold paper come together in the center, and are attached all
together with a silver star. At each table there is a red, white, or green tablecloth
adoring the table. A floral centerpiece of evergreen, holly, luscious cranberries,
and pinecones rest on each table. At the back of the social hall where the band
will be playing, Rachel gave the stage a little decorating with paper bows made
from the same paper that drapes from the ceiling. Rachel inhales a deep breath
of the fresh evergreen smell that is explicitly noticeable throughout the social
hall.
"It smells wonderful too," Teaspoon spoke
softly.
"It certainly feels like the Christmas season
in this hall tonight," Rachel commented excitedly.
The social hall has many citizens of Rock Creek
already mingled together in small groups chit chatting the evening away. The
band starts to play its first slow tune.
Teaspoon faces Rachel, and takes her hand. "Would
you care to dance Mrs. Hunter?"
"I would love to dance with you Marshal Hunter,"
Rachel spoke with a teasing smile.
Teaspoon escorts Rachel to the back of the hall
where a dancing area has been cleared away in front of the band.
The two begin to dance, and Rachel notices that
Cody and Jane are already present, and sitting at the table reserved for the
Hunter clan.
Teaspoon notices Rachel watching the couple closely.
"I know what you're thinking."
"What am I thinking, Mr. Hunter?"
"You're thinking that the two of them don't
really belong together."
"I was also thinking about how strange Jane
has been acting over the past few months, and especially since the morning Buck
brought her back to the ranch after he had kidnapped her."
"I know that woman loves Buck, but for some
reason that none of us will probably ever find out about, she won't allow herself
to love him back."
"Don't look now, but Buck, Charlene, Jimmy,
and Hannah have just come through the front doors. Oh and Louise and Kid are
right behind them," Rachel spoke calmly.
"Good. All our family has arrived then,"
Teaspoon spoke wearily, but with a slight smile.
As quickly as Buck enters the social hall his senses
immediately realize that Jane is sitting down next to Cody. His eyes meet with
her eyes for a brief moment. Jane quickly turns her eyes back to Cody when he
leans in close to her, and whispers something endearing into her ear.
Buck feels hurt and disgusted at the same time.
Charlene sees the disappointed look on Buck's face, and practically drags his
body to the table. Charlene makes sure that she and Buck are seated at the opposite
end where Jane and Cody are sitting. Kid sits next to Buck, and Jimmy with Hannah
are seated across from Buck and Charlene.
Louise sits down next to her husband, but her eyes
keep bouncing from Kid to Jimmy. Ever since Jimmy's admittance of love for her,
she hasn't been able to think straight. She had thought that Jimmy was really
in love with her, but now the fact that Hannah is free, and he is back seeing
her makes Lou wonder if Jimmy has been playing games with her emotions. Lou's
problem is that why does she even care? She has the most wonderful man sitting
right next to her. She shouldn't be thinking about romance with another man
other than her husband.
Jimmy and Hannah suddenly excuse themselves from
the table, and make their way to the back of the social hall to share a dance.
In the meantime Teaspoon and Rachel have joined the rest of their close-knit
family back at the table.
"I'd like it very much if we could start this
relationship of ours over. I mean I think we deserve a fresh start," Jimmy
spoke softly.
Hannah smiles affectionately at Jimmy. In her heart
she truly loves him, but her heart also is telling her that she has another
destiny to fill before she can truly be happy with her life. "You know
that you are the first man that I have ever given my heart to."
"I'd like to think that I would be the only
man you'll ever give your heart to."
"You are a sweet man James Hickok."
"Sounds like there is a but in there somewhere,"
Jimmy spoke flatly.
Hannah takes a deep longing gaze into Jimmy's eyes
before beginning. She sees the love in his eyes that is so obviously meant for
her. Once again in her life the timing is wrong. "I would like nothing
more than to continue a relationship with a fresh start, but Phillip needs me.
He is very sick mentally Jimmy, and I can't leave him alone to defend himself
against the doctors, lawyers, and judges that he will have to face in New York.
I will be accompanying Phillip to New York."
Jimmy is really not surprised by Hannah's act of
responsibility toward Phillip. "I have to admit that I'm a little upset
by your decision, but I totally understand why you must be with Phillip right
now. So, I guess my next question is will you come back to me and Rock Creek
after you tend to Phillip?"
Hannah reaches over and brushes her lips lightly
across Jimmy's. "I can't make any promises that far ahead in the future.
I don't know how long Phillip's recovery will take. The point is Jimmy that
Phillip may never recover from his mental breakdown. All I can offer you is
one more night."
Jimmy brings Hannah close to him in a tight embrace.
Hannah gladly accepts his embrace.
Rachel nudges an unobservant Teaspoon while he looks
down wearily at the table, and then causally glances down the table at Buck
and Kid.
After a few nudges with no respond, Rachel realizes that something very serious
must be bothering her husband.
"Teaspoon."
Teaspoon pulls his eyes away from Buck, but he can't
stop his mind from thinking that Buck is indeed his son. How will he ever tell
Buck the truth? Or a better question to answer might be should he ever tell
Buck the truth about his parentage?
"Yes Rachel?" Teaspoon muttered quietly.
"Something troubling on your mind?" Rachel
asked with a concerned tone for anything that might be upsetting her husband.
"I just have a few things that need clearing
up, but right now isn't the best time to be clearing them up."
"Are you referring to our notorious outlaw, Jesse James?" Rachel asked
sounding cynical toward Jesse.
"Your heart has grown cold for Jesse, hasn't
it? Teaspoon asked wearily.
"Buck could have died from that bullet he received
from Jesse. I can't tolerate that. I don't know how you can," Rachel spoke
mindfully.
"I don't feel the same way about Jesse. At
one time a thought that Jesse could do no wrong in my eyes, but shooting Buck
proved to me once and for all that Jesse never had good intentions about changing
into a law abiding citizen."
"Then I guess Jesse's lies, and deceit are
bothering you?"
"Jesse, and a few other things are heavily
burdening my mind and my heart. Right now I just need time to think everything
through so that I make the right decisions."
Rachel stares at Teaspoon with a very puzzled look
upon her face. The only problem is Rachel sees that same puzzled look on Teaspoon's
face.
Cody and Jane make their way back to the table after
sharing a slow dance. Upon sitting in her chair, Jane catches Buck looking her
way. The look on his face tells Jane that he doesn't love her anymore. He doesn't
look hurt the way he used to every time he glanced her way. Instead when Buck
gazes her way his features are cold, and filled with contempt for her.
Jane quickly peels her eyes away from Buck. She
doesn't want the father of her baby to loathe her as much as Buck apparently
does.
Cody sees the distress in Jane's eyes. He gazes
down toward Buck, but finds that Buck isn't looking Jane's way. "Is it
just the fact that you're keeping the baby from him that is upsetting you so
much?"
Jane's eyes meet with Cody's eyes. "Just keep
telling me that I'm doing the right thing by keeping father and his child away
from him, and someday I may be convinced."
Cody squeezes Jane's hand. "Once we make our little announcement Buck won't
be able to do anything but to accept the decisions that you have made. He'll
never question the parentage of your child."
"I hope you're right, because if Buck ever
sees the baby, he will know upon sight that the child belongs to him and not
you," Jane spoke wearily.
Cody once again gazes down at Buck. If he has his
way Buck won't see Jane's baby until the child is a teen, and perhaps not even
then. His plans are to change Jane's mind about telling father and child the
truth when the child is old enough to understand about his true parentage.
It was quite easy for Charlene to leave Buck sitting
alone at the table. He is still in mourning over totally losing Jane to Cody,
and he has absolutely no intentions of inviting her to his bed tonight.
Charlene rounds the corner of the social hall, and
runs right into Jesse James!
"You sure have guts. If the law were out hunting
me down I wouldn't show up in town begging to get handcuffed," Charlene
spoke in a strong, but quiet tone.
"So, I'm to believe that Buck has recovered
very well from his gun wound," Jesse spoke with a smile playing across
his face.
Charlene smacks him lightly in the chest. "You're
very lucky that Buck recovered. Otherwise I would have been part of the hunting
party."
"I love a feisty woman, and one that also knows
what she wants, and goes after it."
"I can't stay out here too long. You said you
have another plan that will put an end to The Kid & Buck Horse Ranch for
good. I need to know what you have in mind," Charlene spoke with optimism.
"You're going to like this plan Charlene. If
everyone does their part correctly, Buck will be yours, and Jane will be out
of his life forever," Jesse remarked with an evil smile.
Teaspoon had asked Hannah to dance. He wanted to
break up the long silences that were developing between her and Jimmy. Teaspoon
had already known of Hannah's decision to leave town with Phillip. He also knew
that this decision would upset Jimmy.
Lou slides into Hannah's chair while Teaspoon has
her out on the dance floor.
"You helped get Hannah out of jail, but yet
you don't seem very happy tonight," Lou spoke softly.
"Hannah has made a very important decision
concerning our life together."
"What is that?"
"We won't be having a life together,"
Jimmy stated as he takes a deep breath before giving Lou an explanation. "Hannah
has decided that she will travel with Phillip to New York, and stay there with
him as long as he needs her. That could end up being a very long time,"
Jimmy spoke disheartened.
"I see. There is a rather simple solution to
your problem."
"Yeah, and what would that be?"
"You could move to New York with Hannah."
"I already kind of thought about that, but
I don't think I would fit in very well. Lou, I'm just not meant to live in a
big city. Rock Creek is about the largest town I care to live in."
"There isn't really much I can say to make
Hannah's leaving Rock Creek any easier for you. I understand her decision. Phillip
is her brother, and he needs her right now. Hannah probably realizes that neither
one of her parents would give up their life to be with Phillip."
"I understand Hannah's decision, but it doesn't
make her leaving any easier," Jimmy spoke softly putting his arm around
Lou's shoulder for support.
Kid's eyes glare quietly down to where Jimmy and
Lou are sitting. He wants to interrupt their nice conversation, but he doesn't
want to cause a scene with Buck being upset over Jane being with Cody, and looking
very happy with the fact that she is with Cody.
As Teaspoon is escorting Hannah back to the table
he spies Jack motioning for him to come outside. Teaspoon looks quizzically
at Jack.
"Rachel, I'll be right back. Jack is outside,
and apparently too shy to come inside."
Rachel just laughs softly at Teaspoon's joke.
Once outside the social hall, Jack closes the door
tightly behind Teaspoon's departure from the hall.
"Why am I being dragged from the biggest social
event of the year?" Teaspoon asked in an aggravated tone.
"I've been tracking Jesse."
"Yeah, I already know that. I also told you
that I didn't want to be kept informed concerning his whereabouts, or his capture."
"Even if his whereabouts are right back here
in Rock Creek?" Jack asked with a concerned tone for Teaspoon and his family.
Teaspoon stares Jack blindly in the eyes. "Why
can't he just leave my family alone? All I ever did for that boy was give him
a place to sleep at night and food on his plate. Why is he trying to hurt the
people that I love?"
"My guess is because Buck, Jimmy, and Cody
found out that you were helping him. Jesse probably got it in his head that
Buck would be able to persuade you to turn him into the law. My guess is that
is why Jesse than shot Buck."
"But why?" Teaspoon asked baffled.
"Jesse, and his gang needed a quiet town to
hide out in until the law became tired of searching for them after what they
did in Plum Creek. Jesse found the town, and a marshal that loved him like a
son. What could possibly go wrong?"
"Jesse didn't count on Buck being my deputy,
and a very honest one at that," Teaspoon spoke flatly.
"Teaspoon, if Jesse has come back to Rock Creek
it only means more trouble for you and your family. He didn't come back to Rock
Creek to say good-byes to everyone. He came back because he's about to wreck
havoc on you and your family again. Putting it bluntly it wouldn't surprise
me if Jesse already has put his next plan into action," Jack spoke calmly.
Teaspoon gazes at Jack. Deep in his heart he knows
that Jack is right. He can't give Jesse the benefit of the doubt ever again.
Jesse has come back to Rock Creek to destroy lives. Teaspoon figures Jesse won't
be happy until everyone's life is just as miserable as his own. At any cost,
Teaspoon decides right now that he will do whatever he must do to prevent Jesse
from hurting any member of his family. Even if that means he will have to hunt
down Jesse James!
Back inside Cody has dragged Jane to the dance area
in-between songs.
Jane seems a little taken back by the fact that everyone's eyes in the social
hall are glued on her. She sees Teaspoon step back into the hall from outside.
"We have a little announcement to make to all
of you," Cody spoke cheerfully.
Many of the townspeople clap for the happy young
couple standing before them.
"Jane has accepted my proposal of marriage!"
Cody spoke overjoyed by his own announcement.
Jane's eyes meet up with Buck's, and suddenly her
happiness disappears when she sees the overwhelming amount of pain in his eyes.
Jane also witnesses the bountiful smile that is playing across Charlene's face.
Jane also witnesses the disappointment in Rachel's expression, the sadness in
Teaspoon's expression, the doubtfulness in Lou's eyes, and the concern in Kid's
eyes for Buck. Jane suddenly starts to feel lightheaded from the excitement,
and from the hurt she is causing Buck. She leans into Cody to keep from passing
out onto the floor!
NEXT
Feedback