Indian summer shines brightly the next morning over the ranch. A light breeze wisps across the ranch, but doesn’t touch the heat of this day in October. The warmth is a welcome feeling for the residents who live in and near Rock Creek. No one is quite ready for another brutal winter with snowfalls that sometimes exceed past an adult man’s knee.

With the men all out tracking Jesse James and The James Gang, the women of the ranch have been left with all the work to do. Of course, the men left Cody behind, but he isn’t one to do chores. Cody is more supervisory material. So with Cody not being much help in the laborious department, the women will have to contend with taking care of the horses, the rest of the ranch, the children, and the home.

This morning the women are taking care of themselves. Louise, Rachel and Jane are lounging around the front porch of Louise’s home as they watch the children playing kick the ball in the front of the house. 

Rachel has made a pitcher of ice-cold lemonade to sooth away the heat of the day as well as the tension that the women are all feeling with their men being away from the ranch. 

Louise is sitting on a chair with her twisted ankle propped up on the seat of another chair adorned with an over-stuffed pillow for comfort. Rachel and Jane are occupying the wooden swing that adorns Louise’s porch. Jane has kicked her shoes off and is pushing the swing gently with her bare feet. Rachel is fanning herself with a small paper fan that she is holding in her hand. Autumn had arrived a few weeks ago, but the women lounging on the porch are wondering where the autumn weather has disappeared to. As the women sip on their lemonade they are listening and watching the games their children are playing in the front yard.

“I wouldn’t mind another female guest in my house for a short while, but I couldn’t tolerate her if I knew she was having thoughts about bedding my husband,” Louise spoke glancing over at Jane.

“I don’t have much say in the matter where Charlene is concerned. Besides, Buck is not my husband,” Jane spoke disheartened.

“Like I said before, we have to find a plan to get that obnoxious woman out of Buck’s home,” Rachel spoke amusingly.

“We could pack her bags and move her out into the barn,” Louise spoke with a mischievous grin spread across her face.

“Are you sure the horses wouldn’t mind?” Jane asked playing along with Louise’s witticism. 

“Katy might,” Rachel spoke smiling.

“So, am I to understand that we can’t move Charlene out to the barn?” Louise asked giggling at the mere thought of Charlene nesting in a horse stall.

“We could move her in with Cody. I’ve seen the two of them in deep conversation a lot lately. Perhaps they are falling in love,” Rachel spoke seriously.

“I don’t think it is love they’re falling into,” Jane spoke with a hint of sarcasm in her tone of voice.

Louise glances at Rachel with a quizzical look on her face. Rachel too has no idea what Jane is referring to.

Rachel gazes at Jane wanting to question the young woman’s statement concerning Cody and the next vixen in their lives that will surely be causing trouble. “Do you know what’s going on between Charlene and Cody?”

“No, I don’t. I’m just figuring that if Charlene’s involved it has to be something devious.”

“Cody hasn’t been acting his usual boisterous self lately,” Louise spoke calmly.

“That would probably be my fault. I haven’t been too friendly with him since our dinner date.”

“You had dinner with Cody?” Louise questioned not knowing about Jane and Cody’s date.

A wide smile appears on Jane’s face. “Didn’t Kid tell you about it?”

Kid knew about your date with Cody?” Louise asked more baffled then ever. “Jane, please just tell me what’s going on. I don’t handle suspense very well.”

“Kid was there,” Jane replied trying to make Louise even more confused.

“Kid went on you and Cody’s date?”

Rachel is busting up with laughter at Louise’s apparent blindness to the entire event. “You’ll have to excuse Louise. Kid pretty much keeps her in the dark.”

Jane is confused now. She had thought that Louise and Kid shared everything. She sees a perfect marriage with the two of them, except for an outside force named Hickok that pulls them away from each other from time to time. “Kid and Teaspoon were at the restaurant when Cody and I were on our date. Although, I’m pretty sure Teaspoon and Kid were just there keeping a watchful eye on Cody and I.”

“Why do you think that?” Louise asked with a hint of sarcasm. “Those two couldn’t possibly stir up any trouble, now could they?”

“They were trying to make themselves unknown to Cody and I, but they were too uproarious, and loud-mouthed to keep their secret from me. I’m sure they had Cody fooled though.”

“It’s funny that Kid never mentioned going to dinner with Teaspoon,” Louise spoke her mind racing backwards to try and remember if Kid had mentioned it and she simply forgot about him mentioning it.

“I think they were trying to keep their date low-keyed,” Jane spoke amusingly.

“I doubt that the two of them could be low-keyed about sneaking around spying on other people,” Rachel spoke seriously.

“Well, I do know that when Cody and I left the restaurant, Kid looked to be drenched and he absolutely seemed to be having the worse time of his life,” Jane spoke grinning about Kid’s miserable time with Teaspoon.

“Good. That will teach him to go out to dinner with Teaspoon instead of his wife,” Louise spoke giggling softly at Kid’s expense.

“How is your plan going on getting Buck alone? I’m sure by now the two of you are talking wedding plans, and how many children are going to be running around the house clad with dark hair, brown eyes and bare feet,” Louise asked believing that Jane and Buck have consummated their relationship despite Charlene’s attempts to keep them from doing so.”

“Actually, Buck and I haven’t been able to get past kissing each other senseless,” Jane spoke sounding a bit weary as if she is just about ready to give up on them ever being together in a more intimate way.

Louise shows a stunned expression. She had thought the two of them had already made love despite Buck’s being in jail for three days. It never dawned on her that their attempts at making love have all been inefficacious. “I’m sorry, Jane. I didn’t realize that you and Buck haven’t been able to be together.”

“There are just so many intrusions,” Jane spoke disheartened. “Then there’s Buck.”

Rachel stops the swing abruptly from swinging. She glances at Jane with concern for Buck. “What about Buck?”

Jane senses immediately that she has somehow made Rachel believe that there is something wrong with Buck. “It’s nothing serious. Buck will only allow himself to go so far with me, and then he stops. It seems to me that all the intrusions aren’t bothering him the same way that they are bothering me.”

“Oh, I’m sure the intrusions are upsetting to Buck. You know Jane, Buck hasn’t been around many women that took such a liking to him as quickly as you have. Did you know that once Buck had asked our resident wicked witch out to dinner?” Louise asked trying to help Jane understand the man she loves.

“Charlene?”

“Yep. The date never took place though. At that time in Charlene’s life, Buck wasn’t good enough for her,” Louise spoke with a tone of dislike for Charlene for hurting Buck.

“Why?”

“It had to do with Buck being part Kiowa. It didn’t sit well with Charlene that Buck is part Indian.”

“That wretched woman! How dare she barge in on Buck’s life now and try to manipulate us. All this time she has been acting like I am trespassing in on what is rightfully hers.” Jane spoke barely able to control her temper.

“Don’t worry yourself too much concerning Charlene, Jane. I’ve been around these boys for quite a few years now, and I can see who it is that has a hold on Buck’s heart. He has no interest in Charlene. His love for a woman begins and ends with you,” Rachel spoke wisely.

“You never did say WHY YOU HAD DINNER WITH CODY?” Louise asked wondering what would make a woman that loves Buck go out with Cody.

“Cody has been rather preoccupied with me ever since we met. I really didn’t think that I had done anything to mislead Cody into speculating that I had feelings for him deeper than friendship. But, his feelings are quite clear to me. Cody wants more then what I can give. In the process, I believe that Cody is unintentionally blaming Buck. The dinner date was a way for me to be alone with Cody, so I could set him straight about my feelings for him as well as for Buck.”

“How did Cody take your confession?” Louise asked concerned for her family.

“I think Cody believes that I am a prize that is to be won between him and Buck. I don’t think Cody is ready to concede to Buck,” Jane stated somberly.

“Don’t look now, but our resident witch is fast approaching,” Louise spoke amusingly.

Charlene intrudes her way onto the porch. She is quite somber as she sits down on the porch steps all the while viewing the women who are quietly relaxing on the porch. “You don’t have to become so sedate just because of my appearance,” Charlene spoke angrily. 

“We aren’t ignoring you Charlene. We are simply slacking off today while the men are far off chasing after thieves,” Rachel spoke before Jane or Louise mistakenly told Charlene, in an uncompassionate manner, that they were all discussing her demise away from the ranch.

“How do you all know Jesse James?” Charlene asked trying not to show her conspicuous fear of the outlaw.

“Jane doesn’t really know Jesse, but Louise and I know Jesse from when he worked with us for The Pony Express a few years back.”

“I see. Is he a man of his word?” Charlene asked innocently trying to hide her comradeship with Jesse.

“Jesse is an outlaw, Charlene. What outlaw do you know that keeps his word?” Louise spoke mocking Charlene’s simple-mindedness. 

Jane and Rachel let a small snicker escape from their lips. Before long the women on the porch are quiet again.

“Suppose if Jesse were to make a threat, then would he be a man of his word?” Charlene asked with a feeling of dread attached to her question.

Louise glances back at Jane and Rachel. No words are spoken between the three friends. They unceremoniously rise from the furniture they have adorned all morning, and one by one they ambulate into the tranquil comfort of Louise’s home. Not to mention the fact that they don’t invite Charlene to accompany them.

The tremendous heat of the afternoon is causing the marshal and his deputies to become weary before nightfall. Buck is slightly ahead of the rest of the group with Kid close behind him. Either Buck’s expertise tracking or Jesse’s well devised plan to allow Buck to track him and his gang, have established the group a long way from home. Teaspoon and Jack Morgan are in the middle of the entourage, and Jimmy is creeping along like the last cowboy into camp after a torturous day in smoldering heat rounding up the last of a cattle drive.

Buck’s tracking has guided them to a rolling, greenery highland. A trail, that is used often, cuts through the hills making Buck’s job of tracking the outlaws an easy task.

“Does this seem too easy to you?” Kid asked uncertain that Jesse might be leading them into a trap.

“Jesse definitely isn’t making this a complicated task,” Buck spoke certain that Jesse is leading them into a trap.

“What do you think we should do? We can’t just allow ourselves to blindly ride into a trap.

Teaspoon and Jack comprehend that Buck and Kid are debating over something rather seriously. They both gallop their horse a bit faster to get to where Buck and Kid are at on the trail. The two younger men halt any further advancement speculating that the two older men wish to speak with them.

“What’s on your mind, Buck?” Teaspoon asked concerned that there must be something wrong for Buck to be acting suspiciously. 

“This is too easy. I know Jesse can cover his tracks better than this. I’m almost certain that Jesse is leading us into an entrapment,” Buck stated wearily.

At this point in the conversation, Jimmy has caught up to the group gathered at the foot of another extending hill.

“I say we keep moving,” Jack bellowed in a commanding tone.

“We could be headed straight into a crossfire! I won’t risk anyone’s life just because you are seeking the bounty money offered for Jesse’s life,” Buck spoke adamantly.

“I don’t believe this is your decision to make,” Jack spoke harshly to the Kiowa.

“Jack, we need to be a bit cautious where the James Gang are concerned. You said so yourself that they are a ruthless bunch. We sure don’t need anyone losing their life over a few thousand dollars of bounty money,” Teaspoon spoke commandingly.

“Who are you really trying to protect here, Teaspoon?” Jack asked throwing Teaspoon’s protection agreement with Jesse in his face.

“Your line of questioning is uncalled for. Teaspoon has a job to do, and that is to apprehend The James Gang with minimum gunfire as possible,” Jimmy spoke outraged with Jack Morgan and his over-persistent personal identity. 

“Perhaps a compromise is in order here. We’ll track past this here hill, and set up camp on the other side. We’ll see how the situation looks on the other side,” Teaspoon spoke with authority.

Teaspoon gazes at each man searching for approvals from all of them before moving on. He gauges each man’s reaction to his suggestion. Jack of course agrees without a hint of disapproval. Jimmy motions with his hand for the group to move forward. Teaspoon’s eyes turn to the young man whose eyes are looking away from the group. He knows how well Buck can sense when a situation is going to turn bad. He watches as Buck visually scopes out the land in front of them. There aren’t too many hiding places for a gang of outlaws to be waiting for a bunch of lawmen to invade their territory. Even with that in mind, he still senses apprehension coming from the Kiowa, which in turn also makes Kid looking a little nervous as he practically is biting his lower lip off!

“Buck, tell me what’s on your mind,” Teaspoon asked calmly.

Buck turns his attention back to Teaspoon. His features are a little worrisome, but not enough to convince Teaspoon that an all out battle with Jesse is going to occur any time soon.

“I think it’s safe enough for us to advance to the other side of this hill,” Buck spoke almost too softly for Teaspoon to hear him.

“Lets move out!” Jack spoke as he rides out ahead of Teaspoon and the others. 

Teaspoon gazes at Buck in silence for a brief moment. “You’re saying it’s safe, but you’re not doing a very good acting job convincing me that it’s all right for us to move on.”

“Back at the ranch you asked me to avoid bloodshed, to avoid a gunfight if at all possible. Now, you’re letting this friend of yours from the past override any thought of danger that I have. Why? Do you all of a sudden want Jesse dragged home on a travois with a bullet in his head?” Buck asked enraged.

“I didn’t realize you cared so much about Jesse’s demise,” Teaspoon stated softly to the man that he has hurt so much of late.

“I want Jesse out of our lives. I never said I wanted him dead.”

“Buck, if you don’t think it’s safe up over the other side of this hill, I’m more than willing to search for a way around the hills,” Jimmy spoke calmly. His interruption is to merely get Teaspoon and Buck away from a possible argument between them. The two stubborn men are talking, but just the mention of Jesse’s name sends them both down the wrong path.

“It’s safe enough,” Buck spoke quietly.

“Then lets ride out so we can get a camp setup before nightfall,” Jimmy spoke flatly.

The four men from the old Pony Express days ride on over the hill to catch up with Jack Morgan. Only this time, Buck trails behind the rest.
 

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

The opaque peacefulness of the night sky becomes highlighted with the crackling of a campsite fire. The tension of the day between old friends and family, mixed with many scathed sounds of the wild doesn’t help relieve the uneasiness between the men gathered at the campsite. The bright red and orange fire is simmering a coffeepot filled to the rim with the murky liquid that is meant to quench their nerves and warm their bones before bedding down for the night. 

Buck and Kid have taken up the task of collecting more firewood for the long haul until morning. The air is turning to a crispness that has the men wishing they were back home tucked into their beds. It isn’t that they can’t find their inner strength to sleep underneath the stars. They are just feeling a little melancholy that the heavens don’t provide a cozy bed with pillows to hug and blankets to tangle up into leaving no reason for an early uprising. 

The campfire spreads warmth around a circle where each man has his bedroll drawn out onto the rocklike ground. Teaspoon and Jack have stationed themselves close together to avoid any controversy between Jack and Teaspoon’s boys. 

Teaspoon is sauntering small pieces of wood around in the fire pit. He is sitting on an old log that had fallen down from a nearby tree. Teaspoon assumes the tree lost its hefty limb during one of the relentless storms that are constantly passing through the area. 

Jack is leaning up against a large boulder that is near the fire that Teaspoon is shamelessly playing in while his mind is wondering to some far away time. Jack watches the old marshal, pondering over just how happy the old man really is. Twenty some years ago, Jack had figured Teaspoon to be more of a solitude man. Twenty some years later, Jack finds Teaspoon up to his hips with children and a beautiful wife. 

“Are you here with us, or are you out in some undiscovered territory hunting down the meanest bear you just crossed paths with?” Jack asked quietly. He would prefer to keep his conversation with Teaspoon just between him and Teaspoon. He senses that Teaspoon’s boys are not overly fond of him just yet.

Teaspoon snaps out of his hypnotic state to glare incorrigibly at Jack. “I’m not dwelling on my past if that is what you are really asking me. I may reminisce about the good memories of my past from time to time, but I refuse to allow past mistakes to hamper my present life.”

“Are you insinuating that I have problems keeping the past buried as it should be?” Jack asked harsher then he had intended to sound.

“I ain’t insinuating nothing where you are concerned. Besides, I never said that the past should be buried. I’m not ashamed of my past. Oh, I may have been on the wrong side of the law once or twice, but I don’t have any regrets about being there.”

“No regrets. That is a rather bold statement to make about one’s life. I would think that everyone has a regret or two.”

“You only have regrets if you possess a guilty conscious or you’ve had just a plain miserable life. I can assure you that I have had a good life. As for a conscious, I have one but it isn’t a guilty one,” Teaspoon spoke adamantly as he continues to stroke the fire with the twig he holds in his hand. The ambers take on a brighter glow as he works the burning firewood around the pit.

“I had thought you might have regretted the part in your life that didn’t keep you with that young Indian maiden we found.”

“You always keep aiming our conversations her way. Why do you do that?”

“I didn’t just go back to find her after you had left her. It never dawned on you why the two of us didn’t run into each other after you drove me away from our campsite?” Jack asked as if he had been betrayed.

“Like I told you before. I had spent a few days with her. I hadn’t really thought of us meeting up with each other again. To be honest, I thought you were far away by the time I left her.”

“I was far away all right. I had every intension of raping her,” Jack spoke behind a mask of anger that Teaspoon had left him alone to defend himself against her tribe.

Teaspoon gazes harshly at Jack Morgan, but he doesn’t show surprise over Jack’s admittance. “I’m listening.”

“I had her underneath my body on the lightly snow-covered ground. She was a feisty woman. She was pretty intent on not allowing me the pleasure that I was hankering after. Her screams pierced my eardrums. Perhaps that is why I didn’t hear a few of the men from her tribe sneaking up on me.”

Teaspoon’s expression is one of contentment that Jack wasn’t able to rape the woman he had just spent time with, but also confusion concerning Jack’s fate.

“You’re probably wondering why they didn’t just kill me,” Jack spoke guarding his disappointment over Teaspoon’s abandonment.

“The thought is crossing my mind.”

“Don’t really know why. Maybe the savages…”

At that moment Jack’s voice becomes noticeable to everyone else in the camp including Buck and Kid who have just entered the campsite with each of them carrying a pile of wood to keep the fire burning through the night. Jack’s words hang in the air like a thick fog that won’t disappear. 

Teaspoon tries to shut out the stunned look on Buck’s face. He knows that Buck, through the years of having to deal with imbecility people like Jack, has learned to not let the criticisms of his heritage rip him emotionally apart. At one time in Buck’s life any negative remark made about his Indian heritage would consume him with emotionally pain. Now the remarks, as far as Buck is concerned, are the sign of an ignorant white person. 

Kid and Buck pile the wood close to the fire pit. “This should keep the fire going pretty strong through the night,” Kid spoke avoiding the remark made by Jack Morgan.

“I think we should all turn in for the night. I’ll keep the first watch,” Jimmy spoke from adjacent to Jack and Teaspoon.

The others bed down for the night amongst the sounds of only wilderness beyond them. Buck remains sitting on his bedroll. For quite sometime after the others are all asleep, he continues to listen intensely for any sound that might be out of place in the wilderness.

Jimmy takes a long sip of the hot coffee that reminds him of a long time ago. He keeps his eyes on Buck, and finally witnesses the Kiowa laying down on his bedroll. 

“Night Buck.”

“Good-night Jimmy,” the Kiowa spoke as he tries to rest his mind and body, but the uneasy feelings he has about Jesse and his gang watching their every move has his eyes remaining wide open.

Jimmy takes another sip of the dark liquid that Teaspoon swears is coffee. He wonders silently why Teaspoon in all these years has never learned to make a good pot of coffee. It seems that when Teaspoon inherited Sam’s duties as marshal of Sweetwater, he also became a master at making coffee taste exactly the same as Sam’s coffee, foul and unsavory. Jimmy smiles warmly at his thoughts of Sam and Emma. It has been a mighty long time since they have seen their friends. Why hadn’t good people like Sam and Emma come back into their lives instead of trouble such as Jesse and his gang of outlaws? Jimmy could ponder that question forever, and he still probably wouldn’t be able to come up with a good answer. He takes another swallow of the now cold tasteless coffee. The taste doesn’t appeal to him. He throws the remains of the coffee onto the ground, and sighs heavily as he watches over his family.

Jane is walking into Buck’s kitchen with a handful of freshly picked wildflowers that she saw along the crystal blue creek behind Buck’s home. What a beautiful place to build a home. It fits Buck perfectly with the woods and creek right in his backyard. 

Jane lays the flowers on the counter while she makes a search of Buck’s cupboards for a vase to put them in. Since her arrival at Buck’s home, Jane has felt as if something were missing. That something is a woman’s touch on keeping the home bright and cheerful. The flowers will make a good start in bringing freshness and happiness to Buck’s home.

She is amazed that she finally finds a vase after rummaging through every cupboard in Buck’s kitchen. Jane takes the vase to the water pump and pumps the vase half full of water. She is placing the flowers in the vase just as Charlene barges into the kitchen. 

Charlene grimaced as if she is in excruciating pain as she watches Jane place the flowers in the vase. She certainly doesn’t appreciate the fact that not only can Jane cook and she can’t, but now the woman has to add a homey woman’s touch to Buck’s home.

Jane turns around just in time to see Charlene making an attempt to straighten out the ugly appearance of her facial expression. Jane takes the flowers to the table and places them in the center. She starts to arrange the flowers until they look harmonious on every side in the vase. 

“Good morning, Charlene.”

“I doubt that Buck will appreciate you bringing flowers into his home. Those smelly things will only cause us all to sneeze.”

“Charlene, have you always been such an unhappy person?” Jane asked as she looks at the evil woman’s face.

“Not that it is any of your business, but I am not unhappy,” Charlene spoke as she steps over to the stove and pours herself a cup of Jane’s coffee.

“You could have fooled me.”

“Don’t you have a schoolhouse full of children you need to teach to today?”

“Why do you ask? Are you planning on missing me today?” Jane asked with a wicked smile.

“The only person I plan on missing today is Buck,” Charlene snapped back at Jane.

It is Jane’s turn to look unhappy. She also has been missing Buck, but more so because she is worried about his safety. Jane walks out of the kitchen without another word or glimpse at Charlene. She has a schoolhouse full of children who will miss her if she doesn’t attend school today. At least the children will keep her mind from worrying about Buck and the others.

The autumn weather of late has made an impression on everyone in the territory. If Jesse didn’t know for a fact that it is October, he would swear that it is more like August by the sudden up rise in temperatures.

Jesse makes his way over to Frank who is busy saddling his horse for their continued journey today. He watches Frank for a few moments in silence. He has seen this mood many times in his brother, but more so lately then ever before. Frank is becoming weary from all the close calls with the law. 

“You’ve been kind of quiet since we left Rock Creek. Is there something troubling you that I should know about?” Jesse asked Frank quietly not wanting their conversation to be heard by the others.

Frank glances away from the job he has been doing. “I’m just a bit worried that we’re overstaying our welcome in Rock Creek.”

“You don’t like my plan about doubling back to Rock Creek?”

“I just think it’s time that we moved on. Teaspoon and the others are not a part of your life anymore, Jesse. The longer we stick around, I think the deeper in trouble we’ve gonna be in.” 

“I’m not through with them yet,” Jesse spoke with a gleam of hatred in his eyes for his family from the past.

“That’s just my point Jesse. You want revenge, but revenge for what? What did they all do that has you so intent on harming them?”

“Teaspoon has turned his back on me, because he listened to Buck and Jimmy, and the others as well. I had Teaspoon eating from the palm of my hand, but his honorable deputies just couldn’t mind their own business. They had to interfere and cause Teaspoon to mistrust me.”

Jesse, we stole their horses and then smeared their faces in horse manure when we rode their horses into town the night of the dance,” Frank spoke as if he’s defending Teaspoon and his deputies.

“It doesn’t matter now. I’m not leaving Rock Creek until I have made them all pay for their mistreatment of me,” Jesse spoke like a crazed man out for revenge.

“What’s our next move?” Simon asked as he approaches the James Brothers from behind Jesse.

“Because of your luscious fiancée, we know that the boys are hot on our trail. Won’t they be surprised when they realize we are headed straight back to Rock Creek!” Jesse spoke smiling deviously at his great plan.

“Once we get back to town, then what?” Simon asked exasperatingly. He is taking Jesse’s side to cause upheaval in the lives of the people that he feels caused the separation between him and Charlene.

“I have a plan, that with Charlene’s help, will cause Buck and Kid great pain, but Charlene and I will get everything we’ve always wanted,” Jesse spoke with an evil laughter.

Simon joins in on Jesse’s evil laughter, but Frank can’t help but think that Jesse has gone over the edge to face insanity!

Cody took up pacing with Charlene strolling into the marshal’s office clad in riding breeches, black boots, and one of Buck’s shirts. He stops his elaborate pacing to stand in front of her. “What are you thinking, just riding into town and coming here to see me?”

“Cody, you are really too uptight. You need to relax more,” Charlene spoke softly as she maneuvers her body to the back of him and begins to give him a massage around his shoulders and upper back.

Cody lets out a few soft groans of enjoyment. “How can a man relax when he has one woman who wants to play games with people’s lives, and another woman in his life who is the recipient of those same games.”

“Cody, Jane is teaching over at the school today. There is absolutely no chance she’ll see us together,” Charlene spoke as she stops her massage and once again faces her accomplice.

“My luck just isn’t that good Charlene. One way or another Jane will know you were here today,” Cody spoke has he runs his fingers through his hair in a frustrated motion.

“Perhaps I shouldn’t stay long since you are working your way to an apparent nervous attack.”

“Why did you come here in the first place? We should be meeting outside of town as we both agreed to.”

“We need to move ahead with another plan.”

“Charlene, none of our plans have worked yet,” Cody spoke disgusted that nothing has brought Jane closer to him.

“Cody, I never figured you to be a weakling.”

“The woman I want to make my wife is in love with one of my friends. To make matters worse, I’ve been doing some things that I’m not too proud of. Charlene, I’m just not sure that I want to continue to play with my family’s lives. Someone could end up seriously hurt. I couldn’t live with myself if something bad happened to any of my family.”

“I want Buck, Cody! I’m not conceding to Jane just yet! You are going to help me or all your dirty little secrets won’t be secrets any longer.”

“Are you threatening me, Charlene?”

“Take it anyway you like. Your next more is to compromise Jane. Take her by force if you have to.”

“I can’t do that! That would be rape!”

“Cody, you won’t have to rape Jane. Buck is away tracking the horse thieves. Use this time to get closer to her. You could offer to spend more time with her because you are concerned for her safety with Buck being away. Get Jane to trust you.”

“I don’t know Charlene. Jane is too much in love with Buck for me to use my William F. Cody charms to try and persuade her otherwise.”

Charlene rolls her eyes, and turns and walks toward the door with Cody following right behind her. Once she has the door open, Charlene turns around to face Cody. “Cody, please don’t use charm to snare Jane. Buck certainly doesn’t have to.”

“What is that suppose to mean?” Cody asked disappointed that Charlene is insinuating that a woman would naturally fall for Buck much faster than she would him.

“Be yourself. Be genuine. If you act like someone you’re not, Jane will surely see right through that.”

As Charlene and Cody converse on the wooden walkway outside the marshal’s office, Jane stops dead in her tracks from the other side of the main street of Rock Creek. She had been going over to the marshal’s office to speak with Cody, when she spies Charlene and Cody talking and laughing together. She wonders for a brief moment what kind of plot the two of them are cooking up now.

By mid-afternoon The James Gang’s tracks are leading Buck, Kid and the others in a circle back in the direction of Rock Creek.

“What would make Jesse lead us out here to the middle of nowhere for two days just to head back to Rock Creek?” Kid asked baffled.

“Maybe Jesse and his gang need fresh horses,” Buck spoke with sarcasm.

“That isn’t funny, Buck,” Kid replied somberly.

“What really bothers me is that they are ahead of us by at least half a day,” Buck spoke seriously.

“Which means they will reach Rock Creek, the ranch, and Louise, Jane, Rachel and Charlene before we do,” Kid spoke with a worried frown upon his face.

Both men are well aware of what might happen if Jesse chooses to take advantage of the men being away from the ranch. Neither man wants to dwell on the possible outcome.

The sky begins to darken as the sun has already drifted away some hours ago. Buck and Kid insisted to Teaspoon, Jimmy and Jack that they keep moving as long as possible due to the fact that Jesse led them out here with intentions of devastation back at the ranch!

When the moon is shining brightly overhead of the men from the ranch, they set up camp for the night.

Jack had been watching Buck most of the day. The Kiowa certainly didn’t talk a whole lot, but the others seem to follow him without asking any questions. He has noticed how there is a deep bond between Teaspoon and the Kiowa. That is good. They will need a deep respect for one another when he delivers his news to them.

After a hearty meal of rabbit, Buck proceeds to take the first watch as the others bed down for the night.

As the night wears on, Buck hadn’t felt much like waking anyone else to take a turn at guarding the camp. He wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway. He is too much into his thoughts about Jesse and what the young man is up to. 

Jack awoke with a start wondering how late in the night it had become. He glanced up from his bedroll to see that Buck is still on guard. It must be past the time for Buck to awaken the next man. Jack gets up from his bedroll and half staggers around other prone bodies around the campfire. He makes his way quietly over to Buck. The Kiowa doesn’t even bother to glance Jack’s way as he approaches him, but Jack knows the Kiowa is aware of his nearness.

“Did you plan on staying up all night?” Jack asked flatly.

“I didn’t think I’d be able to sleep anyway. There is no reason to wake someone else up when I would have stayed awake all night,” Buck replied without so much as a glance at Jack.

It doesn’t go unnoticed by Jack that Buck heeds him no attention. “You don’t like me much, do you?”

“What is there about you to like?” Buck asked flatly.

Jack is taken back by Buck’s candid view of him. So the Kiowa holds nothing back when he is in the company of someone he mistrusts and doesn’t like much. “What is it about me that you don’t like?” Jack asked Buck, wanting him to answer his own question.

Buck gives Jack some awareness that he knows the older man is standing next to him and partaking in this conversation. Buck looks directly at Jack.

“You are a killer.”

What I do is legal killing,” Jack stated boldly.

“To whom? To you? To the law? To the families whose kin you shoot in the back?” Buck asked working himself into a bad mood.

“Outlaws don’t have family,” Jack stated with anger aimed at the Kiowa.

“Jesse has family,” Buck stated as he points to Teaspoon asleep on the ground and snoring as loud as can be. “Jesse’s family is Teaspoon.”

“I didn’t think you cared so much,” Jack stated flatly as he pulls his eyes away from Teaspoon to look back at Buck.

“I don’t care much for Jesse. He’s just the man of a boy I once knew many years ago. That boy doesn’t exist anymore. However, I do care a lot about Teaspoon. If you should kill Jesse, Teaspoon will be heart broke. I don’t want that to happen. Before you pull the trigger, just think about your old friend, and what Jesse’s death will do to him.”

Jack sees this as an opening for him to discuss Teaspoon with Buck. “How long have you known Teaspoon?”

Buck looks at Jack quizzically, but is happy to be off the subject of Jesse. “Since 1860, close to eight years now.”

“Is that when you were under Teaspoon’s employ as a Pony Express Rider?”

Buck acts disgusted with Jack’s line of questioning. He looks at Jack suspiciously, and tries to contemplate what it is that Jack is up to. Of late, it seems like there are too many people in his family’s lives that have hidden agenda’s, namely Jesse and now Jack Morgan. Are his questions merely out of curiosity, or does Jack have a hidden agenda? Whatever the case may be Buck is a bit leery about giving up the answers to Jack’s questions.

“What is it that you want?” Buck asked cautiously.

Jack smiles boldly at the young man. Teaspoon sure has taught the Kiowa well. Don’t trust anyone until you’re sure they are more friend then foe. If they are your friend, you help them in any way that you can. If they are foe, watch your back! “Did Teaspoon teach you to be so mistrusting of others?”

“I wouldn’t say it is mistrust that Teaspoon taught me. It’s more like being cautious. You never know when someone will shoot you in the back. My brother, Red Bear taught me the same. Red Bear would always say that white men are not trustworthy.”

“Red Bear. Am I guessing correctly that your brother is not a half-blood such as yourself?”

“My brother is a Kiowa chief. I believe that I have run out of answers for all your questions,” Buck spoke. He walks away from Jack and retires to his bedroll. 

Jack watches Buck abruptly storm away from him. His questions had annoyed the Kiowa. He wonders if Teaspoon’s family of orphans would have treated him more like a human, if he were not in their presence to hunt down Jesse James. Probably not he assumes. Jack just has a way about himself that makes others uncomfortable being around him. He’ll have to work on becoming a bit more congenial. 

“Good-night,” Jack spoke barely above a whisper. He isn’t sure if the Kiowa even heard his endearment.
 

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Buck awoke early the next morning to find Jack Morgan still watching over the camp. Buck didn’t like the man much, but he had to admit it is much better that he is on their side, and not Jesse’s. Buck smells the fresh pot of coffee steaming on the open fire. He gets up from his bedroll, and makes his way over to the coffee.

Jack has noticed that the Kiowa is the first one awake. Did he really doubt that he wouldn’t be? The young man seems to sleep very lightly. He watches as Buck pours himself a cup of his coffee, and not the stuff that Teaspoon had made the night before claiming that it was coffee.

“You’re up early,” Jack spoke as he takes a long drink from his cup. He doesn’t look at Buck. He figures he’ll give the Kiowa a taste of his own medicine.

“We need to break up camp, and move on,” Buck stated taking a sip of the hot liquid he had just poured, and not really looking Jack’s way. 

It doesn’t bother Buck, the way it had got underneath his skin last night, that Buck doesn’t acknowledge his presence when they speak. “You said that last night. Have you given any thought to the fact that Jesse may be thinking the same way?”

Buck has finished slipping on his boots. “I don’t much care how Jesse thinks, but I’m sure he wouldn’t make his men travel through the night. It isn’t like they know they’re being chased by the law,” Buck spoke thinking back to the words Rachel had spoken to all of them on more then one occasion. ‘Only bad things can come from Jesse being near.’ Could Rachel be right? Buck hadn’t really thought that Jesse would turn against Teaspoon. He really thought that Jesse still cared about the marshal even though he purposely came to Rock Creek to use Teaspoon and his authority as a lawman.

Buck shakes Kid awake. Kid looks around in half a daze. His eyes won’t adjust to the morning dusk just before sunrise. “Buck, it’s still dark out.”

“I know that, but we need to bring the distance between Jesse and ourselves closer together.”

“Yeah. All right. Just let me gather my wits first,” Kid spoke as he tries to get up from his bedroll, but his body tells him to stay down.

By mid-morning Buck and Kid are off their horses and crouched down on the ground inspecting very fresh tracks that are from The James Gang’s horses. The tracks are near the water’s edge of a swallow creek.

“They didn’t cross here. We’ll ride up a bit further,” Buck spoke to Kid.

“How far away do you think they are now?”

“I’d guess not more than a few hours.”

Kid stands up and motions for the others to follow. “They didn’t cross here.”

Buck and Kid both mount their horse. The five men continue riding further down stream.

Cody made his way into the schoolhouse dodging in and out amongst the over-anxious children that are racing to get out of the schoolhouse.
He walks in and finds Jane sitting behind her desk probably going over the children’s homework.

“Did you give them the rest of the day off for good behavior?”

Cody’s voice startles Jane at first, but then she realizes that it is Cody the voice belongs to. Jane gives Cody a friendly smile.

“It’s so nice outside. I just thought they would enjoy eating their lunch out at the picnic tables. What are you doing here?”

Cody walks in a little closer until he is standing in front of Jane’s desk. “I thought perhaps you’d like to have dinner with me…just with Buck being out of town and all?”

Jane feels a slight panic attack coming on. She had thought Cody understood that their relationship is purely friendship. She wonders if he might be up to something. It seems to her that Cody always has a plan brewing in that head of his. Jane gets up from her desk chair, and walks around the desk to stand in front of Cody.

“I thought I made myself clear about our friendship,” Jane spoke softly.

“You did. I was just asking cause I’m worried about you being alone with Buck out of town,” Cody spoke actually sounding sincere.

“Charlene is at Buck’s house.”

“Oh. Now there’s some great company for you,” Cody spoke with sarcasm.

“You seem to think so,” Jane spoke quizzically.

“I don’t like Charlene in a romantic way, Jane.”

“I didn’t say that. I saw her visiting with you here in town yesterday. You both seemed very intense about your conversation, and with each other.”

“I didn’t think you cared who I spent time with,” Cody asked a bold grin spreading across his face.

“I just don’t want to see you get caught up in Charlene’s lies, and her deceitful plots. The woman can’t be trusted.”

“I think I can take care of myself. Now how about that dinner that is just between friends?”

Jane shakes her head wondering if Cody will ever let her and Buck have a life together without constantly interrupting. Not to mention the fact that eventually Buck is going to throw a fit about all the dinner dates she accepts with the blonde haired man.

The sun becomes a hot demon again in the sky. Its unrelenting beams are torturing the men down below who are riding horseback in open territory with now tress around for shade.

Buck and Kid, with the others following close behind, are traveling on a dirt road. They are approaching a stretch in the road where both sides are surrounded by trees. They are very large trees that induce much needed shade from the blazing hot sun.

Kid is figuring they can ride through the shaded area slowly to get away from the scorching sun that has been beating down heavily on them for the past two days. Kid notices that Buck is watching intensely for any slight movement coming from the shaded part of the road up ahead.

Teaspoon and Jack aren’t paying much attention to the surroundings up ahead of them. Instead, Teaspoon is making a nuisance out of himself in the same way that Jack had made himself a nuisance to Buck last night.

“What were you asking Buck about last night?”

Jack smiles at his old friend. “Were you eavesdropping my friend?”

“I don’t particularly like my question being answered with a question. It is quite annoying, as you probably well know.

Jimmy rides up alongside Teaspoon. “Do you two ever do anything besides argue?”

Teaspoon or Jack hadn’t noticed their surroundings as the bright sunlight had suddenly turned a few shades darker from the confines of the trees. There constant batter back and forth had caused them both to lose sight on the seriousness of the predicament that they have been in since the very moment they left the ranch. 

Jimmy can only laugh at the two men that he is riding in-between. Two grown men who are arguing over god knows what. 

Buck and Kid both lose their concentration on the task at hand. Both men in unison, rather aggravated by the commotion of jabbering and loud laughter behind them, look back at the three men who are riding side by side. None of them are paying attention to what could be in front of them.

Unexpectedly a warning shot rings out from behind a tree situated ahead of them! The sound vibrates through the trees and makes Buck, Kid and the other three soon realize that they are caught in a crossfire! The laughter that had invaded them just moments ago is now replaced with fear! Bullets are swiftly zinging alongside them and over their heads from both sides of the tress, and from in front of them! 

The men manage to get their guns drawn to assert some kind of a counter attack! They fire back trying desperately to flush out their opposition from behind their vantage spots. Teaspoon watches his boys and Jack as every movement seems to be in slow motion! He sees Frank James cowardly try to escape further down the road. Only an unforeseen firing of a gun and Frank James dropping from his horse halts his progression! 

Teaspoon struggles to see who it is, up ahead of them through the cloud of gun smoke! He vaguely witnesses Frank James being helped from the ground holding his right arm with his left hand. The sleeve of his shirt already soaked with his blood. He sees the retaliating expression on Simon’s face as he carefully aims his gun and fires a shot directly toward Jack!

“Jack!”

Jack responds to Teaspoon’s warning by lifting his gun to fire a shot only to have the gun drop to the ground as Simon’s bullet penetrates Jack’s right shoulder! The bleeding starts immediately.

The cloud of smoke had made it difficult for Buck to see who it is that got shot. All he knows is that Simon’s aim is directly headed toward Teaspoon. He turns his head to look back at Teaspoon just to make sure that Teaspoon didn’t receive the bullet that Simon had fired at them.

Teaspoon tries to gather the reins of Jack’s horse up in his hands to steady the animal. The last thing Jack needs with a bullet wound is to be thrown from his horse. 

“Teaspoon!”

Teaspoon hears his name being called out. He has a hard time seeing much in front of him. His eyes suddenly catch the young man unflinchingly sitting a top his horse in utter control of the situation! The gleam in his eyes can only be described as vengeance as he lifts his gun, aims, and fires! Teaspoon can see that the bullet isn’t aimed to hit him. His eyes open wide with fear!

“Buck!”

Teaspoon’s scream causes Buck to turn away from Teaspoon in time to take the bullet in the upper right chest! The unbeknownst of the bullet hitting his body, and the brut force of the bullet cause Buck to plummet to the ground! He crumples to the ground onto his ribs on the same side that he had just received the bullet! 

Teaspoon, forgetting that he has a bad leg, jumps from his horse and rushes to Buck’s side!

Kid and Jimmy continue to fire on the James Gang as the gang finally start to retreat!

Teaspoon gently places Buck’s head in his lap. The smoke around the five men and their horses begins to clear. Teaspoon holds his hand down tightly over Buck’s wound, hoping to cease the profuse bleeding.

Buck gazes up into Teaspoon’s face, his eyes misted over from pain. “I’m sorry,” Buck spoke weakly as his eyes close.

“Buck,” Teaspoon sobbed quietly.

Kid and Jimmy crouch down near Buck and Teaspoon. Kid gently smoothes away Buck’s hair that is in his face.

Teaspoon hears a single horse standing still and quiet just a ways ahead of them. He glances away from Buck to see Jesse watching the scene between him and Buck. A single tear slides down Teaspoon’s cheek. Jesse feels no remorse for his actions today. All Teaspoon can feel right now is hatred for the outlaw.

Jesse is stunned by the contempt for him written on Teaspoon’s face. He can’t bear to see that look any longer coming from the only man in his life that he truly respects. Jesse turns from the emotion and fades away.