The Good Life
* I know there are anachronisms, it's my first story and I focused more on the plot.
In the next one I will be more precise about the historical data! - Deborah
In the next one I will be more precise about the historical data! - Deborah
Chapter One
It was late March 1860 when the stagecoach arrived in Sweetwater when the tall, thin, blonde girl with green eyes stepped out. She carried a large bag and an even bigger trunk as if she knew she would be staying there for a long time.
The young woman was dressed in a somewhat unusual way for the far west; she wore a beige silk shirt and a black leather skirt that reached her knee. Her high black boots and nylon stockings showed off her long tapered legs, making her the object of prying eyes, but she could care less.
She entered the saloon to grab a bite to eat and to get a room, but as soon as she approached the counter, she was quickly mistaken for a prostitute, most likely because of her clothing. A man approached her asking: "Hey, beautiful, shall we have some fun together?”
The girl immediately stiffened and gave no response, but the man persisted again, trying to get his hands on her. Thankfully, famed gunslinger James Butler Hickok, better known as Jimmy, who worked for the Pony Express, was also in the saloon that afternoon.
Jimmy was an impulsive young man who didn't think long before taking action, especially when he saw a woman in danger. As soon as he realized the situation, he didn't think twice about intervening and punched the man who had molested the girl, sending him straight to the ground.
He turned to the girl, who was in shock, and asked her: “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
She looked at him bewildered, but only managed to say: "Thank you!”
Jimmy immediately made up his mind: "Come with me, I'll take you out of here."
The girl let him guide her, took her bag, but glanced at the trunk, telling her: “Don't worry, we'll pick it up tomorrow, I'll speak to the owner.” He quickly went to the saloon owner, making arrangements with him, and then went back to the girl, taking her hand to lead her out.
He mounted her on his horse, and galloped to the Pony Express station, located outside the city. During the trip, the girl had recovered, and said to Jimmy: "Thank you. You were very kind. I don't know what I would have done without your intervention."
"It's the least I can do, ma’am. I can't resist a beautiful girl in danger.”
He smiled, continuing: “Sorry if I point this out to you, but perhaps that man was misled by your clothing. You're not from here, are you? The women here dress a little differently, ... " he said.
"I am Italian. I left my family and my job to move to the West. For us, it’s normal to dress like this. I guess I'll have to take some fashion lessons!”
“What type of work did you do in Italy? Oh, by the way, I'm James, Jimmy for friends. Pleased to meet you.”
“My name is Deborah, I come from the parts of Como, in Lombardy. I am a teacher of ancient literature. I hope to find a job here as a teacher and to rebuild my life.”
She smiled: “Thanks again for saving me. Where are we going?”
“To the Pony Express station, I'm one of the riders. I’ll introduce you to my friends and Rachel, the woman who takes care of us. You will be able to rest and eat something there.”
"Thanks, Jimmy! You are very kind.”
When they arrived at the station, it was nearly time for dinner.
Jimmy dismounted, helping Deborah do the same. The two entered the bunkhouse where the boys usually dined with Rachel and Teaspoon, the Stationmaster. As soon as the door opened, Jimmy and Deborah entered, and all eyes turned towards her, especially the boys.
She greeted them shyly as Jimmy explained that she had been harassed at the saloon, and that he had offered her help and a meal for the evening.
Jimmy then introduced all the boys: Kid, Cody, Noah, Hike, Lou, Buck, Jessie and then Teaspoon and Rachel. Everyone greeted her with warmth and amazement, except Rachel and Lou, who exchanged a knowing look.
Rachel asked Jimmy if he could go out with her for a moment because she needed to ask him a favor, but as soon as they were outside, she asked: "Why did you bring one of those girls home with you?"
He replied: "She's not one of those girls, Rachel, she's Italian who was about to be raped by an attacker. I certainly couldn't leave her there!!"
"How can you say she is not a prostitute? Jimmy, have you seen how she is dressed?"
“Yes, and apparently that's Italian fashion.”
Jimmy went on: “If you had given me time to talk, instead of attacking me, I would have explained everything, Rachel.”
Rachel, who had a stormy and not exactly clear past behind her, realized she was wrong and apologized: “Sorry. You're right, Jimmy. I shouldn’t have judged by appearances. I just don't want any of you to suffer! "
“Don't worry, Rachel. Let's get back inside.”
Rachel had dated questionable men in her life, often taking her to saloons and gambling halls. But then, she got married, and started to lead an honest life. She got pregnant and thought she had finally found happiness, but her past had returned. Some men of dubious reputations, knocked on her door, and after some harsh words, had killed her husband. In the process of defending her husband, Rachel had lost the baby.
She had found her new family with the Pony Express, and she didn’t want any of them to suffer the way she had.
Meanwhile, Lou had started directing questions to the newcomer, who began to tell her story.
As she had told Jimmy, she was Italian and in her country who taught ancient literature, Latin and Greek.
She was engaged to a young man, and they were about to get married, but he never put her first. Instead, he always preferred her family of origin and Deborah eventually realized that he probably didn't love her enough, and she couldn’t love a man like that.
From her future husband, she wanted absolute dedication and had to be put first. So, a month before the wedding, she had decided to leave him. Even though she felt immense pain for that choice, and since her family had never forgiven her, she had decided to leave everything to move to America and rebuild her life.
The boys all listened to her story and asked her many questions.
Suddenly, Teaspoon had an idea: "Look, we've been looking for a teacher for our children in town. If you settle for the pay, you could take the job and stay with us and Rachel. You could help her with the housework and take care of the kids."
Jimmy immediately approved the idea and all the boys agreed.
Deborah thanked them all: "Guys, I don't know what to say, I'd be happy to accept, but you must all agree." She then looked to Lou and Rachel for approval. They nodded in agreement, and the deal was done.
After dinner, Rachel went to prepare the room where Deborah would sleep from now on. Deborah took advantage of the fact that Lou had gone out for a moment and followed them.
She wanted to understand why Lou was bothered by her presence.
“Sorry Lou, before I move in with you, I'd like to talk to you and to figure out what the problem is. I'm really not a prostitute. I just wanted to integrate here, understand how you dress, and learn what customs you have. I’d appreciate all your help and Rachel’s."
“Why mine?” Lou asked.
"Because we are all women, right?"
Lou looked at her in amazement: “Did Jimmy tell you I'm a girl?”
“No, it seems obvious to me. Wait, do you mean someone doesn't know? ”
“In the city they think I'm a boy, otherwise I wouldn't be able to work for the Pony Express.”
Deborah understood: “Don't worry, I certainly won't be the one to betray you. I just wish we could be friends. I
don't know anyone and I could really use your help. And don't worry, I have no plans for Kid… ”
"Is that so obvious, too?"
“Well, for a woman, yes. Can we try to be friends? ”
"All right, welcome aboard!"
The two girls shook hands and went inside. After chatting for a while and asking the newcomer a few questions, they went to sleep, but not before Deborah had agreed with Rachel to accompany her the following day to purchase her new wardrobe.
The next day Jimmy and Rachel drove Deborah to the saloon to retrieve her trunk, and the two women did some shopping. Deborah was a bit embarrassed by the clothes, but Rachel and Jimmy told her that as long as she was staying with them at the station, she could dress as she wanted, and that they certainly aren’t formal folks.
Teaspoon, who was also the Sheriff of Sweetwater, went to the pastor of the parish and introduced him to Deborah, telling him that the following week she would be the new teacher. The pastor gave her a warm welcome.
Gradually, Deborah began her life Sweetwater, and learned about the character and habits of her new friends.Cody was the braggart on duty, he loved playing pranks on friends and bragging about his skills. He was the most cheerful and cheeky of everyone, but he never missed an opportunity to make even heavy jokes about women.
Kid was quiet and reserved. He was very conservative, and a strong Catholic boy. He loved Lou dearly, but she never made a decision about their relationship and it hurt him.
Lou had learned to trust Deborah, and the two had become very good friends. Lou helped her settle in, and Deborah gave her advice with Kid.
Noah was a very proud, but nice guy, treating Deborah like a sister.
Jesse was one of her pupils, but Deborah was also an older sister to him. He was an impulsive boy with an impetuous character, and a great desire to learn and grow up. For this reason he often had to be held back in his initiatives and Teaspoon, who for him was like a father, had his work cut out for him.
Teaspoon was actually a bit of a father to everyone, he had welcomed them as boys and helped them grow.
Ike was a very sweet and reserved boy, he knew how to deal with animals and children. He was very nice to Deborah, but in the beginning she had to depend on Buck, his best friend, because Ike couldn’t talk, and used the Indian sign language that Buck, a Kiowa half-breed, had in turn, taught him.
Buck had offered to teach her the signs, and little by little Deborah started interacting with Ike as well.
Buck was a very sweet and reserved boy, tormented at heart by the fact that he was half Indian, a condition that often caused him problems with the citizens and the Army. He spoke very little, but was always kind to Deborah. He almost seemed to be in awe of her, but on the other hand he helped her whenever she needed it, and always asked her if everything was okay.
Rachel was nice to her, but Deborah knew she was keeping an eye on her and was still studying her.
Jimmy was hotheaded, impulsive, proud, passionate, kind and grumpy at the same time. He had a reputation as a savage gunslinger, whose image was created by a writer who had published books with false news about him, and who had made Jimmy’s life very difficult.
From the beginning, he had shown a certain sympathy and attraction for Deborah, and the feeling was mutual. She felt protected by him, and little by little, she began to feel attracted to him, experiencing those sensations, that after the breakup with her boyfriend, she thought she would never feel again.
As time passed, Deborah felt more and a more part of the family of those boys and was grateful for the welcome they had shown her.
Her relationship with Jimmy grew closer and closer, and one evening, while they were sitting on the veranda reading the story of Lancelot and Guinevere (Deborah was helping him to learn to read more fluently, because Jimmy had just started learning), in the moment in to which Lancelot kisses Geneva, just as Dante tells us that it had happened for Paolo and Francesca, the two looked at each other, and exchanged the first kiss.
Jimmy immediately apologized, but she replied that she was happy, and that everything was fine and they kissed again.
They decided to keep what had happened to them at least for a while, to see how things would go. Too bad Rachel had seen them and in fact, as soon as they came home to go to sleep, she said to Deborah: "I hope you know what you're doing, I don't want Jimmy to suffer."
Deborah responded: "Don't worry, if I decide to let go, after what I've been through, it's because I'm sure of my feelings, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten involved."
“I hope so,” Rachel replied, hoping Deborah was being truthful.
The young woman was dressed in a somewhat unusual way for the far west; she wore a beige silk shirt and a black leather skirt that reached her knee. Her high black boots and nylon stockings showed off her long tapered legs, making her the object of prying eyes, but she could care less.
She entered the saloon to grab a bite to eat and to get a room, but as soon as she approached the counter, she was quickly mistaken for a prostitute, most likely because of her clothing. A man approached her asking: "Hey, beautiful, shall we have some fun together?”
The girl immediately stiffened and gave no response, but the man persisted again, trying to get his hands on her. Thankfully, famed gunslinger James Butler Hickok, better known as Jimmy, who worked for the Pony Express, was also in the saloon that afternoon.
Jimmy was an impulsive young man who didn't think long before taking action, especially when he saw a woman in danger. As soon as he realized the situation, he didn't think twice about intervening and punched the man who had molested the girl, sending him straight to the ground.
He turned to the girl, who was in shock, and asked her: “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
She looked at him bewildered, but only managed to say: "Thank you!”
Jimmy immediately made up his mind: "Come with me, I'll take you out of here."
The girl let him guide her, took her bag, but glanced at the trunk, telling her: “Don't worry, we'll pick it up tomorrow, I'll speak to the owner.” He quickly went to the saloon owner, making arrangements with him, and then went back to the girl, taking her hand to lead her out.
He mounted her on his horse, and galloped to the Pony Express station, located outside the city. During the trip, the girl had recovered, and said to Jimmy: "Thank you. You were very kind. I don't know what I would have done without your intervention."
"It's the least I can do, ma’am. I can't resist a beautiful girl in danger.”
He smiled, continuing: “Sorry if I point this out to you, but perhaps that man was misled by your clothing. You're not from here, are you? The women here dress a little differently, ... " he said.
"I am Italian. I left my family and my job to move to the West. For us, it’s normal to dress like this. I guess I'll have to take some fashion lessons!”
“What type of work did you do in Italy? Oh, by the way, I'm James, Jimmy for friends. Pleased to meet you.”
“My name is Deborah, I come from the parts of Como, in Lombardy. I am a teacher of ancient literature. I hope to find a job here as a teacher and to rebuild my life.”
She smiled: “Thanks again for saving me. Where are we going?”
“To the Pony Express station, I'm one of the riders. I’ll introduce you to my friends and Rachel, the woman who takes care of us. You will be able to rest and eat something there.”
"Thanks, Jimmy! You are very kind.”
When they arrived at the station, it was nearly time for dinner.
Jimmy dismounted, helping Deborah do the same. The two entered the bunkhouse where the boys usually dined with Rachel and Teaspoon, the Stationmaster. As soon as the door opened, Jimmy and Deborah entered, and all eyes turned towards her, especially the boys.
She greeted them shyly as Jimmy explained that she had been harassed at the saloon, and that he had offered her help and a meal for the evening.
Jimmy then introduced all the boys: Kid, Cody, Noah, Hike, Lou, Buck, Jessie and then Teaspoon and Rachel. Everyone greeted her with warmth and amazement, except Rachel and Lou, who exchanged a knowing look.
Rachel asked Jimmy if he could go out with her for a moment because she needed to ask him a favor, but as soon as they were outside, she asked: "Why did you bring one of those girls home with you?"
He replied: "She's not one of those girls, Rachel, she's Italian who was about to be raped by an attacker. I certainly couldn't leave her there!!"
"How can you say she is not a prostitute? Jimmy, have you seen how she is dressed?"
“Yes, and apparently that's Italian fashion.”
Jimmy went on: “If you had given me time to talk, instead of attacking me, I would have explained everything, Rachel.”
Rachel, who had a stormy and not exactly clear past behind her, realized she was wrong and apologized: “Sorry. You're right, Jimmy. I shouldn’t have judged by appearances. I just don't want any of you to suffer! "
“Don't worry, Rachel. Let's get back inside.”
Rachel had dated questionable men in her life, often taking her to saloons and gambling halls. But then, she got married, and started to lead an honest life. She got pregnant and thought she had finally found happiness, but her past had returned. Some men of dubious reputations, knocked on her door, and after some harsh words, had killed her husband. In the process of defending her husband, Rachel had lost the baby.
She had found her new family with the Pony Express, and she didn’t want any of them to suffer the way she had.
Meanwhile, Lou had started directing questions to the newcomer, who began to tell her story.
As she had told Jimmy, she was Italian and in her country who taught ancient literature, Latin and Greek.
She was engaged to a young man, and they were about to get married, but he never put her first. Instead, he always preferred her family of origin and Deborah eventually realized that he probably didn't love her enough, and she couldn’t love a man like that.
From her future husband, she wanted absolute dedication and had to be put first. So, a month before the wedding, she had decided to leave him. Even though she felt immense pain for that choice, and since her family had never forgiven her, she had decided to leave everything to move to America and rebuild her life.
The boys all listened to her story and asked her many questions.
Suddenly, Teaspoon had an idea: "Look, we've been looking for a teacher for our children in town. If you settle for the pay, you could take the job and stay with us and Rachel. You could help her with the housework and take care of the kids."
Jimmy immediately approved the idea and all the boys agreed.
Deborah thanked them all: "Guys, I don't know what to say, I'd be happy to accept, but you must all agree." She then looked to Lou and Rachel for approval. They nodded in agreement, and the deal was done.
After dinner, Rachel went to prepare the room where Deborah would sleep from now on. Deborah took advantage of the fact that Lou had gone out for a moment and followed them.
She wanted to understand why Lou was bothered by her presence.
“Sorry Lou, before I move in with you, I'd like to talk to you and to figure out what the problem is. I'm really not a prostitute. I just wanted to integrate here, understand how you dress, and learn what customs you have. I’d appreciate all your help and Rachel’s."
“Why mine?” Lou asked.
"Because we are all women, right?"
Lou looked at her in amazement: “Did Jimmy tell you I'm a girl?”
“No, it seems obvious to me. Wait, do you mean someone doesn't know? ”
“In the city they think I'm a boy, otherwise I wouldn't be able to work for the Pony Express.”
Deborah understood: “Don't worry, I certainly won't be the one to betray you. I just wish we could be friends. I
don't know anyone and I could really use your help. And don't worry, I have no plans for Kid… ”
"Is that so obvious, too?"
“Well, for a woman, yes. Can we try to be friends? ”
"All right, welcome aboard!"
The two girls shook hands and went inside. After chatting for a while and asking the newcomer a few questions, they went to sleep, but not before Deborah had agreed with Rachel to accompany her the following day to purchase her new wardrobe.
The next day Jimmy and Rachel drove Deborah to the saloon to retrieve her trunk, and the two women did some shopping. Deborah was a bit embarrassed by the clothes, but Rachel and Jimmy told her that as long as she was staying with them at the station, she could dress as she wanted, and that they certainly aren’t formal folks.
Teaspoon, who was also the Sheriff of Sweetwater, went to the pastor of the parish and introduced him to Deborah, telling him that the following week she would be the new teacher. The pastor gave her a warm welcome.
Gradually, Deborah began her life Sweetwater, and learned about the character and habits of her new friends.Cody was the braggart on duty, he loved playing pranks on friends and bragging about his skills. He was the most cheerful and cheeky of everyone, but he never missed an opportunity to make even heavy jokes about women.
Kid was quiet and reserved. He was very conservative, and a strong Catholic boy. He loved Lou dearly, but she never made a decision about their relationship and it hurt him.
Lou had learned to trust Deborah, and the two had become very good friends. Lou helped her settle in, and Deborah gave her advice with Kid.
Noah was a very proud, but nice guy, treating Deborah like a sister.
Jesse was one of her pupils, but Deborah was also an older sister to him. He was an impulsive boy with an impetuous character, and a great desire to learn and grow up. For this reason he often had to be held back in his initiatives and Teaspoon, who for him was like a father, had his work cut out for him.
Teaspoon was actually a bit of a father to everyone, he had welcomed them as boys and helped them grow.
Ike was a very sweet and reserved boy, he knew how to deal with animals and children. He was very nice to Deborah, but in the beginning she had to depend on Buck, his best friend, because Ike couldn’t talk, and used the Indian sign language that Buck, a Kiowa half-breed, had in turn, taught him.
Buck had offered to teach her the signs, and little by little Deborah started interacting with Ike as well.
Buck was a very sweet and reserved boy, tormented at heart by the fact that he was half Indian, a condition that often caused him problems with the citizens and the Army. He spoke very little, but was always kind to Deborah. He almost seemed to be in awe of her, but on the other hand he helped her whenever she needed it, and always asked her if everything was okay.
Rachel was nice to her, but Deborah knew she was keeping an eye on her and was still studying her.
Jimmy was hotheaded, impulsive, proud, passionate, kind and grumpy at the same time. He had a reputation as a savage gunslinger, whose image was created by a writer who had published books with false news about him, and who had made Jimmy’s life very difficult.
From the beginning, he had shown a certain sympathy and attraction for Deborah, and the feeling was mutual. She felt protected by him, and little by little, she began to feel attracted to him, experiencing those sensations, that after the breakup with her boyfriend, she thought she would never feel again.
As time passed, Deborah felt more and a more part of the family of those boys and was grateful for the welcome they had shown her.
Her relationship with Jimmy grew closer and closer, and one evening, while they were sitting on the veranda reading the story of Lancelot and Guinevere (Deborah was helping him to learn to read more fluently, because Jimmy had just started learning), in the moment in to which Lancelot kisses Geneva, just as Dante tells us that it had happened for Paolo and Francesca, the two looked at each other, and exchanged the first kiss.
Jimmy immediately apologized, but she replied that she was happy, and that everything was fine and they kissed again.
They decided to keep what had happened to them at least for a while, to see how things would go. Too bad Rachel had seen them and in fact, as soon as they came home to go to sleep, she said to Deborah: "I hope you know what you're doing, I don't want Jimmy to suffer."
Deborah responded: "Don't worry, if I decide to let go, after what I've been through, it's because I'm sure of my feelings, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten involved."
“I hope so,” Rachel replied, hoping Deborah was being truthful.
Chapter Two
Life flowed smoothly and happily, and seeing that the relationship with Jimmy seemed to go well, one evening they both decided to talk about it with friends.
Everyone reacted well to the news. The only one who was most impressed seemed to be Buck, who, however, failed to congratulate them like everyone else.
Jimmy proved to be a sweet and caring young man, and Deborah believed she had finally found love, but she felt that she was not yet ready to go all the way. It was as if something was holding her back. On the other hand, Jimmy respected her, and didn't ask for anything. He didn't want to pressure her.
Time passed quietly, and Deborah exchanged letters with her friends, and family back in Italy, and she was very passionate about her work.
Almost a year passed, but gradually Jimmy began to get colder, almost careless, and Deborah began to suffer. She decided to talk to Jimmy about it, but he replied that it was only her imagination.
Deborah felt that things were changing, and decided to confide in Lou, who told Kid, who tried to point it out to Jimmy, but he told him to think about his story with Lou, and not to create problems where there were none.
Buck seemed to have sensed the tension, and often asked Deborah if everything was okay, but she was ashamed to talk to him about it, and so she answered: “Yes.”
But Buck knew she was lying to him.
Time passed, and Jimmy was sometimes affectionate, but sometimes he acted as if she didn't exist, and that made her suffer a lot.
Deborah tried several times to talk to him about it, but the answer was always the same. She knew that deep down he loved her, but he had a way of loving that probably didn't suit her. Their needs were different.
Deborah did not want to admit to herself that she had failed in love again, and went on pretending that everything was okay, and accepting Jimmy's behavior.
A whole year passed and the anniversary of their relationship was approaching. Deborah wanted that day to be special, so she organized a dinner in town, and as a gift she thought it was time to change their relationship.
She thought she would make love with Jimmy.
The morning of that day had arrived. Deborah and Rachel had just made breakfast, and put it on the table. Gradually, all the boys arrived to greet the two women, except for Jimmy who, without mentioning it to anyone, began to have a thoughtful breakfast.
Deborah was very upset, because she realized that Jimmy did not remember the date of their anniversary. He ignored it and started having his breakfast. At one point, Teaspoon asked if there were any riders available to stay away for a couple of days for an important matter: an urgent dispatch had to be brought to Fort Laramie.
Jimmy volunteered.
Deborah tried to intervene by reminding him: “But tonight we had decided to go to dinner in the city!”, without making the slightest mention of the reason for the dinner.
“And should I give up my job for a stupid dinner? Don't be silly, we'll go there on my return if you really care.”
She didn't flinch. After a moment, he apologized, and said he had to go and prepare the fodder for Buck's horse as he was about to return from his run.
"Come to say goodbye at least before leaving?"
“Okay,” he replied.
Lou told her she would help her.
As they walked to the stable, Lou said to her: "Don't be mad. Jimmy is like that, but he really loves you."
"I don't know anymore Lou, I don't really know anymore."
When everyone was out of the shack, Kid walked over to Jimmy and said: "You're pulling the rope with Deborah, be careful not to regret it later," and left without Jimmy being able to reply.
In response, Jimmy jumped on his horse and left for his mission without going to greet Deborah, who was in the stable. Soon Buck arrived, who had met Jimmy riding like a fury.
As usual, Buck greeted Deborah kindly, asking her how she was. She evaded the question and in turn asked him: "Did the trip go well? Are you tired?"
He replied: “All right, thank you. It wasn't particularly tiring.”
“What is wrong with Jimmy? I passed him riding like a bat out of hell!"
Deborah felt like she received a blow to the heart. “How did you meet him? Has he already left? "
"I assume so, I saw him on the street."
“I’ve had enough! It's over! I'm tired of enduring all this. I’m stupid for thinking…”
Buck was astonished, and asked her what was happening. She explained to him: “My relationship with Jimmy is now over. As soon as he returns from his trip I will let him know.”
“What are you saying? Isn't today your anniversary?”
Buck had remembered and Jimmy didn't.
She was amazed, and told him: “I'm tired of suffering from Jimmy's way of loving. I failed for the second time. He often ignores me, and acts as if I don't exist, taking my love for granted. This morning he volunteered for an assignment for which he will be away for a few days, not even remembering what date it was today, and what commitments he had made with me. He didn't even come to greet me before leaving. I have already left a man on the threshold of marriage because I was not important to him, and I have no problem doing it again. I need a guy who knows how to love and woo me, who puts me first and makes me feel important. At first, I thought I had found it, but I was probably wrong.”
Buck listened to Deborah's words, and seemed to suffer with her. He tried to change her mind and take Jimmy's side: “Don't make hasty decisions, let the anger pass and think. He loves you, you said so too. You just have to find a meeting point.”
“No, Buck, I'm tired. I want to finally be happy and not always have to beg for love.”
She looked into his eyes and realized: “I need a man who loves me unconditionally. Maybe it will come soon, maybe not. Or maybe I already know him. Maybe he's close to me, but so far I've been blind, and haven't understood him”.
She looked Buck in the eye again, and saw what she had always wanted. Without speaking, she approached him and kissed him. Her ideal man had always been there close to her, but she only understood it now.
He had always been kind and discreet to her, and he had helped her when she needed it. He had always been interested in how she was or felt, and sometimes he had comforted her when she was suffering for Jimmy. He had seen all this in his eyes.
Buck was taken by surprise but then pulled back. "No, you're Jimmy's woman. I can't do that."
“I'm not Jimmy's woman anymore, whether you want to be with me or not. I apologize for the kiss. It will never happen again. Friends as before? Let's act as if nothing had happened.”
Deborah went out, and changed to go to town. She needed to buy some things for school. When Rachel saw her, she called over to her, and asked if she could get some supplies that the boys needed.
When she saw Buck come out of the stable as well, she asked him if he could accompany Deborah, because she couldn't load everything alone. Buck asked if anyone else was available, as he had just returned.
He really didn't want to be alone with Deborah all that time after their kiss, he still had to process the fact. Rachel replied that the others were all busy.
Deborah said: "If it's a problem, I'll go alone. I'll ask someone to help me with the load."
Buck did not have the courage to say no and agreed. On the way to the city, neither of them spoke, which was unusual because the two had always talked about everything. At one point, Deborah broke the silence: “Buck I'm sorry, please talk to me. Are you going to sulk at me all day or more?”
He replied: "I'm not angry, and I'm not sulking at you, I'm just a little embarrassed, but you're right, let's forget about it, and let's get everything back to normal.”
They started chatting about this and that, and soon arrived in town. When they had bought and loaded everything, they looked up at the sky, and realized that a violent storm was about to break out.
They hoped to get home in time, but when in doubt, they bought a heavy tarp, which they placed on the supplies so as not to lose them due to the rain.
They set off in a hurry, but after a while a pouring rain began to fall which made them soaked in a short time. Buck remembered an abandoned house along the way and decided to stop there waiting for the storm to pass.
He told Deborah to come in while he packed the wagon into the sheltered stable. Then, he too entered, and immediately lit a fire to dry himself. They absolutely had to take off their clothes and dry them if they didn't want to get sick.
"I'll see if there are any blankets, meanwhile you start taking off your wet clothes", he told her.
"Turn around, though.”
"Okay, but it's not the first time I've seen a woman with long johns, I can survive."
"You forget I'm Italian, I don't wear long johns, and I don't think you have ever seen the underwear I am wearing, so turn around or I'll keep them on.”
"Okay, okay.”
He turned, handing her a blanket that she wrapped herself in immediately.
"Now you turn around!"
"Don’t you remember that I see you in knickers every morning?"
“And do you remember that I am Kiowa? As soon as I can, I also set myself free, so ... "
She blushed, turning until he too was wrapped in the blanket. The two sat by the fire to dry but the tension between them was strong. He decided they had to talk about it or nothing would be the same again.
“Are you really convinced of the decision you made about Jimmy? Don't you really want to reconsider?”
“No, Buck. It's time to turn the page. I owe it to me. By the way, sorry for the kiss, I shouldn't have been so…”
Buck decided to speak from the heart: “And why? After all, I wanted it too, for a long time actually!”
Deborah was stunned: “Really? And why didn't you ever tell me about it?”
“You were Jimmy's woman, and I had to stay in my place. I was not angry about the kiss, on the contrary, I was just afraid that I would never be able to forget the emotion I felt, and that I would never be able to give it up. I've loved you since I first saw you, but you chose Jimmy.”
Deborah gasped. The two looked into each other's eyes, and she saw all the love he felt for her, and was overwhelmed. She realized that in reality she had always known, but she was blinded by the feelings she felt for Jimmy, which were of love mixed with gratitude for having saved her.
She suddenly felt serene and happy.
Buck walked over to her and kissed her passionately and in a moment things came by themselves. The blankets slipped off, and the two made love gently, and passionately, being pampered by the heat and the light of the fire, and not before he gently asked her: "Are you really sure?"
The answer was a very long and very sweet kiss.
After making love, Buck asked her a little embarrassed: "It was your first time right?"
"Yes and I'm delighted that he was with a wonderful man like you."
“You are beautiful, and it doesn't seem real to me to be here with you. Anyway, it was the first time for me too.”
She kissed him and they made love again.
They hugged in silence for a while, and then decided they wouldn't say anything until Deborah talked to Jimmy. Meanwhile, the rain had stopped outside and they decided to go home.
The clothes were now dry; they put them back on, took the wagon and set off, happy as ever, and telling each other everything that came to their minds.
When they returned, they had to explain that they had had to take refuge because of the storm, but they did not say where; that house would be their secret place. They unloaded the goods, changed, and washed, then Deborah went to the shack to start preparing things for dinner.
Buck joined her, and the two enjoyed a bit of the intimacy they had achieved. As she prepared the pots he asked her if there was an apple to munch on.
"Are you hungry?"
"Well, you know, after doing some ‘gymnastics’ it's natural.”
She jokingly threw the tea towel, and passed him the apple, and at that moment Cody came in who noticed the cheerfulness that existed between the two and said: "Buck, I see you made her happy again, thank goodness!”
The two looked at each other tenderly.
At dinner everything went normally, but Buck and Deborah glanced at each other, and "accidentally" brushed their fingers in a way that Rachel did not fail to notice, but at the moment she preferred to drop it.
After dinner, Lou asked Deborah if he could talk to her.
They went out onto the porch when Lou said to her: “I've made a decision, and I wanted to confront you. I decided to make love with Kid. What do you think about it?"
"I am very happy for you, making love with the man you love is the sweetest thing, and the most exciting thing that exists. You feel part of him, and it seems that everything else doesn't matter!”
Lou was amazed by this answer and said, "You and Jimmy have ..."
"Actually no.”
"With your boyfriend in Italy then?"
"Not even.”
"So how do you know?"
"I can tell you, but please, it must remain a secret for now. Me and Buck, just today!"
"Today? But you were with Jimmy! "
"No, not anymore. On his return, I will speak to him. Now my man is Buck. It all happened in a moment. After this morning, and after Jimmy left without even saying goodbye, I knew it was over between us.
I was in the stable with Buck, and while I was telling him what had happened, I looked him in the eyes, and I realized that he was the man I was looking for in my life. It is as if I had finally opened my eyes. I kissed him, but he rejected me. Then…"
Deborah told Lou how things had gone and then told her: "I think this time, I have found the right one. Buck is of infinite sweetness, his eyes speak, and I have read all the love and dedication he feels for me. Now, I have to find a way to explain it to Jimmy, and to make it understood by others, especially Rachel… ”
"You will see that they will understand, but with Jimmy it will be hard.”
“However, we deviated from the main discussion. If you really love Kid, you've made the right decision.”
"Thank you, you are a friend.”
The two girls hugged each other, then returned to say goodnight to everyone, and went to sleep.
The next morning, at breakfast, without being heard, Buck and Deborah made an appointment by the river.
She left first, and soon Buck moved. Rachel noticed the movement, and decided to follow it. When Buck reached Deborah, the two kissed passionately. Rachel wasn't wrong, but she decided to go home.
The two went to an isolated place on the river, undressed, and threw themselves into the water, where they made, and made love again, in love, and happy as ever.
He kept repeating to her that she was beautiful, and that he would never believe it possible that they would get to that point, and she repeated to him that now that she had found him, she would never leave him again.
When they got out of the water, and lay down to dry, Buck said to her: "Are you aware of what it means to be in a relationship with me?"
"What do you mean?"
“I'm a half-breed, and people don't always respect me. Being with me means being pointed out, and often not accepted. Are you sure you want it?”
"Those who think so are only ignorant, and I will never give up on you for the ignorance of people. I will stay by your side, and fight your battles with you, proving what you are worth.”
The two kissed, and then decided to return because they had been missing for a while, and this could arouse suspicion. As soon as they returned, first one, and then the other, Deborah entered the house, but was immediately joined by Rachel.
"Can you tell me what's going on? What are you and Buck doing? I saw your eyes, and followed you to the river.”
"You shouldn't have let yourself follow us, it's our business."
“Everything is my business if it involves the feelings of the whole family. Tell me what's happening.”
Deborah was forced to tell everything to Rachel who said: "I knew that sooner or later you would make someone suffer!"
“Is it really me who suffered here, or have you forgotten how Jimmy behaves with me? I would have left him independently of Buck.”
“Let's just hope things don't degenerate. However, the others have a right to know before the storm breaks! ”
"Agreed. I'm going to tell Buck.”
Deborah joined him, and told him everything. He was upset but agreed.
When dinner time came, at a certain point, while no one was talking, Rachel turned to Buck and Deborah, and said to them: "Are you talking or will I do it?"
Teaspoon intervened, "What's going on Rachel?"
"Then?"
Deborah was about to speak, but Buck took her arm, and started explaining the whole situation.
The boys, except Lou, who didn’t know anything, dropped the fork from their hands and were amazed. They realized that the next day, when Jimmy returned, things would be difficult, but they understood Deborah's reasons, and were happy for Buck because they had noticed that for a couple of days he had been reborn, more serene and cheerful. His best friend, Ike, was particularly pleased with it.
After dinner, Deborah and Buck made arrangements on how to tell Jimmy the next day. Deborah understood that she had to be the one to tell him, and Buck agreed.
The next morning everyone was very nervous at breakfast; they knew that Jimmy was coming, and that all hell would break loose.
Deborah went into the house to iron, and when Jimmy arrived, finding her neither in the shed nor in the stable, he went to look for her there.
Deborah greeted him coldly and Jimmy, who in the meantime had remembered that the dinner two days ago was to celebrate their first anniversary, said: "I know you're angry, and you're right, I'm sorry, I was stupid. You know that I love you, but you also know how I am, and that I find it hard to have a normal relationship with people.”
“I know you love me Jimmy, but maybe that's not enough. It is not for dinner, but for many other things. Your way of loving me is not good, and I am tired of suffering. How many times have I tried to talk to you about it, but you have always minimized the situation. It's over Jimmy, I'm no longer willing to suffer like this.”
“You're not serious, are you? I love you. I apologized, isn't that enough?”
"No it is not. We probably have two ways of loving that are too different, and we would only hurt ourselves by continuing our story. It's over, I'll tell you again.”
"It's absurd, and I won’t accept it.”
“You will have to, and that's not all,…while you were away, I realized that I loved another, a person I have known for a long time, and who has always been close to me at his discretion. I realized I love him, and he loves me. Now we are together.”
“Not only do you leave me, but you also tell me you have another one? How long has this been going on? You betrayed me?"
"No, I told you, I realized it while you were away. I've never betrayed you, I've always been loyal to you, but now my life is with someone else.”
"Tell me who it is!"
"Buck.”
"What??? How did you even have the courage to resign with a friend of mine? How could you? And he, as soon as I turned around, stabbed me in the back,”
"It is not so. Buck absolutely did not take advantage of the situation, on the contrary, at the beginning he tried to make me think and to make me retrace my steps. He didn't want to start a relationship with me, even though he confessed that he immediately fell in love with me when I got here. He wanted me to try to mend the relationship with you. When he realized that I had made my decision by now, and that regardless of him I would end my relationship with you, then he agreed to stay with me. He has no fault.”
"A saint, in short.”
“He's not a saint, Jimmy, we only knew we fell in love. I do not deny my relationship with you, but probably, as I have already told you, you have a way of loving that is not good for me, and that makes me suffer. You will soon find another woman to love, more like you, who knows how to appreciate your love.”
"Is there really nothing more to do then?"
“No, Jimmy, I'm sorry. The sooner you accept it, the better it will be.”
“I will never accept it, I love you, and I will do everything to win you back, I don't want to give up on you.”
"You have to respect my relationship with Buck now."
"By the way, where is he? I have an account to settle with him!"
"Jimmy, no, I don't want violence."
He didn't listen to her, but hurried out the door.
She ran after him but stopped on the porch. Buck was walking to meet Jimmy. The boys and Rachel had stayed in the shack, and were watching the events out of the window. When they heard the door to Deborah and Rachel's house open, Buck rushed to meet Jimmy, ready for a fight. Jimmy stopped a step away from him, and looked him straight in the eye, then said: "Nice friend you are, as soon as I turned my back you stabbed me. Well, know that I will never give up on her, and that I will be ready to take advantage of your first false step to take it back.”
“She is not your property, as she will have explained to you, I did not stab you in the back, and I did not take advantage of the situation. You must respect her choice and our relationship.”
Jimmy looked at him again, and then raised his hand as if to punch him.
Deborah and the boys were already about to intervene when, suddenly, the hand stretched out, and Jimmy handed it to Buck saying: "Good luck and treat her as she deserves. I wasn't kidding when I said that if you make a mistake, I'll take the opportunity to win her back. Make her happy as I have not been able to do.”
Buck, astonished, returned the handshake, and said: “I promise you, I will love and respect her as she deserves. However, I would like us to remain friends, and for our relationship not to break down.”
"We'll try to do what we can", he replied.
From the house, Deborah shouted at him: "Jimmy, thank you!”
He looked at her, smiled, then took his horse, and ran away like a fury.
Everyone reacted well to the news. The only one who was most impressed seemed to be Buck, who, however, failed to congratulate them like everyone else.
Jimmy proved to be a sweet and caring young man, and Deborah believed she had finally found love, but she felt that she was not yet ready to go all the way. It was as if something was holding her back. On the other hand, Jimmy respected her, and didn't ask for anything. He didn't want to pressure her.
Time passed quietly, and Deborah exchanged letters with her friends, and family back in Italy, and she was very passionate about her work.
Almost a year passed, but gradually Jimmy began to get colder, almost careless, and Deborah began to suffer. She decided to talk to Jimmy about it, but he replied that it was only her imagination.
Deborah felt that things were changing, and decided to confide in Lou, who told Kid, who tried to point it out to Jimmy, but he told him to think about his story with Lou, and not to create problems where there were none.
Buck seemed to have sensed the tension, and often asked Deborah if everything was okay, but she was ashamed to talk to him about it, and so she answered: “Yes.”
But Buck knew she was lying to him.
Time passed, and Jimmy was sometimes affectionate, but sometimes he acted as if she didn't exist, and that made her suffer a lot.
Deborah tried several times to talk to him about it, but the answer was always the same. She knew that deep down he loved her, but he had a way of loving that probably didn't suit her. Their needs were different.
Deborah did not want to admit to herself that she had failed in love again, and went on pretending that everything was okay, and accepting Jimmy's behavior.
A whole year passed and the anniversary of their relationship was approaching. Deborah wanted that day to be special, so she organized a dinner in town, and as a gift she thought it was time to change their relationship.
She thought she would make love with Jimmy.
The morning of that day had arrived. Deborah and Rachel had just made breakfast, and put it on the table. Gradually, all the boys arrived to greet the two women, except for Jimmy who, without mentioning it to anyone, began to have a thoughtful breakfast.
Deborah was very upset, because she realized that Jimmy did not remember the date of their anniversary. He ignored it and started having his breakfast. At one point, Teaspoon asked if there were any riders available to stay away for a couple of days for an important matter: an urgent dispatch had to be brought to Fort Laramie.
Jimmy volunteered.
Deborah tried to intervene by reminding him: “But tonight we had decided to go to dinner in the city!”, without making the slightest mention of the reason for the dinner.
“And should I give up my job for a stupid dinner? Don't be silly, we'll go there on my return if you really care.”
She didn't flinch. After a moment, he apologized, and said he had to go and prepare the fodder for Buck's horse as he was about to return from his run.
"Come to say goodbye at least before leaving?"
“Okay,” he replied.
Lou told her she would help her.
As they walked to the stable, Lou said to her: "Don't be mad. Jimmy is like that, but he really loves you."
"I don't know anymore Lou, I don't really know anymore."
When everyone was out of the shack, Kid walked over to Jimmy and said: "You're pulling the rope with Deborah, be careful not to regret it later," and left without Jimmy being able to reply.
In response, Jimmy jumped on his horse and left for his mission without going to greet Deborah, who was in the stable. Soon Buck arrived, who had met Jimmy riding like a fury.
As usual, Buck greeted Deborah kindly, asking her how she was. She evaded the question and in turn asked him: "Did the trip go well? Are you tired?"
He replied: “All right, thank you. It wasn't particularly tiring.”
“What is wrong with Jimmy? I passed him riding like a bat out of hell!"
Deborah felt like she received a blow to the heart. “How did you meet him? Has he already left? "
"I assume so, I saw him on the street."
“I’ve had enough! It's over! I'm tired of enduring all this. I’m stupid for thinking…”
Buck was astonished, and asked her what was happening. She explained to him: “My relationship with Jimmy is now over. As soon as he returns from his trip I will let him know.”
“What are you saying? Isn't today your anniversary?”
Buck had remembered and Jimmy didn't.
She was amazed, and told him: “I'm tired of suffering from Jimmy's way of loving. I failed for the second time. He often ignores me, and acts as if I don't exist, taking my love for granted. This morning he volunteered for an assignment for which he will be away for a few days, not even remembering what date it was today, and what commitments he had made with me. He didn't even come to greet me before leaving. I have already left a man on the threshold of marriage because I was not important to him, and I have no problem doing it again. I need a guy who knows how to love and woo me, who puts me first and makes me feel important. At first, I thought I had found it, but I was probably wrong.”
Buck listened to Deborah's words, and seemed to suffer with her. He tried to change her mind and take Jimmy's side: “Don't make hasty decisions, let the anger pass and think. He loves you, you said so too. You just have to find a meeting point.”
“No, Buck, I'm tired. I want to finally be happy and not always have to beg for love.”
She looked into his eyes and realized: “I need a man who loves me unconditionally. Maybe it will come soon, maybe not. Or maybe I already know him. Maybe he's close to me, but so far I've been blind, and haven't understood him”.
She looked Buck in the eye again, and saw what she had always wanted. Without speaking, she approached him and kissed him. Her ideal man had always been there close to her, but she only understood it now.
He had always been kind and discreet to her, and he had helped her when she needed it. He had always been interested in how she was or felt, and sometimes he had comforted her when she was suffering for Jimmy. He had seen all this in his eyes.
Buck was taken by surprise but then pulled back. "No, you're Jimmy's woman. I can't do that."
“I'm not Jimmy's woman anymore, whether you want to be with me or not. I apologize for the kiss. It will never happen again. Friends as before? Let's act as if nothing had happened.”
Deborah went out, and changed to go to town. She needed to buy some things for school. When Rachel saw her, she called over to her, and asked if she could get some supplies that the boys needed.
When she saw Buck come out of the stable as well, she asked him if he could accompany Deborah, because she couldn't load everything alone. Buck asked if anyone else was available, as he had just returned.
He really didn't want to be alone with Deborah all that time after their kiss, he still had to process the fact. Rachel replied that the others were all busy.
Deborah said: "If it's a problem, I'll go alone. I'll ask someone to help me with the load."
Buck did not have the courage to say no and agreed. On the way to the city, neither of them spoke, which was unusual because the two had always talked about everything. At one point, Deborah broke the silence: “Buck I'm sorry, please talk to me. Are you going to sulk at me all day or more?”
He replied: "I'm not angry, and I'm not sulking at you, I'm just a little embarrassed, but you're right, let's forget about it, and let's get everything back to normal.”
They started chatting about this and that, and soon arrived in town. When they had bought and loaded everything, they looked up at the sky, and realized that a violent storm was about to break out.
They hoped to get home in time, but when in doubt, they bought a heavy tarp, which they placed on the supplies so as not to lose them due to the rain.
They set off in a hurry, but after a while a pouring rain began to fall which made them soaked in a short time. Buck remembered an abandoned house along the way and decided to stop there waiting for the storm to pass.
He told Deborah to come in while he packed the wagon into the sheltered stable. Then, he too entered, and immediately lit a fire to dry himself. They absolutely had to take off their clothes and dry them if they didn't want to get sick.
"I'll see if there are any blankets, meanwhile you start taking off your wet clothes", he told her.
"Turn around, though.”
"Okay, but it's not the first time I've seen a woman with long johns, I can survive."
"You forget I'm Italian, I don't wear long johns, and I don't think you have ever seen the underwear I am wearing, so turn around or I'll keep them on.”
"Okay, okay.”
He turned, handing her a blanket that she wrapped herself in immediately.
"Now you turn around!"
"Don’t you remember that I see you in knickers every morning?"
“And do you remember that I am Kiowa? As soon as I can, I also set myself free, so ... "
She blushed, turning until he too was wrapped in the blanket. The two sat by the fire to dry but the tension between them was strong. He decided they had to talk about it or nothing would be the same again.
“Are you really convinced of the decision you made about Jimmy? Don't you really want to reconsider?”
“No, Buck. It's time to turn the page. I owe it to me. By the way, sorry for the kiss, I shouldn't have been so…”
Buck decided to speak from the heart: “And why? After all, I wanted it too, for a long time actually!”
Deborah was stunned: “Really? And why didn't you ever tell me about it?”
“You were Jimmy's woman, and I had to stay in my place. I was not angry about the kiss, on the contrary, I was just afraid that I would never be able to forget the emotion I felt, and that I would never be able to give it up. I've loved you since I first saw you, but you chose Jimmy.”
Deborah gasped. The two looked into each other's eyes, and she saw all the love he felt for her, and was overwhelmed. She realized that in reality she had always known, but she was blinded by the feelings she felt for Jimmy, which were of love mixed with gratitude for having saved her.
She suddenly felt serene and happy.
Buck walked over to her and kissed her passionately and in a moment things came by themselves. The blankets slipped off, and the two made love gently, and passionately, being pampered by the heat and the light of the fire, and not before he gently asked her: "Are you really sure?"
The answer was a very long and very sweet kiss.
After making love, Buck asked her a little embarrassed: "It was your first time right?"
"Yes and I'm delighted that he was with a wonderful man like you."
“You are beautiful, and it doesn't seem real to me to be here with you. Anyway, it was the first time for me too.”
She kissed him and they made love again.
They hugged in silence for a while, and then decided they wouldn't say anything until Deborah talked to Jimmy. Meanwhile, the rain had stopped outside and they decided to go home.
The clothes were now dry; they put them back on, took the wagon and set off, happy as ever, and telling each other everything that came to their minds.
When they returned, they had to explain that they had had to take refuge because of the storm, but they did not say where; that house would be their secret place. They unloaded the goods, changed, and washed, then Deborah went to the shack to start preparing things for dinner.
Buck joined her, and the two enjoyed a bit of the intimacy they had achieved. As she prepared the pots he asked her if there was an apple to munch on.
"Are you hungry?"
"Well, you know, after doing some ‘gymnastics’ it's natural.”
She jokingly threw the tea towel, and passed him the apple, and at that moment Cody came in who noticed the cheerfulness that existed between the two and said: "Buck, I see you made her happy again, thank goodness!”
The two looked at each other tenderly.
At dinner everything went normally, but Buck and Deborah glanced at each other, and "accidentally" brushed their fingers in a way that Rachel did not fail to notice, but at the moment she preferred to drop it.
After dinner, Lou asked Deborah if he could talk to her.
They went out onto the porch when Lou said to her: “I've made a decision, and I wanted to confront you. I decided to make love with Kid. What do you think about it?"
"I am very happy for you, making love with the man you love is the sweetest thing, and the most exciting thing that exists. You feel part of him, and it seems that everything else doesn't matter!”
Lou was amazed by this answer and said, "You and Jimmy have ..."
"Actually no.”
"With your boyfriend in Italy then?"
"Not even.”
"So how do you know?"
"I can tell you, but please, it must remain a secret for now. Me and Buck, just today!"
"Today? But you were with Jimmy! "
"No, not anymore. On his return, I will speak to him. Now my man is Buck. It all happened in a moment. After this morning, and after Jimmy left without even saying goodbye, I knew it was over between us.
I was in the stable with Buck, and while I was telling him what had happened, I looked him in the eyes, and I realized that he was the man I was looking for in my life. It is as if I had finally opened my eyes. I kissed him, but he rejected me. Then…"
Deborah told Lou how things had gone and then told her: "I think this time, I have found the right one. Buck is of infinite sweetness, his eyes speak, and I have read all the love and dedication he feels for me. Now, I have to find a way to explain it to Jimmy, and to make it understood by others, especially Rachel… ”
"You will see that they will understand, but with Jimmy it will be hard.”
“However, we deviated from the main discussion. If you really love Kid, you've made the right decision.”
"Thank you, you are a friend.”
The two girls hugged each other, then returned to say goodnight to everyone, and went to sleep.
The next morning, at breakfast, without being heard, Buck and Deborah made an appointment by the river.
She left first, and soon Buck moved. Rachel noticed the movement, and decided to follow it. When Buck reached Deborah, the two kissed passionately. Rachel wasn't wrong, but she decided to go home.
The two went to an isolated place on the river, undressed, and threw themselves into the water, where they made, and made love again, in love, and happy as ever.
He kept repeating to her that she was beautiful, and that he would never believe it possible that they would get to that point, and she repeated to him that now that she had found him, she would never leave him again.
When they got out of the water, and lay down to dry, Buck said to her: "Are you aware of what it means to be in a relationship with me?"
"What do you mean?"
“I'm a half-breed, and people don't always respect me. Being with me means being pointed out, and often not accepted. Are you sure you want it?”
"Those who think so are only ignorant, and I will never give up on you for the ignorance of people. I will stay by your side, and fight your battles with you, proving what you are worth.”
The two kissed, and then decided to return because they had been missing for a while, and this could arouse suspicion. As soon as they returned, first one, and then the other, Deborah entered the house, but was immediately joined by Rachel.
"Can you tell me what's going on? What are you and Buck doing? I saw your eyes, and followed you to the river.”
"You shouldn't have let yourself follow us, it's our business."
“Everything is my business if it involves the feelings of the whole family. Tell me what's happening.”
Deborah was forced to tell everything to Rachel who said: "I knew that sooner or later you would make someone suffer!"
“Is it really me who suffered here, or have you forgotten how Jimmy behaves with me? I would have left him independently of Buck.”
“Let's just hope things don't degenerate. However, the others have a right to know before the storm breaks! ”
"Agreed. I'm going to tell Buck.”
Deborah joined him, and told him everything. He was upset but agreed.
When dinner time came, at a certain point, while no one was talking, Rachel turned to Buck and Deborah, and said to them: "Are you talking or will I do it?"
Teaspoon intervened, "What's going on Rachel?"
"Then?"
Deborah was about to speak, but Buck took her arm, and started explaining the whole situation.
The boys, except Lou, who didn’t know anything, dropped the fork from their hands and were amazed. They realized that the next day, when Jimmy returned, things would be difficult, but they understood Deborah's reasons, and were happy for Buck because they had noticed that for a couple of days he had been reborn, more serene and cheerful. His best friend, Ike, was particularly pleased with it.
After dinner, Deborah and Buck made arrangements on how to tell Jimmy the next day. Deborah understood that she had to be the one to tell him, and Buck agreed.
The next morning everyone was very nervous at breakfast; they knew that Jimmy was coming, and that all hell would break loose.
Deborah went into the house to iron, and when Jimmy arrived, finding her neither in the shed nor in the stable, he went to look for her there.
Deborah greeted him coldly and Jimmy, who in the meantime had remembered that the dinner two days ago was to celebrate their first anniversary, said: "I know you're angry, and you're right, I'm sorry, I was stupid. You know that I love you, but you also know how I am, and that I find it hard to have a normal relationship with people.”
“I know you love me Jimmy, but maybe that's not enough. It is not for dinner, but for many other things. Your way of loving me is not good, and I am tired of suffering. How many times have I tried to talk to you about it, but you have always minimized the situation. It's over Jimmy, I'm no longer willing to suffer like this.”
“You're not serious, are you? I love you. I apologized, isn't that enough?”
"No it is not. We probably have two ways of loving that are too different, and we would only hurt ourselves by continuing our story. It's over, I'll tell you again.”
"It's absurd, and I won’t accept it.”
“You will have to, and that's not all,…while you were away, I realized that I loved another, a person I have known for a long time, and who has always been close to me at his discretion. I realized I love him, and he loves me. Now we are together.”
“Not only do you leave me, but you also tell me you have another one? How long has this been going on? You betrayed me?"
"No, I told you, I realized it while you were away. I've never betrayed you, I've always been loyal to you, but now my life is with someone else.”
"Tell me who it is!"
"Buck.”
"What??? How did you even have the courage to resign with a friend of mine? How could you? And he, as soon as I turned around, stabbed me in the back,”
"It is not so. Buck absolutely did not take advantage of the situation, on the contrary, at the beginning he tried to make me think and to make me retrace my steps. He didn't want to start a relationship with me, even though he confessed that he immediately fell in love with me when I got here. He wanted me to try to mend the relationship with you. When he realized that I had made my decision by now, and that regardless of him I would end my relationship with you, then he agreed to stay with me. He has no fault.”
"A saint, in short.”
“He's not a saint, Jimmy, we only knew we fell in love. I do not deny my relationship with you, but probably, as I have already told you, you have a way of loving that is not good for me, and that makes me suffer. You will soon find another woman to love, more like you, who knows how to appreciate your love.”
"Is there really nothing more to do then?"
“No, Jimmy, I'm sorry. The sooner you accept it, the better it will be.”
“I will never accept it, I love you, and I will do everything to win you back, I don't want to give up on you.”
"You have to respect my relationship with Buck now."
"By the way, where is he? I have an account to settle with him!"
"Jimmy, no, I don't want violence."
He didn't listen to her, but hurried out the door.
She ran after him but stopped on the porch. Buck was walking to meet Jimmy. The boys and Rachel had stayed in the shack, and were watching the events out of the window. When they heard the door to Deborah and Rachel's house open, Buck rushed to meet Jimmy, ready for a fight. Jimmy stopped a step away from him, and looked him straight in the eye, then said: "Nice friend you are, as soon as I turned my back you stabbed me. Well, know that I will never give up on her, and that I will be ready to take advantage of your first false step to take it back.”
“She is not your property, as she will have explained to you, I did not stab you in the back, and I did not take advantage of the situation. You must respect her choice and our relationship.”
Jimmy looked at him again, and then raised his hand as if to punch him.
Deborah and the boys were already about to intervene when, suddenly, the hand stretched out, and Jimmy handed it to Buck saying: "Good luck and treat her as she deserves. I wasn't kidding when I said that if you make a mistake, I'll take the opportunity to win her back. Make her happy as I have not been able to do.”
Buck, astonished, returned the handshake, and said: “I promise you, I will love and respect her as she deserves. However, I would like us to remain friends, and for our relationship not to break down.”
"We'll try to do what we can", he replied.
From the house, Deborah shouted at him: "Jimmy, thank you!”
He looked at her, smiled, then took his horse, and ran away like a fury.
Chapter Three
Life flowed smoothly and happily, and seeing that the relationship with Jimmy seemed to go well, one evening they both decided to talk about it with friends.
Everyone reacted well to the news. The only one who was most impressed seemed to be Buck, who, however, failed to congratulate them like everyone else.
Jimmy proved to be a sweet and caring young man, and Deborah believed she had finally found love, but she felt that she was not yet ready to go all the way. It was as if something was holding her back. On the other hand, Jimmy respected her, and didn't ask for anything. He didn't want to pressure her.
Buck heaved a sigh of relief and went into the house with Deborah, who explained how the conversation had unfolded, they kissed passionately, glad that things had worked out for the best.
The boys, for their part, were happy not to have had to witness a violent confrontation between the two friends.
As soon as Buck left the house and went to do some work, Rachel joined Deborah and told her: “I have to apologize. You performed a miracle with Jimmy. Just a year ago, he would have beaten up Buck for what happened, but his love for you changed him. He understood that if he really loves a woman he must mature and that he cannot solve everything with violence, and a gun. I hope you understand why I was so hard on you. I also hope that we can start over and be friends.”
“I know Rachel. You've always looked after them, watching them grow up. I know you don't want any of them to suffer. You saw me as a danger, but now you understand that I am not. I really love Buck and hope things go well this time. Friends?”
The two women embraced.
Jimmy returned in the evening, and at dinner, the air was a bit tense, but he decided to tone down: "Guys, I don't want there to be tensions or embarrassments between us. What happened, in the end, was mostly my fault. I was unable to appreciate what I had and I lost it. I learned the lesson. We pretend nothing has happened, and we all remain calm as before. Sooner or later it will pass me.”
Deborah took his hand, thanking him, and Buck also expressed his gratitude.
The days passed calm and serene. The love between Buck and Deborah grew every day. They had a perfect understanding, they knew how to read their hearts through their eyes, and they were extremely happy. They tried not to share too much affection in Jimmy's presence out of respect for his feelings, and for this reason, when they had some free time from work and chores, they either went to the river or returned to the abandoned house where it all started.
Often in the evening, after dinner, they would stop on the veranda and hug each other for hours, enjoying each other's company, without the need to talk. They felt like they were living in a dream.
One day, Lou told Deborah that she was leaving with Kid on a trip for Teaspoon, and it was planned on that occasion she would make love with him. Deborah rejoiced and gave her some advice.
When the two returned from the trip, Lou was beaming, and Deborah realized that everything had gone well.
In fact, Lou confided to her. As she had anticipated, it had been beautiful, and that she and Kid were united as never before. Deborah was pleased.
Often on Sundays, the two couples spent the afternoon by the river, laughing, joking and having fun together. Sometimes the other boys joined them and the harmony that reigned was wonderful.
One night, Buck decided to take Deborah out to dinner. She was delighted because it was a bit like making their relationship official in the open. She dressed very elegantly, wore a trendy blue dress with lace, and he wore a white shirt and party jacket. On the way to the city, Buck was a bit thoughtful. Deborah asked him: "Did you regret inviting me to dinner?"
“No, are you kidding? It's just that I have to choose the place carefully because unfortunately, you know that I am not welcome everywhere."
Her heart broke, and after kissing him, she replied: "I don't care about the place, I just want to be with you."
They arrived in town, and Buck took her to a place that had recently opened. The owner was not from around there, and as soon as Buck entered, he anxiously asked for a table.
The owner immediately made them sit down, and brought them the menu.
Buck was tense, but she played it down: "If you weren't welcome, we'd be out already."
The evening was beautiful; the two dined, laughed, caressed and kissed each other throughout the evening, without anyone saying anything to them.
Buck was beaming, and Deborah was delighted to see him like that.
When it was time to settle the bill, Buck said to the owner: "Thank you for everything, especially for welcoming me into your place."
“Boy, I don't care what race people belong to, I just care that they are polite and civil. I must confess, I've never seen a couple as perfect, sweet, and a love that was as well matched as yours. Come back without problems as often as you want."
"Thank you so much!"
Deborah and Buck took a stroll around town, and then headed for the station, but passing in front of their little house, they couldn't help but stop and make love passionately, happy for the wonderful evening they had spent.
The next morning, Deborah recounted the evening to Lou and Rachel, with whom she had finally embarked on a friendship.
The two were happy with the way things had turned out, and noticed that Buck was calmer.
In the following days, the two began to be seen in the city more and more together, so as to formalize their relationship more and more.
Things were going well at the station too, and the relationship between Deborah and Buck, and between Lou and Kid was stable, and Jimmy seemed calm.
One day at the Pony Express station, a woman showed up asking to send a letter, and it turned out that the woman was an old friend of Kid's, Doritha.
When Kid recognized her, he completely changed his attitude toward Lou and the boys.
Doritha had been very attached to Kid in the past, and had loaned him money to be able to leave Virginia and to rebuild a new life.
Doritha did not take long, despite being married, to make Kid understand that she was still in love with him. This pleased Kid, but it threw Lou into despair. Deborah and Rachel tried to downplay it, but they too noticed the sudden change in Kid. Among other things, Doritha and her husband had decided to move to Sweetwater.
A few days later, Doritha went to lunch with the boys, and her tales of youth with Kid and the confidence between the two made Lou suffer to the point where she excused herself and got up from the table.
Deborah followed her, trying to calm her down, but things got worse when Lou tried to ask Kid why he felt so attached to the woman and he told her to mind her own business.
Lou mounted her horse, and fled like a fury.
Jimmy, who had witnessed the scene, turned to Kid and said: “Not long ago you told me not to pull too hard with Deborah, and I didn't listen to you. Now she is with someone else. Be careful not to end up with Lou the same way!"
After that, he chased Lou and he too tried to calm and console her.
The next day Doritha went to the station to explain to Kid that her husband was in trouble. Kid explained the situation to Teaspoon and the boys, who tried to do everything possible to help her. Unfortunately, Doritha's husband had stolen money from bandits. It didn’t take long before they found her husband, and killed him.
Doritha dumped the money into a creek, but it was too late, the bandits had found her and killed her too.
Lou tried to console Kid as best she could, and he apologized for his behavior, swearing that he would not hide anything from her from now on.
Some time passed and this time it was Ike who fell in love.
One day in the saloon, he saw a girl come into the saloon only to drag her father away from the card tables. The man he was playing with was a cheater and the girl's father unmasked him. He didn't take it well, and Ike knew he would try to take revenge.
Ike then decided to follow the two, hoping everything would be calm. As he had imagined, along the way, the cheater suddenly appeared and threatened the girl and her father.
Luckily Ike was there and put him on the run.
The girl thanked him and introduced herself. Her name was Emily. She then ran away in the wagon, leaving her father to travel on foot, She was angry with him, always getting into trouble because of his gambling habit. Ike walked him home.
Once back, he kept the story to himself.
The next day Emily showed up at the station to thank him and Ike invited her to the dance that was going to be held that Saturday night. She accepted, and Ike was immensely happy.
Buck immediately felt a surge of protection against his friend, and when Ike expressed a desire to go to Emily to help her fix the house where she and her father had moved, Buck said: "Wait until the dance, don't stay with her."
When Ike said he wouldn't listen to him, Buck said, "Listen to me, you don't have much experience with women!"
Ike stormed out and went to Emily.
Cody and Deborah had witnessed the scene. He pointed out to his friend: "You handled the subject well,” Cody said, poking fun of him.
Deborah said to Buck: "Sorry if I am wrong here, but you act like you have such a great experience. Do you have to tell me something I don't know?"
"I was wrong to speak like that, but I'm worried about him."
She replied: "I know, but let him do what he feels.”
Ike went to help Emily, and the two spent a peaceful afternoon. In the evening, Buck apologized to him.
The next day, Ike returned to the girl, finding her smeared with smoke that had been the remains of a fire. She sent him away, but he didn't go away, instead asking her if it was the man from the other day who started the fire.
She said it didn't matter and threw him out again.
Ike didn't give up, and on the night of the dance, he went to Emily's as he had promised. She thought that after her behavior, he would never look for her again, and she was delighted when she saw him arrive.
The two joined the others at the party, and the boys were happy to see Ike so happy, especially Buck, who was very anxious because it was the first time he showed up with Deborah on a public occasion.
He was dressed in a very elegant white shirt and black jacket for the big occasion, she wore a green dress that matched her eyes.
While they danced, many girls stared at them and also many elderly ladies, some with admiration, some with curiosity, others with disgust, and some girls with envy because they were really happy and in love.
Buck looked at her with adoration and she told him over and over that she loved him madly and that nothing could separate them, not even the gossips he had feared.
He replied: “I feel like I'm living in a dream. I don't know what I did to deserve this luck.”
"It's you” , she said.
They often exchanged very sweet kisses.
At a certain point, Ike and Emily left the dance to be alone for a while.
Meanwhile, outside the saloon, Emily's father was waiting for the man who had set their house on fire. As soon as he came out, he tried to shoot him in revenge, but unfortunately the man was faster and killed him. The shot sent everyone out of the place where the party was held, and when Teaspoon and the boys understood what had happened, they sent Buck to find Ike and Emily.
The two were in a barn, happy because they had just made love, but as soon as Buck called them, Emily rushed out and, seeing her father's corpse, she fell into deep despair.
Ike's proximity was of no avail. The next day the boy went to her, to tell her that she was not alone and that he would always be there, that they could start a life together, but Emily made him understand that she was not ready and that she wanted to be alone.
When he returned to the station, Buck had his friends tell him what happened, and then decided to go to Emily to talk to her.
At first she didn't want to let him in, but then she decided to listen to him. Buck told her how they met and Ike's story, but Emily didn't change her mind.
Everyone went to the funeral and then Emily took leave, saying she had something to do.
When Ike was informed that Emily had been seen in the saloon, he rushed to her because he understood that she was going to try to avenge her father.
Ike entered the saloon just in time to protect Emily with his body. The girl had shot the man and he had reacted by shooting at her in turn, but Ike got in the way and was seriously wounded. For the second time, Teaspoon could do nothing but throw him momentarily in jail to heal the wound that the shot had caused him, because, as in the case of Emily's father, it was self-defense.
Ike was immediately taken to the doctor, who realized that the hopes were very low. Buck went in to see him, but when he came out he ran off like a fury, not talking to anyone, not even Deborah who had tried to be close to him, but he had withdrawn into himself. Only later did it come to be known that he had gone to pray and celebrate an Indian rite to greet Ike in his own way.
When Buck left, he had told Emily that Ike wanted to see her. The girl stayed inside for a long time, and when the boys decided to enter, they found her crying because Ike was dead.
All the boys, Teaspoon and Rachel fell into despair.
In the evening, when Buck returned, he went to the Saloon where he knew he would find Ike's killer.
He waited for him to come out and pointed the gun at him. The man offended him and told him that he would never have the courage to shoot. Buck did not have it repeated twice and fired. The man fell to the ground dead, Ike was avenged.
Teaspoon ran over and made sure no one had seen, so Buck would be spared prison but told him he had crossed a line that would mark him for life.
Buck returned and reported the incident to Deborah who said nothing, but just hugged him.
Soon after the boys attended Ike's funeral, according to the Indian rite presided over by Buck, his body was destroyed. Deborah tried to be close to him as much as possible, as did the other boys, Teaspoon and Rachel, but he was inconsolable. He had always considered Ike not only a friend, but also a brother and he felt heartbroken.
In the following days, Buck was silent and sad and Deborah told him: “We are a couple, we share everything, don't cut me off from your pain. Talk to me, let off steam, cry, but don't exclude me from your feelings and thoughts,”
"I know you want to help me, I appreciate it very much ,and I love you even more for it, but my pain is too great and I still can't express it, I need time.”
"When you want it, you know that I will always be there, at all times.”
"Thanks, I know" and they kissed.
Buck asked Teaspoon the next day if he could replace Cody on his shift, he needed to go away for a while. Teaspoon agreed and after saying goodbye to Deborah, he left.
He was supposed to be back by evening, but he didn't return. Deborah was worried, but Teaspoon and the boys reassured her, telling her that it often happened where the journey took longer than expected, perhaps due to some problem with the horse. They told her not to worry and that he would be back in the morning.
Deborah could not sleep and when Buck had not returned in the late morning, she expressed her anguish to the boys who told her to be quiet, but she did not want to know reasons and rushed to the horse to go look for him.
Jimmy chased her, stopping her as she mounted: "You don't even know where to look for him, and then, going dressed like this, you'll get arrested or worse!", he said, pulling her off the heavy horse. Deborah at the station wore her Italian clothes, for convenience, and wore a pair of pants too short to go around.
As she tried to protest, in the distance, they saw Buck returning. He was wounded in the arm but he was fine.
Deborah rushed towards him and as soon as he was off his horse she kissed him and hugged him very tightly, then asked him what had happened.
Buck related that he had met a caravan with a pregnant woman whose husband and father had just been killed, and that while trying to help her fix the wagon wheel they had been ambushed in which he was injured. Immediately after, the woman had been in labor and he had helped her to deliver her baby.
Jimmy went to warn the others, while Buck and Deborah went into the house for medication. When Deborah was done, the two went out onto the porch and Buck told her in more detail what had happened, then said to her: “I know I've been excluding you from my thoughts these days, but as I told you, I needed time. Having that baby born made me reborn and made me understand what I really want from life. I want you. I want a family with you and children with you, and I want it as soon as possible.”
Then he knelt in front of her and said: "I know we have only recently been together, but will you marry me?” giving her a beautiful ring, which he had received from his mother before she died.
Deborah was speechless, her eyes filled with tears and she could only say :"Yes, a thousand times yes!!”
The two kissed passionately, and then decided that they would not set a date immediately. They would instead start building their house calmly near the station, and the one where she and Rachel now lived, because they wanted to stay close to their family.
They would write to Deborah's parents, asking them when they could join them, and based on their answer they would set the date. Together they also looked for a way to communicate this to the boys and especially to Jimmy.
Buck also wanted Deborah to go talk to the Reverend because he wanted his approval as she taught all the boys in the town. She told him that she didn't need anyone's approval to marry him, but he reminded her that he was half-breed and that this could cause her problems. She protested but he was adamant.
That afternoon he would accompany her to school, and together they would talk to the reverend. So it was and the Reverend just said: "If parents don't like it, they can find another school. I really want to see what their children will learn without you."
Deborah and Buck thanked him heartily and set off to return to the station, but first they stopped at their cottage to celebrate their new life.
In the evening, at dinner, Buck spoke up and said: “Guys, I must apologize to you for my behavior these days. I was intractable and I shouldn't have been.
The experience I had yesterday made me understand what are the important things in life, and for this, I again apologize. I will take this opportunity to announce that I asked Deborah to marry me and she accepted.
I know we've been together for a short time, but Ike's death made me realize that you don't have to waste time and if you are sure of something you have to do it. I love her, and I want to build a family with her as soon as possible.”
Everyone was stunned. Jimmy was the first to talk.
Deborah intervened and said: “We have not set a date and we will take some time, but little by little we will start building our house, and when we are ready we will get married.
We hope to have your blessing and your help, we care very much because you are our family. Tomorrow I will write to my parents to inform them and when they can be present we will celebrate the wedding.”
Lou was the first to react, congratulating them with a hug, and then everyone else did too, except Jimmy who walked out.
Deborah followed him and said: “I know this is a blow to you, but I feel it is right. Buck is the man for me and I don't want to wait any longer. I'll always love you, Jimmy, but we weren't meant to be together.”
“I'm fine, don't worry, I just have to digest it, but I wish you every happiness. Now, if you want to excuse me, I need to be alone.”
Deborah patted him on the shoulder and went back into the shack where she explained to the others that Jimmy needed some solitude.
The next morning, Deborah wrote the letter to her parents and immediately handed it to Kid on his run. Then with Buck, she sat at the table and began to draw what their home would be like.
A small staircase would lead to the main door and on the side they would build a porch with a swing. At the entrance, there would have been an atrium that led to the left into the kitchen with a large wooden table positioned to the right of the room and a window on the left that overlooked the veranda.
To the right of the atrium, you entered the living room with a fireplace at the back near a sofa, and a large table in the center to accommodate friends, cupboards for dishes and supplies, and two windows, making it very bright. In front of the entrance door, there would then have been a staircase that led upstairs, where there would be three rooms.
The central one would be the bedroom with a window on the right and a door that led into a bathroom. They would have the services in the house, a bathtub in the center, and a sink against the wall. The last room, for the moment, would have been used as a closet, but will eventually become the children's room.
Buck agreed on everything, and in the afternoon he would accompany Deborah to school. In the meantime, he would buy the first material needed for the work.
In the evening at dinner, they asked the boys if from the following day they would help them in their spare time to build their house, and they all accepted willingly.
Things were going well, work continuing as usual, and the foundation for Buck and Deborah's house had been laid.
However, the letter with the reply from the girl's parents was late in arriving, and Deborah was a bit worried.
Some time later, it finally arrived. But it didn't contain what Deborah expected. Her parents wouldn't accept such a hasty, half-breed marriage, so they wouldn't come.
Deborah burst into tears, and Buck, who obviously had been upset, although in reality he expected it a little, tried to console her. Eventually, she decided that they would obviously get married anyway, with or without their consent.
Buck told her to wait and save the date because maybe her parents would have second thoughts. She accepted this, albeit with little hope.
Buck decided to secretly write to them, explaining their relationship and what he could offer Deborah. He wrote them how happy she was, hoping to get them to attend the wedding.
The next day, he secretly entrusted the letter to Noah.
Then the waiting began...
Everyone reacted well to the news. The only one who was most impressed seemed to be Buck, who, however, failed to congratulate them like everyone else.
Jimmy proved to be a sweet and caring young man, and Deborah believed she had finally found love, but she felt that she was not yet ready to go all the way. It was as if something was holding her back. On the other hand, Jimmy respected her, and didn't ask for anything. He didn't want to pressure her.
Buck heaved a sigh of relief and went into the house with Deborah, who explained how the conversation had unfolded, they kissed passionately, glad that things had worked out for the best.
The boys, for their part, were happy not to have had to witness a violent confrontation between the two friends.
As soon as Buck left the house and went to do some work, Rachel joined Deborah and told her: “I have to apologize. You performed a miracle with Jimmy. Just a year ago, he would have beaten up Buck for what happened, but his love for you changed him. He understood that if he really loves a woman he must mature and that he cannot solve everything with violence, and a gun. I hope you understand why I was so hard on you. I also hope that we can start over and be friends.”
“I know Rachel. You've always looked after them, watching them grow up. I know you don't want any of them to suffer. You saw me as a danger, but now you understand that I am not. I really love Buck and hope things go well this time. Friends?”
The two women embraced.
Jimmy returned in the evening, and at dinner, the air was a bit tense, but he decided to tone down: "Guys, I don't want there to be tensions or embarrassments between us. What happened, in the end, was mostly my fault. I was unable to appreciate what I had and I lost it. I learned the lesson. We pretend nothing has happened, and we all remain calm as before. Sooner or later it will pass me.”
Deborah took his hand, thanking him, and Buck also expressed his gratitude.
The days passed calm and serene. The love between Buck and Deborah grew every day. They had a perfect understanding, they knew how to read their hearts through their eyes, and they were extremely happy. They tried not to share too much affection in Jimmy's presence out of respect for his feelings, and for this reason, when they had some free time from work and chores, they either went to the river or returned to the abandoned house where it all started.
Often in the evening, after dinner, they would stop on the veranda and hug each other for hours, enjoying each other's company, without the need to talk. They felt like they were living in a dream.
One day, Lou told Deborah that she was leaving with Kid on a trip for Teaspoon, and it was planned on that occasion she would make love with him. Deborah rejoiced and gave her some advice.
When the two returned from the trip, Lou was beaming, and Deborah realized that everything had gone well.
In fact, Lou confided to her. As she had anticipated, it had been beautiful, and that she and Kid were united as never before. Deborah was pleased.
Often on Sundays, the two couples spent the afternoon by the river, laughing, joking and having fun together. Sometimes the other boys joined them and the harmony that reigned was wonderful.
One night, Buck decided to take Deborah out to dinner. She was delighted because it was a bit like making their relationship official in the open. She dressed very elegantly, wore a trendy blue dress with lace, and he wore a white shirt and party jacket. On the way to the city, Buck was a bit thoughtful. Deborah asked him: "Did you regret inviting me to dinner?"
“No, are you kidding? It's just that I have to choose the place carefully because unfortunately, you know that I am not welcome everywhere."
Her heart broke, and after kissing him, she replied: "I don't care about the place, I just want to be with you."
They arrived in town, and Buck took her to a place that had recently opened. The owner was not from around there, and as soon as Buck entered, he anxiously asked for a table.
The owner immediately made them sit down, and brought them the menu.
Buck was tense, but she played it down: "If you weren't welcome, we'd be out already."
The evening was beautiful; the two dined, laughed, caressed and kissed each other throughout the evening, without anyone saying anything to them.
Buck was beaming, and Deborah was delighted to see him like that.
When it was time to settle the bill, Buck said to the owner: "Thank you for everything, especially for welcoming me into your place."
“Boy, I don't care what race people belong to, I just care that they are polite and civil. I must confess, I've never seen a couple as perfect, sweet, and a love that was as well matched as yours. Come back without problems as often as you want."
"Thank you so much!"
Deborah and Buck took a stroll around town, and then headed for the station, but passing in front of their little house, they couldn't help but stop and make love passionately, happy for the wonderful evening they had spent.
The next morning, Deborah recounted the evening to Lou and Rachel, with whom she had finally embarked on a friendship.
The two were happy with the way things had turned out, and noticed that Buck was calmer.
In the following days, the two began to be seen in the city more and more together, so as to formalize their relationship more and more.
Things were going well at the station too, and the relationship between Deborah and Buck, and between Lou and Kid was stable, and Jimmy seemed calm.
One day at the Pony Express station, a woman showed up asking to send a letter, and it turned out that the woman was an old friend of Kid's, Doritha.
When Kid recognized her, he completely changed his attitude toward Lou and the boys.
Doritha had been very attached to Kid in the past, and had loaned him money to be able to leave Virginia and to rebuild a new life.
Doritha did not take long, despite being married, to make Kid understand that she was still in love with him. This pleased Kid, but it threw Lou into despair. Deborah and Rachel tried to downplay it, but they too noticed the sudden change in Kid. Among other things, Doritha and her husband had decided to move to Sweetwater.
A few days later, Doritha went to lunch with the boys, and her tales of youth with Kid and the confidence between the two made Lou suffer to the point where she excused herself and got up from the table.
Deborah followed her, trying to calm her down, but things got worse when Lou tried to ask Kid why he felt so attached to the woman and he told her to mind her own business.
Lou mounted her horse, and fled like a fury.
Jimmy, who had witnessed the scene, turned to Kid and said: “Not long ago you told me not to pull too hard with Deborah, and I didn't listen to you. Now she is with someone else. Be careful not to end up with Lou the same way!"
After that, he chased Lou and he too tried to calm and console her.
The next day Doritha went to the station to explain to Kid that her husband was in trouble. Kid explained the situation to Teaspoon and the boys, who tried to do everything possible to help her. Unfortunately, Doritha's husband had stolen money from bandits. It didn’t take long before they found her husband, and killed him.
Doritha dumped the money into a creek, but it was too late, the bandits had found her and killed her too.
Lou tried to console Kid as best she could, and he apologized for his behavior, swearing that he would not hide anything from her from now on.
Some time passed and this time it was Ike who fell in love.
One day in the saloon, he saw a girl come into the saloon only to drag her father away from the card tables. The man he was playing with was a cheater and the girl's father unmasked him. He didn't take it well, and Ike knew he would try to take revenge.
Ike then decided to follow the two, hoping everything would be calm. As he had imagined, along the way, the cheater suddenly appeared and threatened the girl and her father.
Luckily Ike was there and put him on the run.
The girl thanked him and introduced herself. Her name was Emily. She then ran away in the wagon, leaving her father to travel on foot, She was angry with him, always getting into trouble because of his gambling habit. Ike walked him home.
Once back, he kept the story to himself.
The next day Emily showed up at the station to thank him and Ike invited her to the dance that was going to be held that Saturday night. She accepted, and Ike was immensely happy.
Buck immediately felt a surge of protection against his friend, and when Ike expressed a desire to go to Emily to help her fix the house where she and her father had moved, Buck said: "Wait until the dance, don't stay with her."
When Ike said he wouldn't listen to him, Buck said, "Listen to me, you don't have much experience with women!"
Ike stormed out and went to Emily.
Cody and Deborah had witnessed the scene. He pointed out to his friend: "You handled the subject well,” Cody said, poking fun of him.
Deborah said to Buck: "Sorry if I am wrong here, but you act like you have such a great experience. Do you have to tell me something I don't know?"
"I was wrong to speak like that, but I'm worried about him."
She replied: "I know, but let him do what he feels.”
Ike went to help Emily, and the two spent a peaceful afternoon. In the evening, Buck apologized to him.
The next day, Ike returned to the girl, finding her smeared with smoke that had been the remains of a fire. She sent him away, but he didn't go away, instead asking her if it was the man from the other day who started the fire.
She said it didn't matter and threw him out again.
Ike didn't give up, and on the night of the dance, he went to Emily's as he had promised. She thought that after her behavior, he would never look for her again, and she was delighted when she saw him arrive.
The two joined the others at the party, and the boys were happy to see Ike so happy, especially Buck, who was very anxious because it was the first time he showed up with Deborah on a public occasion.
He was dressed in a very elegant white shirt and black jacket for the big occasion, she wore a green dress that matched her eyes.
While they danced, many girls stared at them and also many elderly ladies, some with admiration, some with curiosity, others with disgust, and some girls with envy because they were really happy and in love.
Buck looked at her with adoration and she told him over and over that she loved him madly and that nothing could separate them, not even the gossips he had feared.
He replied: “I feel like I'm living in a dream. I don't know what I did to deserve this luck.”
"It's you” , she said.
They often exchanged very sweet kisses.
At a certain point, Ike and Emily left the dance to be alone for a while.
Meanwhile, outside the saloon, Emily's father was waiting for the man who had set their house on fire. As soon as he came out, he tried to shoot him in revenge, but unfortunately the man was faster and killed him. The shot sent everyone out of the place where the party was held, and when Teaspoon and the boys understood what had happened, they sent Buck to find Ike and Emily.
The two were in a barn, happy because they had just made love, but as soon as Buck called them, Emily rushed out and, seeing her father's corpse, she fell into deep despair.
Ike's proximity was of no avail. The next day the boy went to her, to tell her that she was not alone and that he would always be there, that they could start a life together, but Emily made him understand that she was not ready and that she wanted to be alone.
When he returned to the station, Buck had his friends tell him what happened, and then decided to go to Emily to talk to her.
At first she didn't want to let him in, but then she decided to listen to him. Buck told her how they met and Ike's story, but Emily didn't change her mind.
Everyone went to the funeral and then Emily took leave, saying she had something to do.
When Ike was informed that Emily had been seen in the saloon, he rushed to her because he understood that she was going to try to avenge her father.
Ike entered the saloon just in time to protect Emily with his body. The girl had shot the man and he had reacted by shooting at her in turn, but Ike got in the way and was seriously wounded. For the second time, Teaspoon could do nothing but throw him momentarily in jail to heal the wound that the shot had caused him, because, as in the case of Emily's father, it was self-defense.
Ike was immediately taken to the doctor, who realized that the hopes were very low. Buck went in to see him, but when he came out he ran off like a fury, not talking to anyone, not even Deborah who had tried to be close to him, but he had withdrawn into himself. Only later did it come to be known that he had gone to pray and celebrate an Indian rite to greet Ike in his own way.
When Buck left, he had told Emily that Ike wanted to see her. The girl stayed inside for a long time, and when the boys decided to enter, they found her crying because Ike was dead.
All the boys, Teaspoon and Rachel fell into despair.
In the evening, when Buck returned, he went to the Saloon where he knew he would find Ike's killer.
He waited for him to come out and pointed the gun at him. The man offended him and told him that he would never have the courage to shoot. Buck did not have it repeated twice and fired. The man fell to the ground dead, Ike was avenged.
Teaspoon ran over and made sure no one had seen, so Buck would be spared prison but told him he had crossed a line that would mark him for life.
Buck returned and reported the incident to Deborah who said nothing, but just hugged him.
Soon after the boys attended Ike's funeral, according to the Indian rite presided over by Buck, his body was destroyed. Deborah tried to be close to him as much as possible, as did the other boys, Teaspoon and Rachel, but he was inconsolable. He had always considered Ike not only a friend, but also a brother and he felt heartbroken.
In the following days, Buck was silent and sad and Deborah told him: “We are a couple, we share everything, don't cut me off from your pain. Talk to me, let off steam, cry, but don't exclude me from your feelings and thoughts,”
"I know you want to help me, I appreciate it very much ,and I love you even more for it, but my pain is too great and I still can't express it, I need time.”
"When you want it, you know that I will always be there, at all times.”
"Thanks, I know" and they kissed.
Buck asked Teaspoon the next day if he could replace Cody on his shift, he needed to go away for a while. Teaspoon agreed and after saying goodbye to Deborah, he left.
He was supposed to be back by evening, but he didn't return. Deborah was worried, but Teaspoon and the boys reassured her, telling her that it often happened where the journey took longer than expected, perhaps due to some problem with the horse. They told her not to worry and that he would be back in the morning.
Deborah could not sleep and when Buck had not returned in the late morning, she expressed her anguish to the boys who told her to be quiet, but she did not want to know reasons and rushed to the horse to go look for him.
Jimmy chased her, stopping her as she mounted: "You don't even know where to look for him, and then, going dressed like this, you'll get arrested or worse!", he said, pulling her off the heavy horse. Deborah at the station wore her Italian clothes, for convenience, and wore a pair of pants too short to go around.
As she tried to protest, in the distance, they saw Buck returning. He was wounded in the arm but he was fine.
Deborah rushed towards him and as soon as he was off his horse she kissed him and hugged him very tightly, then asked him what had happened.
Buck related that he had met a caravan with a pregnant woman whose husband and father had just been killed, and that while trying to help her fix the wagon wheel they had been ambushed in which he was injured. Immediately after, the woman had been in labor and he had helped her to deliver her baby.
Jimmy went to warn the others, while Buck and Deborah went into the house for medication. When Deborah was done, the two went out onto the porch and Buck told her in more detail what had happened, then said to her: “I know I've been excluding you from my thoughts these days, but as I told you, I needed time. Having that baby born made me reborn and made me understand what I really want from life. I want you. I want a family with you and children with you, and I want it as soon as possible.”
Then he knelt in front of her and said: "I know we have only recently been together, but will you marry me?” giving her a beautiful ring, which he had received from his mother before she died.
Deborah was speechless, her eyes filled with tears and she could only say :"Yes, a thousand times yes!!”
The two kissed passionately, and then decided that they would not set a date immediately. They would instead start building their house calmly near the station, and the one where she and Rachel now lived, because they wanted to stay close to their family.
They would write to Deborah's parents, asking them when they could join them, and based on their answer they would set the date. Together they also looked for a way to communicate this to the boys and especially to Jimmy.
Buck also wanted Deborah to go talk to the Reverend because he wanted his approval as she taught all the boys in the town. She told him that she didn't need anyone's approval to marry him, but he reminded her that he was half-breed and that this could cause her problems. She protested but he was adamant.
That afternoon he would accompany her to school, and together they would talk to the reverend. So it was and the Reverend just said: "If parents don't like it, they can find another school. I really want to see what their children will learn without you."
Deborah and Buck thanked him heartily and set off to return to the station, but first they stopped at their cottage to celebrate their new life.
In the evening, at dinner, Buck spoke up and said: “Guys, I must apologize to you for my behavior these days. I was intractable and I shouldn't have been.
The experience I had yesterday made me understand what are the important things in life, and for this, I again apologize. I will take this opportunity to announce that I asked Deborah to marry me and she accepted.
I know we've been together for a short time, but Ike's death made me realize that you don't have to waste time and if you are sure of something you have to do it. I love her, and I want to build a family with her as soon as possible.”
Everyone was stunned. Jimmy was the first to talk.
Deborah intervened and said: “We have not set a date and we will take some time, but little by little we will start building our house, and when we are ready we will get married.
We hope to have your blessing and your help, we care very much because you are our family. Tomorrow I will write to my parents to inform them and when they can be present we will celebrate the wedding.”
Lou was the first to react, congratulating them with a hug, and then everyone else did too, except Jimmy who walked out.
Deborah followed him and said: “I know this is a blow to you, but I feel it is right. Buck is the man for me and I don't want to wait any longer. I'll always love you, Jimmy, but we weren't meant to be together.”
“I'm fine, don't worry, I just have to digest it, but I wish you every happiness. Now, if you want to excuse me, I need to be alone.”
Deborah patted him on the shoulder and went back into the shack where she explained to the others that Jimmy needed some solitude.
The next morning, Deborah wrote the letter to her parents and immediately handed it to Kid on his run. Then with Buck, she sat at the table and began to draw what their home would be like.
A small staircase would lead to the main door and on the side they would build a porch with a swing. At the entrance, there would have been an atrium that led to the left into the kitchen with a large wooden table positioned to the right of the room and a window on the left that overlooked the veranda.
To the right of the atrium, you entered the living room with a fireplace at the back near a sofa, and a large table in the center to accommodate friends, cupboards for dishes and supplies, and two windows, making it very bright. In front of the entrance door, there would then have been a staircase that led upstairs, where there would be three rooms.
The central one would be the bedroom with a window on the right and a door that led into a bathroom. They would have the services in the house, a bathtub in the center, and a sink against the wall. The last room, for the moment, would have been used as a closet, but will eventually become the children's room.
Buck agreed on everything, and in the afternoon he would accompany Deborah to school. In the meantime, he would buy the first material needed for the work.
In the evening at dinner, they asked the boys if from the following day they would help them in their spare time to build their house, and they all accepted willingly.
Things were going well, work continuing as usual, and the foundation for Buck and Deborah's house had been laid.
However, the letter with the reply from the girl's parents was late in arriving, and Deborah was a bit worried.
Some time later, it finally arrived. But it didn't contain what Deborah expected. Her parents wouldn't accept such a hasty, half-breed marriage, so they wouldn't come.
Deborah burst into tears, and Buck, who obviously had been upset, although in reality he expected it a little, tried to console her. Eventually, she decided that they would obviously get married anyway, with or without their consent.
Buck told her to wait and save the date because maybe her parents would have second thoughts. She accepted this, albeit with little hope.
Buck decided to secretly write to them, explaining their relationship and what he could offer Deborah. He wrote them how happy she was, hoping to get them to attend the wedding.
The next day, he secretly entrusted the letter to Noah.
Then the waiting began...
Chapter Four
The preparations for the house continued, and the walls of the house had already been erected.
One day, Buck received a letter from an old friend of his, telling him that she would drop by and say hello before moving to St. Joe to get married. From that day Buck changed, he seemed agitated by the arrival of Camille, he was impatient and Deborah obviously noticed his behavior.
She decided to ask Buck for some information about her and learned that Camille had been raised by the Kiowa and they had both grown up together. They had also been promised to marry, but one day while the men were hunting, a group of whites invaded the camp and took away Camille who was a white girl. Buck had never forgiven himself.
Deborah had a bad feeling, but she said nothing.
On the day of Camille's arrival, she was in a state of fibrillation. Deborah had prepared him to wear the white shirt and told him: "Wear it when Camille arrives, you look handsome in white".
He had smiled embarrassedly.
Buck kept looking in the mirror that morning so much that Lou said to him: "Even if you keep looking in the mirror your looks won't improve."
He replied: "It doesn't matter how I look, he's getting married in a month and I’m getting married too.”
Cody came in to announce the couple's arrival and commented on Camille's appearance, but Lou told him that she would be getting married in a month and with her eyes she made him understand not to hurt the sensitivity of Deborah who was present.
They all went out and Buck greeted Camille and introduced himself to her fiancé. It seemed like Buck was in a different world.
After the pleasantries, Lou coughed to show their presence, while Deborah felt her heart skip because Buck had completely forgotten about her.
Buck, hearing Lou's cough, was brought back to reality, and introduced all his friends and Deborah, telling the two boyfriends that they would soon get married too.
This did not help to reassure Deborah.
Buck invited Camille and her fiance to dinner.
While Rachel, Deborah, and Lou were preparing, the latter, seeing Deborah's upset, told her: "Don't worry, they are memories of the past that resurface, I've already been there with Doritha, but he loves you.”
"I hope you're right, Lou, because I couldn't stand a third disappointment, this time it would be devastating for me."
The two girls hugged, and Rachel also joined in the hug as reassurance.
During dinner, Camille's boyfriend's hostility towards Buck was clear, even if he tried not to show it. At one point she felt ill and passed out and was taken to the doctor. Buck offered to stay with them but Bill, Camille's boyfriend, chased him away until the doctor requested his explicit presence.
Camille was saying some strange words, in the Indian language, but Buck did not know the language and no one could understand what was going on. As Buck was returning home, he met an old Indian who explained to him that Camille was probably possessed by a spirit and would need the advice of White Feather, an Indian sage.
Buck struggled to trust, but when he heard the old man utter the same words they had heard from Camille, he was persuaded to listen.
Buck met Lou on his way back to the station and explained what had happened between him and Camille in the past. Lou understood Buck's attitude but reminded him: "But be careful not to make Deborah suffer."
He looked at her but didn't answer her.
At dinner, Buck was very quiet, but no one told him anything because everyone thought he was worried about Camille's health.
After dinner, Deborah tried to reassure him but he was elusive. She felt like she was dying, but didn't insist and went to sleep. But she couldn't sleep, and went out onto the porch and that was when he saw Buck mounting his horse. She joined him and asked him where he was going.
He didn't want to answer her, but she wasn't about to let him go without an explanation. He was forced to tell her the truth. Deborah begged him not to go but he replied: "I owe it to her, I can't abandon her again."
Deborah understood that she would not stop him and only wished him good luck. He made her promise that she would not tell anyone and she promised.
Deborah returned to the house aware that she had lost it.
The next morning Bill arrived who had noticed Camille's absence and wanted to know where Buck was. When Teaspoon told him he hadn't seen him since the night before, Bill railed at Buck and swore he would kill him if something happened to Camille.
Deborah was then forced to speak and explained what he had told her.
Teaspoon knew the Indian rites because he had been married to one, and said that the enterprise would be successful only on one condition.
Deborah stated: “That condition exists, don't worry, Camille will be saved. Now excuse me, I have work to do work.”
Teaspoon looked at her with understanding and compassion but she gestured for silence.
The others asked what that condition was, but Teaspoon replied that it didn't matter if Deborah assured him that everything would be okay. The condition was actually that the man had to love the woman deeply in order to save her and Deborah understood that Buck had never forgotten Camille.
She entered the house and secretly began to prepare her things: she had decided that she would leave that same day. She couldn't take that pain any longer and she wouldn't be able to live with Buck close by after.
Buck and Camille's expedition was dangerous but successful, the demon was cast out thanks to the help of White Feather, who was actually the old Indian he had approached.
When she was healed, Camille told Buck that she did not hold him responsible for what had happened years ago at the camp, and that they were not destined to get married. She told him to think about his marriage and to live peacefully. Buck felt relieved even though he was a little disappointed.
Suddenly, he realized that he had neglected Deborah in those days and that she had suffered in silence.
The two hurried back and found Lou, Kid, and Bill on the street looking for them, and who had learned from Bill that all the fuss had been caused by the involuntary killing of an Indian chief last night during a terrible storm. The wagon had hit the man because the horses were frightened by lightning. They had to go back to burying the body and so they did.
Back at the station, Buck asked where Deborah was, and Rachel replied that she hadn't seen her all day.
Buck greeted Bill and Camille, and wished them good luck, then went to look for the girl but couldn't find her.
Jesse came back from school, and said she didn't show up for class. Buck rushed to their room and saw that her things were gone.
He went back outside to communicate it to the others, and Jimmy threw a punch at him saying: "Hope you find her, otherwise I'll kill you, you swore you wouldn't make her suffer.”
Buck stood up and replied: “Don't worry, I'll find her. I know where she may have gone.”
Jimmy said: "I'm going with you."
“No, I have to look for it myself.” and he set off at a gallop.
He immediately went to their cottage, and in fact found her there, crouching on the bed in tears. "I knew I’d find you here."
"Why did you come, take care of Camille and let me go."
“Camille is safe and has left with Bill, as it should have been. Now we have to think about us.”
"There is no more us, Buck, it is clear that your love for her is stronger, otherwise you could not have saved her.”
"Do not say that! It's true, I had a moment of bewilderment, many memories, and ghosts of the past surfaced, but the woman I want to marry and with whom I want to be with is you!"
"Buck, I'm tired. I'm tired of being overshadowed. I've seen your eyes, and I've read all the love there was, but it wasn't for me.”
“Please give me a second chance, I can see your suffering in your eyes and that your heart is broken, but let me fix it, and show you that I love you to death. I cannot and do not want to lose you. You said you can read my soul, read what is now.”
Deborah looked him straight in the eyes and saw that his heart was breaking too. She saw all his suffering because he was losing it and saw that he truly loved her, so she said to him: “I see what you feel and I want to believe you. I only ask you not to make me suffer like this anymore, I won’t go through it again.”
“It won't happen again, I swear to you. I felt the pain of losing you and I don't want it to happen again. I love you to death and my future is you. Please, let's fix the date of our wedding, now there is no point in waiting.”
Deborah hugged him and kissed him and in that kiss, she felt that he really loved her. They set the wedding for June twenty fourth.
They made love passionately in their cottage and then returned to the station where everyone welcomed them with joy.
During dinner, they communicated the date of their wedding and asked Lou and Kid to be their witnesses and Teaspoon to accompany the bride to the altar, since Deborah's parents would not be there.
Everyone said yes, making the two future spouses very happy.
The following days were hectic because everyone, as soon as they had some free time, helped the two boys in the preparations for the wedding.
Deborah was very happy, the only shadow was the absence of her parents.
Buck knew this and in fact had sent a new letter to Italy to communicate the wedding date and ask again for the presence of his fiancée's family. They also went to the reverend to make arrangements and Deborah, without Buck noticing, talked to him about a surprise he wanted to give her boyfriend on his wedding day, he wanted to dedicate a song to him and asked the reverend for help in organizing it.
They were happy to help her.
This frenzy ended up influencing Kid too, who in fact, a few weeks later, during the two days of vacation, he had decided to take with Lou, had asked her to marry him.
Lou was over the moon and the two set the wedding fifteen days after Deborah and Buck's date. Now there were two weddings to organize!
As soon as the construction of Deborah and Buck's house was finished, the boys dedicated themselves to that of the other two spouses, strictly close to the others.
They were a big family and they all wanted to live together.
One day, Deborah asked Lou and Rachel to accompany her to town to buy the wedding dress. The two women were delighted to share this experience with her and Lou then asked that the favor be returned by accompanying her to Seneca to buy her dress too. She preferred not to buy it in Sweetwater, where everyone thought she was a boy.
It was decided, and the trip was scheduled for the following week. Deborah chose a strictly white dress, very tight and low-cut, in Italian style, with a lace bodice to cover the shoulders, a silver buckle under the chest and a long tail, all accompanied by a long veil and white gloves. For the hairstyle, she chose to collect her long blond hair in a very simple way and to weave white flowers at the harvest.
The evening before the wedding, a big party was organized in the boys' shack and everyone gave wedding gifts to the couple, Lou and Kid had given them their honeymoon, fifteen days in New York.
Buck and Deborah were stunned and gave their heartfelt thanks. The other boys and Teaspoon gave away photo frames and objects to decorate the house. Rachel decided to give Deborah a pearl necklace and she was very touched.
The party had been wonderful and everyone made a promise, every Friday evening they would get together to be together and chat happily, forgetting problems and anguish. Before going to sleep, Buck and Deborah were alone for a moment and exchanged their gifts. He gave her pearl earrings that matched perfectly with Rachel's necklace and she gave him an Indian pendant symbol of marital happiness to always keep around the neck. The two kissed passionately and then each went to sleep.
On the morning of the wedding, Rachel and Lou helped Deborah get ready, while Buck, after getting dressed, told the boys to wait for him at the church because he had to run an errand. The boys were amazed but agreed.
When Deborah arrived at the church she found a surprise, Buck had cut his hair and removed his Indian earring. He was beautiful as the sun in his elegant black suit, strictly accompanied by a white shirt because Deborah loved him that way.
Buck, for his part, gasped when he saw her appear before the church. Teaspoon was about to offer her his arm to accompany her to church, when all of a sudden, everyone turned around because a couple had appeared that no one knew.
They were Deborah's parents.
Buck's insistence had been rewarded. That's why Buck cut his hair and took off his earring, he wanted to make a good impression on future in-laws.
Deborah's father accompanied her to the altar and after taking her vows with great emotion, Deborah, in agreement with the reverend, dedicated a sweet love song to her new husband, moving everyone.
The ceremony was beautiful, and then everyone moved to the saloon for the wedding banquet.
Deborah's parents thanked Buck and then congratulated the couple.
Everyone ate and danced to exhaustion and never stopped admiring the beautiful couple in love. The couple were delighted. During the dances, Buck said to Deborah: "It doesn't seem true that you are my wife, I've dreamed of it so much and now that it's reality I can hardly believe it. You are beautiful and I cannot ask anything else from life.”
She replied: “I love you so much, Buck. You have made me the happiest woman in the world and nothing and no one will be able to separate us.”
“I felt the pain of believing you are now lost and I don't want that to happen again. You are my soul and without you I could no longer live.”
Then they kissed repeatedly.
All the guys wanted to do a dance with the bride, including Teaspoon of course, and when it came to Jimmy, he congratulated her but didn't fail to remind her how much he still loved her.
When the party was over, everyone returned to their homes and Deborah's parents to the hotel, with the promise that they would meet again the next day to talk a bit.
They couldn't stay longer than two days, because Deborah's sister had to stay home for work reasons. She was a doctor, and they didn't want to leave her alone for too long.
When Buck and Deborah arrived at their house, he, according to tradition, took her in his arms to carry her cross the threshold, then they went to their bedroom and made love all night.
Before falling asleep, Buck wanted to return the surprise that Deborah had given him in the church, and he dedicated a very sweet song to her.
She was amazed by the beautiful voice of her husband and immediately came up with an idea for the wedding of Lou and Kid.
The two of them would sing for them in the church, involving all the boys and then they would also sing in the saloon to entertain the guests. Buck tried to object, but he knew by now that Deborah was not going to give in, so he finally said yes.
The next morning the couple obviously got up very late, and Buck brought breakfast in bed to Deborah who thanked him with a long and passionate kiss and after eating they made love again.
In the late morning Deborah's parents arrived, the couple welcomed them and showed them the house, then Buck decided to leave them alone with his daughter to allow them to talk a bit and went to the boys in the bunkhouse.
Deborah talked to her parents who, despite their presence, told her that they did not agree with her choice anyway, which would surely cause her problems. She reiterated that she would never regret her choice and that Buck was certainly better than many of the hollow-nosed daddy-boy dudes.
Meanwhile, Buck was obviously the subject of questions from the boys, especially Cody who, with his usual tact, asked him point-blank: "So, what's it like to sleep with a sex bomb like her?"
Buck, resentful, replied: "I remind you that you are talking about my wife and in any case it is none of your business."
The other guys and Lou intervened to tone things down a bit and then Rachel tried to change the subject by saying: "But look at Buck, you were just a boy and now you are married and have formed a family, I'm proud of you.”
Buck smiled and Noah added: “Besides, who would have bet you were the first? We would have all bet on Lou and Kid but you have forged ahead.”
They all burst out laughing and the tension faded.
When Deborah and her parents left the house, the boys and Rachel went to greet them, because they were leaving the next morning.
When they were gone, Buck asked Deborah: "How did it go?"
She didn't hide anything from him: "I don't agree but obviously they know they can only accept it. I'm sorry, you also tried to change for them, don't do it anymore. Put your earring back on and as far as your hair is concerned, if it’s even possible, you are even sexier like this.”
The two kissed and went back to their home.
In the evening it was decided that they would all have dinner together in the bunkhouse, so that they could organize themselves for the following weeks in preparation for Lou and Kid's wedding.
With an excuse, Buck took the two boys out and Deborah took the opportunity to explain her idea to the others. She and Buck would sing the verses and all together they would sing the chorus. With a little effort, he convinced them all. Deborah went to the reverend the next day to make arrangements.
They didn't actually know, but she would also have to make arrangements with the saloon owner for the songs during the reception, which she and Buck would perform.
Every day, after school, they would gather in the church for rehearsals, but in turn someone would have to find an excuse to push the two betrothed away for at least half an hour, in order to keep them in the dark.
After dinner, Buck and Deborah returned to their love nest.
The next day, Deborah did what was decided and everything was settled.
That afternoon Jimmy returned from his run with a strange air. When the boys asked him what had happened, he was evasive.
The next day, he disappeared and when he returned, he seemed to have a dreamy air. Finally they convinced him to talk and he confessed that he had met a beautiful girl, Sarah, and that he thought he had fallen in love with her. Everyone was happy for him, especially Deborah and Buck, who felt less guilty.
The next day, Lou took the initiative to go to Sarah to invite her to a fake picnic, which only Jimmy would attend. It went well and in fact Jimmy was in seventh heaven, but the happiness soon ended because what Lou had believed to be Sarah's father turned out to be her husband.
Jimmy was devastated, but Sarah ran to him to explain that her husband was mistreating her and that he couldn't take it anymore. She had married him only at the behest of his family who had thus resolved a debt he had contracted.
Jimmy promised to take her away and that same evening he organized the escape. Teaspoon tried to stop him but he was adamant.
Sarah did not show up for the appointment, and Jimmy went to her house to find out why, he was hit by a shot and had to react. When he entered the house he found Sarah's husband lying on the ground dead and there was no shadow of the woman. While trying to figure out what had happened, he was hit in the head and passed out.
The next morning Teaspoon found him accused of murder. Everyone rushed to his cell and he tried to explain what had happened, but Sarah's husband's aide told a false version and Jimmy's trial was inevitable.
Everyone got mad at Sarah who tried to defend herself, and showed signs of her husband's mistreatment, putting Jimmy in even more trouble.
Deborah, Lou, and Rachel were desperate and Deborah felt tremendously guilty, she went so far as to tell Rachel that if she didn't leave him, he wouldn't be in this situation now. She certainly wasn't denying her marriage and she hadn't repented, but she felt damn responsible.
The trial took place and Jimmy was found guilty, and on Saturday morning he would be hanged.
Deborah was desperate, and asked Buck to do something, but obviously he was helpless.
Jimmy was in a cell with a former priest who had told him Sarah was a liar and that he had once celebrated her marriage with her current husband's aide. Jimmy didn't want to believe it, but just to be careful, Lou and Kid went looking for information about it.
The gallows were ready on Saturday morning, and Jimmy was about to hang.
Deborah was attached to Buck's arm and tugged at him begging him to help Jimmy. Just as the rope was about to be tight, all the boys intervened and Buck rushed to free Jimmy.
The crowd and the judge were about to intervene when Kid and Lou returned with evidence that what Jimmy's cellmate had said was true, Sarah and the other man were two impostors. The two were immediately arrested and Jimmy completely exonerated because it was understood that the killer was Sarah's real husband.
Jimmy was heartbroken but he would recover.
To celebrate Jimmy's release, they all went to the dance in Sweetwater in the evening and everyone relaxed after the busy day.
Jimmy also seemed a bit relieved, despite suffering a lot.
Deborah apologized to Buck for her behavior in those days but he told her: “You don't have to apologize, you were his woman and it's normal for you to worry about him. I know you love me, I have no doubt about it, your eyes never lie.”
The two started to dance but at a certain point Deborah noticed that some girls were watching them. Suddenly he stopped and couldn't help but ask them if there was any problem. One of them came forward and said to her: "We were wondering what it was like to live with a savage and be his wife."
Buck knew immediately that he had to stop Deborah, otherwise she would get into trouble and tried to drag her away, but she didn't give up and replied: “I know you can't understand, because your brain is not up to understanding certain things, but living with him is the best thing that ever happened to me. And then I'll tell you one thing, you have no idea how particularly gifted he is under his pants.”
Buck dragged her away as the girls blushed violently.
"Deborah, you shouldn't have reacted like that."
"But do you hear them? Those hens don't have the right to make certain claims!”
"You know it would happen sooner or later, try to control yourself or you will risk losing your job."
"Ok, ok, let's dance now.”
For the rest of the evening, most of the girls and women did not take their eyes off Buck. Rachel and the boys noticed it and Cody said: "What do they all have to look at?"
Buck replied: "Ask my wife."
Deborah recounted what had happened and everyone burst out laughing, even Jimmy who was not in the mood.
Deborah took the opportunity to communicate a decision she had made, a few days earlier she had told Buck that she also wanted to marry according to the Kiowa rite, in the tribe of his brother Red Bear.
Buck had protested, but as usual she had got the better. She had decided to do it the next day. Buck was a bit surprised but he knew she cared a lot and so it was decided.
The following morning, the two set off on horseback to reach the Red Bear camp, who had not seen his brother for a long time and was delighted to know that he was married.
Deborah asked him to marry them according to their rite and Red Bear was delighted. The women took Deborah with them and prepared her for the ceremony and so did the men with Buck.
The rite took place according to tradition and as a symbol of love, the two spouses wore a talisman that they swore they would never take off again and that they would wear it forever.
After the ceremony a rudimentary banquet was set up and in the evening everyone greeted each other and the couple returned to their home, where the boys wanted to know all the details.
With Jimmy's situation, time had been lost on planning the upcoming wedding, so the next day everyone tried to catch up.
On Monday, Buck had to make a long journey to deliver the mail, the honeymoon had not yet started because the honeymoon would be after the wedding of Kid and Lou, and on his return, as soon as he entered the house, he did not have time to go through the door that Deborah threw on him and began to undress him.
"I missed you so much, I want you," and the two found themselves making love passionately.
Buck then said: "If after long journeys you always welcome me like this, I'll ask Teaspoon to do it more often."
The two laughed and made love again.
The next day, Lou and Deborah went to Seneca to collect Lou's dress. Unfortunately, Rachel couldn't go because she had to take Jesse to the dentist. The two girls spent a pleasant day, and Deborah took the opportunity of that trip to buy Buck a gift. She bought him a rubber bracelet with a gold plate engraved with the words "I love you.”
Lou was moved.
When the two girls returned and Deborah went back into the house, she was in turn warmly welcomed by Buck who hugged her, pushed her against the wall impetuously and made love with her.
Deborah was surprised but happy, it was the first time Buck had been so impetuous. She kissed him eagerly and showed him her gift. He was amazed but happy, but then he said to her: "Sorry, I shouldn't have been so impetuous, I'm sorry."
"Are you kidding me? It was beautiful and you never have to apologize for making love to me.”
The two kissed and did it again.
Every afternoon, after school, as agreed, the kids, Rachel, Teaspoon, and Deborah took turns giving Lou and Kid some assignments to keep them busy when they rehearsed.
First, they rehearsed the song they were supposed to sing together and then only Buck and Deborah remained because she would have to sing more songs. The others didn't know that they were actually preparing something for the reception as well.
Saturday was approaching, and Buck and Deborah also had to pack their bags for their honeymoon. In their spare time, they began to prepare and to put clothes and accessories in the trunks.
One day, as Deborah opened her jewelry box to prepare the jewelry for the wedding and for the trip, she saw a necklace that was not hers. It was a necklace with a heart-shaped pendant that opened, curious, she opened it and found inside a photo of her and Buck in a wedding dress on one side, on the other an engraving with the words, "Forever.”
Deborah rushed to Buck, who was in the kitchen munching on something, hugged him, kissed him and thanked him heartily.
"It is beautiful, thank you, I will always wear it around my neck along with the talisman of our wedding.” Then they kissed.
Teaspoon knocked on their door and asked Buck to accompany a friend of his lieutenant to the Indian camp to discuss a treaty. Buck did not agree but soon realized that it was better for him to accompany the army, rather than someone who did not know the Indians.
Deborah advised him to be careful and greeted him.
Buck accompanied Teaspoon's friend to the vicinity of the camp, but when he understood the real intentions of the army, he left them alone and left after giving them directions.
As he was returning, he heard shots, went back and found most of the soldiers killed and the lieutenant wounded. The latter accused Buck of treason and took him to Teaspoon saying he was under arrest.
Buck defended himself, but the lieutenant persisted. Teaspoon vouched for him and wanted to accompany him to the ambush site, where the two found a survivor in poor condition, and the lieutenant's sword in a place far from where Buck found the lieutenant. They understood that something was wrong.
They took the soldier back to town and entrusted him to the doctor, then spoke to the lieutenant who confirmed his version and again accused Buck of treason in front of everyone.
Most of the town turned on Buck.
Deborah tried to intervene in his defense as soon as she heard the situation and said: "But how can you think that Buck has betrayed the army? You know well that he has always done his utmost to help everyone and act as a mediator.”
They replied: "He will always remain an Indian, and you are biased because you are his wife."
"Yes, and I am also your children's teacher and you know how important loyalty is to me."
"In fact, you shouldn't teach our children, one of us should."
"Perfect, if that's how you think, from today find yourself another teacher.”
Teaspoon tried to intervene but she was adamant. She and Buck left.
He told her: "You shouldn't have taken my defense publicly, now you've lost your job too."
"I don't care, it's absurd that they treated you like that, they're not worthy of our respect."
Teaspoon tried to do everything to exonerate Buck and in fact managed to find evidence of the lieutenant's guilt. From the photos taken by a photographer at the scene of the ambush, it emerged that Buck was right, the lieutenant had panicked, and he had shot treacherously, fleeing like a coward, causing the reaction of the Indians.
The lieutenant was forced to admit this publicly and Buck was rehabilitated.
“Sorry Buck, if we doubted you. We apologize, and above all, we ask your wife to go back to being the teacher of our children, they need her.”
Buck accepted the apology and Deborah agreed to resume her work.
Already that afternoon, she resumed her lessons and while Buck was waiting for her, he decided to give her a dress to thank her for her support. He entered the shop where she usually went and was greeted with distrust by the owner, but then his wife recognized him as "the teacher's husband" and apologized to him.
Buck took the blow again, but he knew he had to get used to it. He bought a long white dress with red flowers, gathered at the waist, so as to highlight the shapes of his wife. She hid it in the wagon and in the evening, while Deborah was in the kitchen, she placed it on their bed. Then he went downstairs and asked her: “Leave it to me here, could you go to my room and look for my gray shirt? I can't find it anywhere.”
"All right honey, I'll go now."
When she got in, she saw that wonderful dress on the bed as soon as she entered and called Buck. He joined her and she asked him: “But why? You did not have to.”
"Because you are my support and my life, and I don't know what good I did to have you as a wife."
She was moved and kissed him.
In the evening, after dinner, while Deborah was fixing the kitchen, Buck went to the porch to read a book. He had borrowed a book on Greek mythology from Deborah, intrigued by the stories she gave him from time to time.
Jimmy saw it and walked up to him and said, "You have to love her so much to read that stuff!"
“I want to understand what is so fascinating about it. She tried to understand my traditions and I want to understand her tastes.”
"Happy reading," Jimmy said.
When Deborah reached him, they went upstairs and both began to read, but after a moment, they looked at each other, threw away the books and made love.
The next day was Friday, and for the evening Buck and Deborah had organized a dinner with them to celebrate the two future spouses and for the delivery of gifts.
When they heard about it, they were all happy but Jimmy warned: "Be careful, because if she cooks...", but Buck replied: "I don't seem to be dead, and then how many times has he helped Rachel?"
From the jokes they exchanged, it was clear that there was still an unresolved issue between them, but they all preferred to let it go for now, aware that sooner or later they would have to face the problem.
The boys, Rachel, and Teaspoon had a blast and then, after the dessert, it was time for the presents. Each gave the couple theirs and Deborah and Buck returned the favor, and had given Lou and Kid a honeymoon in San Francisco.
They would also leave on the Sunday after the wedding and would return 15 days later, the same day as them. The two were delighted and thanked from the heart.
After dinner, everyone went to sleep, and Buck and Deborah made love passionately for most of the night.
The next morning, Buck got ready in the house and then went to the shack, while Deborah went to get ready at Rachel's with her and Lou.
Lou had a wide dress with a bodice accompanied by transparent tulle sleeves and a crown of flowers on her head.
She was beautiful.
Rachel wore a white lace blouse and a wide brown skirt and she too had adorned her hair with flowers. Deborah had worn a large white dress with green decorations and a green ribbon that tightened it at the waist, like Rossella O'Hara in "Gone with the Wind" at the party at the Twelve Oaks. She had ringlets in her hair and was wearing the necklace and earrings that Buck had given her.
Buck knocked and entered to see if they were ready because he would have to accompany the bride and the two bridesmaids to the church. When he entered, he gasped at Deborah.
Rachel pointed out, "Buck, the bride is Lou!"
"Yes, sorry, I ..."
They all laughed.
"Lou, you're beautiful, I'm sorry."
"Don't worry, you can see that you love your wife to death.”
Deborah blushed.
Then everyone went out and got into the diligence they had hired for the occasion. On the way, Buck couldn't take his eyes off Deborah so much that Rachel couldn't help but jokingly say: "If you keep it up, you'll wear that dress out with your eyes."
They all laughed again and Buck and Deborah kissed. When the stagecoach arrived at the church, Jimmy, who had the task of accompanying Lou to the altar,complimented her and took her arm, then Rachel entered and finally Buck and Deborah. As soon as the bride walked in, Kid was thunderstruck. When he reached him, Teaspoon began the ceremony, interspersed with Deborah's singing, which everyone enjoyed.
At the time of the exchange of the rings, Teaspoon told them: "I don't know another couple more suitable to marry than you two, except of course those two gentlemen who got married two weeks ago ..." and they all looked at Deborah and Buck with a smile. They kissed.
At the end of the ceremony, Teaspoon asked the bride and groom to be patient for a moment. All the boys, he, Rachel and Deborah approached the organ and Buck began to sing the verse of the song that they had all prepared together. Deborah then intervened and all together sang the final refrain.
Lou and Kid had tears in their eyes.
Everyone then moved to the saloon for the reception, and after eating some dishes, the dances began to take a break and after two or three dances, the orchestra nodded to Buck and Deborah, it was time to sing the first of the songs they had prepared.
Buck knocked and entered to see if they were ready because he would have to accompany the bride and the two bridesmaids to the church. When he entered, he gasped at Deborah. Rachel pointed out: "Buck, the bride is Lou!"
"Yes, sorry, I ...".
They all laughed.
"Lou, you're beautiful, I'm sorry."
"Don't worry, you can see that you love your wife to death".
Deborah blushed. Then everyone went out and got into the diligence they had hired for the occasion. On the way, Buck couldn't take his eyes off Deborah so much that Rachel couldn't help but jokingly say: "If you keep it up, you'll wear that dress with your eyes."
They all laughed again and Buck and Deborah kissed. When the stagecoach arrived at the church, Jimmy, who had the task of accompanying Lou to the altar, complimented her and took her arm, then Rachel entered and finally Buck and Deborah. As soon as the bride walked in, Kid was thunderstruck. When he reached him, Teaspoon began the ceremony, interspersed with Deborah's singing that everyone enjoyed.
At the time of the exchange of the rings, Teaspoon told them: "I don't know another couple more suitable to marry than you two, except of course those two gentlemen who got married two weeks ago ..." and they all looked at Deborah and Buck with a smile. They kissed.
At the end of the ceremony, Teaspoon asked the bride and groom to be patient for a moment. All the boys, he, Rachel and Deborah approached the organ and Buck began to sing the verse of the song that they had all prepared together. Deborah then intervened and all together sang the final refrain.
Lou and Kid had tears in their eyes.
Everyone then moved to the saloon for the reception. After eating some dishes, the dances began to take a break and after two or three dances, the orchestra nodded to Buck and Deborah. It was time to sing the first of the songs they had prepared.
Suddenly, the orchestra started singing a beautiful and very sweet Allelujah, and Buck came up and started singing the first verse.
Everyone gasped as that song brought out even more the beautiful and warm voice of the young man.
Jimmy walked up to Deborah and said, "Wow, he can sing so well, nobody knew." Deborah didn't answer, but went over to her husband because now it was her turn.
She sang the next two stanzas, holding his hand, and looking him straight in the eyes, then followed the final chorus where they sang together and the notes seemed to spring from their hearts. The song was for the newlyweds, but it was clear that they were dedicating it to each other.
When they had finished, they kissed and then wished the bride and groom, who had tears in their eyes again, and rushed to embrace them, while everyone, with their mouths open, let out a long applause. From how they sang and from the passion they put into it, everyone understood how great the love of those two were.
Lunch continued, and after a new break, Deborah and Buck sang another song.
When they got back to the table, the boys had arranged a joke for them. Rachel began to say: "Of course, you are very good at stealing the show from the newlyweds, was it appropriate to monopolize attention on you in this way?"
Then, turning to Deborah: "And you, with that dress, have all eyes on you." The two nodded.
Deborah and Buck were very upset and when they saw their expression, they all burst out laughing telling them they were joking. Deborah however ran out almost in tears. Buck immediately followed her, but first he said to the boys and Rachel: "Congratulations guys.”
When he reached her he said: "Come on, they were joking, they don't really think what they said."
"How can you be sure?"
"I know them, I admit that I too was thrilled at the moment, but then I realized they were joking.”
Meanwhile, Rachel and Noah had come out and reassured her.
"We just wanted to joke a bit, come on, we really don't think about those things we said.”
Deborah wanted to believe them, and they all returned to continue the celebrations.
At the end of the lunch, the dancing resumed and when Deborah danced with Jimmy, he never missed an opportunity to remind her of his feelings and how much he suffered.
She told him: "Jimmy, we've talked about it several times, we weren't meant to be together."
He then walked away and left before the party was over.
Before leaving, Deborah and Buck were stopped by the saloon owner who asked them if they would be willing to sing a few evenings at the club, given their skill. Deborah and Buck thought for a moment and then agreed, but she would have to wait for their return from their honeymoon.
Buck asked if being a half-breed could be a problem but the owner said no. They then decided that they would sing in the saloon on Saturday nights and that they would rehearse after Deborah's classes at school.
When they got home, it was late and Deborah and Buck made love. When she was in his arms, she said to him: “Swear to me it will never end. I am so happy that I am afraid that everything will vanish from one moment to the next and I do not want our dream of love to vanish.”
He held her tightly and said: "We are together, we love each other very much, nothing can ever separate us.”
"I hope so, Buck, I'm afraid I'm too happy."
He hugged her, and held her tightly to him. Then he proposed a ride to the river. She accepted. The two dressed and went hand in hand to take Buck's horse.
Teaspoon and Jimmy saw them. The first asked: "Where the hell are those two going?"
Jimmy replied: “I'll tell you what's going on, Teaspoon. She is very happy and when she feels this way she is overcome by the anguish of losing everything from one moment to the next. They will have made love and she was overcome with anxiety, so he is taking her somewhere to relax her.”
"You say?"
"I would swear.”
"You know her very well don't you?"
"It is the love of my life, but unfortunately I was so stupid as to lose it.” Teaspoon patted him on the shoulder and they went to sleep.
Buck and Deborah came to the river, took a bath and made love again, then stretched out along the river to dry and he held her tight in his arms, reassuring her and telling her that nothing and no one would ever separate them.
They returned home, took a bath in their tub and took the opportunity to make love again tenderly, and then went to sleep. Deborah slept peacefully.
The next morning they had breakfast and then went to the bunkhouse to spend some time with the boys because the next day they would leave for their honeymoon.
Jimmy walked over to Deborah and asked: "Did you have one of your fits of anxiety about losing everything last night?"
"How do you know it?".
"Teaspoon and I saw you ride off and I figured what you were thinking."
“Yes, that's right, you know me really well. Now everything is fine, thank you.”. He smiled at her and walked away.
Deborah was left alone, and was watching Buck talk to Cody and Jesse. Noah approached her and said: "You also want some flowers and an altar to better complete the adoration.”
"How?" She replied astonished.
"You seem to be worshiping some saint when you look at it, I've never seen anyone so much in love."
She smiled, and he continued: “Anyway if you want to know it is mutual. Remember that time we went to free Amanda, Teaspoon's partner, and we met Jane, the girl who wanted to kill her father's killer and whom Buck had taken under his protection?”
"Yes, why?"
"When it was all over, Buck told her to start thinking about the man she loved, not the one she hated and she told him that then she should think about him.”
Buck replied: “No, I am happily married to a wonderful woman, and I still wonder what good I have done in my life to deserve it. I feel so lucky to have her.”
She replied: “I know that luck is mutual.”
She smiled at him and then rushed over to Buck, kissed him and then went to meet Lou who was coming with Kid.
Buck was a bit surprised, but Noah approached him and explained everything and he smiled.
The boys all had lunch together, and then decided to go for a swim in the river to greet each other with a good swim. However, Teaspoon and Rachel preferred to stay home.
The boys all jumped into the water and had a blast. The four newlyweds did not stop exchanging kisses and effusions and were teased by their friends.
When they got out of the water, they lay down to dry. The boys were in their knickers, and Lou was too. Buck instead only wore his underpants because ever since he got married, he had decided not to wear those uncomfortable clothes anymore. Deborah, since according to his tradition he wore no knickers, wore only panties and bra, and covered herself with a blanket.
It was very hot, so Lou asked Buck: "Why don't you let her take that blanket off, I don't think anyone will be shocked."
He said to her: “Look, she doesn't have to ask me, she's free to do what she wants, I don't have any problem.”
Then he turned to her: “If you want to take it off, go ahead, I didn't think it was a problem.”
She kissed him and pulled off the blanket. The boys gasped but made no comment.
They then returned home and made an appointment for the next morning, when they would accompany the two couples to the city to take the stagecoach.
At home, Deborah kissed Buck as soon as she walked through the door to thank him for what he had said to the river. Then, they took a bath in the tub and made love passionately.
The next morning, the boys, Teaspoon and Rachel accompanied the two couples into town. They would travel together to Fort Laramie and then separate, one to New York, the other to San Francisco.
During the trip, the four had chatted happily and kissed from time to time, commented on the ceremony the day before and Lou and Kid congratulated them once again on the songs: “We knew that Deborah sings well because we heard her at your wedding, but you Buck really surprised us, that ‘Allelujah’ was wonderful.”
Deborah said: "I didn't know he sang so well, but on the night of our wedding he dedicated a song to me and when I heard it I got the idea. He didn't want to but you know how convincing I can be…”
Everyone laughed. Arriving at Fort Laramie, the boys said goodbye. Deborah and Buck continued on to New York and when they arrived they went to the hotel that Kid and Lou had reserved for them.
As soon as they entered, Buck wanted to talk to the owner, he wanted to know if his race was a problem. The owner said no, and the two thanked him and went to the room because they were so tired. They had a hot bath prepared and made love.
They then planned what to do the next day. At night they slept embraced and thoughtless, happy for all the love they felt for each other.
One day, Buck received a letter from an old friend of his, telling him that she would drop by and say hello before moving to St. Joe to get married. From that day Buck changed, he seemed agitated by the arrival of Camille, he was impatient and Deborah obviously noticed his behavior.
She decided to ask Buck for some information about her and learned that Camille had been raised by the Kiowa and they had both grown up together. They had also been promised to marry, but one day while the men were hunting, a group of whites invaded the camp and took away Camille who was a white girl. Buck had never forgiven himself.
Deborah had a bad feeling, but she said nothing.
On the day of Camille's arrival, she was in a state of fibrillation. Deborah had prepared him to wear the white shirt and told him: "Wear it when Camille arrives, you look handsome in white".
He had smiled embarrassedly.
Buck kept looking in the mirror that morning so much that Lou said to him: "Even if you keep looking in the mirror your looks won't improve."
He replied: "It doesn't matter how I look, he's getting married in a month and I’m getting married too.”
Cody came in to announce the couple's arrival and commented on Camille's appearance, but Lou told him that she would be getting married in a month and with her eyes she made him understand not to hurt the sensitivity of Deborah who was present.
They all went out and Buck greeted Camille and introduced himself to her fiancé. It seemed like Buck was in a different world.
After the pleasantries, Lou coughed to show their presence, while Deborah felt her heart skip because Buck had completely forgotten about her.
Buck, hearing Lou's cough, was brought back to reality, and introduced all his friends and Deborah, telling the two boyfriends that they would soon get married too.
This did not help to reassure Deborah.
Buck invited Camille and her fiance to dinner.
While Rachel, Deborah, and Lou were preparing, the latter, seeing Deborah's upset, told her: "Don't worry, they are memories of the past that resurface, I've already been there with Doritha, but he loves you.”
"I hope you're right, Lou, because I couldn't stand a third disappointment, this time it would be devastating for me."
The two girls hugged, and Rachel also joined in the hug as reassurance.
During dinner, Camille's boyfriend's hostility towards Buck was clear, even if he tried not to show it. At one point she felt ill and passed out and was taken to the doctor. Buck offered to stay with them but Bill, Camille's boyfriend, chased him away until the doctor requested his explicit presence.
Camille was saying some strange words, in the Indian language, but Buck did not know the language and no one could understand what was going on. As Buck was returning home, he met an old Indian who explained to him that Camille was probably possessed by a spirit and would need the advice of White Feather, an Indian sage.
Buck struggled to trust, but when he heard the old man utter the same words they had heard from Camille, he was persuaded to listen.
Buck met Lou on his way back to the station and explained what had happened between him and Camille in the past. Lou understood Buck's attitude but reminded him: "But be careful not to make Deborah suffer."
He looked at her but didn't answer her.
At dinner, Buck was very quiet, but no one told him anything because everyone thought he was worried about Camille's health.
After dinner, Deborah tried to reassure him but he was elusive. She felt like she was dying, but didn't insist and went to sleep. But she couldn't sleep, and went out onto the porch and that was when he saw Buck mounting his horse. She joined him and asked him where he was going.
He didn't want to answer her, but she wasn't about to let him go without an explanation. He was forced to tell her the truth. Deborah begged him not to go but he replied: "I owe it to her, I can't abandon her again."
Deborah understood that she would not stop him and only wished him good luck. He made her promise that she would not tell anyone and she promised.
Deborah returned to the house aware that she had lost it.
The next morning Bill arrived who had noticed Camille's absence and wanted to know where Buck was. When Teaspoon told him he hadn't seen him since the night before, Bill railed at Buck and swore he would kill him if something happened to Camille.
Deborah was then forced to speak and explained what he had told her.
Teaspoon knew the Indian rites because he had been married to one, and said that the enterprise would be successful only on one condition.
Deborah stated: “That condition exists, don't worry, Camille will be saved. Now excuse me, I have work to do work.”
Teaspoon looked at her with understanding and compassion but she gestured for silence.
The others asked what that condition was, but Teaspoon replied that it didn't matter if Deborah assured him that everything would be okay. The condition was actually that the man had to love the woman deeply in order to save her and Deborah understood that Buck had never forgotten Camille.
She entered the house and secretly began to prepare her things: she had decided that she would leave that same day. She couldn't take that pain any longer and she wouldn't be able to live with Buck close by after.
Buck and Camille's expedition was dangerous but successful, the demon was cast out thanks to the help of White Feather, who was actually the old Indian he had approached.
When she was healed, Camille told Buck that she did not hold him responsible for what had happened years ago at the camp, and that they were not destined to get married. She told him to think about his marriage and to live peacefully. Buck felt relieved even though he was a little disappointed.
Suddenly, he realized that he had neglected Deborah in those days and that she had suffered in silence.
The two hurried back and found Lou, Kid, and Bill on the street looking for them, and who had learned from Bill that all the fuss had been caused by the involuntary killing of an Indian chief last night during a terrible storm. The wagon had hit the man because the horses were frightened by lightning. They had to go back to burying the body and so they did.
Back at the station, Buck asked where Deborah was, and Rachel replied that she hadn't seen her all day.
Buck greeted Bill and Camille, and wished them good luck, then went to look for the girl but couldn't find her.
Jesse came back from school, and said she didn't show up for class. Buck rushed to their room and saw that her things were gone.
He went back outside to communicate it to the others, and Jimmy threw a punch at him saying: "Hope you find her, otherwise I'll kill you, you swore you wouldn't make her suffer.”
Buck stood up and replied: “Don't worry, I'll find her. I know where she may have gone.”
Jimmy said: "I'm going with you."
“No, I have to look for it myself.” and he set off at a gallop.
He immediately went to their cottage, and in fact found her there, crouching on the bed in tears. "I knew I’d find you here."
"Why did you come, take care of Camille and let me go."
“Camille is safe and has left with Bill, as it should have been. Now we have to think about us.”
"There is no more us, Buck, it is clear that your love for her is stronger, otherwise you could not have saved her.”
"Do not say that! It's true, I had a moment of bewilderment, many memories, and ghosts of the past surfaced, but the woman I want to marry and with whom I want to be with is you!"
"Buck, I'm tired. I'm tired of being overshadowed. I've seen your eyes, and I've read all the love there was, but it wasn't for me.”
“Please give me a second chance, I can see your suffering in your eyes and that your heart is broken, but let me fix it, and show you that I love you to death. I cannot and do not want to lose you. You said you can read my soul, read what is now.”
Deborah looked him straight in the eyes and saw that his heart was breaking too. She saw all his suffering because he was losing it and saw that he truly loved her, so she said to him: “I see what you feel and I want to believe you. I only ask you not to make me suffer like this anymore, I won’t go through it again.”
“It won't happen again, I swear to you. I felt the pain of losing you and I don't want it to happen again. I love you to death and my future is you. Please, let's fix the date of our wedding, now there is no point in waiting.”
Deborah hugged him and kissed him and in that kiss, she felt that he really loved her. They set the wedding for June twenty fourth.
They made love passionately in their cottage and then returned to the station where everyone welcomed them with joy.
During dinner, they communicated the date of their wedding and asked Lou and Kid to be their witnesses and Teaspoon to accompany the bride to the altar, since Deborah's parents would not be there.
Everyone said yes, making the two future spouses very happy.
The following days were hectic because everyone, as soon as they had some free time, helped the two boys in the preparations for the wedding.
Deborah was very happy, the only shadow was the absence of her parents.
Buck knew this and in fact had sent a new letter to Italy to communicate the wedding date and ask again for the presence of his fiancée's family. They also went to the reverend to make arrangements and Deborah, without Buck noticing, talked to him about a surprise he wanted to give her boyfriend on his wedding day, he wanted to dedicate a song to him and asked the reverend for help in organizing it.
They were happy to help her.
This frenzy ended up influencing Kid too, who in fact, a few weeks later, during the two days of vacation, he had decided to take with Lou, had asked her to marry him.
Lou was over the moon and the two set the wedding fifteen days after Deborah and Buck's date. Now there were two weddings to organize!
As soon as the construction of Deborah and Buck's house was finished, the boys dedicated themselves to that of the other two spouses, strictly close to the others.
They were a big family and they all wanted to live together.
One day, Deborah asked Lou and Rachel to accompany her to town to buy the wedding dress. The two women were delighted to share this experience with her and Lou then asked that the favor be returned by accompanying her to Seneca to buy her dress too. She preferred not to buy it in Sweetwater, where everyone thought she was a boy.
It was decided, and the trip was scheduled for the following week. Deborah chose a strictly white dress, very tight and low-cut, in Italian style, with a lace bodice to cover the shoulders, a silver buckle under the chest and a long tail, all accompanied by a long veil and white gloves. For the hairstyle, she chose to collect her long blond hair in a very simple way and to weave white flowers at the harvest.
The evening before the wedding, a big party was organized in the boys' shack and everyone gave wedding gifts to the couple, Lou and Kid had given them their honeymoon, fifteen days in New York.
Buck and Deborah were stunned and gave their heartfelt thanks. The other boys and Teaspoon gave away photo frames and objects to decorate the house. Rachel decided to give Deborah a pearl necklace and she was very touched.
The party had been wonderful and everyone made a promise, every Friday evening they would get together to be together and chat happily, forgetting problems and anguish. Before going to sleep, Buck and Deborah were alone for a moment and exchanged their gifts. He gave her pearl earrings that matched perfectly with Rachel's necklace and she gave him an Indian pendant symbol of marital happiness to always keep around the neck. The two kissed passionately and then each went to sleep.
On the morning of the wedding, Rachel and Lou helped Deborah get ready, while Buck, after getting dressed, told the boys to wait for him at the church because he had to run an errand. The boys were amazed but agreed.
When Deborah arrived at the church she found a surprise, Buck had cut his hair and removed his Indian earring. He was beautiful as the sun in his elegant black suit, strictly accompanied by a white shirt because Deborah loved him that way.
Buck, for his part, gasped when he saw her appear before the church. Teaspoon was about to offer her his arm to accompany her to church, when all of a sudden, everyone turned around because a couple had appeared that no one knew.
They were Deborah's parents.
Buck's insistence had been rewarded. That's why Buck cut his hair and took off his earring, he wanted to make a good impression on future in-laws.
Deborah's father accompanied her to the altar and after taking her vows with great emotion, Deborah, in agreement with the reverend, dedicated a sweet love song to her new husband, moving everyone.
The ceremony was beautiful, and then everyone moved to the saloon for the wedding banquet.
Deborah's parents thanked Buck and then congratulated the couple.
Everyone ate and danced to exhaustion and never stopped admiring the beautiful couple in love. The couple were delighted. During the dances, Buck said to Deborah: "It doesn't seem true that you are my wife, I've dreamed of it so much and now that it's reality I can hardly believe it. You are beautiful and I cannot ask anything else from life.”
She replied: “I love you so much, Buck. You have made me the happiest woman in the world and nothing and no one will be able to separate us.”
“I felt the pain of believing you are now lost and I don't want that to happen again. You are my soul and without you I could no longer live.”
Then they kissed repeatedly.
All the guys wanted to do a dance with the bride, including Teaspoon of course, and when it came to Jimmy, he congratulated her but didn't fail to remind her how much he still loved her.
When the party was over, everyone returned to their homes and Deborah's parents to the hotel, with the promise that they would meet again the next day to talk a bit.
They couldn't stay longer than two days, because Deborah's sister had to stay home for work reasons. She was a doctor, and they didn't want to leave her alone for too long.
When Buck and Deborah arrived at their house, he, according to tradition, took her in his arms to carry her cross the threshold, then they went to their bedroom and made love all night.
Before falling asleep, Buck wanted to return the surprise that Deborah had given him in the church, and he dedicated a very sweet song to her.
She was amazed by the beautiful voice of her husband and immediately came up with an idea for the wedding of Lou and Kid.
The two of them would sing for them in the church, involving all the boys and then they would also sing in the saloon to entertain the guests. Buck tried to object, but he knew by now that Deborah was not going to give in, so he finally said yes.
The next morning the couple obviously got up very late, and Buck brought breakfast in bed to Deborah who thanked him with a long and passionate kiss and after eating they made love again.
In the late morning Deborah's parents arrived, the couple welcomed them and showed them the house, then Buck decided to leave them alone with his daughter to allow them to talk a bit and went to the boys in the bunkhouse.
Deborah talked to her parents who, despite their presence, told her that they did not agree with her choice anyway, which would surely cause her problems. She reiterated that she would never regret her choice and that Buck was certainly better than many of the hollow-nosed daddy-boy dudes.
Meanwhile, Buck was obviously the subject of questions from the boys, especially Cody who, with his usual tact, asked him point-blank: "So, what's it like to sleep with a sex bomb like her?"
Buck, resentful, replied: "I remind you that you are talking about my wife and in any case it is none of your business."
The other guys and Lou intervened to tone things down a bit and then Rachel tried to change the subject by saying: "But look at Buck, you were just a boy and now you are married and have formed a family, I'm proud of you.”
Buck smiled and Noah added: “Besides, who would have bet you were the first? We would have all bet on Lou and Kid but you have forged ahead.”
They all burst out laughing and the tension faded.
When Deborah and her parents left the house, the boys and Rachel went to greet them, because they were leaving the next morning.
When they were gone, Buck asked Deborah: "How did it go?"
She didn't hide anything from him: "I don't agree but obviously they know they can only accept it. I'm sorry, you also tried to change for them, don't do it anymore. Put your earring back on and as far as your hair is concerned, if it’s even possible, you are even sexier like this.”
The two kissed and went back to their home.
In the evening it was decided that they would all have dinner together in the bunkhouse, so that they could organize themselves for the following weeks in preparation for Lou and Kid's wedding.
With an excuse, Buck took the two boys out and Deborah took the opportunity to explain her idea to the others. She and Buck would sing the verses and all together they would sing the chorus. With a little effort, he convinced them all. Deborah went to the reverend the next day to make arrangements.
They didn't actually know, but she would also have to make arrangements with the saloon owner for the songs during the reception, which she and Buck would perform.
Every day, after school, they would gather in the church for rehearsals, but in turn someone would have to find an excuse to push the two betrothed away for at least half an hour, in order to keep them in the dark.
After dinner, Buck and Deborah returned to their love nest.
The next day, Deborah did what was decided and everything was settled.
That afternoon Jimmy returned from his run with a strange air. When the boys asked him what had happened, he was evasive.
The next day, he disappeared and when he returned, he seemed to have a dreamy air. Finally they convinced him to talk and he confessed that he had met a beautiful girl, Sarah, and that he thought he had fallen in love with her. Everyone was happy for him, especially Deborah and Buck, who felt less guilty.
The next day, Lou took the initiative to go to Sarah to invite her to a fake picnic, which only Jimmy would attend. It went well and in fact Jimmy was in seventh heaven, but the happiness soon ended because what Lou had believed to be Sarah's father turned out to be her husband.
Jimmy was devastated, but Sarah ran to him to explain that her husband was mistreating her and that he couldn't take it anymore. She had married him only at the behest of his family who had thus resolved a debt he had contracted.
Jimmy promised to take her away and that same evening he organized the escape. Teaspoon tried to stop him but he was adamant.
Sarah did not show up for the appointment, and Jimmy went to her house to find out why, he was hit by a shot and had to react. When he entered the house he found Sarah's husband lying on the ground dead and there was no shadow of the woman. While trying to figure out what had happened, he was hit in the head and passed out.
The next morning Teaspoon found him accused of murder. Everyone rushed to his cell and he tried to explain what had happened, but Sarah's husband's aide told a false version and Jimmy's trial was inevitable.
Everyone got mad at Sarah who tried to defend herself, and showed signs of her husband's mistreatment, putting Jimmy in even more trouble.
Deborah, Lou, and Rachel were desperate and Deborah felt tremendously guilty, she went so far as to tell Rachel that if she didn't leave him, he wouldn't be in this situation now. She certainly wasn't denying her marriage and she hadn't repented, but she felt damn responsible.
The trial took place and Jimmy was found guilty, and on Saturday morning he would be hanged.
Deborah was desperate, and asked Buck to do something, but obviously he was helpless.
Jimmy was in a cell with a former priest who had told him Sarah was a liar and that he had once celebrated her marriage with her current husband's aide. Jimmy didn't want to believe it, but just to be careful, Lou and Kid went looking for information about it.
The gallows were ready on Saturday morning, and Jimmy was about to hang.
Deborah was attached to Buck's arm and tugged at him begging him to help Jimmy. Just as the rope was about to be tight, all the boys intervened and Buck rushed to free Jimmy.
The crowd and the judge were about to intervene when Kid and Lou returned with evidence that what Jimmy's cellmate had said was true, Sarah and the other man were two impostors. The two were immediately arrested and Jimmy completely exonerated because it was understood that the killer was Sarah's real husband.
Jimmy was heartbroken but he would recover.
To celebrate Jimmy's release, they all went to the dance in Sweetwater in the evening and everyone relaxed after the busy day.
Jimmy also seemed a bit relieved, despite suffering a lot.
Deborah apologized to Buck for her behavior in those days but he told her: “You don't have to apologize, you were his woman and it's normal for you to worry about him. I know you love me, I have no doubt about it, your eyes never lie.”
The two started to dance but at a certain point Deborah noticed that some girls were watching them. Suddenly he stopped and couldn't help but ask them if there was any problem. One of them came forward and said to her: "We were wondering what it was like to live with a savage and be his wife."
Buck knew immediately that he had to stop Deborah, otherwise she would get into trouble and tried to drag her away, but she didn't give up and replied: “I know you can't understand, because your brain is not up to understanding certain things, but living with him is the best thing that ever happened to me. And then I'll tell you one thing, you have no idea how particularly gifted he is under his pants.”
Buck dragged her away as the girls blushed violently.
"Deborah, you shouldn't have reacted like that."
"But do you hear them? Those hens don't have the right to make certain claims!”
"You know it would happen sooner or later, try to control yourself or you will risk losing your job."
"Ok, ok, let's dance now.”
For the rest of the evening, most of the girls and women did not take their eyes off Buck. Rachel and the boys noticed it and Cody said: "What do they all have to look at?"
Buck replied: "Ask my wife."
Deborah recounted what had happened and everyone burst out laughing, even Jimmy who was not in the mood.
Deborah took the opportunity to communicate a decision she had made, a few days earlier she had told Buck that she also wanted to marry according to the Kiowa rite, in the tribe of his brother Red Bear.
Buck had protested, but as usual she had got the better. She had decided to do it the next day. Buck was a bit surprised but he knew she cared a lot and so it was decided.
The following morning, the two set off on horseback to reach the Red Bear camp, who had not seen his brother for a long time and was delighted to know that he was married.
Deborah asked him to marry them according to their rite and Red Bear was delighted. The women took Deborah with them and prepared her for the ceremony and so did the men with Buck.
The rite took place according to tradition and as a symbol of love, the two spouses wore a talisman that they swore they would never take off again and that they would wear it forever.
After the ceremony a rudimentary banquet was set up and in the evening everyone greeted each other and the couple returned to their home, where the boys wanted to know all the details.
With Jimmy's situation, time had been lost on planning the upcoming wedding, so the next day everyone tried to catch up.
On Monday, Buck had to make a long journey to deliver the mail, the honeymoon had not yet started because the honeymoon would be after the wedding of Kid and Lou, and on his return, as soon as he entered the house, he did not have time to go through the door that Deborah threw on him and began to undress him.
"I missed you so much, I want you," and the two found themselves making love passionately.
Buck then said: "If after long journeys you always welcome me like this, I'll ask Teaspoon to do it more often."
The two laughed and made love again.
The next day, Lou and Deborah went to Seneca to collect Lou's dress. Unfortunately, Rachel couldn't go because she had to take Jesse to the dentist. The two girls spent a pleasant day, and Deborah took the opportunity of that trip to buy Buck a gift. She bought him a rubber bracelet with a gold plate engraved with the words "I love you.”
Lou was moved.
When the two girls returned and Deborah went back into the house, she was in turn warmly welcomed by Buck who hugged her, pushed her against the wall impetuously and made love with her.
Deborah was surprised but happy, it was the first time Buck had been so impetuous. She kissed him eagerly and showed him her gift. He was amazed but happy, but then he said to her: "Sorry, I shouldn't have been so impetuous, I'm sorry."
"Are you kidding me? It was beautiful and you never have to apologize for making love to me.”
The two kissed and did it again.
Every afternoon, after school, as agreed, the kids, Rachel, Teaspoon, and Deborah took turns giving Lou and Kid some assignments to keep them busy when they rehearsed.
First, they rehearsed the song they were supposed to sing together and then only Buck and Deborah remained because she would have to sing more songs. The others didn't know that they were actually preparing something for the reception as well.
Saturday was approaching, and Buck and Deborah also had to pack their bags for their honeymoon. In their spare time, they began to prepare and to put clothes and accessories in the trunks.
One day, as Deborah opened her jewelry box to prepare the jewelry for the wedding and for the trip, she saw a necklace that was not hers. It was a necklace with a heart-shaped pendant that opened, curious, she opened it and found inside a photo of her and Buck in a wedding dress on one side, on the other an engraving with the words, "Forever.”
Deborah rushed to Buck, who was in the kitchen munching on something, hugged him, kissed him and thanked him heartily.
"It is beautiful, thank you, I will always wear it around my neck along with the talisman of our wedding.” Then they kissed.
Teaspoon knocked on their door and asked Buck to accompany a friend of his lieutenant to the Indian camp to discuss a treaty. Buck did not agree but soon realized that it was better for him to accompany the army, rather than someone who did not know the Indians.
Deborah advised him to be careful and greeted him.
Buck accompanied Teaspoon's friend to the vicinity of the camp, but when he understood the real intentions of the army, he left them alone and left after giving them directions.
As he was returning, he heard shots, went back and found most of the soldiers killed and the lieutenant wounded. The latter accused Buck of treason and took him to Teaspoon saying he was under arrest.
Buck defended himself, but the lieutenant persisted. Teaspoon vouched for him and wanted to accompany him to the ambush site, where the two found a survivor in poor condition, and the lieutenant's sword in a place far from where Buck found the lieutenant. They understood that something was wrong.
They took the soldier back to town and entrusted him to the doctor, then spoke to the lieutenant who confirmed his version and again accused Buck of treason in front of everyone.
Most of the town turned on Buck.
Deborah tried to intervene in his defense as soon as she heard the situation and said: "But how can you think that Buck has betrayed the army? You know well that he has always done his utmost to help everyone and act as a mediator.”
They replied: "He will always remain an Indian, and you are biased because you are his wife."
"Yes, and I am also your children's teacher and you know how important loyalty is to me."
"In fact, you shouldn't teach our children, one of us should."
"Perfect, if that's how you think, from today find yourself another teacher.”
Teaspoon tried to intervene but she was adamant. She and Buck left.
He told her: "You shouldn't have taken my defense publicly, now you've lost your job too."
"I don't care, it's absurd that they treated you like that, they're not worthy of our respect."
Teaspoon tried to do everything to exonerate Buck and in fact managed to find evidence of the lieutenant's guilt. From the photos taken by a photographer at the scene of the ambush, it emerged that Buck was right, the lieutenant had panicked, and he had shot treacherously, fleeing like a coward, causing the reaction of the Indians.
The lieutenant was forced to admit this publicly and Buck was rehabilitated.
“Sorry Buck, if we doubted you. We apologize, and above all, we ask your wife to go back to being the teacher of our children, they need her.”
Buck accepted the apology and Deborah agreed to resume her work.
Already that afternoon, she resumed her lessons and while Buck was waiting for her, he decided to give her a dress to thank her for her support. He entered the shop where she usually went and was greeted with distrust by the owner, but then his wife recognized him as "the teacher's husband" and apologized to him.
Buck took the blow again, but he knew he had to get used to it. He bought a long white dress with red flowers, gathered at the waist, so as to highlight the shapes of his wife. She hid it in the wagon and in the evening, while Deborah was in the kitchen, she placed it on their bed. Then he went downstairs and asked her: “Leave it to me here, could you go to my room and look for my gray shirt? I can't find it anywhere.”
"All right honey, I'll go now."
When she got in, she saw that wonderful dress on the bed as soon as she entered and called Buck. He joined her and she asked him: “But why? You did not have to.”
"Because you are my support and my life, and I don't know what good I did to have you as a wife."
She was moved and kissed him.
In the evening, after dinner, while Deborah was fixing the kitchen, Buck went to the porch to read a book. He had borrowed a book on Greek mythology from Deborah, intrigued by the stories she gave him from time to time.
Jimmy saw it and walked up to him and said, "You have to love her so much to read that stuff!"
“I want to understand what is so fascinating about it. She tried to understand my traditions and I want to understand her tastes.”
"Happy reading," Jimmy said.
When Deborah reached him, they went upstairs and both began to read, but after a moment, they looked at each other, threw away the books and made love.
The next day was Friday, and for the evening Buck and Deborah had organized a dinner with them to celebrate the two future spouses and for the delivery of gifts.
When they heard about it, they were all happy but Jimmy warned: "Be careful, because if she cooks...", but Buck replied: "I don't seem to be dead, and then how many times has he helped Rachel?"
From the jokes they exchanged, it was clear that there was still an unresolved issue between them, but they all preferred to let it go for now, aware that sooner or later they would have to face the problem.
The boys, Rachel, and Teaspoon had a blast and then, after the dessert, it was time for the presents. Each gave the couple theirs and Deborah and Buck returned the favor, and had given Lou and Kid a honeymoon in San Francisco.
They would also leave on the Sunday after the wedding and would return 15 days later, the same day as them. The two were delighted and thanked from the heart.
After dinner, everyone went to sleep, and Buck and Deborah made love passionately for most of the night.
The next morning, Buck got ready in the house and then went to the shack, while Deborah went to get ready at Rachel's with her and Lou.
Lou had a wide dress with a bodice accompanied by transparent tulle sleeves and a crown of flowers on her head.
She was beautiful.
Rachel wore a white lace blouse and a wide brown skirt and she too had adorned her hair with flowers. Deborah had worn a large white dress with green decorations and a green ribbon that tightened it at the waist, like Rossella O'Hara in "Gone with the Wind" at the party at the Twelve Oaks. She had ringlets in her hair and was wearing the necklace and earrings that Buck had given her.
Buck knocked and entered to see if they were ready because he would have to accompany the bride and the two bridesmaids to the church. When he entered, he gasped at Deborah.
Rachel pointed out, "Buck, the bride is Lou!"
"Yes, sorry, I ..."
They all laughed.
"Lou, you're beautiful, I'm sorry."
"Don't worry, you can see that you love your wife to death.”
Deborah blushed.
Then everyone went out and got into the diligence they had hired for the occasion. On the way, Buck couldn't take his eyes off Deborah so much that Rachel couldn't help but jokingly say: "If you keep it up, you'll wear that dress out with your eyes."
They all laughed again and Buck and Deborah kissed. When the stagecoach arrived at the church, Jimmy, who had the task of accompanying Lou to the altar,complimented her and took her arm, then Rachel entered and finally Buck and Deborah. As soon as the bride walked in, Kid was thunderstruck. When he reached him, Teaspoon began the ceremony, interspersed with Deborah's singing, which everyone enjoyed.
At the time of the exchange of the rings, Teaspoon told them: "I don't know another couple more suitable to marry than you two, except of course those two gentlemen who got married two weeks ago ..." and they all looked at Deborah and Buck with a smile. They kissed.
At the end of the ceremony, Teaspoon asked the bride and groom to be patient for a moment. All the boys, he, Rachel and Deborah approached the organ and Buck began to sing the verse of the song that they had all prepared together. Deborah then intervened and all together sang the final refrain.
Lou and Kid had tears in their eyes.
Everyone then moved to the saloon for the reception, and after eating some dishes, the dances began to take a break and after two or three dances, the orchestra nodded to Buck and Deborah, it was time to sing the first of the songs they had prepared.
Buck knocked and entered to see if they were ready because he would have to accompany the bride and the two bridesmaids to the church. When he entered, he gasped at Deborah. Rachel pointed out: "Buck, the bride is Lou!"
"Yes, sorry, I ...".
They all laughed.
"Lou, you're beautiful, I'm sorry."
"Don't worry, you can see that you love your wife to death".
Deborah blushed. Then everyone went out and got into the diligence they had hired for the occasion. On the way, Buck couldn't take his eyes off Deborah so much that Rachel couldn't help but jokingly say: "If you keep it up, you'll wear that dress with your eyes."
They all laughed again and Buck and Deborah kissed. When the stagecoach arrived at the church, Jimmy, who had the task of accompanying Lou to the altar, complimented her and took her arm, then Rachel entered and finally Buck and Deborah. As soon as the bride walked in, Kid was thunderstruck. When he reached him, Teaspoon began the ceremony, interspersed with Deborah's singing that everyone enjoyed.
At the time of the exchange of the rings, Teaspoon told them: "I don't know another couple more suitable to marry than you two, except of course those two gentlemen who got married two weeks ago ..." and they all looked at Deborah and Buck with a smile. They kissed.
At the end of the ceremony, Teaspoon asked the bride and groom to be patient for a moment. All the boys, he, Rachel and Deborah approached the organ and Buck began to sing the verse of the song that they had all prepared together. Deborah then intervened and all together sang the final refrain.
Lou and Kid had tears in their eyes.
Everyone then moved to the saloon for the reception. After eating some dishes, the dances began to take a break and after two or three dances, the orchestra nodded to Buck and Deborah. It was time to sing the first of the songs they had prepared.
Suddenly, the orchestra started singing a beautiful and very sweet Allelujah, and Buck came up and started singing the first verse.
Everyone gasped as that song brought out even more the beautiful and warm voice of the young man.
Jimmy walked up to Deborah and said, "Wow, he can sing so well, nobody knew." Deborah didn't answer, but went over to her husband because now it was her turn.
She sang the next two stanzas, holding his hand, and looking him straight in the eyes, then followed the final chorus where they sang together and the notes seemed to spring from their hearts. The song was for the newlyweds, but it was clear that they were dedicating it to each other.
When they had finished, they kissed and then wished the bride and groom, who had tears in their eyes again, and rushed to embrace them, while everyone, with their mouths open, let out a long applause. From how they sang and from the passion they put into it, everyone understood how great the love of those two were.
Lunch continued, and after a new break, Deborah and Buck sang another song.
When they got back to the table, the boys had arranged a joke for them. Rachel began to say: "Of course, you are very good at stealing the show from the newlyweds, was it appropriate to monopolize attention on you in this way?"
Then, turning to Deborah: "And you, with that dress, have all eyes on you." The two nodded.
Deborah and Buck were very upset and when they saw their expression, they all burst out laughing telling them they were joking. Deborah however ran out almost in tears. Buck immediately followed her, but first he said to the boys and Rachel: "Congratulations guys.”
When he reached her he said: "Come on, they were joking, they don't really think what they said."
"How can you be sure?"
"I know them, I admit that I too was thrilled at the moment, but then I realized they were joking.”
Meanwhile, Rachel and Noah had come out and reassured her.
"We just wanted to joke a bit, come on, we really don't think about those things we said.”
Deborah wanted to believe them, and they all returned to continue the celebrations.
At the end of the lunch, the dancing resumed and when Deborah danced with Jimmy, he never missed an opportunity to remind her of his feelings and how much he suffered.
She told him: "Jimmy, we've talked about it several times, we weren't meant to be together."
He then walked away and left before the party was over.
Before leaving, Deborah and Buck were stopped by the saloon owner who asked them if they would be willing to sing a few evenings at the club, given their skill. Deborah and Buck thought for a moment and then agreed, but she would have to wait for their return from their honeymoon.
Buck asked if being a half-breed could be a problem but the owner said no. They then decided that they would sing in the saloon on Saturday nights and that they would rehearse after Deborah's classes at school.
When they got home, it was late and Deborah and Buck made love. When she was in his arms, she said to him: “Swear to me it will never end. I am so happy that I am afraid that everything will vanish from one moment to the next and I do not want our dream of love to vanish.”
He held her tightly and said: "We are together, we love each other very much, nothing can ever separate us.”
"I hope so, Buck, I'm afraid I'm too happy."
He hugged her, and held her tightly to him. Then he proposed a ride to the river. She accepted. The two dressed and went hand in hand to take Buck's horse.
Teaspoon and Jimmy saw them. The first asked: "Where the hell are those two going?"
Jimmy replied: “I'll tell you what's going on, Teaspoon. She is very happy and when she feels this way she is overcome by the anguish of losing everything from one moment to the next. They will have made love and she was overcome with anxiety, so he is taking her somewhere to relax her.”
"You say?"
"I would swear.”
"You know her very well don't you?"
"It is the love of my life, but unfortunately I was so stupid as to lose it.” Teaspoon patted him on the shoulder and they went to sleep.
Buck and Deborah came to the river, took a bath and made love again, then stretched out along the river to dry and he held her tight in his arms, reassuring her and telling her that nothing and no one would ever separate them.
They returned home, took a bath in their tub and took the opportunity to make love again tenderly, and then went to sleep. Deborah slept peacefully.
The next morning they had breakfast and then went to the bunkhouse to spend some time with the boys because the next day they would leave for their honeymoon.
Jimmy walked over to Deborah and asked: "Did you have one of your fits of anxiety about losing everything last night?"
"How do you know it?".
"Teaspoon and I saw you ride off and I figured what you were thinking."
“Yes, that's right, you know me really well. Now everything is fine, thank you.”. He smiled at her and walked away.
Deborah was left alone, and was watching Buck talk to Cody and Jesse. Noah approached her and said: "You also want some flowers and an altar to better complete the adoration.”
"How?" She replied astonished.
"You seem to be worshiping some saint when you look at it, I've never seen anyone so much in love."
She smiled, and he continued: “Anyway if you want to know it is mutual. Remember that time we went to free Amanda, Teaspoon's partner, and we met Jane, the girl who wanted to kill her father's killer and whom Buck had taken under his protection?”
"Yes, why?"
"When it was all over, Buck told her to start thinking about the man she loved, not the one she hated and she told him that then she should think about him.”
Buck replied: “No, I am happily married to a wonderful woman, and I still wonder what good I have done in my life to deserve it. I feel so lucky to have her.”
She replied: “I know that luck is mutual.”
She smiled at him and then rushed over to Buck, kissed him and then went to meet Lou who was coming with Kid.
Buck was a bit surprised, but Noah approached him and explained everything and he smiled.
The boys all had lunch together, and then decided to go for a swim in the river to greet each other with a good swim. However, Teaspoon and Rachel preferred to stay home.
The boys all jumped into the water and had a blast. The four newlyweds did not stop exchanging kisses and effusions and were teased by their friends.
When they got out of the water, they lay down to dry. The boys were in their knickers, and Lou was too. Buck instead only wore his underpants because ever since he got married, he had decided not to wear those uncomfortable clothes anymore. Deborah, since according to his tradition he wore no knickers, wore only panties and bra, and covered herself with a blanket.
It was very hot, so Lou asked Buck: "Why don't you let her take that blanket off, I don't think anyone will be shocked."
He said to her: “Look, she doesn't have to ask me, she's free to do what she wants, I don't have any problem.”
Then he turned to her: “If you want to take it off, go ahead, I didn't think it was a problem.”
She kissed him and pulled off the blanket. The boys gasped but made no comment.
They then returned home and made an appointment for the next morning, when they would accompany the two couples to the city to take the stagecoach.
At home, Deborah kissed Buck as soon as she walked through the door to thank him for what he had said to the river. Then, they took a bath in the tub and made love passionately.
The next morning, the boys, Teaspoon and Rachel accompanied the two couples into town. They would travel together to Fort Laramie and then separate, one to New York, the other to San Francisco.
During the trip, the four had chatted happily and kissed from time to time, commented on the ceremony the day before and Lou and Kid congratulated them once again on the songs: “We knew that Deborah sings well because we heard her at your wedding, but you Buck really surprised us, that ‘Allelujah’ was wonderful.”
Deborah said: "I didn't know he sang so well, but on the night of our wedding he dedicated a song to me and when I heard it I got the idea. He didn't want to but you know how convincing I can be…”
Everyone laughed. Arriving at Fort Laramie, the boys said goodbye. Deborah and Buck continued on to New York and when they arrived they went to the hotel that Kid and Lou had reserved for them.
As soon as they entered, Buck wanted to talk to the owner, he wanted to know if his race was a problem. The owner said no, and the two thanked him and went to the room because they were so tired. They had a hot bath prepared and made love.
They then planned what to do the next day. At night they slept embraced and thoughtless, happy for all the love they felt for each other.
Chapter Five
The next morning, they rented a horse and went for a ride to some neighborhoods of the city to get a little idea of the place. They had lunch in a saloon and nobody bothered Buck because of his origins. He felt happy about it.
In the evening at the hotel, they dined happily and when they were about to go out for a walk, the owner of the hotel approached them and congratulated them because they were really a beautiful couple, cheerful and in love.
Deborah and Buck walked around the area and then went back to the room. They undressed and she was a little more enthusiastic in making love with Buck.
The next morning, as they were about to go out to take the horse to visit Central Park, she told him: "Maybe last night I shouldn't have…”
He didn't let her speak but kissed her and then said: “Do you remember what you said to me that time at home when I apologized to you? It also applies to me. We must not apologize when we make love.”
She kissed him in turn. The day in Central Park was very busy and fun. At lunch, they had a picnic on the lawn. They laid down for a while to cuddle and then wandered around the park.
In the evening at dinner, they were exhausted but always smiling and in love. As Buck was laughing, they heard a woman's voice say: “I would recognize this laugh anywhere. Hi Buck.”
Deborah and Buck turned, and he was stunned. Then he recovered and said: “Hi Kathleen. This is my wife, Deborah.”
"Your wife? So you got married?"
“Yes, fifteen days ago! What are you doing here?”
“I'm taking my father on a business trip. You haven't changed a bit. You are still very handsome.”
Buck turned to Deborah and said: "We met a few years ago, but then she preferred to be with her father and we never saw each other again."
Deborah managed a half-smile. The girl then said: “I don't want to disturb you anymore, I leave you to your dinner. I am happy to have seen you Buck again and glad to have met you, Deborah.”
Deborah replied: "Goodbye."
Kathleen left, and Buck told Deborah the story he had had with her and how she had left him to be with her father.
As they were about to leave, the man at the front desk approached Buck and gave him a ticket. Kathleen had left him and invited him to the hotel entrance that night. Buck showed the note to Deborah who asked him what he wanted to do.
He replied: “We will go there together and I will definitively clarify my position if it is not already clear.”
When they got back, they pretended to go to the room, but Buck had left, followed by Deborah, to whom Buck had told to stay hidden for a moment.
When Kathleen saw him, she ran to him and started to kiss him, but he stopped her and motioned for Deborah to show up, then said: “Kathleen, you had your chance and you made your choice clear, now you have to respect mine. I love my wife immensely and would not cheat on her for the world. Now go away, I have nothing more to say to you.”
He turned and walked away with Deborah close behind. The girl turned to Deborah and said: "Did you really convince him to talk to me like that?"
Buck was about to answer but Deborah stopped him with a nod and said: “I didn't say a word. I just know you must have hurt him a lot because I've never heard my husband treat a woman so hard. Now let us go.”
Kathleen ran away in tears and Buck and Deborah went hand in hand back to their room and made love. They no longer spoke of her.
The next day, they decided to take a cruise on the Hudson River. Before leaving the hotel, they were approached by the owner who told them that the girl from the night before and her father had left. The two thanked each other heartily and smiled.
During the cruise, they were seated at the back of the boat and at one point were approached by a photographer who showed them a photo he had taken. They were beautiful and they exchanged a look that had struck the man.
They seemed so in love that the photographer asked them if they wanted an enlarged portrait of that photo. The two agreed and picked it up the next day. They had also decided to take the evening cruise that showed the whole panorama of the city.
Deborah and Buck were over the moon because people felt how much they loved each other. The next day they decided to go shopping. They went to different shops and picked a thought for each of their friends. As Deborah was choosing a watch for Jimmy, she noticed that Buck was very interested and decided that this would be her gift to him.
In the evening after the cruise, and after having collected the beautiful portrait that had been made for them, when they returned to the hotel, Deborah made an excuse to stay behind for a moment, asking the owner of the hotel if he could get her a watch equal to the one he was looking for, showing, with the inscription, "Forever.” The owner was delighted to help her.
A few days later, the watch was ready and Deborah paid the bill in secret.
The fifteen days passed quickly, and as soon as they could, the couple made love passionately, sometimes several times a day. They were very much in love and Buck was very serene because no one had made him weigh his origin.
The last day arrived and before leaving the hotel, Deborah decided to give her gift to Buck. He was happy and thanked her, but did not fail to give her his own gift, a ring with their names engraved on it. Deborah was happy and the two made love before leaving the room.
On the way to Fort Laramie, where they would meet Lou and Kid, they exchanged many kisses and cuddles and remained tenderly embraced.
When the two couples met they hugged and kissed and then boarded the stagecoach that would take them to Sweetwater. During the trip, they told each other about their stay and their adventures.
When they arrived in Sweetwater, they were greeted by their friends with kisses and hugs and went to the station altogether. Jimmy, hugging Deborah, told her: "I missed you so much.” She didn't answer but just smiled.
It was morning and they made an appointment for the evening for dinner at the shack. Deborah and Buck tried to arrange all the luggage and Deborah immediately wanted to do the laundry, so as not to waste too much time.
While she was drying the clothes, Jesse joins her and asked her: "Is it true that you won't ask for homework tomorrow at school?"
She replied: "Of course, I will, Jesse, and if you haven't, you better get busy!”
As Jimmy was nearby, she asked him: “Jimmy, would you please help Jesse with his homework? It would be good for him and for you too, so you could improve in reading and writing since it is very close to your heart.”
Jimmy agreed, and the two left together. She was delighted with this assignment she had given Jimmy because she knew how proud he was.
She then went back into the house, where Buck was reading a book. They set out to arrange the gifts they had taken from their friends, and then immediately hung the picture that the portrait painter had made for them during the cruise in the living room.
When dinner time arrived, they went to the shack, where they dined between one story and another. Kid and Lou told about their honeymoon and so did Deborah and Buck. Deborah commented that it had all been beautiful and said: "The only drawback was the meeting with Buck's ex ..."
Cody said: "Which one?"
Deborah commented: "Ah why, was there more than one?"
Buck glared at Cody who said: "Well, Kathleen and Camille I mean." Buck glared at him again, they all knew it was better not to mention Camille in front of Deborah, who said: "Kathleen" and told them what had happened.
After dinner, the four boys handed out their presents and when Jimmy received his watch, Jesse noticed that he had received the most expensive gift of all and Jimmy said: "Maybe they had something that needed forgiving?"
Buck replied: "We don't have anything that needs forgiven, Deborah knew you like watches and she was kind enough to pick that one but she probably made a mistake."
Jimmy replied, "It's not the only mistake she made."
Buck was about to get up but Deborah stopped him and said to Jimmy:, "Wait for me outside, we need to talk and I don't want to spoil dinner any more than you already have."
Buck wanted to go out with them but she told him it was up to her to resolve the situation. When they were out, Deborah said to Jimmy: “Enough now, Jimmy, Buck, and I haven't cheated on you. I thought you understood, but apparently, you need to hear more about why it turned out like this. You neglected me and did not make me feel loved, I have pointed this out to you several times but you have underestimated the problem, now please do not accuse us. This is how it is and you must accept it if you want harmony to continue to reign among us, otherwise, we will have to cut ties with you. Is that what you want?"
"No, but don't tell me that I have to digest without saying a word that a friend of mine has stolen the woman from me."
“Buck didn't take anything away from you, first of all, because I'm not an object, secondly because I decided to leave you and until Buck was sure he didn't start a relationship with me. It's time to put your heart in peace.”
"It's not that simple, I still love you."
“I know this, but then you have to respect my marriage and build a civil relationship with us.”
Jimmy promised and apologized. And the two, after hugging, went back inside. Jimmy apologized to everyone and especially Buck, then the situation eased and everyone started laughing and joking.
When it was time to go to sleep, Deborah and Buck went home and she told Buck what she and Jimmy had said and he said: "Let's hope it's really over, although I have my doubts."
Then they went to bed and made love.
The next morning they woke up late because they were very tired, and as Deborah was making breakfast wearing only Buck's shirt, she heard a knock on the door. It was Lou who blushed when she saw Deborah dressed like this, saying she would come over later. She said to her: “Come in! We just woke up and I was preparing breakfast.Would you like to have some?"
“No, thanks, I just wanted to know if you could lend me some flour, I ran out of it,” she said embarrassed.
"Yes, don't worry, I'll get it right away."
Meanwhile, Buck had come down wearing only his trousers and asked: "Who is it?"
Then he saw Lou and greeted her, when she started to leave, but Buck also invited her to stay. She said no again, apologizing and then Deborah said: "Ok, see you later."
Then she said to Buck: "In my opinion, there is something wrong and she wanted to talk to me, then she saw us like this and changed her mind. Later I will go to her to find out if there is any problem.”
The two of them had breakfast, got dressed, then Buck went out to see his shifts for the week and Deborah went to Lou. When she was in the house she asked her: "Lou, you wanted to talk to me about something this morning, right?"
She replied: "Actually, yes, I wanted to ask you what your married life is like with Buck, if I'm not indiscreet. I mean, how do you organize yourself at home, when well, when you are together?”
Deborah smiled and said: "Don't be ashamed Lou, we're friends and we have no secrets."
Lou said: "I ask you because my life with Kid seems set to me."
“But look, Buck and I don't plan anything, I do the housework and I cook but often he helps me with both. We talk about everything. We have no secrets. If something is wrong with our behavior we tell each other. We are very frank and sincere and as regards being together, when it happens and when we feel like it, there is no when or how. If he comes back and I want to make love with him, I just do it, without thinking about it so much. We have a very free relationship.”
Lou replied: “For me and Kid, it's all different. Yesterday, I did everything while he rested. I feel like I'm tied up and then not having a job doesn't help me. I do not know what to do.”
“Talk to him and point it out. Tell him that you want to be more free to express your feelings and that you would like to find a job. If he loves you, as he surely does, he will understand and come to meet you.”
"Thank you, you are a friend.”
"Anytime, Lou!”
The two girls hugged, then Deborah went home to prepare the afternoon lesson. Buck drove her to school and told her that the next day he would have to work a shift that planned to be away all night. Deborah wasn't thrilled, but she knew it sometimes did.
After class, the two went to the saloon to make arrangements for the following Saturday and to rehearse. When they returned, they met the boys and reminded them that the usual meeting would be on Friday and they proposed to have it at their house. They all agreed.
The next morning, Deborah greeted Buck warmly, urging him to be careful and then she went about her business. When she was done, she asked Rachel if she could help her with anything and when she said no, she went home to correct her homework. Suddenly she heard a knock on the door, it was Jimmy who asked her to enter. She agreed and the two went to sit in the living room. They talked about this and that and then Jimmy said, "Sorry, but I can't give up on you, I love you too much..." and then he kissed her and laid her down on the sofa.
She reacted by giving him a slap and saying: "Don't allow yourself anymore!!"
He realized he had made a big mistake and apologized, asking her not to tell Buck about what had happened, but she replied that she had no secrets from her husband and that she certainly would not have kept it from him. Jimmy apologized again and again and she accepted his apology but said: "It must never be repeated again or our relationship will be cut off for good."
Jimmy promised and left. As he walked away Lou came and asked what had happened and Deborah told her about it. Lou tried to console her and Deborah, when she had recovered, asked her if she had talked to Kid. Lou replied that he had faced the problem of work and that Kid, even if reluctantly, had understood and agreed. She had not yet dared about the other matter.
Deborah said to her: "But you don't have to be ashamed, he's your husband." "Yes, but it's not that simple, he has his traditions, he didn't grow up like Buck."
“What do you mean he didn't grow up like Buck? That he is a savage? Then I'm a savage too since I think like him. You know what I say? We are not savages, but Kid’s too bigoted and that you think these things about us offends me and makes me doubt your friendship.”
"I didn't mean that, I'm sorry."
"You meant it instead. Now please leave.”
Lou was mortified and went to confide in Rachel, who then went to Deborah to make her reason. But when she defended Lou, Deborah accused her of thinking like her, also reminding her of the joke they had played on her at the wedding by Lou and Kid. Rachel left and decided to give her some time to think.
Buck came back the next morning and noticed that Deborah was upset and asked her what had happened. She acted evasively, but then recounted what had happened with Jimmy and Lou and Rachel. Buck was furious at Jimmy's behavior and decided to confront him right away while advising Deborah to reflect on her relationship with the two women and figure out what she really wanted.
Then, despite Deborah asking him not to, Buck went to Jimmy and punched him. He reacted and the two began to fight. Noah had to step in to separate them. Buck said to Jimmy: "If you do it again I swear I'll kill you!" and then left.
He then went to Rachel's asking her to call Lou and tried to figure out what had happened. The two women gave their version to Buck who pointed out that they hadn't been very tactful with Deborah. They recognized him and apologized and decided to go talk to her.
Deborah was preparing the lesson for the afternoon and at first she didn't want to let them in, but then they insisted and said Buck asked them too. The two women apologized to both of them and promised that from now on they would no longer think that they were different. Deborah accepted the apology, but knew it would take a long time to digest it.
When Teaspoon learned of the fight between Buck and Jimmy, he pretended nothing had happened at the moment, but the next day he asked both boys to accompany him to buy horses.
During the trip, he gave them a wash of the head and forced Jimmy to promise that he would never behave like that again. If they hadn't tried to get along, he would have fired them both. The two boys promised.
Once they returned, Buck told Deborah everything and she hoped things would change.
In the afternoon, after school, Buck and Deborah went to rehearsal in the saloon again. They were very upset because they would have their first performance on Saturday.
Friday night came and Deborah and Buck cooked dinner for the boys, Teaspoon and Rachel. When they were seated at the table, Lou noticed the picture hanging on the wall and gasped: "This picture of you both is wonderful! Who did this for you?"
“An artist on the Hudson River cruise. A photographer took a picture of us and this artist wanted to make a portrait of it. We really like it!”
Rachel said: "Wow, when you think of a representation of love, you think of these looks.”
Deborah and Buck were delighted and kissed. Dinner was fun as usual and at the end of the night, Buck and Deborah invited everyone to the saloon the next night for their debut, while Lou and Kid said they would all be their guests next week.
The day after, the couple was very excited, and in the evening they got ready to go to the saloon. They dressed as they did at Kid and Lou’s wedding and sang the same songs to break the ice. Later, if things went well, they would prepare other pieces. The public was enthusiastic, especially of the Allelujah and the owner congratulated them. They were officially hired.
They all celebrated together and Lou took the opportunity to announce that he had found a job at a clothing store in Sweetwater. Everyone congratulated her.
Life continued calmly among the boys, and luckily there had been no more disagreements between Jimmy and Buck.
One afternoon, while the boys were relaxing a bit, Cody had the bad idea of making nasty jokes about the intimate relationship between Buck and Deborah and the others. Instead of silencing him, it seemed to give him strength, Buck took it and said: "I won’t allow you to talk about my wife like that, you are disgusting!” He said, and went away.
Kid tried to stop him by telling them: “Buck, he was just kidding.” But Buck didn't want to hear an apology and rushed towards the house, where Deborah was going out.
He said to her, “Come, let's go for a ride!”. He said, taking her by the hand, making her get on the horse, without giving her time to talk.
She knew that when he behaved like this, you shouldn't talk to him, but wait for him to let off some steam.
They went to the river and when they were seated in each other's arms, she understood that it was time to talk.
"Do you want to tell me now what happened?" .She asked.
“Cody again allowed himself to make heavy comments about you and the others gave him some rope. They tired me out, it's a lack of respect for both of us.”
Deborah said to him: “They are men, you know how they are made, don't tell me that in their place you would not have done the same thing. You will see that they will apologize.”
He kissed her and said nothing.
When they returned, all the boys went to meet him and Kid spoke up: “Sorry Buck, we were really insensitive, if they did the same thing with Lou, I'd have beat him to death. Please, forgive us tonight, we would like to invite you to dinner and each of us will cook something.”
Buck replied: “I accept the apology, but dinner is not necessary. The important thing is that it never happens again.”
Noah added: "Come on, take it as an opportunity not to have to help Deborah clear away the dishes!”
In the end, it was decided and Deborah said: "I have the impression that we will only eat the dish prepared by Jimmy. I have many reservations about the cooking of others ...".
Everyone laughed, but Deborah was right, the boys were completely unable to cook. Luckily Jimmy's stew was plentiful and so it was enough for everyone.
The following Friday, they went to Lou and Kid's house, and again, had a good evening. Lou took advantage of a moment when Deborah was helping her in the kitchen to tell her that she had finally found the courage to talk to Kid about their intimacy, and that everything had worked out for the best.
Deborah was delighted. It seemed that after that little give and take, the situation was back to where it was before, and that the relationship between the two girls had even grown closer.
The days went by happily, and Teaspoon had sometimes entrusted Buck and Jimmy with racing together to test them, they were certainly not friends, but the coexistence was peaceful.
One day, while the two were out together, they were attacked by an Indian tribe who had decided to attack them because the army had just devastated their camp.
The two boys tried to defend themselves as best they could, but suddenly an Indian aimed an arrow straight at Jimmy. Buck noticed it, and while shouting his name rushed towards him and managed to push him away, but the arrow struck him very close to the heart and other arrows followed, severely wounded him.
Jimmy tried to drag him away, also suffering a wound in his arm, but he managed to make the warriors flee thanks to his rifle.
As soon as they were gone, Jimmy tried to medicate Buck as best he could and loaded him onto his horse to take him back to town. While he was medicating him Buck said: "Swear to me that you will take care of her and that you will love her forever and that you will never make her suffer again."
"Don't be silly, Buck, you'll be fine."
"Swear it to me."
"Okay, I swear, but now let's go back to town as soon as possible.”
Jimmy rode as fast as he could, rushing to the doctor. Then he looked for Jesse and immediately sent him for Deborah and the others. The doctor let him in and tried to medicate Buck and Jimmy as best he could.
As soon as Jesse broke the news, Deborah dropped the clothes she was holding and rushed to take the horse. When she arrived in town, and saw Jimmy injured, he rushed at him and said: “What have you done to him? Have you fought again?”
She cursed, and began to punch him.
Jimmy didn't defend himself, but told her: “We were attacked by the Indians and he saved my life. Don't waste time with me. Go to him.”
Deborah came in and immediately asked the doctor what Buck's condition was. The doctor told her: “He has lost a lot of blood, and has many injuries. But only one is the most serious. It’s closest to the heart. If it does not heal immediately it can affect vital tissues and then it will not make it.”
Deborah almost fainted, but recovered and asked the doctor: "Is there anything that can accelerate the healing of the wound?"
“Nothing that I or other doctors have available. The only thing would be an ointment that Indians use but we don't know its composition and we don't know how to make it. We can only pray.”
“Do all Indians know how to do it?" Deborah asked.
“Yes, any tribe.”
“So also the Kiowa?”
"Of course.” The doctor said.
"How much time do I have?"
"But what do you want to do?"
"I asked you how much time I have?” .Deborah desperately asked.
“The sooner it will be, the better chance you will have.”
"He will have the ointment.”
Deborah walked over to Buck and kissed him, whispering: "Don't worry love, you'll make it."
Then she took his earring and knife, only in this way would the tribe of Red Bear, Buck's half-brother, not attack her. She was counting that someone would maybe recognize her.
She rushed out, followed by the doctor, who tried to dissuade her but to no avail. The doctor explained to the boys that were present what Deborah had intended to do.
Jimmy tried to get on his horse to go with her, but Teaspoon stopped him: “She has to go alone. If something were to go wrong due to someone else's presence, he would never forgive us.”
Jimmy then prayed for her and for Buck to be saved.
In the evening at the hotel, they dined happily and when they were about to go out for a walk, the owner of the hotel approached them and congratulated them because they were really a beautiful couple, cheerful and in love.
Deborah and Buck walked around the area and then went back to the room. They undressed and she was a little more enthusiastic in making love with Buck.
The next morning, as they were about to go out to take the horse to visit Central Park, she told him: "Maybe last night I shouldn't have…”
He didn't let her speak but kissed her and then said: “Do you remember what you said to me that time at home when I apologized to you? It also applies to me. We must not apologize when we make love.”
She kissed him in turn. The day in Central Park was very busy and fun. At lunch, they had a picnic on the lawn. They laid down for a while to cuddle and then wandered around the park.
In the evening at dinner, they were exhausted but always smiling and in love. As Buck was laughing, they heard a woman's voice say: “I would recognize this laugh anywhere. Hi Buck.”
Deborah and Buck turned, and he was stunned. Then he recovered and said: “Hi Kathleen. This is my wife, Deborah.”
"Your wife? So you got married?"
“Yes, fifteen days ago! What are you doing here?”
“I'm taking my father on a business trip. You haven't changed a bit. You are still very handsome.”
Buck turned to Deborah and said: "We met a few years ago, but then she preferred to be with her father and we never saw each other again."
Deborah managed a half-smile. The girl then said: “I don't want to disturb you anymore, I leave you to your dinner. I am happy to have seen you Buck again and glad to have met you, Deborah.”
Deborah replied: "Goodbye."
Kathleen left, and Buck told Deborah the story he had had with her and how she had left him to be with her father.
As they were about to leave, the man at the front desk approached Buck and gave him a ticket. Kathleen had left him and invited him to the hotel entrance that night. Buck showed the note to Deborah who asked him what he wanted to do.
He replied: “We will go there together and I will definitively clarify my position if it is not already clear.”
When they got back, they pretended to go to the room, but Buck had left, followed by Deborah, to whom Buck had told to stay hidden for a moment.
When Kathleen saw him, she ran to him and started to kiss him, but he stopped her and motioned for Deborah to show up, then said: “Kathleen, you had your chance and you made your choice clear, now you have to respect mine. I love my wife immensely and would not cheat on her for the world. Now go away, I have nothing more to say to you.”
He turned and walked away with Deborah close behind. The girl turned to Deborah and said: "Did you really convince him to talk to me like that?"
Buck was about to answer but Deborah stopped him with a nod and said: “I didn't say a word. I just know you must have hurt him a lot because I've never heard my husband treat a woman so hard. Now let us go.”
Kathleen ran away in tears and Buck and Deborah went hand in hand back to their room and made love. They no longer spoke of her.
The next day, they decided to take a cruise on the Hudson River. Before leaving the hotel, they were approached by the owner who told them that the girl from the night before and her father had left. The two thanked each other heartily and smiled.
During the cruise, they were seated at the back of the boat and at one point were approached by a photographer who showed them a photo he had taken. They were beautiful and they exchanged a look that had struck the man.
They seemed so in love that the photographer asked them if they wanted an enlarged portrait of that photo. The two agreed and picked it up the next day. They had also decided to take the evening cruise that showed the whole panorama of the city.
Deborah and Buck were over the moon because people felt how much they loved each other. The next day they decided to go shopping. They went to different shops and picked a thought for each of their friends. As Deborah was choosing a watch for Jimmy, she noticed that Buck was very interested and decided that this would be her gift to him.
In the evening after the cruise, and after having collected the beautiful portrait that had been made for them, when they returned to the hotel, Deborah made an excuse to stay behind for a moment, asking the owner of the hotel if he could get her a watch equal to the one he was looking for, showing, with the inscription, "Forever.” The owner was delighted to help her.
A few days later, the watch was ready and Deborah paid the bill in secret.
The fifteen days passed quickly, and as soon as they could, the couple made love passionately, sometimes several times a day. They were very much in love and Buck was very serene because no one had made him weigh his origin.
The last day arrived and before leaving the hotel, Deborah decided to give her gift to Buck. He was happy and thanked her, but did not fail to give her his own gift, a ring with their names engraved on it. Deborah was happy and the two made love before leaving the room.
On the way to Fort Laramie, where they would meet Lou and Kid, they exchanged many kisses and cuddles and remained tenderly embraced.
When the two couples met they hugged and kissed and then boarded the stagecoach that would take them to Sweetwater. During the trip, they told each other about their stay and their adventures.
When they arrived in Sweetwater, they were greeted by their friends with kisses and hugs and went to the station altogether. Jimmy, hugging Deborah, told her: "I missed you so much.” She didn't answer but just smiled.
It was morning and they made an appointment for the evening for dinner at the shack. Deborah and Buck tried to arrange all the luggage and Deborah immediately wanted to do the laundry, so as not to waste too much time.
While she was drying the clothes, Jesse joins her and asked her: "Is it true that you won't ask for homework tomorrow at school?"
She replied: "Of course, I will, Jesse, and if you haven't, you better get busy!”
As Jimmy was nearby, she asked him: “Jimmy, would you please help Jesse with his homework? It would be good for him and for you too, so you could improve in reading and writing since it is very close to your heart.”
Jimmy agreed, and the two left together. She was delighted with this assignment she had given Jimmy because she knew how proud he was.
She then went back into the house, where Buck was reading a book. They set out to arrange the gifts they had taken from their friends, and then immediately hung the picture that the portrait painter had made for them during the cruise in the living room.
When dinner time arrived, they went to the shack, where they dined between one story and another. Kid and Lou told about their honeymoon and so did Deborah and Buck. Deborah commented that it had all been beautiful and said: "The only drawback was the meeting with Buck's ex ..."
Cody said: "Which one?"
Deborah commented: "Ah why, was there more than one?"
Buck glared at Cody who said: "Well, Kathleen and Camille I mean." Buck glared at him again, they all knew it was better not to mention Camille in front of Deborah, who said: "Kathleen" and told them what had happened.
After dinner, the four boys handed out their presents and when Jimmy received his watch, Jesse noticed that he had received the most expensive gift of all and Jimmy said: "Maybe they had something that needed forgiving?"
Buck replied: "We don't have anything that needs forgiven, Deborah knew you like watches and she was kind enough to pick that one but she probably made a mistake."
Jimmy replied, "It's not the only mistake she made."
Buck was about to get up but Deborah stopped him and said to Jimmy:, "Wait for me outside, we need to talk and I don't want to spoil dinner any more than you already have."
Buck wanted to go out with them but she told him it was up to her to resolve the situation. When they were out, Deborah said to Jimmy: “Enough now, Jimmy, Buck, and I haven't cheated on you. I thought you understood, but apparently, you need to hear more about why it turned out like this. You neglected me and did not make me feel loved, I have pointed this out to you several times but you have underestimated the problem, now please do not accuse us. This is how it is and you must accept it if you want harmony to continue to reign among us, otherwise, we will have to cut ties with you. Is that what you want?"
"No, but don't tell me that I have to digest without saying a word that a friend of mine has stolen the woman from me."
“Buck didn't take anything away from you, first of all, because I'm not an object, secondly because I decided to leave you and until Buck was sure he didn't start a relationship with me. It's time to put your heart in peace.”
"It's not that simple, I still love you."
“I know this, but then you have to respect my marriage and build a civil relationship with us.”
Jimmy promised and apologized. And the two, after hugging, went back inside. Jimmy apologized to everyone and especially Buck, then the situation eased and everyone started laughing and joking.
When it was time to go to sleep, Deborah and Buck went home and she told Buck what she and Jimmy had said and he said: "Let's hope it's really over, although I have my doubts."
Then they went to bed and made love.
The next morning they woke up late because they were very tired, and as Deborah was making breakfast wearing only Buck's shirt, she heard a knock on the door. It was Lou who blushed when she saw Deborah dressed like this, saying she would come over later. She said to her: “Come in! We just woke up and I was preparing breakfast.Would you like to have some?"
“No, thanks, I just wanted to know if you could lend me some flour, I ran out of it,” she said embarrassed.
"Yes, don't worry, I'll get it right away."
Meanwhile, Buck had come down wearing only his trousers and asked: "Who is it?"
Then he saw Lou and greeted her, when she started to leave, but Buck also invited her to stay. She said no again, apologizing and then Deborah said: "Ok, see you later."
Then she said to Buck: "In my opinion, there is something wrong and she wanted to talk to me, then she saw us like this and changed her mind. Later I will go to her to find out if there is any problem.”
The two of them had breakfast, got dressed, then Buck went out to see his shifts for the week and Deborah went to Lou. When she was in the house she asked her: "Lou, you wanted to talk to me about something this morning, right?"
She replied: "Actually, yes, I wanted to ask you what your married life is like with Buck, if I'm not indiscreet. I mean, how do you organize yourself at home, when well, when you are together?”
Deborah smiled and said: "Don't be ashamed Lou, we're friends and we have no secrets."
Lou said: "I ask you because my life with Kid seems set to me."
“But look, Buck and I don't plan anything, I do the housework and I cook but often he helps me with both. We talk about everything. We have no secrets. If something is wrong with our behavior we tell each other. We are very frank and sincere and as regards being together, when it happens and when we feel like it, there is no when or how. If he comes back and I want to make love with him, I just do it, without thinking about it so much. We have a very free relationship.”
Lou replied: “For me and Kid, it's all different. Yesterday, I did everything while he rested. I feel like I'm tied up and then not having a job doesn't help me. I do not know what to do.”
“Talk to him and point it out. Tell him that you want to be more free to express your feelings and that you would like to find a job. If he loves you, as he surely does, he will understand and come to meet you.”
"Thank you, you are a friend.”
"Anytime, Lou!”
The two girls hugged, then Deborah went home to prepare the afternoon lesson. Buck drove her to school and told her that the next day he would have to work a shift that planned to be away all night. Deborah wasn't thrilled, but she knew it sometimes did.
After class, the two went to the saloon to make arrangements for the following Saturday and to rehearse. When they returned, they met the boys and reminded them that the usual meeting would be on Friday and they proposed to have it at their house. They all agreed.
The next morning, Deborah greeted Buck warmly, urging him to be careful and then she went about her business. When she was done, she asked Rachel if she could help her with anything and when she said no, she went home to correct her homework. Suddenly she heard a knock on the door, it was Jimmy who asked her to enter. She agreed and the two went to sit in the living room. They talked about this and that and then Jimmy said, "Sorry, but I can't give up on you, I love you too much..." and then he kissed her and laid her down on the sofa.
She reacted by giving him a slap and saying: "Don't allow yourself anymore!!"
He realized he had made a big mistake and apologized, asking her not to tell Buck about what had happened, but she replied that she had no secrets from her husband and that she certainly would not have kept it from him. Jimmy apologized again and again and she accepted his apology but said: "It must never be repeated again or our relationship will be cut off for good."
Jimmy promised and left. As he walked away Lou came and asked what had happened and Deborah told her about it. Lou tried to console her and Deborah, when she had recovered, asked her if she had talked to Kid. Lou replied that he had faced the problem of work and that Kid, even if reluctantly, had understood and agreed. She had not yet dared about the other matter.
Deborah said to her: "But you don't have to be ashamed, he's your husband." "Yes, but it's not that simple, he has his traditions, he didn't grow up like Buck."
“What do you mean he didn't grow up like Buck? That he is a savage? Then I'm a savage too since I think like him. You know what I say? We are not savages, but Kid’s too bigoted and that you think these things about us offends me and makes me doubt your friendship.”
"I didn't mean that, I'm sorry."
"You meant it instead. Now please leave.”
Lou was mortified and went to confide in Rachel, who then went to Deborah to make her reason. But when she defended Lou, Deborah accused her of thinking like her, also reminding her of the joke they had played on her at the wedding by Lou and Kid. Rachel left and decided to give her some time to think.
Buck came back the next morning and noticed that Deborah was upset and asked her what had happened. She acted evasively, but then recounted what had happened with Jimmy and Lou and Rachel. Buck was furious at Jimmy's behavior and decided to confront him right away while advising Deborah to reflect on her relationship with the two women and figure out what she really wanted.
Then, despite Deborah asking him not to, Buck went to Jimmy and punched him. He reacted and the two began to fight. Noah had to step in to separate them. Buck said to Jimmy: "If you do it again I swear I'll kill you!" and then left.
He then went to Rachel's asking her to call Lou and tried to figure out what had happened. The two women gave their version to Buck who pointed out that they hadn't been very tactful with Deborah. They recognized him and apologized and decided to go talk to her.
Deborah was preparing the lesson for the afternoon and at first she didn't want to let them in, but then they insisted and said Buck asked them too. The two women apologized to both of them and promised that from now on they would no longer think that they were different. Deborah accepted the apology, but knew it would take a long time to digest it.
When Teaspoon learned of the fight between Buck and Jimmy, he pretended nothing had happened at the moment, but the next day he asked both boys to accompany him to buy horses.
During the trip, he gave them a wash of the head and forced Jimmy to promise that he would never behave like that again. If they hadn't tried to get along, he would have fired them both. The two boys promised.
Once they returned, Buck told Deborah everything and she hoped things would change.
In the afternoon, after school, Buck and Deborah went to rehearsal in the saloon again. They were very upset because they would have their first performance on Saturday.
Friday night came and Deborah and Buck cooked dinner for the boys, Teaspoon and Rachel. When they were seated at the table, Lou noticed the picture hanging on the wall and gasped: "This picture of you both is wonderful! Who did this for you?"
“An artist on the Hudson River cruise. A photographer took a picture of us and this artist wanted to make a portrait of it. We really like it!”
Rachel said: "Wow, when you think of a representation of love, you think of these looks.”
Deborah and Buck were delighted and kissed. Dinner was fun as usual and at the end of the night, Buck and Deborah invited everyone to the saloon the next night for their debut, while Lou and Kid said they would all be their guests next week.
The day after, the couple was very excited, and in the evening they got ready to go to the saloon. They dressed as they did at Kid and Lou’s wedding and sang the same songs to break the ice. Later, if things went well, they would prepare other pieces. The public was enthusiastic, especially of the Allelujah and the owner congratulated them. They were officially hired.
They all celebrated together and Lou took the opportunity to announce that he had found a job at a clothing store in Sweetwater. Everyone congratulated her.
Life continued calmly among the boys, and luckily there had been no more disagreements between Jimmy and Buck.
One afternoon, while the boys were relaxing a bit, Cody had the bad idea of making nasty jokes about the intimate relationship between Buck and Deborah and the others. Instead of silencing him, it seemed to give him strength, Buck took it and said: "I won’t allow you to talk about my wife like that, you are disgusting!” He said, and went away.
Kid tried to stop him by telling them: “Buck, he was just kidding.” But Buck didn't want to hear an apology and rushed towards the house, where Deborah was going out.
He said to her, “Come, let's go for a ride!”. He said, taking her by the hand, making her get on the horse, without giving her time to talk.
She knew that when he behaved like this, you shouldn't talk to him, but wait for him to let off some steam.
They went to the river and when they were seated in each other's arms, she understood that it was time to talk.
"Do you want to tell me now what happened?" .She asked.
“Cody again allowed himself to make heavy comments about you and the others gave him some rope. They tired me out, it's a lack of respect for both of us.”
Deborah said to him: “They are men, you know how they are made, don't tell me that in their place you would not have done the same thing. You will see that they will apologize.”
He kissed her and said nothing.
When they returned, all the boys went to meet him and Kid spoke up: “Sorry Buck, we were really insensitive, if they did the same thing with Lou, I'd have beat him to death. Please, forgive us tonight, we would like to invite you to dinner and each of us will cook something.”
Buck replied: “I accept the apology, but dinner is not necessary. The important thing is that it never happens again.”
Noah added: "Come on, take it as an opportunity not to have to help Deborah clear away the dishes!”
In the end, it was decided and Deborah said: "I have the impression that we will only eat the dish prepared by Jimmy. I have many reservations about the cooking of others ...".
Everyone laughed, but Deborah was right, the boys were completely unable to cook. Luckily Jimmy's stew was plentiful and so it was enough for everyone.
The following Friday, they went to Lou and Kid's house, and again, had a good evening. Lou took advantage of a moment when Deborah was helping her in the kitchen to tell her that she had finally found the courage to talk to Kid about their intimacy, and that everything had worked out for the best.
Deborah was delighted. It seemed that after that little give and take, the situation was back to where it was before, and that the relationship between the two girls had even grown closer.
The days went by happily, and Teaspoon had sometimes entrusted Buck and Jimmy with racing together to test them, they were certainly not friends, but the coexistence was peaceful.
One day, while the two were out together, they were attacked by an Indian tribe who had decided to attack them because the army had just devastated their camp.
The two boys tried to defend themselves as best they could, but suddenly an Indian aimed an arrow straight at Jimmy. Buck noticed it, and while shouting his name rushed towards him and managed to push him away, but the arrow struck him very close to the heart and other arrows followed, severely wounded him.
Jimmy tried to drag him away, also suffering a wound in his arm, but he managed to make the warriors flee thanks to his rifle.
As soon as they were gone, Jimmy tried to medicate Buck as best he could and loaded him onto his horse to take him back to town. While he was medicating him Buck said: "Swear to me that you will take care of her and that you will love her forever and that you will never make her suffer again."
"Don't be silly, Buck, you'll be fine."
"Swear it to me."
"Okay, I swear, but now let's go back to town as soon as possible.”
Jimmy rode as fast as he could, rushing to the doctor. Then he looked for Jesse and immediately sent him for Deborah and the others. The doctor let him in and tried to medicate Buck and Jimmy as best he could.
As soon as Jesse broke the news, Deborah dropped the clothes she was holding and rushed to take the horse. When she arrived in town, and saw Jimmy injured, he rushed at him and said: “What have you done to him? Have you fought again?”
She cursed, and began to punch him.
Jimmy didn't defend himself, but told her: “We were attacked by the Indians and he saved my life. Don't waste time with me. Go to him.”
Deborah came in and immediately asked the doctor what Buck's condition was. The doctor told her: “He has lost a lot of blood, and has many injuries. But only one is the most serious. It’s closest to the heart. If it does not heal immediately it can affect vital tissues and then it will not make it.”
Deborah almost fainted, but recovered and asked the doctor: "Is there anything that can accelerate the healing of the wound?"
“Nothing that I or other doctors have available. The only thing would be an ointment that Indians use but we don't know its composition and we don't know how to make it. We can only pray.”
“Do all Indians know how to do it?" Deborah asked.
“Yes, any tribe.”
“So also the Kiowa?”
"Of course.” The doctor said.
"How much time do I have?"
"But what do you want to do?"
"I asked you how much time I have?” .Deborah desperately asked.
“The sooner it will be, the better chance you will have.”
"He will have the ointment.”
Deborah walked over to Buck and kissed him, whispering: "Don't worry love, you'll make it."
Then she took his earring and knife, only in this way would the tribe of Red Bear, Buck's half-brother, not attack her. She was counting that someone would maybe recognize her.
She rushed out, followed by the doctor, who tried to dissuade her but to no avail. The doctor explained to the boys that were present what Deborah had intended to do.
Jimmy tried to get on his horse to go with her, but Teaspoon stopped him: “She has to go alone. If something were to go wrong due to someone else's presence, he would never forgive us.”
Jimmy then prayed for her and for Buck to be saved.
Chapter Six
eborah ran faster than light and managed to arrive without problems near the Red Bear camp, where she had gone some time before to marry Buck according to the Kiowa rite.
She was stopped by some warriors but tried to make herself understood by showing the objects she had taken from Buck and saying the names of her husband and Red Bear.
They most likely understood something, because they decided to take it to their chief.
When Red Bear saw her, he was amazed and at the same time worried because he understood that there was something wrong if she showed up there alone.
The two said goodbye, and then Deborah explained the situation to her brother-in-law.
Red Bear wasted no time and ordered his doctor to prepare the ointment. Meanwhile, he offered her a drink and a little rest. As soon as the ointment was ready, Red Bear told her that he would accompany her, so the journey would be safer.
Deborah didn't have the strength to protest and let him guide her.
When they arrived in town, everyone looked at them strangely. The two rushed to the doctor who immediately used the ointment on Buck's wound.
All they could do was wait.
Time never seemed to pass. The boys were also allowed to enter. Suddenly, there was a cough and Deborah, who was at Buck's bedside, saw him opening his eyes. She immediately called the doctor who made sure that the wound had healed.
They had made it, Buck was out of danger. Deborah burst into tears and everyone screamed for joy.
Sure of his brother's safety, Red Bear was about to leave but Deborah noticed and stopped him. She thanked him heartily and hugged him, promising that when Buck recovered, they would come and see him. The doctor also shook hands with Red Bear and tried to steal the secret of the ointment from him, but he was adamant.
The doctor let everyone out except Deborah so she could see Buck. Meanwhile, he had regained his senses and Deborah in tears said to him: "My love, don't play such a joke on me again, never leave me again.”
He smiled at her and tried to speak, but he was still too weak. The doctor examined him and said that everything would be fine. Now he just needed a lot of rest and a lot of love, but that he knew he would not miss.
After a while, Buck was able to speak and tried to explain to Deborah what had happened, but she shut him up and told him there would be time. Then she kissed him.
Meanwhile, the doctor had given the boys permission to enter one at a time and Jimmy wanted to enter first.
Buck gave him a smile and Deborah said: “I owe you an apology, Jimmy. I shouldn't have attacked you like that.”
Jimmy told her there was no need to apologize and that he understood her. Then he recounted what had happened and also what Buck had made him promise. Then he asked him: "Why did you do that, Buck, you could have saved yourself and let him hit me."
“I would never have forgiven myself. I preferred to die and know she was with you rather than live with the remorse of not having saved you and this weight on my heart that would have damaged our relationship anyway.” Deborah kissed him.
Jimmy thanked him heartily and promised him that from now on he would consider him as a brother and that he would never do anything again that could compromise their relationship. The two boys shook hands. Deborah cried and hugged Jimmy thanking him heartily.
As she was leaving, Deborah returned the knife and earring to her husband and briefly told him that she had gone to look for Red Bear and let him know how things had gone. Buck scolded her for her unconsciousness, but thanked her and kissed her.
All the boys, Teaspoon and Rachel came in to greet him.
In the evening, the doctor agreed to let him go home but on the promise that he would not tire. Buck promised and so he was able to go home where Deborah looked after him lovingly that evening and the following days.
With the care of Deborah, Rachel, Lou and the boys too, Buck recovered quickly. Her relationship with Jimmy had really become very strong and everyone was happy about it.
Deborah and Buck, as soon as it was possible, made up for lost time and every opportunity was good to be together and make love several times a day. They had been too afraid of getting lost.
Gradually, Buck also resumed his runs and saloon work with Deborah. Life had resumed normally.
One day, Rachel gave Buck a letter addressed to him that came from Italy. Buck was about to go to deliver it to Deborah but Rachel stopped him: "The letter is addressed to you, not her, I would read it first, you never know."
Buck agreed, and in fact Rachel was right, the letter was from Deborah's friends, Anna, Laura and Marina, who announced that in August, for the holidays, they would come to Sweetwater to visit her friend for a week and asked him to organize the surprise for Deborah who shouldn't have known anything.
Buck immediately answered the girls to make arrangements, and this letter was followed by others.
The month of August arrived early, school was over and Deborah had more free time to devote herself to reading and her husband. She never missed an opportunity to organize surprises for him, give him gifts, and stay with him as soon as Buck was free.
They often made love, even several times a day and hoped that soon they would have a baby. In the afternoon, they always had rehearsals for the saloon performance which was a success every Saturday night and their friends never lacked.
The only melancholy note for Deborah was not having close friends and family, even if the boys, Rachel and Teaspoon made up for this lack. She and Lou often spent hours chatting together, and if she had any problems she would go to Rachel who she considered to be an older sister, but it wasn't the same thing.
Buck knew this and was not worried about his friends, but he decided to write to Deborah's family to find out if anyone, during the holidays, could come and visit her, promising to organize a trip to Italy as soon as they had a little more money set aside.
The day came when Deborah's friends had to join them, the agreement was that in the evening Rachel would invite them to dinner, Jimmy would go to pick them up and when Deborah entered the shack they would surprise her. Everything was ready.
Buck came back from his run and prepared to lay the trap for Deborah, but she messed up his plans, when she saw him coming, she let herself be found in the bathtub because she wanted, as often happened, to be with him for a while before the dinner. Buck tried to tell her that they had to hurry even if the instinct was to jump right into the tub with her, but Deborah got up, drew herself into him and undressed him. Buck did not flinch and thought that a little delay would have meant nothing.
When they got out of the tub, Buck said to her: "You are always full of pleasant surprises."
She replied: "Well, it's easy when you have a husband who is the sex wizard and is a bomb."
Buck blushed, but then they finished back in the tub.
When they left, Buck asked her to wear the white dress with red flowers he had given her for their honeymoon. Deborah was surprised at the request for a dinner in the bunkhouse, but did not want to contradict him.
They obviously arrived late, and as soon as they entered, Buck stood in front of her apologizing, then moved away and suddenly everyone shouted "Surprise!" and moving forward they made Deborah's friends advance.
As soon as she saw them, she covered her eyes and burst into tears, she didn't believe it. She rushed to hug them, and they all had shining eyes. Then he turned to Buck and said: "You knew that, that's why …” but then stopped. He smiled at her and she hugged him.
They sat down at the table and Deborah asked her friends to tell everything about their trip and asked how long they would stay. Then they, in turn, asked about her.
Buck and Deborah briefly talked about their life and their marriage, but Deborah, in order not to hurt Jimmy's sensibility anyway, said that the next day they would talk to themselves more thoroughly. Deborah inquired about her friends' families and husbands and laughed and joked throughout the evening. When it was time to go, Jimmy offered to take them to the hotel and they gladly accepted.
During the trip, the girls, especially Marina, who was the most daring, asked a lot of questions to Jimmy, who tried to be evasive, but they understood.
The schedule for the next day included: lunch at Deborah and Buck's, then they would go back to the hotel to freshen up, and then dinner again all together.
Deborah had invited Lou to lunch too because Kid would be out on his run. At first she said no, because she wanted the 4 girls to have the freedom to talk to each other, but Deborah insisted because now, having overcome the latest misunderstandings, she considered her one of her best friends.
Lou was moved and accepted.
Back home that evening, Deborah kissed Buck passionately, and thanked him heartily for arranging everything.
Then they made love again.
The next morning, Buck brought her breakfast in bed, and she repaid him by dragging him back under the sheets.
Soon Anna, Laura and Marina arrived and brought a gift for the wedding they had not been able to attend, a set of beautiful sheets. Deborah and Buck thanked them, then Lou came with a cake and they all sat down at the table. Buck had helped Deborah prepare lunch and cooked some Indian dishes that everyone loved.
During lunch, the girls wanted to know their entire story in detail and wanted a detailed account of their friend's two weddings, who then showed them the few photos they had taken.
Then it was the turn of the story relating to the honeymoon. The girls asked many questions and Deborah and Buck answered all of them. No detail was left out. At the end of the meal they moved into the living room. Lou took her leave, and Buck told Deborah not to worry because he would fix the plates and the table, and then go out and fix the fence that needed to be repaired.
When they were alone, Laura asked Deborah: "But where did you find him? Aside from being passed by a boy who is more handsome than the other, Buck is exceptional, he also helps you around the house and it shows that he loves you.”
“Yes, the research was long and painful, but it was worth it.”
They all laughed, and then noticed their portrait and Deborah's friends too, like the other boys, gasped.
The girls chatted for a while, and Deborah confided in them and told them what she felt for Buck and reassured them that she was really happy now.
She also told his whole story with Jimmy, and the episode in which Buck was nearly fatally wounded. When the time came, she walked them out.
Buck joined them to greet them and Jimmy did the same. He again offered to accompany them to the hotel and they accepted.
When they left, Buck said: "Either Jimmy fell in love with one of them, or he still loves you very much."
Deborah replied: "You would have done it in his place?" He nodded, yes. Then she said to him: “By the way, I need you at home for an urgent job…” "What job? I'm fixing the fence, can't we do it later?”
"No, I need you now, we have to move things.”
Meanwhile, Noah had arrived who had overheard the conversation and said to Buck: "Go ahead, I'll replace you."
Buck replied: "But it doesn't seem right," and Noah said: "Go, don't worry, you'll return the favor someday."
Deborah looked at Noah and said: "Thank you" and then in a low voice, "You have to give him lessons in women's language ..." The two smiled.
Deborah took Buck by the hand and led him into the house. As soon as they entered, he said to her: "So, what is this urgent work we need to do, what do we have to move?"
She walked over to him and began to take off his vest and said: "Let's start moving this, then let's continue with the shirt and then ..."
He smiled and let himself be kissed and undressed. Then all of a sudden, he stopped and said: "Wait, you mean that Noah has understood ..."
"Ha ha," she said and continued kissing him. He got involved and they moved to the sofa to make love. Then he said to her: "There is only one thing missing from our happiness, a child."
"It will come, you will see.”
"What if it doesn't arrive?"
"Do not worry, with the frequency with which we make love, sooner or later it will happen, and if it does not happen we will think about it. You are very sweet and beautiful and our baby will be wonderful.”
He kissed her, and they made love again.
Then they got up to get ready because Deborah's friends would come back for dinner at Rachel's in the evening, but before getting up, she told him: "I'm lucky to have married the wizard of sex, so sexy ..." She smiled.
Clothed and prepared, they left the house. Buck stopped to talk to Noah and said: "Thanks, I'm a little embarrassed about the situation but thanks.”
“Don’t mention it! You are so in love that it is nice to look at you and help you. Then, when you get tired of her and I have a beautiful wife, you will return the favor. "
"I will certainly return the favor, but I will never tire of her."
Noah smiled, and Buck joined Deborah in the bunkhouse. She had come in to help Rachel, but the woman was not there. Deborah began to prepare while humming and when Rachel entered she said: "Wow what a good mood!".
"You know, I have a beautiful, sexy and wonderful husband, I have my friends here, I have a beautiful new family, what more could I want?"
Rachel smiled, and meanwhile Buck came in and said: "Can I help you?" Deborah said: "See, what did I tell you, it's love."
Rachel laughed, and Buck understood and laughed too.
After preparing, Deborah and Buck went out onto the porch. He had tied his long hair and she sat in his arms. She began to kiss him, and said: "If my friends weren’t arriving, I would have dragged you back home ..."
"Oh oh, you are so flirty."
"Why wouldn't you do it?"
"Ha ha!" He said, kissing her.
In the meantime, Cody arrived who saw them said: "My goodness, you give your stomach upset with sweetness at times, but how can you always stay so close?"
Buck replied: "Envy?"
He shook his head and entered.
Meanwhile, the wagon with the three women arrived. Buck and Deborah welcomed them and then entered the bunkhouse where dinner began. It was a lot of fun, and the four friends remembered the old days. Deborah then asked about their husbands: "How can you be away from them for so long, I couldn't be away from Buck for that long."
Marina replied: "Because you are just married.”
Deborah said: “I remember when you introduced Gabriele to Andrea, my Italian boyfriend, you told him not to make a fool of you!”
"Yes, that's right, I didn't trust, ha ha ha!"
Everyone laughed, and the evening continued so happily. Before leaving, they arranged for a picnic for the next day down by the river and also invited Lou and Rachel. The latter did not want to go but they convinced her, entrusting Jimmy with the task of preparing lunch for the boys.
The three women, this time accompanied by Noah, returned to the hotel.
Deborah and Buck returned home, and before falling asleep in each other's arms they made love again.
The next morning, Buck had to make his run.
Deborah got up to prepare breakfast and a picnic basket, wearing only Buck's shirt. He went down to breakfast dressed, but without a shirt and she said to him: "Don't you think you are missing something?"
"I wait for a beautiful thief to return it to me."
"Come and get it!" She teased.
"No, you would make me late because I would drag you back to bed ..."
She smiled, and served breakfast. Then he got up to prepare the picnic basket. Buck, seeing her wandering around the kitchen barefoot and with only her shirt on, couldn't resist, got up, hugged her, pushed her onto the table and said: "After all, it's not so late ..." and they made love right there.
Deborah, happy as always, then told him that she was going to get dressed so as to give him back his shirt and he said: "Would you please take me a handkerchief from the bedside drawer while I arrange here?"
"Of course, honey.”
Deborah went up to the room, went to the bathroom, settled down and dressed and then opened Buck's bedside drawer but found a nasty surprise, she saw a drawing stuck at the bottom, that depicted him and Camille as children with their names written.
She fell on the bed in tears.
Since she did not return, Buck went to find her. Seeing her in tears made him ask: "What happened?"
She didn't speak, so he went up to her and saw that she was holding the drawing and crying.
Softly, he said to her, “I didn't even remember having it anymore, it's just a memory from when I was little, nothing important but a piece of my past. I have so little from when I was a child, that I have kept even these insignificant things. It doesn't mean anything to me. Then I should ask you to throw away all the gifts that Jimmy and your boyfriend have given you in Italy. We just made love, you should know that I love only you and that nothing is more important.”. Then he hugged her and kissed her.
Deborah recovered and said, "Finding it so suddenly, almost hidden, hurt me.”
“It wasn't hidden, it was forgotten, which is an added factor that should make you realize it doesn't matter, okay? I'm here with you, I'm your husband and nothing can divide us.”
"You are right, sorry. I'm sorry I ever doubted you.”
Then they kissed. Buck told her to go on out, and that he would join her immediately.
Deborah composed herself, and went downstairs to prepare the last things. Then she accompanied Buck to get the horse, and when the time came she greeted him.
She went back to the house to fix some things, went to the bathroom, and looked by chance in the garbage can, he found the drawing of Buck and Camille wrinkled. She felt tremendously guilty but at the same time reassured. She took it, luckily finding that it wasn't torn, and arranged it as best she could, putting it back in the drawer with a note: “Thanks, but it wasn't necessary. Now I get it. I love you.”
She went out to meet her friends, who were on their way. They called Lou and Rachel and headed for the river. They spent most of the day chatting, joking, eating and bathed a little in the river.
Deborah's three friends continued to congratulate her on the life she had built and for the love that marked her marriage and Deborah was happy about it. In the early afternoon, they returned because Deborah and Buck were rehearsing at the saloon that day.
After they left, they made an appointment for the next morning, when Deborah would join them to help them do some shopping. Deborah also took leave of Lou and Rachel and went back into the house.
She called Buck because she had noticed that his horse was in the stable and he told her he was in the room and to come up. When she reached him, she found him in bed, without clothes, waiting for her.
She said to him, "What a wonderful welcome!"
"It's a way to thank you for understanding.”
He referred to the fact that he had found his drawing and his wife's note. She did not wait, she undressed, joined him and they made love passionately. They dressed and went to the rehearsals very happy.
When they returned, they then prepared dinner and after having arranged everything after eating, they sat on the veranda to read a bit.
Deborah was lying on his lap and he stroked her hair as he read. Buck made very strange faces because he was still reading the book of Greek mythology he had asked Deborah about.
She laughed and asked him why he made those funny faces and he replied that he was reading some rather absurd things. She laughed and teased him, then he started tickling her.
They laughed so hard that they were afraid someone would hear them. They looked at each other, closed their books and went into the house. Buck picked her up, carried her into the bedroom, undressed her, and she did the same. Buck spread her out on the bed and this time they made love wildly. Exhausted, they fell asleep in each other's arms.
She was stopped by some warriors but tried to make herself understood by showing the objects she had taken from Buck and saying the names of her husband and Red Bear.
They most likely understood something, because they decided to take it to their chief.
When Red Bear saw her, he was amazed and at the same time worried because he understood that there was something wrong if she showed up there alone.
The two said goodbye, and then Deborah explained the situation to her brother-in-law.
Red Bear wasted no time and ordered his doctor to prepare the ointment. Meanwhile, he offered her a drink and a little rest. As soon as the ointment was ready, Red Bear told her that he would accompany her, so the journey would be safer.
Deborah didn't have the strength to protest and let him guide her.
When they arrived in town, everyone looked at them strangely. The two rushed to the doctor who immediately used the ointment on Buck's wound.
All they could do was wait.
Time never seemed to pass. The boys were also allowed to enter. Suddenly, there was a cough and Deborah, who was at Buck's bedside, saw him opening his eyes. She immediately called the doctor who made sure that the wound had healed.
They had made it, Buck was out of danger. Deborah burst into tears and everyone screamed for joy.
Sure of his brother's safety, Red Bear was about to leave but Deborah noticed and stopped him. She thanked him heartily and hugged him, promising that when Buck recovered, they would come and see him. The doctor also shook hands with Red Bear and tried to steal the secret of the ointment from him, but he was adamant.
The doctor let everyone out except Deborah so she could see Buck. Meanwhile, he had regained his senses and Deborah in tears said to him: "My love, don't play such a joke on me again, never leave me again.”
He smiled at her and tried to speak, but he was still too weak. The doctor examined him and said that everything would be fine. Now he just needed a lot of rest and a lot of love, but that he knew he would not miss.
After a while, Buck was able to speak and tried to explain to Deborah what had happened, but she shut him up and told him there would be time. Then she kissed him.
Meanwhile, the doctor had given the boys permission to enter one at a time and Jimmy wanted to enter first.
Buck gave him a smile and Deborah said: “I owe you an apology, Jimmy. I shouldn't have attacked you like that.”
Jimmy told her there was no need to apologize and that he understood her. Then he recounted what had happened and also what Buck had made him promise. Then he asked him: "Why did you do that, Buck, you could have saved yourself and let him hit me."
“I would never have forgiven myself. I preferred to die and know she was with you rather than live with the remorse of not having saved you and this weight on my heart that would have damaged our relationship anyway.” Deborah kissed him.
Jimmy thanked him heartily and promised him that from now on he would consider him as a brother and that he would never do anything again that could compromise their relationship. The two boys shook hands. Deborah cried and hugged Jimmy thanking him heartily.
As she was leaving, Deborah returned the knife and earring to her husband and briefly told him that she had gone to look for Red Bear and let him know how things had gone. Buck scolded her for her unconsciousness, but thanked her and kissed her.
All the boys, Teaspoon and Rachel came in to greet him.
In the evening, the doctor agreed to let him go home but on the promise that he would not tire. Buck promised and so he was able to go home where Deborah looked after him lovingly that evening and the following days.
With the care of Deborah, Rachel, Lou and the boys too, Buck recovered quickly. Her relationship with Jimmy had really become very strong and everyone was happy about it.
Deborah and Buck, as soon as it was possible, made up for lost time and every opportunity was good to be together and make love several times a day. They had been too afraid of getting lost.
Gradually, Buck also resumed his runs and saloon work with Deborah. Life had resumed normally.
One day, Rachel gave Buck a letter addressed to him that came from Italy. Buck was about to go to deliver it to Deborah but Rachel stopped him: "The letter is addressed to you, not her, I would read it first, you never know."
Buck agreed, and in fact Rachel was right, the letter was from Deborah's friends, Anna, Laura and Marina, who announced that in August, for the holidays, they would come to Sweetwater to visit her friend for a week and asked him to organize the surprise for Deborah who shouldn't have known anything.
Buck immediately answered the girls to make arrangements, and this letter was followed by others.
The month of August arrived early, school was over and Deborah had more free time to devote herself to reading and her husband. She never missed an opportunity to organize surprises for him, give him gifts, and stay with him as soon as Buck was free.
They often made love, even several times a day and hoped that soon they would have a baby. In the afternoon, they always had rehearsals for the saloon performance which was a success every Saturday night and their friends never lacked.
The only melancholy note for Deborah was not having close friends and family, even if the boys, Rachel and Teaspoon made up for this lack. She and Lou often spent hours chatting together, and if she had any problems she would go to Rachel who she considered to be an older sister, but it wasn't the same thing.
Buck knew this and was not worried about his friends, but he decided to write to Deborah's family to find out if anyone, during the holidays, could come and visit her, promising to organize a trip to Italy as soon as they had a little more money set aside.
The day came when Deborah's friends had to join them, the agreement was that in the evening Rachel would invite them to dinner, Jimmy would go to pick them up and when Deborah entered the shack they would surprise her. Everything was ready.
Buck came back from his run and prepared to lay the trap for Deborah, but she messed up his plans, when she saw him coming, she let herself be found in the bathtub because she wanted, as often happened, to be with him for a while before the dinner. Buck tried to tell her that they had to hurry even if the instinct was to jump right into the tub with her, but Deborah got up, drew herself into him and undressed him. Buck did not flinch and thought that a little delay would have meant nothing.
When they got out of the tub, Buck said to her: "You are always full of pleasant surprises."
She replied: "Well, it's easy when you have a husband who is the sex wizard and is a bomb."
Buck blushed, but then they finished back in the tub.
When they left, Buck asked her to wear the white dress with red flowers he had given her for their honeymoon. Deborah was surprised at the request for a dinner in the bunkhouse, but did not want to contradict him.
They obviously arrived late, and as soon as they entered, Buck stood in front of her apologizing, then moved away and suddenly everyone shouted "Surprise!" and moving forward they made Deborah's friends advance.
As soon as she saw them, she covered her eyes and burst into tears, she didn't believe it. She rushed to hug them, and they all had shining eyes. Then he turned to Buck and said: "You knew that, that's why …” but then stopped. He smiled at her and she hugged him.
They sat down at the table and Deborah asked her friends to tell everything about their trip and asked how long they would stay. Then they, in turn, asked about her.
Buck and Deborah briefly talked about their life and their marriage, but Deborah, in order not to hurt Jimmy's sensibility anyway, said that the next day they would talk to themselves more thoroughly. Deborah inquired about her friends' families and husbands and laughed and joked throughout the evening. When it was time to go, Jimmy offered to take them to the hotel and they gladly accepted.
During the trip, the girls, especially Marina, who was the most daring, asked a lot of questions to Jimmy, who tried to be evasive, but they understood.
The schedule for the next day included: lunch at Deborah and Buck's, then they would go back to the hotel to freshen up, and then dinner again all together.
Deborah had invited Lou to lunch too because Kid would be out on his run. At first she said no, because she wanted the 4 girls to have the freedom to talk to each other, but Deborah insisted because now, having overcome the latest misunderstandings, she considered her one of her best friends.
Lou was moved and accepted.
Back home that evening, Deborah kissed Buck passionately, and thanked him heartily for arranging everything.
Then they made love again.
The next morning, Buck brought her breakfast in bed, and she repaid him by dragging him back under the sheets.
Soon Anna, Laura and Marina arrived and brought a gift for the wedding they had not been able to attend, a set of beautiful sheets. Deborah and Buck thanked them, then Lou came with a cake and they all sat down at the table. Buck had helped Deborah prepare lunch and cooked some Indian dishes that everyone loved.
During lunch, the girls wanted to know their entire story in detail and wanted a detailed account of their friend's two weddings, who then showed them the few photos they had taken.
Then it was the turn of the story relating to the honeymoon. The girls asked many questions and Deborah and Buck answered all of them. No detail was left out. At the end of the meal they moved into the living room. Lou took her leave, and Buck told Deborah not to worry because he would fix the plates and the table, and then go out and fix the fence that needed to be repaired.
When they were alone, Laura asked Deborah: "But where did you find him? Aside from being passed by a boy who is more handsome than the other, Buck is exceptional, he also helps you around the house and it shows that he loves you.”
“Yes, the research was long and painful, but it was worth it.”
They all laughed, and then noticed their portrait and Deborah's friends too, like the other boys, gasped.
The girls chatted for a while, and Deborah confided in them and told them what she felt for Buck and reassured them that she was really happy now.
She also told his whole story with Jimmy, and the episode in which Buck was nearly fatally wounded. When the time came, she walked them out.
Buck joined them to greet them and Jimmy did the same. He again offered to accompany them to the hotel and they accepted.
When they left, Buck said: "Either Jimmy fell in love with one of them, or he still loves you very much."
Deborah replied: "You would have done it in his place?" He nodded, yes. Then she said to him: “By the way, I need you at home for an urgent job…” "What job? I'm fixing the fence, can't we do it later?”
"No, I need you now, we have to move things.”
Meanwhile, Noah had arrived who had overheard the conversation and said to Buck: "Go ahead, I'll replace you."
Buck replied: "But it doesn't seem right," and Noah said: "Go, don't worry, you'll return the favor someday."
Deborah looked at Noah and said: "Thank you" and then in a low voice, "You have to give him lessons in women's language ..." The two smiled.
Deborah took Buck by the hand and led him into the house. As soon as they entered, he said to her: "So, what is this urgent work we need to do, what do we have to move?"
She walked over to him and began to take off his vest and said: "Let's start moving this, then let's continue with the shirt and then ..."
He smiled and let himself be kissed and undressed. Then all of a sudden, he stopped and said: "Wait, you mean that Noah has understood ..."
"Ha ha," she said and continued kissing him. He got involved and they moved to the sofa to make love. Then he said to her: "There is only one thing missing from our happiness, a child."
"It will come, you will see.”
"What if it doesn't arrive?"
"Do not worry, with the frequency with which we make love, sooner or later it will happen, and if it does not happen we will think about it. You are very sweet and beautiful and our baby will be wonderful.”
He kissed her, and they made love again.
Then they got up to get ready because Deborah's friends would come back for dinner at Rachel's in the evening, but before getting up, she told him: "I'm lucky to have married the wizard of sex, so sexy ..." She smiled.
Clothed and prepared, they left the house. Buck stopped to talk to Noah and said: "Thanks, I'm a little embarrassed about the situation but thanks.”
“Don’t mention it! You are so in love that it is nice to look at you and help you. Then, when you get tired of her and I have a beautiful wife, you will return the favor. "
"I will certainly return the favor, but I will never tire of her."
Noah smiled, and Buck joined Deborah in the bunkhouse. She had come in to help Rachel, but the woman was not there. Deborah began to prepare while humming and when Rachel entered she said: "Wow what a good mood!".
"You know, I have a beautiful, sexy and wonderful husband, I have my friends here, I have a beautiful new family, what more could I want?"
Rachel smiled, and meanwhile Buck came in and said: "Can I help you?" Deborah said: "See, what did I tell you, it's love."
Rachel laughed, and Buck understood and laughed too.
After preparing, Deborah and Buck went out onto the porch. He had tied his long hair and she sat in his arms. She began to kiss him, and said: "If my friends weren’t arriving, I would have dragged you back home ..."
"Oh oh, you are so flirty."
"Why wouldn't you do it?"
"Ha ha!" He said, kissing her.
In the meantime, Cody arrived who saw them said: "My goodness, you give your stomach upset with sweetness at times, but how can you always stay so close?"
Buck replied: "Envy?"
He shook his head and entered.
Meanwhile, the wagon with the three women arrived. Buck and Deborah welcomed them and then entered the bunkhouse where dinner began. It was a lot of fun, and the four friends remembered the old days. Deborah then asked about their husbands: "How can you be away from them for so long, I couldn't be away from Buck for that long."
Marina replied: "Because you are just married.”
Deborah said: “I remember when you introduced Gabriele to Andrea, my Italian boyfriend, you told him not to make a fool of you!”
"Yes, that's right, I didn't trust, ha ha ha!"
Everyone laughed, and the evening continued so happily. Before leaving, they arranged for a picnic for the next day down by the river and also invited Lou and Rachel. The latter did not want to go but they convinced her, entrusting Jimmy with the task of preparing lunch for the boys.
The three women, this time accompanied by Noah, returned to the hotel.
Deborah and Buck returned home, and before falling asleep in each other's arms they made love again.
The next morning, Buck had to make his run.
Deborah got up to prepare breakfast and a picnic basket, wearing only Buck's shirt. He went down to breakfast dressed, but without a shirt and she said to him: "Don't you think you are missing something?"
"I wait for a beautiful thief to return it to me."
"Come and get it!" She teased.
"No, you would make me late because I would drag you back to bed ..."
She smiled, and served breakfast. Then he got up to prepare the picnic basket. Buck, seeing her wandering around the kitchen barefoot and with only her shirt on, couldn't resist, got up, hugged her, pushed her onto the table and said: "After all, it's not so late ..." and they made love right there.
Deborah, happy as always, then told him that she was going to get dressed so as to give him back his shirt and he said: "Would you please take me a handkerchief from the bedside drawer while I arrange here?"
"Of course, honey.”
Deborah went up to the room, went to the bathroom, settled down and dressed and then opened Buck's bedside drawer but found a nasty surprise, she saw a drawing stuck at the bottom, that depicted him and Camille as children with their names written.
She fell on the bed in tears.
Since she did not return, Buck went to find her. Seeing her in tears made him ask: "What happened?"
She didn't speak, so he went up to her and saw that she was holding the drawing and crying.
Softly, he said to her, “I didn't even remember having it anymore, it's just a memory from when I was little, nothing important but a piece of my past. I have so little from when I was a child, that I have kept even these insignificant things. It doesn't mean anything to me. Then I should ask you to throw away all the gifts that Jimmy and your boyfriend have given you in Italy. We just made love, you should know that I love only you and that nothing is more important.”. Then he hugged her and kissed her.
Deborah recovered and said, "Finding it so suddenly, almost hidden, hurt me.”
“It wasn't hidden, it was forgotten, which is an added factor that should make you realize it doesn't matter, okay? I'm here with you, I'm your husband and nothing can divide us.”
"You are right, sorry. I'm sorry I ever doubted you.”
Then they kissed. Buck told her to go on out, and that he would join her immediately.
Deborah composed herself, and went downstairs to prepare the last things. Then she accompanied Buck to get the horse, and when the time came she greeted him.
She went back to the house to fix some things, went to the bathroom, and looked by chance in the garbage can, he found the drawing of Buck and Camille wrinkled. She felt tremendously guilty but at the same time reassured. She took it, luckily finding that it wasn't torn, and arranged it as best she could, putting it back in the drawer with a note: “Thanks, but it wasn't necessary. Now I get it. I love you.”
She went out to meet her friends, who were on their way. They called Lou and Rachel and headed for the river. They spent most of the day chatting, joking, eating and bathed a little in the river.
Deborah's three friends continued to congratulate her on the life she had built and for the love that marked her marriage and Deborah was happy about it. In the early afternoon, they returned because Deborah and Buck were rehearsing at the saloon that day.
After they left, they made an appointment for the next morning, when Deborah would join them to help them do some shopping. Deborah also took leave of Lou and Rachel and went back into the house.
She called Buck because she had noticed that his horse was in the stable and he told her he was in the room and to come up. When she reached him, she found him in bed, without clothes, waiting for her.
She said to him, "What a wonderful welcome!"
"It's a way to thank you for understanding.”
He referred to the fact that he had found his drawing and his wife's note. She did not wait, she undressed, joined him and they made love passionately. They dressed and went to the rehearsals very happy.
When they returned, they then prepared dinner and after having arranged everything after eating, they sat on the veranda to read a bit.
Deborah was lying on his lap and he stroked her hair as he read. Buck made very strange faces because he was still reading the book of Greek mythology he had asked Deborah about.
She laughed and asked him why he made those funny faces and he replied that he was reading some rather absurd things. She laughed and teased him, then he started tickling her.
They laughed so hard that they were afraid someone would hear them. They looked at each other, closed their books and went into the house. Buck picked her up, carried her into the bedroom, undressed her, and she did the same. Buck spread her out on the bed and this time they made love wildly. Exhausted, they fell asleep in each other's arms.
Chapter Seven
In the morning, when Deborah woke up, she saw Buck looking at her and said: "Good morning love, you are beautiful."
She replied: “No, don't look at me as soon as I woke up, I'm a monster.” "But stop, you are a splendor.”
Then he added: "Last night was beautiful."
“Do you want a repeat?” She asked.
“If you want, I can’t ask for anything better.”
They made love again like the night before. Deborah then told him: "If we continue like this, we will not reach old age, we will have coronary arteries sooner."
They both laughed. Buck said to her: "I'll go downstairs to prepare breakfast, so in the meantime, you get ready, and then while I leave you make me a list of things to buy at Thompkins, okay?"
"Ok, my love." She kissed him.
After breakfast, they went out in the wagon to go to town. On the way, Deborah hung on Buck's arm and leaned against him, and every now and then they kissed. They were really happy.
When they arrived in town, they waited for Deborah's friends, then Buck said goodbye and took his leave. They made an appointment for noon to go home.
Deborah went shopping with her friends all morning and took the opportunity to also buy shirts and pants for her husband. The three girls bought everything, indulging in every shop in the city.
Meanwhile, Buck, after buying the supplies, went to greet Teaspoon and then stayed with him until the appointment.
He arrived a little earlier, but the girls hadn't arrived yet. He stopped to lean on the wagon but was soon approached by a young girl who asked him where the store was. Buck kindly pointed it out to him, but the young woman asked him: "Would you be kind enough to accompany me?"
“I can't, I'm sorry, I'm waiting for my wife.”
"Too bad, a handsome man like you could have kept me company.”
Buck smiled and greeted her with his hat. Meanwhile, the girls were returning and Deborah saw the scene from afar. She walked over to Buck and asked who that woman was. He told her what had happened and she told him: "This is the price I have to pay for having such a sexy husband." She kissed him.
They greeted the other three women and decided to meet in the city in the evening to eat something out after rehearsals at the saloon. Buck and Deborah went home and spent the afternoon in peace, reading a little, cuddling, and chatting with the others. They cooled down a bit, and then returned to town for rehearsals. It had become a pleasant routine now.
Later they met Anna, Laura, and Marina and spent a pleasant evening with them at the usual restaurant where the two newlyweds sometimes went. They made an appointment for tea the next day and returned home. When they returned, they began to read for a while, but then they were seized again by passion and ended up making love.
The next morning, Buck left early to replace Cody on a run as he had a bad toothache. They kissed and greeted each other.
Deborah did the housework in the morning and then went to see Lou. The two girls chatted for a while and Lou invited Deborah to lunch, which she accepted with pleasure. Kid had offered to help Lou prepare lunch and Deborah was pleased to note that their married life had settled down and that Lou was much more peaceful since she worked at the shop and Kid was helping her around the house.
Kid turned out to be an acceptable cook and the girls made fun of him. All in all, the lunch was pleasant. Lou and Deborah chatted for a while, until the three
women arrived for tea. Laura, who just arrived, showed Deborah and Lou a flyer sponsoring a dance to be held on Saturday night at the saloon, right where Buck and Deborah were performing. Everyone was enthusiastic about it, and that would then be an opportunity to say goodbye to the three Italians who would leave the next morning.
Lou left her friends alone and the afternoon was again full of chatter. When Buck returned, Deborah informed him of the next day's dance and he worried a little because it would be the first time he had performed on a special occasion. Deborah reassured him and said that after all, they had already done so at Lou and Kid's wedding. This was not enough to reassure him. Deborah then prepared him a nice relaxing bath in which they ended up together.
They then went to rehearsals and made arrangements for the following evening. They would sing three pieces and then enjoy the dance too.
Back home, they had dinner, went to the veranda for a while to read, and cuddled each other, and then ended up back in bed making love.
The next morning, Deborah prepared her clothes for the evening and obviously she chose the white shirt for Buck, she loved him so much dressed like that. She would be wearing the dress she wore at Lou’s wedding. Then she began to make curls in her hair. She wanted to be beautiful.
All the boys were also informed that they were happy to have three maidens to dance with.
The afternoon passed quietly, until Jimmy, returning from his run, gave Deborah a letter from Italy.
The girl opened it immediately and found a surprise in it, the following Monday her sister would arrive and stay one day with her boyfriend.
Buck was happy because he was the one who had written to Deborah's family to find out if anyone would come to see her sooner or later.
Federica, Deborah's sister, was a doctor and was doing a specialization course that would take her to New York, so she decided to stop one day to say goodbye to her sister. Her boyfriend, Yarno, would accompany her, so they would both meet Buck.
Deborah was very happy, she missed her family a lot. Buck was pleased with the surprise.
When the time came, everyone got ready for the party and joined Deborah's friends. The boys were speechless when they saw them dressed up in beautiful dresses and lace and danced with them in turn.
Everyone had a lot of fun and very much appreciated the skill of Buck and Deborah's performance, who was happy for Buck that he was more serene because since the people of Sweetwater had learned to know him better thanks to this work, he had no longer had to suffer humiliation.
Even that evening, in fact, no one had to say about them or their couple, on the contrary, they were admired by several people and many girls were envious of Deborah because he was radiant, as Buck saw the looks that men threw at his wife. They were really happy.
When the party was over, they all went home. Buck and Deborah, however, decided not to go to sleep immediately but wanted to splurge, they changed, put on something more comfortable and went out with Buck's horse.
They went to the river and bathed in the moonlight, loving each other intensely as they knew how to do, without restraint and without shame.
They then came out of the water, dried off and then remained tightly embraced for a while. Later they returned home and fell asleep in each other's arms.
The next morning, they woke up early because they had to go and greet Deborah's friends. The greetings were obviously accompanied by tears and promises to meet again as soon as possible.
Deborah promised to return to Italy for a while with Buck as soon as possible.
The detachment from her friends was weakened by the adrenaline due to the arrival of Federica and Yarno the next day.
Buck asked Cody, whose tooth had healed, to return the favor by taking his run so he could meet his sister-in-law. Cody gladly accepted.
Sunday passed quietly, the boys organized a tug-of-war match and the girls found themselves on Lou's porch chatting.
The next mornin
g, they all went to town to welcome the new couple arriving. The two women hugged, greeted everyone and introduced each other, then went to the station.
Deborah took her sister and boyfriend to their home, showed her nest, and then told her what her life was like there.
The two guests told about their life and informed Deborah about the health of her parents, who fortunately were fine. Federica explained that they could only stay a few hours because then they would have to leave for New York and took the opportunity to personally inform her sister that in August of the following year she and Yarno would get married. Deborah and Buck were very happy and promised her they would be there. Unfortunately, the hours passed quickly and the two had to say goodbye to everyone to leave.
Even though they had spent little time together, Deborah was very happy.
The following weeks went by more or less quiet, with some shooting that the boys had to face due to some bandits and horse thieves, but luckily no one was injured.
In September, Deborah resumed work at school. Jesse had made a lot of progress thanks to the proximity of Jimmy who had helped him all summer to study and do his homework.
Lou had resumed her work at the store after the summer break and life was so peaceful and quiet that Deborah hadn't noticed that her period was missing that month.
She didn't want to say anything to Buck and took advantage of a day when he was busy and rushed to the doctor. The doctor confirmed that she was pregnant and the baby would be born in June.
Deborah was excited but did not want to tell her husband yet, she had decided that she would surprise him for Christmas, when the first three months would pass.
But she knew he had to think of something to keep Buck from noticing and thought for the next couple of months of pretending to have his period.
Deborah also had a fixed thought, when Red Bear had saved Buck from death, she had promised him that they would soon visit him but they had not yet done so.
Deborah understood that if she wanted to go to her brother-in-law with her husband, she had to do it right away because soon her condition would no longer allow her to ride.
When Buck returned, she expressed her desire to keep her promise to Red Bear. Buck agreed and they arranged the trip for the following Sunday. Deborah was trying to ride slowly because she didn't want to do anything to endanger her baby's life.
When they arrived, they were greeted by the tribe who now recognized them and were taken to their leader. He was happy to see them and to learn that his stepbrother had recovered perfectly from the accident.
Buck did not fail to thank him again and apologize for not showing up earlier, but Red Bear replied that he knew the situation he was in and therefore it was okay.
They had lunch together and then had a beautiful afternoon in which the two brothers told some funny episodes from their childhood and then it was time to go.
Without Buck noticing, Deborah told Red Bear the news of her pregnancy and he immediately gave her a medicine that would help her stay healthy, telling Buck that it was an ointment to help her relax.
Buck did not doubt his brother's word and the two went home.
Buck thanked Deborah for persuading him to go to his brother, and then they made love.
Days went by and Deborah felt great, as if the pregnancy gave her more strength instead of exhausting her. She decided to calculate the time to write the news to her family, so that the letter would arrive just at Christmas time for them too.
Over the next few months, Deborah put her plan into action to make Buck notice nothing and everything went smoothly.
It was Christmas time, and Deborah decided that she would make a pair of wool shoes for the baby so that she could give them to Buck when she broke the news.
Secretly, when he was not there and was away from prying eyes, he worked to complete the shoes.
Rachel actually noticed that something had changed in her and tried to start the conversation, but Deborah had always managed to sidetrack her.
She had also already chosen Buck's Christmas present. In addition to the shoes, she would give him a medallion that would contain the photo of their new family when the baby was born.
Deborah often found herself fantasizing about her future life and now she imagined a boy in her arms, now a girl, she couldn't decide. The important thing was that everything was fine.
She soon recruited Buck to go and buy gifts for the boys and to send something to Italy also to his family and friends.
Buck was happy to accompany her because he loved every moment he spent with her, even if it meant shopping.
Together they decided that on Christmas Eve they would invite all their friends to their house and the next day they communicated it. They all agreed and then Lou and Kid booked themselves for Christmas lunch.
Both new families wanted to celebrate Christmas at their homes.
Preparations were in full swing and Deborah tried to decorate the house in the most welcoming and romantic way she could.
When Christmas Eve came, Buck and Deborah prepared everything with precision and love and before the friends arrived, they decided to exchange gifts in front of the lit fireplace. Buck gave her a bracelet and a pair of beautiful earrings and she was thrilled. When his turn came, he opened the package, and saw those little white shoes, his expression was unforgettable, his eyes were shining.
He told her: "You mean that…”
“Yes, I have known for three months but I wanted to wait for the doctor to confirm that everything is fine. Yesterday, I went to him and he said that everything is going great. At the end of June, our baby will be born and we will put our photo with him in that medallion.”
Buck held her tight and kissed her.
"You are making me the happiest man in the world. But how are you? How do you feel? You have to rest.”
“I have never been better, I have no nausea and it seems to me that I have gained new strength. If you agree, we will communicate it to everyone tonight. I wrote a letter to my parents that should arrive in Italy in these days.”
The two hugged again and began to fantasize about their future family. Buck brought his head to Deborah's belly and began to tell the future baby how beautiful his life would be with them and Deborah was moved.
When it was time for dinner, everyone arrived excited and sat down at the table amidst the chatter.
Buck and Deborah exchanged sweet looks that did not escape Rachel, who noticed the same thing between Kid and Lou.
When it was time to exchange gifts, Deborah motioned for Buck to break the news before starting the distribution.
He took the floor and said: "Before distributing your gifts, I want to share with you the beautiful gift that my sweet wife has given me."
Deborah blushed and looked down. Buck went away for a moment and came back with the shoes of the future son in his hand and said: "All of you are soon-to-be uncles and aunts, and each of you will be involved as a babysitter."
Everyone congratulated them and Rachel immediately went to hug them and said to Deborah: "That's what all those looks and that light in your eyes were like. I'm so happy for you.”
Deborah hugged all the boys and when she got to Lou, she told her in her ear that she and Kid had to make an announcement too, Deborah understood immediately and said: "But I think this is not the only surprise.”
In fact, Lou got up and said: "You'll have to split up in the role of babysitter because Kid and I are also expecting a baby."
Happiness was at its peak and emotion also reached its peak. Both babies would be born between the end of June and the beginning of July.
The whole group couldn't be happier. They exchanged presents, and when everyone was finally gone, Buck and Deborah sorted everything out and then went upstairs.
Buck continued to massage Deborah's belly and you could see in his eyes all the love she felt. The two continued to fantasize about the baby and then made love passionately.
The next day, they went to Christmas Mass with everyone else and then had lunch with Lou and Kid, also at the height of happiness.
The holidays passed between songs, joys, and cares for future mothers. The two future dads filled them with pampering and attention and life went on serene and happy.
A few weeks later, the belly began to show and then the news became public. Deborah began to make arrangements with Rachel that she would have to replace
her at school for a while, even though she was determined to continue her work and even the saloon performance because it didn't take her that much time. She was sure she could reconcile everything.
Buck did not hinder her in this, he trusted her and knew that if she didn't make it, she would be the first to realize it. She knew that everything would be fine.
Deborah was infinitely grateful to him for this trust and their relationship strengthened with each passing day.
Buck attended subsequent visits, which all went well. Deborah had apologized to him for keeping the news from him the first few months but she had explained to him that they were the most dangerous and she did not want to give him false hope.
He understood and was not angry.
Lou, Rachel, and Deborah were preparing layettes for the children and something also arrived from Italy, where in the meantime, the letter had arrived with the news that had made everyone happy.
Deborah and Buck had promised that if things went well and the baby was safe, they would still go to Italy next August for Federica's wedding, taking the opportunity to introduce the baby to family and friends.
They would have baptized him first in Sweetwater according to the Christian rite and then they would have carried out the Kiowa ceremony and later they would have celebrated a baptism also in Italy.
The months of pregnancy went by peacefully for both Deborah and Lou.
Buck and his wife soon began to fantasize about the names to give to the unborn child, Deborah had no doubts, she wanted a name that recalled her classical studies.
Buck would have preferred something simpler, but he knew full well that his wife would not give in and eventually agreed. If the baby were a boy they would have called him Ulysses and use the middle name Ike to remember his deceased friend.
If the baby were a girl, her name would be Calypso. However, they decided not to reveal their choices to anyone.
The end of June came and Deborah and Buck were preparing for the birth.
One evening, sitting comfortably on the sofa, Deborah said to her husband: “I know this is not customary and that it is a strange request, but we are not really a traditional couple. I wish you were present at the time of the birth. I want to share everything with you and I don't want to deprive you of the emotion of the birth of our first child.”
Buck was amazed at the request and almost moved.
He replied: "I would be really happy to witness the birth of the baby, it will be the most beautiful and exciting experience of my life. Thank you for making me so happy.”
The two kissed and went to sleep.
On the night of June 23, while they were in bed, Deborah began to feel severe pain and understood that it was time for the child to be born.
Buck rushed to call Rachel who sent Noah to fetch the doctor in town. Rachel prepared the necessary supplies and then asked Buck to come over, but he told her what they had decided and Rachel, although surprised, accepted and asked him to help her.
Buck tried to help Deborah with her breathing and stood beside her holding her hand and uttering sweet words.
The doctor did not have time to arrive because the baby was in a hurry to be born. Rachel picked him up and gave him to the new parents. He was a beautiful, healthy and strong boy.
Deborah and Buck were filled with joy and love for that sweet and helpless little creature.
Rachel washed him and then handed him back to his parents. She left them alone and went to break the news to the others who were anxiously awaiting.
Buck looked at Deborah and sai: “Thank you for giving birth to this wonder, just on June 24th, our anniversary day, I still can't believe it. You are beautiful.”
“Don't tell lies! He is our beloved child, Ulysses Ike, and he will be the first of a large and beautiful family.”
Then they kissed. In the hustle and bustle they had forgotten that they would be celebrating their first anniversary today. They could not have imagined celebrating it any better.
When the doctor arrived, he just found that Deborah and the baby were fine.
Soon after, all the boys, Teaspoon and Lou came in to congratulate and get to know the newcomer.
The baby was beautiful and very good, he ate and slept and this greatly reassured the new parents who were afraid of having to spend many sleepless nights.
When the others learned that Buck had witnessed the birth, they were surprised but then they thought of the special relationship that the two parents had and it was no longer so strange.
The next few days were very hectic because Deborah and Buck had to learn to live with Ulysses, but he was a really good boy and hardly ever woke up at night, so his parents could rest and recover their strength too.
Buck had asked to do only one day runs for some time and not to have to stay out at night and obviously had received a positive response from Teaspoon, so that nothing of Ulysses' growth would be missed.
Not two weeks passed that Lou also gave birth, a beautiful little girl who she wanted to call Emma, in memory of her friend who had preceded Rachel and who had married ex-sheriff, Sam.
Kid, however, did not feel like witnessing the birth as Buck had.
The two children grew visibly and the two women often met to help each other and to raise the two children together.
Rachel in the meantime had replaced Deborah at school, while the saloon activity was suspended only for a month, then Deborah wanted to start over, changing the hours a bit to be able to put Ulysses to bed early, as well as in September she would have resumed work at school.
The following month, they organized the baptism of the two children together and then held refreshments at the hut to allow the two couples to be more peaceful.
The following week, when they knew there would be no danger, Deborah and Buck took Ulysses to the Red Bear camp and held the Kiowa presentation ceremony there.
Buck and Deborah then began organizing their trip to Italy for the last week of August, when they would go to her sister's wedding and also introduce their baby to Deborah's family.
Everything was prepared carefully, to avoid any stress to the child.
When the time came, they left, and when they landed in Italy, they found Deborah's family waiting for them.
Everyone immediately fell in love with Ulysses who was truly a treasure, then they went home to remarry.
Deborah's parents had also arranged for Ulysses' Italian baptism the day after the wedding.
At the wedding, Deborah and Buck sang the same song to the newlyweds they had sung to Lou and Kid, leaving everyone breathless.
The ceremony and the reception were beautiful and in the evening, in their room, Deborah approached Buck and said: "Before leaving I heard the doctor, I'm ready to make love to you again and I can't wait. I have missed you a lot in these two months when we have not been able to pamper ourselves.”
He said to her: “Are you sure you're okay and everything is okay? We can wait a little longer if you don't feel like it, don't rush because of me, please.”
In response, Deborah undressed him and the two made love as if it were the first time. They hoped to raise their family soon.
The next day, there was the baptism which went well. In the evening, the two new parents began to pack their bags because two days later they would leave.
Deborah's parents, who had accepted Buck by now, promised that they would visit them as soon as possible.
The journey was uneventful and when they arrived in Sweetwater, they found the whole family welcoming them.
They went home, rested and then went to dinner with Lou and Kid with the others. They distributed the gifts they had brought from Italy and then went to rest.
Ulysses had been very good during the trip but he was very tired, as were his parents.
Life resumed as usual, and in September, Deborah began teaching again. She managed to reconcile everything, home, work and child, also because Buck, whenever he could, helped her.
When he was out at night for his run, Rachel slept with her and did the same with Lou, to keep them from being alone with small children.
When Buck came home, he greeted Deborah and then took the baby in his arms and spoiled him. He tried to be with him as soon as he could because he wanted to be a present father.
Deborah looked at him with love because they were very sweet together and often said to him: "You are a wonderful father, I am the luckiest woman in the world.”
As soon as Ulysses fell asleep, the two took the opportunity to be together and make love.
Life was wonderful. There were certainly little problems every now and then like Ulysses getting sick, Buck having problems with his runs sometimes because of the bandits or sometimes because of skirmishes with the Indians, but in one way or another everything resolved.
Almost a year passed when Deborah found out she was pregnant again.
This time she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Calypso, followed a few years later by another, Nausicaa.
Buck was resigned now, he knew that if they still had children, they would exhaust all ancient mythology.
Their life was wonderful and they would not change anything about the path they had followed until then.
Deborah continued her activities, and Buck returned from work, playing with the children and helping his wife. And when they could, they never missed an opportunity to be together and make love.
Lou and Kid also had another child, whom they named Jed, after Kid's deceased brother.
The five children grew up in health and harmony and their life was wonderful.
Deborah and Buck's happiness and stability had silenced even the most suspicious people and Buck had finally had no more problems with the citizens of Sweetwater.
Every now and then they went to visit the Red Bear and at least once a year Deborah received a visit from either her parents or her sister and brother-in-law.
When Deborah moved to America she never imagined that she would have such a wonderful life and that she would meet a man as special as her beloved husband.