This story is A/U
Buck slumped with a tired thud into a chair on the back porch, shucked off his boots, leaned back and rubbed his sore aching shoulder. Breaking in their latest horse was going to be the death of him, he was convinced.
He smiled at the thoughts of a nice bath and perhaps sneaking in a nap before having a wonderful dinner. Buck was told that morning by his daughter that this was going to be a special dinner.
Standing he stretched out his sore back muscles and headed towards the outside wash sink. Buck started to undo his shirt but the sounds of sobbing coming from inside the kitchen caused him to rush into the house.
Pausing in the kitchen doorway, he had to cover his mouth and stifle a small grin as he surveyed the scene. His little girl was sitting at the kitchen table with her head lying in her arms crying in earnest, in the middle of a powdery white wonderland.
He wondered how it was possible for one little girl to scatter flour about as thoroughly as she did, even to the point of coating her dark hair in the white stuff.
"Hey there, little one. Why are you crying?" Buck wearily pulled up a chair next to his daughter, biting back a groan as his muscles protested. He sat down and rubbed her back, in an attempt to comfort his dark haired child. "Willow, it can't be all that bad."
"Yessss it is, Papa," came a muffled wail. "I ruined everything." She sobbed into her flour covered hands and arms.
"No, you haven't. Come here," Buck gathered his red nosed daughter into his arms.
"I told Mama I was big enough to make her biscuits, just like her and I didn't need her help. She gave me her treasured recipe, from Grandma Emma and went to town with Aunt Emily. Mama is going to come home and...and...look! " Willow's lower lip trembled and huge tears welled in her large amber eyes that quickly spilled down her flour coated cheeks as she pointed to a pan of what was the remains of burnt charred biscuits.
Glancing at the pan of biscuits a memory tickled the back of Buck's mind.
"You know, I think your Uncle Cody would be impressed." Willow looked up at her father, a tiny spark of hope shone in her eyes. "You made some fine buckshot biscuits for his rifle."
In that moment Buck knew he said the wrong thing as he watched his daughter's lip quiver and her face crumble as a torrent of words poured forth.
"You don't understand, Papa. I wanted to surprise you and mama and make biscuits tonight, not shots for Uncle Cody's rifle. Even Jenny Meadows can make perfect biscuits and she is only eight, that's a whole year younger then me..." Tears were once more flowing in earnest as Willow threw herself back into her father's arms. Buck wrapped his baby girl in his arms.
"I'm sorry for saying your biscuits are good for Cody's target practice, my little one," Buck rubbed Willow's back comfortingly as he thought of something that might make her smile.
"Do you want to hear how your Grandpa Teaspoon got banned from the bunkhouse kitchen for life?"
Buck waited a moment. When all he got was a tiny sniffled 'alright', he plunged into the long ago tale. He smiled when he felt his daughter giggle in earnest.
"That's a funny story, papa. But no one expects Grandpa Teaspoon to make biscuits. But I should. Mama taught me how. She makes the best biscuits in the whole wide world and I want to be just like her."
"How about I tell you another story." Buck's voice got serious, "But this one you gotta keep secret, you think you could do that?"
Willow looked up at him with her mother's beautiful amber eyes and nodded her head eagerly.
Buck couldn't contain his grin as flour fell out of Willow's hair like tiny snowflakes landing on her straight little nose. He reached out and gently tapped the flour off as his grin turned into a warm smile. His little girl may have inherited his dark skin and hair, but in every other way she was just like her mother. Once more Buck was struck with awe that he and his lovely Janie created such a beautiful girl that never stopped bringing them such amazing joy and love.
Arching a dark brow, Buck asked, "Do you promise to keep it a secret?"
Willow giggled at her father's overly conspiratorial tone, "I promise, papa."
"Okay, because this story is about someone who made biscuits that were barely fit for buckshot!"
"Who was that, papa?"
He leaned in and whispered into her ear, "Your mother."
"Mama?!" Willow gasped in disbelief. "You're lying!"
"No it's true, I swear!"
"But how can that be? Mama makes the most perfect biscuits."
Buck settled Willow in his lap as she wrapped her flour coated arms around his neck and proceeded to tell her the story of that long ago afternoon.
"Emma was going to be gone for a few days and we couldn't endure any more of Teaspoon's cooking," Buck made a horrid face, which caused Willow to laugh.
"What did ya do, Papa?"
A faraway look overtook Buck's features, "All this happened about two months after I first met your mother."
Willow beamed, she knew this part of the story, "That's when she took care of your hurt hands. I love that story."
Buck's smile was wistful, "I do too, Willow. If it wasn't for Teaspoon sending me over to Doc's office I never would have met your mother. I had never seen anyone as beautiful as her. That is, until I saw you for the first time." Buck tickled her belly, which earned him a squeal of laughter.
"Stop, Papa! Finish the story, pleeeese."
"Alright, where was I? Oh, yes. Your ma and I had talked a lot and we became good friends soon after we met. She was so beautiful. I was surprised that she really wanted to be my friend and actually be seen talking with me. But I knew she would never really want to be with me because I was half Indian. But I was happy at least that she wanted to be friends."
Buck paused in his narrative, lost in the long ago memory.
"Go on Papa." Willow encouraged. She loved hearing stories about her parents best of all.
Buck playfully tweaked her still red nose and continued his story.
"When the situation came up about needing someone to cook for us, your Uncle Ike and Cody begged me to go to Doc's office and ask your mother if she would cook for us. I was sure she would say no, so I refused to go. Your uncles practically dragged me over to Doc's. We were a desperate looking bunch as we entered the office and told your ma of our dilemma. I was still certain she would say no, but she readily volunteered to help. I was never so happy.
"The first day your mother came out to the station, most everyone had gone off to town but I stayed behind to finish chores. I remember crossing the station yard, hoping to surprise your ma who was cooking supper in the bunkhouse."
"Oh, what were you going to surprise Mama with?" Willow interrupted, all excited.
Buck laughed, "Well, actually, it turns out SHE was the one that surprised me. With A kiss."
"A Kiss?" Willow squirmed up her face at her father, "Oh, Papa, you didn't bring her flowers? All Noble Knights bring flowers."
He tapped her nose with his finger and wrinkled his playfully at his little dark haired imp.
"No, I didn't bring your mother flowers, but I did do something more noble.." His loopy grin turned to a warm smile, as the scene flooded back to him.
Buck had finished his chores and cleaned up down at the watering hole. His plans were to sneak up on Janie and steal a moment or two of kisses, but what he found as he entered the bunkhouse was a room full of smoke. Flour was scattered everywhere and his dear sweet Janie crying her heart out at the dinner table.
His heart was breaking with every little sob she made. Quietly he walked over to her and placed a gentle hand upon her shoulder
"Hey, there. What's the matter Janie? Why are you crying?"
"Go away."
Buck frowned, "No, I'm not going away, Jane. Something is wrong, tell me."
"It's ruined. Everything is ruined, Buck," she cried desperately.
Suddenly much to Buck's surprise Janie stood and threw her arms tight around his neck and buried her head in his strong chest. "I wanted the first meal I cooked for you to be perfect and I ruined your supper, Buck! I can't cook! I can't even make something as simple as biscuits." she wailed into his chest.
Buck was rendered speechless. Her slight frame clinging so tightly to him, startled him. He had prayed to the spirits that maybe she would care for him as much as he did for her, maybe even love him. And now here she was with her delicate arms tightly wrapped around him weeping because she wanted to make him a perfect meal. Buck simply enfolded her into his strong arms and rocked her gently. "I'm sure it's not that bad."
Janie pulled out of his arms to look at him, tears streaming down her face. "It is! Look! She pointed to the pan of what was supposed to have been golden fluffy biscuits.
Tears and words flowed from her in equal measure, "Look! I burned every one of them, Buck. All I wanted was to show you what a good cook I could be, what a good ...that I could be a good ...Ohhh, what you must think of me?" She buried her face once more in his chest.
Buck's heart stopped beating as the full meaning of her words washing over him.
"Janie. Look at me...come on Jane, look at me," Buck gently pull her away enough so he could tilt her face up to him. "I don't care if you can't cook. You could make buckshot biscuits every day for the rest of my life and I wouldn't care. What I care about is you...a lot! It's just... me, being who I am, my heritage. It's a lot to ask, and I wasn't sure I had a right to ask that of you. It would be a lot of hard work to be with me, for the rest of your life...
"Buck, look at me!'' Janie held up her arms. "I'm coated up to my elbows in flour, just so I could impress you!...You Buck Cross. Do you really think I'm afraid of hard work? I want to be with you, thats all. I don't care how much hard work it takes.""
Buck was rendered speechless so he did the only thing that came to his mind, and claimed her lips with his in a long lingering kiss.
When they finally broke the embrace, Buck cleared his throat, "So you're not afraid of a little hard work eh? How about we figured out these biscuits together?
Janie's, eyes widened, "But how? You don't know how to make biscuits, Buck."
"Neither do you, but half the fun is learning." He gave her a wink as his crooked grin turned into a playful smirk. "And I have to admit you can make some pretty impressive buckshots, so I think there's hope."
Willow stared wide eyed at her Father, taking in all he had told her. " I can't believe Mama really didn't know how to make biscuits."
"Not that day, but she got really good at biscuits." He said with a crooked smile. "That day it probably took us at least two pan fulls to finally get biscuits that looked edible."
Buck left out that one of the reasons why it took so many attempts to get the biscuits right was because they were either stealing long kisses or playfully tossing flour at each other, or both.
"I like your smile, Papa. Why are you smiling so big?"
Buck hadn't realized Willow was studying him so intently and actually felt his cheeks burn as he focused back on his daughter.
"I ..ummm...I was remembering something funny."
"What was it, Papa? Tell me, please?" Her eyes danced, all the tears of earlier had fled away.
Buck considered for a moment, "Well, ummm lets just say that after I earned the title of the second best buckshot maker we sorta got a little silly and started throwing flour at each other and things got out of hand and flour went every where. I still think to this day Emma wonders how she could have miscalculated on her flour supply for that month."
Willow couldn't hold back her giggles as she imagined her parents covered head to toe in flour.
Buck was laughing as well, "What made it worse was that Teaspoon walked right in on us."
"Oh, no. What did Grandpa do?"
"He should've tanned our hides," Buck said between laughter. " But he just shook his head, mumbling some prayer or something that sounded like 'Lordy lord' and told us to have the mess cleaned up and walked out."
Buck picked Willow up off his lap and stood her on the floor as he got up, stretched his stiff back muscles, stifled a groan and knelt down to her level.
"You see Willow, the reason I told you this story was because anything worth having in this world is worth the hard work and time. It doesn't matter if it's something like making biscuits or in the case of your mother and me, falling in love and having a family. It's taken a lot of work for your ma and me. That's a long story for another day. But we stuck together and we had you and it's the best thing that ever happen to either of us."
Willow was quiet for a moment, "I never thought about that. You and mama are always so happy. Will you tell me more?"
Buck chuckled at his daughter who was always the romantic, "We'll tell you more, but not now. Not today."
"Will you help me make biscuits so we can surprise mama?"
"I sure will. Now here is the plan, you start getting things cleaned up and find me an apron. I'll go get washed up a bit and change and I'll be back down to help you make some of the finest biscuits that will make Jenny Meadows' biscuits taste like something not even fit for buckshot. "
"Really, Papa?"
"Really, you little scamp. Now lets get going. Hurry, your ma will be home soon."
Willow had a smile just like her mother's and squealed with abandoned delight as she threw herself into her fathers arms giving him a huge hug.
"I love you, Papa. You're the best Papa in the whole wide world."
Buck hugged his daughter tightly, "I love you too, my little one."
He just closed his eyes and savored the joy and love that his little one and his beautiful Janie had brought to him over the years. When he once more opened his eyes he saw his lovely wife standing in the kitchen doorway smiling her brilliant smile at Buck and their little girl. How long had she been standing there Buck didn't know. But she mouthed the words, 'I love you, Buck.' and blew him a kiss as he repeated the same words as he gave her a wink and one of his charming crooked grins.
This story just kinda hit me..and took me and I had to run with it.
I have to thank some amazing ladies who helped me along the way... Anita, Jalal, Jenna and Kristina... without their eyes and support and suggestions, this story would never had gone to print. Hugs to you guys.
Also thanks to all the lovely ladies at the Plus...such an amazing support.
Finally to all of you who take the time to read this bit of writing...hugs to you... please tell me what you think. :)
I kinda fell for little Willow... So I hope to have more stories.
Again thanks all for taking a look :)