Chapter Six
Even though Buck's body heat was keeping her warm and snug, Hazel slept horribly. She could not get comfortable because if she did she would surely bump up against Buck. She opened her eyes and looked across the shelter. It must have been light out or maybe her eyes had just adjusted to the darkness, but she could see him clearly lying on his side. Of course his face was only about a foot from hers. By the sound of his steady breathing, Hazel figured Buck was still asleep.
Hazel couldn't understand how he could sleep so peacefully. They were stuck out in a blizzard. Shouldn't he be just as agitated and restless as she was? Maybe it was the savage in him that made him comfortable on the rock hard ground. Indians lived that way normally, right? Obviously, he knew how to live out in the wild. She did not. She slept on a comfortable feather bed in her parent's house. Here, she could feel every bit of unevenness on the ground. Every tree rut, rock, and fallen branch kept her from being content and sleeping. Hazel thought several times about waking Buck just so she wasn't the only one awake, but ultimately she decided against that. He would just be angry with her for the rest of the night.
Looking over at Buck again, Hazel wrinkled her nose in irritation. She let out a silent sigh and looked at Buck's serene face. As she looked she cocked her head to the side and took the opportunity to really look at him. She could never do that in polite company. That would be scandalous. Her mother would have a fit.
Though it pained her to admit it, Buck had a very pleasing face. She noticed how his eyelashes fanned out just under his eyes. They were very dark and long. Hazel had never paid attention to them before. They had a curl to them that would make any woman jealous.
Hazel looked away. The last thing she wanted was for Buck to wake up and see her staring at him with any sort of admiration in her eyes. It might give him ideas. Hazel peeked back at Buck. He was still sleeping. She moved her eyes down to his lips. Slowly her eyebrows lifted.
Buck's lips looked almost like a cupid's bow, Hazel decided. They also looked very soft. She couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to be kissed by them. Hazel quietly admonished herself for such thoughts. Really, she shouldn't be thinking about kisses at a time like this. Her mother would say she was being very foolish. She shouldn't ever be thinking of kisses according to her mother. Hazel often thought about kisses anyways. She didn't have a lot of experience with boys and kisses. It wasn't like she'd never been kissed. She had stole kisses at recess behind the schoolhouse with Mason when they were young and if she counted every kiss she had gotten, there were those men at the cabin. She didn't like to think about that. All she remembered from those men was the smell of liquor and smoke on their stale breath. Hazel shuddered and caught herself almost moving closer to Buck for comfort.
Hazel looked at Buck's face and the kindness that resided there. His kisses would be different, she determined. He had all the strength of those men but none of the ill intention. Hazel imagined his kiss would be firm and passionate, yet tender. She wondered if he would taste as delicious as he smelled. Her stomach did a nervously delighted flip at the same time she nearly gasped aloud at her thoughts. Hazel quickly put the thought out of her mind. What was she thinking? Hazel did not want Buck to kiss her. She would be ruined for sure!
Deciding the sleeplessness must be getting to her, Hazel tried to put all thoughts of Buck from her mind. Her eyes drifted away from his face to his hair. His hair would be a safe place to look. There was nothing interesting about a man's hair, she concluded. The more she studied his dark hair, the more it made her want to run her fingers through it. That thought led to thinking about his lips against hers again. Hazel nearly squeaked as she chastised herself for thinking such thoughts. They were not only improper but impure! Buck stirred a little and a lock of his hair fell over his face. Hazel bit her lip. She really wanted to reach out and tuck that strand of hair behind his ear, but at the same time she really didn't. She couldn't, could she? Hazel swallowed hard and she decided to take the chance. She carefully reached her hand out and gently moved the hair from Buck's face. Hazel's breath hitched. His hair was so soft. Though she tried not to think about it, she just wanted to throw caution to the wind and run her fingers through the lengths of Buck's luscious hair and kiss his soft warm lips. It was then Hazel noticed that Buck's eyebrows were furrowed. She held her breath hoping he wouldn't wake. She suddenly wondered if he was dreaming. She wondered if he was dreaming of her. The thought sent a thrill through her and that in turn horrified her. She did not want Buck to be dreaming of her, did she?
Hazel closed her eyes tightly and shook her head almost violently trying to turn her thoughts to something else. She needed to stop thinking about Buck. She never wanted to think of him this way. What would people say? She opened one eye to make sure he was still sleeping. He was. She relaxed. Hazel's attention moved to the smoothness of his skin. She wondered if it was a soft as it looked. Her hand drifted over to his cheek and she grazed the skin near his temple. Hazel sucked in a quick breath when she heard herself utter a tiny moan. Her body betrayed her; this was no way for a proper lady to behave, at least, not according to her mother.
Hazel continued to berate herself for taking stock of Buck's good looks. She couldn't be attracted to an Indian and that was all there was too it. She let out a gruff sigh and was about to roll over and try and get some more sleep when she noticed Buck's eyes were open and looking straight at her. She gasped in shock. He caught her in extremely untoward behavior and she was mortified. Hazel couldn't help in that moment to be drawn to his eyes. Up close she thought they looked like melted bittersweet chocolate like the kind her mother used for cakes. She paled and then blushed slightly.
"What?" Buck asked gruffly, eyebrows furrowed in frustration.
"Nothing, I just can't wait to get home is all," Hazel answered.
"For once, we agree," Buck said dismissing her grumpily.
Teaspoon stood outside his office and looked over the town. Everything was coated in a thick layer of snow. The sky was heavy with clouds carrying the threat of more snow. There would be no way to track the bank robbers turned kidnappers now. Even if Buck were around, it could not be done.
He went out with Jimmy and Kid last night, but the storm forced their retreat back to town. It made him sick not to be able to find those men. A young woman like Hazel could be in a lot of danger and he was feeling powerless to help. Teaspoon caught Jimmy walking up next to him from the corner of his eye. He felt the heat of a steaming cup of coffee offered. He took the mug and after a long sip he nodded his head in thanks to Jimmy.
"What are you gonna tell Mr. Franklin?" Jimmy asked.
"I don't know," Teaspoon answered honestly.
"Well, you better think of something," Jimmy warned, "He's on his way over here now."
"Lordy, lord," Teaspoon sighed.
Jimmy politely stood to the side and remained interested in his coffee as Teaspoon steeled for a conversation he would rather not have.
"Hunter!" Mr. Franklin shouted from across the thoroughfare. "Where's my daughter? Have you found her?"
"Not yet, Mr. Franklin," Teaspoon drawled.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Mr. Franklin asked.
"Mr. Franklin," Teaspoon assured him. "We'll find your daughter, but last night's storm is going to make it take a little longer. That and my best tracker is away."
"The Indian boy?" Mr. Franklin asked.
"Yep," Teaspoon said. "Buck Cross."
"Dreadful thing that happened to him at the dance," Mr. Franklin said. "I know my Hazel was a party to it and I assure you she was punished for her part in it."
"I'm sure Buck would appreciate that," Teaspoon said.
"Yes, well do you think Mr. Cross will be back soon?" Mr. Franklin asked. "I'm very worried about Hazel. I don't even want to imagine what those men are doing to her."
"I'm pretty sure they must be around close by," Teaspoon said. "They would have had to take shelter for the night somewhere. I'm sure we'll find them with or without Buck here to help."
"Thank you, Marshal," Mr. Franklin said. "I'll just go wait with my wife, Marietta, for news."
Mr. Franklin walked away toward his house. His wife was clinging to one of the posts on their porch with her shawl pulled tightly around her shoulders. Worry as well as anger was etched on her face and Teaspoon tipped his hat to her. Mrs. Franklin's eyes narrowed and before Mr. Franklin could get to her, she gave him an irritated looked and turned on her heel, slamming the door behind her as she stormed into their house.
"What are we gonna do now, Teaspoon?" Jimmy asked after taking another sip of his coffee.
"Go over to the station and get Kid and Lou," Teaspoon said draining his cup. "We need to find those robbers and save that girl."
"I sure wish we had Buck here," Jimmy said. "Even Cody would be nice."
"Yeah, but we don't," Teaspoon reminded him. "I don't think Buck would have liked looking for that girl anyhow."
"But he would have done it," Jimmy said, "Even if he hated every minute of it. That's the type of guy Buck is."
The two men's thoughts were interrupted by the whinny of a horse that was trotting to the barn.
"Isn't that…?" Teaspoon questioned, his face becoming drawn with worry.
"Yeah, I think so," Jimmy said concerned. He tossed out the remains of his coffee and left the cup on the window sill and he and Teaspoon quickly crossed the thoroughfare to the former Express station barn.
The two men walked up to a skittish Trickster and looked him over. Jimmy ran his hands over the gelding's legs looking for injury while Teaspoon held onto his bridle.
"Easy, Boy," Jimmy said as he crossed to the other side of the horse.
"No saddle," Teaspoon observed. "Perhaps he got spooked and ran off."
"Either that or Buck's in trouble," Jimmy concluded, setting Trickster's leg down.
"The timing couldn't be worse for that," Teaspoon said. "But Buck's mighty resourceful."
The two men would only be allowed a moment's worry when something else caught Jimmy's eye.
"But the timing couldn't be better for that," Jimmy said pointing to the edge of town.
"Well, I'll be," Teaspoon said as he watched horse and rider trotting up to the barn. "Hot damn, Cody, aren't you a sight for sore eyes!"
"Howdy, Teaspoon," Cody said wearily. "Rachel still have breakfast on?"
"I hope so," Jimmy remarked. "I haven't eaten since last night and my belly is starting to gnaw at my backbone."
"That makes three of us," Teaspoon said. "Jimmy, why don't you take care of the horses, while I roust Kid and Lou. We're gonna need everyone."
A flurry of activity started around the bunkhouse as Lou helped Rachel get breakfast ready. Kid ran out to help Jimmy with the horses and Teaspoon got Cody settled back in his old familiar bunk. Buck and Jimmy were the only ones staying in there with Kid and Lou in the house with Rachel. Breakfast hit the table just as Jimmy and Kid came in from the barn. Teaspoon sat down at the head of the table with everyone else gathered around and started to fill their plates with food.
"Alright, Lou, boys, here's the situation," Teaspoon said after breakfast was eaten. "Yesterday, the bank was robbed. The two robbers made off with all the money in the bank and the banker's daughter, Hazel. So far because of the weather we can't follow their trail. Now with the deep snow out there, I don't know how we'll even find them. And just a few minutes ago, Buck's horse showed up this morning without a saddle or rider." The ex-riders all looked at each other in shock and worry. Teaspoon continued with a furrowed brow, "I don't know if Buck's in trouble or not, but wherever he is, he is most likely stranded."
Teaspoon paused a moment and turned to Cody and filled him in on what happened to Buck at the dance. Cody frowned and fisted his hands in frustration as Teaspoon explained that Buck left the station.
"You don't think he was planning stay away, do you Teaspoon?" Cody asked.
"Don't rightly know," Teaspoon answered. "All's I can say, is I hope not."
All the eyes looked worriedly around the table leaving much of their fears and anxieties unsaid. No one wanted to think the worst or even lend a voice to it.
"Cody, you and Jimmy are coming with me and we're going to try and find those bank robbers," Teaspoon said. "Kid, I'm counting on you and Lou to find Buck and make sure he's alright. Don't take no chances out there and be back here before dark. It looks like the weather means to turn ugly on us again."
Rachel came in with packs of food and coffee for everyone. She also made sure everyone was dressed warmly and handed out a couple of extra scarves and mittens. "You all be careful out there, ya hear?" she said with worry.
"We will," Teaspoon said. "Mount up, Boys!"
A/N: I must thank my dear Beulah for help with this chapter. This was our first glimpse into the mind of Hazel and I fretted over this chapter mightily. Thanks for reading!