Chapter 26
When Buck returned to the ranch, he found Rachel in the kitchen preparing lunch, Teresa was sitting at the table holding the baby. "Where's Lou?" Buck asked the two females.
"Louise went swimming. She wouldn't let me come." Teresa pouted.
Buck had to hide a smirk, he was sure the only reason Lou hadn't wanted Teresa to come was she didn't want people to know about their little secret hideaway. "Probably for the best Resa, that swimming hole is prone to snakes." Buck told her.
Teresa visibly shuddered. "I'll stick to the creek."
Buck chuckled, "Tell ya what. How bout I take you and Miah to the creek later for a swim?"
"Really?" Teresa asked, she'd never swam in a creek before. Actually, she'd never swam anywhere before. "Could you teach me to swim Buck?"
"You don't already know how?" Buck asked surprised.
"The nuns never took us swimming." Teresa explained.
"Oh … I hadn't thought of that. Yeah I'd be glad to teach you to swim." Buck told the girl.
Rider started to squirm in Teresa's arms, before he started crying. "Uh oh, I think he needs a new nappy." Teresa said as she held Rider away from her body so her dress wouldn't get wet.
"Why don't you go change him Teresa." Rachel said from the stove as she stirred a large pot of stew.
"I … I don't know how." Teresa admitted.
"Well come on, I'll show you." Buck said as he led Teresa from the kitchen and to the nursery where the other nappies were located.
Buck took Rider from Teresa and laid him on the floor, a fresh nappy close by as he knelt down in front of the baby. Buck quickly unhooked the pins holding the soiled nappy on. "Now ya gotta be quick or you might get a shower." Buck told the girl as he quickly pulled the wet cloth away and slipped the clean one under the baby's bottom. "And then you just fold and pin and you're done. Now if it had been a smelly one … that's when you go get Rachel or Lou." Buck told the young girl with a wink.
"Is that so Mr. Cross?" Lou asked from the doorway, her arms folding across her chest as she leaned against the door jam.
Buck looked up and smirked, as he picked the baby up and cradled him against his chest. "Yes, it is."
"Don't listen to him Resa… anybody can change a smelly diaper." Louise told her sister.
"I'd rather not." Teresa said, scrunching her nose up just thinking about the smell little Rider could make.
Buck let out a hearty chuckle, as he walked towards Lou, ruffling Teresa's hair as he passed by her, he leaned in and gave Lou a quick kiss on the cheek. "Tompkins told me he'd come out for a visit soon. And Sam and Emma will be out for dinner tomorrow night."
Lou looked Buck over, waiting, she knew what Buck had gone into town for and it wasn't flour like he had told her. She arched an eyebrow at him. "Yes Lou?" Buck asked knowing that look.
"Nothing … just wondering if you had something for me?" Lou asked.
Buck smirked as he handed the baby over to her, "Is this what you meant?"
Lou glared at him as Teresa giggled. "Not what I meant Buck."
"I have no idea what you could possibly mean then Louise." Buck teased as he slipped by her, kissing the top of her head.
"Buck Cross you best get back here!" Lou called after him.
"Gotta catch me first!" Buck called back as he slipped out the kitchen door.
"Here hold him." Lou told Teresa as she passed the baby to her little sister before she took off after Buck, the screen door slamming behind her.
"Louise!" Rachel shouted after the younger woman, shaking her head, a little smile on her lips despite her annoyance.
Lou's laughter was the only answer Rachel got. Buck took off towards the barn, Lou hot on his heels, both of them laughing, acting like a couple of teenagers, which they still were. Buck made his way up the ladder to the hay loft and hide just as Lou entered the barn. "I know you're up there, Buck!" Lou called from the base of the ladder.
Buck grinned but stayed silent, waiting. Lou slowly climbed the ladder, peeking over the top before she pulled herself up. She knew he was up here, but she didn't see him. "Well … huh." Lou muttered ready to turn and go back down the ladder.
A warm arm snaked around her waist, pulling her against a hard body. Buck's warm breath ghosting over her ear as he leaned in close, "Gotcha."
"Wasn't I supposed to be catching you?" Lou teased, caressing the arm that held her.
"You did that a long time ago." Buck told her as he began nuzzling the side of her neck.
Lou tilted her head to the side to give him better access, "Is that so?" Lou asked.
"Mmmhmmm." Buck mumbled against her shoulder, his hand splayed against her stomach.
"Mmmm …. that feels good…. But Buck … I gotta ….feed the baby soon." Lou breathed out as Buck began caressing her breast with one hand and the other touching her through her skirts.
"I'll be quick." Buck teased as he spun her around and dropped to his knees in front of her. Buck lifted her skirts and stuck his head under going straight for her core.
Lou moaned out loud as his tongue tasted her. Her legs sagging, barely holding her up. Buck withdrew long enough to help her to lay down in the hay before he was back under her skirts, tasting and teasing. It wasn't long before Lou was panting under him, already so close to the edge. "Buck wait … I want you in me when I come." Lou breathed.
Buck crawled up Lou's body, kissing her as her hands went to his buckskin pants, freeing him. A few quick strokes of her hand had him completely hard. Lou pushed his shoulders until he was laying on the hay and quickly straddled him. She lowered herself unto his hardness groaning as he filled her. "God Lou, you're still so tight." Buck breathed as she began rocking her hips.
Lou moaned as he rocked his hips up to meet hers. Buck slipped his hands up under Lou's skirts and rubbed her little bundle of nerves. He could feel her walls tightening around him, she was so close. Lou rocked her hips faster against Buck, before she leaned forward and captured Buck's mouth with her own to silence the scream of pleasure that wanted to escape as she was pushed over the edge. Buck following soon after her, filling her with his hot seed.
Lou broke the kiss, and moved off of Buck, fixing her skirts as she stood. Buck tucking himself back into his pants before he stood before her, pulling her against his chest to kiss her softly. "I love you Louise." Buck whispered as he slipped the ring, he had bought her onto her finger as he ended their kiss.
"I love you too Buck." Lou told him before she looked down at the ring, he had just slipped on her, she smiled. "It's perfect."
"I know … seems we have the same taste. Tompkins told me that was the one you had picked out after I picked it out for you." Buck told her with a little laugh.
"Where's your ring?" Lou asked looking down at Buck's empty finger.
"I'm waiting till the wedding… yours is playing double duty as an engagement ring and a wedding band. At least for now. I can have Tompkins order a plain band if you want another ring for a wedding band." Buck told her as they made their way down the ladder.
"Oh no this is perfect Buck. I just want the whole world to know your mine." Lou told him disappointed that he wasn't wearing his ring.
"Well as soon as we get married … again… I'll put it on. When do you want to marry?" Buck asked as he took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips kissing it as they walked back towards the house.
"Today?" Lou said a little smirk on her face.
Buck chuckled, "I think Rachel would kill us."
"This weekend then. It would give Rachel and me time to get food ready and invite a few people from town." Lou told him.
"You sure you don't mind not having a church wedding?" Buck asked as they entered the house, Lou taking the baby from Teresa and sitting down at the table, quickly unbuttoning her shirt so he could nurse.
"Buck… I already had one of those. I didn't care for it then and I sure don't care for one now. I don't need anything fancy, I just need you." Lou promised him, smiling over the top of Rider's head at Buck.
Buck just smiled as he sat next to her, his arm going around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder looking down at the baby in her arms. He leaned in and kissed Lou's cheek.
"You two set a date I take it?" Rachel asked as she handed bowls to Teresa to put on the table for lunch.
"Yeah … we want to get married Saturday." Buck told her.
"Saturday! That's two days away!" Rachel exclaimed.
"I know … I just don't want to wait any longer." Lou said.
"How am I supposed to get everything ready by then?" Rachel complained.
"Rach, I'll help cook the food and it's not like it's going be a lot of people. Just us, Sam and Emma, Tompkins and Matt if he wants to come." Lou told the stressed woman.
"OK … OK we can do this. I don't have time to sew you a dress. We'll have to get one in town. Emma can help me with the cake." Rachel went on in planning mode.
"Rachel, I've got a dress already." Lou put in.
Rachel and Buck just looked at Lou. When had she gotten a dress? Buck had not seen it. "What dress honey?" Buck asked.
"The one Red Bear gave me." Lou told him, her expression clearly saying he should have known that.
The corner of Buck's mouth lifted in a lopsided smirk, "I didn't know if you'd want to wear that for this wedding."
"Why wouldn't she, she looked so pretty in it. Just imagine how pretty it's gonna look now that she ain't got that baby belly no more." Teresa piped in.
"She doesn't have, not ain't got." Rachel corrected the young girl causing Teresa to stick her tongue out at Rachel behind her back. "I saw that young lady." Rachel scolded.
Teresa eyes widen in surprise when she looked over at Buck and Lou, "How did she see that?" Teresa whispered.
"I've got eyes in the back of my head and excellent hearing young lady." Rachel told her as she turned around and brought the pot of stew over to the table.
Buck smirked, he wasn't about to tell the young girl that Rachel had seen her reflection in the shiny metal of the ladle she had in her hand. "You should know by now Resa that you can't get anything by Rachel." Buck told the young girl.
Teresa just stared wide eyed as she nodded her head. "Teresa, will you please go ring the dinner bell to call in Teaspoon and Miah." Rachel told the girl.
"Yes ma'am," Teresa said as she got to her feet and went out on the porch, the clear ringing of the triangle filling the air.
Several minutes later, the sound of boots stomping on the porch filled the air before Teaspoon and Jeremiah came into the kitchen. The family gathered around the table and enjoyed the lunch Rachel had prepared for them. They told the two about the wedding plans for Saturday. Teaspoon said he'd go into town later or maybe in the morning to invite Tompkins and Matt. They could invite Sam and Emma tomorrow night when they came for supper. "No, I'm going need Emma's help with the cake. Can you see if Emma can come over in the morning?" Rachel asked Teaspoon.
"Alright Rach, I'll go after lunch. Get me a list of what yer gonna need and I'll get it while I'm in town." Teaspoon told his wife.
"Can I go with you Teaspoon?" Jeremiah asked.
"I suppose if yer sister don't mind." Teaspoon said.
Jeremiah looked over at Lou, "Actually I was gonna teach Teresa to swim in the creek this afternoon, thought you might want to join us." Buck spoke up before Lou could give him an answer.
Jeremiah looked back and forth between Buck and Teaspoon, clearly torn between wanting to spend time with both men. "I can always teach you later, just the two of us if ya rather." Buck said, noticing the boys, indecision.
A large smile spread across the young boys face, "That would be great! Can ya take me tomorrow? Just us?" Jeremiah asked.
"Sure Miah." Buck told the young boy, a pout appearing on Teresa's face.
"Now Resa, you're going with just Buck this afternoon. Jeremiah deserves to spend time alone with Buck too." Lou admonished her sister when she saw the look on the girls, face.
"Alright." Teresa mumbled.
Lou smiled over at Buck. He had completely stolen her siblings, hearts. They truly looked up to him and wanted to spend as much time with Buck as they could. They looked at Teaspoon like a grandpa, but Buck he was their big brother and father rolled into one. Lou didn't think Kid would have ever been able to fill that role for them. She thought back to the day she had discovered Kid gone, at the time she had thought it was the worst thing that had ever happened to her, now she knew it had been the best because it freed her for Buck. For her to find the greatest love of her life. Yes, that had been the best day of her life up until the day Red Bear had married her and Buck, and the day she had given birth to Rider. The next best day will be Saturday when she married Buck legally. And then the next best day will be the day she gives Buck a son or daughter of his own blood.
A/N: Thanks Shauna for the beta. To EarthDragon, yes I imagine the young girl's family supported her through it. And you are right facilities back then were less than to be desired. I half way expect Devlin disowned his daughter as a kindness, he couldn't keep protecting her but he could not send her to one of those asylums. Kathleen is mentally unwell, I don't know what exact diagnosis she would have but she has no feelings for Buck or that other girl. She sees something she that captures her fancy, be a pretty face, or something she considers exotic like Buck. She wants to own, possess them not love them. The lengths to which she will go to get what she want is scary. It's only a matter of time before she shows her ugly face again.
