A21
Buck stood on the boardwalk outside the bank and looked again at Lou and Kid, "Are you sure you're ok with this?"
Lou and Kid looked at each other and nodded, "Look," Kid said, "We don't know what's coming with this war but we do know we're all going to need a home and work to return to after."
"You and Ike started all of us thinking about this." Lou added
Buck nodded and then said, "Let's do this." And handed Kid 2 pouches of money, 1 his and 1 Ike's that Teaspoon gave him when he had died.
Lou nodded and handed over a pouch of her own and said, "We'll meet you at the courthouse."
Kid smiled and walked into the small shop at the end of the walk, as Buck and Lou walked away. "I think she'll like this Buck. I would if I were her."
Buck looked down at his friend and smiled and then nudged her playfully as they walked. "This is better than a ring." He said thoughtfully as he twisted one of the bracelets he had on his wrist.
An hour later Buck, Kid and Lou were stepping out of the courthouse laughing about the look on the judges face when they explained what they wanted. When the skies opened up and they were almost instantly drenched. "Where did this come from?" Kid asked
"Don't complain." Lou said as she pulled her collar up tighter, "We need it."
"So much for Jane's party being outside." Buck added as thunder cracked over in the hills, "We should get back and help Rachel get everything set up inside."
"We should get back and get dried off." Kid said laughing as he mounted Katy and his hat tipped water all over his cherished horse. "Before we drown."
"I'm beat you all to the clean towels." Lou said as she kicked her horse into a gallop. Laughing the boys followed her closely back to the station.
Hearing the horses Rachel ran out to the porch to see three drenched riders, "Oh, it's just you."
"Nice to see you too." Lou replied with a smile.
"Sorry Louise I'm just worried about Jane."
"What do you mean?" Buck asked dismounting and taking the steps two at a time to get to Rachel.
"She borrowed the mare and went to pick flowers for the party. But then the rain started and…" Rachel didn't get to finish before Buck had turned and ran back to his horse and mounted and took off.
Kid turned and started to go after him but Lou put a hand on his arm, "He'll be ok." Kid stopped and looked at Lou and the rain streaming down her face and nodded and took the horses reins from her and said, "Go dry off, I'll take care of the horses."
Lou smiled, "Thanks Kid." She began to walk away but stopped and then turned and watched Kid walk away with the two horses and smiled her fingers lightly touching her lips.
Buck rode hard and fast towards the hills where Jane had found him when she had first arrived. Where Ike's pyre had been. He was nearly there when he there was a streak of lightning that looked as though it landed near Ike's spot. Buck felt his heart stop in his chest and then a few moments later he saw Jane's horse running past him in a blind panic down the trail he knew she was in trouble.
Spurring his horse on towards the worst of the storm he stopped at the base of the hill and climbed the rest of the way up on foot. "JANE!" He began calling as he approached the bend in the trail but his voice bounced back to him on the wind. He came to the clearing and saw drag marks in the mud.
Buck kneeled down looked at the marks and every horrible thought ran through his mind for a moment and then he began to follow the marks and saw a divet where Jane must have fallen off of her horse. Turning he followed the marks the other way and saw they were leading over towards a rock outcropping. 'She is so smart.' Buck thought to himself as he found a division in the rocks and stuck his head in.
"Jane?" He called
"Buck?" He heard softly and immediately clambered through the crevice and found himself in a large cave nearly tall enough for him to stand up in.
"You're ok." Buck said as he wrapped his arms around Jane and pulled her close to him. Jane wrapped her arms around Buck and nodded. "Jane you're soaked through. Let me get a fire started."
Rather quickly Buck had assembled a small fire from the debris on the floor of the cave. "You should probably remove some of your wet clothes." Buck said as he took off his boots and socks to dry lying them on stones near the fire. "Um" Buck said turning back to Jane. "I'm going to take off my shirt to dry too."
"You should also probably remove your pants Buck. They've got to be just as wet as everything else you've got on."
"Jane I'm not wearing my long-john's so I'm gonna have to keep them on."
Jane blushed and looked away as she imagined for a moment what Buck would look like with no long-johns. "Right."
Noticing that Jane hadn't moved at all Buck moved a little closer to her and said again softly, "You should also probably get out of some of your layers though."
Jane swallowed hard. She'd never been anything but completely clothed in front of anyone, ever. "Right" she whispered and reached behind her to undo her skirt ties but paused unsure of how to proceed.
Buck could feel her hesitation, "Jane I can stay over there near the mouth of the cave if you'd be more comfortable."
Jane bit her lips and closed her eyes tight and then said, "I'm afraid."
"Of me?" Buck asked his heart nearly breaking
"No. Of me."
"Jane, I don't…"
"I, I don't know what you're going to think of me." Jane said softly, "Ilike it that you're here, next to me but I don't want you to think bad of me or think I'm…."Jane paused embarrassed and looked down at her hands.
Buck quickly crossed over to Jane and sat in front of her. "I love you." He said softly and kissed her gently, "I would be honored to help you." He whispered as he reached gently forward and undid the first button on Jane's blouse. He felt her shiver again. "Are you cold Jane?"
"No." she whispered and reached her fingers out towards Buck and slid them inside his vest. She looked up and saw Buck nod, slowly she slid her hands to Bucks shoulders and lifted the heavy felt from his shoulders and guided it down his arms.
Buck kissed Jane again, "I love you." He whispered against her lips as his fingers undid the next button on her blouse. "I want to marry you." Buck whispered into Jane's ear as he undid the next button and then placed a kiss on her jaw. Buck pulled slightly back and looked into the deep fathoms of her eyes, "I want to spend my life with you." He said softly and watched as first shock and then happiness drew across Jane's face. "Will you marry me?"
Jane leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Buck's neck, her lips a breath above his, "yes" she breathed and the kissed him with all of the love she had for him.
Buck wrapped his arms around Jane and leaned her back against the ground, as he deepened the kiss. He felt her mouth yield to him and he claimed her as his. His tongue delved deep into the sweet recesses of her mouth and tasted her, his Jane.
Jane let her hands begin to roam up over Buck's torso. She was pulling at his wet shirt she wanted to feel him close to her. She felt Buck pull away and moaned slightly but sighed when he leaned back down covering her tiny frame with his own her hands now able to slid along his bare flesh. Her fingers began to explore the angles and planes of Buck's muscular back, even as she felt his fingers slowly undo the next two buttons on her blouse.
Jane gasped when she felt Buck's lips begin to trail kisses along the opening her shirt now provided him. Buck leaned back for a second to look but saw Jane smile at him and continued slowly kissing his way down her neck and over her chemise.
Leaning back Buck said, "You might be more comfortable without the wet blouse on."
Jane nodded and sat up as she felt Buck's hands slide down to her waist and pull gently at her blouse and slowly slide it over her head. He stepped away to place it where it would dry overnight and when he came back he stopped and admired the site of Jane sitting in the firelight. "You're beautiful." He said quietly.
Jane looked up at him and smiled and then said softly, "I might be more comfortable without all of the skirts on too."
Buck blinked slowly even as he felt himself nodding and sent a prayer to the Gods that he was worthy of this woman and would do right by her. He watched as Jane slowly stood and removed her heavy over skirt but as she went to remove her petticoats he heard her gasp and reached out for her and lowered her slowly to the ground.
"Jane? What is it? Are you ok?"
"I am…" Jane said and then added, "I will be."
"What is it Jane? Is this why you didn't walk to the cave?"
"When I fell my leg got stuck in the stirrup and it was hard for me to get Berry to stop long enough to get free." Jane said as Buck immediately shifted to pull Jane's legs into his lap. "I think I hurt my ankle."
Buck carefully laid his hands on Jane's petticoats and then slowly ran his fingers lightly over Jane's knees and then down her legs. He stopped when he got to her left foot, "Jane?"
"I'm hoping Berry will still have my shoe when we get home." Jane said attempting humor.
"Quick thinking."
"I'll need new laces though."
Buck laughed, "That's the least of our worries." He said as he kissed Jane happily. Taking a deep breath Buck said "Jane, I want to check your ankle but I'm going to need to move your skirts."
"I trust you Buck." Jane said locking her eyes with Bucks and smiling confidently.
Buck nodded and took a slow steadying breath. He slowly lowered his eyes and picked up Jane's foot and then slid his hands slowly around Jane's ankle. He heard her take a sharp intake of breath and mentally marked it. Slowly he let his hands slide further up her leg and she said, "Ohhh." Softly
"Does that hurt?" Buck asked looking up
"No." Jane said in a whisper feeling herself blush.
"Oh." Buck said stilling his hands, "Should I stop?"
"No." Jane said softly her fingers lightly grazing his arm.
"I'm going to remove your stocking so I can splint your ankle."
"Mmhmm." Jane mummered as she felt Buck's fingers slide up her thigh and undo the snaps that held her stockings in place.
Buck swallowed heavily as Jane's mouth opened slightly at his lightest touch. He knew he shouldn't but he wrapped his fingers around her thigh and pressed the warm skin lightly enjoying the way her brown eyes darkened. Slowly he slid the stocking down her leg, enjoying every nuance of her well defined calf muscle and sounds she breathed at his touch. Gently he picked her foot up and placed it back in his lap and cupped her heal while he slid his other hand around the back of her ankle and moved it lightly back and forth.
"I'm going to bind this for now." Buck said softly, "If I can find some sturdy twigs later I can re-do it better if you want."
Jane nodded, not trusting her voice. All her senses were tangled up in the feeling of Buck's hands on her leg. She felt him take her stocking and twist it around her ankle and foot and tie it. But her eyes never left his face, she was fascinated by the look he wore and how touching her seemed to be affecting him too. Finally, she felt her foot be laid down in the dirt of the cave and she felt herself breath again. She felt herself come back to herself.
"How long do you think we'll be here?" Jane asked as she leaned against Buck and rested her head against his chest. Her fingers began to lightly stroke his skin.
"Probably til morning." Buck said "It's a bad storm and I don't think we should try heading back in the dark not with you having a bad ankle." Buck felt his body responding to Jane's touch and closeness. He watched as Jane nodded, "Sorry you have to spend your birthday in a cave."
"I'm not. I get to be with you on my birthday. That's really all I wanted. And who else would have their birthday in a cave. That's kinda special." Jane said as she shifted and leaned herself closer to Buck. She lifted her face to his and placed a slow but steady kiss on his lips and feeling daring she let her tongue dart out and taste his him. Buck responded instantly by opening his mouth to her. Jane felt her heart race as she slipped her tongue into his mouth and felt the warmth of him come over her. She could taste him and she wanted more, shifting slightly she slid her arms around Bucks neck and found her fingers entwined in his ponytail and she began to twist the hair lightly around her fingers first pulling and then pushing him closer to her. Finally the kiss broke and Jane found herself breathless.
Buck automatically wrapped his arms around Jane. "It will be nice to be able to be alone. We haven't really had that since Benton."
Jane giggled, "Unless you count when we've sneaked off to the barn."
Buck smiled, "I definitely count that but, this is…I don't know, different."
Jane nodded, "No one looking for us. We can just be us and talk about anything." Jane shivered slightly and Buck tightened his arms around her.
"Is there something you want to talk about?" Buck asked curiously
Jane bit her lip and shook her head even as she felt her cheeks redden, "Not talk no."
"What do you want Jane?"
"You." Jane whispered
Buck smiled and slid his arms around Jane, and kissed her again. "You have me."
Jane shook her head and said in a voice so soft Buck could barely hear her. "I like how you make me feel Buck. I don't want it to stop."
Buck swallowed hard, "Jane" he whispered "We're in a cave."
"I know. And it's my birthday. And we're engaged. And I love you. And…" Buck stopped her with a searing kiss his fingers tangling in her hair as he began to slowly lower her to the ground.
