The Good Life
Chapter 3
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 3 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...