Kiss of Death----2
The first day on the trail passed with both men riding along in silence. Buck continued to relive the past as the beauty who'd captured his heart took control of his feelings once more. He knew a lot of time had passed since he'd seen Angela Tate, but something told him her beauty was as ageless as the sun hanging high in the sky. He'd often thought of her over the years and wondered what could have made her leave without so much as a goodbye. Their wedding day had dawned with such promise, the hangover dissipating before it had a chance to take hold. He'd danced across the floor and yelled at Larabee to wake up and smell the roses and Chris had told him to shut up or he'd make him eat the roses, thorns and all. He heard Pony come up beside him and turned to his friend.
"Buck, it's getting late. There's a creek up ahead."
"You wanna make camp?"
"Might as well. We've made a few miles today."
"All right, Pard, show me the way," Wilmington said and rode alongside his friend. It didn't take long to reach the creek and the two men quickly set up camp for the night. Buck quickly set out the bedrolls while Chris warmed a pan of bacon and beans. The coffee was strong and hot as he poured it into two cups and added a dollop of whiskey to each one.
"Thanks," Wilmington said as he sat on his bedroll and sipped the hardy liquid. "Nice touch, you always did make the best trail coffee."
"Figured it'd help us both sleep. No one's following us and I don't think any animals will bother us if we keep the fire going. Not much point in losing sleep for now," Larabee said as he dished up the food on two tin plates and passed one to his companion.
"Thanks…this brings back memories."
"Yes, it does," Larabee agreed leaning against a large boulder behind him.
"Remember the nights we used to ride down to Purgatorio after…after Angela disappeared?"
"I remember. We rode hard…"
"Not just the horses," Wilmington said with a grin.
"Never was one to go slow, Buck. I think a lot of them Mexican mamas hid their young women when they heard your war cry."
"Wasn't a war cry, Chris, was a love cry and them mamas were probably right to hide the innocent ones, but there were a lot of ladies who were happy to see us."
"Yes, there were. Remember the blond who came charging into our room that first night in town?"
"Booby?"
"That's what you kept calling her, but I think her real name was Bobbie."
"Don't matter what her name was, she was damn fine to look at."
"Sure was," Larabee said with a cocky grin.
"Hey, what happened after I passed out anyway? Was she disappointed?"
"Far from it," the blond said and toasted the other man with his coffee mug.
"You didn't? Why you sly fox. Booby was my date…"
"She was, but since you weren't up to it she just kind of…" Larabee couldn't help chuckling as Wilmington tried to look indignant. "It's okay, Buck, she didn't go away unappreciated. Woman was a bit of an exhibitionist."
"Sonofabitch! All this time I thought you were my friend!"
"I am, just did what any friend would do. More coffee?"
"No, but I'll take some of that whiskey you're so damn tight with!"
"Better watch it, Buck, seems I'm the only saloon in the area," Larabee said pouring the strong libation in both mugs. He took the empty plates and cleaned them off before settling back on his bedroll. The moon was shining brightly overhead as he added more wood to the fire and pulled the thin blanket up over his body. He looked across the fire and noticed that Wilmington seemed to be sleeping, the empty coffee mug hanging from his fingers. Settling back he closed his eyes and thought about the strange friendship he had with the other man.
M7M7M7M7M7M7M7
Three days later the two friends drew to a stop several miles south of Midfield. They could have rode on through the encroaching darkness, but neither man wanted to take a chance on the horses taking a wrong step and landing in a gopher hole. Buck was growing increasingly impatient, but he knew there was no choice. The horses needed rest and so did their riders whether they admitted it or not.
The water hole was just that…a hole with very little water, but enough so both men could fill their canteens, but not enough to bathe in. Chris took care of the horses, ground tying them close to the water's edge and making sure there was plenty of grass for them to feed on. He watched as Buck worked at getting the camp set up and knew his friend was thinking about the woman waiting for him at the end of this trip.
"Chris, beans or," the ladies' man grinned as he spoke. "Beans?"
"How about…hard choice their Pard, but I think I'll take the beans," Larabee answered in the same easy-going voice his friend used.
"Any more of your special brand of coffee?" Wilmington asked.
"Yep, had it refilled in that little burg we passed through earlier."
"Little burg? There were only four buildings in the place. Ain't nothing changed about that place since the last time we rode through there."
"Nope, 'cept maybe the whole place should be condemned," Larabee told him. "Nothing wrong with the Red Eye though."
"Know whatcha mean." Wilmington said handing Larabee a plate and accepting a cup of 'coffee'. The two men settled down for the night and enjoyed the simple meal. By the time they cleaned up and added more wood to the fire, fatigue had taken over and a small groan escaped Buck's throat.
"Good thing Vin and JD are not here."
"Why?" the ladies' man asked.
"What would those two say about you moaning and groaning after a days' riding?"
"Ah, hell, can hear 'em both now…'gettin' old Bucklin'."
"Be lucky if they don't bring you one of those shawls Nettie Wells makes."
"You tell them and I'll just have to pull a Larabee on you."
"A what?" Chris asked as he watched the twinkling stars high overhead.
"A Larabee! You know one of those I'll just have to shoot ya!"
"Very funny, Pard. Go to sleep!" Larabee lit a cheroot and inhaled the smoke, exhaling slowly as he relaxed against the saddlebag he used as a pillow. He knew tomorrow was a day Buck was looking forward to, but something about Angela Tate had never set well with him. The woman seemed superficial, but there was nothing he could do except be there and look out for his friend.
"Chris, what do you think she's like now?"
"Who?" Larabee asked softly, knowing full well 'who' Wilmington was talking about.
"Angela. Do you think she's changed?"
"We all change, Buck, and it's been a lot of years since we saw her."
"I bet she's still beautiful. I bet her hair is still that same shade of fiery red and her eyes the color of the turbulent sea."
"You sound like a man in love, Buck," Larabee said.
"I am…I was. I don't know, Chris. I just know I need to see her again and maybe I'll have the answers I need."
"What will you do if you still love her, Buck?"
"I don't know…marry her I guess. Maybe. Won't know until I see her again, Chris."
"Just don't jump in with both feet, Buck. If you get there and feel like you're in love then step back and give yourself time to make sure it's real and not leftover feelings from long ago. I just don't want to see you make a mistake."
"I know, Chris, and that's why I'm glad you agreed to come with me. Remember the first time I cold-cocked you?"
"How could I forget? Stopped me from making the worst mistake of my life. That woman had something against Sarah."
"Yeah, she did and she was using you as payback. The bitch had you pretty done in when I got there. Thought I was too late when you waved the gun around," Wilmington said softly.
"You saved me from making a big mistake, Buck, and for that I'm grateful. My jaw wasn't at the time, but at least it healed pretty quickly."
"Thought for a few minutes I'd broken your jaw."
"Me too," Larabee said as they grew quiet once more. The sounds of the night included a far off coyote and several other wild animals. The smell of the burning wood and the soft breathing of both men were the only thing out of the ordinary in the area.
"Chris, do you remember the day Angela disappeared?"
"How could I forget? I nearly lost you that day, Buck."
"Came damn close, Chris. If you hadn't stopped me I'd probably have been buried that day. I just wasn't thinking...never do when I'm around Angela."
"I'll keep you honest, Buck."
"You always do. You know I'm as nervous as a virgin on her wedding night," the ladies' man admitted.
"Ah, hell, Buck, we're not gonna get much sleep tonight are we?"
"Probably not. Maybe we should just ride on."
"Not a smart idea, Buck. Too many places where a horse could break a leg."
"Yeah, I know...ain't keeping you awake am I?"
"Not yet," Larabee said as he took a long drag on the cheroot before throwing the last of it into the fire. He turned on his side and looked at the man lying across from him. Wilmington was staring into the flames as if lost in the past and Chris knew there was a lot going through his friend's mind. "Buck, don't think about it too much. What happened is in the past and if this is your chance at happiness then I'll be damn proud to stand by your side."
"Thanks, Chris, I just hope I'm not making a damn fool of myself."
"Well, won't be the first time, Pard," Larabee grinned in an effort to lighten the mood before lying back on his bedroll.
"Good night, Chris," Wilmington said.
"Night, Buck," the blond answered and pulled his blanket closer around his lean body.
M7M7M7M7M7M7M7
Angela Tate sat on the porch swing and watched as two riders came towards her ranch house. The sun was going down and cast long shadows over the house and the well-kept grounds. She was pretty sure who the men were, but remained seated as she waited for them to come into her yard. Smiling as the duo drew to a stop in front of her, Angela raced down the two steps and threw herself into Wilmington's arms before he'd planted both feet on the ground.
"Oh, Buck, God I've missed you so much," the woman cried as she continued to hold tightly to the mustached man.
"I missed you too, Angela," Wilmington said a flurry of emotions colliding with each other as his body reacted to her nearness.
"I can't believe you're actually here, Buck. I didn't think you'd come."
"You asked me to, Angela. You remember Chris Larabee," Wilmington said, disentangling himself from the woman.
"Oh, yes, I'm sorry," she smiled brightly as she turned to the blond haired man standing between the two horses. "Hello, Chris, it's good to see you again."
"You too, Angela. Buck, I'll take care of the horses."
"Thanks, Chris," the ladies' man said as he held the woman in his arms.
"The barn is at the back of the house. Tell Manual I said to take good care of them." Angela watched the lean, black clad gunfighter for several seconds before turning her full attention to the man standing before her. "You haven't changed, Buck."
"I wouldn't say that Angela, but the years have been good to you. You're still the most beautiful lady to grace the west…east…north and south."
"Oh, Buck, you're still my silver tongued scoundrel. I can't tell you how many times I've cried myself to sleep because of you."
"Then why did you leave, Angela?" Wilmington asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Because I couldn't stand the thought of you being killed."
"Me? Who'd want to kill me back then?"
"My jilted ex fiancé."
"Whoa! Your what?" the ladies man asked. "Thought you and me were getting married?"
"Oh, Buck, how can I explain?"
"Well, you can tell me who the hell this ex fiancé is…was when I get hold of him!"
"Robert's dead, Buck, and I'm finally free of the debt I owed him, that's why I sent for you." She reached up and pulled his head down into a kiss that deepened and sent a flash of hot desire tingling through Wilmington's body.
"A…Angela, God you still set me on fire," he said of her wanton behavior.
"I want y…you, Buck…so bad."
"I want you too, Angela, but not here…not now."
"Your body tells me different," Angela said as she slipped her tongue past his lips. She smiled as another groan escaped from her would-be lover.
"Believe me I want nothing more than to take you right here and now, but we can't…I can't. I need to know why, Angela, I deserve an explanation."
Angela pulled away, hiding the anger and disappointment as she stared out over the landscape. This was her home and it would be Wilmington's as well, no matter what else happened she would have this man her body craved. There were drugs she could purchase off the local Chinese apothecary that would see Wilmington in her bed. For now she would rely on his lust for her, because it was strongly evident in the way he'd kissed her, bruising her lips and brushing his tongue across her mouth.
"Who was he, Angela?"
"Someone I knew back home in St. Louis." Her answer was spoken softly and she knew it sounded pained, and she smiled inwardly at her own duplicity. She turned back to the mustached man and swallowed several times before meeting his eyes and letting him see the tears. "His name was Robert Stratton and he came over here from England, looking for a wife he said, but it wasn't a wife he wanted, Buck."
"What did he want?"
"He wanted to take me back to England and make me some kind of harlot, Buck. He already had a wife, but that didn't seem to matter to him. He told me the night before we were to sail that his wife was living at their house in town and that the country estate would be mine, but I couldn't do that, Buck. I couldn't be a concubine," She broke down crying, her shoulders shaking with the force of her sobs as he pulled her close. He didn't see the wicked gleam in her eyes as she continued with the tale of woe she'd concocted to make this man believe in her once more.
"What about your family? Surely they didn't agree with those arrangements?"
"They didn't agree with them, but Robert was blackmailing my father. Daddy had no choice but to go along with it."
"So how did you end up here?" Wilmington asked.
"Robert found me the night before you and I were to be wed. He forced me to go back to St. Louis with him and told me we would be wed or my father would pay the price with his business, reputation, and finally his life. Robert and I were married, but no one else knew he was already married in England. The night we were to set sail, Robert was involved in a disagreement over a poker game and one of the other gamblers killed him. My father arranged for me to obtain my things from the boat before it sailed and we were also given the strongbox that held the money from Robert's business dealings."
"Why didn't you contact me after Robert died? I would've understood," Wilmington assured her.
"I tried, Buck, but you and Chris had already left Midfield and I had no idea where to look for you."
"Damn, Chris and I settled near Eagle Bend…"
"Did you ever start that horse ranch of yours?"
"Yeah, we did, but…"
"What happened?" Angela asked, as the man grew quiet.
"It just didn't work out," Wilmington finally answered as the visions of the horrendous fire finally dissolved. "So what made you come back to Midfield?"
"It just seemed the right thing to do at the time. This place had some wonderful memories and it was the last place I saw you. I came back here hoping to find you and Chris well established as horse breeders, but they said you left long before I returned."
"How long have you been back here?"
"I came back six years ago and I sent out telegrams to surrounding towns asking after you, but they always came back unanswered until a few weeks ago."
"What happened a few weeks ago?"
"Some cattle drovers came through Midfield and they had an old newspaper clipping from a town called Four Corners."
"That's where I live now."
"I know. The paper said the town was celebrating the fourth of July thanks to seven peacekeepers. I couldn't believe it was you when I saw the picture. I felt like I'd finally come home and that's why I sent the telegram. I love you, Buck, I have since the first day I laid eyes on you and…and…"
Buck watched the tears as they slipped from her eyes and slid down her cheeks. His fingers touched against her right cheek and he felt her press into his touch.
"Oh, Buck, I'm so…so sorry."
"So am I, Angela…"
"Is it too late for us, Buck?"
"I don't know…"
"Please, Buck, give us a chance…give me a chance to show you how much I love you. I promise you won't be sorry…"
TBC