Chapter 2 – In Dreams

Of course I woke the next morning with a stiff neck and a wife that was either worried or not speaking to me. I was relieved to find she was conversing just fine.

After the herd was all out of the way, we sat down with a cup of coffee. "Want to talk about it?"

I shook my head. "I really don't, but I guess we should. Parker came to see me yesterday. He had some news from Ray in Colorado."

That look of concern was back full force. "Not bad news, I hope."

"I sent a telegram to Ray to get some more information." I knew she wouldn't let it go at that, but I thought I'd give it a try.

"What's wrong, Bart? You're being evasive. Information about whom?"

"Buckley."

"Dandy Jim? You haven't heard from him in ages. What's it about?"

I hesitated before answering her. "According to what Ray heard, Buckley's dying."

"Are . . . are you sure?"

"No, I haven't gotten a response yet. But . . . "

"What are you gonna do if it is?"

Two or three minutes passed before I gave her an answer. "I don't know yet."

Before we got any further, Tim Demerest came in the back door. Tim was like a son to both me and Bret, and he was our Breeding Program Manager. "Telegram got delivered this morning. Thought you'd want to see it right away." He handed it to Doralice, who was closest to the door, tipped his hat and left as quickly as he came. One of the things I love about Tim – he doesn't waste time.

Doralice gave it to me. I opened it and read it through twice, then handed it back. Blue-eyes read it; when she looked back at me there were tears visible. "So it's true."

"It would seem so." The wire was brief and to the point. 'Buckley sick, dying. Don't know what or when. Ray.' With nothing else to do, I got up and poured us more coffee. That quickly, my mind was made up. "I have to go see him, Doralice. There's . . . unfinished business."

She took my hand in hers. "I always suspected there was something that needed to be settled."

"I'll have to get Maude's set up for my absence. I could be gone for a while. Are you alright with that?"

"Take whatever time you need. You know I can handle Maude's if needs be."

She absolutely amazed me. All these years of loving her, and I still couldn't get over how quick she was to step up and take care of all of the rest of us. Doralice was, and always had been, the perfect woman for me. I'll never understand why it took me so long to recognize how special she was, what an incredible heart and soul she had. And, for some reason, she loved me.

"You've got enough to take care of. But I'll make sure Billy knows to come to you if he has any problems." Billy is Billy Sunday, my Saloon Manager. He's been with us a long time now, and I had no doubt he could handle anything that came up. But the final authority was, and always would be, Doralice. "Is there anything I need to do with the kids before I go? At school or anyplace else?"

Doralice looked thoughtful for a minute before shaking her head. "Nope. Everything is fine." While we'd been talking, she'd migrated from the kitchen chair to my arms, where she resided now. "Be careful and give James my best." And then in my ear I heard, "I love you very much. Just come back to me."

I kissed her and held her as close to me as possible. This was not going to be an easy trip or a pleasant task, and I needed to absorb as much of her love and warmth as I could. After all these years, it was time to deal with Dandy Jim's betrayal of our friendship . . . and what the future held for each of us.

XXXXXXXX

It didn't take much to make sure Maude's would function fine without me. Billy was on top of everything, and it wasn't the same as those early days when I'd had to take over running the saloon. It helped that we had a new Bank President, Robert James McNair, and he had no pre-conceived ideas about who was and wasn't fit to call the shots at Maude's.

I saw Dave Parker, and let him know I was gonna be gone for a while. The same with Simon Petry. Having wrapped up everything that needed my attention, I headed back to the ranch. There were a few things Bret needed to know before I left the following morning.

I was awake early the next day and was surprised to find Doralice already up and cooking breakfast. "You hungry?" she asked as I appeared in the kitchen, and I kissed the back of her neck and murmured, "I am if there's a blonde on the menu." Thanks to a miniature Maverick stampede the only things on the menu that morning were eggs and biscuits. Oh, and one of Lucy's newest batch of kittens, a little fella we'd named Jeb, who'd already discovered the joys of unfinished breakfasts.

Once everyone was out the door and it was just the two of us again, Doralice got awfully quiet. "Bart, I had the strangest dream last night."

I almost laughed out loud. If my beautiful wife could have seen some of the dreams I'd had over the years . . . still, I could tell she wanted to share this one with me. "What was it about, blue-eyes?"

"Not what . . . who. It was about . . . Dandy."

That didn't seem strange at all, considering that Dandy had been our main topic of conversation for most of the last two days. "Do you want to tell me about it?"

"Well, yes, I'd like to. I can't imagine what it means."

"Are you sure you can't stay for the wedding, James?" Doralice was more than a little disappointed to see the Englishman leave before she and Bart married. He had given no explanation for his sudden departure, only saying he needed to leave immediately.

James turned from his horse with a heavy sigh. "Alas, my dear lady, I regret I cannot."

James reached for her hand, and Doralice felt heat slowly spread across her cheeks as he planted a kiss on the back of it. Who was James Buckley? In the time he'd been around she still couldn't answer that question. The only thing she knew was never before had she encountered a man so smooth, so charming; so debonair.

"I'm sure it would mean the world to Bart if you could stay." And me, she silently added, wondering who Jim's presence would really mean the most to.

He released her hand and smiled; he had a dazzling smile. "If only I could. He is indeed a fortunate man to have won a prize such as you."

She laughed, her cheeks reddening again. What was it about him that caused her to react like a giggling school girl? He was a truly fascinating man, so very different from Bart, and yet there was also something about him that made her think of her future husband.

"I'm fortunate myself to have caught him." And she meant those words with every fiber of her being. She'd never imagined she could find someone like Bart to spend her life with; if only James could stay a little longer.

James turned towards the saloon where Bart would doubtless be exiting soon. "I must agree with you, my dear. He's a fine man." His smile became less sincere and more mischievous. "You certainly landed the better of the two."

Doralice laughed and lightly slapped his arm. "James, that's not fair. Bret's a fine man too."

"He has his virtues, I suppose."

Before talk about her soon to be brother-in-law could continue, Bart stepped out of the saloon and joined them. "Am I interrupting anything?" He asked, sliding his arm around Doralice.

"Only a most painful goodbye," James answered with a sigh. He then looked towards the saloon. "Don't tell me Bret won't be joining us."

"Fraid not," Bart answered.

"As if it's not painful enough to leave this exquisite creature, now I am denied the company of your brother."

"We'll tell him how hurt you were," Doralice told him.

"And I'm sure he'll feel terrible," Bart added.

"Doubtless he will."

The two men looked at each other a moment before Bart offered James his hand. "So long, Jim."

James gave the proffered hand a hearty shake. "The best of luck to you, my friend." He turned his attention to Doralice. "And to you, my dear. I wish you many happy years together."

He leaned down and kissed her cheek this time and tears filled her eyes. James' leaving was turning out to be more difficult than she would have imagined, given that she hadn't known him long. "Goodbye, James. Safe travels, and do come back to see us soon."

James swung up on his horse. "You may count on that, dear lady." With a final tip of his hat, James turned his horse and started out if town. Doralice leaned against her husband-to-be and sighed, hoping it wouldn't be long before Dandy Jim Buckley crossed their path again.

I cleared my throat and attempted to get my bearings about me. "I think it means just what it seemed to mean," I told her. "You wanted Buckley to stay for the wedding and were disappointed that he couldn't."

"But it was such a long time ago," she protested. "Why would I dream about it now?"

"We've been worried about him for the last two days. Why not dream about him now?"

"Really?" she asked. "You think that's all it is?"

I gathered her into my arms and kissed her. "I think that's exactly what it is."

And I prayed there was nothing else lurking in the dark corners of her dreams.

Author's Note: The 'dream' was written by PsychedelicCowgirl.