Chapter 8
Jinny reached the station. Teaspoon had gathered them all here to hear from Ike and to decide what to do with Jinny's parents. He had informed the boys and Rachel, who had just gotten home from having been away on chores all day and when she learned of Ike and Neville she was astounded.
Jinny walked in and was immediately asked if there was any news about Ike.
"I'm from there and unfortunately there hasn't been any change", she said.
"Oh Lord, that poor boy, I can't believe he's dying. We have to pray that he makes it", Rachel said.
"I hope so, Rachel, but the doctor is pessimistic. Unfortunately we have to prepare for the worst", Teaspoon pointed out.
"Jinny, tell us about your parents and Buck and what we're going to do", Teaspoon added.
Meanwhile, Jinny had sat next to Lou and replied: "Buck ended our relationship", she said almost in a whisper and with a bleeding heart. She felt a weight pressing down on her and it got heavier every time she thought about it. She added: "Please don't ask me more because I can't do it. I asked him to pretend that everything is fine between us in front of my parents, otherwise they will take me back to Italy and force me to marry a man I don't love. I would die. He agreed to pretend until they're gone, then everyone will go their own way."
"Oh Jinny, I'm sorry honey", Rachel said.
"What's going on in that idiot's head?" Jimmy commented.
"Jimmy, Buck has demons to fight, we all know that. He doesn't believe in himself and can't accept that someone loves him for who he is", Jinny replied.
"And you defend him as well? That boy has no idea how lucky he is. I hope he can figure it out before it's too late", Jimmy added.
"What are we supposed to do?" Noah asked.
"Nothing, carry on and carry on your life as if nothing had happened, compatibly with Ike's condition, but you just have to pretend that Buck and I are still together, you have to behave with us as you have done up to now. My parents are coming to lunch tomorrow at noon to meet you. They will stay a few days to evaluate my life here and my relationship with Buck. If they give me their approval, I'll stay here and they'll go back to Italy, otherwise they'll take me home with them. I hope they don't notice that we are pretending and above all that they approve of my "relationship" with Buck", Jinny explained.
"What if they don't approve of Buck, regardless of this mess between you?" Cody asked.
"I'll do anything for them to see what a wonderful man he is, I'll fight with all my might for him", she replied.
"Are you going to fight for a man who doesn't want you anymore?" asked Kid.
"Kid! But it seems appropriate!", Lou resumed.
"Yes, Kid, I will fight for him anyway. Regardless of his feelings now, Buck deserves to be appreciated for his qualities and I want my parents to get to know him inside out and learn to appreciate him. I will never stop loving him and hoping he changes his mind", Jinny replied.
"Buck should know what you just said", Jimmy interjected.
"Now excuse me, but I need to be alone. See you tomorrow" and went out.
She ran into the house and as soon as she was inside she collapsed in the living room and wept and wept with a despair that would have torn even the hardest-hearted man.
Lou and Rachel joined her immediately.
"Honey no, get up, come sit on the couch with us", Rachel said as she hugged her.
Jinny got help and the two women carried her to the sofa. Jinny kept crying, she was short of breath.
She looked at the two women and said: "I can't imagine my life without him, I lack air, a part of my heart and soul belongs to him and without Buck I am nothing, I am incomplete and I cannot breathe. I can no longer give up his kisses, his arms around my body, his caresses, his smile, him. It no longer makes sense to live without him. Please help me, I can't do it"
Lou cried with her, she was frozen in her despair and didn't know what to say or do. Rachel hugged her and said: "Don't say these things honey, maybe Buck will change his mind and you will get back together and if not, you have to be strong and take back your life and we will help you"
"No Rachel, there is no more life without Buck"
"Shh, cry, let it out, we're here" and she kept hugging her tightly.
When she had calmed down a bit, Rachel walked her to her room and made sure she was okay. Then she went down to Lou and said: "I need to talk to Buck. He has no right to do this to her."
"I…sorry but I was petrified by her pain, I didn't know how to help her", Lou tried to apologize.
"I know Lou, I know and she knows it too. Your mere presence here helps her. Let's go to sleep now and pray for Ike. If he were saved, I think it would be easier for those two as well ".
They all went to sleep but Jinny couldn't sleep a wink, not in that room and not in that bed.
The next morning she got up, tidied herself up and tried to erase the signs of the night he had spent. She had to appear peaceful with her parents and her sadness would be justified with concern for Ike. She went to prepare breakfast and replied to Rachel who asked how she was: "Empty Rachel, but I have to be strong while my parents are here. From this moment Buck and I are madly in love and we are a very happy couple". She sighed and Rachel squeezed her arm.
During breakfast no one spoke and Jinny said: "Please be natural. Buck and I are together and we are happy, there must be no doubts!"
Everyone nodded and then Buck walked in yelling: "Ike woke up. He's better! The doctor says it's a miracle. He is still very weak and his situation is very delicate, but he will survive!"
"Lord I thank you!" Rachel exclaimed and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Tell us more", Teaspoon pressed.
"I can't tell you exactly what happened, I just understood that he will make it and I ran here to warn you. Now I'm going back to him, then I'll talk to the doctor well" and he stormed out.
"What a relief!" they all commented. They took turns going to see Ike and the last one was Jinny who waited and then went straight to pick up her parents.
When she entered, she found Emily there.
"Hi Emily, how are you? Ike, how nice to see you awake"
"I'm still stunned, but happy to see him alive", Emily replied.
+ I'm here and that's enough+ Ike marked slowly.
"Don't force yourself, rest", Jinny told him and then looked at Buck. Emily and Ike noticed the tension between them.
Buck said, looking away: "Since you two are here, I'm going to get myself sorted out and then I'll come back to pick you up to go to your parents' hotel"
Jinny nodded. He hadn't changed his mind about that at least.
When it came out, Ike scored: +What's going on?+
"Nothing Ike, don't worry"
+ I am hurt, not stupid+
"Buck ended our relationship but we will pretend everything is fine until my parents who arrived yesterday are gone"
"I'm sorry Jinny but why did he do that?" Emily asked.
"He can't stand the thought that I saw him kill Neville"
+I will speak to him+
"Thanks Ike, but you don't have to get tired and I don't think it would help anyway"
+Let me do it+
She smiled at him.
Half an hour later, Buck returned.
"Are you okay Ike?" he asked.
He nodded.
He turned to Jinny and said: "Shall we go? Emily, are you staying here?"
"Yes, rest assured, I won't leave him alone for a minute until someone comes back"
"Thank you"
Buck went out and Jinny followed. She didn't speak and he said: "Don't worry, they'll believe it" and took her by the hand.
She nodded. Jinny told the reception that they would go up to her parents and the boy nodded.
They knocked and her father opened it.
"Good morning. Come in".
Jinny kissed them and then said: "This is Buck. Buck, meet my mother and father"
"Very pleased gentlemen, I'm Buck Cross"
They shook hands and then Jinny's mother said: "Sit down"
They sat down and it was Jinny who broke the ice: "As I wrote to you, Buck works for the Pony Express as a courier and when necessary, helps Teaspoon as his deputy. If Teaspoon is absent, he sometimes appoints one of his couriers as a replacement because he trusts them blindly."
"How did you meet and how did you end up working for them?" her mother asked.
"We met at a dance. Jinny had just arrived in town, she didn't know anyone and we invited her to dance. She told us she needed a job and when Rachel, the woman who helps us at the station, had to be away for a while, we offered Jinny to take her place for a while. In the end she stayed with us because Rachel realized she needed help at the station", Buck explained, omitting how things really went…
"So you all live together…", insinuated the mother.
"Oh no, we guys sleep in the bunkhouse while Jinny and Rachel sleep in the main house and Teaspoon either in the office or a room in the barn. We eat lunch together and work together but each sleeps in his place", Buck pointed out.
"Well. And how did you get together?"
"Getting to know each other better, we fell in love and understood that we want to be together. Buck has a noble and kind soul, is always ready to help those in need and would give his life for the people he loves. Many esteem him even if we don't deny that someone can't stand him because of his origins, but he has always been honest and when problems arose with the Indian tribes, he helped find a mediation", explained Jinny.
"Jinny is a wonderful woman. She took care of me when I wasn't well, she cared for me lovingly and she does the same with the other boys. In her I admire her strength, her courage, her stubbornness, her way of facing life and sometimes I think it's too much for me "
Jinny's heart sank. She didn't know if Buck's words were sincere or not. Until the morning of the day before she was convinced that these were her true feelings, but after what happened in the last few hours, she believed that he had stopped loving her and that he was only pretending.
"Are you serious about my daughter?" her father asked.
"I love her very much, and your blessing is very important to us", Buck replied evasively. Only yesterday he would have told them that he wanted to start a family with Jinny and that he wanted them to agree to their marriage, but now things had changed and he couldn't express himself that way anymore.
"You know that you will have many difficulties and that if you get married your children will also have difficulties, right?" asked the father.
"Yes, but I am convinced that if our love is strong, we can overcome everything. We are not alone, the boys, Rachel and Teaspoon are family to Buck and I am very close to them too"
"You don't have parents, do you, Buck?" asked the mother.
"No ma'am, they're both dead. I have an older half-brother"
"And where is he?" the woman asked again.
"He lives with the Kiowa in a nearby encampment, he is a tribal chief"
"So you can only count on what you earn as a courier", the mother specified.
"Yes ma'am, but I can also do other jobs: I'm very expert in horses and work doesn't scare me. I would do anything to support my family"
"And don't forget that I work too", Jinny said.
"And you, Buck, accept that your girlfriend works?" asked the father.
"If she likes it, yes, it's up to her to choose. If she decides to stop, I will still support her."
"Guys, we can't make such an important decision on the spot, we need to think about it", said the father.
"And to weigh the consequences", added the mother who seemed the most recalcitrant.
"I understand that and I'm willing to answer any of your questions or concerns. One thing you must never doubt: the love I feel for your daughter. I'd be willing to sacrifice everything for her happiness, even myself", Buck said and looked at Jinny: he had to make her understand that he had left her for her own good, but he still loved her and she shouldn't doubt it.
Jinny looked down because she didn't want to show her parents her suffering.
"We'll make our own assessments", the mother said.
"Now let's go to the station for lunch so you can meet the others", Jinny said.
They walked towards Rachel and Jinny's house, they were going to have lunch there and Rachel had told Jinny that she would take care of everything, she had to be calm. On the way, Buck extended his arm to Jinny and they all walked in silence. Jinny didn't dare look Buck in the eyes, she couldn't take it and she would start crying, she couldn't afford it.
When they arrived, the official introductions were made and then they sat down to table. The boys tried to act natural and explained that Kid wasn't with them because he had just left for his run. They explained to them how the Pony Express worked and Jinny's father was very interested.
Jinny's parents then asked about Ike and Teaspoon explained to them what had happened.
"The doctor said he's out of danger now and that it was a miracle. He needs to rest a lot but he will heal", Buck pointed out.
"He was lucky", said the mother.
"I think our prayers have been answered", Rachel replied.
The boys told some of their adventures to the guests and they did the same recalling some episodes of Jinny's life in Italy. After the first embarrassment, the situation melted away and lunch was very pleasant. Buck and Jinny behaved very spontaneously, as if nothing had happened between them. They showed Jinny's parents around the house and the station to see for themselves how their daughter was doing.
In the early afternoon, the two returned to the hotel and Teaspoon advised them not to wander around the saloon after dinner as it was very dangerous.
They thanked and made arrangements to have dinner with Jinny and Buck.
Jinny asked Buck if he would agree and he agreed. Buck returned to Ike and before he left, Jinny said: "Thank you, I owe you." He lowered his head and didn't answer.
Jinny was in a lot of pain and could no longer understand what he felt for her.
In the afternoon she went to Ike's and found both Buck and Emily there. They both spent most of their time with him.
Buck left with the excuse of going to Teaspoon's and Ike made it clear to Emily that he wanted to speak alone with Jinny. Emily took the opportunity to go get some rest.
"See you soon Jinny"
Jinny nodded her assent.
"So Ike, how are you?"
+Better, thank you+ he signed.
+Don't give up on Buck, he'll change his mind+
"I don't know what to think anymore Ike, when we pretend with my parents, I feel like I go back to before all this happened, but as soon as they leave, he avoids me and is cold to me. I don't know what to do anymore but I don't want to beg for his love. He knows I love him and if he changes his mind, I'll be here. Now rest and don't think about us, we'll be fine. Rather, how are things with Emily?"
+I love her, but after the loss of her father, she decided to leave+
"Yes, but maybe now things have changed"
+We'll see. Now I try to rest a bit +
"Of course Ike, I'm here if you need"
Ike fell asleep and Jinny started reading the book she had brought, but she couldn't concentrate. Her thought was always aimed at Buck, she couldn't get over it.
Shortly after, he entered.
"He's resting", she told him.
He nodded and then said to her: "Go get ready for dinner, as soon as Lou arrives I'll come and freshen up and then we'll go to dinner with your parents"
"Buck, please reconsider our situation, I love you, don't give up on us"
"Jinny, just because I love you we can't be together, please don't talk about it anymore"
"No, you don't love me, otherwise you wouldn't break my heart like that. You don't believe in us and you never have and above all you don't trust me and my love for you. I will no longer beg for your love. When my parents are gone, I will rid you of my presence" and she went out.
"Jinny…", he tried to call her, but then stopped. He turned to Ike who had woken up in the meantime. He was frowning in his face and said to him: + Don't you dare treat her like that. Are you idiot or what? She loves you so much, she accepts everything about you, even your darkest part and you chase it away? But which man are you? Someone who runs away from responsibility? You're disappointing me brother, in order not to see you like this I'd rather be dead and now go away, I don't want you here with me+
"But Ike…"
+Go away I said+
Buck went out, sat down on the stairs and put his head in his hands. Ike had never been so hard on him. What if he's right? No, Buck thought, he was doing the right thing, sooner or later they would understand his reasons and agree with him.
Lou arrived and when she saw him in that state she asked him: "What's going on? Is Ike sick again?"
"No, it's fine. I go now. See you later" and ran away.
Arrived at the station he freshened up, then waited for Jinny and they went to dinner with her parents.
As they walked out, Teaspoon said to Rachel: "If they continue like this it won't end well, I can feel it"
"I have to talk to Buck and you have to too", she told him.
"Now it wouldn't help, let's give him time" and he patted her on the shoulder.
The dinner with Jinny's parents went well, they suspected nothing and tried to get to know each other better. Jinny's father seemed to have accepted the idea of his daughter's relationship and understood that Teaspoon, Rachel and the boys were good people who loved Jinny. She could see Buck looking at her adoringly but he also sensed that there was a tinge of sadness in both of them. He attributed it to their friend's situation. The mother, on the other hand, was still very detached from Buck and did not fully accept that her daughter was with a mestizo. Jinny knew she was the toughest nut to crack.
A few days went by and Ike was getting better and better, so much so that the doctor allowed him to go home. Rachel and Jinny would have liked to host him in their home, but Ike would not hear of it.
Teaspoon and Rachel had tried to talk to Buck but had come across a wall. Jinny's parents were due to leave within the next week and Jinny anxiously awaited their verdict, especially her mother's. She still could not decipher her opinion.
Things turned out unexpectedly, thanks to or, hard to tell, the ways of the Wild West.