Chapter 12

Butte Meadows, Nebraska - April 1874

Sunlight slanted weakly through dusty curtains. A lump beneath a thick quilt stirred as Gabrielle's voice, deceptively cheerful, sliced through the morning quiet.

"Vee, time to get up!"

The lump flinched, a muffled "No!" escaping from beneath the covers.

"Violette I did not come to this podunk town in the middle of nowhere to spend my days stuck in a hotel or sneaking out to grab food alone." Gabrielle sighed.

A tear-streaked face peeked out. "I know," Vee mumbled, her voice thick with sleep and sorrow. "You said he might not be receptive, but..."

Gabrielle sat on the creaking bed, gently rubbing Vee's back. "I know, honey. This is hard."

Vee's lower lip trembled. "I just want to go home. Everywhere I turn, I'm afraid I'll see him."

"I will bring you food today." Gabrielle stood up and ran a brush through her hair quickly. "But this is the last day Vee. If you want food tomorrow you will need to leave this hotel room."

"When is our train ride home?"

"A couple days."

"Ok."

Gabrielle laughed as her sister grabbed the thick quilt and flopped back onto the bed burying her tiny body. She couldn't be too hard on her sister. This was her first heartbreak. She should have known better than to try and shield Violette from everything.

Stepping off the creaky hotel stairs, Gabrielle squinted as sunlight blasted her after the dim room. The worn boardwalk creaked softly beneath her light steps as she headed toward the general store. Browsing the shelves overflowing with soaps and perfumes, Gabrielle couldn't help but be impressed by the variety for such a small town.

"Miss Laurent? May I speak with you, please?"

Gabrielle whirled around, startled, and dropped the soaps she was holding. She knelt quickly to gather them.

"Here, let me help you." Buck retrieved the soaps, placing them back on the shelf before opening the door for her.

"I'm so sorry, Sheriff," Gabrielle stammered as they walked side-by-side. "I apologize for anything that—"

"Miss Laurent," Buck interrupted gently, guiding her towards his office. He pulled out a chair for her and closed the door for privacy. "I wanted to apologize to you and your sister for the other day."

"It's alright," she offered a small smile. "I imagine it must have been quite a surprise."

"I read it," Buck stated, taking a document from a drawer and placing it on the table. "And I don't want to see it again."

Gabrielle reached for it quickly, her discomfort evident as she clasped her hands over it while seated. "I'm truly sorry."

"I understand now," Buck continued, focusing on her. "Why you were so confused the other day when I was angry."

"To hear you might have a sister… I mean, it could throw anyone—"

"No, it's not about that," Buck interjected, his gaze fixed on her. "That man." He scowled at the document. "The account in that book isn't what happened."

"What do you mean?" Gabrielle pressed. "Are you not his son?"

"No, that part's true," Buck confirmed.

Buck paced behind his desk, rage simmering beneath a tightly controlled exterior. This unsuspecting woman held a horrifying truth: a journal detailing his father's monstrous acts against his mother. It spoke of his father's delusional obsession and the stalking that had shattered their lives.

"You should speak to your sister," the woman said, rising slowly. "I only—"

He forced a calm tone. "He forced himself on my mother."

Shock washed over Gabrielle's face. "I'm so sorry, I had no idea. Vee didn't know—"

"Of course not," he interrupted, the bitterness in his voice evident. "That's what that madman's scribblings made clear."

"Sir," she said softly, approaching him and placing a hand on his arm. "Would you consider...meeting your sister?"

"Why?" The word was a harsh expulsion of breath.

"She's innocent, as you are."

Innocent like him? The thought had never crossed Buck's mind. He was the product of a monster, forever marked by his mother's desperate act, a death he felt a terrible burden for.