Chapter 16

Butte Meadows, Nebraska - April 1874

"Well Buck I think you know everything there is to know about me." Violette said with a light laugh, taking his arm as they strolled back towards the jail. "Is there anything you'd like to know about our father?"

Buck hesitated, a furrow forming between his brows. "Part of me does want to know about him," he admitted. "But growing up, all I felt was hatred. Pure, unadulterated hatred."

"Because he abandoned your mother?" Violette asked innocently.

He shook his head sharply, his jaw clenching. "There's more to it than that," he muttered, she was too young and he didn't want to tarnish her views of her father. "Why don't you tell me your fondest memory of him?"

"Well," She bit her lower lip and thought hard about her favorite memory. "He used to tuck me into bed at night when I was really little. I remember his bristled mustache tickling my cheek when he kissed me goodnight."

"Was he a good father to you?"

"I think he was the best he could be." She frowned slightly.

"And your mother, she died when you were how old?"

"Three."

"Do you remember her?"

"Most of my memories are from stories Brie tells," Violette continued, a wistful smile playing on her lips. "But that one memory... it's so vivid. She smelled like roses. Every time I pass roses in bloom I smell them and instantly think of my mother."

"Your father must have truly loved your mother," he said gently. "Not to remarry..."

"He had a lot to handle with the estate." She mumbled.

She didn't want to tell him their father was a philandering drunk. He already had enough hate in his heart for their father, she didn't want to add more.

"Estate?"

"Until Brie was eighteen, then she took over."

Violette's heart fluttered in her chest. The words had tumbled out before she could stop them, a careless betrayal of Gabrielle's trust. She darted a panicked glance at Buck.

"What is it?" Buck noticed the distress in her expression.

"I wasn't supposed to mention any of that. It just slipped out," Violette confessed, her voice barely a whisper.

"Don't worry Vee, I won't mention it."

"Thank you!" She hugged him impulsively. "Brie's well… she's been under a lot of stress lately."

"Sounds like your sister has a lot of responsibilities." He said as he pulled open the door and set his hat on his desk.

Violette sank into the chair across from Buck, the weight of her secret settling heavily on her shoulders. "She does," she admitted, her voice tinged with a hint of helplessness. "It seems like the whole world rests on her shoulders sometimes. She worries about me, of course, and about the family business. Father wasn't exactly...financially responsible."

"What kind of business is your family in?" A flicker of surprise crossed Buck's face.

"Gabrielle's family." Violette corrected. "It was her father's family. They had an import business and some factories before the war. I'm not sure what the situation is now, but overheard her talking to the attorney about some of the factories being sold. I'm not sure if that was my father or something that she is doing." She shrugged helplessly. "Though, like I said, I wasn't supposed to hear any of that."

"When you said you weren't suppose to mention anything I assumed that meant there was something illegal going on." Buck laughed.

"No, no, Gabrielle is just very private."

"I can understand that." Buck smiled warmly. "You two seem very different."

"Do we?"

"Well yes." Buck laughed. "You, Vee are a chatterbox. Vivacious and all smiles. You're the center of the party. Your sister is quiet, reserved, she seems guarded."

"She's changed a bit since father died." Violette smiled lightly. "She's always been half mother half-sister, but with the stress of everything she's become consumed with fixing everything. The house, her family's business, getting me into a university."

"University?" Buck nodded. "That sounds like a great opportunity."

"Can I be honest?"

"I hope you will be," Buck replied, his voice warm and inviting.

"I don't really want to go to school." She shook her head.

Buck studied her for a moment, his brow furrowed in concern. "No?"

"I want to get married and have a family." Violette met his gaze.A flicker of surprise flitted across Buck's face, then softened into understanding. "There's nothing wrong with that, Vee," he said sincerely. "It's a noble dream, to have a family. You don't think you can go to school and have a family?" He leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers thoughtfully.

"I guess I can." She confessed. "Gabrielle just wants me to go because she never got to."

Buck nodded slowly. "And you feel indebted to her, don't you? For taking care of you when you were younger, putting her own dreams on hold."

Violette met his gaze, a well of unspoken emotions swirling in her eyes. "Yes," she whispered.

"You should consider your options carefully, Vee," Buck said gently. "Education can open doors, give you a foundation to build your future on. But it's also important to be honest with yourself and your sister. You deserve to pursue your own happiness, whatever that may look like."

Violette considered his words, a flicker of hope sparking in her chest. "So this is what brotherly advice is like?" she asked, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

Buck chuckled, the sound warm and genuine. "I guess it is," he said, his eyes twinkling.