Chapter 12

Coyote Canyon, Texas - September 1872

Libby's joyous shriek shattered the afternoon quiet as she spotted Buck and her sister walking up the dusty path. "Buck! It's Buck!" She cried, a blur of motion as she launched herself off the porch.

"Well hello there, little one." He rumbled, swinging her around before planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Are you staying for dinner?" Libby's eyes sparkled with hope.

Even before Honor could voice the invitation, a blush crept onto her cheeks. "Of course he is." She said, her voice betraying a tremor of something deeper than hospitality.

Buck's gaze met hers, a silent conversation passing between them. "I'd be honored to stay." He replied, his voice a low rumble that sent a shiver down her spine.

The afternoon unfolded in a flurry of activity. Buck insisted on lending a hand in the kitchen. Honor, her heart thrumming a happy rhythm, moved with ease. The air crackled with unspoken emotions, a delicious tension that made even the most mundane tasks seem charged.

Honor, unable to resist teasing him, kept the mysterious chocolate concoction a secret, her laughter bubbling over as Buck tried in vain to steal a taste. Justice, returning home to an unexpected guest, couldn't help but notice the way his sister's eyes lit up at Buck's presence. The protective glint in his eyes, however, remained.

Later, as the stars emerged and painted the sky with their brilliance, Justice sought out Buck under the guise of needing help in the barn.

"Seems like you found your way back," Justice remarked a hint of gruffness in his voice.

"I'm guessing there's nothing out here you need my help with." Buck sighed heavily.

He knew exactly where this conversation was headed. He knew that overprotective look on Justice's face all too well. He had felt that way about Lou at one time.

Justice studied him for a long moment, then nodded curtly. He paused, his gaze distant. "When you were here before, I thought... maybe there was something between you and Honor. But then the weeks turned into months, and I started to lose hope."

A pang of guilt stabbed at Buck's heart. He hadn't anticipated the depth of his feelings, the way Honor had so effortlessly woven herself into the fabric of his life. "Things just..." he started, echoing Justice's earlier words.

"Let me finish," Justice interrupted gently. His voice softened, a weight of responsibility evident. "Honor's a strong woman. She won't admit to having feelings for a man, not even to me. I'm her brother, but sometimes I feel more like her father." He looked down at his boots, the weight of the past settling on his shoulders.

"I knew there was something between you two after you left," he continued, his voice low. "It was the night you rode away. She cried herself to sleep. Night after night."

Buck's heart clenched. He hadn't known. The thought of Honor, tender and unwavering, succumbing to sadness, that he caused tore at him.

"I didn't know," he rasped, the words heavy with regret.

"She's eighteen now," Justice said, a hint of fierceness back in his voice. "She can make her own choices. But I'm telling you straight, Buck, if you're not serious—"

Justice's words were cut short by Buck's hand gripping his shoulder. "Justice," he said, his voice filled with conviction, "I am serious. There are things I need to take care of back at the ranch, but I love your sister."

Relief washed over Justice's face, a flicker of a smile gracing his lips. "That's good to hear," he said, clapping Buck on the back.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course." Justice leaned against the barn door.

"Honor and I were talking and she mentioned something about the Comanche. I understood it to be something bad, but I didn't want to press her."

"Our parents were killed by some Comanche." Justice looked towards the house to make sure that his sisters were both out of earshot. "Honor doesn't remember it too well she was only eleven."

"Libby?"

"Two." Justice sighed. "I was almost eighteen. There was a lot of trouble with the Comanche then. They came in the middle of the night. Our barn was on fire. I remember getting the girls out of the house. I was holding Libby when our father went into the barn to save the animals. The fire was getting worse, our mother went in to get him out but a beam fell. The entire barn went up."

"I'm so sorry." Buck put his hand on Justice's shoulder. "No child should witness that."

"Honor used to have nightmares for years after, but she eventually grew out of it."

"No wonder she didn't want to talk about it." Buck turned at the soft creaking of the barn door. "What is it little one?"

"Why do you always call me that?" Libby asked.

"Because you are little and adorable." He swung her on his back.

"Honor says dessert is ready."

"Well, off to dessert we go." Buck galloped like a horse for her.

"Can you speak Indian?" Libby asked as they got to the house.

"Well, each tribe has their own language.

"What kind of tribe are your Indians from?"

"Kiowa."

"Can you speak Kiowa language?"

"Yes."

"What's my name?"

"Well, your name would be Libby." He tried to explain. "Libby isn't a word we have. So we would call you something else. Like, Syân já̱."

"What does that mean?" Libby sat down at the table.

"It means Little Star."

"I like it!" Libby stated.

"I know what else you like." Honor handed her a slice of chocolate cream pie.

"My favorite!"

"Right after this, I want you to wash your teeth, wash your face, and go to bed."

"Ok." Libby happily sat at the table eating her slice of pie.

"And chew some mint so you don't have stinky breath in the morning." Justice laughed.