Chapter 21
Texas - March 1873
"I ain't meanin' you any harm, Miss Corbin." Teaspoon wheezed, his voice raspy from years spent shouting under the harsh desert sun. He shuffled towards the grove of oaks, their gnarled branches clawing at the sky like skeletal fingers. He'd spotted her dismount from her horse a few minutes earlier and watched her disappear behind the largest oak.
Honor emerged from behind the tree, her movements fluid as she holstered the pistol in her hand. "Marshal Hunter?" She asked, her voice laced with cool suspicion.
"Just makin' sure you get home safe ma'am." Teaspoon tipped his dusty hat, revealing a fringe of sweat-streaked gray hair.
"You always make sure all the visitors to your town get home safe?" Her warm brown eyes narrowed in skepticism.
Teaspoon chuckled, a dry rasp that escaped his lips. "Just the real pretty ones, ma'am." He winked, a spark of amusement dancing in his eyes.
"You can tell Buck I'm more than capable of taking care of myself." Honor retorted, a hint of a smile playing on her lips despite herself.
"Now, Miss Corbin," Teaspoon drawled, "indulge an old man, and let me make sure you get home safe and sound."
Honor sighed in defeat, she knew she couldn't outrun the stubborn old marshal, and secretly, she didn't entirely dislike the company. They rode along in comfortable silence for a while, the only sound the rhythmic clopping of hooves against the dusty trail. The sun beat down mercilessly, turning the air into a shimmering haze. Teaspoon broke the silence first.
"Real pretty out today, ain't it?"
"Mhmm," Honor mumbled, noncommittal.
Teaspoon cleared his throat. "You from these parts?"
"Been here all my life." She replied, finally meeting his gaze with a flicker of a smile.
"Big family?"
Honor hesitated. "Just my brother and sister." She looked over at him, a genuine smile gracing her lips this time. "You?"
"Just me, though you could say Buck's become like a son to me over the years." Teaspoon said, a hint of fondness in his voice.
"Who was that woman he was with?" Honor blurted out. "Was she, his wife?"
Teaspoon swiped a bandana across his forehead, wiping away the beads of sweat that had gathered there. "No Buck ain't married. That was Bethany Mills. Her sister got hurt by one of Buck's horses last year, poor girl. Stepped right in front of the spooked critter. Buck's been lookin' after the family ever since."
"He mentioned there was a young girl hurt in town," she whispered, the memory bringing a prickle of tears to her eyes. He hadn't mentioned the sister he was sweet on.
They continued their journey in a more somber mood, exchanging only a few words until they reached the outskirts of the town. Honor thanked Teaspoon for the escort, her voice barely a whisper. With a final, lingering glance at the older man, she spurred her mare forward, racing towards the familiar silhouette of her farmhouse in the distance.