Chapter 22

Coyote Canyon, Texas - March 1873

The afternoon sun beat down on the carrot patch, turning the vibrant orange roots an even deeper hue. Libby giggled as she pulled a massive carrot from the soft earth, its green top still bushy. "Look at this one, Honor!" She squealed, holding it up with both hands.

"Wow Libbs, that is your whole dinner right there!" Honor teased.

"We can all eat that one!" Libby laughed.

Honor offered a weak smile, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow. A prickle of unease ran down her spine as Justice straightened from his raking and squinted towards the horizon. "Company," he muttered.

Honor followed his gaze, and her breath hitched in her throat. There, silhouetted against the setting sun, was Buck. A wave of conflicting emotions washed over her - anger, hurt, and a flicker of something more complicated. All those times she'd longed for him, and now, that she didn't want to see him he was there.

"I don't want to see him." She took off running towards the forest.

"What do you want me to tell him?" Justice asked.

"Tell him I ran off with a soldier from Fort Griffon." She turned around and threw her hands up. "Tell him I joined a convent. Tell him I threw myself off a cliff. I don't care."

Libby, wide-eyed and confused, tugged on Justice's sleeve. "What's wrong with her?" She whispered.

Justice forced a laugh, but it sounded hollow. "That, Libby," he said, "is what being in love can do to you."

Libby shook her head vigorously. "I never want to be in love!" She declared. "She's crazy!"

Buck rode in on a dusty brown horse, his face obscured by the wide brim of his hat. He dismounted with a practiced ease, a hint of weariness in his movements.

"What are you doing here?" Justice asked, his voice laced with a subtle edge. He placed a hand possessively on the handle of his rake.

"I need to see Honor," Buck said, his voice gruff.

"She told me about that woman."

"Justice, I've made some mistakes but there have been a lot of misunderstandings. I just want to set things straight."

"She doesn't want to see you."

Buck's jaw clenched for a moment before he sighed. "I know," he muttered, his voice heavy with regret

"I don't know where she is," Justice said, waving a vague hand towards the woods bordering the farm. "But maybe you can find her,"

"Thank you." Buck sprinted towards the trees.

"I wonder if he's as crazy as she is?" Libby asked.

"Probably." Justice chuckled, ruffling her hair. "Let's go make lunch and give them some privacy in case their craziness is contagious."