Chapter 12
When Buck accompanied Bea home, he had a great difficulty detaching himself from her: he was afraid that it was a dream and that if Bea had crossed that threshold, everything would vanish and he would feel that pain again.
Bea noticed that he was thoughtful and asked him, caressing his cheek: "Darling, are you okay?"
He looked her straight in the eyes and that look took her breath away. Every time she looked into Buck's eyes she lost herself, they had a depth that she loved to dive into knowing that he would always be there to save and protect her, no matter what.
"I'm scared Bea"
"Fear of what?"
"Fear that if you cross that threshold the dream will vanish. I'm afraid of finding out that I'm only dreaming and that I've lost you forever."
She looked at him tenderly and placed her hand on his cheek again, then said softly: "It's not a dream, it's our reality. We just woke up from a nightmare that left its aftermath that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives, but we are still together. I'm not going anywhere and I don't want to be separated from you. In a few weeks we will get married and start our new life together, more united and stronger than before"
He held her close with wet eyes and kissed her passionately, then said: "Don't go, we'll be together tonight"
She nodded and they headed towards the barn. They made love almost all night, never getting enough of each other. Just before dawn they dressed and returned to their beds.
Two days later, Teaspoon returned with Cody from Rock Creek and immediately wanted to talk to Buck: "Son, I think you're right, we should move to Rock Creek. Unfortunately my friend the marshal died, involved in that ugly anti-slavery affair and I promised his wife that I would take his place. I left Kid and Jimmy there to work on the new station. I saw that right next door there is a large house that could be right for you. Maybe it would be best for you and Bea to go and see it. As long as things are going well between you two now. Is that so?"
"Yes Teaspoon, we are finally back together. We understand that what happened is not the fault of either of us and we want to start over. Moving to Rock Creek will do us good. I would gladly go and see the house, but I have already missed many trips and I wouldn't want to put you and the boys in difficulty"
"Don't worry about the racing, consider it my early wedding present" and patted him on the shoulder.
Buck thanked him and the two went into the station to talk to the others.
"Are you sure this is the right choice Teaspoon?" Rachel asked a little worried.
"I really think so Rachel, with the war coming Buck is right and then I promised it to the widow of my friend Ben Turner"
"How are we going to organize Teaspoon?" asked Noah.
"Kid and Jimmy will stay there and build the new station in town. It will take a couple of weeks. In the meantime, you will manage the races here. I have requested some spare riders for this period. Buck is going to Rock Creek with Bea for a few days to look for their house", Teaspoon replied.
"Bea, do you agree?" Buck asked her.
"Yes, it's fine with me if Rachel can do it on her own"
"Absolutely yes, don't worry dear"
Bea thanked her.
"I told Buck I saw a pretty big house near the station, I'd like you to go see it or maybe you could look into something else", Teaspoon told her.
Bea nodded.
"We need to put the house we were building up for sale right away", Buck said.
"I'll take care of it, you organize the trip"
"Thank you Teaspoon"
"So you all agree?" asked Teaspoon.
Lou agreed, while Ike looked thoughtful. Buck noticed this and asked: "Ike, aren't you convinced?"
+ I have to talk to Annie about it first. She has already moved from Baltimore to here, she has just settled in and has a secure job, I don't know if she is ready for a new change and without her I won't leave, sorry +
"What would you do here Ike? Is this station going to close", Buck asked.
+ I don't know, let me talk to her and then we'll evaluate +
After having lunch, Bea went to pack a light bag for the trip, while Buck stayed behind to talk to Ike.
+ I hope you understand +
"Of course Ike, I know what it means to care so much about a person. I'm just worried about how you're going to make a living."
+ Keep it to yourself, but I'm thinking of proposing to Annie. I don't want to separate from her anymore, I love her too much and I will adapt to doing any job to make her happy +
"I'm so proud of you, brother. It will be difficult to separate us if you don't come with us, but we will remain forever connected" and they hugged each other.
Ike went to Annie to tell her the news.
"I don't know Ike, I've already faced so many changes recently, I don't know if I'm ready. It would mean starting all over again."
+ I understand and I won't force you to do something you don't feel like doing. I'll stay here with you if you don't want to move +
"Oh no Ike, that wouldn't be right. I can't ask you to leave your job and your family +
Ike knew the time had come. He knelt before her and asked for her hand.
Annie was speechless and Ike interpreted it as rejection. When she saw his face darken, she immediately recovered and replied: "Of course I want to be your wife Ike" and kissed him.
Ike showed a smile that perhaps had never appeared on his face before and took her into his arms.
+ I will do anything you want Annie, our future is in your hands +
Annie said she would think about it and give him an answer soon. Ike invited her to dinner at the station where they would tell the others the news.
In the afternoon, Buck had prepared what was necessary for the trip and had gone to the hotel to reserve a room for him and Bea after the wedding and also reserved one for the girl's parents after talking about it with her.
Emma and Sam would have been guests at Rachel's, while Aunt Rose would not have attended the ceremony due to her condition, they would have gone to visit her at a later time.
Bea told Buck that she had no intention of talking to either her parents or Aunt Rose about the baby they had lost. She didn't want to forget, but she didn't want to cause unnecessary suffering to her loved ones. Buck agreed and they were all informed of the decision.
That evening, at dinner, Ike spoke up: + I have some news to give you. Annie and I are getting married soon +
"But it's wonderful! When?", exclaimed Bea.
"We haven't decided on the date yet, but it will be after your wedding. I know you're moving to Rock Creek. I don't know yet whether I will follow you or not. Don't blame me, but I have already faced many changes and now also the marriage with Ike. I need time to reflect", Annie said.
"We would be very sad to lose Ike, but we understand you Annie, don't feel obligated. Follow your heart", Rachel replied and the girl thanked her.
The next day, Bea had Lou, Rachel and Annie accompany her to the nearby town to choose her wedding dress. She had decided not to buy it in Sweetwater so that Lou could accompany her dressed as a girl and that was the only way.
She chose a simple but at the same time elegant one that slimmed down her figure. Annie took the opportunity to take a look too. Lou was a little sad because even though she knew Kid loved her, it seemed like he didn't have the courage to make a change in their relationship. Rachel noticed it and said to her: "You'll see that the right time will come for you and Kid too" and Lou nodded although not very convinced.
Upon returning, Annie asked Bea to take her home. During the journey she said to her: "Bea, I need to talk to you"
"Tell me Annie, I'm listening"
"I do not know what to do. I don't feel like moving to Rock Creek but I know Ike would lose his family if I didn't agree to come with you."
"It's a difficult choice Annie, but you have to make it from the heart, otherwise your decision will weigh on the relationship you have with Ike", she told her in all sincerity.
"I know and that's why I wanted to ask you for help"
"If I can willingly"
"When you go to Rock Creek, could you ask if the school needs a teacher? I love this job and if I could do it there it would help me face change"
"Sure Annie, I'll find out"
"Thank you" and she shook her hands.
In the evening, as they used to do, Buck and Bea sat on the porch admiring the breathtaking sunset before them. They loved sitting and admiring those colors that warmed their hearts, hugging each other and talking about everything that came to mind. They almost always remembered their child who hadn't made it and even if they felt immense pain, they knew that together they would be able to rebuild a happy life. Bea wanted to tell Buck about Annie's confidences: "You know Buck, today while I was taking Annie home, she confided in me that she doesn't know what to do. She doesn't feel like changing her life again but she doesn't want to disappoint Ike. I advised her to decide with her heart and to be honest with him and she asked me a favor: she wants in Rock Creek to inform me about the possibility for her to work as a teacher. If she could at least do the work she likes, things would be a little easier."
Buck replied: "I also talked to Ike and he told me that he would do anything for her and even give up our family. He loves her so much and I have never seen him so happy. I would suffer a lot if he didn't come with us, but I would understand. At this point we hope that there is a future for them in Rock Creek too."
Bea hugged him and as soon as it got dark they went to sleep. The next day they would leave early for Rock Creek and the journey was quite long.
In the morning, after saying goodbye to everyone and thanking Teaspoon again, they left. The journey was pleasant, although long and a little tiring due to the heat, and when they arrived, they immediately went to look for Jimmy and Kid.
"Hey brother, you decided to come and give us a hand!", Jimmy said when he saw Buck arriving and hugged him.
"From what I see, things are back to their place. Teaspoon had anticipated it, but now that I see it with my own eyes I'm more sure. So wedding confirmed?", he asked.
"Thanks Jimmy, everything has finally fallen into place. Confirmed wedding and not just mine: Ike asked Annie to marry him and she accepted. They will get married after Bea and me but they don't know if they will move here with us, Annie is perhaps not ready for a new change"
"Damn, I don't want to lose Ike, but I understand his reasons. But where is your sweetheart?"
"She stopped to talk to Kid: she brings him greetings from Lou. In confidence, Lou suffers a bit from Kid's indecision, let's hope he makes a move soon"
"Kid always treads lightly with women and Lou suffers the consequences. However those two are destined to be together, you'll see."
They reached Kid and Bea and after saying goodbye, Buck accompanied his girlfriend to get a room in the hotel, while he would sleep at the station with the two boys and would also give them a hand: the sooner they finished the station, the sooner they could settle down permanently. The work was well underway and Buck and Bea could move in shortly after the wedding.
They asked Jimmy and Kid where the house that Teaspoon had seen for the two of them was and the boys pointed it out to them.
Bea and Buck were excited: this would be their starting point. They saw that, as Teaspoon had said, the house was really big and they could make two apartments out of it, one for them and one for Rachel, so they would all be close and Buck and Bea wouldn't have problems with their work at the station.
They went to the agency and asked the owner to see the building inside too. They managed to get there immediately and effectively, just by moving a couple of walls, they could have created two independent apartments, with two entrances and two small vegetable patches or gardens. They agreed on the price and decided to confirm it immediately: they would have to pay a little more than what they would be able to recover from the sale of the Sweetwater property, but it was included in the expenses.
When they got the keys and signed the contract, Bea was moved: she really was about to realize her dream, marrying a wonderful man who loved her more than her life and building a rosy future with him, alongside her loved ones.
They went to inform Jimmy and Kid of the purchase and then Bea wanted to go to the school to keep her word to Annie.
Unfortunately the teacher position was not available at the moment, but it would be available at the beginning of the new year because the current teacher would be moving elsewhere.
"Do you think that will be enough to convince Annie to come here?" Bea asked Buck.
"I don't know, I really don't know", he replied.
The rest of the day passed with Buck helping the boys at the station and Bea starting to clean the house to tidy things up and decide how to fix it. Buck committed to going to Rock Creek every time he had a few days free between one run and another: it would have been physically exhausting, but he didn't want to wait, as soon as they moved to the new station he wanted to go and live with Bea in the new house.
After a few days they returned to Sweetwater and told the others about the purchase of the house. Rachel was happy to know that she would not have to separate from Bea completely and enthusiastically agreed to share the property with them, provided she contributed financially to the renovation. They reached a win-win agreement.
Bea went to Annie and told her what she had learned about the school and Buck did the same with Ike.
"I was hoping for something better. I don't know Bea, I really don't know what to do"
"Talk to Ike and decide together"
Annie asked if she could tell Ike to come over and talk and Bea nodded.
When Ike arrived, she told him in all sincerity: "Ike, I don't feel like moving to Rock Creek right away. Leaving everything like this suddenly is too much for me. However, I know that you love your family and I cannot ask you to give them up. I thought of this solution if you agree. For now we're staying here, at least until the end of the year. Then when the teaching position in Rock Creek opens up, then we can move and get married there. We could still go and see the station and consider where to live and then I could introduce myself to the mayor and apply as a future teacher. What do you say?"
+ I understand your fears Annie and I respect them. I would do anything for you but you get the point, I care a lot about my family, especially Buck. I would give them up for your love, but I won't deny that it would be a great sacrifice. If you really feel like moving, even if it's after the others, I would be immensely happy. Of course, I was hoping that we would get married sooner, but it seems like a great compromise +
"Well, it's settled then. I love you Ike"
+ I love you too Annie +
That evening, Ike announced his and Annie's decision to everyone.
"Well, we would have preferred if we all left together, but faced with the prospect of no longer having you with us, I'd say we can be satisfied, right guys?", commented Teaspoon and everyone nodded.
In the weeks leading up to Buck and Bea's wedding, Buck exhausted himself going back and forth between Rock Creek and Sweetwater, but finally told Bea that the house would be ready for moving day. Rachel's side was a little further behind with the work, but the woman said that the important thing was that they settled in, she could spend a few days in the hotel. Buck and Bea insisted on covering the expenses and Rachel was forced to accept.
A few days before the wedding, Bea's parents arrived. They were expected in the morning but the stagecoach was late.
Bea felt a whirlwind of emotions: worried about the delay, excited because she hadn't seen her parents in a long time, nervous about how they would welcome Buck, she was afraid that something about the child would come out. Buck was having a hard time holding it.
Finally in the early afternoon the stagecoach was seen appearing from afar. Bea rushed into the street and Buck stopped a little behind her. When she saw her parents get out, Bea rushed to hug them, screaming at the top of her lungs: "Mom! Dad! It was time!"
Her parents held her tightly in their arms and Buck looked at them happily.
When they broke up, Bea turned to him and said: "Buck, come, let me introduce you to my parents" and ran to get him. Buck shyly approached and greeted them.
"I'm happy to meet you gentlemen" and held out his hand.
"We are too", they replied and hugged him, making him immensely happy.
After inquiring about their trip, Buck picked up their bags and accompanied them to the hotel where they rested before the dinner that awaited them at the station.
Buck and Bea stayed in town to take care of some chores, excited because every day they were getting closer to realizing their dream: Bea's parents had arrived and in a couple of days Emma and Sam would join them too.
There was one more thing Bea wanted to fix before moving to Rock Creek and she talked about it with Buck.
"Buck, I know I'm asking a lot of you, but before I go to Rock Creek I want to do something and I want to do it before my parents leave if they agree too"
"When you take it so far you scare me", Buck said, teasing her and looking at her with that expression that she loved so much.
"Come on, spit it out!", he urged her.
"I have not abandoned the idea of getting married according to the Kiowa rite. After the wedding, let's go to your brother and get married. I know that that camp was the end of a dream for us, but just as we started from the place of your proposal, we can start from there too. I would also like my parents, so that they too can know your traditions"
Buck was astonished but replied: "I kind of expected it but I thought you didn't really think about it anymore. I can agree to get married at my brother's place, but I can't let your parents come too or even our friends actually. It would be too dangerous and your parents would risk finding out about our child. You know that I always give in to your every request, but this time I have to put a stop to it"
Bea was silent for a moment, then replied: "I can understand your doubts and fears. Okay, just the two of us will go as soon as my parents leave, but I want to do it"
"I won't deny you this, in fact I thank you" and they kissed.
In the evening they took Bea's parents to the station where Annie was also there. The evening was very pleasant and when they took them back to the hotel, Bea asked Buck if she could stay alone with them for a while. Buck agreed and went to Teaspoon's office to play a game of cards with Burnett. He wanted to avoid the saloon so as not to make a bad impression on Bea's parents.
When they were alone in the room, Bea asked them: "So? What do you think of Buck and my friends?"
"We are proud of you darling, you made your dream come true. Buck loves you so much, we can tell from the way he looks at you and treats you. Together you will overcome all the difficulties that the future unfortunately inevitably reserves for you. You have all our support and respect."
Bea hugged them for a long time and thought to herself that they couldn't be more right: together they had already faced a terrible situation and nothing could separate them anymore.
She returned to Buck and told him about her parents' words. He was immensely happy and breathed a long sigh of relief into his heart. Until the end he had feared that they wouldn't accept him, but now all fears had vanished.
They stopped in the barn and made love, eagerly awaiting to officially become a family in everyone's eyes and not just in their hearts.