Chapter 15
The next day, Buck went to the station to help the boys sort things out, while Bea and Teaspoon went to the mayor and the reverend of Rock Creek to show them Annie's references and the job as teacher for the new year was confirmed.
Bea rushed home to write her a letter to reassure both her and Ike. she also wrote to her family to tell them what was new at Rock Creek.
In the afternoon, she and Rachel prepared dinner to celebrate the move and Bea was determined to prepare at least one traditional Kiowa dish that she had learned to cook in the Red Bear camp. Until then she had never had the opportunity to experiment with these dishes, but she thought this was the right opportunity.
Rachel tried to protest but eventually gave up.
In the evening, when Buck returned home, Bea was preparing the table. He hugged her from behind, kissed her hair and said: "Good evening wifey, how was your first day?" he asked her affectionately.
"Very good, Rachel and I got organized for the next few days and then she helped me with dinner. How did it go for you, darling?" and turned to put her arms around his neck.
He kissed her tenderly and replied: "Well, we have organized ourselves and drawn up the shift plan. Our new journey will begin tomorrow."
"Go wash yourself now, I prepared a hot bath for you"
"Alone? It doesn't seem nice to me..."
"Well, actually there's still some time left until the others arrive...we could relax a bit..."
Buck didn't let her finish speaking as he had already picked her up and headed upstairs.
They had set up a small bathroom with a sink, a tub and a small fireplace where they could heat the water, without having to go downstairs.
Bea had already put the water on to heat and when they entered the room, Buck put it down and she filled the tub. They undressed and entered together. Bea said to Buck: "Leave it to me, I want to cuddle you a little" and began to wash his body and hair.
Buck let her do it and when she was finished, he took her into his arms and began to caress and kiss her. They made love sweetly and then went out and got dressed. While Buck was tying his shirt and Bea was getting dressed, they heard a knock on the door.
"Oh no Buck, we were late, what a shame!"
"I'll go and open the door, you finish setting up"
She nodded and finished getting dressed, while Buck went down to open the door.
"Here you are finally, we thought we had the wrong night!", Cody teased.
Buck blushed a little and replied: "We were fixing some things in the house, Bea will be right there, come in"
"Scrambling things…now that's what they say…", Jimmy teased.
"Stop it, you two, you're just jealous", Lou scolded them.
They entered and Bea joined them immediately.
"Welcome! I'll show you our house, come!" and took them on a tour of their love nest.
When they returned to the living room, Buck and Bea were complimented and then sat down at the table.
They exchanged their thoughts on the day that had just passed and had a cheerful dinner. At a certain point, Bea said: "And now for the main dish, a Kiowa recipe!"
Buck swallowed hard: "Don't tell me you actually did it!"
"Of course, I told you that sooner or later I would try and what better opportunity than this evening!", Bea replied.
She went to the kitchen and returned triumphant with her plate of vegetables and meat and fried bread.
"Et voilà, who wants to taste first?"
"Well I'd leave the honor to whoever inspired the dish, right Buck?", Noah suggested.
"Never let the host eat before the guests. Kid, Lou, do you want to try?" Buck replied.
"Okay, since I'm the eldest, I'll take this responsibility", Teaspoon stated and took some of the food immediately offered to him by Bea.
He tasted it and said nothing.
"So?" Bea asked impatiently.
"Well, you don't know what you're missing. It's excellent Bea!"
She smiled with satisfaction and everyone took some of the food.
Buck tasted it and said: "Great honey, I have to apologize to you for not having faith in your cooking skills."
Bea replied: "You will find a way to make it up to me…" and kissed him.
"Oh my God, please, at least not when we're having dinner with you!" Cody noted.
"Cody, they're so cute, leave them alone", Rachel scolded.
They continued dinner, chatted animatedly and then said goodbye and went to sleep.
Bea and Buck tidied up the house and then went up to their room, where Bea demanded that Buck make up for not trusting her cooking. Buck did not shirk the sweet burden at all….
The following days were of adjustment. Rachel and Bea set about station work, the boys resumed their runs, and Teaspoon took office as Rock Creek's new marshal. In their free time, the riders took turns working at Rachel's house.
Buck and Bea quickly settled into their familiar routine. In the morning they got up, had breakfast together cuddling sweetly, then they went to the station and Bea did her chores, while Buck did the necessary work if he didn't have his trips.
Teaspoon tried not to assign Buck trips that would make him stay out at night, but when necessity arose, Bea didn't sleep a wink all night because she missed her husband terribly. When he came home, she would cling to his neck and hug him for a long time, and Buck felt so loved that his heart seemed to burst with joy.
In the city at first people looked suspiciously at Buck and the "mixed" marriage between him and Bea and as usual Buck had to defend himself from accusations of collaborating with the Indians against the city, but Teaspoon helped him demonstrate that he was an honest person and was eventually accepted by almost all citizens. Of course, some still treated him with contempt, but Bea told him: "Darling, we don't have to be liked by everyone and regardless of our ethnicity, there will always be someone who doesn't like us for one reason or another."
Buck realized she was right.
Bea was so caught up in her new life that she didn't notice that something hadn't happened as it did every month.
About a couple of months after arriving in Rock Creek, she began to feel dizzy and nauseous. Rachel soon noticed this and decided to take the situation head on.
One afternoon, after they had finished tidying up the bunkhouse, she said to her: "Bea, can we talk for a moment?"
"Sure, tell me"
"Let's sit down"
Bea took a slice of cake left over from lunch, divided it and placed it on a plate in front of them.
"So, what happens?"
"I don't know where to start darling, I'm afraid of touching a painful point"
"Rachel, you're scaring me, what's going on?"
"Okay, I'll get straight to the point. Lately you've been having fainting spells and nausea. Do you have a regular cycle?"
"Well, yes, at least I think so. With all this news I didn't pay much attention to it. Wait, you don't think that…."
"Why not? You and Buck…, well…."
"Oh my God Rachel, what now?"
"And now it's time to consider this and have the conversation that you and Buck have been putting off for too long."
"Rachel, I don't know if I want it, if he wants it, if I can take this pain anymore."
"Bea, doesn't have to be a pain, it doesn't mean that this time it will end badly. First of all you need to go to the doctor and see if I'm right. If so, you need to talk to Buck about it right away and you can decide together. My advice is not to give up this wonderful experience out of fear. I lost a child too and I know what it means, but if I had had the chance to have another, I wouldn't have given it up."
"What if Buck doesn't want it?"
"You will face it together. Come on, let's go and clear our doubts."
Bea hugged her. She went to get ready and they went to the doctor together.
"Congratulations Mrs. Cross, you are pregnant"
Bea told him what had happened the previous time and doctor Wilson reassured her: "These things can happen, but this does not mean that you are not capable of carrying on with a pregnancy. You'll see that this time everything will go well, don't worry."
Bea nodded, thanked the doctor and left.
"So?" Rachel asked impatiently.
Bea nodded.
"You'll see that you'll be fine darling. Talk to Buck right now."
Bea told her friend what the doctor had told her and they returned to the station.
"Lou, have you seen Buck?"
"He's in the stable grooming the horses"
"Thank you".
Bea joined him.
"Hi darling, do you need anything?" he asked her.
"Buck, can you come home? I need to talk to you"
"Did something happen Bea?"
"Yes, we need to talk"
"You're making me worry. Are you OK?"
"Yes, I'm fine, but we need to talk right away, please"
"Okay, I'll give myself a rinse and be on my way"
"I'll wait for you at home"
Bea preceded him and when Buck returned he found her sitting on the sofa. He reached her and asked her. "Bea, what's happening?"
"I'll be direct Buck, I don't want to beat around the bush. Do you want more children from me?"
Buck was taken aback by the question. After the loss of the baby, they had never broached the subject and he was surprised that Bea would ask him that question out of the blue.
"Why are you asking me this now?"
"Don't put off answering, just tell me. Be honest and don't think about what you think I want to hear, I want to know honestly what you would like"
"All right. Losing our baby was terrible, but I would be happy to have children with you, even though I know you might not be the same as me. I would be really happy if our house was filled with little ones who look like you. And you?"
Bea's eyes filled with tears and she said to him: "I don't know Buck, on the one hand I would like to, but I'm so afraid of suffering again!"
"Then why are you asking me this question?"
"Because sooner or later we would have had to talk about it and now it is necessary to do so. I'm pregnant, the doctor just confirmed it to me"
Buck was petrified, he didn't know if he had heard correctly and he didn't know what to say.
"Buck, did you hear me? I'm pregnant"
"Yes, or rather, I'm not sure I understood correctly. Are we really expecting a baby?"
She nodded.
Buck recovered from his surprise and threw his arms around her neck: "Bea, I'm so happy! But if you don't want it..."
"I want children from you, but I'm afraid of disappointing you"
"Darling, you will never disappoint me, no matter what. What does the doctor say?"
"He reassured me and said that I shouldn't worry, what happened to us last time can happen to anyone, it doesn't mean that it will go badly this time too, the conditions are excellent"
"Do you want to try and take risks? I would like it very much, but I will accept your every decision."
Bea looked into her husband's eyes and saw so much joy, love and hope that she felt reassured. She let out a big sigh and replied: "I want to believe that everything will be fine, but if it doesn't happen, please stay close to me."
"Bea, I wouldn't abandon you for any reason in the world, we swore it with our wedding vows"
Bea hugged him tightly and stayed like that for a while, then with her eyes wet with tears of joy, she said to him: "Well, congratulations dad!" and kissed him passionately, making him understand that she had in mind how to celebrate.
"Are you sure it won't hurt the baby?"
"No darling, I'm very sure"
Buck took her upstairs and they made love.
When they were lying next to each other, Buck asked her: "Do you plan to tell the others?"
"Rachel already knows, she understood it, for the others I would wait until the end of the third month, I prefer to be a little more sure"
Buck nodded and pulled her close again. That day they didn't show up at the station again and Rachel, understanding that they needed to be alone, made up an excuse with the boys, who obviously pretended to believe her...
Buck waited the next morning for Bea to come out of the bunkhouse to talk to Rachel.
" Rachel, Bea told me that you were the one who noticed that she was pregnant"
"Yes, I suspected it because of the nausea and fainting she had. Have you talked? What have you decided?"
"We had an open hearted discussion and decided to give it a try. I'm excited but also terrified at the idea of losing another child, but we want to have faith. I know you'll talk to Bea now. Please tell her to be careful, convince her not to be stubborn and not to get tired. Watch over her."
"Of course Buck, don't worry, but you don't have to make her feel burdensome, don't make her feel like she's sick, otherwise she'll blame herself for every little ailment she may have during pregnancy and you'll make her nervous. This is not good for her or the baby. I understand the concern, but try to lead a normal life."
"You're right, I hadn't thought about it, I still have to get used to the idea of this miracle. We decided to wait to tell the others until the end of the third month, for good luck"
"I understand you and will keep the secret. Now I'll join her, a nice chat between women awaits us"
"Thank you Rachel, you are a true friend"
Rachel hugged him and whispered in his ear: "Congratulations, Dad."
Buck came out with wet eyes and went to work in the stable.
Rachel joined Bea in the garden.
"You talked to Buck right?" she asked as soon as her friend entered.
"You really don't miss anything, eh?"
"I know my husband…he must have told you to watch over me"
"Exactly and I told him that he must calm down because I will make you toe the line but I also told him that he must not pester you and treat you like a sick person. It's wonderful Bea that you have a second chance, but don't live in fear of tragedy."
"It's hard Rachel, I didn't know if I wanted it. Then I saw Buck's eyes when I told him and my heart opened."
"You don't have to do it just for him"
"And in fact it's not like that, speaking with him I understood that I wanted to try it too. Now we just have to pray that everything goes well."
"Come here" and hugged her.
In the following weeks, life passed peacefully and peacefully. Bea often let herself be cuddled by Buck who never let her out of his sight but, as he had promised Rachel, tried not to pester her. Bea knew what her limits were and tried not to overdo it.
They had received a letter from Ike and Annie who was happy to hear that she had secured her teaching position and Bea was also anxiously awaiting news from her parents.
The letter from Italy arrived when Bea had just finished the third month of pregnancy and so she and Buck decided to give the good news to her future grandparents.
Now it was time to communicate the happy news to the others too and since Christmas was approaching, Buck and Bea decided to break the news on the eve of Christmas.
They organized a large dinner in their home and when exchanging gifts, Buck said: "Bea and I have chosen the same gift for everyone this year and we would like you all to open it together"
"Come on then, what are we waiting for?" encouraged Cody.
The boys laughed and started unwrapping their package together: it contained a plaque that read: TO MY FAVORITE UNCLE for men, TO MY FAVORITE AUNT for Rachel and Lou and I LOVE YOU GRANDPA for Teaspoon.
They were all speechless and looked at Buck and Bea quizzically, until Lou broke the silence and said: "I've prayed so hard about this and all my prayers have been answered! Congratulations guys" and rushed to hug them.
When the others recovered the use of speech, they joined in the congratulations and bombarded them with a thousand questions. It was Bea who spoke up: "We've known about it for a little over a month, but we wanted to wait until the end of the first quarter to break the news. Dr. Wilson says everything is going well and that what happened last time won't affect this pregnancy."
"This is amazing guys, I'm so happy for you", Noah said.
Kid saw the light in Lou's eyes and realized that maybe it was time to turn their relationship around. He promised himself to take some time to reflect and decide once and for all what he wanted to do with the girl he loved.
When everyone had said goodbye, Buck helped Bea tidy up the house and then said to her: "Would you like to sit in front of the fireplace a little longer?"
Bea nodded and they sat hugging each other.
"I didn't think I could be happier than our wedding day, but every day spent with you brings me new joy, especially now that we're starting a family", Buck told her.
"I just hope everything goes well Buck"
"You'll see that it will be like this. And now your gift! Wait here for a moment, don't move."
"But where are you going?" Bea asked curiously.
" Wait and see"
Bea took the opportunity to take the gift she had had wrapped for Buck out of the chest in the living room and placed it in front of the fireplace.
"Ready?" he asked her before entering.
"What are you hiding out there Buck Cross?"
"Close your eyes, come on!"
Bea didn't have to be told twice and when he said to her: "Now open them!", she remained speechless: Buck had placed a cradle carved out of wood in front of her with a dream catcher hanging above it.
"Buck, it's wonderful! You did it?"
"Yes, I started making it the day after you gave me the news. Do you like it?"
"It's wonderful, thank you" and kissed him tenderly.
"But now it's your turn" and pointed to the package.
Buck opened it and found a sort of buckskin pouch to place on his shoulders.
"I thought you might like to take your baby with you every now and then so I made this baby carrier. I tried to remember how Kiowa women work with buckskin."
"It's beautiful love, thank you. I love you so much!"
He kissed her passionately, took her in his arms and took her to their room where they celebrated Christmas Eve in the best possible way.