Chapter 6

The next day, as promised, Buck picked up Diana from school. As she and Margaret were about to exit the building, Margaret saw Buck sitting on the stairs waiting through the window and said to Diana: "I see things with Buck are moving forward. Diana, I'm really sorry for saying those things, I see that Buck is a good guy and that you two are very good together, it showed at the dance too. I'm happy for you"

"Thank you Margaret, don't worry, it's all forgotten. Buck is a special guy, kind, honest and respectful, I couldn't ask for anything more in a man. He just started officially courting me and I hope things go well."

"From your looks at the dance I think there is no doubt. And then you forgot one quality: it's also very beautiful!"

"Margaret!", Diana exclaimed, blushing.

"Well, what's the matter, it's a fact, you're very lucky" and they both burst out laughing.

When Buck heard the door open, he rose from the steps and greeted: "Good morning Diana, Miss Johnson" and nodded to her with his hat.

"Good morning Buck, just call me Margaret, Diana and I are friends now, right?"

Diana nodded, taking Buck's arm.

"I was just telling her that you are a really nice couple and I apologized again for doubting you", Margaret added.

"You're not the only one Margaret, many have and will have a lot to say about our relationship, but Diana and I love each other and that's what counts", Buck replied.

"You're right, but I want you to accept my apology too", she insisted.

"Sure, apology accepted", Buck replied.

Margaret thanked them and they said goodbye.

Buck turned to Diana after Margaret left: "So, how was it this morning?"

"Good so far", she replied, frowning a bit.

"Why until now? What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"Did you realize you haven't kissed me yet?"

"Here in front of everyone?", he asked surprised.

"Yes, here in front of everyone like other couples do, we have nothing to hide, or don't you feel like it?", she asked with a note of disappointment in her voice.

"Of course I feel up to it, I just don't want to cause you any problems"

"Buck Cross, will you stop protecting me from your ghosts? We are together and there is nothing wrong, so stop fearing everything and behave like my boyfriend!", she ordered him.

Buck kissed her tenderly and she told him: "It's better now. Where are you taking me to lunch?" and they headed towards the restaurant where Buck knew he was welcome.

Lunch was appetizing and pleasant and Diana and Buck talked about their respective mornings.

In the following weeks they saw each other as often as possible: every now and then Buck picked her up from school and she often went to the station, developing her relationship with Rachel and Lou more and more and sometimes she was also accompanied by Margaret with whom she had formed a beautiful friendship. .

One evening, Buck had invited her to dinner and after filling their bellies with a sumptuous meal finished with an excellent chocolate cake, he had accompanied her home. They had hitched Spirit to the buggy because Buck had had his run that day and they wanted to let his horse rest a little in Diana's stable. Once they arrived, Buck helped her down and offered to go and put Spirit in the stall while he got his horse.

Diana had waited for him outside and turned to look towards the horizon, remaining breathless. In front of her, towards the prairie, a breathtaking sunset loomed. The sun, now very low on the horizon, looked like an enormous crescent and colored the sky with a play of colors that ranged from orange, to red and yellow.

Buck joined her and started watching the show too.

"It's magnificent, have you ever seen anything more beautiful?", she asked him, not taking her eyes off that spectacle.

He answered her: "Yes, now, here next to me"

Diana turned and saw Buck's eyes staring at her full of love.

He took her hands and said: "Diana, we have been dating for a couple of months now, a period during which our relationship has grown and consolidated. I never thought I would have such strong and fulfilling feelings for any woman, but now I can say with certainty that I love you. I love you Diana and will continue to love you for the rest of my life."

Diana had tears in her eyes: in all those months they had not yet dared to say those two fateful words to each other and now, hearing them from the man she loved more than her own life, she couldn't breathe. She freed her hands from Buck's, took his face and looking straight into those deep and magnetic eyes, replied: "I love you too Buck Cross, with all my heart, soul and mind. I am so happy to have met you that my heart almost bursts because of all the love it contains. I love you with every fiber of my being" and kissed him with a passion that burned Buck's soul.

Diana's hands moved from his face and began to unbutton his shirt. He stopped her: "Diana, we don't have to if you don't feel ready, I told you I love you not because I wanted it to come to this. I mean, I want you to death, but I want you to be convinced of this very important step."

"Buck, I want to be completely yours, I don't want to wait any longer if you want it too, regardless of the fact that we confessed that we love each other"

Buck kissed her again and let her do it.

"Do you want to enter?"

"No, I want to make love with you here, immersed in nature and kissed by this wonderful sunset"

Buck nodded and the two undressed each other. Buck laid her in the soft grass in front of the stable and the fence from which they had admired the sunset.

He began to caress her a little awkwardly and fearfully, but she encouraged him. Buck kissed her whole body delicately until he went down to her intimacy. Diana clung to him and Buck whispered: "Stop me any time if there's something wrong."

"I want to be yours", she replied.

When he felt she was ready, he began to slowly penetrate her. He heard her moan in pain and stopped for a moment, but she told him to continue. Buck with all the sweetness he knew let her get used to him and then they began to keep the same rhythm until they exploded with pleasure together.

Buck rolled off of her and lay next to her, looking at her and asking: "Are you okay?"

"Divinely", she replied.

"Are you sure, did I do something wrong?", he asked seeing tears in her eyes.

"No Buck, it was wonderful and if you see tears in my eyes, I'm just happy"

He kissed her tenderly.

She looked at him with a look full of love that warmed Buck's soul and said to him: "I'm just sorry that I'm not very good, well... at these things. For me it was the first time"

Buck looked at her full of sweetness, kissed her hair and replied: "Darling, it was beautiful. It was the first time for me too and I have exactly your fears. We are getting to know each other now, you will see that little by little we will learn to know our bodies and grow together"

"Was it really the first time for you too? With Kathleen you don't…."

He put his finger on her lips and said: "No, you're the first and I'm extremely happy that we discovered the joys of love together."

She smiled at him and kissed him.

Buck then propped himself up on his elbow and told her: "Now I think we have to go back before someone passes by and sees us… Let's cover ourselves and go into the house to get dressed"

She nodded and they covered themselves as best they could. As soon as they returned to the house, Buck, who was only wearing trousers, started to put his shirt back on but Diana stopped him: "What do you think you're doing, Buck Cross?"

"Well, I'm showing off in a young lady's house", he replied, smiling.

"No no no, we don't understand each other" and she approached him to undo his trousers again.

"You said yourself that we need to know our bodies better and that's exactly what we'll do now" and in the meantime she took off the only piece of clothing he was wearing.

Buck found himself naked in Diana's living room but didn't care, picked her up, kissed her and headed for the stairs saying: "Well, you just have to show me where your room is."

"The first door on the right…" and there was no more need for words.

That night Buck returned to the station very late and tried not to be heard by the others. Obviously he didn't succeed, but no one dared to pepper him with questions either that night or the morning or the following days. They knew that Buck was madly in love with Diana and they didn't want to make him nervous or angry, he deserved to enjoy all the happiness in the world.

The next morning Buck did his chores with more zeal than usual and everyone noticed the stupid smile he had on his face. Rachel realized what had happened and decided to talk to him about it before he and Diana got into trouble.

"Buck, can you come in the house for a moment? I need you to move a piece of furniture", she asked him.

Buck nodded but heard Noah behind him saying: "Ouch, if Rachel has to move a piece of furniture it means you screwed up..."

Buck didn't answer him but he felt very agitated.

"Here I am, Rachel, what do you have to move?", he asked innocently.

"A thought from your little head...", she replied.

"Excuse me?" he asked, surprised.

"Look, I know you and Diana love each other very much, just be careful not to get into trouble. I don't know and don't want to know anything about how things are between you, but certain actions entail consequences that could be serious for Diana. I just ask you to be careful, I know how certain things go and I know that certain impulses cannot be stopped for long, just pay attention."

Buck's face was red and he simply said: "We'll do it Rachel, thanks" and hurried out of the house.

"So, what did you have to move?", Jimmy asked, teasing him.

"The sofa, but in the end she wanted it in the same position as before"

The boys looked at each other with a knowing look.

Buck had actually already thought about what Rachel had alluded to: if Diana had gotten pregnant it would have been a problem: not because he didn't want a child with her, but because his reputation would have been ruined. He decided to talk to her openly.

He picked her up from school and said: "Hi honey, how are you this morning?"

"Good I would say, never been better. And you?"

"Me too but I want to talk to you about something, would you like us to grab two sandwiches and go to the river?"

"Should I worry Buck? Do you have second thoughts? Did I do something wrong?"

"Oh no Diana, I have no second thoughts and above all you have done nothing wrong, but we need to talk"

Diana nodded, they went to buy some sandwiches and drinks and went to the river.

Buck had brought a blanket and sat her next to him.

"So, what's bothering you Buck? I see you are not at peace. Are you sure you don't regret it?"

"No, Diana, I would do it again but I'm worried about the consequences"

"Consequences?"

"Yes, well, well, if we continued to be together and you got pregnant, well, I would be happy to have a child with you, but your reputation would be ruined and you would probably lose your job"

"Yes, I confess that I thought about it too Buck, but you have to be calm this time, my period has just finished and it is practically impossible that I got pregnant tonight"

Buck was relieved and told her: "Good. I want you to understand that I care about you, I don't deny anything that happened tonight. I love you so much and I would like to make love to you every minute of my life."

"It's all the same to me, Buck, and I love you even more because you care about me. My cycle is not very regular, but I can still manage it based on my body's signals, so if there is a risk of getting pregnant, I will be the one to warn you, don't worry. I also want to have children with you in the future, but only when we are a family."

Buck kissed her and asked: "So we're safe now?"

"Absolutely "

Buck didn't have to be told twice and they ended up making love on the banks of that river that had brought them together.

Buck then confessed to her that Rachel had made that speech to him in the morning and Diana said that she wanted to go to her to reassure her, as women would understand each other better. Buck nodded.

They remained lying in the sun on the blanket for a while after getting dressed and then set off for the station.

"Diana, how nice to see you, come!", Rachel welcomed her.

"Hi Rachel, I don't want to bother you, but I need to talk to you"

"You never disturb, come, come in! Lou, can you come too please?"

Lou and Diana looked at each other and then Diana looked at Buck who shrugged as if to let her know he didn't know anything about it.

The three women entered and Rachel offered them some tea, then spoke: "Before you say anything, Diana, I want to speak to both of them, with our cards exposed"

Lou and Diana looked at each other quizzically again.

"We are three friends and we don't have to hide anything from each other. Lou, I know you may not have talked to Diana about this yet, but I want to give this talk to both of you. You are women now and you are both in love with two of my boys"

Lou looked at Diana guiltily but she reassured her: "Lou, don't be embarrassed, I knew right away that you and Kid are in love and I thought you weren't ready to tell me about it yet, don't worry"

"Sorry Diana, it's just that things with Kid are really difficult and I don't even understand where we're going to end up. I didn't mean to keep it from you, I was just trying to figure out what to tell you."

"I know, I understand, don't worry" and she hugged her.

"Well, now that there are no more secrets, I want to tell you this: I know that you are in love with those two and that yours is a strong feeling that you cannot control, as is natural, but you have to be careful of the consequences of your actions. I don't want to enter into your intimacy; Lou, I'm the one who gave you that nightgown for your trip with Kid, but consider the consequences carefully. If you were to get pregnant you know what people would think of you. Frankly, I have learned to not care about conventions and people's judgment, but Diana, you are the assistant teacher of the town and Lou, the future of your brothers could depend on your behavior. I am not telling you to restrain your feelings and desires, but be careful and be aware of what you do."

Diana and Lou were red with embarrassment, but then Diana decided to be as frank as Rachel had been: "That's why I came Rachel. Buck told me he talked to you this morning and I wanted to reassure you. I am aware of the risks of pregnancy at this time and as much as I want children with Buck, this is not the time. I was careful and I wouldn't have made love to him if only there had been the possibility of getting pregnant. We talked about it and we both agree: if I were to realize that the period is wrong, we would stop in time, none of us wants to do things that we would regret, despite all the love we feel and the desire to have a family in the future"

"Same goes for me Rachel, you know that although Kid is ready, I'm not, so you don't have to worry."

Rachel breathed a sigh of relief and the two women thanked her for her frankness.

Lou apologized again to Diana for not having told her anything about Kid but the girl reassured her with a hug.

When they left the house, Diana reached Buck who was watching Jimmy tame a horse and said to him: "Rachel is a great woman, you are lucky to have her with you"

"We're lucky, you're family now, remember?"

"Yeah and I'm so happy. I love you Buck"

"I love you too".

They kissed and said goodbye. Everyone returned to their activities knowing that they had a solid support to count on in case of need.