"Why would a lovely lady such as yourself come into a little dust heap like this one?" Buck asked Amelia.
Amelia smiled. Wouldn't you like to know? she thought.
"I've decided I want to see more of the country. I had heard Vinny was here. We go way back," Amelia said.
Vinny? Buck thought. Vinny?! He laughed at the nick name. Amelia stared at him.
"What did I say?" she asked.
"'Vinny'," Buck laughed. "Never heard anyone call him that."
"Oh, well, he used to like that name. I guess he has changed a little. He has no time for old friends. You, on the other hand, Mr. Wilmington, are a very polite gentleman," she purred.
"Call me Buck," he said. She stood on her tip toes and he leaned down. They were kissing when Vin stumbled onto them. He took an involuntary step back.
"Buck!" he barked. The startled gunslinger pulled away and stared at Vin in shock.
"Vin!" Buck exclaimed. Vin stalked up to them. He grabbed Amelia by the arm.
"I mean it, you'd better be on the next stage coach out of Four Corners. You got that?" he asked. She made a face, indicating pain from his rough grip. Buck pushed Vin, who stumbled, forcing Amelia to back into a wall. Vin let go of her and faced Buck.
"Stay away from her, Buck! She's bad news!" Vin said. Buck punched Vin, knocking him to the ground.
"You're jealous!" Buck accused. Vin got up, rubbing his jaw.
"No, I ain't. I know all about her. She tried to get me killed!" Vin said. He walked away, heading toward his rented room. He passed Chris, Ezra, Josiah, Nathan and JD as he went, who all stared at the red mark on his face.
"You all, right, ma'am?" Buck asked Amelia, who was still leaning against the wall.
"Y-yes, I think so," she said, brushing a wrinkle only she could see from her skirt.
"He was drunk," Buck said. You fool, did you have to punch him? Don't mar that face, they might not take his head if it's messed up and then they won't give me the bounty! Amelia thought.
There was a knock on Vin's door. He ignore it.
"Vin?" Chris called.
"What?" Vin snapped.
Chris opened the door a little and stuck his head in. Vin had his back to the door. He sat on the bed, slouched over, staring at the wall.
"You all right?" Chris asked cautiously.
"Depends on what you mean by 'all right'," Vin said.
"We all saw what happened on the street," Chris said.
"I'm fine, then," Vin said, his tone implying that he wasn't fine at all. "Leave me alone, Chris."
"All right. We'll be down in the saloon, if you want to come by," Chris offered. Vin shook his head.
The next morning was hot. It was hot in Vin's room when he woke up, drenched in sweat. He'd spent most of the night dreaming about Gainsville over and over. Only this time, Amelia's bounty hunters caught him. They hung him, cut his head off and left his body for the buzzards. She took his head to the law in Tuscosa and get the bounty money for him.
He got dressed slowly, trying to ignore his pounding headache and went to shave. A bruise only a little smaller than Buck's fist was colored up on Vin's jaw. He shaved that spot carefully. He thought of getting some breakfast, but his stomach groaned at the mere thought of food. A drink on the other hand, to dull his headache, might do.
He was crossing the street, when a gang rode into town. They nearly ran him over before he jumped onto the saloon porch. Some of them laughed at him. Chris materialized out of nowhere.
"Think they were hired by Ms. Anderson?"
"I know they were. She don't know when to quit," Vin said. Chris eyed Vin carefully.
"You aren't goin' in the saloon, are you?" Chris asked.
"I was plannin' on it," Vin said stiffly.
"Think you can shoot straight if you're sloshed?" Chris asked, putting emphasis on the last word.
"You think there's gonna be trouble?" Vin asked saracastically. He brushed by Chris and entered the saloon.
"Good morning, Mr. Tanner," Ezra greeted. Vin made no comment.
"My, my, someone is uptight today," Ezra muttered. He was playing a game of solitaire and seemed disgusted by it. For a moment, Vin mused that for once, Ezra was losing. Vin almost came out of his slump, but then it came back when he saw Buck come into the saloon. Buck didn't say anything to Vin, didn't even look at him. Should grabbed him and tried to talk some sense into him instead of Amelia, Vin thought. He went to the bar and ordered whiskey. He didn't open the bottle though. He picked up the glass, turned it over in his hand. Chris was right. If those were Amelia's men, there was going to be trouble. Can't risk bein' drunk if they decide to come after me, Vin decided. He just walked away from the bar and went outside to lean against the wall outside the saloon. Wish it would, he thought.
"You need to talk to Vin," Chris told Buck.
"Why? I never thought I'd see Vin handle a woman that way. He deserved to be punched," Buck argued.
"Vin said that woman's dangerous. I trust his judgement," Chris said.
"Amelia isn't dangerous, Chris. She's a nice woman," Buck said.
"She's got a look about her, Buck," Chris argued. "You just can't see it because you like her."
"I thought I was your best friend, why're you sidin' with Vin?" Buck asked.
"I'm not siding with anyone. I just don't trust Ms. Anderson," Chris said.
Chris cursed and went outside. Vin was standing with his hands at his sides, looking nonchalantly at the men.
"I think you'd better put those guns away," Chris said.
"Who're you?" one of the men asked.
"Chris Larabee. The law around here," Chris said. Ezra, JD and Buck came up behind him. Nathan and Josiah were standing behind the bounty hunters.
"Gentlemen, it would be in your best interest to get out of here," Ezra said.
One of the men laughed, but Ezra's face hardened.
"He's not foolin'," Josiah growled form behind the men. Several of them turned and looked surprised.
While all this was happening, Amelia was watching from her room in the hotel. She had been delighted when her hired men had found Vin. Well, when Vin had come out of the saloon and pretty well allowed her men to find him. When those other men showed up, especially Buck, she had gotten angry.
"Look, Chris Larabee, this man is wanted. He's our, savvy?"
"No, I don't 'savvy'. I'm giving you fair warning. Put your guns away and ride out now," Chris said. Chris' words provoked a fight and all of the sudden there was gunfire on the street. The leader hit Vin and he collapsed. Chris fought the urge to help vin, instead he took cover and started firing on the group. The other five did the same, and within mintues the bounty hunters were either dead, wounded or scattered. Nathan put his gun away and went to kneel beside Vin. Buck, Ezra, Josiah and JD went to check on the bounty hunters. The live ones they took to the jail, the dead ones the took to the undertaker's shop.
"Is he all right, Nathan?" Chris asked. Vin was lying on the saloon porch, blood pooling around his head.
"Looks like he got grazed. Help me get him to my room," Nathan said.
"Sorry, Vin, looks like your time in Four Corners has run out," Buck said. Vin's eyes widened when he saw that Buck was planning on shooting him dead.
"Buck, no! Whatever she tol' you, it's not true! I'm a friend!" Vin said, trying to distract Buck. Where the rest of the seven? Why weren't they stopping Buck?
"Sorry, Pard," Buck said and shot Vin, not once, but six times.
Vin woke up with a start, half-setting up before the pain in his head exploded.
"Take it easy, Vin," Nathan said. Vin stared at Nathan and lay down. He was breathing hard, his heart pounding.
"Is everything all right?" Vin asked.
"Are you all right?" Nathan asked.
"I guess so. What happened?"
"You remember those bounty hunters drew on you? One of 'em hit you in the head. You're gonna be okay. We had a little shoot-out, but we arrested the ones that are still alive," Nathan explained.
"is everyone all right?" Vin asked. Nathan nodded.
"You just rest now," he said. Vin closed his eyes. A little while later he heard the door open, then close. He drifted to sleep, this time it was dreamless, which suited him just fine.
"Vin?" a voice said. Vin opened his eyes and saw Buck sitting in a chair by the bed.
"I'm sorry, I reckon you were right," Buck said.
"Right?" Vin asked.
"About Amelia. She lit a shuck an' ran. We got her men though an' they admitted she hired them. Sorry, I made a jackass outta myself," Buck said.
"It's all right. We all make mistakes," Vin said. Buck sighed.
"Let another pretty woman get between me an' a friend."
"That's okay, it's happened to me too, with Amelia. My friend tole me not to fall in love with her, an' in the end he got killed in Gainsville when the bounty hunters were lookin' for me. Don't worry about it," Vin said. Buck smiled.
"Friends?" Buck asked, offering his hand. Vin accepted.
"Friends."
Send Feedback to Fallinstar