Chris was exhausted after having finally finished removing every trace of the Gaines's siblings visit to the shack. Since the day the remaining seven men had ridden in to the rescue, he'd worked furiously to put things back to order on his property. He'd scrubbed away the bloodstains on the barn floor, shuddering as he did so, knowing it was Vin's blood that had been spilt there. The blood spattered hay had been removed and burned, along with the ropes that had been used to tie up both he and Vin.And today, after returning from town, he had cleaned the shack from top to bottom, wanting, needing to remove any evidence of Ella, scrubbing everything that she or her brother had touched.
His last chore had been to rip the sheets from his bed. Sheets that were marked in a few spots with Vin's blood, and that Ella had slept on, while he and Vin were tied out in the yard, freezing in the night, soaking wet.
He burned the sheets too, even though he could have taken them into town to be washed by Mrs. Martin, who did the laundry for the seven. But he never wanted to use them, or see them ever again. It was too painful a reminder of what had happened. He made the bed up with fresh linen, hoping that tonight he would be able to cast aside his demons and sleep in his own house once again. He'd been unable to since the incident with Ella and her brother, but knew it was time to move on, even if that meant moving on without Vin in his life. He sat on the bed sadly, head in his hands, consumed with thoughts about what might have been, had things worked out differently with him and the handsome sharpshooter. He groaned, wishing he could finally rest, but he knew the horses would be hungry. He forced himself to his feet and headed for the door.
He was in the barn, brushing out Valor, when he heard the wagon roll into his yard. "Nathan, Buck," he greeted. "What brings you out here?"
"Hey Chris," Nathan answered, looking slightly guilty. "It's...."
Chris saw the look flash over Nathan's face and misread it. "What? Is it Vin? Is he worse?" he asked with alarm.
"No, no," Nathan hurried to say. "It's about Vin, but he's not any worse." He eyed the man sitting next to him. "Maybe you better explain," he urged, then jumped down from the wagon seat to check on Vin, who was asleep in the back.
"One of you better explain," Chris said with the beginnings of a threatening tone.
"Settle down, pard!" Buck exclaimed and jumped off the wagon. "Come on back here a minute, will ya?" he asked, steering Chris to the rear of the wagon.
Chris started when he saw Vin, fast asleep, stretched out in the back of the wagon, bundled in several blankets.
"W-what's this all about?" Chris asked with surprise.
"He was gettin' to be too much for Nathan to handle, so I suggested we bring him here," Buck explained.
"Why's that?" Chris said flatly.
"'Cause you know how to handle him. You know what a pain in the ass he can be when he's healin' up. Won't listen to anybody but you," Buck continued.
Vin shivered slightly and moaned softly in his sleep. Chris's eyes went from Vin's sleeping form to the healer's. "Is he really okay Nathan?" he asked quietly.
"He will be if we get him out of this wagon and put him to bed," the healer assured. "His fever's dropped some, and I expect it'll be gone soon, long as he gets plenty of rest. Will you help me carry him inside, Chris?"
"Buck, why don't you help and I'll get the door," Chris hedged.
"Already gettin' it, pard," Buck replied, heading for the door.
Chris had no choice but to help Nathan lift Vin out of the wagon bed and carry him into the house. He glared at Buck as he walked past him.
He moved to set Vin's head and shoulders onto the bed, when Nathan stopped him.
"Hold him up for a minute, will ya Chris? I want to get him to drink some water."
Chris was forced to hold Vin's upper body in his arms while Nathan brought over some water. The healer was moving very slowly, and Vin was getting heavy, so Chris eased the injured man up a bit, and slid onto the bed underneath him.
Nathan saw the movement from the corner of his eye and gave Buck a sidelong glance. The two men smiled at each other triumphantly, for just a brief second, before Nathan came back over to the bed with the water. He guided the cup to Vin's lips and coaxed the sleeping man to drink a little of the liquid.
"Don't set him down just yet, Chris, I need to make sure he swallows that, and get a little bit more into him."
"Just hurry up, will ya Nathan?" Chris asked with exasperation. Vin was a little too close for his comfort. He could feel the stirring in his loins at the nearness of the tracker, his scent and the feel of his slender body molded to his. He was starting to get light-headed from the sensation.
"I can get Buck to take your place if it's a problem Chris," Nathan answered innocently. "He's been helpin' me with Vin lately, doin' a real good job at it, too." He turned to the mustached man. "Buck, go on and hold Vin for me, will ya?"
"No, no, I'm fine," Chris snapped, unconsciously tightening his hold on Vin. "I'll hold him Nate, do whatever you need to."
Buck grinned hugely at his oldest friend.
"What are you grinnin' at?" Chris barked.
"Nothin'," Buck replied, with a laugh and headed out the door.
Vin stirred in Chris's arms at the loud voices, starting to come out of sedative's grip. He blinked his eyes open slowly and focused in on Nathan. "Nathan?" he asked wearily.
"Hey Vin, how ya doin'?"
"Okay, I guess," he answered hesitantly, looking around the shack slowly. "Where am I?"
"You're at my place," Chris answered.
Vin stiffened, realizing for the first time that someone was holding him. "Why?" he asked quietly.
"So I can take care of you," Chris replied.
"But you don't want me," Vin said in an anguished voice.
Chris met Nathan's eyes quickly and made a decision. He was almost certain the healer knew there was something going on with him and Vin, and what he was going to say next would confirm it. But he didn't want to hide it from the rest of the seven any longer. The minute he held Vin in his arms again, he knew he had to have the man back in his life. He spoke softly to his injured love.
"Yes, I do want you Vin, but I don't want you to get hurt ever again because of me."
The wounded man shook his head in protest. "No, I heard what you said to Ella. That I didn't mean nothin' to ya, that you were just lonely after she left. Don't lie to me."
"I ain't lyin', Vin," Chris said softly. "I'm sorry I said that, but I had to. I wanted Ella to believe I still cared about her, so she would leave you alone."
"No.....I don't believe you," Vin said, fighting to get out of Chris's grasp and getting tired once again. "You....never even...came to see me...at Nathan's..."
"Vin, I did, but I stood outside the door and asked about you. I know I should have come in, but I was scared. It seems like something always happens to the people I love. And I thought if I stayed away it would keep you safe."
"You're lyin' again," Vin protested weakly, his strength waning.
"Vin," Chris began, sliding out from underneath the younger man and easing him down on the bed, so he could look into his eyes, "I ain't lyin'. I care about you....hell, I love you. Riding in here that night and seeing you tied up and hurt was one of the worse moments of my life. It killed me to see you like that, Vin, and I never want you to have to go through something like that again because of me."
"Wasn't your fault Larabee," Vin said hoarsely. "You didn't do nothin' wrong. It was that damned bitch Ella and her brother...." He had much more he wanted to say to Chris, but his voice and weakened body began to fail him. He fought to keep his eyes open and focused on Chris's, but sleep tugged at him relentlessly.
Nathan stepped to Chris, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. The gunslinger faced the healer, and saw only compassion and understanding in his gaze.
"Chris, he's asleep now. I'm gonna just check on his arm and shoulder. There's some food in the wagon from Miz Burrows, why don't you help Buck in with it, while I'm seein' to Vin," the healer suggested.
Chris nodded wordlessly, and with a quick glance back at Vin, to reassure himself that the younger man was sleeping peacefully, he walked quietly out of the shack.
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"How did you know, Buck?" Chris asked as he stepped out onto the porch, where the tall gunslinger waited.
"Saw him sneaking out of your room a few times in the middle of the night," the tall gunman explained, blue eyes twinkling. "C'mon, help me unload this food Miz Burrows packed for you and Vin."
Chris glared back at his oldest friend, refusing to budge. "And just what the hell were you doin', walkin' around the hallway in the middle of the night? Spyin' on us?" he demanded.
"Nope, sneakin' out of Ezra's room," Buck retorted with a chuckle as he walked around to the back of the wagon. "Hell, first time I saw Vin leave, I figured he was gonna spot me! I had to jump back in Ezra's room or he woulda run right into me!"
"You and Ezra, huh?" Chris asked, a small smile starting at the corners of his mouth, as he went to join Buck. "Never woulda figured you two as a couple."
The mustached man shrugged. "Well, I did figure you and Vin as one, but it sure took you two long enough to do somethin' about it." He looked at Chris with a somber face. "What are you gonna do now?"
Chris leaned against the side of the wagon and squinted up at Buck. "Take care of him. Hope that he can forgive me for bein' so stupid." He dropped his eyes, suddenly becoming very interested in the dust, covering his boots. "I almost lost him Buck," he said in a choked whisper.
"But you didn't pard, and that's the important thing," Buck cut in.
"Thanks to you," Chris said softly. He straightened up and extended his hand. "I owe you Buck. Thanks."
"You're welcome Chris, glad to help," Buck replied, shaking Chris's hand. "Now, let's take this stuff inside. I've gotta get back to town. Got a date to keep."
"Ezra?"
"Now Chris, a gentleman never discusses such things in public," Buck teased.
"You ain't no gentleman Buck."
"I'm wounded to the quick, Chris," Buck jibbed, hand placed dramatically over his heart.
"Hell, you have been spending time with Ezra," Chris joked. "Your vocabulary has definitely improved."
Buck grinned at him. "Ezra's got a lot more to offer than just fancy words, Chris."
Just then, Nathan exited the shack. "He's all settled in Chris. Give him the laudanum when he needs it, and make sure he eats something soon as he wakes up," the healer ordered.
"He'll eat, Nathan, don't worry," Chris replied, a determined gleam in his eye.
"Good, and don't let him overdo it, either."
"He won't be gettin' out of that bed for a long while, Nathan, you've got my word on that," Chris assured.
The healer smiled knowingly at the gunslinger. "Is that a fact Chris? How you plan on doin' that?"
"That's my little secret, Nathan," Chris said, with an equal grin as he and
Buck carried the baskets of food into the small house.
Buck ran out of the house and jumped in the wagon, next to Nathan, as Chris stood on the porch to see them off.
"Well, we'll be gettin' back to town now Chris. Y'all need anything else before we go?" Nathan inquired.
"We'll be just fine, Nate. Thanks to you both," Chris answered with a wave to the two men as they rolled out of the yard. The gunslinger hurried into the house with a spring in his step.