January 6, 2005
"Come on, Darlin'," Buck soothed. "There's just you and me here. Time for some lovin'."
"That what you tell all the girls?"
Buck dropped his hands and stepped back.
"What?"
"That what you tell all the girls? Do you whisper in their ears? Do you tell them that you love them?"
"No! You're the only one for me, you know that!" Buck retorted.
"Coulda fooled me, the way you and Molly Hanson were actin' behind the saloon this mornin'. Or you and Carrie Wilkins in the saloon!"
"They don't mean anything to me! You know that!" Buck shouted. "You're the only one for me. You're the one I love!"
"Prove it!"
Buck was flustered. He didn't know what to do; what to say.
"All I can do is tell you that I love you," he said, sadly. "I can't shout it from the rooftops. I can't take you to no dance. You know that!"
No response.
"What I do with them girls is what's keepin' us together, don't you understand? If anyone suspected anything different, we'd never be together. We couldn't have what we already do."
He put his hand to his lover's cheek. "They'd hang us both, Vin."