Loved Like That

Vin Tanner's Girl

Part four of the Shenandoah Series

Buck drove along a dirt road. Coming home from blind dates was always a downer. He turned up the radio as Shenandoah’s “I wanna be loved like that” come on. A song to soothe his aching heart. He switched on the wipers as the rain cascaded down the windshield. His heart sank deeper in his chest, how come he never could find his true love?

He then remembered the quote Nathan had told him years ago. “Those who go looking for love; never find it right in front of them, where it has always been.” Buck never understood that quote until tonight. He saw the neon sign of the bar that Inez worked at and pulled in. 12:30 am, she’d still be working. He walked in.

“Hey Buck.” Inez said to him as he walked to the jukebox played a song then sat down.

“Hey” Buck replied solemnly. Inez looked at him, puzzled on what was wrong with her friend. “What’s the matter?” she asked. She sat beside him, they were the only two in the bar and it was kind of slow for a weekend. “I didn’t think finding my true love would be so hard to do.” She smiled. “Let’s dance.” Buck stared at her in shock. She wanted to dance and he was having love problems. Was she out of her mind?

Inez took his hand and led him to the jukebox. She played the previous song again and danced with him. She coaxed him to dance with her as she sang, “I wanna be loved like that, I wanna be loved like that.” Buck looked at her, all his despair from not finding his true love faded away. He’d found Inez, his true love. “Inez” he whispered. “Yes Senor?” “I…I love you.” he felt embarrassed at having said such a vulnerable thing to his friend and bartender. He smiled though, when she kissed him and said, “I love you too.”

He kissed her then, like he had never kissed anyone before. Soft and slow, gentle and meaningful. It was then, with his arms around her that he remembered the rest of Nathan’s quote. “When you find your true love, never let her go.” Buck smiled, he’d never let Inez go, ring or no ring, she was his and he was hers. The next morning Nathan found a note on his desk in the office. It read: Dear Nathan, Thank you for your advice. The quote you told me helped me find the love I was looking for. It was always right where it should be, in Inez’s heart. Thanks Pard. ~Buck P.S. Tell Chris I won’t be in today.

Nathan smiled as he walked to Chris’ office. “Excuse me Chris but I’ve gotten notice that Buck will not be in today.” “Why?” asked their leader. “He’s found the love he’s been missing all these years.” Nathan turned and walked out of the office as Chris sat puzzled over what in the world Nathan was talking about. Meanwhile, Buck and Inez were still dancing in that little bar off that dirt road.

Natalie Wood gave her heart to James Dean
The high school rebel and the teenage queen
Standin’ together in an angry world
One boy fightin’ for one girl

(Chorus)

I wanna be loved like that, I wanna be loved like that
A promise you can't take back
If you're gonna love me
I wanna be loved like that

Daddy never gave Momma a diamond ring
But Momma never wanted for anything
But what he gave her it came from the heart
In a bond that was never torn apart

(Repeat Chorus)

An old man kneeling all alone
Plants his flowers in a garden of stone
For seven years now she's been gone
And his devotion is still goin’ strong

I wanna be loved like that, I wanna be loved like that
A promise you can't take back
If you're gonna love me

I wanna be loved like that

I Wanna Be Loved Like That
- Shenandoah