Nathan looked up from his desk as Buck entered the station. Chris frowned as he was walking out of his office. Neither man had expected him to be there so early after what had taken place the previous night.
Winifred Landry looked up from her desk. She had recently been hired on as a secretary for the county police department, having decided that retirement was not for her. For twenty-five years, she had worked for the Mayor's office, and when she was forced to retire she sought another job. Staying at home and doing nothing, like most women her age, bored her. She had refused to discuss why the Mayor's office forced her retirement, and Chris Larabee had been too desperate for a secretary to force the issue, not that he and the rest of the boys hadn't tried.
Buck nodded to Winifred. “Morning Fred.” Fred was a nickname Buck had given her a few years ago. He was the only person allowed to call her that. Most knew her as the Widow Landry, or Ms. Landry or Winnie.
Winifred stood up. “Oh Buck you look terrible. Let me go and get you some coffee.”
Buck nodded. “Thanks. You mind if I use your computer? I need to type something up.”
“Not at all.” She smiled and patted his shoulder. “Now let me see about getting that coffee.
Buck sat down at the secretary´s desk and started to type out his resignation. It was something he had been considering ever since he had lost his family. He was giving his notice and would then go in search of Drew and move wherever she wanted. He wanted her to be happy and if that meant away from Four Corners, and all the memories, then so be it. He couldn´t live without her and was bound and determined to do whatever it took to win her back.
The resignation was brief. He would remain until after the festival then he was headed out. He smiled to Winifred as she walked back to the desk. “Just got to print this up and then I´ll be all done.”
Winifred frowned. “Buck? You´re leaving us?”
Buck looked to her and realized she was starring at her computer screen. “Yes, Fred, I am. I´m going to go search for my Sunshine. I have to find her.”
Winifred nodded and reached up giving him a pat on the back. “You do what you have to do Buck. And once you find her you bring her back home.”
Nathan sat stunned. Did he hear correctly? Buck was resigning?
Buck took the sheet of paper and nodded. He couldn´t tell her if Drew didn´t wish to return that he wouldn´t be back.
He made his way over to Chris who was now standing at Nathan´s desk.
Chris took the sheet of paper and frowned as he read it. “You sure this is what you want to do Buck?”
“Yeah it is pard. My life means nothing without Drew.”
Chris shook his head. “You have my full support. But you have to promise me one thing.”
Buck looked to him skeptically. “What´s that?”
“You talk Drew into coming back home. I´ll admit I was a bit hard on her at first and I regret that now. Thing is town just isn´t the same without her. You tell her Chris wants her to come back. We all do. This is her home. We´re her family.”
Buck looked to Chris and smiled. “I will. I ain´t leaving until after the festival though.”
Nathan was still in shock. “You can´t go Buck. I mean--”
Buck put his hand on Nathan´s shoulder. “I´m going to miss you too Nate.”
Nathan shrugged. “This will hurt Laura. Hell everyone. First Drew and now you´re leaving too. Will you talk to her before she hears it from someone else?”
“I will Nate. I need to tell Ezra and Trina too.” Buck sighed and decided to change the subject for now. “We need anything else done for the rodeo Chris? Any last minute details that need to be taken care of?”
Chris smiled. “Not anything that I can think of. Sure do wish we had the ‘Irish Cowboy´ riding again this year. He was quite entertaining last year.” The Irish Cowboy, otherwise known as Frank O´Malley, rode the same circuit as Chris and Buck for years. Although they never had much of a chance to talk until he showed in town for the festival last year.
Buck laughed. “Yeah he was. Ol´ Frank is a hoot. Maybe we´ll get him back next year? Well if I´m here.” He looked down.
“You´ll be here.” Chris looked to him. “I know you will.”
Buck nodded then walked over to his desk taking his seat. He wanted to get a few things done before going to help with the building of the stage for the pageant.
Chris didn´t want to get into this with Buck now but walked over. “You do remember last night don´t you?”
Buck looked up at him. “Yeah what about it?”
“I brought Lacey in. I suspected that she was under the influence of a controlled substance. Had to let her out on bail after searching her purse and finding nothing. Still waiting for the blood test results but that will take a few days. Thought you might want to know is all.”
Buck nodded. “Thanks. In a way I´m glad she ain´t here. Hard telling what I´d do or say if she was.”
An hour later Buck and Nathan headed over to the fairgrounds to start working on the stage for the Arizona Queen Pageant.
“Hey you two,” Laura said as Nathan and Buck walked over to her after parking their trucks.
“Hey hon,” Nathan said kissing her gently. “Where do you need us?”
Laura pointed over to where the other men were already starting to build the stage. “They brought the timbers earlier.”
“All right,” Buck said. “Let´s get to work then.”
“Um, Buck, don´t you have something you need to tell Laura?” Nathan said.
“Tell me what?” Laura said with a smile.
Buck sighed knowing this wasn´t going to be easy to say. He dreaded telling JD and the others too. “I´m leaving after the Festival. Going to go and search for Sunshine again.”
Laura shrugged, “why would that upset me?”
Nathan cleared his throat and looked to Buck.
“I resigned Laura. I´m not coming back not unless Sunshine wishes. She was never happy here I forced her--”
Laura shook her head, “that´s not true Buck! Drew was happy here, maybe not at first. You´re really leaving?”
“Yeah I am.” Buck sighed. “I´ll do whatever it takes to be with my wife. Whatever it takes.”
Laura reached out and hugged Buck. “But we´re going to miss you. I understand. Just make sure Drew knows we want her to come back. This is her home, please tell her that.” Laura felt tears burning her eyes. She hated seeing her friend so heartbroken and leaving as well.
Buck smiled patted her back then moved away. “I will.”
“We need to get to work,” Laura said, wiping tears from her cheeks. Buck nodded and he went to help the others.
Laura helped where she could whenever she could. She mostly supervised the building of the stage, and the runway, making sure it wasn´t too long. She had to laugh when some of the men goofed around, throwing water at each other as they day grew warmer. It was definitely an interesting sight at times. Laura kept a close eye on Buck.
“Hey Buck?” Laura called.
Buck turned and walked over to her. “Yeah?” he asked, sounding far older then he was.
“Why don´t you head on home and get something to eat,” Laura said. “We can handle a bit without you.”
“Laura, I´m fine,” Buck said.
“I know better than that,” Laura said. “Look Buck, you had a rough night last night. You´ve had a rough few weeks. Please, do this for me. Just go home, have some lunch, rest up, then come back. I don´t want you getting hurt because you are too weak.”
Buck sighed then smiled at her. “All right,” he said. “I´ll go grab something to eat, but then I´ll be back.” Laura smiled and patted his cheek gently, sending him on his way.
The stew Trina had made for him the day before was there so he agreed and left not knowing what would be waiting on his doorstep when he arrived back at his apartment.
Buck made his way over to his truck then drove back to his apartment at the Oasis. Trina had called him on his cell phone earlier checking up on him again and insisting he move in with her and Karol. Buck didn´t argue but didn´t have any plans on doing so considering he would be leaving town at the end of the festival.
Drew took a deep breath before knocking on the door of what use to be her home. The previous day in New York her mother had left for Australia in hopes that Drew would be joining her soon. Maude had arranged for her lawyer to send Buck the divorce papers after Drew was out of the country. Convincing her daughter it was ‘for the best.´
Something inside Drew wanted closure and to return to the small community she had once deemed a ‘hellhole.´ That hellhole had been the only home she had ever had and it was so hard for her to let go. She needed to say goodbye to Buck, to their life, and to see her friends again, one last time. Knowing the Festival would be taking place that week, and her flight to Australia was set for Saturday, she knew what she had to do. She flew out of New York and then rented a car in Tucson.
Biting her lip she looked around, “must not be home.” She mumbled holding the papers she had brought for her soon to be ex-husband to sign. The man she knew was the love of her life, the man who she thought had betrayed her.
Buck was numb as he stood just a few feet away from Drew. He thought perhaps it was a mirage at first. She couldn´t possibly be home could she?
Drew turned to walk away from the apartment deciding to see if Trina was home when she saw Buck. Six long weeks had passed. She was no longer heavy with child and looked amazing. Before the pregnancy she had been a bit on the skinny side. Although still thin the barely five feet tall blond was the picture of health.
Her once waist length golden hair had been trimmed and now fell to her shoulders. Her long legs molded to her low rider jeans. Her midriff exposing sweater only complimented her even more bringing out the blue in her eyes. To Buck she had never looked more beautiful.
Drew on the other hand was shocked by Buck´s appearance. He had lost weight and looked like he hadn´t slept in months. She stood not knowing what to say to him.
Buck finally rushed forward scooping her up in his arms. “Sunshine! You came back! You´re back! I love you! Sunshine please, I love you, don´t leave again. Don´t leave me again.” He held onto her tightly nearly knocking the wind out of her.
Drew struggled against his hold her feet still off the ground. “Buck? Damn you put me down! You got some nerve--.” Before she could say another word he set her down and crushed his lips to hers kissing her as he kept a firm hold on her.
For a moment Drew started to respond to the kiss. It was like nothing had changed but then it had. He had betrayed her. Angrily she pushed away from him. “Stop! Save it for your slut! You´ll never change will you? I came to talk Buck. To say goodbye, to get you to sign these.” She held the papers out in front of her while he stood starring at her.
“You have no idea, Drew. None at all.” He took her arm as he unlocked the door and blanched as she pushed away from him again.
“I´ll be at Trina´s.”
Buck reached out and pulled her back again. “No, Drew, you won´t be. You´re going to come in here and sit down and hear me out. I´m not asking ya too either. I´m saying that´s how it´s going to be even if I have to tie you to a fucking chair.”
Drew rolled her eyes. “You wouldn´t?´ She bit her lip as he looked to her just daring her to try and leave.
Buck led Drew inside the apartment.
Ding and Bat ran out from under the couch and started to purr against Drew´s leg.
She knelt down petting each of them. “I missed you two. I missed everything.” She looked up to Buck then away. When she did she was stunned by what she saw. ALL her photos were still up, photos of them, their wedding picture.
Buck watched as Drew stood up walking over to the bookshelf. She lifted their wedding photo and turned to him. “I don´t understand. Why?” She looked to his hand as he ran it through his hair he still had on his wedding ring. “Why are you still wearing your wedding ring? I just don´t understand.”
Buck sat down on the couch looking at her; his eyes hadn´t left her since the moment he saw her standing at his door. “Your mother lied to you Drew. You´re still wearing your ring too.”
She set the wedding picture down and took out the papers. Several times she had tried to take off her wedding ring but had been unable to. “I thought you might want it back so I--okay I´m still wearing it but you can have it back. And Buck?”
“Yeah Sunshine?”
“Only person who lied to me was you. You betrayed me, you with Lacey..”
“I never slept with her and I ain´t signing those!”
“Oh yes you are! I´m getting on with my life and so should you. What? You decided Lacey wasn´t it for you anymore? I thought about it Buck I have. Maybe you just had one encounter with Lacey, the fact is you did I saw you and I saw her.”
Buck shook his head. “Sit down and listen to me.” He watched as she stood with her arms crossed still holding the divorce papers. He angrily stood up taking them from her. “I said sit down!”
Drew kept her eyes locked on his not moving watching as he ripped the divorce papers to shreds. “Why?”
Buck calmed down then took her hand. “Don´t push me away. Hear me out. If you´re not satisfied after that---all hell you won´t listen. I guess I have to prove your mother is a liar.” He led her over to the door.
“Oh and just how are you going to do that?”
Buck placed his hand on her cheek. “I know you think you hate me Sunshine and from what you´ve been told you have every right to. But if you ever loved me, ever loved me at all. You´ll trust me this last time.”
Drew looked into his deep blue eyes and saw the sincerity there the same sincerity she had feel in love with. She wanted so desperately to believe him. He meant the world to her and she had wanted to die after she thought she had lost him.
“Okay Buck.” She nodded to him then allowed him to led the way.
Buck quietly led her over to his truck. He wanted to hold her but remained quiet as she climbed inside sitting next to the window instead of in the middle next to him, like she use too.
.